Blue Harvest has announced it is implementing new precautionary measures and hazard pay for hourly workers at its New Bedford, Massachusetts, U.S.A., processing plant in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The move comes just over a week after the company’s processing plant was forced to shut down temporarily due to some employees testing positive for the virus, which has continued to result in stay-at-home orders and complications across the industry. That shutdown was only temporary, and according to a release from Blue Harvest, the plant was back to work on just days later.
While shutdown, the company implemented a number of new precautionary measures.
“Working around the clock over the weekend, Blue Harvest staff built three-sided plexiglass separations to improve social distancing measures on the plant floor. Operations resumed as normal on Monday,” Blue Harvest stated.
The barriers are intended to offer additional separation between workers, who have to work in close proximity to each other. Additional precautions include regular disinfection of all common surfaces, regular deep cleans of the entire facility, facemask and face shield requirements for employees, and rearranged common areas to allow recommended distances between employees.
In addition to the safety measures, hourly employees are being given an additional USD 1.00 (EUR 0.92) per hour in pay as “hazard pay” for the duration of the state of emergency as declared by the governor of Massachusetts.
“Blue Harvest Fisheries is committed to the safety and well-being of its employees, and to the safety and quality of its seafood products, above all else,” the company wrote.
The moves to further protect employees comes as elsewhere in the U.S. some facilities have been forced to close. In Astoria, Oregon, Bornstein Seafoods has been forced to close its facility after 13 employees tested positive for COVID-19, Fox 12 Oregon reported.
The tests were performed after 35 people working at the facility showed symptoms of the virus. Of those tested, 13 have come back positive so far.
The situation is similar for processing plants in the meat industry, with beef, poultry, and pork processing facilities facing COVID-19 related closures, the Wall Street Journal reported. While that could result in a boost to seafood sales due to meat shortages, in some instances seafood processors are facing many of the same challenges as terrestrial proteins.
Photo courtesy of Blue Harvest
