Groupe Forrest imposes drastic measures to prevent Coronavirus

Following the measures announced by the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Groupe Forrest and its subsidiaries have taken very strict measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus-COVID-19. These measures apply to all staff – employees, workers and day laborers – but also to visitors.

Prevention is the best protection. Informations about the “barrier gestures” are repeated every day and supported by a poster campaign on construction sites, production sites and in offices.

Coronavirus prevention

The Groupe Forrest recommends to its staff the prevention and hygiene measures disseminated by the Ministry of Health, namely:

• Wash your hands regularly with soap and water or an alcohol-based disinfectant.
• Maintain a distance of at least 1 meter with others.
• Avoid physical contact with others (handshakes, hugs, etc.).
• Avoid touching his face (eyes, nose or mouth).
• Avoid gatherings and public places (bar, restaurant, nightclub, games room)
• Avoid eating undercooked and / or raw foods.
• Sneeze and / or cough in the elbow or in a disposable tissue
• Make sure family members follow the same hygienic conditions.

The specific measures taken by Groupe Forrest

In addition to the preventive measures mentioned above, the Group Management, in collaboration with the Safety, Health and Hygiene Committee of GFI has taken the decision to go further and introduce drastic measures:

• Temperature control of each worker (employees, workers, day laborers) upon arrival at the workplace.
• Installation of structures for hand washing on site.
• Hydroalcoholic gel in offices.
• At each site, specific measures are taken. Thus, in confined spaces, the required social distance (1m) is applicable.
• Unannounced checks can be carried out at any time to ensure that the rules are applied.
• All visitors must submit to a temperature check upon arrival.
• All visitors must comply with hygiene and prevention rules.
• Only visitors with a confirmed appointment are allowed to enter the premises.

Face masks distribution

The Groupe Forrest distributed washable and reusable face masks to all people working on site. Each worker has the obligation to be in possession of his protective mask when going to work. On construction sites, work has been reorganized to allow a social distance of at least 1 meter between each worker. However, the configuration of the premises and the nature of the work do not always guarantee this distance. Therefore, wearing a face mask is compulsory on construction sites.

Daily safety briefing

On all Groupe Forrest construction sites, each working day begins with a 5-minute briefing. The Safety Manager recalls the various aspects related to safety and hygiene in the workplace. He also checks that all workers are wearing safety equipment.
In recent weeks, barrier gestures against the coronavirus have been included in this briefing. They are repeated and explained daily to site workers. This communication is supported by prevention posters.

The Groupe Forrest is very attentive to respecting safety and hygienic conditions in the workplace. For several years, the companies of the Group have made the commitment to subscribe to a policy in terms of Safety, Hygiene, Health and Work Environment (SHHE), in accordance with the legal and regulatory provisions in force.

Today, according to its values, the Groupe Forrest is doing everything to educate its staff and thus help to limit the spread of coronavirus-COVID-19. Management does not rule out taking additional preventive measures depending on the evolution of the health situation.