\u201cEnsuring the workers’ health and safe working conditions has been our top priority; the second priority has been securing the continuity of our operations and our customers\u2019 operations. We have succeeded well in both,\u201d says Venesoja.<\/p>\n
M\u00e4kel\u00e4 Alu started taking precautionary measures even before the coronavirus pandemic spread to Finland and put together a coronavirus coordination team.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Weekly meetings with occupational health care services<\/h3>\n
After the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, P\u00e4ivi Venesoja started having weekly meetings with the occupational health care services. The meetings are still held every Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have constantly monitored the coronavirus situation in our region. The guidelines have been updated every few weeks,\u201d says Venesoja.<\/p>\n
The initiative of the company\u2019s staff and units has been important. The rules have been taken seriously. All units were involved in developing unit-specific guidelines for taking breaks, for example.<\/p>\n
People at risk have been of particular concern. They immediately received separate instructions from the occupational health care services. They were advised to consult with the employer to discuss separate work-related arrangements and safety measures.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, in addition to the general instructions, we have also taken personal instructions into account as a safety precaution.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Contacts were reduced to a minimum<\/h3>\n
In practice, the most important measure has been keeping team sizes to a minimum and limiting contact between teams. This has allowed us to minimise the risk of exposure and ensure the continuation of our operations.<\/p>\n
Other encounters, such as encounters between workers in different shifts, have also been reduced to a minimum.<\/p>\n
Staff members must still wear a face mask at work, except when working among their own team.<\/p>\n
Remote work became possible, and at times mandatory, for all those who could work from home.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n M\u00e4kel\u00e4 Alu has established its own quarantine rules, which are stricter than the official national guidelines.<\/p>\n \u201cStaff members are placed on paid quarantine if they have been in contact with someone who has been exposed to coronavirus,\u201d says Venesoja.<\/p>\n \u201cContrary to official recommendations, staff members must also remain in self-quarantine if their family member has been exposed to the virus. There have been a few of these cases.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n All visits have been kept to a minimum. M\u00e4kel\u00e4 Alu’s representatives have not conducted customer visits for over a year.<\/p>\n Similarly, only mandatory visits to the plant have been allowed.<\/p>\n \u201cInstallations and maintenance have been reduced to a minimum. We have reserved separate break rooms and office areas for visiting engineers and maintenance operators who come to our facilities. They are required to show proof of two negative COVID-19 tests carried out within 72 hours before they come to the plant.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Venesoja wants to highlight the importance of communication and encouragement. Special thanks are due to Petri<\/strong> M\u00e4kel\u00e4<\/strong>, Chairman of the Board.<\/p>\n \u201cHe made it a habit to write a weekly newsletter to the staff, giving them an overview of the situation. The newsletters have remained a common practice, although they may no longer be written every week.\u201d<\/p>\n M\u00e4kel\u00e4 also came up with a gift campaign, which was implemented by the recreation committee. During the campaign, weekly gifts encouraged and brought joy to the employees during the most difficult months of the pandemic. They were usually local products, such as coffee, chocolate, or flowers. The purpose of the gifts was to cheer up the staff and show that M\u00e4kel\u00e4 Alu cares about its employees.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Venesoja wants to thank M\u00e4kel\u00e4 Alu\u2019s staff members for following the rules, for their initiative, and for the good tips they have provided for combatting coronavirus.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are still monitoring the situation and taking precautionary measures against coronavirus. We are slowly reviewing our instructions.<\/p>\n Although the situation in our region has been relatively calm for a long time and vaccinations have started, careful compliance with the rules is still necessary.<\/p>\n \u201cIn May, the coronavirus situation deteriorated quickly in our neighbouring province. Meanwhile, the summer season is fast approaching, so we cannot afford to loosen our grip.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n In the autumn of 2020, Production Director Tero<\/strong> Suomalainen’s<\/strong> work at M\u00e4kel\u00e4 Alu began in exceptional circumstances. In August, planning for measures against coronavirus began as soon as he stepped through the door.<\/p>\n \u201cOn the first day of work, I came to the workplace and met with a lot of people. On the second day, most of our office staff switched to working remotely. Communication was handled via Teams meetings.\u201d<\/p>\n According to Suomalainen, the company has managed well through the pandemic so far.<\/p>\n \u201cThat is all thanks to our staff. Coronavirus has been taken seriously and the instructions have been followed carefully. When it comes to safety measures, we believe that it\u2019s better to go too big than too small.\u201d<\/p>\n Inadequate measures would have had serious consequences not only for the health of our staff, but also for the company’s operations and financial performance.<\/p>\n \u201cIt would have been a disaster if entire units should have been placed into quarantine,\u201d says Suomalainen.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n According to Suomalainen, the company\u2019s precautionary measures have been successful, and the pandemic has not affected customer deliveries in any way.<\/p>\n \u201cIt has only affected the way they have been implemented.<\/p>\n Now that we have had to rethink our workshops and reduce face-to-face encounters, one tool has risen above all others. That tool is Teams.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe have learned to utilise electronic tools. We will definitely continue to use Teams even after the coronavirus pandemic. It saves everyone\u2019s time and streamlines our operations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nStrict quarantine rules<\/h3>\n
Separate facilities for visiting engineers<\/h3>\n
Weekly newsletters and pick-me-up gifts<\/h3>\n
The battle is not over yet<\/h3>\n
Production Director Tero Suomalainen thanks M\u00e4kel\u00e4 Alu\u2019s staff<\/h3>\n
Customer deliveries were not affected by the\u00a0pandemic<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.makelaalu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Tero_Suomalainen_Makela_Alu_tuotantojohtaja-1024x889.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This is how M\u00e4kel\u00e4 Alu has managed the coronavirus pandemic With a year of the pandemic behind us, we can say that we have managed extremely well so far. No coronavirus infections, and no interruptions in production or customer deliveries. Careful safety precautions, quick action, detailed instructions, and shared responsibility have paid off. \u201cI think M\u00e4kel\u00e4 Alu is a good and responsible corporate citizen. This is reflected in our environmental and occupational safety efforts, and now in a whole new way amongst the challenges brought about by the coronavirus pandemic,\u201d says EHSQ Manager P\u00e4ivi Venesoja. \u201cEnsuring the workers' health and safe working conditions has been our top priority; the second priority has been securing the continuity of our operations and our customers\u2019 operations. We have succeeded well in both,\u201d says Venesoja. M\u00e4kel\u00e4 Alu started taking precautionary measures even before the coronavirus pandemic spread to Finland and put together a coronavirus coordination team. \u00a0 Weekly meetings with occupational health care services After the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, P\u00e4ivi Venesoja started having weekly meetings with the occupational health care services. The meetings are still held every Wednesday. \u201cWe have constantly monitored the coronavirus situation in our region. The guidelines have been updated every few weeks,\u201d says Venesoja. The initiative of the company\u2019s staff and units has been important. The rules have been taken seriously. All units were involved in developing unit-specific guidelines for taking breaks, for example. People at risk have been of particular concern. They immediately received separate instructions from the occupational health care services. They were advised to consult with the employer to discuss separate work-related arrangements and safety measures. \u201cSo, in addition to the general instructions, we have also taken personal instructions into account as a safety precaution.\u201d \u00a0 Contacts were reduced to a minimum In practice, the most important measure has been keeping team sizes to a minimum and limiting contact between teams. This has allowed us to minimise the risk of exposure and ensure the continuation of our operations. Other encounters, such as encounters between workers in different shifts, have also been reduced to a minimum. Staff members must still wear a face mask at work, except when working among their own team. Remote work became possible, and at times mandatory, for all those who could work from home. \u00a0 Strict quarantine rules M\u00e4kel\u00e4 Alu has established its own quarantine rules, which are stricter than the official national guidelines. \u201cStaff members are placed on paid quarantine if they have been in contact with someone who has been exposed to coronavirus,\u201d says Venesoja. \u201cContrary to official recommendations, staff members must also remain in self-quarantine if their family member has been exposed to the virus. There have been a few of these cases.\u201d \u00a0 Separate facilities for visiting engineers All visits have been kept to a minimum. M\u00e4kel\u00e4 Alu's representatives have not conducted customer visits for over a year. Similarly, only mandatory visits to the plant have been allowed. \u201cInstallations and maintenance have been reduced to a minimum. We have reserved separate break rooms and office areas for visiting engineers and maintenance operators who come to our facilities. They are required to show proof of two negative COVID-19 tests carried out within 72 hours before they come to the plant.\u201d \u00a0 Weekly newsletters and pick-me-up gifts Venesoja wants to highlight the importance of communication and encouragement. Special thanks are due to Petri M\u00e4kel\u00e4, Chairman of the Board. \u201cHe made it a habit to write a weekly newsletter to the staff, giving them an overview of the situation. The newsletters have remained a common practice, although they may no longer be written every week.\u201d M\u00e4kel\u00e4 also came up with a gift campaign, which was implemented by the recreation committee. During the campaign, weekly gifts encouraged and brought joy to the employees during the most difficult months of the pandemic. They were usually local products, such as coffee, chocolate, or flowers. The purpose of the gifts was to cheer up the staff and show that M\u00e4kel\u00e4 Alu cares about its employees.\u00a0 \u00a0 The battle is not over yet Venesoja wants to thank M\u00e4kel\u00e4 Alu\u2019s staff members for following the rules, for their initiative, and for the good tips they have provided for combatting coronavirus. \u201cWe are still monitoring the situation and taking precautionary measures against coronavirus. We are slowly reviewing our instructions. Although the situation in our region has been relatively calm for a long time and vaccinations have started, careful compliance with the rules is still necessary. \u201cIn May, the coronavirus situation deteriorated quickly in our neighbouring province. Meanwhile, the summer season is fast approaching, so we cannot afford to loosen our grip.\u201d \u00a0 Production Director Tero Suomalainen thanks M\u00e4kel\u00e4 Alu\u2019s staff In the autumn of 2020, Production Director Tero Suomalainen's work at M\u00e4kel\u00e4 Alu began in exceptional circumstances. In August, planning for measures against coronavirus began as soon as he stepped through the door. \u201cOn the first day of work, I came to the workplace and met with a lot of people. On the second day, most of our office staff switched to working remotely. Communication was handled via Teams meetings.\u201d According to Suomalainen, the company has managed well through the pandemic so far. \u201cThat is all thanks to our staff. Coronavirus has been taken seriously and the instructions have been followed carefully. When it comes to safety measures, we believe that it\u2019s better to go too big than too small.\u201d Inadequate measures would have had serious consequences not only for the health of our staff, but also for the company's operations and financial performance. \u201cIt would have been a disaster if entire units should have been placed into quarantine,\u201d says Suomalainen. \u00a0 Customer deliveries were not affected by the\u00a0pandemic According to Suomalainen, the company\u2019s precautionary measures have been successful, and the pandemic has not affected customer deliveries in any way. \u201cIt has only affected the way they have been implemented. Now that we have had to rethink our workshops and reduce face-to-face encounters, one tool has [...]","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5443,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[42],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5497","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n