Rio Tinto has made arrangements for thorough COVID-19 testing for its employees. The step was taken as a precautionary measure.
In order to protect its workers, Rio Tinto will have the facility of COVID-19 testing at Diavik diamond mine in Northwest Territories, Canada. The step was taken as a precautionary measure.
One on-site laboratory has been installed at Diavik, by not for profit public health specialist GuardRX.
As per the reports, testing will be done by nasopharyngeal swabs of employees. In collaboration with the Northwest Territories’ Chief Public Health Officer, the entire thing will be implemented. On arrival as well as the departure back home, employees will be thoroughly tested.
The program includes the following safety measures:
- Complete 14 days of health monitoring before visiting the mine. Regular temperature checks will be conducted.
- Physical distancing.
- Complete medical screening via hotline with the help of a physician.
- Temperature checks before boarding flights.
- Regular monitoring like temperature testing till the time the employee is there at the mine.
Diavik Chief Operating Officer Richard Storrie claimed “We are committed to doing everything we can to protect our people and communities, and this testing will add a further layer to the robust precautionary measures we already have in place at Diavik. We will continue to be guided by the Northwest Territories government, to ensure that we operate safely and maintain the significant contribution we make to communities in the region.”
GuardRX Chief Executive Officer Professor Gary Kobinger also added “We will be using a test that has been approved by Health Canada and is being used effectively across the world to help manage the COVID-19 pandemic. Having our laboratory and personnel at the site will allow us to process tests quickly so that this program can supplement the measures being taken by the Northwest Territories government to help protect workers and communities.”
With so many safety precautions, the jewellery business will surely bounce back!
