[COVID-19] THE SERAP GROUP PRODUCTION WORKSHOPS ARE GRADUALLY RESUMING ACTIVITY

After temporarily suspending production in France (Gorron and Replonges) on 18 March, the SERAP Group met with its CSSCT (Committee for Health, Safety and Working Conditions) and CSE (Economic and Social Committee) to approve a plan for extraordinary health and organisational measures aimed at the resumption of the activity, and a simultaneous assessment of strategic suppliers' ability to resume their activities.

The day after the public lockdown announced by France's President on 16 March in response to the Covid-19 crisis, the SERAP Group management, after discussions with the CSE, decided to order all the appropriate departments to work from home, and to temporarily close its two production sites in France on 18 March. However, equipment and spare parts deliveries were maintained, while complying with the French government's directives on health and physical distancing. These decisions made it possible to keep up business and contact with the clients, partners and suppliers to which the SERAP Group has commitments.

After an in-depth assessment of the health and organisational measures planned for the resumption of the activity, working methods were completely overhauled to ensure minimum interaction between staff and workshops and prevent any employees carrying the virus unawares from contaminating colleagues in the workplace. This thorough approach backed up by medical advice made it possible to adopt a new, highly effective health protocol strengthened by preventive actions going beyond the French authorities' directives.

This plan includes systematic briefings when staff arrive, floor markings in workshop work areas, the wearing of gloves and helmets with visors when in contact with delivery drivers, the daily cleaning and disinfection of all common tools used, an avoidance procedure in car parks involving a 30-minute gap between each team, and respect of a safe distance between people in offices, rest/meal areas and meeting rooms. In addition, members of the CSSCT are in charge of strictly monitoring compliance with these health plan measures in workshops and offices. All those whose jobs permit are still working from home, and they travel as little as possible to the site.

Our factories in France started up again gradually on 30 March with most of our workforce, in extraordinary conditions of health and safety, crucial for our employees' health and the long-term future of our company.

SERAP Group CEO Éric Boittin says: "The Management Committee and I wish to thank the members of the CSE and CSSCT and all those who have made resumption of business possible, participated in devising and implementing these new health measures and studied the conditions for our resumption in terms of health and organisation. I would also like to thank all the volunteers (i.e. 80% of the workforce) who went back to work at the Gorron site on Monday 30 March. Over the coming months, I am certain we will be able to catch up on the few days we lost and thus fulfil our commitments to our customers."

Read the press release