By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
Though Gov. Mike DeWine ordered all non-essential businesses to close, the decision for manufacturing firms is being left up to them.
The order includes in its list of essential businesses “manufacturing, distribution and supply chain for critical products and industries.”
Asked if anyone was monitoring what plants were open and whether those that were in operation are following recommended checks on employees and social distancing, Jeff Klein, county emergency management director, said: “I am unsure if anyone is. The big challenge is making the determination as to who/what is essential. The governor is hoping everyone will do the right thing and close if they can.”
BG Independent News reached out by telephone and email to more than a dozen plants in Bowling Green to inquire about their status. That effort proved largely futile.
Centaur Tool & Die’s Jack Faykosh reported the plant closed Tuesday (March 24) and plans to remain shuttered through April 6.
Lori Carson, site manager for Phoenix Technology, responded by email that the plant will remain open, having deemed itself essential under the state and federal guidelines. Under those companies involved in waste and recycling as well as supporting the food and beverage industry are considered essential. The plant makes resin from post-consumer plastic for use in food grade containers.
Responding to a question about social distancing, Carson stated: “In a true manufacturing environment this is very hard to ensure, but we are cognizant of the recommendation and we are trying to limit activities that might encourage togetherness.”
The company asked all non-essential on-site employees to work from home. Phoenix is also limiting on-site meetings and discouraging workers from congregating in break, lunch and smoke areas.
“Many of our job functions work singularly with distance of 6 feet on a regular basis,” she continued. “We are also limiting any outside vendors on site when possible. We are notifying our transportation companies to require their drivers remain in their cabs while on site.”
The company hopes to maintain its full staff.
One worker, Elai Freed, has been actively keeping track of what’s happening at Freed’s own employer TH Plastics, as well as elsewhere through other workers. His commentary on what he found was posted in BG Independent News a few days ago.
The plant is staying open in large part, he said, because one of its main customers Whirlpool is refusing to shut down. “This is putting our managers in a bind. There is a petition going around to bring this to the attention of the governor,” Freed said. The company has “supposedly spaced people out more on certain lines to try and keep with CDC guidelines.”
Freed also questioned whether the company was properly sanitizing tools after every shift and whether it is sanitizing parts that are later shipped out.
Freed was informed that he could take two-weeks unpaid leave. In the commentary, Freed wrote: “And even with the temporary revisions to Ohio’s unemployment policies, those who are asymptomatic and choose to self-quarantine instead of being sent home by their employer are not eligible for unemployment benefits. This leaves workers at the mercy of their employers and unable to safely follow CDC guidelines.”
Workers are also subject to a point penalty system that limits how much unpaid time off they can have.
This, Freed said, will pose a problem for many workers as the pandemic continues and they become sick. They could be left with neither pay nor medical insurance.
Freed shared a memo sent out to employees from the firm that states the company’s rationale for continuing operation during the stay-at-home order. “We will remain open to support our customers in the manufacturing of needed appliances for the consumer. … Consumers need dishwashing machines, washing machines and dryers to properly clean their homes and protect their families.”
The memo promises that the company “will continue to take precautions in keeping our employees safe.” That includes keeping “the areas that employees come in contact with as clean and orderly as possible.”
Employees cooperation is essential including the instruction to “prescreen yourself before you come into work.”
In another memo to employees on Thursday, March 26, TH Plastics reported it will close Friday March 27 at 10:30 p.m. and remain closed through Wednesday, except for the shipping department, reopening next Thursday, April 2, and Friday with a full production schedule. All employees will be paid during the three days of shutdown.
Though GE and Whirlpool remain open, their production has decreased.
DeWine had asked plant operators to check temperatures of employees as they arrived for work, though he stepped back from that when informed thermometers are in extremely short supply.
Alicia Gauer, director of global communications for Lubrizol, responded to BG Independent News on Thursday morning (March 26).
The company is “continuing to operate during the Stay at Home order. … Chemical manufacturers like Lubrizol are ‘essential businesses’ because we are part of the nation’s critical infrastructure.”
She continued: “Many of the products Lubrizol makes in Bowling Green are essential to the general public and other businesses, as the site makes surfactants that are used to manufacture handwashing soaps, hand sanitizer, bodywash, and other personal and home cleaning products. “
In Bowling Green and elsewhere the company is “minimizing the number of employees on site and those who can work from home are doing so. “
Only essential activities critical to serving customers are continuing inside the plants, and Lubrizol is taking “aggressive measures to ensure social distancing, proper hygiene and enhanced disinfection.”
The company has been screening all employees in Bowling Green using a questionnaire and taking temperatures since March 16.
On Tuesday, Wood County Health Commissioner Ben Batey said his office had been “inundated” with calls from businesses wanting to be declared essential, and an exception to the governor’s order. While some were clearly essential, he said, many put forth “interesting arguments” for being essential.
The goal of the stay-at-home order is to keep the spread of COVID-19 to a manageable level for hospitals.
“We need these businesses to do what we’re asking,” Batey said.
Wednesday afternoon (March 25) Lt. Gov. John Husted said during the governor’s daily news briefing, that the state has also been getting a lot of calls about the order. He said business managers should “use your best judgment” based on “a plain reading of the order” as to whether their enterprise is essential.
They don’t need to get clearance from the state, or county EMA or Health Department, to stay open, he said. But they should create a document on why the business is essential and what safety measures they have put in place.
Those who violate the order will “be held accountable” by competitors, customers, other citizens, though Husted did not mention any official sanctions.
Husted also said that the practices to create a safe work environment should not been seen as short-term measures. “These safe workplace guidelines are going to be with us for a long time.”
Meanwhile the Emergency Operations Center reported Monday that Betco, a firm that makes commercial cleaning products, has temporary, full time openings available immediately.
