The SAJ would like to share its experience with members with respect to how we have been able to continue to manage the provision of services over the last week, since the Government promulgated the Disaster Risk Management (Enforcement Measures) Order 2020.

We have instituted a work from home policy for administrative staff who are engaged in non-essential tasks. For those persons who must come into the office to complete tasks that cannot be done remotely, we have limited the number of days in which they have to attend the office and for those have to take public transportation to and from work, we have arranged flexible hours to enable them to travel outside peak hours. These policies also allow us to stagger the days of work for each employee. For those employees who are home, we encourage managers and other team members to check in on each other regularly, so that we all help to maintain a chain of support for each other.

By minimising the number of persons actively engaged in the office, we are better able to facilitate social distancing. Even while at work, contact among our teams is facilitated mainly by telephone and only when necessary are team members brought together, but maintaining social distancing as much as possible.

In addition, we actively discourage handshakes or any type of physical interactions. We have placed touchless hand sanitisers at every entrance and have put up signs around our complex reminder employees about workplace hygiene, encouraging them not to touch their faces. We also have intensified the cleaning and sanitising of frequently touched surfaces including desks, counters, doorknobs, handrails, chair backs, elevator buttons and desk phones.

Clearly, not all our team members can work remotely, as SAJ is a service provider which deploys workers to the port and offers third party services through our canine, janitorial and security divisions. Our teams that provide services outside of our offices are encouraged, like those in the offices, to practise social distancing and proper hygiene in like manner. For stevedores engaged in work on the Port, we have provided guidance through our occupational health nurse on proper procedures and have maintained dialogue with the HRD teams at both Terminals to support their efforts to control the spread of the virus.

Through these initiatives, we have found that we are able to continue to be of service to our community while trying to do our part to minimise the risk of transmission of the Coronavirus. We will continue to act in the best interest of our members, our staff and our community as the worst effects of this pandemic become more and more obvious. We encourage all concerned to play your part.

With best regards from:

Trevor Riley, J.P., Chief Executive Officer