Coimbatore: District stresses on SOP as guest workers return

COIMBATORE: With guest workers returning to the district, the district administration has instructed industrialists to follow the Covid-19 standard operating procedure (SOP) strictly.
Collector K Rajamani told TOI that as of date, there are 47,168 guest workers in the district. “Of this, a small portion were those who stayed back in the district. The rest are those who have returned after the unlock,” he said.
After the lockdown was announced, 83,000 guest workers went to their home states, the collector said. He held a meeting with industry representatives to ask them to follow the SOP.
A release from the collectorate said the industrialists have been asked to immediately conduct Covid-19 test for workers who have symptoms such as cold, cough or fever. They have also been asked to use more thermal scanners, pulse oximeters and maintain records. Industrial units should encourage use of handwash and sanitisers at the entrance, ensure separate ways for people and goods to enter and exit, maintain distance at parking lots and dispose of used masks and gloves.
President of Railway Suppliers Association S Surulivel, who attended the meeting, said guest workers have been returning for a month. “So far, they come with test result. Some people are also testing them for Covid-19 once they come back. But the collector has asked us to isolate them for a week and then test them, so as to get accurate result,” he said. “The workers are mainly returning by bus. Some of them come to Chennai by train and then come to Coimbatore by bus.”
Officials from departments of labour and health will inspect the units to ensure SOPs adherence.
District president of Tamil Nadu Association of Cottage and Tiny Enterprises J James said the businessmen requested the collector not to be too harsh with micro and small industrial units. “We asked him to give us instructions and a week to rectify the shortcomings,” he said.