Going to great lengths to secure the health and wellbeing of employees
With the exit of the last crew member on the 17th of August 2020, from the temporary hospital Hangana had erected for its employees that had tested positive for COVID-19, Herman Theron, Managing Director of Hangana says that they are delighted that the company’s response to COVID-19 had paid off in looking after the health and safety of their employees.
Theron: “With Walvis Bay becoming the epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic a couple of weeks back, we quickly realised that extra ordinary circumstances called for extraordinary measures. Like many other employers in the Namibian fishing industry, we needed to find ways to protect our employees amidst this pandemic, and therefore responded with various measures.” Theron says that despite the pressure the fishing industry is under, having been heavily impacted by COVID-19 in all aspects, from their ability to catch and process fish, to feeling the pinch of the rapid reduction in market demand, Hangana and other fishing companies in the region did not think twice about activating various plans to care for their employees. As part of the Hangana’s Business Continuity Plan, a fully-furnished isolation care facility was established at Hangana’s warehouse with the aim of having those employees who tested positive, self-isolate in an effort to reduce the risk of transmission to their families and colleagues.
Theron: “At the centre of our business is our people whom we deeply care for and therefore, supporting their health and well-being is critical to us and our business. We had to find ways of dealing with the crisis and to continue doing business responsibly, as the livelihoods of our employees and their families depend thereon.”
Celebrating the COVID-19 recoveries at Hangana, Sven Thieme O&L Group Executive Chairman said: “I am truly humbled when I see how much care has been exercised by numerous employers who have gone the extra mile to keep their employees and communities safe. With the economic impact of this pandemic, my appeal is that, in addition to upholding the necessary health and safety measures, we also do everything possible to increase domestic production. As a healthy, productive and self-reliant nation is in a much better position to deal with and overcome crises like COVID-19. We need to breathe life into our industries and our economy in order to secure our future.”
