Strix Group PLC (LON:KETL) caught up with DirectorsTalk for an exclusive interview to discuss the processes they’ve put in place following the Coronavirus outbreak in China.
Q1: Can you talk us through the some of the processes put in place at your Chinese facility following the outbreak of Coronavirus?
A1: We knew it was of the utmost importance to take immediate action and act quickly, not only for production but more importantly putting in appropriate measures for our staff, so that they felt protected, educated and safe.
Within the factory itself we have stocked it with face masks for the employees to wear whilst in the factory and travelling around the province. We also provided numerous alcohol-based hand sanitisers within the factory as they are most effective in decreasing infectious agents on the hands. Additionally, a high-quality disinfectant soap for washing hands has been supplied. Employees are also continually monitored for an increase in body temperature whilst the building and the Company’s transport receive regular sterilisation measures, as well as a disinfection unit being set up at the factory too.
I am very happy with how the Group have handled themselves and we have been commended for our fast moving and effective measures by the Epidemic Prevention and Control Authority and the Chairman of the local National People’s Congress Committee.
Q2: You mention a disinfection unit was set up at the Guangzhou factory, what does this do?
A2: A disinfection unit was set up by management at the entrance of the Guangzhou factory. The main use of this is provide an epidemic prevention facility for all the employees as they come in and out of the factory. Not only is it a very effective method of sterilization but it also gives our staff a great deal of peace of mind knowing that not only are they going through this process, but their co-workers and everyone in the factory are too.
The way this works is inside the disinfection unit, there is an ultrasonic atomiser which has actually been customised with Strix’s Company-owned brand Halopure, by using disinfection bromine resin beads. The beads are added to water, atomised into fine particles and used as a disinfectant over the whole body. The disinfection process is completely harmless, making it a very safe and convenient method of disinfection for our employees.
Q3: You mention use of the Company’s own brand Halopure, can you go into a bit more detail on what this is and the benefits it has?
A3: So, as mentioned Halopure uses disinfection bromine resin beads which is currently one of the world’s most advanced technology’s in the water purification field. When bacteria and viruses in water come into contact with the Halopure bromine resin beads, they will be killed. So, it plays a very good anti-virus role. The content of residual bromine is far lower than the content of some of our daily food, and therefore it is harmless to human body, making it completely safe for our employees.
It is protected by U.S. patents and has obtained a number of domestic and international safety certifications and has been verified by a number of authoritative agencies and third-party testing agencies to be effective in killing a variety of bacteria and viruses in water. Halopure is highly effective against a number of virus’s, giving our employees peace of mind and more protection during the epidemic.
Q4: Strix Group also did an impact analysis, can you explain in more detail the outcome of this?
A4: We did a rigorous impact analysis on both our production capacity, but more importantly with regards to headcount as there are some travel constraints and restrictions for people to travel in China. We have put in place various measures to enhance staff availability during this time and also look into cover during the period.
Some of these measures include enabling staff to take alternative transportation if available. We have established a referral incentive for our staff to recommend their close associates to join Strix Group which has seen a recent provision of 32 additional staff. An incentive programme has been set up to motivate a recruitment agency that we use to allocate more workers to join the company. We have also come up with a reallocation of staff to support the assembly line for short periods of time as a backup plan when required and our staff have agreed to support the production lines after their training for a short period of time as a backup if necessary.
We have been delighted by the resilience shown by our employees. Staff attendance has been impressive, with an above market return to work rate of 80%, and as mentioned management have put in place numerous measures to ensure an optimal workforce. This has been mirrored by our supportive supplier base that have been operating at a normal and in some cases enhanced production level.
