Four workers at Glanbia's Ballitore plant in Co Kildare have tested positive for COVID-19.
The health and safety of employees, customers and suppliers is Glanbia's top priority, a spokesperson for Glanbia told the Irish Farmers Journal.
In response it has "escalated" business continuity processes (BCP) at the facility.
Glanbia Ireland’s site at Ballitore processes and packages fresh milk, acts as a grain intake location and is also home to an agribusiness retail outlet.
All of Glanbia's agribusiness retail stores across the counties of Kildare, Laois and Offaly are operating on a call and collect model in the interests of staff and customer safety following the recent restrictions.
"We are working closely with local health authorities and following all appropriate advice.
"Glanbia Ireland immediately activated contact tracing procedures and the company’s health and safety and quality teams have implemented all the appropriate processes," the spokes person said.
Crisis response
"Since March, we have managed the challenges arising from coronavirus with a dedicated crisis response team in place to ensure that our 2,000 people in Ireland are protected and that we continue the important service of producing food products and ingredients to serve our consumers, customers shareholders and communities," the spokesperson continued.
Glanbia has implemented detailed site protection plans and protocols at all of its locations, according to the spokesperson, and is managing health and safety through measures such as temperature checking at point of entry on site; heightened cleaning and sanitation; social distancing across operations; personal protective equipment (PPE); perspex partitions where appropriate, remote working where possible and limiting site access to essential personnel only.
Stringent
"This is in addition to the stringent hygiene measures followed throughout our entire supply chain, including operator measures and sanitation of equipment in all of our production facilities which are fully operational.
"Please be assured Glanbia Ireland is continuing to monitor this situation on a proactive basis and are taking all appropriate measures," the spokesperson said.
They added that any staff who contract COVID-19 at the facility and anyone required to self-isolate will all continue to be paid.
Meat and dairy factory workers to be tested
As revealed by the Irish Farmers Journal this week, HSE documents show that dairy as well as meat factory workers are to undergo testing for COVID-19.
The inclusion of dairy processors in Government testing for COVID-19 is understood to have taken some companies by surprise, as testing was initially proposed for just the meat sector following widespread concern of outbreaks in the meat industry.
Testing will focus on the three lockdown counties to begin with, but will spread nationwide.
It is not yet clear whether testing for dairy processors will be rolled out nationwide or remain in the lockdown area only.
Read more
COVID-19: meat and dairy worker testing in lockdown counties
COVID-19: sheep and beef kill still suspended at Kildare Chilling
ABP worker in Tipperary confirmed with coronavirus
Dairy industry calls for priority COVID-19 testing for critical staff
Four workers at Glanbia's Ballitore plant in Co Kildare have tested positive for COVID-19.
The health and safety of employees, customers and suppliers is Glanbia's top priority, a spokesperson for Glanbia told the Irish Farmers Journal.
In response it has "escalated" business continuity processes (BCP) at the facility.
Glanbia Ireland’s site at Ballitore processes and packages fresh milk, acts as a grain intake location and is also home to an agribusiness retail outlet.
All of Glanbia's agribusiness retail stores across the counties of Kildare, Laois and Offaly are operating on a call and collect model in the interests of staff and customer safety following the recent restrictions.
"We are working closely with local health authorities and following all appropriate advice.
"Glanbia Ireland immediately activated contact tracing procedures and the company’s health and safety and quality teams have implemented all the appropriate processes," the spokes person said.
Crisis response
"Since March, we have managed the challenges arising from coronavirus with a dedicated crisis response team in place to ensure that our 2,000 people in Ireland are protected and that we continue the important service of producing food products and ingredients to serve our consumers, customers shareholders and communities," the spokesperson continued.
Glanbia has implemented detailed site protection plans and protocols at all of its locations, according to the spokesperson, and is managing health and safety through measures such as temperature checking at point of entry on site; heightened cleaning and sanitation; social distancing across operations; personal protective equipment (PPE); perspex partitions where appropriate, remote working where possible and limiting site access to essential personnel only.
Stringent
"This is in addition to the stringent hygiene measures followed throughout our entire supply chain, including operator measures and sanitation of equipment in all of our production facilities which are fully operational.
"Please be assured Glanbia Ireland is continuing to monitor this situation on a proactive basis and are taking all appropriate measures," the spokesperson said.
They added that any staff who contract COVID-19 at the facility and anyone required to self-isolate will all continue to be paid.
Meat and dairy factory workers to be tested
As revealed by the Irish Farmers Journal this week, HSE documents show that dairy as well as meat factory workers are to undergo testing for COVID-19.
The inclusion of dairy processors in Government testing for COVID-19 is understood to have taken some companies by surprise, as testing was initially proposed for just the meat sector following widespread concern of outbreaks in the meat industry.
Testing will focus on the three lockdown counties to begin with, but will spread nationwide.
It is not yet clear whether testing for dairy processors will be rolled out nationwide or remain in the lockdown area only.
Read more
COVID-19: meat and dairy worker testing in lockdown counties
COVID-19: sheep and beef kill still suspended at Kildare Chilling
ABP worker in Tipperary confirmed with coronavirus
Dairy industry calls for priority COVID-19 testing for critical staff
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