NGC activates covid19 business continuity plan

The National Gas Company (NGC) has activated its business continuity plan in response to covid19 “to circumvent the potential threat of the virus to its operations stakeholders and the country,” the state enterprise said last week.

The plan was developed in alignment with World Health Organisation regulations and is focused on employee safety and operational fidelity across its group of companies. The plan went into action on January 26 and focused on raising the level of awareness of its employees around covid19 via signage throughout facilities; through daily health, safety security and environment (HSSE) email alerts; and hosting an all employee town hall with the company’s doctor, which was streamed to desktops.

The group also increased sanitisation of the workplace and placed hand sanitisers in all public spaces. Strict travel restrictions were immediately implemented with further travel declarations mandated consistent with guidance provided by the Ministry of Health.

Following the Government’s announcement regarding pandemic leave and updated of confirmed covid19 cases, NGC activated the more measures, including making sure that there is an uninterrupted gas supply to electricity provider TTEC so it can maintain normal operations. NGC’s upstream partners and gas suppliers are maintaining normal gas supply and no downtime is scheduled for downstream customers.

Downstream consumers have not indicated any plans to curtail operations. NGC has reorganised its website and social media accounts to share information consistently from reliable sources, including daily updates and a real time tracker system so that visitors can see what the national and global response to covid19 is, as well as e-mail blasts from the WHO, Health Ministry and the Office of Disaster Preparedness.

At the Tobago Gas Receiving facility, a new 14-day shift cycle was implemented for Trinidad-based employees. Staff rosters were developed to respond to trouble/emergency calls, and preventative maintenance on lines and facilities and critical maintenance continue. Leak surveys and pipeline corridor surveillance are rostered and are being manned continuously.

From last Wednesday, non-essential staff were allowed to work from home, with alternative arrangements to facilitate business continuity, including using technologies like Skype and Microsoft Teams for meetings. Essential services such as procurement, IT and security are being maintained.

All people entering facilities facilities will be scanned for fevers and the company has restricted the number of visitors that can be accommodated.

Those who visit must fill out a travel questionnaire, including employees who are required to report to duty. Employees who may have exhibited flu-like symptoms

voluntarily self-isolated. NGC President Mark Loquan said via the release that this was an unprecedented epoch in the country’s energy sector. “In order to ensure workplace safety and maintain a safe environment for our employees and to also guarantee sustainability in this time, NGC has chosen to take proactive steps. We remain committed to taking care of our employees, providing them with up-to-the-moment guidance and information so they can keep themselves and their families safe.”