Sotawall’s Statement Concerning Coronavirus (COVID-19)

May 22 2020 ·

As the events surrounding the coronavirus (COVID-19) continue to develop, Sotawall’s top priority is safeguarding the health and safety of our employees, while we continue to serve our customers and ensure the long-term health of our business. Sotawall and our parent company, Apogee Enterprises, have implemented a number of policies across our business to best support our people and customers during this challenging time.

Our business locations are currently following Provincial Public Health directives. We have carefully evaluated their sector-specific advice to ensure we are in full compliance. In most Provinces, construction and related manufacturing activities have been deemed essential and all of Sotawall’s facilities continue to operate, ship products, and serve our customers. We have made the decision to maintain our operations during this unprecedented situation as Sotawall’s products and services play an important role in critical building projects, housing, and other essential infrastructure.

To keep our operations running, Apogee Enterprises and Sotawall have established a full-time COVID Response Team and have implemented a variety of policies to maintain a healthy working environment in our facilities. These policies are aligned with guidance from government and health organizations, including the Public Health Agency of Canada, Provincial Health Ministries, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC). These measures include:

  • Social distancing practices, including modifying workspaces and common areas where
    necessary
  • Increased hand washing and enhanced cleaning standards in all of our facilities
  • Requiring the use of cloth face coverings as appropriate
  • Requiring employees to stay at home if they feel sick
  • Working remotely where it is feasible
  • Restrictions on travel, meetings, and visitors

In the event one of our employees tests positive, or believes he or she has been exposed to COVID-19, we have developed an incident response plan, which includes:

 

  • Mandatory quarantines until the individual is cleared to return to work
  • Quarantines for other employees that have come in close contact with infected
    individuals
  • Contact tracing to support quarantine decisions
  • Active communication with employees
  • Deep cleaning those areas in which a person reported symptoms
  • Paid leave for employees who are diagnosed with the virus or are required to quarantine due to a diagnosed member of their household

Sotawall’s sales, customer service, estimating, project management, and engineering teams remain available to support our customers. We are also closely tracking our supply chain and taking steps to ensure an uninterrupted flow of materials. Please stay in touch with your normal points of contact in our business for specific details on current operations.

As always, we are grateful for the support from our employees, customers, suppliers, and other business partners. Together we will make it through this unprecedented situation.