Bokaro steel giants affected by Covid, inform admin

BOKARO: The two prominent steel companies here — Bokaro Steel Plant (BSL) and Electrosteel Steel Limited (ESL) — seem to have been affected by Covid-19 after a few employees of the steel giants tested positive in the recent weeks, Chas SDO Sashi Prakash Singh said on Sunday.
“Of the three male employees of ESL detected with Covid-19, one has moved to his home town in Telangana and two are in isolation at ESL’s hostel,” Singh said.
A team of the district health department headed by Dr Srinath conducted a contact tracing of the employees. “In the contact tracing, we identified seven ESL employees who are at high risk and have asked them to go for Covid-19 tests. About 20 others have been sent to quarantine,” said Srinath.
Head of corporate communications, Vedanta ESL, Shilpi Shukla said, “The employees who tested positive for Covid are receiving proper medical treatment and care. The company is following all recommended protocols regarding safety of employees, including social distancing norms, sanitising the workplace, provision of masks and sanitizers, etc.”
ESL on Thursday had also set up two health camps in Siyaljori and Babugram villages near its plant. Around 50 people received free health check-ups and treatment in these camps. The company also launched a free mobile health unit called Aarogya Rath to help improve access to quality healthcare facilities in the district.
At BSL, a total of nine Covid cases have surfaced in one month. Of them, six are still active. Chief of communication, BSL, Manikant Dhan said, “Employees from Hot Strip Mill, CCS, SMS and others were detected positive. Three employees have already recovers. A doctor of Bokaro General Hospital (BGH) is also in the list of Covid positive patients.”
BSL sources said more than 60 employees featured in the contact tracing of different units inside the BSL plant but are at low risk. Adopting effective sanitation, contact tracing and proper standing operating procedures (SOPs), BSL claimed to have contained the virus from spreading inside the plant.
“BSL is focused on revamping its production. Employees are working hard to meet requirements for steel in manufacturing of naval warship, LPG cylinders, railway wagons, diving support vessels used in submarines besides export orders,” said Dhan.