Juken NZ mills back at work

Juken NZ's Northland (veneer) mill in Kaitaia is back in production under Covid-19 alert level 3. Picture / Michael Cunningham

Juken New Zealand (JNL) is up and running again in Kaitaia under Covid-19 alert level 3, to the relief its workforce.

Kaitaia mills general manager Campbell Crooks said that with around 250 people working full-time at the triboard and Northland (veneer) mills, a lot of local families relied on the company to be operating to maintain their incomes.

JNL had worked closely with local contractors to ensure the new level 3 health and safety standards were met, and site visits on Tuesday had left him impressed with the commitment workers had given to following those standards.

"I am relieved to have everyone back at work and ready to meet customer needs," he added.

The company had made adjustments to the work environment and processes to protect the team's health and safety, prior to their return.

"The safety of our people is paramount. We are strictly following the New Zealand government's requirements to prevent the spread of Covid-19 by making changes to how our workplaces are set up, used and sanitised," he said.

While staff who could work from home would continue to do so, those who needed to be on-site had been inducted into new ways of doing things, including avoiding face-to-face workstations, and re-arranging workstations to allow two metres separation, or between one and two metres with additional protection in place if two metres wasn't possible.

Everyone who entered a JNL place of work had to fill out a confidential questionnaire about their health and potential contacts with anyone who might have Covid-19. The number of people in work vehicles would be limited, and vehicles used by more than one person would be disinfected after each use.

Meetings would take place in open areas, or sanitised meeting rooms that allowed for physical distancing, while a new set of strict personal and workplace hygiene standards included disinfecting all hard surfaces, including pens and tools, that had been touched when the person using them changed.

There would be no sharing of PPE, and records would be kept of which team members worked in which areas and when.

Mr Crooks said JNL had specific plans for any workers over 70, and those with underlying medical conditions. The company was also offering options for mental health support and financial advice to anyone struggling.

"We fully appreciate the need to take these extra steps," he said.

"The measures we take at JNL are about keeping us all safe, including our families/whānau, friends and the wider community.

"Normal life may be some months away yet, but we are grateful to get back to work. Our JNL team is ready to once again meet the needs of our customers."