Faced with the threat of COVID-19, AFZ has oriented a large part of efforts and resources toward protecting the health of everyone working in our business city.

For over 6 months, an interdisciplinary team made up of managers, human resources staff, the occupational health unit, and others have implemented a rigorous plan to reduce the risk of contagion, attend isolated cases of COVID-19 that have occurred, and provide a rapid response to protect the health of the entire AFZ community and their families.

Cindy Donato, Occupational Health Manager, describes the work carried out in recent months as a “titanic job”. “It has been a very demanding experience, in which we must be constantly learning and searching for updated information to provide the best options to ensure the health of those who visit the business city”, she added. The plan developed by Occupational Health began with the placement of gel alcohol sanitizer dispensers, identification of risks, establishment of protocols, and body temperature taking. Currently, this plan is very comprehensive and includes all the areas of action of the free zone.

Recently, AFZ acquired 20 body temperature sensing cameras. “With them, we will be able to get alerts, give better follow-up to people who present this symptom, carry out adequate control, and facilitate the tracking of cases”, explained Miguel Zúñiga, Technical Security Manager. Thanks to this equipment, access of people can be expedited and their temperature can be taken in a less invasive way. Likewise, in the event of a positive case, it will allow tracking every place where that person and their contacts were.

Thermal imaging detection cameras will be used under various modalities. First, the “mini-dome” cameras will be located at the pedestrian entrances, which allow screening body temperature of 30 people at the same time within a 6-meter distance. Secondly, there will be standing cameras, which take temperature measurements from 60 centimeters to 1.2-meter distance between the person and the device. Screening is done individually and it also keeps a record of temperatures. The third type is thermal imaging tablets, which in addition to taking temperature measurements, allow on-duty security officers to have a time clock.

When visiting AFZ, the rigor of its protocols is evident. All employees wear personal protective equipment, informative and educational materials are displayed, and common spaces are adapted to offer a safe and satisfactory experience for all people. Furthermore, in the nighttime, specialized disinfection equipment that was purchased by the free zone is used to carry out preventive cleaning and thus increase the effectiveness in the disinfection of the highest traffic spots.

A commitment of all

Internally, ongoing intense work has been carried out to train the entire AFZ team so that they can take care of each other. Each employee has gel alcohol dispensers and face-protection masks provided by the company. The common spaces were redesigned to ensure distance, including rest areas and dining rooms. Additionally, entrance and exit alternative schedules have been implemented. In the case of maintenance personnel, a model of “labor bubbles” has been developed. It consists of working in pairs in order to contain potential infections in this unit faster. According to Cindy Donato, the implementation of a sound internal communication campaign has also been especially important. “We have opted to provide educational and awareness tools to employees. This has allowed us to strengthen the fellowship and commitment of all the people who make up AFZ”, she explained.

Furthermore, business continuity has allowed AFZ to maintain all its workers; however, this has not prevented multiple families of the organization from being affected by the economic crisis as a result of the pandemic. Due to this, through the corporate volunteer program called HuMANOS en Acción, food, cleaning, and personal hygiene items have been delivered to support families who are going through a difficult economic time.

Collaboration and support as allies

Another key element in dealing with this crisis has been closeness and collaboration with customers in the free trade zone. Since March, coordination meetings have been held with the companies’ occupational health teams. These have reinforced the collaboration and value of support and strategic partnership that AFZ offers them. Some customers, faced with alerts for possible cases of COVID-19, have turned to the administration of the business city to implement protocols to address the situation.

All the efforts made by AFZ, both internally and with customers and neighboring communities, have focused on protecting people’s health. “We have taken the task of caring for those who make up this great community and creating safe workspaces very seriously,” explained José Benavides, General Manager of AFZ. For this free zone, closeness to its customers has been key, since it has allowed them to be their strategic partner to maintain their operations.

The set of initiatives implemented by the free zone to address the pandemic caused by COVID-19 has required a strong investment. Through this great effort, it has been possible to improve the experience of the people who visit AFZ during the health crisis, to generate safer spaces, and to support the country in dealing with this situation overall.