In co-operation with the authorities, Rauma Marine Constructions has continued testing employees who are being released from quarantine at Rauma Shipyard for new corona infections. Testing ensures that workers returning to work at the shipyard are with certainty in full health.  

On Tuesday, March 2, samples were taken from 235 individuals. By Wednesday afternoon, 16 new infections had been found in those tested. In total, 340 out of about 1,000 workers have now contracted corona infections related to the shipyard.

The corona tests enforced by the authorities for those who worked in the shipyard area will continue in cooperation with the shipyard on Thursday, March 4. All exposed and quarantined individuals will be tested before the end of quarantine. Only healthy employees are allowed to return to work.

RMC is actively monitoring the situation. The shipyard currently has enhanced security measures in place, which are followed by all operators in the area.

“It is clear that even more infections outside the shipyard may occur among network company employees. In line with our updated security plan, our network companies have now divided their employees into teams, making it significantly easier to identify and quarantine those exposed. We have also introduced stricter safety arrangements than those recommended by the government, such as requiring negative test results from those returning to work. In addition, we are currently planning to conduct random tests for those entering the shipyard area. This set of different measures is a great example of excellent cooperation between RMC, network companies, the City of Rauma and the health authorities”, says Jyrki Heinimaa, CEO of RMC.

Rauma Marine Constructions will continue to restart production in phases at Rauma shipyard this week. Authorities have placed around 800 shipyard production workers in quarantine due to possible exposure to the coronavirus. From Monday to Wednesday, RMC and health authorities are organising mass testing for RMC and network company employees, who are in the final stage of their quarantine. The testing will be done at the parking area outside the shipyard. After quarantine, you can only enter the shipyard with a negative test result and no exposure. This new policy is stricter than official instructions.

Production will be restarted at Rauma Marine Constructions’ shipyard this week. Production was run down on Friday, 19 February, after a cluster of coronavirus infections was detected among people working at the shipyard. Authorities tested everyone working at the shipyard and placed those with COVID-19 in isolation and those who had been exposed in quarantine.

This week, employees who are in the final stage of their quarantine will be tested again. RMC will organise a testing facility at the parking area outside the Rauma shipyard where authorities will conduct the testing from Monday to Wednesday. Safety measures will be strict.

“We want to help health authorities to avoid overburdening testing facilities, so we will offer the parking area outside the shipyard for mass testing. The people to be tested will arrive in cars, in predetermined groups that have been given time slots. They will wait for their turn in the car and can only leave the car when permission is given. After the test, each person will return to their accommodation in the same car group and wait for results there,” explains Jyrki Heinimaa, CEO & President of Rauma Marine Constructions.

Heinimaa emphasises that the network companies have been excellent partners for RMC in the planning and implementation of testing arrangements and that the cooperation has run smoothly.

Return to work is only possible in full health

Mass testing has revealed new cases where the transmission has occurred in quarantine, outside the shipyard. According to Heinimaa, new infections were to be expected, and health authorities have stated that more cases are likely to be found. Additional testing will help ensure that only those in full health return to work.

“Previously, self-quarantine as defined by official instructions was considered a sufficient measure before returning to work. Now, people who have been placed in official quarantine will be tested again to make sure that only those who are in full health will be released from quarantine and can return to work. People who test positive will be isolated, and their teammates will be placed in a new quarantine,” Heinimaa says.

In addition to the testing conducted by health authorities, RMC will begin to measure the body temperature of employees arriving to the shipyard for testing or work, using a thermal imaging camera. According to Heinimaa, measuring body temperature is part of the company’s new, stricter safety plan.

Production will be restarted in phases at the shipyard this week, and RMC has given its network partner companies strict safety instructions. For example, employees will arrive at work and take breaks in turns. Moreover, employees will be divided into separate teams that will share accommodation and work, take breaks and commute together. Everyone entering the shipyard must wear a mask, and mask wearing will be enforced.

Production at Rauma Marine Constructions’ shipyard in Rauma has resumed today, February 25 at 6 AM, after a week-long corona closure. Production will resume in stages in a controlled manner. The company closed production on Friday, February 19, last week, after a cluster of corona infections were uncovered among workers at the shipyard. Following this, authorities tested all employees of the shipyard and quarantined the exposed ones. Work will now slowly resume on Thursday and Friday (February 25-26), with a few dozen employees. The shipyard will be closed during the weekend, and the next group of workers will arrive at work on Monday, March 1.

RMC has reviewed both its own and its network’s operating practices during the closure. Although the shipyard has been operating according to official instructions for a long time, it has clearly not been to a sufficient standard, Jyrki Heinimaa, CEO of Rauma Marine Constructions, says.

“Everyone has done their best and acted according to official guidelines. At this stage, however, it has evidently not been enough. We are therefore enforcing even stricter guidelines and monitoring them closely together with our network partners. More attention will also be paid to the effectiveness of our communication, so that we can be sure that everyone working at the shipyard is aware of the guidelines and their significance also outside of official working hours. Compliance monitoring will be stepped up and RMC will require zero tolerance from all actors.”

According to Heinimaa, the company’s internal communication is multilingual. RMC will next assess whether there is a need to expand the range of languages ​​to ensure that the instructions are fully comprehensible to everyone.

Work will be staggered, control over the use of the mask will be tightened

Going forward, work will be staggered, and movement around the shipyard will only be permitted in previously assigned, individual teams. In addition, lunch breaks and additional breaks will also be staggered more strongly than before. The shipyard has also enforced the use of masks, which is being monitored more strictly. Furthermore, Rauma Marine Constructions will organise health testing before entering the shipyard area in order to prevent the situation from recurring.

Heinimaa also emphasises that RMC takes the allegations made in the media that various actors in the network have forged their employees’ corona test certificates, extremely seriously.

“We have no knowledge of such activities. However, this is a serious accusation, and we are thoroughly investigating it,” says Heinimaa.

RMC decided to suspend production at the shipyard last week after the scale of the situation was revealed. The decision was made together with the authorities. The closing of the shipyard’s production was carried out systematically and in cooperation with all actors in the area.

Resuming production after the corona closure will begin in a composed and controlled manner. All the yard’s facilities have been cleaned and sanitised with extra attention and particularly strict safety measures are in place to ensure a safe working environment. In cooperation with the health authorities, Rauma Marine Constructions has specified its previous instructions by drafting a detailed safety plan, based on which production can be continued.

Rauma Marine Constructions will restart production at Rauma Shipyard in stages starting on Thursday 25 February. Production will resume at a calm pace and with small numbers of people.

“We will resume production in a restrained manner. On Thursday and Friday, only a few dozen workers who have not been at the shipyard during the corona exposure will return to work. There will be no working at the shipyard over the weekend so we can take the time to prepare for the following week. The next workers returning to the shipyard will arrive next Monday, and the number will be increased day by day. All measures aim to get production up and running in safe working conditions,” says Jyrki Heinimaa, CEO of Rauma Marine Constructions.

Even stricter safety measures

The shipyard has had extensive safety measures in place against corona infections for almost a year. Due to the current situation, all facilities in the shipyard area have been cleaned with extra care and sanitised on February 20–21. Moving forward, even more emphasis will be placed on strict safety measures to counter corona infections. RMC has planned the additional safety measures in active cooperation with the health authorities.

“Together with the health authorities, we have drafted a detailed safety plan to which our network companies are also committed. The plan and related instructions widely cover the entry into and operation in the shipyard area, as well as the rules and guidelines for example related to employees’ leisure time and living. We require negative test results from those returning to work. We will also increase random testing and, among other things, find out possibilities for quick testing when arriving to work. Entering the shipyard area while sick is not permitted,” Heinimaa says.

Catching up on ship project schedules will begin immediately

Rauma Marine Constructions currently has three ongoing ship projects: Wasaline’s new car and passenger ferry Aurora Botnia, Tallink’s car and passenger ferry MyStar, and a set of four multifunctional corvettes for the Finnish Defense Forces. The schedules for these projects are currently under review.

“By resuming production this week, we will ensure that these detailed safety measures work in practice before increasing the number of employees next week,” Heinimaa concludes.