GENERAL

Recognizing that the COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to inflict serious impact on the company and its employees Frank Chervan, Inc. has developed this COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Plan to help guide protective actions relative to the virus.

The company reserves the right to revise, change, or amend this plan as necessary to reflect changing conditions relating to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This plan is aimed at:

• Staying abreast of guidance of Federal, State, and local health agencies and consider how to incorporate those into workplace-specific plans.
• Identifying the potential sources of risk to employees.
• Identifying and considering controls necessary to address those risks.
• Preparing and implementing basic infection prevention measures
• Develop procedures for prompt Identification and isolation of sick people as necessary.
• Communication with employees regarding workplace flexibilities and protections.
• Implementation of workplace controls.

GUIDANCE AWARENESS

Plant management will monitor guidance from Federal, State, and local agencies and officials to determine what mandates are necessary for implementation in the workplace. Such guidance might include facility closure, reduced work hours, reduced staffing, mandated use of PPE, etc.

This plan is developed in accordance with §16VAC25-220, Emergency Temporary Standard Infectious Disease Prevention: SARS2-CoV-2 Virus That Causes COVID-19.

POTENTIAL SOURCES OF RISK

• Direct exposure to infected employees.
• Direct exposure to infected friends and family members off the job.
• Excessive touching of face, nose, mouth on a routine basis.
• Failure to use PPE, as necessary.
• Exposure to contaminated surfaces (although this is not generally considered to be a major transmission source).

WORKPLACE CONTROLS

Frank Chervan will employ, as a minimum, the following to reduce the risk of the spread of COVID-19 at our facility:

• Employees will be provided with face masks.
• The use of face masks will be mandatory at all times when employees are in the plant except when eating or drinking during established break and lunch times.
• Break and lunch periods will be staggered by department to reduce the number of individuals in any given break area at one time.
• Cleaning of common areas such as break rooms and restrooms will be stepped up to a continuous operation while the plant is in operation.
• As possible, work areas will be restructured to provide at least six feet of distance between adjacent workers.
• Each operating department will be provided with a bleach solution bottle or bottles for periodic cleaning of equipment, workstations, tools, etc.
• Should it be determined that an employee has tested positive for COVID-19, the department to which that employee is assigned will undergo a thorough cleaning, particularly the machine or equipment the employee normally operates.

ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROLS

• Sick workers will be encouraged to stay at home.
• Educational materials such as postings will be used to alert employees on best practices for reducing the spread of COVID-19 such as minimal person to person contact, frequent hand washing, avoidance of touching face, mouth nose, etc.
• Contact among workers will be minimized so far as practical by rearranging work areas, using work-at-home set ups where possible, reducing face-to-face meetings to a minimum.
• When face-to-face meeting are necessary, assure at least six feet of separation between meeting attendees, and/or require the use of face masks by all meeting attendees.
• Provide communications forums to respond to employee’s questions and concerns regarding COVID-19 issues. This can be done by telephone, internet, or, if necessary, one-on-one meetings using social distancing and face masks as noted above.

IDENTIFICATION OF AND DEALING WITH SICK EMPLOYEES

• Employees will be encouraged to self-monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 and report immediately if they feel they display symptoms.
• Employees who are sick or feel they may have been exposed to COVID-19 will be encouraged to stay home and not report to work.
• Employees who have been exposed to COVID-19 or feel uncomfortable being in the workplace will be allowed to stay off work without fear of job loss.
• Employees who submit for COVID-19 testing will be required to stay off work until negative test results are returned.
• Employees who feel they have been directly exposed to COVID-19 will be required to quarantine off-site for 14 days from the date they feel they were exposed without fear of job loss.
• Employees who have COVID-19 related issues such as ill relatives whom they must care for, who have young children for whom day care is not available, etc. will be allowed to be off work to deal with these issues on an unpaid basis without fear of job loss.

TRAINING

All employees will receive COVID-19 training as required by VOSH Emergency Temporary Standard §16VAC25-220. This training may be administered individually, in groups, or electronically, as necessary to suit current conditions at the time the training is administered.

SUMMARY

This plan has been developed in close conjunction with OSHA publication #OSHA 3990-03 2020 entitled Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19.

Knowing that COVID-19 as it exists if a fluid and dynamic situation, it may be necessary at any time to take actions not specified in this plan based on changing conditions. However, this plan is intended to be a general guide for our actions and precautions here at Chervan.

Dear Chervan Co-Worker,  

I wanted to take a moment to update you all on Chervan’s Covid 19 Pandemic response and our plans going forward.     

First, I sincerely thank you for the way you have all worked together in these stressful times.   Chervan is indeed a tough and resilient community and you show it now more than ever.   I know there are many challenges out there, not the least of which is the ever-present fear and worry.  

I too am scared and spending more energy worrying now than I have at any other point in my life.   I am guessing many of you are as well.   My two biggest worries right now are: 1) your health and wellbeing – with particular concern for our senior craftspeople and those with other medical issues, and 2) the company’s ability to survive this crisis.  

As issues have developed over the past few weeks, I have come to understand a few key things that inform our plans for the company.  
 

1. 1) This is not a short-term problem.   This virus is going to be with us for many weeks or months.   Like it or not, we are going to have to learn to live with it and adjust our life around it.  
2. 2) This pandemic  will impact our communities differently.    There will not be a “United States Covid 19 Peak” – there likely won’t even be a Virginia peak – it will be different timing and a different nature for individual communities.  
3. 3) We can do a lot to protect ourselves, however, we cannot escape the risk altogether.  
4. 4) The vast majority of us will be fine – even if we do get the virus.  
5. 5) All of us have an obligation to slow the spread to help keep our societies support systems from being overwhelmed.  
6. 6) Financially – we may be able to weather only a brief shutdown.  Many of our bills keep coming if we are operating or not.   A protracted shut down (more than two weeks) will likely stress the company’s resources beyond the breaking point.    
7. 7) Things are changing fast and will continue to do so.    Accordingly, plans will need to change with them.   
    

Based upon these facts, our path forward at Chervan is now:  

• 1) Protect ourselves as much as possible. 

  a. Starting Monday Morning  – Everyone inside the plant will be required to wear a mask at all times.   Just like safety glasses – these masks will become part a requirement of your job.   More information coming on mask use and availability. 

  b. We will continue all best practices including:  

• — Never come to work with a fever. 
• — Maintain social distancing. 
• — Increase hand washing and keep your hands away from your face.  

2) In addition to gearing up to make mask we are:  

a. Continuing to find means of spreading everyone’s work areas away from each other.  

b. Providing sanitizing solution in spray bottle to all departments.   We will be doubling down on these materials over the next two days.   Look for the bleach water bottles in your work area and request another if needed.  

c. Starting a full-time sanitation staff.   Instead of evening cleaning, we will have at least one person work continually through the shift cleaning and recleaning the bathrooms, break rooms, door and other contacted surfaces.  

3) Providing additional masks for your family:  

a. Current guidance is shifting to suggest that everyone who leaves the house and interacts with others (like grocery shopping) should wear a mask.    However, the supply is limited.   After we make enough masks to supply the in-plant needs, we will offer masks for our family members who are required to leave the house for work or essential errands.    More information to come on masking.  
 

4) Produce as long as we are able:  

a. It is best that we “save” our ability to take a production pause for the most critical moment in our area.     

b. If we must take a total production pause, we will do everything within our power to muster the resources to reopen.   This will include suspension of all pay for both hourly and salary staff.  

c. We need you to update your contact information below in the event we do have a production pause – we need to communicate plans with you and checks/information will be mailed to you so you do not need to come to the plant.  

d. It will be critical that you return to work.   If we are unable to produce again after a pause, then the company simply will not recover or continue to exist.  

5) Understand this is a Global, National, Community, Company AND Personal Issue.  

a. We need to understand there are layers upon layers of complexity with this crisis.   There is not a one size fits all approach and things will change by the hour for each of us.  

b. Protecting our people AND keeping the company alive will mean different things to each of us.    If you can safely work, if you do not have underlying health issues or are not the most senior / older of our team – we need you now more than ever.    If however we need to be flexible with you to protect your health lets talk and figure it out.  

c. We always strive to treat all coworkers with respect and fairness.   Most of the time that means treating everyone the same.   However, this virus does not treat everyone the same and we have to flex along with that fact.   Please understand it is an attempt to do the right thing for everyone involved.  

I hope this gives you some indication of our direction.   I welcome your questions and thoughts.   Please remember the information site we set up at www.chervan.com/together.    You can always ask questions there, find information or give me direct feedback.    As always please also feel free to stop me on the floor to talk.    

Thank you again for your work and support of the company.   Together we will get through this.

Regards,

Gregory M. Terrill
President
Frank Chervan, Inc.

The people of Chervan are great at many things. However, one thing comes up time and time again as people get to know us. We have been consistently described us as tenacious, tough and unflappable in the face of real challenge. Not only are all these things true, it is the reason we still exist as a company today while so many others in our industry have failed and passed on.

Today we find ourselves on the brink of another significant challenge. The Coronavirus Pandemic now presents us with a new threat to our very existence. As in the past, I am confident we will come together to face the challenge and make it to the other side together.

To be clear, the Coronavirus is a real threat to a great number of people. However, its medical / health impacts are only a small part of the threat it presents to us a country, community and company. This pandemic has pushed a major wave of fear around the world and it will take time to fully understand the scope of impact it will have on us. Assuredly, it will be significant. So I write to you now to emphasize a key point. We are tough, resilient and survivors because when the going gets tough we come together.

We come together to support each other. We come together to accomplish things others cannot. We come together to provide for our families and our futures. And now we need to come together like never before.

Today we have assembled a new section to the Chervan website intended to support us in this effort. “Together Chervan” is going live now to share information, provide resources, answer questions and to keep us together on the same page. I encourage you to look to it often and utilize the communication tools there.

Now is a time for more than just talking. Things the entire Chervan team must start doing includes:

1. 1) Do not come to work sick: Whether it is Coronavirus or the FLU A and B that has plagued us already this year, we must protect each other by staying home when we are truly sick. I know this will bring up many questions regarding job security when missing time. Please refer to the “Together Chervan Website” for more important information on this question.
2. 2) Review and follow the best practices: Simple things like hand washing, not touching your face, refraining from shaking hands, cleaning often touched surfaces, all make a big difference. We must all focus on changing our habits and adopting these best practices immediately.
3. 3) Communicate: This pandemic is a challenge for us all, but it is certainly not the same challenge for every family. For some of us, underlying health issues cause the greatest fear. Others are struggling with childcare now that schools are closed. In order to get through this together we need to communicate more and understand what we all face. Considering this we have created a special email and web chat function and we will be offering appointment times to talk through concerns directly with a Chervan management team member. Again, see the “Together Chervan Website” for more information.
4. 4) Protect the company viability: Simply put, every one of us must do everything within our power to be efficient, reduce costs and save money. There are very challenging times ahead. The faster and better we tighten our belts, control costs and improve efficiency, the better chance we give the company to come through. Many of you, like me, have invested the vast majority of your working life at Chervan. Yes, there are good days and bad, but together we have built something unique and held on to real manufacturing jobs in spite of odds being against us. Anyone wasting time or materials now will be putting all of that at risk. I implore you to understand and act now as if every dime matters to our future together – because it does!

There will be many more updates to come. Please also share your thoughts, concerns and questions with me.

I would be dishonest to say I am not deeply concerned, possibly even fearful. But I am equally confident in our ability to weather this storm together.

I thank you in advance for your care, diligence and strength.

Regards,

Gregory M. Terrill
President
Frank Chervan, Inc.