Gazprom Neft has now completed the first stage of getting Moscow and St Petersburg employees back from working from home, with more than 50% of staff having returned to company offices. In line with new company regulations, a negative COVID-19 test is now a non-negotiable condition for employees being allowed back to their usual places of work — the company having arranged more than 250,000 coronavirus tests for company employees and contractors over the past two months.
Going forward, as the epidemiological situation improves and restrictions are lifted, remaining company employees will also return from working from home, including those in at-risk groups due to chronic illness, age, or family circumstances.
In order to keep tabs on employees’ health, Gazprom Neft has introduced a digital system that monitors how each individual employee is feeling, every day, and restricts access to facilities for those showing signs of illness or testing positive for COVID-19. This programme creates a further barrier against the virus spreading, as well as helping ensure swift responses by the company’s medical team.
The company has moved over to flexible start and finishing times in order to help keep employees arriving at company premises apart during morning and evening “rush hours”. Temperature monitoring systems have been installed at offices, as well as antibacterial air-purification recirculation units, and sanitisers. Workspaces have been rearranged to allow social distancing, with a minimum 1.5 metres’ space around each employee.
Anti-viral infrastructure has also been installed at Gazprom Neft plants and facilities. Security points are now equipped with ultra-sensitive automatic thermal-imaging devices, providing accurate body-temperature readings, remotely. Anti-bacterial disinfectant air re-circulators have been installed at employee workspaces, as have antiseptic sanitisers for disinfection. Businesses’ medical services have been equipped with oximeters (for measuring blood-oxygen concentrations), meaning employee health can be monitored more closely. In addition to this, the company has arranged for employees to have access to a telemedical assistance service, available through a mobile app, allowing scheduled and urgent consultations with doctors, including in highly specialist disciplines.
More than 100 buffer zones have been put in place in those regions in which Gazprom Neft’s upstream assets are located, for swift isolation and COVID-19 testing of employees prior to their going on-shift — these zones currently having capacity for more than 20,000 people. Personnel are tested twice while in isolation, with results being sent to one of 19 certified laboratories.
“The epidemiological situation in most locations in which Gazprom Neft operates is gradually stabilising, and we are continuing to bring employees back to company offices, step-by-step. This is taking place in line with full adherence to the most stringent sanitary and hygienic initiatives, and anti-viral protection. Every decision we take is based on the current, specific situation, and potential risks. The overriding priority for us remains the health of our employees, which is why we have cut turnaround times for obtaining employee test results to 48 hours, are engaging with new testing providers, and continue to equip offices with the latest protective resources. In this situation, in which the threat of COVID-19 still persists, we are working out new approaches to working in offices, and are paying considerable attention to an integrated approach, combining on-site presence with preforming tasks remotely, online.”
Kirill Kravchenko Deputy CEO for Administration, Gazprom Neft
