Vaccinations — and acquired immune response — mean more than 70% of Gazprom Neft employees are now showing immunity against COVID-19. While consistent reductions in infections have been noted in those locations in which the company operates, Gazprom Neft is aiming to achieve more than 80% herd immunity throughout the company, and to maintain this, going forward, in order to minimise any possibility of COVID-19 outbreaks at the company’s plants and offices.
All company specialists (and those at subsidiaries) have now returned from remote working except for those in at-risk groups (due to chronic conditions, age or family obligations). Effective antivirus infrastructure is in place throughout all workspaces, and is fully compliant with Rospotrebnadzor standards. A number of Gazprom Neft business units are employing “hybrid” office-based and remote working, including, specifically, the company’s IT hubs.
The company’s 70% employee immunity notwithstanding, all ongoing antivirus initiatives remain in place throughout Gazprom Neft, with the company continuing to monitor the risks of infections increasing in those locations in which it operates, and taking extra steps to further increase herd immunity. Employee medical support programmes remain in place, with Gazprom Neft also arranging COVID-19 vaccinations for family members as part of company health insurance.
Gazprom Neft’s various initiatives have proved their effectiveness in combatting the spread of COVID-19 among employees. Special procedures are now employed at oilfields for employees having had their vaccination, with those testing positive for COVID-19 antibodies and showing a negative PCR test allowed to join their shifts without having spending time in a “buffer zone”. Shift turnarounds have already been reduced to the standard 30 days at a number of fields. Contactless shift-handover systems remain in operation throughout the company’s refineries in order to prevent any spread of the virus.
Employees’ access to offices and facilities is managed using digital passes, synchronised with the company’s employee HealthCheck system, allowing access to employees with no symptoms and a recent negative COVID-19 test or certificate of vaccination. Those employees testing positive for antibodies following vaccination are allowed access to offices without PCR testing, for a period of six months.
