SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — The need for better efforts to translate information on how employees should report symptoms and how to protect themselves from COVID-19, along with methods to provide and maintain a more sanitized workplace were some of the recommendations the Center for Disease Control provided to Smithfield Foods in Sioux Falls in a newly released report.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem on Thursday, April 23, released the federal report evaluating the nation’s largest COVID-19 hotspot -- the Smithfield Foods plant in Sioux Falls.
The recommendations included practicing social distancing of at least six feet, installation of barriers where social distancing is not possible, the use of face coverings to mitigate the spread of respiratory droplets, providing face masks to employees and replacement face masks if those masks should become soiled.
The report also recommended secondary screening packets be translated into other languages commonly spoken in the plant to improve communication with employees.
The CDC report evaluated existing health and safety controls and provided recommendations for improvement based on observations made on April 16-17.
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“The recommendations in this memorandum are steps that Smithfield Foods may want to consider implementing to address the conditions we identified at the plant. These recommendations are discretionary and not required or mandated by CDC,” the report states.
The first case of COVID-19 among a Smithfield employee was reported March 24. The facility then announced that they were beginning a process to halt production on April 11 and did so on April 14.
“We toured the plant and observed workstations from the pens where the swine are delivered through the distribution center, where product is shipped out of the plant. We also observed the route that employees take from the parking lots through the symptom screening tents and into the facility. Additionally, we observed administrative areas, the occupational health clinic and quarantine room, and the common areas (e.g., break rooms, cafeterias, locker rooms) shared by employees,” the report states.
“Our team was unable to identify important demographic information about this workforce, limiting our ability to understand the diversity of the employees. However, plant management reported that there were approximately 40 different languages spoken by employees in the plant and that English, Spanish, Kunama, Swahili, Nepali, Tigrinya, Amharic, French, Oromo, and Vietnamese are the top 10 languages,” the report states. “We were also unable to obtain information about the workstations of confirmed positive cases.”
The report stated that employees were screened before entering the plant prior to the shift at one of two screening locations.
“The screening consisted of walking past a thermal imaging system for body temperature measurement and self-reported symptom checks. Screening was conducted by a contracted health care professional who informed the employee of their temperature and asked whether the employee had a cough or shortness of breath,” the report states.
Employees who had a fever above 99.8 degrees or reported experiencing symptoms underwent a secondary screening by a contracted nurse.
“We understand that if an employee was found to have a fever or symptoms consistent with COVID-19, they were given an informational packet (in English) and instructed to return home,” the report states.
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The plant had installed 800 plexiglass barriers where social distancing was not possible and installed hand sanitizer dispensers in “limited locations throughout the plant, notably at the entrances to the building and within cafeterias and break rooms,” the report states.
CDC officials noted that they learned of plans to increase the number of dispensers to 3,500, roughly one dispenser per employee.
“Limited handwashing stations were available in locker rooms and in some production areas of the plant. The union shared its observation that there were approximately 30 employees in a locker room at any given time. Some handwashing stations were touchless, but the majority were not,” the report states.
“Management also indicated they were developing a plan to have people assigned to remind employees about hand sanitizing every 30 minutes. However, the plant had not yet finalized the rollout plans for this effort.”
The CDC observed some employees still working at the plant who were either not wearing facemasks or wearing them incorrectly, according to the report.
“Plant management indicated that they had estimated the number of facemasks and face shields that would be required for a 30-day supply for the plant running at full capacity. Plant management was also conducting informal experiments with both commercial and home-remedy-style anti-fogging products (e.g., shaving cream) for the face shields,” the report continued.
“The US Government is developing additional guidance for meat and poultry processing facilities to prevent and mitigate the spread of SARS-CoV-2 between employees while at work,” the report states.
“Please review this guidance when it becomes available and institute recommended controls in your plant, where feasible. Consult with USDA to determine if proposed controls are acceptable with regards to food safety and sanitation. Continue communicating and working with the South Dakota Department of Health, strategic community partners, and union leadership.”
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A timeline for when Smithfield sets to reopen has not been released and was not noted in the report, but Noem said that the state Department of Health stands ready to help get the facility up and running.
"I don’t see any reason for there to be long delays and we’re planning to partner with them to reopen as soon as possible," Noem said during a press conference Thursday.
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