Production resumed at the 2 Sisters Food Group poultry processing facility in Coupar Angus, Scotland, on August 31, after the plant had been closed due to COVID-19 concerns.
The company suspended production in Coupar Angus in mid-August, after four workers at the plant tested positive for the novel coronavirus. At the time, 2 Sisters Food Group said suspending production was “the responsible action to take.”
In a statement, 2 Sisters said during the time the plant was closed it supplemented existing COVID-19 control measures to keep all workers safe.
“Whilst it is important to ensure our measures on site are robust and working, we believe it is also critically important for our people to understand their obligations away from the factory in the local community, which our initial analysis suggests has played a significant role in the transmission of the virus,” the company stated.
In addition to a series of enhanced measures, 2 Sisters Food Group’s workers will also receive training and best practice guides on issues ranging from transport arrangements, conduct in the community, and keeping COVID-safe in a shared household. The company said it expects each and every colleague to take personal responsibility for their own behaviors outside of work.
“We also realize there will be colleagues who have tested positive and may believe this provides them with some level of immunity. The reality is that we don’t know this to be true, so our teams will be making sure everyone knows we all have a shared responsibility to protect each of us and our wider community from any further outbreak,” the company stated.
Earlier plant suspension
Also due to concerns over COVID-19, 2 Sisters Food Group earlier suspended operations at its poultry plant in Llangefni, Wales. The plant was taken offline on June 8, but operations resumed on July 3.
2 Sisters Food Group, according to the Poultry International Top Companies survey, is the largest poultry producer in the United Kingdom. It ranks as the seventh largest poultry company in Europe and the 26th largest in the world.
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