Resilience Amidst the Covid 19 Pandemic – The Red Lands Roses Story

The last few months have been tough as organizations do their best to remain afloat, amidst this global pandemic. Numerous factors such as little to no freight capacity, reduced demand for flowers have made losses in the flower industry inevitable.

However, companies such as Red Lands Roses have had to exercise resilience, ensuring that their staff are taken care of in spite of the circumstances.

At Red Lands Roses, the following measures have been put in place to reduce exposure of the staff to the virus:

There are several hand washing points at the main gate, followed by a disinfection point. This is a mandatory exercise for anyone who comes to the farm;
There is mandatory temperature sensing at the gate in order to flag any symptoms early and have the staff treated on time;
There is a ‘’Covid Holding Tent’’ at the gate. Anyone whose temperature exceeds the recommended temperature is asked to wait for the nurse there for checkup;
There are disinfection points at the entrance of every building and greenhouse in the farm;
There is a spray bottle containing surgical spirit on every desk for staff and visitors to disinfect desks and appliances using them;
Masks are provided for staff and each member of their immediate family to protect them;
Members of staff returning from leave are asked to wait for the company nurse in the holding tent so they can be cleared;
It is compulsory for staff and visitors to wear a mask within the farm;
To make it easer for staff to maintain social distance at the clocking-in area, there are markings indicating a 1.5m distance between persons;
Common areas such as the canteen and changing rooms are accessed in shifts to avoid overcrowding.

In addition to the above measures, staff are trained continuously by the company doctor on how to ensure that they and their families remain safe. This has given the staff the capacity to take care of themselves and those they love at home and in their communities.