The taskforce needed to act quickly. "As the lockdown situation is as novel as the coronavirus itself, it posed a challenge. “This is a huge responsibility. Employees will rely on the team to come up with a solid plan to mitigate risks,” recalled Onin Llanos, Sales Manager for Hospital Care."

“It is my first time to be in a project team like this. I didn’t pass up the opportunity to join. We needed to define guidelines to enable operations while we recover from the effects of COVID-19.” shared Mike Antonio, Regional Sales Manager for Closure Technologies.

“A house divided against itself cannot stand. I needed to step up to the challenge.  In many failed institutions, people stick to singular roles and refuse to take added responsibility out of fear or apathy. I do not think that B. Braun wants that kind of culture to thrive. The pandemic is a crisis that needs all hands on deck. I simply offered mine, however best I could. I believe the same motivation drove my fellow teammates.” added Joren Sereno, Legal and Compliance Manager.

Being the project leads of the taskforce comes on top of these men’s respective roles. Apart from a desire to keep everyone safe, they were also energized at the prospect of developing themselves and learning new and different skills in the project.

Drafting and finalizing the BCP for COVID-19 Guidelines was not completed in one sitting. The taskforce had to study and understand highly technical matters from publications released by the Department of Health, World Health Organization, and Center for Disease Control, among others. To create order out of chaos, they relied on good work practices: efficient planning, organizing, and prioritizing tasks at hand. The team was able to adhere to a schedule and communicate constantly. They were aided by productivity tools and collaboration spaces introduced by B. Braun for remote working. The project also honed their active listening skills and ability to seek out the expertise and feedback from colleagues from different departments. 

After weeks of working on the project, the guidelines and protocols are now in place. There are in-house rules for both the main and technical service offices, an emergency response plan for employees who exhibit COVID-19 symptoms at home and in the workplace, and a decision guide with set criteria for allowing employees to go on official business in the field. Personal Protective Equipment for sales colleagues have also been distributed. Apart from ensuring safety, this is also to comply with local health regulations. In addition, washable masks, face shields, and Softa-Gel Hand Sanitizers were also sent to all employees.

In the transition to the new normal, the taskforce sets its sights on sustainability of the project. They are working on determining best practices for handling customer accounts and planning logistics. Risk assessment is regularly conducted. Marketing and sales activities are shifting to digital forms.

Despite these measures, the BCP for COVID-19 taskforce remains vigilant. As long as the threat of COVID-19 exists, the taskforce will continue to remind of precautionary measures and educate employees on COVID-19.   As Onin, Mike, and Atty Joren expressed, “Everybody is safe, and we intend to keep it that way.”