RINCON — Georgia Transformer is protecting its workers as production continues in the essential manufacturing facility amid the global COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’ve seen past outbreaks such as SARS in 2003 and MERS in 2015, so we’ve navigated challenges before and emerged stronger afterward. This time, however, the challenge is higher but as an employer of choice, corporate neighbor and industry leader our focus is on protecting our most valuable assets — our people,” said Prabhat Jain, CEO of Georgia Transformer.

GTC, a premier manufacturer of large-power transformers, follows CDC guidelines, and took immediate steps six weeks ago to protect employees from the virus. These measures have included:

· Free virus testing for insured employees suspected of having Covid-19.

· Extended paid sick leave up to 30 days for those impacted by the virus.

· A free family care center was set up since the beginning of the crisis and serves the GTC employee families who need childcare. During the work week between six and 10 families make use of this benefit while many day cares and schools remain closed.

· Education and training for virus precautions and prevention, including the importance of personal hygiene, masks and social-distancing measures.

· Temperature monitoring prior to entry into the facility.

· Hand sanitizers throughout the building.

· Additional staff to increase common-area cleaning and disinfecting.

· Additional PPE for employees including masks and gloves.

· Contributing to local food banks.

· Screens between employees to gain physical separation.

· Staggered breaks and lunches to reduce density.

·  Constant updates on the status of the virus locally and nationally with policy and procedure changes to meet latest CDC and OSHA guidance.

“Our products provide an essential service across the country and around the world — generating reliable power,” said Anoop Nanda, president of Virginia Transformer Company. “We are therefore committed to providing our customers with industry-leading products while ensuring that we reduce the risks for our employees.”

For customers, GTC is offering customers remote testing of transformers as well as video meetings instead of travel.

Georgia Transformer and Virginia Transformer are providers of custom-engineered power electrical transformers for utility, renewable energy, industrial, mining, oil and gas, commercial, institutional, specialty, and export markets in power ranges from 500 kVA to 500 MVA.