OOCL ADOPTS SARS PRECAUTIONARY SEGREGATION MEASURES

OOCL ADOPTS SARS PRECAUTIONARY SEGREGATION MEASURES    Hong Kong-based shipping group OOCL said that it has introduced precautionary measures and contingency plans to deal with a potential infection of its staff or seafarers by the severe acute respiratory syndrome.
   In infected areas such as Hong Kong, OOCL has assigned certain employees to work at different offices. If necessary, the company’s employees are able to work on customer service matters from home.
   OOCL has suspended changes of ships’ crew members for the time being.
   To avoid the dissemination of SARS within OOCL offices, the company said that    employees will be required to stay at home for at least seven days if family members or close contacts are infected by the illness.
   “External parties such as major vendors and contractors are requested to keep us informed of any cases of infection or suspected infection in their companies,” OOCL said.
   Computer operators and technical support staff will work at a second site, as an alternative to the current Hong Kong computer systems site.
   At present, no port health authorities in any ports have specified SARS as a cause for quarantine control for cargo, OOCL reported.