The COVID Delta variant appears to be the main obstacle to global economic recovery and a return to normal life. As schoolchildren return to classrooms, public debates have divided communities over school mask mandates. The restaurant industry, which had expected further growth of in-person business in the second half of 2021, is now facing a bleaker forecast of slowing sales while continuing to struggle with the same staffing issues as other frontline companies. While roughly half of Americans are vaccinated against COVID, caseloads continue to rise, particularly in states with low vaccination rates. This increase in infection rates is pushing hospitals and health systems to the limit once again and compromising supply chain safety.
Logistics companies and global supply chains have been particularly hard hit by the Delta variant. Outbreaks among supply chain workers have shut down ports and distribution centers—including the world’s third-busiest container port in China—for weeks at a time. The supply chain and transportation industries are among those frontline businesses that continue to face severe worker shortages. Meanwhile, consumer demand for delivered goods remains as strong and ever and will likely surge even higher if demand for in-person shopping drops in the fall of 2021.
To weather the new problems brought on by the Delta variant, logistics companies will need to do everything possible to improve supply chain safety for their employees.
Vaccine Mandates
Medical experts agree that the best way to prevent the spread of COVID and keep workers safe is by ensuring anyone who is eligible for a COVID vaccine gets vaccinated. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urge that everyone 12 years and older be vaccinated. For those under the age of 18, the Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine has been approved for use.
When vaccines first became available in late 2020 and early 2021, there was a rush on them that far outstripped supply. Now vaccines are so readily accessible that same-day appointments are available in some communities in the United States. Since that initial rush, vaccination rates have lagged, leading to a dangerous number of Americans who remain unvaccinated while the Delta variant pushes up infection rates.
Governments and employers initially tried, and have continued to push, incentives such as prizes and cash payments to encourage people to get vaccinated. This has resulted in an uptick in vaccination rates in various communities. But as the rate of Delta infections has increased, employers are turning to vaccine mandates to keep workers and customers safe. Some state governments have begun mandating vaccines for at least some or most of their employees. A growing number of big companies are following suit, including AT&T, Chevron, Deloitte, Lyft, McDonald’s, Tyson Foods, and Walmart.
Vaccine mandates bring their own complications, as polling shows that about 29 percent of the workforce are strongly opposed to vaccinations. Companies will have to make a judgment about their particular supply chain safety issues, their workforce, and the effects such a mandate could have on this workforce. Legal experts do agree that federal anti-discrimination laws don’t prohibit requiring all employees in a workplace to get vaccinated for COVID, so long as employers requiring this comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and other workplace laws.
Other Safety Measures
There are other measures companies can implement to help ensure supply chain safety for their workforce. Mask use, as noted earlier, remains controversial, but continues to be recommended by the CDC for use in areas where caseloads are high, even for those who have been vaccinated. Mask mandates are subject to many of the same legal guidelines as vaccination mandates.
Companies should use common sense when applying mask mandates across a supply chain. A mask mandate for workers returning to an air-conditioned office could have a very different effect on their co-workers working in a different space and environment. Warehouse operators, for example, should consider that warehouse work is generally more physically demanding than office work. Masks that might interfere with a warehouse worker’s vision or have the potential to bring about a heat-induced illness in confined spaces should be avoided. Employees in these workplaces can’t afford to have their vision obscured or suddenly feel faint around machinery, vehicles, and heavy loads. Supply chain companies that implement mask mandates should be ready to supply masks appropriate to particular working conditions.
The Delta variant, like other forms of COVID, is carried through the air, and for this reason, logistic companies can help ensure supply chain safety by enhancing ventilation and air quality for workers in enclosed spaces. The CDC recommends that companies pay particular attention to improving central air filtration when such a system is used. Businesses should ensure air filters are properly sized and within the recommended service lifespan. They should also inspect filter housings and racks to ensure appropriate filter fit, which helps limit the air that flows around, instead of through, the filter.
Finally, companies can invest in supply chain automation technology that minimizes the number of workers who need to be in a warehouse or distribution center, reducing the risk of spreading COVID. Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) can replace forklifts and other vehicles normally driven by people in warehouses and fulfillment centers. Drones are also increasingly taking on duties such as data monitoring and inventory counts. Automation can address both supply chain safety and efficiency.
Automated operations need the right strategic partners. iGPS plastic pallets, for example, don’t have the size variations that wood pallets have and incorporate smart features that make them traceable throughout a supply chain. Their features allow logistics companies to capture data at any point of distribution, ensuring better planning, efficiency, and helping lower a company’s Total Cost of Business (TCOB). This makes iGPS plastic pallets ideal for all automated systems.
The Delta variant has presented businesses with unwelcome and unexpected obstacles as we head into the final months of 2021. Companies can weather these new problems and stay competitive by making supply chain safety a priority.
Companies committed to supply chain safety use iGPS plastic pallets for all their shipping needs. Our lightweight, durable plastic pallets incorporate smart features, can help keep warehouse workers safe, and reduce your Total Cost of Business. For more information, contact us at 1-866-557-0047, email a specialist at [email protected], or visit our contact page.
