For Immediate Release, St John’s, NL – April 26, 2020 – Derek Butler, Executive Director of Association of Seafood Processors (ASP) says safety protocols in place for fish plants, wharves and discharging of vessels in the province have been appropriately reviewed and vetted by both Occupational Health and Safety and Chief Medical Officer in the province.
“It is extremely disheartening to see the FFAW spread misinformation relating to the safety measures the industry is taking to protect workers. The FFAW is fully aware of the Standard Operating Procedures for both the fish plants and discharging supply around wharves that have been reviewed and accepted by these authorities, and to say anything else is irresponsible and misleading,” says Derek Butler, head of the Association representing many of the seafood processing plants in the province.
“It is a disservice to the weeks of work dedicated to addressing safety issues in the industry, and to the work of the relevant provincial authorities and their input into what we have done,” says Butler.
On the particular issue of N95 masks, Butler says they are following the specific advice of the Chief Medical Officer, who said N95 masks require individual fitting and should only be used in limited circumstances. The use of medical masks and other Personal Protective Equipment has been recommended.