In response to the coronavirus and concerns for the health and well-being of its employees, Petzl issued the following statement today:
“As a manufacturer of life safety equipment, Petzl has always advocated for responsible risk management. While the immediate threat of the novel coronavirus is not yet severe in Utah, we are taking steps to protect the health of our employees and act as a responsible steward of public health.
“Beginning on Monday, 16 March 2020, all Petzl America employees with the ability to telecommute will be working from home until further notice. With this reduction in employee presence combined with a stronger focus on workplace cleanliness, we feel confident that we can authorize our distribution center staff to continue to work onsite shipping orders to customers in the U.S. and Canada. These measures are the latest in a comprehensive response from Petzl’s management team that has included the cancellation of events, elimination of business travel and the provision of extra education and resources for our employees.
“We believe that corporate social responsibility during a public health crisis means making decisions proactively and out of an abundance of caution, not reactively or only out of necessity. In the case of the novel coronavirus, the best evidence available to us indicates that major risks to our health infrastructure and the well-being of our interconnected society can be mitigated by adopting social distancing and short-term isolation practices as soon as possible.
“We’re grateful for the patience and understanding of our customers as we do everything we can to minimize disruption to our business and protect our employees. The Petzl management team would also like to recognize Petzl employees for their flexibility and resilience, with special thanks going to the hardworking men and women in our distribution center and on our IT team for rising to meet these new challenges.”
Photo courtesy Petzl
