SAINT-GOBAIN LIFE SCIENCES RESPONSE TO COVID-19

At Saint-Gobain Life Sciences, our priority has always been the health and safety of our employees and ensuring that we continue to provide our customers with critical products that affect people’s daily lives.  As the world responds to the unprecedented challenges associated with COVID-19, we’re dedicated to helping.

“Essential Business” Status

As governments have issued shelter-in-place and lockdown orders, our Life Sciences manufacturing sites have requested and received government designations as “essential businesses” and have continued to operate. 

Our manufacturing employees are working hard to meet increased demand for critical components while adapting to new safety protocols. As site staffing can change unexpectedly, depending on a variety of factors, we are adjusting our scheduling to maximize output at all times, and keep lines open and running.

Continuing Operations and Employee Safety

Our business and plants have detailed business continuity plans that have been implemented to work logically and within the framework of sustainable business practices. These plans create an environment which facilitates social distancing and safer practices during this time, better enabling us to fulfill our commitments to customers.  We have formed a special cross-functional committee that monitors the situation on a daily and even hourly basis and works to update policies based on the latest available information.

Specifically, on the actions we’ve taken across all of Saint-Gobain:

• We are engaging all employees with regular communications and policy updates based on the latest data and guidance available via the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
• Since the beginning of March, international business travel has been banned, and those who are returning from any international travel must stay in self-quarantine for a period of at least 14-days before returning to work. We have subsequently expanded our travel ban to include domestic travel. We continue to work closely with customers, leveraging videoconferencing technology, including Skype, and WebEx, for customer meetings and appointments.
• We implemented our business continuity plans and moved to rotational staffing in our plants where possible to ensure proper social distancing.

COVID-19 Business Prioritization

Following several direct customer discussions, we’ve identified which products are related to the fight against COVID-19 and have given them priority. We’ve placed priority on delivering orders for COVID-19 products, including single-use assemblies for the development of new vaccines and therapies as well as components for life-saving medical devices, such as ventilators and infusion pumps. Our teams are also working to increase capacity and expedite production, so customers can get healthcare providers and researchers what they need faster. If your Saint-Gobain purchased product is used in the prevention, detection, or treatment of COVID-19, please contact your Customer Service Representative or Business Development Manager to discuss establishing priority for your needs.

Global Supply Chain and Logistics Assessment Update

The supplier situation changes quickly and the Saint-Gobain Global Procurement Team continues to speak with suppliers for updates on their production and delivery capabilities.

1. Evaluating potential threats by region and considering options to mitigate supply chain risk
2. Communicating regularly with our suppliers and sites for real-time status updates and managing shipments for minimal disruptions to customers
3. Scenario-planning and evaluating every option available for all regions and sites

Saint-Gobain Life Sciences is also actively monitoring the COVID-19 impact on transportation worldwide. We continue to work diligently with our freight forwarders, carriers, and brokers to limit the impact of unexpected port closures and flight cancellations on inbound raw material deliveries to our sites and finished good deliveries to our customers.

Looking Ahead

We will keep you abreast of any additional changes, but please know we’re continually monitoring the situation and making updates to policies to keep our employees and those we work with as safe as possible.