Measures taken in Construction of Cerkezkoy-Kapıkule Section of Halkalı-Kapıkule Railway Line Project during the Coronavirus Pandemic

Following the emergence of the Coronavirus pandemic in the world and in our country, a number of measures have been put into effect in the Construction of Cerkezkoy-Kapıkule Section of Halkalı-Kapıkule Railway Line Project.

A risk assessment was first carried out with regards to the pandemic, and a Covid-19 Emergency Plan was prepared accordingly. Measures for the project personnel were implemented under two areas, which include informative measures and preventive measures.

As informative measures; posters were hanged in the office, dining hall and dormitory areas, and informational e-mails were distributed. All workers were provided with the necessary training in small groups and outdoors, by respecting the rules regarding hygiene, mask and distance (HMD).

As preventive measures; regular health checks are performed on all workers, particularly for personnel working in dining halls, offices, shuttles and cleaning services. The temperatures of the workers involved in the project are measured and recorded every morning, and antibody tests are performed on all workers. Offices and commonly used areas are regularly disinfected to ensure the necessary hygiene conditions. The necessary hand dispensers have been placed in many locations to allow disinfectant use by personnel, and hand disinfectants are also provided to every worker for personal use. In dining halls, catering is now provided on an alternating basis, with only single-use food trays, forks, spoons, salt, pepper, sugar packages etc. being provided. Drinking water is distributed in plastic bottles. In shuttle vehicles that transport personnel, the practice of keeping one seat empty for each occupied seat is currently implemented, and the air filters of all shuttle vehicles have been renewed.

Measures were taken against the risk of contact by establishing quarantine centres in five different areas, both within and outside the work site. A seven-day quarantine is applied to all personnel who are newly recruited or are returning from their leave of absence. These personnel have antibody tests performed on the first day of quarantine and computed tomography scanning performed on the seventh day, and those who test negative are permitted to return to work.

The first Covid-19 case in the work site was observed on September 2, 2020. All personnel who had been in close or distant contact with this Covid-19 positive worker were promptly identified and taken under quarantine. Further developments are being closely followed. Healthcare teams are providing services on a 24/7 basis in the work sites, ensuring healthy and safe working conditions for all personnel.