The staff affected were working at the Wombwell plant in Barnsley. Those who died were working in different areas of the business and were last in the factory on 7 April 2020. The company said it was also providing support such as counselling and occupational health services for staff.
Cranswick started to plan for the impending coronavirus pandemic in late February, and factories are now operating social distancing, staggered shifts, increased cleaning and hygiene, including hand sanitisers, screens and personal protective equipment where needed.
Two metre distancing
The company’s car parks and public areas have implemented two metre distancing, and additional canteen marquees have been erected with single tables for staff.
The company said the health and safety of its colleagues was its “number one”priority.
A Cranswick spokesperson said: “Sadly, three of our colleagues have passed away with COVID-19. Our thoughts and condolences are with their families and we are providing full support to them and to all of our colleagues directly affected by COVID-19
“Cranswick employees are designated key workers and are at the forefront of maintaining vital supplies of fresh food into the supermarkets. We are doing everything we can to protect them while they carry out this critical role.”
The majority of Cranswick’s business is into the retail sector, with very little exposed to the out-of-home market.
Regulatory bodies
The company said it would continue to work with the relevant regulatory bodies including the HSE (Health & Safety Executive), PHE (Public Health England), the FSA (Food Standards Agency) and local EHO representatives (Environmental Health Officers) during these challenging times.
A number of food manufacturers have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
2 Sisters revealed that a “small number” of workers across different departments had tested positive for COVID-19 at its meat factory site Willand in Cullompton, Devon.
Earlier this month it was revealed that a manager at Greencore’s Northampton site had tested positive for coronavirus.
Last month, Nestlé moved to reassure workers after a worker at its chocolate factory in Halifax tested positive for the virus.