MONACA, Pa. — Hundreds of people are being brought back to work at the Shell cracker plant in Beaver County, but there are major concerns about the workers’ safety.
Construction on the $6 billion facility just off the Beaver Expressway has been on hold since mid-March, when more than 8,000 workers were sent home.
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This week, the company announced it will bring hundreds of workers back to work in the coming days,
Beaver County has had a total of 178 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 24 deaths.
One of the biggest concerns Channel 11′s Renee Wallace heard from workers was about the conditions aboard buses transporting them to and from the plant. Workers claim when they left the plant they were literally sitting on these buses for up to an hour packed shoulder-to-shoulder.
The company said it’s addressing those concerns and more. According to company officials, they will "integrate limited personnel on-site while maintaining social distancing guidelines.“
Also, officials said workers will now park within the site, which will avoid buses to and from the offsite parking lot. Then there will be temperature screenings before coming on-site.
Finally, officials are implementing a new lunch protocol -- with one worker at each table.
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