Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic

Make it Safer Together

At every manufacturing unit or R&D site in India and overseas, we have implemented preventive and precautionary measures that ensure a sterile, sanitized and socially-distanced work environment. Group meetings are conducted on virtual mode or in large open areas, staff buses frequency increased to reduce passenger density, two-shift model implemented  in Hyderabad R&D to ensure minimum site occupancy, and work from home advised wherever possible.

Onsite staff undergo periodic RT-PCR tests, new recruits are on-boarded through e-induction and tested prior to joining. Beyond masks, employees in vulnerable areas such as air-conditioned sections, cafeteria, security etc. are protected with face shields.

Over the last few weeks, we have raised the intensity of the precautionary measures to ensure the safety of our employees. We rolled out the COVID Protocol 2.0 in March 2021, with stringent testing norms for new recruits, OEMs, employees with COVID Symptoms and visitors.

Ongoing measures at Sai Boston

• All non-essential staff working remotely to minimize density
• Prohibit non-essential visitors; lab tours provided virtually
• Daily health reporting
• Twice weekly RTPCR testing for all onsite staff
• Face masks required at all times
• All group meetings remain virtual
• Office seating adjusted to ensure 6ft distancing
• Building management has implemented aggressive
• saftetymeasures: reconfigured traffic patterns; increased sanitizer stations; increased cleaning/disinfecting schedules; rapid notification system for any positive cases
• All employees have communicated willingness to be vaccinated as soon as available; anticipate 100% vaccination status by May/June

Ongoing measures at Sai Manchester

• Staff encouraged to work from home where possible
• Non-essential visitors discouraged; lab tours provided virtually
• Twice weekly lateral flow testing made available to all employees on site at Alderley Park.
• Lateral flow tests now also available nationwide in the UK to all residents.
• Face masks required at all timesin all internal areas
• All group and 1 to 1 meetings remain virtual or held outside or in large open areas
• Offices have been modified to ensure no employees sit adjacent to or opposite another employee.
• Chemistry and analytical office employees can only mix outside or in well ventilated lab areas and not in the office areas.
• Measures implemented by Alderley Park: reconfigured traffic patterns; increased sanitizer stations; increased cleaning/disinfecting schedules; notification system for positive cases
• All UK employees >50 have been offered the vaccine; remainder expected to be offered by Sept

Ongoing measures at India sites

• Work-From-Home implemented, wherever possible
• Two shift model at Hyderabad R&D campus to minimize site occupancy
• Additional buses introduced to minimise occupancy during commute
• Occupancy in common areas like cafeteria reduced through extended cafeteria spaces and staggered timings
• Temperature & oxygen saturation checks at entry points
• Stringent area sanitization of the touch-points, company transport vehicles & workplaces
• Hand sanitization stations across the sites
• Mandatory usage of face masks
• Governance –Core committee & site level committees
• Training & Awareness : Continuous focus on code of conduct

Additional Safety Protocols at India sites

• Rolled out COVID 2.0 protocol covering –Intensified testing
  – New recruits RT-PCR mandatory
  – e-induction for new recruits
  – Tracing and RT-PCR testing of employees suffering COVID symptoms
  – RT-PCR testing for primary contacts OEM, visitor entry and declarations
  – Visitor (OEMs and others) –RT-PCR mandatory
  – Periodic Corona virus testing at Pune site as it is a hotspot
  – Use of Face shields by employees of vulnerable areas – Employees working in air-conditioned sections, Cafeteria, Security etc.
• Employee vaccination:
  – Majority of eligible employees (aged 45+) have been vaccinated
  – Majority of Pune employees (aged 18+) have been given priority vaccine as Maharashtra State considers pharma employees as frontline workers
  – Starting 1stMay, planning to proactively expedite vaccination camps and provide the option for all employees and their families.

Ensuring employee safety

To ensure the safety of our employees and their families, we have taken extensive measures in line with guidelines issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the respective state governments.

• Continuously emphasizing good hygiene practices
• Continuous sanitization of various touchpoints including company transport vehicles
• Deep cleaning of workplaces at regular intervals
• Temperature checks for all employees and contractual workers
• Provided sanitizer dispensers at key locations across all sites / offices
• Provided hand sanitizers and face masks to employees & contract workers for home use
• Made nose masks mandatory: providing disposable 3-ply surgical nose mask to employees & contractors every day.
• Ensure safer commute to and from work
• Introduced 24X7 helpline

Ensuring better social distancing at the workplace

• Introduced measures to reduce manpower on-site
• Work-From-Home for corporate office employees
• Role-based WFH options increased across the sites
• Created additional dining spaces for employees and contractors.
• Canteens occupancy is < 30% at any time through staggered slots
• Doubled the number of buses used for employee transportation to maintain vehicle occupancy at <50%
• Provided space markers in various areas including entry gates, cafeteria, tea / coffee points, etc.
• Limiting visitor access to our sites

Making sanitizers available to meet rising demand

Sai Life Sciences commenced the production of alcohol-based sanitizer and surface cleaners as per WHO guidelines, and is making them available free of cost to the various organizations leading the sanitization efforts. The Sai Life Sciences team has distributed over 10000 kg of hand sanitizers to various public organizations including –

• Cyberabad Police Commissionerate, Hyderabad
• Bidar Air Force Station
• Bidar Institute of Medical Sciences
• District Health Department, Bidar
• Bidar District Police
• Bidar District Administration
• Bidar Municipal office
• Hinjewadi Police Station, Pune
• Tahsil office Mulshi, Pune

Additionally, we have donated nose masks and hand gloves to several health centres.

Helping the community fight the pandemic

Signalling our resolve to support the Government and the community during this time of crisis, Sai Life Sciences made a contribution US$ 200,000 to the CM Relief Funds of the state of Telangana and Karnataka.

• INR 1 Cr (~US$ 130,000) to Telangana State
• INR 50 Lakhs (~US$ 70,000) to Karnataka State

Sai Life Sciences joins the global ‘COVID Moonshot’ project

Sai Life Sciences, join the global COVID Moonshot project that aims to deliver an antiviral drug candidate effective against COVID-19. With an in-kind contribution of a team of Medicinal Chemists and supporting infrastructure, Sai Life Sciences will help synthesize and profile analogues for NCEs and other previously known compounds tested for other viruses. Read the full report here.