Minnesota DOH: Nearly 800 workers tested positive for COVID-19 on Enbridge’s Line 3 project

UPDATE: July 8, 2021: This tale has been up to date to contain Enbridge’s reviews, which ended up erroneously remaining out from its unique publication, however an Enbridge spokesperson did react to Construction Dive prior to deadline.

Enbridge exams workers on the initially and seventh working day of work, then conducts bi-weekly assessments right after that, and needs carrying masks onsite, social distancing and daily temperature checks, spokesperson Juli Kellner informed Development Dive. The business stated it is also encouraging personnel to get vaccinated. 

“We have incentivized immunization and are preparing to convey vaccines to the development internet sites by way of cellular clinics across the 5 design operate zones,” Kellner explained. The current in general rate of positive test results through summer time design has been considerably less than .6%, she said.

Dive Brief:

• As quite a few as 788 staff have analyzed favourable for COVID-19 on the $2.9 billion Enbridge Line 3 pipeline venture in Minnesota considering the fact that November, in accordance to the details from the state’s office of well being shared with Design Dive.
• The Minnesota Department of Well being performed an investigation to garner information and facts about an increase in scenarios in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, that commenced in January. Health officers saw clusters of scenarios in numerous settings and experienced issues about compliance with primary mitigation tips among the group members.
• The division tried out to mitigate the distribute by rising tests availability and opening vaccination clinics for the local community. Of the 788 workers on Enbridge 3 who have examined favourable, three ended up hospitalized and none died.

Dive Insight:

The Line 3 undertaking is replacing a 1,097-mile-extensive crude oil pipeline that runs from Edmonton, Canada, to Exceptional, Wisconsin. Segments of the challenge in Wisconsin and North Dakota were finished prior to the 337 miles of perform that is underway with the Line 3 substitution in Minnesota, which utilized about 4,500 individuals in the course of the winter surge in scenarios, according to Al Jazeera.

Calgary, Canada-dependent Enbridge began task get the job done in northern Minnesota in December of 2020, shortly prior to a winter surge of COVID-19 circumstances started in the location. Environmental and local community activists lifted fears that the venture could heighten coronavirus pitfalls in the communities alongside the pipeline route. 

Regardless of the pushback, union leaders lauded the news, stating it would provide countless numbers of much-essential jobs to the area.

Employers in Minnesota are responsible for office get in touch with tracing mainly because they are the most equipped to establish workplace contacts by means of schedules, supervisor observations and online video, the MDH statement said. While Enbridge’s protection workplace shared conclusions from its speak to tracing, the wellbeing section stated it could not pinpoint the source of most of the bacterial infections.

“With an infectious condition that spreads by close get in touch with, ongoing neighborhood spread, and a big workforce coming and heading that is produced up of people from inside of Minnesota and from other states, there is no way to tease out the supply of most bacterial infections,” the statement said.

Several of the conditions ended up from roommates and right after-hours social contacts, the statement stated.

“There are several components at participate in, which includes Line 3 staff, other establishments, industries and occupations, community distribute, etc.,” it browse.

While Enbridge did not reply to Design Dive’s request for remark, Enbridge Executive Vice President and President of Liquid Pipelines Vern Yu stated in a press statement late last calendar year that the organization would employ a rigorous COVID-19 administration program. During the spike in instances, Enbridge greater surveillance screening of employees from biweekly to weekly, the MDH statement reported.

On other latest energy tasks, Enbridge has instituted COVID-19 screening and screening protocols for staff, together with recurring testing and everyday health and fitness and temperature screenings, as perfectly as demanded tactics like wearing masks, observing rigid bodily distancing and regularly sanitizing get the job done spots.