Due to the coronavirus infection spread in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug in April, a resolution was passed according to which employers were obliged to maintain fly-in fly-out employees’ observation over the course of no less than 14 days. Passing the resolution at the time was a timely and objectively necessary decision in order to curb the spread of the infection and maintain the sanitary and epidemiologic wellbeing of the Autonomous Okrug population.

At the same time, many big oil and gas companies together with trade union organizations have taken and are still implementing measures to create proper living conditions for the fly-in fly-out workers. This is evident from the results of the oil and gas companies’ activity surveillance in the state of emergency caused by the coronavirus infection spread conducted by the ROGWU.

As such, companies are purchasing additional disinfecting and protective products (hand sanitizers, antiseptics, disposable and non-disposable medical masks, disinfecting blacklight lamps, sanitizing cleaning supplies). The employees are checked for COVID-19 and COVID-19 antibodies on a regular basis.

Preventive measures have also been taken regularly, as well as the informing of workers of the ways to protect from and prevent the COVID-19 infection. The industry employers strictly follow the recommendations developed by the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing.

Taking these circumstances into consideration and following the Agreement on Cooperation and Interaction between the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug government and Russian state trade union of oil, gas and construction spheres workers, the Trade Union asked the regional Government to loosen the requirements of obligatory observation for the companies taking the essential protective measures for their employees.

Trade Union suggestions have been additionally processed, another assessment of the current situation in the region was made and on September 4, the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug governor Dmitri Artyukhov made changes to the April version of the document, replacing the obligatory observation process with a recommendatory one if reasons are sufficient. A corresponding resolution has been published on the regional government’s website.

From now on, employers providing proper medical care for the fly-in fly-out employees are allowed not to place the workers arriving to Yamal from other regions into observation if no otherwise reasons are present.