Texas Chemical Council
www.texaschemistry.org
April 8, 2020
To Elected Officials and Community Partners:
I am writing you today to provide a status update on the Texas chemical industry. As you are aware, the chemical sector is one of the nation’s essential critical infrastructure sectors in the fight against the Coronavirus. As such, our member sites fall under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) – Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Guidance for critical infrastructure sectors.
The business of chemistry in Texas is playing an important role during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing basic raw materials for the production of health, hygiene, and safety products such as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and lifesaving medical supplies. Our members companies are ramping up production of products to ensure a safe and abundant food supply, safe drinking water, and, perhaps most significant in the current crisis, to address the surging demand for health and safety products. Many companies are making changes to their production processes to make materials and finished products including hand sanitizers and other hygiene products in high demand.
The chemical industry manufactures a wide range of innovative products including biocides, sanitizers, disinfectants and other cleaning products. Our industry supplies two active ingredients for hand sanitizers – ethanol (ethyl alcohol) and isopropanol (isopropyl alcohol). According to the Centers for Disease and Control Prevention (CDC), a hand sanitizer with an alcohol concentration between 60-95% is most effective in killing germs.
The chemical industry also manufactures polypropylene, a polymer used to make PPE for health care professionals such as masks, gowns, and gloves; polycarbonate to manufacture syringes and surgical instruments; polyvinyl chloride (PVC) used in medical tubing, blood and IV bags, and polyethylene to safely package and preserve foods, as well as personal care and medical products. Further, our industry produces a broad range of performance plastic resins that are in critical demand for manufacturing protective face shields and protective screens that are being installed across supermarkets globally in a bid to safeguard checkout staff from the virus.
The business of chemistry recognizes the importance of the products they manufacture in times of crisis. While our industry is working around the clock to supply these products to people across the globe, TCC member companies have taken extraordinary measures to protect the health and safety of their employees and to maintain safe operations at their facilities; this while complying with all state and federal environmental regulations.
Here are some of the protocols that our members have put in place to ensure the safety of their employees:
- Member companies are following CDC guidelines for all critical infrastructure sites and essential workers
- Only essential workers are allowed onsite
- Companies have implemented emergency operations plans at manufacturing plants
- Plants undergo frequent and extensive cleaning and disinfection of all equipment and work areas
- Essential workers are medically screened and thermal temperature scanned before being allowed onsite
- Key functions and critical skills are divided into smaller groups and segregated to provide physical distancing
- Companies have put safeguards in place for management of shift change, and compliance functions to minimize face-to-face contact
- Some companies are quarantining “healthy” employees to maintain back-up teams for highly skilled and specialized duties
TCC is participating in Texas Department of Emergency Management (TDEM) – State Operations Center (SOC) and Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) daily updates, and providing information to our members about health & safety and logistical needs.
The chemical value chain manufactures life-saving medicine, disinfectants, medical equipment, food supply, and ensures a clean drinking water supply—all things that we depend on, especially in a crisis. We are proud of how our industry responds during times of need!
We want to thank you for your leadership during these challenging times for our world, and for all you are doing for the safety and well-being of your constituents and our communities. We hope you and your family remain safe and are able to celebrate togetherness, in whatever form these times allow, during the upcoming Easter holiday.
Sincerely,
Hector L. Rivero
President & CEO
