Updated 5/20/2020 (4:00 pm) - 

  

Covid-19 created a lot of confusion and concern when it first started and while the threat is still active, in general, there is a lot more clarity now on many aspects regarding the virus and its impact. Like most businesses; DMI rolled with the punches as we learned together what the impact of this virus was, what a lockdown means for us (personally and professionally), and how to deal with the rapidly changing news and laws. At this time a lot more is clear on the situation and while the circumstances will continue to be shifting, we can now begin to plan and operate with consistency. DMI will continue to uphold our Covid-19 policy listed here: https://www.dmiorg.it/dmicovid-policy  

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Updated 4/17/2020 (4:00 pm) - 

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Good Afternoon DMI Members and Business Partners,

 

UPDATES on important notices below:

 

Next week the DMI Warehouse will be closed Wednesday; 4/22/2020 to help our warehouse staff with a reduced workweek (Not Friday 4/24/2020)

• Dealers should NOT use ship date: 4/22/2020

• The Warehouse is also closed Saturday 4/25/2020 as already planned (Suspended Saturday Shipping will stay in place until further notice).

• The Warehouse will be closed tomorrow; Saturday 4/18/2020 as already planned

 

DMI will be holding our May 5th, 2020 General and Board Meeting as a virtual (web/phone only) meeting. We will have a Zoom conference setup for both the Board and General Meetings to be held on May 5th, 2020. The Board Meeting will start at 9am and the General Meeting will start at 10:30am

 

The DMI Office and Warehouse will be closed in observation of Memorial Day, as planned, on May 25th, 2020

 

Thanks and stay safe,

Alan

 

 

Alan Joskowicz

Director of Operations

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Updated 4/17/2020 (3:30 pm) - 

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Good Afternoon DMI Staff, Members, and Business Partners;

 

DMI received notification of two staff members in our warehouse that have tested positive for COVID-19, and a third awaiting results.  

 

Both staff members that tested positive began to feel symptoms when away from work. The last time any of the three staff members were onsite was 4/14/2020. All three staff members have been asked to stay home until they are symptom-free and it is safe for them to return to work. When possible, we are asking staff to be re-tested to ensure they are negative of the virus before returning to work. When it is not possible to re-test staff members may not return to work until they are 72 hours symptom-free and are cleared to return to work, specified by a doctor’s note.

 

Any individuals who were identified to come into close contact with any of the three staff members, within 24 prior to symptoms starting, have already been informed. "Close contacts" is defined as those persons who had prolonged or close personal interaction with a person who tests positive for COVID-19. Any staff member, already contacted directly by HR, that was considered close contact has been already asked to stay home for two weeks to ensure they are symptom and virus-free before returning to work. DMI checks into any possible close contacts as soon as we are aware someone is needed to be tested for COVID-19 and we reach out to anyone identified as a close contact immediately.

 

DMI has had a full cleaning of the entire building, including all machines being used by staff, since any of the three staff members’ were last onsite.

 

As we continue to see more cases identified throughout New Jersey and New York, everyone is reminded of the importance of adhering to social distancing precautions by keeping over 6ft or more away from any other person at all times. This will help slow the spread of illness. Please follow public health preventative practices every day. Stay home when you are ill and avoid others with symptoms. Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol. Do not touch your face, mouth, nose, or eyes with unclean hands at any time. Cover your coughs and sneezes using a tissue or sleeve. Disinfect frequently touched surfaces often. If you become ill, call the doctor or hospital. Per recently signed NJ executive orders, employees of DMI are required to wear masks at all times during their shift at work.

 

For more information, visit the New Jersey Department of Health website at www.nj.gov/health , or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov.

 

Thanks,

Alan Joskowicz, Director of Operations

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Updated 4/14/2020 (11:00 pm) - 

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Good Evening DMI Staff,

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This email is a reminder, per Executive Order No. 122 signed by NJ Governor Murphy, DMI is requiring ALL DMI Staff and any necessary visitors to wear a face covering and gloves while onsite at DMI, with exception when an individual is in a space in the building completely alone (i.e. Bathroom stall). 

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If a staff member is found not wearing a face covering while working or being present in a common area, you will be asked to put a face cover on. If a staff member refuses to wear a face-covering or is repeatedly need to be asked, that staff member will be written up and could be asked to go home for the remainder of their shift without pay. This is a very serious policy, and the state of NJ is mandating it, so please help us by following this new policy during this active pandemic. 

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The new order states all “…Manufacturing businesses, warehousing businesses, and businesses engaged in essential construction projects must adopt policies that include, at minimum, the following requirements…” “…Require workers and visitors to wear cloth face coverings, in accordance with CDC recommendations, while on the premises, except where doing so would inhibit the individual’s health or the individual is under two years of age, and require workers to wear gloves while on the premises. Businesses must provide, at their expense, such face coverings and gloves for their employees. If a visitor refuses to wear a cloth face covering for non-medical reasons and if such covering cannot be provided to the individual by the business at the point of entry, then businesses must decline entry to the individual. Nothing in the stated policy should prevent workers or visitors from wearing a surgical-grade mask or other more protective face covering if the individual is already in possession of such equipment, or if the businesses is otherwise required to provide such worker with more protective equipment due to the nature of the work involved. Where an individual declines to wear a face covering on the premises due to a medical condition that inhibits such usage, neither the business nor its staff shall require the individual to produce medical documentation verifying the stated condition…”

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DMI will provide face masks for staff members and visitors who do not already have their own face covering. We ask if you can provide your own face covering or mask to please do so, however, if you're unable to, we have masks and gloves on site. 

 

Thanks,

Alan Joskowicz, Director of Operations

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Updated 4/14/2020 (9:45 am) - 

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Good Morning DMI Staff, Members, and Business Partners,

 

DMI received notification this morning that one of our staff members has tested positive for COVID-19.  This staff member was tested on 4/13/2020 after beginning to feel symptoms on 4/11/2020. This staff member was not onsite with symptoms, and this persons last time at the building was Thursday Morning - 4/9/2020. This staff member has been asked to stay home until they are symptom-free and it is safe for them to return to work.

 

No individuals were identified to come into close contact with this staff member within 24 prior to symptoms starting. "Close contacts" is defined as those persons who had prolonged or close personal interaction with a person who tests positive for COVID-19.

 

DMI has had a full cleaning of the entire building including all machines being used by staff since this staff members’ last time onsite.

 

As we continue to see more cases identified throughout New Jersey and New York, everyone is reminded of the importance of adhering to social distancing precautions by keeping over 6ft or more away from any other person at all times. This will help slow the spread of illness. Please follow public health preventative practices every day. Stay home when you are ill and avoid others with symptoms. Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol. Do not touch your face, mouth, nose, or eyes with unclean hands at any time. Cover your coughs and sneezes using a tissue or sleeve. Disinfect frequently touched surfaces often. If you become ill, call the doctor or hospital. And finally, ensure you wear a face covering when out in a public setting.

 

For more information, visit the New Jersey Department of Health website at www.nj.gov/health , or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov.

 

Thanks,

Alan

 

Alan Joskowicz, Director of Operations

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Update 4/13/2020 (3:30 pm) - 

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Good Afternoon DMI Staff, Members, and Business Partners,

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As per Executive Order No. 122 signed by NJ Governor Murphy, DMI will be requiring all DMI Staff and any necessary visitors to wear a face covering and gloves while onsite at DMI, with exception when an individual is in a space in the building completely alone (i.e. Bathroom stall). 

The new order states all “…Manufacturing businesses, warehousing businesses, and businesses engaged in essential construction projects must adopt policies that include, at minimum, the following requirements…” “…Require workers and visitors to wear cloth face coverings, in accordance with CDC recommendations, while on the premises, except where doing so would inhibit the individual’s health or the individual is under two years of age, and require workers to wear gloves while on the premises. Businesses must provide, at their expense, such face coverings and gloves for their employees.  If a visitor refuses to wear a cloth face covering for non-medical reasons and if such covering cannot be provided to the individual by the business at the point of entry, then businesses must decline entry to the individual.  Nothing in the stated policy should prevent workers or visitors from wearing a surgical-grade mask or other more protective face covering if the individual is already in possession of such equipment, or if the businesses is otherwise required to provide such worker with more protective equipment due to the nature of the work involved.  Where an individual declines to wear a face covering on the premises due to a medical condition that inhibits such usage, neither the business nor its staff shall require the individual to produce medical documentation verifying the stated condition…”

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DMI will provide face masks for every staff member, we have enough to offer 1 mask per staff member per week. We ask if you can provide your own face covering or mask to please do so however if your unable to we have masks and gloves on site. The mask and gloves are being provided on-site for staff members use while working and we ask everyone to please respect this by only taking 1 per week to allow us to have enough of both masks and gloves to last.

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As a reminder, DMI will continue to enforce our policy of:
•    All business meetings at the DMI office and warehouse will be suspended until further notice. 
•    DMI is requiring ALL meetings to be held via teleconference, including vendor rep scheduled meetings. 
•    DMI is requiring NO unnecessary visitors to come to the DMI office. 

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Thanks,
Alan
 

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Update 4/07/2020 (3:00 pm) - 

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Good Afternoon DMI Members,

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Next week the DMI Warehouse will be closed Thursday; 4/16/2020 to help our warehouse staff with a reduced workweek
•    Dealers should NOT use ship date: 4/16/2020
•    The Warehouse will be open as normal for 4/17/2020

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The DMI Warehouse will continue to be closed for shipping on Saturdays indefinitely, per our Board of Directors, until further notice; the Board will reevaluate this week to week.

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Reminder - DMI Office and Warehouse will be closed on Friday 4/10/2020 in observation of Good Friday.

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Thanks and stay safe,
Alan
 

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Update 4/05/2020 (6:30 pm) - 

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Good Evening DMI Staff, Members, and Business Partners,

​

DMI received notification of a staff member in our warehouse that has tested positive for COVID-19.  This staff member was tested on 4/4/2020 after beginning to feel symptoms the day before. This staff member was not onsite with symptoms, and this person's last time at the building was 4/2/2020. This staff member has been asked to stay home until they are symptom-free and it is safe for them to return to work. 

Any individuals who were identified to come into close contact with this staff member, within 24 prior to symptoms starting, have already been informed. "Close contacts" is defined as those persons who had prolonged or close personal interaction with a person who tests positive for COVID-19. 

​

DMI has had a full cleaning of the entire building including all machines being used by staff since this staff members’ last time onsite.

​

As we continue to see more cases identified throughout New Jersey and New York, everyone is reminded of the importance of adhering to social distancing precautions by keeping over 6ft or more away from any other person at all times. This will help slow the spread of illness. Please follow public health preventative practices every day. Stay home when you are ill and avoid others with symptoms. Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol. Do not touch your face, mouth, nose, or eyes with unclean hands at any time. Cover your coughs and sneezes using a tissue or sleeve. Disinfect frequently touched surfaces often. If you become ill, call the doctor or hospital.

​

As of 4/4/2020, the CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies), especially in areas of significant community-based transmission. Employees of DMI may wear masks at any time during their shift at work. DMI encourages staff to wear masks per the CDC recommendation but this is not a requirement of the CDC.

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For more information, visit the New Jersey Department of Health website at www.nj.gov/health, or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov.

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Update 4/2/2020 (8:30 am) - 

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Good Morning DMI Members and Business Partners;

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I hope everyone is well, healthy, and safe during this unprecedented and uncertain time, it is critically important to me that we stay connected. 

I understand we’re all currently inundated with an almost-constant influx of information but it is important to keep the membership up to date on news at DMI.

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As you all are aware DMI and our members are classified as “essential business” by a number of state and local governments, it is our mission to continue to provide the same level of service to our members that you come to know from DMI.

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Please note the DMI Warehouse will return to a normal schedule for next week (Week of 4/5/20 – 4/11-20). 

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For our AM Trucking members:
PLEASE go back to your normal days and habits for scheduling your trucks. 

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Reminder for Good Friday:
The DMI Office and Warehouse will be closed Friday, April 10th for Good Friday, which means (as already scheduled) there will be no shipping on 4/10 or 4/11.

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KRA Good Stock and Damage Returns: 
You may resume your returns starting Monday, April 6th, 2020 – Please work with Saby for logistics by emailing him at - Saby@DMIORG.com 

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DMI Continues to maintain a clean and safe environment at our warehouse and offices with regular cleanings using enhanced methods to ensure everything is clean and safe. Our COVID-19 policy is still in place, which can be viewed at - https://www.dmiorg.it/dmicovid-policy 

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DMI will continue to update and offer resources at our COVID-19 Resource website: https://www.dmiorg.it/memo-covid19 
                This site is for our members, staff, and business partners.

Thank you all for your ongoing support & please stay safe,
Alan
 

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Update 3/28/2020 (1:30 pm) - 

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Good Afternoon DMI Members & Staff;

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We will be reducing the shipping/receiving days for the warehouse this coming week to only 3 days to help give people time to rest with the hope the following week we will have more staff able to work again.

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The DMI Warehouse schedule will look like this:

• Sunday night into Monday – Ship Date 3/30/2020

• Monday night  into Tuesday – Ship Date 3/31/2020

• Wednesday night into Thursday – Ship Date 4/2/2020

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• Closed Tuesday Night – No Shipping Wednesday

• Closed Thursday Night – No Shipping Friday

• Closed as planned Friday Night and no shipping Saturday (as planned)

 

The  DMI Office will remain under the hybrid work from home / in-office hours - and be open and available the entire week.

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For DMI Warehouse staff:

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The Night Shift should report to work:

Sunday Night

Monday Night

Wednesday Night

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The Day Shift should report to work

Monday Morning

Tuesday Morning

Thursday Morning

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DMI Whse Staff - More Details in an email sent to you earlier today.

Thanks for all your support and cooperation,
Alan

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UPDATED: 3/23/2020 (12:23 am) - 

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Good Evening DMI Staff, Members, and Business Partners

 

DMI received notification of a staff member in our warehouse that has tested positive for COVID-19.  On 3/18/2020 we had reported that this staff member’s spouse, had tested positive for COVID-19. This staff member was tested that morning and has been asked to stay home since then to ensure they are symptom-free since that news.

 

Individuals who potentially came in close contact with this staff member have already been informed. "Close contacts" is defined as those persons in the workplace who had prolonged or close personal interaction with a positive COVID-19 case. It appears no staff had “close contact” with this employee when this employee’s symptoms began. And this employee has been away from work since the onset of symptoms, starting 3/18/2020.

 

DMI has had many deep cleanings of the entire building including all machines being used by staff since we first became aware of the staff members’ spouse’s test results.

 

As we continue to see more cases identified throughout New Jersey and New York, everyone is reminded of the importance of adhering to social distancing precautions. This will help slow the spread of illness. Please follow public health preventative practices every day. Stay home when you are ill and avoid others with symptoms. Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol. Cover your coughs and sneezes using a tissue or sleeve. Disinfect frequently touched surfaces often. If you become ill, call the doctor or hospital.

 

For more information, visit the New Jersey Department of Health website at www.nj.gov/health, or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov.

 

Thanks,

Alan

 

Alan Joskowicz

Director of Operations

Dynamic Marketing Inc.

The Independent Retailer’s Edge ™

Exit 7A Distribution Center | 400 Cabot Drive Unit B | Hamilton Township NJ 08690-3388

Tel. 347-729-7055 | Fax: 347-729-7047 | E-Mail: Alan@DMIORG.Com

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UPDATED: 3/22/2020 (12:10 pm) - 

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DMI Staff;

• Attached you will find DMI’s essential employee letter or access it from this location: https://tinyurl.com/tg7xxuc

• Staff members who will be traveling to and from our physical location please make sure to print and fill out and keep with you if you need to provide proof of employment.

• Effective immediately please do not use the punch clock until further notice.

• We ask all staff to check-in and out at the start and end of shifts with your supervisor/manager (or a supervisor/manager on site), to help prevent the spread of germs in our warehouse and office. 

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DMI Members,

 

A lot has occurred since my last communication so I want to bring everyone up to speed.

 

 

The DMI Office and Warehouse:

DMI will be open and we are an Essential Business – as we are a warehouse, storage, and logistics for Hardware and Home improvement stores. However, some rules still apply to DMI regarding the new orders issued by the state of NJ… We must minimize staff onsite to people who absolutely need to physically work at our facility, we can operate under normal business hours, we will be providing official letters to our staff to provide the documentation of what they are traveling to and from work, and we will continue to utilize work from home to help reduce the number of people at the office.

 

Read more here: https://www.nj.com/coronavirus/2020/03/what-is-a-non-essential-retail-business-in-nj-a-list-of-places-that-can-stay-open-in-coronavirus-shut-down.html?utm_source=subtext&utm_medium=sms&utm_campaign=coronavirus

 

Please note there is a very high possibility of delays with shipments from the warehouse as we plan to work with reduced staff. We ask everyone’s patience with this! We are also working with our vendors to do what we can to bring in high demand items, however, keep in mind many of our vendors are also operating with reduced staff too.

 

 

NJ Members/Dealers:

Our NJ members may continue to operate under the category of for Hardware and Home improvement stores but also must make every effort to minimize staff onsite by utilizing work from home, and while showrooms may remain open during normal business hours but you must continue to maintain proper social distancing and limiting the number of customers who are in your store at any given time. You also need to provide proper sanitizing tools such as hand sanitizer and anti-bacterial wipes to ensure high touch surfaces are cleaned often. 

 

 

NY Members/Dealers:

NY has provided detailed guidance on essential businesses. DMI again falls under the essential service heading under the label of warehouse/distribution and fulfillment. Members should be considered either retail hardware and building materials or act as the final logics for the fulfillment of DMI goods. NY Members should fill out the form from NYS web site (Request for Designation as an Essential Business) https://esd.ny.gov/sites/default/files/Request%20for%20Designation%20Form_0.pdf and send directly back to NYS to covid19designations@esd.ny.gov

NY has been replying to the member who already filled this form out with the following response: Thank you for seeking designation as an “essential business” pursuant to the revised  New York State Executive Order 202.6 with respect to your business function of selling appliances to meet emergency health and safety needs.   Based on the information you have provided, that business function is an essential business and/or supports an essential business and is not subject to the required 100% workforce reduction pursuant to the revised Executive Order 202.6.   However, your business has been designated as essential solely with respect to those employees that must be present at the business location in support of essential business activities. No other employees/personnel shall be permitted to work from your business’s location. Any other business activities being completed at your location that is not essential are still subject to the revised Executive Order 202.6.  Please continue to comply with all other Executive Orders and recommendations from the New York State Department of Health and please consider reducing your workforce to the extent practicable.

My understanding is, like NJ, NY member showrooms may remain open during normal business hours however you also must maintain proper social distancing and limiting the number of customers who are in your store at any given time. You also need to provide proper sanitizing tools such as hand sanitizer and anti-bacterial wipes to ensure high touch surfaces are cleaned often.

 

 

Attached:

• Whirlpools’ essential operation letter - https://tinyurl.com/thmcp6f​

• DMI’s sample essential employee letter - https://tinyurl.com/ucqprt9

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Speaking to various members, some are going online/phone only while some continue to keep their showrooms open. Please do what is best for your staff, business, and community.

 

If you need help with your online presence please reach out to Melissa@dmiorg.com as she has been working with members already helping improve their online abilities and has kept in touch with RWS to continue to support online needs.

 

 

Thanks for everyone’s support, input, feedback, and patience during this unusual time!

 

Stay Safe,

Alan

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UPDATED: 3/18/2020 (9:43 am) - 

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Good Morning DMI Staff, Members, and Business Partners;

 

DMI is taking steps to ensure our facility is clean and safe by working with a professional cleaning company that comes regularly to clean the office and warehouse. While we have been taking these measures for years to ensure a clean workspace for our staff; we have increased the number of times and services we will be using to ensure our building is a safe place to work!

 

Staff may see the cleaning company at times since the need is in-demand we sometimes need to have them onsite at 9:30 am and then the cleaning company will return at 4 pm to run an Electrostatic spray service, which is a professional cleaning method that uses 360-degree disinfecting power to sanitize entire rooms and surfaces, including hard-to-reach places and objects.

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For details on Electrostatic spray click:  https://tinyurl.com/wyt7brj

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This is not substituted for Hygiene etiquette, it is for additional safety and peace of mind.

 

PLEASE REMEMBER:

Hygiene etiquette involves practices that prevent the spread of any illness and disease. A critical time to practice proper hygiene etiquette is when you are sick, especially when coughing or sneezing. Serious respiratory illnesses like influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), whooping cough, and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) are spread by:

• Coughing or sneezing

• Unclean hands

• Touching your face after touching contaminated objects

• Touching objects after contaminating your hands

 

To help stop the spread of germs:

• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.

• Put your used tissue in a wastebasket.

• If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve, not your hands.

• Remember to wash your hands after coughing or sneezing:

 

Wash with soap and water, or Keeping hands clean through improved hand hygiene is one of the most important steps we can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. Many diseases and conditions are spread by not washing hands with soap and clean, running water. If clean, running water is not accessible, as is common in many parts of the world, use soap and available water. If soap and water are unavailable, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol to clean hands.

 

Cough etiquette is especially important for infection control measures in healthcare settings, such as emergency departments, doctor’s offices, and clinics. 

 

If a staff member feels like they are getting sick we ask you please let a supervisor or manager know and will be asked to leave to go home to rest. If a staff member feels like they may be sick prior to work we are asking they please stay home and call out sick. If a supervisor or manager sees someone appears ill or has any symptoms of COVID19 or the Flu they will be asked to go home to rest.

 

Thanks,

DMI Mgmt

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UPDATED: 3/18/2020 (7:46 am  - 

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Good Morning,

 

DMI was informed that someone’s spouse, who works on the warehouse during our night shift, has been tested positive for COVID-19. This staff member will also be tested this morning and will let us know of the results as soon as this person finds out. This staff member has been informed that even with a negative test result they may not return to work for 2 weeks to ensure they are symptom-free.

 

This is a very strong reminder the personal hygiene is key! Proper handwashing is your Absolut best defense against this virus. In addition to hand washing, please follow these guidelines:

 

How to prevent getting and spreading COVID-19?

Hygiene etiquette involves practices that prevent the spread of any illness and disease. A critical time to practice proper hygiene etiquette is when you are sick, especially when coughing or sneezing. Serious respiratory illnesses like influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), whooping cough, and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) are spread by:

• Coughing or sneezing

• Unclean hands

• Touching your face after touching contaminated objects

• Touching objects after contaminating your hands

 

To help stop the spread of germs:

• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.

• Put your used tissue in a wastebasket.

• If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve, not your hands.

• Remember to wash your hands after coughing or sneezing:

 

Wash with soap and water, or Keeping hands clean through improved hand hygiene is one of the most important steps we can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. Many diseases and conditions are spread by not washing hands with soap and clean, running water. If clean, running water is not accessible, as is common in many parts of the world, use soap and available water. If soap and water are unavailable, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol to clean hands.

 

Cough etiquette is especially important for infection control measures in healthcare settings, such as emergency departments, doctor’s offices, and clinics. 

 

If you feel like you are getting sick please let a supervisor or manager know and please leave to go home. If you feel like you may be sick prior to work please stay home and call out sick. If a supervisor or manager sees someone looks ill or has any symptoms of COVID19 they will be asked to go home.

 

One final practice that helps prevent the spread of respiratory disease is avoiding close contact with people who are sick. If you are ill, you should try to distance yourself from others, so you do not spread your germs. Distancing includes staying home from work or school when possible.

 

ALL STAFF – Please make sure you keep a 6-foot distance at all times for your co-workers… This will help in preventing any spread if someone does have the virus. This is good advice both at work and away from work (supermarkets and so on…). 

 

For those concerned regarding this news please know at this time we are following the NJ Dept. of Health and CDC guidelines:

CDC does not recommend testing, symptom monitoring or special management for people exposed to asymptomatic people with potential exposures to SARS-CoV-2 (such as in a household), i.e., “contacts of contacts;” these people are not considered exposed to SARS-CoV-2.

 

Being in the same indoor environment (e.g., a classroom, a hospital waiting room) as a person with symptomatic laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 for a prolonged period of time but not meeting the definition of close contact is considered LOW exposure risk.

 

Close contact is defined as:

a) being within approximately 6 feet (2 meters) of a COVID-19 case for a prolonged period of time; close contact can occur while caring for, living with, visiting, or sharing a healthcare waiting area or room with a COVID-19 case

b) having direct contact with infectious secretions of a COVID-19 case (e.g., being coughed on)

 

We have had a special cleaning requested in addition to our regular cleaning taking place in light of this news. Staff has been wiping down and spraying work areas (both office and warehouse) prior to the starts of shifts to also ensure a clean environment. 

In an effort to reduce the spread of germs and bacteria we are placing rolls of disinfecting wipes and Lysol sprays in the following locations:

 

-Office & Warehouse kitchens

-Office & Warehouse time clocks

-Mid-section of the office

-Office front desk

-Mariska’s office

-Jimmy’s office

-By the hi-los

 

We ask that employees use these as necessary to wipe down frequently touched surfaces – the time clocks, door handles, keyboards, phones, desks, hi-los, etc.  When you are finished using the disinfecting wipes please make sure to close the lid to avoid drying out.  

 

Additionally, these disinfecting wipes and sprays should stay where they have been strategically placed by management.  If there is a location that you feel should have disinfecting products that does not appear on the list above, please let HR know and they will work to get some placed there.

 

Also, please remember to regularly utilize the Purell located around the building as well as to do thorough handwashing in the kitchens and bathrooms.

 

Thank you for your continued support and effort to keep things working during difficult times!

 

DMI will continue to do all we can to keep our staff safe and healthy.

 

Thanks,

DMI Mgmt.

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UPDATE (3/16/20 2 pm Est.):

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We just received the news regarding statewide curfew and closure on casinos, restaurants, and other entertainment venues. We are aware there is a recommend statewide curfew in place also. We have called the NJ Depart of Business and they told us “Effective tonight, all other non-essential retail, recreational, and entertainment businesses MUST CLOSE after 8:00 PM. During daytime hours, these businesses may remain open if they limit their occupancy to no more than 50 persons and adhere to social distancing guidelines…” DMI does not fall under one of these categories and the representative from Dept. of Business said DMI’s business type does not apply at this time. Therefore, DMI will be open as normal tonight as of now.

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• All DMI warehouse Staff is asked to work their normal hours this evening as of now.

• DMI Members – We are planning to continue to operate as normal as of now.

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We will let everyone know if this changes in anyway and we are staying in communication with the NJ Dept. of Business for any updates. 

 

Any Staff or Business Partner returning from Any Flights in/out of the USA or domestic will be asked to avoid the office/whse for 14 days.

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DMI MEMBERS:
•    As of Wednesday, March 18th, 2020 all KRA returns will be suspended until March 30th, 2020 – We will reevaluate the situation on March 27th to ensure we can resume KRA returns on the 30th.

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•    Freezers will now be under 10 Day Auto Cancel rules… Once allocated you will have only 10 days to pull a Freezer (same as with A/Cs) before your allocation is lost. No Holds or Exceptions to this rule! This will be in place starting today and will continue until further notice.

 

 

Thank You,

DMI Mgmt.
 

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To All DMI Staff, Vendors, and Business Partners (3/11/20),

 

Due to DMI's commitment to employee safety in light of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak, effective immediately, all business meetings at the DMI office and warehouse will be suspended until further notice. DMI will continue to monitor the situation and provide guidance as more information on the extent and severity of the outbreak becomes available.

 

Effective immediately-

• DMI is requiring ALL meetings to be held via teleconference, including vendor rep scheduled meetings. DMI is requiring NO unnecessary visitors to come to the DMI office.

• Any employee returning from a trip either from a high-risk area or high-risk environment will be required to avoid the DMI office for 14 days starting from the day of return – see below for details.

 

Procedures Upon Return from Travel for ALL DMI Staff

Employees who become ill during or upon returning from travel with virus-like symptoms will need to contact a health care provider as well as the HR department for direction as soon as possible. Employees with any symptoms are to call out sick and not report to work.

Respiratory Symptoms include:

• Fever

• Cough

• Shortness of breath

• Sore throat

• Runny or stuffy nose

• Body aches

• Headache

• Chills

• Fatigue

 

Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that employees remain at home until at least 24 hours after they are free of fever (100 degrees F or 37.8 degrees C) or signs of a fever without the use of fever-reducing medications, as such this is now policy of DMI.

 

Employees returning from travel who do not exhibit virus-like symptoms must still contact the HR department upon return and may be directed to remain away from the workplace for fourteen days to determine whether or not they have been exposed. The returning employee should work with his or her manager to set appropriate telecommuting arrangements if possible or request time off from work.

 

Effective immediately any employee returning from a trip either from a high-risk area or high-risk environment will be required to avoid the DMI office for 14 days starting from the day of return. If you fall under the following, but not limited to, please contact HR for guidance:

• China 

• Iran

• Italy

• South Korea

• Washington (US)

• California (US)

• Large gatherings/events over 5000 people

• Cruises

• Any Flights in/out of the USA or domestic

• More Locations/Events/Means of travel could be added at any time

 

The world health community continues to monitor closely the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the disease it causes, named "coronavirus disease 2019" (COVID-19). At this time, no one knows how severe this outbreak will be. Given this uncertainty and the fact that seasonal influenza (flu) virus is also widespread, we are taking proactive steps to address a number of business concerns. First and foremost, we want to maintain a safe workplace and encourage and/or adopt practices protecting the health of employees. We also want to ensure the continuity of business operations during this pandemic.

 

We ask all employees to cooperate in taking steps to reduce the transmission of communicable diseases in the workplace. Employees are reminded of the following:

• Stay home when you are sick.

• Wash your hands frequently with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds.

• Cover your mouth with tissues whenever you sneeze, and discard used tissues in the trash.

• Avoid people who are sick with respiratory symptoms.

• Clean frequently touched surfaces.

 

DMI will provide alcohol-based hand sanitizers throughout the workplace and in common areas. Cleaning sprays and wipes will also be provided to clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces such as telephones and keyboards.

 

Employees are encouraged to use telephone and video conferencing instead of face-to-face meetings as much as possible during this outbreak. IT support services are available to employees who need assistance with this technology.

 

It is critical that employees do not report to work while they are experiencing respiratory symptoms such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills or fatigue. Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that employees remain at home until at least 24 hours after they are free of fever (100 degrees F or 37.8 degrees C) or signs of a fever without the use of fever-reducing medications. Many times, with the best of intentions, employees report to work even though they feel ill. Employees who report to work ill will be sent home in accordance with these health guidelines.  

 

DMI has various business continuity plans ready to put in place if needed.

 

 

Stay Informed:

The State of New Jersey Department of Health provides a 24-Hour Public Hotline to address questions about the COVID-19. Call 1-800-222-1222. They also provide additional information, including frequently asked questions at: https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/covid2019_community.shtml

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):  For more information about COVID-19, its symptoms, how it spreads and other frequently asked questions, visit the CDC website, here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html. For information about handwashing, see the CDC's Handwashing website.

Follow the CDC's recommendations for using a facemask:

• CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including COVID-19.

• Facemasks should be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19 to help prevent the spread of the disease to others. The use of facemasks is also crucial for health workers and people who are taking care of someone in close settings (at home or in a health care facility).

If you wish to stay informed of any US Government travel advisories, please review current US State Department Travel Advisories: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/

• CDC Travel Health Notices: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices

• CDC Coronavirus FAQ Sheet: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html

• CDC Travel Information: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html

• World Health Organization: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

FISA: http://www.worldrowing.com/news/update-the-coronavirus-covid

 

 

Please contact me with any questions or concerns.

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Thanks,

Alan