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Covid-19

Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have sought ways to contribute to combating the virus, protecting employees and communities, as well as exercising our essential role in the economy.

With responsibility, discipline and a sense of urgency, on March 13, 2020 Vale created a response plan to the crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, whose guidelines were updated in accordance with the risk scenarios.

Safety standards in operations

In all our operations we adopted safety standards followed globally, such as:

  • Remote working for all employees considered to be in high risk groups and for those whose function does not require their physical presence;
  • Adjustments in operational procedures and the transportation of employees to ensure social distancing;
  • Access to the operations only by essential teams;
  • Suspension of all non essential construction works;
  • Measurement of body temperature upon entry to operational sites;
  • Implementation of a daily check-list and continuous monitoring of potential symptoms;
  • Tracing technology for quarantine upon contact with suspected cases of Covid;
  • Internal communication on prevention and medical assistance channels 24 hours a day, 7 days a week;
  • Mass testing of employees;
  • Distribution of masks to employees (own and third-parties) and to local communities.

Humanitarian aid

Vale made a direct donation of R$ 500 million to combating Covid-19 in Brazil, the second largest in the country.
We donated 5 million rapid test kits for the detection of Covid-19 to the federal government and more than 15 million masks, gloves and other types of protective equipment for healthcare workers. For the governments in the states in which we operate, we donated 14.5 million units of test kits and protective equipment.
We also assisted in the construction of three field hospitals, the remodelling of healthcare units and the purchase of equipment such as respirators, hospital beds and monitors. Moreover, the company donated 81,000 kits of cleaning materials, as well as 100 tons of hand sanitizer.
To guarantee the social isolation of indigenous peoples and traditional communities, we constructed quarantine centers and made a series of donations of hygiene and cleaning kits to 10,000 indigenous families in Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo, Maranhão and Pará and 475 families in quilombola and fishing communities in Rio de Janeiro
In 2021, Vale and the Vale Foundation entered into partnerships with Movimento Panela Cheia, Movimento União Rio and Ação da Cidadania, among other institutions, to help fight hunger in the country. By December, 1 million baskets of staple food will be delivered to 219 thousand families in situations of serious food insecurity. 

In 2020, Vale, along with volunteers from all over Brazil, collected and supported the distribution of 1.1 million plates of food for the Christmas Without Hunger campaign in 50 municipalities across the country, through the Vale Volunteer´s Network, and renewed its commitment to Christmas Without Hunger 2021, to make and deliver 770 thousand meals.

Reparation

In complete safety and on the basis of constant dialogue with those affected and a commitment to make reparations for the damages caused rapidly and fairly, we are progressing with our reparation activities. Following all the healthcare organization protocols and in compliance with municipal, state and federal decrees relative to the pandemic, employees in the field are exercising their functions in complete safety given that emergency works and other activities cannot be interrupted.

During the pandemic, meetings related to the indemnity agreements continue to be conducted via video-conference on the condition that the persons affected and their lawyers participate.

Technology and innovation against the pandemic

With the Vale Covid-19 Challenge, we support solutions that reduce the impacts of the pandemic on society. A total of 11 projects that will benefit 500,000 people in 12 cities in Brazil and Canada were selected. All the partners selected will donate part of the material produced or the service offered to around 100 Brazilian healthcare organizations and hospitals taking care of a large number of cases.

Business Case

Vale developed an application that maps employees’ movements inside its units – by means of a GPS system that requests permission for location. The information recorded is cross referenced with healthcare area data banks permitting the identification of people who have been in contact with any suspected or confirmed case of contamination with Covid-19. The necessary contention measures are taken based on this information.

The employees themselves install the application in their cellular telephones and register using basic information, such as identity card number.

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