COVID-19 Prevention Plan

PRU-I20-0193
Pomezia, 26th March 2020

-Information note-
COVID-19 Prevention Plan

In relation to the spread of COVID-19 and the announcement from the World Health Organization   formally describing this outbreak as a pandemic, IRBM is providing a guidance update in the form of preventive protocol measures, according to the provisions of the WHO, the Ministry of Health, Federchimica and the relative associated Pharma.  With the following brief the Company intends to share evidence regarding the situation on site and the adopted prevention procedures.

Regarding the situation on site, we inform that:

• The Government has ordered the closure of all non-essential businesses that are not strictly necessary to guarantee essential goods and services. A list of public utility businesses that are considered “essential” and that, as a consequence, are not affected by the decision, has also been published by the Italian Prime Minister on March 25^th, 2020. Notably, research and development businesses are included among the essential sectors and are allowed to continue operating.
• Prior to the above mandate, the Government had already ordered the closure of all non-essential commercial activities across the entire country (including restaurants, bars and many shops) to avoid the assemblage of people. Schools have also been closed and certain travel bans have also been imposed;
• In Italy people are strictly invited to stay home except for essential work or health reasons.
• IRBM, as an R&D company operates in one of the essential sectors, and therefore is allowed to maintain its normal operations (including transportation) respecting specific prevention measures;
• IRBM is located in the Lazio Region that is significantly distant from the Lombardia Region where the Italian outbreak first occurred and Pomezia is around 600 km (almost 400 miles) from the quarantined cities;
• IRBM has applied a prevention plan in accordance with the highest standard agreed among the companies in the pharmaceutical sector and the plan has been spread to all the employees and collaborators;
• IRBM has not encountered and therefore not registered any suspected case among the IRBM Group’s employees and/or collaborators;
• IRBM’s business activities and operations have been adapted to incorporate remote working and weekend working. In addition, the supply chain is under continuous review and modification where necessary.

As a result, we do not foresee delays due to staff shortage, materials or equipment – including protective equipment.

IRBM is committed to taking promptly all the necessary actions to contain COVID-19 spread. The Company has activated the following plan which will be regularly reviewed and updated should additional measures be required:

• a COVID-19 Prevention Team has been created, composed of representatives from different departments of the Company, to constantly monitor and apply all the directives of the Public Authority and continuously update the Company action plans;
• the Prevention Team tasks are to adopt all the necessary measures to prevent and contain COVID-19 spread, to share them with the employees, to control the correct application of these measures and to be the reference point for all employees and collaborators;
• international and national travel are suspended and replaced with the option to organize v/t conferences with the exception of travel necessary to ensure the Company’s operational continuity. In these limited cases, specific approval from the senior management will be mandatory;
• visits that are not business related, training courses and internal events are postponed or executed using v/t conferences with the exception of those necessary to guarantee the Company’s operational continuity and which require the specific approval from the senior management;
• operational and commercial activities in areas subject to quarantine are prohibited;
• all the previous activities carried out by employees, collaborators, suppliers and visitors in international areas and all the Italian zones identified as at risk by a Public Authority are under constant rigorous control;
• the supply chain is constantly under analysis to maintain contingencies in case of challenges in obtaining material, reagents and equipment;
• employees carrying out exclusively office-based roles have been requested to operate in a smart working mode from home;
• the access to the Company’s facilities by external staff requires prior authorization through the filling of the “Coronavirus” Entry Form, drawn up in accordance with the guidance of Federchimica and in agreement with the associated Pharmaceutical company members, with the scope to assess the state of health and the possible exposure to the virus of any visitors to IRBM;
• the Internal Emergency Plan is constantly updated, in order to manage potential infection, first aid and containment measures.

Furthermore, IRBM has also advised all employees and collaborators:

1. to strictly follow the 10 norms of behaviour as per the guidance of the Italian Ministry of Health and the Istituto Superiore di Sanità. These are distributed via e-mail, intranet and posted throughout the Company work spaces;
2. to call the emergency number 1500 – created by the Ministry of Heath with reference to the COVID-19 outbreak – and to inform immediately the Company and the Prevention Team in the case of suspected infection or any respiratory symptoms;
3. to not report to work and visit a doctor immediately for any flu-like symptoms;
4. to inform the Company and the Prevention Team in case of sick leave or quarantine or surveillance at home, if arranged by the competent authorities.

We can confirm that at the current time all business activities at IRBM are being carried out as normal and there have been no suspected or reported cases of the virus. IRBM is fully committed to prevent and support the Public Authority to contain the Covid-19 spread.