According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), there are 14 employment categories that have been identified as Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers. The categories are listed below.

Direct Drives & Controls is proud to provide essential and critical support for industries and workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. By providing power transmission equipment to industries highlighted in blue, we play a vital role in this fight.

    

1. HEALTH CARE, PUBLIC HEALTH & PHARMACEUTICAL - Hospitals and laboratories, caregivers, mental health workers, doctors, nurses, researchers, pharmacists, dentists, social workers, technicians, as well as funeral home and cemetery workers.

2. LAW ENFORCEMENT, PUBLIC SAFETY & FIRST RESPONDERS - Emergency management personnel, including police officers, firefighters, paramedics, emergency medical technicians, 911 call centers and emergency service operations.

3. FOOD & AGRICULTURE - Food and agriculture workers include those who work in grocery stores, pharmacies, restaurants (including delivery drivers), company cafeterias, animal agriculture workers, and the food and beverage industries. Farmers, food processing workers, warehouse workers, and food truck delivery drivers are also on the list.

 

4. ENERGY - This category includes utilities, telecommunications staffers, natural gas/propane workers, the electricity industry, engineers, cybersecurity/risk management staff, and environmental remediation.

5. WATER & WASTEWATER - Operations and maintenance for drinking water and wastewater/drainage infrastructure.

6. TRANSPORTATION & LOGISTICS - This includes mass transit, auto repair and maintenance, trash collection, postal and shipping, air traffic control, air transportation, dispatchers, maintenance and repair technicians, warehouse workers, truck stop and rest area workers, and workers who maintain and inspect infrastructure.

7. PUBLIC WORKS - Public works employees who operate, inspect and maintain dams, locks, levees, and bridges. This also includes workers who oversee sewer main breaks, traffic signals and buried/underground utilities.

8. CRITICAL MANUFACTURING - Workers necessary for the manufacturing of materials and products needed for medical supply chains, transportation, energy, communications, food and agriculture, chemical manufacturing, nuclear facilities, the operation of dams, water and wastewater treatment, emergency services, and the defense industrial base.

9. HAZARDOUS MATERIALS - Workers at nuclear facilities, workers managing medical waste, workers managing waste from pharmaceuticals and medical material production, and workers at laboratories processing test kits.

10. CHEMICAL - Workers supporting the chemical and industrial gas supply chains, including workers at chemical manufacturing plants, workers in laboratories, workers at distribution facilities, workers who transport basic raw chemical materials to the producers of industrial and consumer goods, including hand sanitizers, food and food additives, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and paper products.

 

11. DEFENSE INDUSTRIAL BASE - Workers who support the essential services required to meet national security commitments to the federal government and U.S. military. These individuals, include but are not limited to aerospace; mechanical and software engineers, manufacturing/production workers; IT support; security staff; security personnel; intelligence support, aircraft and weapon systems mechanics and maintainers.

Personnel working for companies, and their subcontractors, who perform under contract to the Department of Defense providing materials and services to the Department of Defense, as well as government-owned/contractor-operated and government-owned/government-operated facilities.

 

12. COMMUNICATIONS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY - Technicians, operators, call centers, wire-line and wireless providers, cable service providers, satellite operations, and manufacturers and distributors of communications equipment. Workers who support radio, television, and media service, including news reporters, studio, and technicians for news gathering and reporting, are also included in this category, as well as data center operators, HVAC and electrical engineers, security personnel, IT managers, software and hardware engineers, and database administrators.

13. COMMUNITY-BASED GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS & ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS - Elections personnel, building employees, security staff, trade officials, weather forecasters, customs workers, and educators.

14. FINANCIAL SERVICES - Bank employees and other financial/lending institutions, as well as those needed to keep ATM services available to consumers.