Stay Safe during Reopening
Staying Safe during Reopening
After weeks of shutdowns and remote working, businesses around the world are gradually resuming on-site operations.
Essential businesses have had to adapt quickly during the pandemic to keep their employees safe at work and physical distancing protocols are easier in some work environments than in others.
Although some workplace environments are easier to control than others, work environments differ vastly from each other, and there are no one-size-fits-all solutions.
For all phases of reopening, employers should develop and implement policies and procedures that address preventing, monitoring for, and responding to any emergence or resurgence of COVID-19 in the workplace or community. Changing outbreak conditions in each community will directly affect workers’ exposure risks to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
Osha has released a policy guide to help businesses to reopen safely.
Employers should continue these practices to the extent possible to help prevent COVID-19 from emerging or resurging in their workplace. Such a resurgence could lead to increases in infected and sick employees, the increased need for contact tracing of individuals who visited a workplace, enhanced cleaning and disinfection practices, or even a temporary closure of the business. Based on evolving conditions, employers’ reopening plans should address:
Hazard assessment:
including practices to determine when, where, how, and to what sources of SARS-CoV-2 workers are likely to be exposed in the course of their job duties.
Example on how to implement:
- Assess all job tasks performed by or job categories held by employees to determine which job tasks or job categories involve occupational exposure to help to maintain social distancing practices.
- Consider, among other things, exposures from members of the public (e.g., customers, visitors) with whom workers interact, as well as exposures from close contact with coworkers in the workplace.
- Consider current outbreak conditions in the community.
Hygiene:
Including practices for hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette, and cleaning and disinfection.
Examples of how to implement:
- Provide soap, water, and paper towels for workers, customers, and visitors to wash their hands, and encourage frequent and proper (for at least 20 seconds) handwashing. For a guide on how to properly wash your hands. click here.
- Provide hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol and encourage workers to use it frequently when they cannot readily wash their hands.
- Identify high-traffic areas, as well as surfaces or items that are shared or frequently touched, that could become contaminated.
- Target them for enhanced cleaning and disinfection using EPA-registered disinfectants and adherence to CDC guidance for controlling the spread of COVID-19. For the proper disinfecting methods click here.
- Also to hire a janitorial service if you don’t have one just yet could be beneficial to your business according to this guide
If you are going back to work or you have been working all this time on an essential job. Just remember to take care all the hygiene precautions now more than ever, the proper handwashing, sneezing, and hygiene rules could make the difference. Practice them and teach them to your kids. Remember:
The greatest strength of mankind rests in steadfast unity.
It’s our unity towards the goal to keep us safe and healthy that ultimately will get us thru these uncertain times.
Our best wishes during #reopening to all of you from the team of Blue Crystal Cleaning Services.
If you don’t have a professional janitorial service and you would like a walk-through and a free estimate for a janitorial service please click here.
Thank you for reading and have a happy and healthy day!