Coronavirus and Your Employees

EDIT: Throughout this pandemic, I have seen a LOT of changes in guidance from various authorities, and a LOT of what I knew to be true has been shown to be false. I've updated this guidance to reflect current information, as of November 2020.

There is a lot of panic in the air, and a little coronavirus. Regardless of how you feel about this issue, your employees are likely concerned and will look to you for protection in the workplace. And you do need to consider how you will protect them from workplace exposure (an infection acquired in the workplace will be a recordable illness). You also need to consider your business continuity plans - how will you continue to operate in this environment?

Here are a few tips that may help. Of course, if you have more questions, or need more guidance, get in touch. We'll talk.

1. Do not panic.  You have to be prepared to do more than you would to protect people from routine virus infections because people are scared/panicked, and they will demand action, but try not to feed the panic. (Maybe you should do some of these things on a regular basis, as a matter of habit, anyway.)

2. Ensure the soap and paper towel dispensers are kept filled. It is surprising how many dispensers go empty when people start using them - make sure the cleaning staff stays on top of that and has sufficient supply.  Make sure there are trash cans close to the bathroom doors - so you can use the towel you dried off with to open the door and then drop that towel in the trash (how often do you dry off and then have to open the door with a bare hand, knowing that the people before you didn't wash their hands?).   Here's a tactic to encourage people to wash their hands when no one is looking - put the trash can OUTSIDE the restroom door.  So, I can open the door with my towel and have a place to drop it, and EVERYONE can see who comes out the door without a wet towel (i.e. who didn't wash their hands).  Just an idea.

3. Consider putting up hand sanitizer stations in strategic/high traffic locations, especially where you have customer facing staff (that is, where customers or the general public comes in contact with your staff - reception areas, sales counters, shipping docks).

4. If you can get them, a supply of N95 filtering facepiece respirators for voluntary use should be available for people that want them. NOTE: if you go beyond voluntary use and require respirators (or "dust masks") you will have to conduct medical exams, fit testing, and training. Make them available if people want to use them, but be aware of the implications if they are required.  Also, if you make them available for voluntary use, be sure to supply a copy of OSHA's precautions for voluntary respirator use. Print this page and hand it out.

5. Keep a supply of surgical masks available (cheaper than N95s) and make them available where "outsiders" are coming in.  Anyone entering your site should be required to wear one - even if they tell you they have no symptoms, or if they've already been infected and can't spread the virus. 

6. Anyone in the customer facing areas, or other locations that have contact with the public, and who has a weakened immune system (existing respiratory illness, diabetes, heart/lung diseases, or other immunocompromised illnesses) should be moved to an area/job that does not involve direct contact with customers/outside people (because we cannot control the actions of those people - we may not be able to completely control the actions of our own people, but we have a much better chance of that than the general public coming into the site).

7. Make a plan for operating with limited staff - who is essential and who is not?  Who can stay home, and who do we really, really, really need to be on site to avoid shutting down?  And, in the most extreme case, how would we support those people if we need to quarantine ourselves in the facility (no one in, no one out) to maintain operations?  If that happens, how do you keep the general public/customers out while interacting with them for necessary paperwork or other transactions? (Obviously, if you are in a retail business that depends on high customer traffic, this may not be possible. But if you have a shipping operation with truck drivers only, maybe you can arrange a system of limited contact with them. Or if you have limited counter sales, maybe you can limit contact with customers/outside people.)

This link provides the U.S. CDC guidance for businesses - maybe some of it will be helpful, but some of it may not be practical for small operations. Do what makes sense for you and your employees.

And if you have questions, or need more help, get in touch with us at parapetsafety@gmail.com.