As your workplace resumes operations, we all must continue to do our part to stay healthy and productive. It is important to follow health and workplace guidelines and updates from the appropriate governing bodies for your business.
To help keep employees, customers, guests and other visitors to your facilities protected against the coronavirus and other illnesses, we have compiled a number of safer-at-work practices. As you determine what health monitoring of employees best fits your workplace (i.e. routinely testing for infection, regularly checking temperatures), everyone is encouraged to adopt appropriate health precautions to help eliminate the spread of COVID-19 within your business.
EVERYDAY HEALTH PRACTICES AT WORK
• Encourage and support personal hygiene. Require regular hand washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and use virus-killing hand sanitizers between hand washings. Be sure to place alcohol-based hand rubs that contain at least 60% alcohol throughout the building. Many health authorities recommend that employees wear a cloth face covering, when feasible. Workers should always wash hands after removing personal protective equipment including face masks, face shields, gloves and goggles.
• Practice appropriate social distancing and spacing between employees and between employees and customers. You may need to reconfigure the layout of workspaces, meeting rooms and other communal spaces. Some businesses are staggering work shifts and break times to help reduce overcrowding.
• Clean and disinfect frequently used items and high-touch surfaces. Require everyone to use proper disinfectants to wipe down workstations, equipment and surfaces as soon as they move to a different spot. Keep disinfecting wipes well stocked and readily available. When possible, discourage workers from sharing each other’s phones, keyboards, desks, work equipment and tools, etc.
• Increase the use of touch-reducing amenities such as motion sensor lights, no-touch trash cans, hands-free drinking fountains and double-swinging push doors.
• Review respiratory etiquette with employees on covering coughs and sneezes. Be sure to provide facial tissues and trash receptacles for your staff and customers.
• Train employees who use personal protective equipment (PPE) how to put on, wear, remove and store/dispose of the PPE correctly. Check regularly that the PPE is fitted and properly worn. Maintain and replace PPE when necessary.
CLEANING CONFIDENCE YOU CAN COUNT ON
The coronavirus pandemic has certainly left us all in unchartered waters, but together we are finding our way to secure shores. With our half-century of expertise in cleaning and disinfecting private companies and public spaces, we at Midwest Maintenance are here to answer your questions and help you improve the sanitation in your workplace. Your employees, the people you serve and your entire business truly matter to us.
For additional resources and the latest developments on COVID-19 precautions in the workplace, visit these websites:
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration, www.osha.gov
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, cdc.gov/niosh