COVID-19 continues to change the world’s definition of “normal,” and workplaces are adapting. As the leader of a business, how exactly can you encourage safety in the workplace? It all starts with you. Let’s take a closer look at creating a safe workplace during COVID-19.
What Do the Professionals Say?
New terms (like “social distancing”) have entered everyone’s vocabulary, and new standards are being set. This is because medical professionals have a lot to say about COVID-19 safety precautions. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), all public places should strive to meet the following guidelines.
- Minimum 6-ft distance between individuals not belonging to the same household
- Masks or face shields in place when social distancing is not possible
- Regular temperature checks and monitoring of symptoms
- Self-quarantining when COVID symptoms display themselves
- Avoiding shared workspaces or equipment in schools and businesses
- Regular washing of hands and sanitization of public surfaces
- Limited contact or exposure to other individuals
Likewise, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recommends that anyone exposed to the virus stays home for a full 14 days after exposure, or after a negative test has been returned. Keep in mind that a person may not test positive until several days after exposure, so it is always better to be safe than sorry.
Tips to Encourage Workplace Safety During COVID-19
So, how exactly does all of that translate to the workplace? Remember, as the leader of the company, safety begins with you. You can encourage safety in the workplace during COVID-19 by implementing the following guidelines within your company.
1. Develop a COVID communication response system.
First things first: as with anything important in life, you must create an action plan. Your business probably has policies and systems in place for tornadoes, fires, etc. COVID-19 is no different. It’s a good idea to take the temperature of each employee at the beginning of each shift. If an employee begins displaying any COVID symptoms throughout the day, send them home immediately. Employees who potentially have the virus should self-quarantine until receiving a negative test result.
Likewise, anyone who came in contact with someone who has recently tested positive for COVID-19 should self-quarantine until receiving a negative test result.
Use an interactive text monitoring system to collect information from employees before they come to work each day. You can track temperatures, activities, and exposure based on employee response. This will help protect both employees and your company and can actually help public health departments and contact tracers too.
2. Redesign with social distancing in mind.
Schools and businesses alike face the challenge of reordering their entire setup. If your team members typically work in close contact with one another, consider how you can implement some distance between them. Desk dividers are helpful tools in the event that desks cannot be spread out. Additionally, it may be possible for some team members to work virtually and remotely.
3. Implement the use of masks or face shields.
They aren’t comfortable, but they do help slow the spread of the virus. If employees cannot maintain social distancing (during meetings, for instance), encourage the use of masks or face shields. Masks block excess saliva and mucus from exiting the mouth and nose, and since the virus spreads through these substances, this encourages workplace safety.
4. Go above and beyond when it comes to sanitization.
Handwashing, hand sanitizer, and surface sanitization cannot be over-emphasized during the coronavirus pandemic. It is a good idea to sanitize desks, counters, pens, copiers, phones, etc. multiple times a day to slow the spread of bacteria. Remind team members to wash their hands thoroughly throughout the day.
5. Stay virtual when possible.
Not everything needs to occur in person. If meetings, job assignments, interviews, etc. can be moved online, do so. Once again, it is always better to be safe than sorry. Additionally, an efficient virtual messaging system (such as mass text messaging) makes contacting employees easy.
At Compliant Campaign, our software allows your employees to virtually respond to predetermined informational questions about COVID for your business, such as their temperature, and if they are experiencing symptoms before coming to work.
How Can Compliant Campaign Help?
We are a trusted partner in connecting public health, federal agencies, enterprises, parents, caregivers, and communities during times of crisis. Our expert team of software developers, designers, project managers, QA and data Analysts, along with our support and training team. helps you achieve your organization’s communications goals with mobile technology. Our mobileMonitoring platform allows you to be up and running quickly and create custom workflows to monitor your employees and keep your workplace safe and your business running smoothly.