The COVID-19 pandemic has presented businesses and employers with the unique challenge of keeping employees safe in the workplace. While it is important to follow regular business, industry, and government regulations, it is also necessary for businesses to keep their employees safe from COVID-19 at this time of the pandemic.

Keeping Your Employees Safe in the Workplace

As businesses and other companies lifted the lockdown and resumed operations, the CDC and OSHA have set regulations and guidance to minimize the risk of exposure of workers to the recent coronavirus. With these regulations and protocols strictly enforced in the workplace, you will be able to prevent the resurgence of the virus and protect the lives of the workers, their families, and even the larger communities.

Here are some ways you can do to help keep the people who work for you to stay safe and healthy. 

How To Keep Your Employees Safe in the Workplace During COVID-19

While vaccines are not available, avoiding exposure to the virus is the best way to prevent the infection. 

1. Ask Employees To Stay At Home When They Are Sick

One of the most common ways to keep employees safe in the workplace is by asking those who are sick to just stay and rest at home.

Encourage employees to stay at home when they show symptoms of the virus or had exposure to the virus, without fear of reprisals. Be sure that they are aware of the reporting instructions and isolation requirements.

If possible, assist sick employees with getting COVID-19 testing. It is also important to inform them of the return-to-work requirements.

2. Conduct Employee Daily Health Checks

The next thing we can do to keep employees safe in the workplace during the pandemic is through conducting daily health checks.

Aside from daily temperature checks of the employees before entering the facility, you can also consider conducting daily health screenings using self-administered questionnaires where an employee confirms if he has symptoms of the coronavirus, has recently traveled, or has been exposed to the virus.

When conducting health screenings, make sure to keep all information in private to prevent discrimination and stigma in the workplace.

Follow the guidelines set for the confidentiality of the health check records. 

3. Maximize Work-From-Home Set Up

The third thing we could do in order to keep the employees safe in the workplace is by maximizing the work-from-home setup.

Businesses that are allowed to open their facilities should implement a work-from-home setup.

Businesses or work that can be achieved through a telephone or a video conference call should be done at home.

This way you can reduce transmission and risks in the workplace.

Also, consider creating leave policies that can allow employees to stay at home to take care of sick family members or children. 

4. Encourage Employees To Follow Basic Prevention Measures

At all times, encourage employees to do frequent hand washing, avoid touching the eyes, nose, and mouth, and cover coughs and sneezes. Ensure that there are readily available sanitizers and hand-washing facilities in the entire area.

You can also provide educational materials about how each employee can protect himself from contracting the virus.

By doing this, we can help in keeping the employees safe in the workplace during a pandemic.

5. Create A Plan That Implements Social Distancing and Limits Face-To-Face Contact

If it is possible, have employees and customers maintain a 6-feet distance from each other. Thus, this will help you in keeping the employees safe in the workplace.

You may also consider installing glass barriers in areas where face-to-face interactions happen often such as employee-customer interaction or employee-employee interactions. 

Furthermore, instead of having meetings in a conference room where social distancing cannot properly be maintained, opt for virtual meetings. 

6. Encourage Employees To Wear Face Coverings

When social distancing cannot be implemented in the workplace, encourage workers to wear face coverings to help reduce the spread of respiratory secretions and to keep the employees safe in the workplace. Consider the use of PPE in the work area where employees can be at risk of exposure to the virus.

Make sure to train employees on how to properly use, care, and maintain PPEs and face coverings. 

7. Respond To The Concerns Of The Employees

When employees return to work, discuss with them the new policies and procedures set in response to the pandemic.

You can also provide them with a method where they can raise concerns and receive answers.

Make sure that changes in policies are properly communicated to all employees. 

In doing this, you can make sure that you make the employees safe in the workplace.

8. Implement Routine Environmental Cleaning

Cleaning work areas is the number one thing that can keep employees safe in the workplace. Moreover, this should be the top priority of the companies.

The CDC recommends an increase in the frequency of cleaning and disinfecting of high-touch surfaces. Examples of highly touched areas include electronics, door handles, elevator buttons, and common areas like entryways, lobbies, and restrooms.

Employers should also ensure that routine disinfection is done with the use of one of the following;  EPA-registered disinfectant, alcohol solution with at least 70% alcohol, and household bleach solutions. 

Check out tips and guidelines from the CDC’s website on how to properly clean and disinfect different types of surfaces. 

For Coronavirus Cleaning Services, Call Superior Restoration Riverside

As the virus continues to spread and emerge, it is indeed a necessity to ensure to keep the employees safe in the workplace. 

The widespread Coronavirus is affecting businesses and causing uncertainties to workers, and the best way to slow down the transmission is to perform a deep cleaning of all highly touched surfaces.

The cleaning includes the use of advanced cleaning and disinfectant methods and EPA-registered cleaning solutions. 

Water Damage Riverside of Superior Restoration Company offers coronavirus deep cleaning services both in commercial and residential properties. We are here to help you protect your businesses and facilities as well as your employees. Our team has the capacity, materials, equipment, and training to ensure a safe and effective response to those who need our help.

If your facility needs cleaning or application of disinfectant, contact our local office today, Water Damage Riverside.