We Can Guide Your Company's Response to COVID-19
COVID-19: CORONAVIRUS IN PERSPECTIVE For Business & Industry
What should your organization being doing today?
By now you are already asking yourself:
– Does my organization need to do anything in regard to the Covid-19 pandemic?
– What’s going too far?
– What’s not doing enough?
These are the questions running through the minds of many managers today.
First and foremost assess your risk. What is your exposure? What would the impact be to your organization if an outbreak were to occur in your workplace?
Monitor the situation daily to keep abreast of the spread of the virus and potential threat to your organization.
Dealing with Covid-19 at the Workplace
We are being bombarded with news about the coronavirus. It is something to be taken seriously, but sorting through the hype versus the practical can be overwhelming.
The first thing to keep in mind is that the situation is fluid. Because this is a new virus, we don’t know much about it, but public health experts are learning more each day. The more we learn, the better we can prepare and keep things in perspective.
– Those infected appear to be contagious for approximately 7-9 days. That is a relatively long period of time and one reason those who have been exposed are being quarantined. It is also a fact that persons can carry the virus and show no symptoms, furthering the risk of infection spread.
Thus, non-essential employees should be encouraged to stay home to prevent becoming infected.
– Provide essential employees with the tools necessary to protect themselves from risk of infection while on the job – gloves, masks, sterilizing hand washes or well-equipped wash stations. Make sure all employees know the symptoms of exposure and infection.
– It is estimated that someone infected with the virus will spread the infection to 2-3 other people.
Thus, ensure that adequate spacing between not only employees but also customers with whom they come in contact is maintained at a minimum six-foot distance. Additionally, the customers themselves should be kept six feet apart for their own protection.
– This virus does not discriminate and anyone who is exposed and even those in otherwise good health can be infected and become seriously ill.
Ed Boulanger
Principal Risk & Safety Consultant
Safety Resource Associates, LLC
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