Multiple industries all over the world are continuously implementing extra steps on how employees can improve workplaces to be a safer environment. Although vaccination is readily available for people, the vaccines still do not guarantee a hundred percent protection against the virus. Centers for Disease and Prevention, have stated that Covid-19 workplace prevention should not entirely be in the care of employees and that supervisors also need to play an active role in promoting safe practices in the workplace.
Take steps to prevent the spread of Covid by keeping sick workers at home.
The key is encouragement. Have a talk with your employees and make it known that if ever they feel even the slightest sickness seeping in, they should remain in the safety of their homes or stay in isolation.
On the other hand, if your worker is infected, make sure that they shouldn’t return to work until they meet the criteria for a “fit to work” status once again.
Here are the symptoms of Covid-19 from least, moderate, to serious. If ever your workers are experiencing any of these, take immediate action to put the worker in temporary isolation.
Most common symptoms:
- Fever
- Cough
- Tiredness
- Loss of taste or smell
Less common symptoms:
- Sore throat
- Headache
- Aches and pains
- Diarrhea
- A rash on the skin
- Discoloration of fingers or toes
Serious symptoms:
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- Loss of speech and mobility
- May experience unusual confusion
- Chest pain
Provide information about Covid-19 workplace prevention, how it spreads, and exposure to risks.
One of the simplest solutions we can do is to provide workers with information and awareness. Let it be known that not all people have television or mobile phones, or even internet connection. No matter how small the percentage is for these people nowadays, they still exist.
The best we can do is to provide the necessary information for them. According to the World Health Organization, these are some ways on how you can prevent Covid-19 in your workplace and day-to-day activities.
Covid-19 prevention methods as stated in WHO (World Health Organization):
- Maintain a safe distance from others (at least 1 meter), even if they don’t appear to be sick.
- Wear a mask in public, especially indoors or when physical distancing is not possible.
- Choose open, well-ventilated spaces over closed ones. Open a window if indoors.
- Clean your hands often. Use soap and water, or an alcohol-based hand rub.
- Get vaccinated when it’s your turn. Follow local guidance about vaccination.
- Cover your nose and mouth with your bent elbow or a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
- Stay home if you feel unwell.
Don’t forget your masks!
Health is our number one priority these days. Investing in good-fitting masks is a must as it helps prevent the spread of the virus from the person wearing the mask to others. Of course, keep in mind that this habit should also be accompanied by good hand hygiene and social distancing.
Covid-19 workplace prevention how it spreads:
- Talking
- Sneezing
- Face-to-face interaction
- Breathing in droplets exhaled from other people
- Touching surfaces that have been contaminated by the virus when touching their eyes, nose, or mouth without cleaning their hands.
As much as possible, try and assign tasks that will allow them to maintain a distance from each other.
One of the biggest contributors to spreading viruses is face-to-face interaction. Construction and carpentry entail a lot of teamwork and communication. However, in the middle of a pandemic, we need to lessen those luxuries to prevent health risks.
Provide training to other employees to apply proper preventive measures.
Expect that the “new normal” will definitely change the way things work and this involves other training on new policies, hygiene, and the use of protective gear.
Expect that some people might not be used to these new methods, so it’s safer to apply them on a day-to-day basis to make sure that everyone complies. This is after all, for everybody’s sake in the workforce.
Provide employees with training on:
- Policies to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2
- General hygiene
- Symptoms, what to do if sick
- Cleaning and disinfection
- Masks
- Social distancing
- Use of PPE
- Safe work practices
- Stress management
Provide access to soap, running water, and rubbing alcohol.
One of the contributors to the spread of Covid-19 is touching surfaces that have been contaminated by infected people. This is why proper hand hygiene has never been more significant than now. In the field of construction, tools and equipment are always being passed around.
This is why disinfection and hand washing should be encouraged in every workplace. If hand washing proves to be tedious, rubbing alcohol and sanitizers should be ready and within reach for every employee. Here are other ways on how you can promote proper hand hygiene in your workplace:
- Place handwashing stations and/or hand sanitizers in multiple locations.
- Making sure there is enough water, soap, rubbing alcohol, sanitizers in the workplace.
- Restock daily, make sure necessities do not run low.
An employer’s role has never been more significant.
It’s a daunting task to be responsible for the health and safety of a hundred people under your wing. But as a division head, your response to the pandemic has never been more wanted. As an immediate head, you would be the first line of defense when one of your workers is sick. Therefore, you need to be assertive in what to do and how to do it. This short guide can help you on how you can improve certain areas in your field in terms of Covid-19 workplace prevention.
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