COVID-19 Sanitation Recommendations for Employers

The COVID-19 pandemic has upended business practices across industries. But for essential industries, such as manufacturing, the work goes on during this public health situation. A COVID-19 response plan, as well as proper COVID-19 sanitation, can both go a long way toward keeping your employees safe as you work to provide essential goods and services to your clients.

COVID-19 Sanitation Recommendations for Employers

Develop a COVID-19 Response Plan

If your business does not already have an infectious disease preparedness and response plan, now is the time to create one. First, your administrative team should work to follow federal and local guidelines. Then, incorporate those guidelines into a plan that is specific to your workplace. Start with these guidelines from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA):

• Protect all of your employees. Your employees may come into contact with infected individuals or international travelers who have been exposed to widespread COVID-19 transmission. You may also employ healthcare workers or individuals who are older adults, have chronic medical conditions, or are pregnant.
• Implement social distancing. Scientists are likely 12-24 months from developing a vaccine, which means that social distancing is currently the most effective measure individuals can take to slow the spread of COVID-19. This may take the form of staggered work shifts, downsizing operations, or remote services depending on your industry.
• Prepare for changes to your business. COVID-19’s effects will likely be long lasting across nearly every industry. Prepare for interruptions to supply chains, delayed deliveries, and other day-to-day operations that could challenge your business.
• Check your local guidelines. Be sure to follow federal, state, local, tribal, and/or territorial recommendations for your pandemic contingency plan. This is especially important if your operations are part of your community’s critical infrastructure.

Encourage Active COVID-19 Infection Prevention

Once your COVID-19 response plan is in place, work with your employees to promote preventative COVID-19 sanitation among individuals.

• Promote good personal hygiene. Outside of social distancing, frequent hand washing is one of the most important ways to slow the spread of COVID-19. If your workers do not have immediate access to soap and running water, make sure to provide hand sanitizer containing at least 60 percent alcohol.
• Empower your workforce. Encourage workers to stay home if they are sick, and consider flexible work options like telecommuting or staggered shifts.

Implement Preventative Sanitation

As an employer, you have the power to implement a COVID-19 contingency plan. However, you may not be able to ensure that individual employees comply with pandemic hygiene practices. For that reason, preventative sanitation can be an important step in protecting your workforce. Environmental Works’ OSHA-certified and trained field techs can give you and your employees some much-needed peace of mind during these uncertain times by thoroughly sanitizing your workplace. We can schedule your sanitation event in advance or can schedule a decontamination on an urgent basis if you require an emergency response – for example, if one or more of your employees test positive for COVID-19.

Our Preventative Sanitation Procedures

EWI follows all cleaning techniques recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) while using products on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) list of disinfectants approved to treat the novel coronavirus that causes the disease COVID-19.

_____

If your institution or firm has a sanitation request or an emergency decontamination need, EWI can help. We have performed sanitation and decontamination services for some of the largest companies in the country, and we are equipped with proper sanitation equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE). Reach out to us right now at fieldservices@environmentalworks.com or 877-827-9500. If you have other questions about COVID-19 sanitation for your business, Environmental Works is here to help.