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Coronavirus: Best Practices for your business, restaurant, delivery service, etc.
Coronavirus: Best Practices for your business, restaurant, delivery service, etc.
If you are a business owner looking for guidance to project your employees, your customers yourself and your business itself from this of coronavirus (both the health risk and the business liabilities) the resources on this page and those linked to below will be helpful.
OSHA's Guidance Interim General Guidance for All Workers and Employers
For all workers, OSHA's says good practice is to:
- Wear
cloth
face coverings, at a minimum, at all times when around coworkers or the general public. If a respirator, such as an N95 respirator or
better, is needed for conducting work activities, then that respirator should be used, and the worker should use their cloth face covering when
they are not using the respirator (such as during breaks or while commuting).
- Frequently wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. When soap and running water are not
immediately available, use an alcohol-based hand
sanitizer with
at least 60% ethanol or 70% isopropanol as active ingredients and rub hands together until they are dry. Always wash hands that are visibly
soiled.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
- Practice good respiratory etiquette, including covering coughs and sneezes or coughing/sneezing into your
elbow/upper sleeve.
- Avoid
close
contact (within 6 feet for a total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period) with people who are visibly sick and practice
physical distancing with coworkers and the public.
- Stay home if sick.
- Recognize personal risk factors.
According
to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), certain people, including
older
adults and those with
underlying
conditions such as heart or lung disease, chronic kidney disease requiring dialysis, liver disease, diabetes, immune
deficiencies, or obesity, are at higher risk for developing more serious complications from COVID-19.
OSHA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) provide joint guidance for all employers on
preparing
workplaces for COVID-19 (Spanish).
OSHA COVID-19 hazard identification
Identify where and how workers might be exposed to individuals with
COVID-19 at work
Employers are responsible for providing a safe
and healthy workplace.
Conduct a thorough hazard
assessment of
the workplace to identify potential workplace hazards related to COVID-19. Use appropriate combinations of control measures from the
hierarchy
of controls to limit the spread of COVID-19, including engineering controls, workplace administrative policies, and PPE to
protect workers from the identified hazards (see table below):
- Conduct a thorough hazard
assessment to
determine if workplace hazards are present, or are likely to be present, and determine what type of controls or PPE are needed for
specific job duties.
- When engineering and administrative controls cannot be implemented or are not
fully protective, employers are required by OSHA
standards to:
- Determine what PPE is needed for their workers' specific job duties,
- Select and provide appropriate PPE to the workers at no cost, and
- Train their workers on its correct use.
- Ensure all employees wear
masks in
accordance with CDC and OSHA guidance as well as any state or local requirements. This applies if the
hazard
assessment has
determined that they do not require PPE, such as a respirator or
medical facemask for
protection.
- CDC recommends wearing
a mask, that covers the nose and mouth and fits snugly against the sides of the face, as a measure to contain the wearer's
respiratory droplets and help protect their co-workers and members of the general public. Masks should not be placed on young
children under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask
without assistance.
- Masks are meant to help prevent workers who do not know they have the
virus that causes COVID-19 from spreading it to others; however,
masks might
provide some protection to wearers.
- Masks do not provide the same level of protection as a medical
facemask or
respirator and
should not replace PPE required or recommended at the workplace.
- Remind employees and customers that CDC
recommends wearing masks in public settings and when around people who do not live in their household, especially when
other social
distancing measures are difficult to maintain. Wearing a
mask,
however, is not a substitute for social
distancing. Masks should
still be worn in addition to staying at least 6 feet apart.
- See the OSHA
COVID-19 webpage
for more information on how to protect workers from potential SARS-CoV-2 exposures and
guidance
for employers,
including steps to take for jobs according to exposure risk.
Separate sick employees
- Employees who appear to have symptoms upon
arrival at work or who become sick during the day should immediately be separated from other employees, customers, and visitors, and
sent home.
- Have a procedure in place for the safe transport of an employee who becomes
sick while at work. The employee may need to be transported home or to a healthcare provider.
Take action if an employee is suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19
In most cases, you do not need to shut down your facility. If it has been less than 7 days since the sick employee has been in the
facility, close off any areas used for prolonged periods of time by the sick person:
- Wait 24 hours before cleaning and disinfecting to minimize potential for
other employees being exposed to respiratory droplets. If waiting 24 hours is not feasible, wait as long as possible.
- During this waiting period, open outside doors and windows to increase air
circulation in these areas.
If it has been 7
days or more since the sick employee used the facility, additional cleaning and disinfection are not necessary. Continue
routinely cleaning and disinfecting all high-touch surfaces in the facility.
Follow the CDC cleaning
and disinfection recommendations:
- Clean dirty surfaces with soap and water before disinfecting them.
- To
disinfect
surfaces,
use products
that meet EPA criteria for use against SARS-Cov-2,
the virus that causes COVID-19, and are appropriate for the surface.
- Always wear gloves and gowns appropriate for the chemicals being used when
you are cleaning and disinfecting
- Ensure there is adequate ventilation when using cleaning and disinfection
products to prevent from inhaling toxic vapors.
- You may need to wear additional PPE depending on the setting and disinfectant
product you are using. For each product you use, consult and follow the manufacturer's instructions for use.
Determine which employees may have been exposed to the virus and may need to take additional precautions:
- Employers have an obligation to manage the potentially exposed workers'
return to work in ways that best protect the health of those workers, their co-workers, and the general public.
- Inform employees of their possible
close
contact (within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period) with
someone with confirmed or suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection in the workplace, but maintain confidentiality as required by the
Americans
with Disabilities Act (ADA).
- Most workplaces should follow the Public
Health Recommendations for Community-Related Exposure. The most protective approach for the workplace is for exposed employees
(close contacts) to quarantine for
14 days, telework if possible, and self-monitor for symptoms.
This approach maximally reduces post-quarantine transmission risk and is the strategy with the greatest collective experience at
present.
- Although CDC continues to recommend a 14-day quarantine, options are provided
for shorter quarantine that
may end after day 7 or after day 10 based on certain conditions. Alternatives to the 14-day quarantine are described in the
Options
to Reduce Quarantine for Contacts of Persons with SARS-CoV-2 Infection Using Symptom Monitoring and Diagnostic Testing. Shortening
quarantine may increase willingness to adhere to public health recommendations. However, shortened quarantine may be less effective in
preventing transmission
of COVID-19 than the currently recommended 14-day
quarantine.
- Workplaces could consider these quarantine alternatives as measures to
mitigate staffing shortages, but they are not the preferred options to mitigate staffing shortages. Workplaces should understand that
shortening the duration of quarantine might pose additional transmission risk. Employers should also consider workplace characteristics
when considering if this additional transmission risk is acceptable (e.g., level of community transmission, ability to maintain social
distancing, proportion of employees at increased
risk for severe illness, and priority for continuity of operations). Employers should counsel workers about the need to monitor for
symptoms and immediately self-isolate if symptoms occur during the 14 days after their exposure and the importance of consistent
adherence to all recommended mitigation strategies (e.g.,
mask
wearing, social
distancing, hand
hygiene, cleaning
and disinfection, and proper
ventilation).
- Implementation of
testing
strategies can supplement measures to reduce transmission in the workplace. Repeated testing over time, also referred
to as serial testing, may be more likely to detect infection among workers with exposures than testing done at a single point in time.
- Critical infrastructure workplaces
should follow COVID-19
Critical Infrastructure Sector Response Planning and guidance on
Testing
Strategy for Coronavirus (COVID-19) in High-Density Critical Infrastructure Workplaces after a COVID-19 Case is Identified.
Educate employees about steps they can take to protect themselves at work
and at home
- Encourage employees to follow any new policies or procedures related to
illness, cleaning and disinfecting, and work meetings and travel.
- Advise employees to:
- Stay home if they are sick, except to get medical care, and to learn
what
to do if they are sick.
- Inform their supervisor if they have a sick household member at home with
COVID-19 and to learn what to do
if
someone in their home is sick.
- Wear a mask when
out in public and when around people who do not live in their household, especially when other
social
distancing measures are difficult to maintain. Masks should not be placed on young children under age 2, anyone who
has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.
- Wash their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or to use
hand
sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available. Inform employees that if their hands are
visibly dirty, they should use soap and water instead of hand sanitizer. Key times for employees to clean their hands include:
- Before and after work shifts
- Before and after work breaks
- After blowing their nose, coughing, or sneezing
- After using the restroom
- Before eating or preparing food
- After putting on, touching, or removing cloth face coverings
- Avoid touching their eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Cover their mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze or use
the inside of their elbow. Throw used tissues into no-touch trash cans and immediately wash hands with soap and water for at least
20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use
hand
sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol. Learn more about
coughing
and sneezing etiquette on the CDC website.
- Practice routine cleaning
and disinfection of frequently touched objects and surfaces such as workstations, keyboards, telephones, handrails,
and doorknobs. Dirty surfaces can be cleaned with soap and water prior to disinfection. To disinfect, use
products
that meet EPA's criteria for use against SARS-CoV-2,
the cause of COVID-19, and are appropriate for the surface.
- Avoid using other employees' phones, desks, offices, or other work tools
and equipment, when possible. Clean and disinfect them before and after use.
- Practice social
distancing by avoiding large
gatherings and maintaining distance (at least 6 feet) from others when possible.
- PPE: Screeners
need to be trained on how to properly put on, take off and dispose of all PPE. Upon arrival, the screener should wash their hands with
soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use
hand
sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol and put on a
facemask or
respirator,
eye protection (goggles or disposable face shield that fully covers the front and sides of the face), and a single pair of disposable
gloves. Extended use of a facemask or
respirator and
eye protection may be implemented. A gown could be considered if extensive contact with an employee is anticipated.
- Make a visual inspection of the employee for signs of illness, which
could include flushed cheeks, sweating inappropriately for ambient temperature, or difficulty performing ordinary tasks.
- Conduct temperature and symptom screening
- If performing a temperature check on multiple individuals, the
screener should change their gloves and wash their hands or use
hand
sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol between
each employee.
- Contact
thermometers need to be cleaned and disinfected after each screened employee according to manufacturer's
instructions and facility policies. Non-contact thermometers should be cleaned and disinfected according to manufacturer's
instructions and facility policies.
- If disposable or non-contact thermometers are used and the screener
does not have physical contact with the individual, the screener's gloves do not need to be changed before the next check.
Gloves should not be worn continuously for more than for four hours. After removing gloves, screeners should
wash
their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use
hand
sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
- Any PPE, including gloves,
facemask,
respirator,
eye protection, and gown, should be removed and discarded if soiled or damaged.
For employees who commute to work using public transportation or ride
sharing, consider offering the following support
- If feasible, offer employees incentives to use forms of transportation that
minimize close contact with others (e.g., biking, walking, driving or riding by car either alone or with household members).
- Ask employees to follow the CDC guidance on how to
protect
yourself when using transportation.
- Allow employees to shift their hours so they can commute during less busy
times.
- Ask employees to clean
their hands as soon as possible after their trip.
Administrative
Screening
Management and Communications
- Monitor state and local public health communications about
COVID-19
- Encourage sick workers to report symptoms, stay home, and
follow CDC guidance
- Develop strategies to:
- manage worker concerns
- communicate with workers
- Remind workers of available support services
- Communicate to partners, suppliers, other contractors on
policies and practices
- Encourage social
distancing and the use of masks (if appropriate) in the workplace
- Use technology to promote social distancing (e.g., telework
and virtual meetings)
- Cancel group events
- Close/limit use of shared spaces
- Ask customers who are ill to stay home
- Consider policies that encourage flexible sick leave and
alternative work schedules.
- Schedule stocking during off-peak hours
- Maintain a tobacco-free
workplace
Cleaning and Disinfection
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces, (e.g., counters, shelving, displays)
- Provide employees with disposable disinfectant wipes,
cleaner, or sprays that are effective against the virus that causes COVID-19
Training
Provide
employees with training on:
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
PPE
- Conduct workplace hazard
assessment
- Determine what PPE is needed for workers' specific job duties
based on hazards and other controls present
- Select and provide appropriate PPE to the workers at no cost
Resources for more information:
CDC Guidance
Other Federal Agencies
