COVID-19 Business Preparation Plan Guidelines

Below are some general practices for industries currently being affected by Coronavirus. All businesses that establish a COVID-19 preparation plan should take steps to minimize exposure to the virus and keep employees along with customers safe. Businesses need to have a dedicated plan administrator or team to make sure the plan is properly executed and updated and the situation changes. Businesses should make sure the plan is readily available for all employees and posted at various easily accessible locations. Be sure to check your local and state health departments for up to date rules and regulations regarding reopening procedures. If masks are required to be worn in your area make sure employees and customers are following this rule to help combat the spread.

ENSURING SICK EMPLOYEES STAY HOME

• Be sure to look at your state and local health departments to find out what specific requirements are for infected employees.
• Establish health protocols to screen employees at the beginning of their shift. These can include forms, taking temperature, and tests. Some states require them to be done before and after each shift. Remember to check your health department's requirements. Usually, online they will have detailed rules and recommendations.
• Employees cannot be allowed into work if they are in contact with someone infected, tested positive, or are showing symptoms. They should be sent home to work immediately before others can become infected. If they cannot be sent home right away, they need to be isolated and away from others until this is possible.
• Establishing a system for employees to report if they are experiencing symptoms. This can include reporting from home or at the workplace.

SOCIAL DISTANCING –EMPLOYEES SHOULD BE AT LEAST 6 FEET APART

• Hold virtual or online meetings if possible
• Ensure distancing is maintained in every work area if possible. These include workstations, cafeterias, break rooms, locker rooms, workstations, offices, etc.
• Try to have employees work from home if possible. Those that realistically can should.
• Analyze and evaluate traffic patterns in congregation areas. Reduce crowding at building entrances, exits, doorways, hallways, checkout, time-clock, etc.
• If possible enact one-way entrances and exits to the facility
• Avoid having workers face each other on assembly lines or in close quarters workstations.
• Try to have an alternate clock in/out methods. Alternatives could be mobile apps or digital clock in systems to avoid physical crowding.
• Ensure social distancing is maintained and help to promote a safe atmosphere in the workplace.
• If possible place signs or placards to show one-way entrances, marks on the floor for 6 feet distances, handwashing station signs, etc.
• When customers or clients must be in the building, try as much as possible to have employees distanced. Positions that can be considered “roving” could possibly move to different schedules, work around certain activities, or during non-peak hours. These positions are security, custodial, stocking, etc.
• Limiting the number of people that can use restrooms, cafeterias, breakrooms, etc; if possible. Creating additional break time for other employees can help alleviate some of the foot traffic in these areas. Additionally, in break rooms or cafeterias try to spread out tables to ensure distancing recommendations.
• Limiting employees physically talking by using radios, apps, or headphones by those that can. If these tools are used by multiple workers they must be cleaned thoroughly after each shift.
• Incorporate barriers, screens, plexiglass, or other protections for workers. Especially those that are in high-traffic areas such as store checkout or reception desks.
• Shared offices and cubicle spaces present a challenge to any company. If possible try to spread the workstations out or stagger shifts of workers. If this can’t be done, barriers or turning facing workstations away could be done.
• Payment, concession, tickets, checkout, and merchandise checkouts can have barriers installed if possible along with the promotion of mobile-based systems to lower the amount of money physically being touched.
• Mark access points, loading areas, staging, stocking, and other high traffic areas with signs or placards. Lanes, distance marks, and customer/employee areas can be done.

Ensuring Proper Hygiene Control

1. Establish a system in place to make sure employees regularly wash their hands. When creating this system, instruct employees to regularly wash their hands and sanitize hands, tools, workstations, etc. Especially when entering and exiting their area, before eating, restroom, and other higher traffic areas.
2. Post handwashing station, sanitizing station, cover your mouth with mask signs around the facility at key points.
3. Install no-touch trash bins and sanitizer stations.
4. Providing paper towels or tissues for those to cough in if needed.
5. Ensure high traffic areas are monitored and disinfected often.
6. If your area requires masks to be worn make sure there are signs reminding employees and customers of the mask requirements. Many state orders always require masks to be worn, both inside and outside. Some only require masks to be worn when 6 feet of social distancing is not possible. Be sure to check your local areas guide and health department.
7. Provide proper health equipment for employees. This includes masks, sanitizer, face shields and guards, etc to help protect them.
8. If there are drinking stations in the building they should not be used. If it can be installed, touchless water stations could be provided.
9. Thoroughly disinfect door handles and entrances to rooms and buildings. This should be done often throughout the day.
10. Provide instructions on how to properly launder clothing for employees. If they can, a separate work change of clothes should be brought to minimize cross-contamination when they leave the area.

As always Sign Wise is here to help with any kind of signage need. We offer a wide variety of COVID-19 signage to help keep your employees and customers safe. All our signs ship free with most of the COVID-19 signs shipping out the same day, depending on the order. Please contact us for any help or assistance. We are happy to help. Stay healthy and safe.

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