As some states begin to relax their shelter-in-place orders and re-open businesses to spark the economy, more and more people will be out of their homes mingling for the first time in months. As pharmaceutical companies work to find a vaccine to prevent this disease – keep in mind, there currently is no cure – people are clamoring to return to work.
As we all know, the work environment has changed. A quick visit to the grocery store will solidify the fact that people are concerned not only about staying safe but spreading a disease they may or may not have.
Face masks, once a covering mostly seen while visiting a hospital, have become the new go-to preventative safety tool.
The CDC reports that; a significant portion of individuals with coronavirus lack symptoms (“asymptomatic”) and that even those who eventually develop symptoms (“pre-symptomatic”) can transmit the virus to others before showing symptoms. This means that the virus can spread between people interacting in close proximity—for example, speaking, coughing, or sneezing—even if those people are not exhibiting symptoms.
Many States Now Require Wearing Face Coverings in Public
On April 18th Rhode Island made it mandatory for all employees of construction businesses, and manufacturers to wear cloth face masks while at work. And these businesses are mandated to provide face coverings for their employees. Face coverings can include scarves, bandanas, and other homemade and non-factory-made masks. Rhode Island also provides guidance on wearing face masks at work.
While many states do require wearing face coverings in pubic, some states do not. This can cause confusion among people as to what is expected as the proper way to navigate in public settings.
CDC Provides Guidance on Wearing Masks
CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain. And while wearing a mask does not protect you, it can help protect others. They also still recommend you stay at least 6 feet away from other people (social distancing), frequent hand cleaning and other everyday preventive actions. Cloth face coverings should not be placed on young children younger than 2 years of age, anyone who has trouble breathing.
Safety Measures for Your Workplace
Face masks are becoming the new normal for all work environments. And while masks can help stop the spread of the virus, many more safety measures will need to be initiated to ensure your working environment provides the level of safety for workers and customers expect.
We’ve developed two Safety Service programs to help you stay current with state and local government safety mandates:
COVID-19 CONSULTING BUNDLE – Written directive/policy on requirements which can be either a corporate policy or a site-specific policy.
COVID-19 TRAINING (INFECTION CONTROL WEBINAR) – We offer Open Enrollment Classes and Private Company Sponsored Classes made available at your convenience.
If you have concerns about your workforce and coronavirus, please contact us today to learn about steps you can take to protect yourself, your family, and your employees.
