With COVID-19 continuing to have a profound impact on businesses today, organizations are turning to robust tools, enhanced processes and subject matter expertise to help them address current challenges. In fact, experts claim that implementing a multi-faced approach is the only way to ensure that health risks are mitigated, the spread is slowed down and, equally as importantly, that business continuity is ensured.
The logical questions are then: how do we go about doing this and where do we start? As they say, when you don’t know where to begin, start anywhere.
Achieving Long-Term Results | A 3-Pronged Approach
To find solutions to the ever-growing challenges of this crisis, we can break them down into 3 main categories. These are: internal processes and practices, the provision of proper equipment and cleaning supplies and implementing Health and Safety-specific tools.
Our Expertise in a One-Stop Shop
As leaders in the ESHQ space, we wanted to provide you a set of guidelines to effectively prevent and respond to COVID-19-related incidences in the workplace. Recognizing that there are additional industry-specific and regional challenges, our aim is to provide a suite of best practices that can be applied across the board. As a starting point, getting buy-in from leadership can help jumpstart some of these initiatives.
So, let’s take a look, shall we?
How to Enhance Your COVID-19 Response Game Plan in 10 Steps
By introducing the following practices, your organization will be better equipped to tackle the current COVID-19 situation:
- Limit workplace access to essential workers only – provide detailed communications about new work protocols.
- Provide flexible working options (e.g. working remotely), or flexible work hours (e.g. staggered shifts).
- Encourage workers to report any safety and health concerns, recommend that they stay home if sick.
- Provide an adequate number of handwashing stations with detailed guidelines.
- Regularly clean and disinfect surfaces, equipment, and other items and remind workers not to share hand tools or other work equipment unless it’s been disinfected.
- Use approved cleaning chemicals with label claims against COVID-19 (refer to guidelines provided by your regional or federal governmental body) and follow the manufacturer’s instructions when using all cleaning products.
- Enforce proper respiratory etiquette (e.g. covering coughs and washing up immediately), social distancing (e.g. keeping 6 feet between individuals), and other behaviors (e.g. avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth).
- Leverage bulletins and other internal communication tools to provide updates about COVID-19 response in the workplace.
- Use incident management software to record and track confirmed cases amongst employees (e.g. tracking days away from work).
- Document control: Use appropriate tools to generate documentation that fulfills local or state requirements to justify which jobs or functions are deemed “essential.”
Getting on Board | Applicability and Timeliness
To counter this fast-growing health crisis, we have put together a set of practices that are easy to implement so that they can get off the ground quickly. While long-term solutions are currently being developed, these small wins will help your organizations manage in the interim. So there you have it – our recommendations in a nutshell. We hope you find as much value in them as our current customers have.
Access your COVID-19 in the Workplace infographic here.
