PRO Tips For Staying Safe at Work
Here are Some Great Ways You Can Protect Your Employees, Customers and Yourself from Contracting or Spreading COVID-19 while Working at Your Trade
How to protect yourself and others
- Wash your hands often. Washing with soap and water is preferred.
- Sneeze and cough into tissues (preferred) and elbows. Throw the tissue away.
- Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth with your hands.
- Stay home if you are sick.
- Avoid contact with a sick person.
- Do not shake hands.
Be prepared
Discuss the job required with the business or homeowner in advance to determine the level of risk.
Here are some suggestions for what to discuss:
- Nature of the job to be done
- Location of the job to be done
- Number of people on site or in dwelling
- Proximity of people to where the work needs to be done
- Notification to the business/homeowner that the workers may leave if they feel unsafe or exposed
While on the job
- If
you are going on the job or responding to a call, practice social
distancing with your apprentices and other work colleagues. Maintain a
distance of 2 metres (6 feet) between you and others.
- Consider if using other protective equipment is right for your business, such as Nitrile and Latex gloves.
- Ensure those who use personal protective equipment are properly trained.
- Carry disinfectant wipes and wipe all surfaces before and after work.
Avoid contaminating common items and surfaces.
- Throughout the day, clean and disinfect surfaces, tools and equipment that you touch often.
- Use regular household disinfectants or diluted bleach (1 part bleach and 9 parts water) to disinfect.
- Items
that are used to carry out work but cannot be cleaned or reused should
be secured in a lined container and disposed of with other work-related
waste.
If you are an employer
- Post handwashing signs and provide alcohol-based hand rub to encourage frequent hand hygiene.
- Make sure spaces and surfaces are cleaned.
- Remove non-essential items like magazines, stuffed toys, and other items that can’t be easily cleaned from reception areas.
- Facilitate and encourage social distancing.
After the Job
- Ensure
all visits are recorded and tracked, noting address, number of people
in the home, and contact information, so all parties can be notified of
new infections if necessary.
- Wash work wear and shower regularly to avoid transmitting the virus in case you have come in contact with it while working.