How to limit the transmission of COVID-19 in the workplace (OSHA/CDC)
As businesses slowly start to open back up and workers return to their worksite, some people may be feeling a return to normalcy, but the pandemic is far from over. It is important to implement safety procedures to limit the spread of COVID-19. Wearing a mask at work, maintaining six feet of distance between your co-workers and disinfecting your work area frequently are all ways you can maintain a healthy workplace.
Wearing a mask that covers both your mouth and your nose when leaving your home could be an important way in helping prevent COVID-19 transmission. A study by a team of researchers at Texas A&M found that not wearing a facemask drastically increases a person’s chances of contracting COVID-19. Wearing a facemask alone won’t absolutely prevent you from contracting COVID-19, that’s why social distancing also plays an important role.
The CDC recommends we stay six feet away from others in public, including the workplace. Avoid gathering in public areas like the workplace kitchen or a meeting room. If you need to have a meeting with your co-workers, ensure that you all can stay six feet apart, meet with them individually or just conduct a Zoom meeting from your personal workspaces.
Disinfecting commonly touched areas can limit COVID-19 transmission. The employee fridge, lockers, elevator buttons, stair rails and door handles are all things in our workplace we touch on a regular basis. Taking a few minutes out of your day to sanitize these areas to ensure employee safety could pay off in the long run.
Preventing the contraction of COVID-19 within your workplace is not only smart from a health and safety perspective, but also smart from a business perspective. If there’s an outbreak of COVID-19 in your workplace it could lead to business temporarily shutting down again and even employee layoffs. The CDC has more guidance on how to keep employees and businesses prepared and safe.
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Shelby Kimes is a Marketing Content Writer in the marketing department for NC State Industrial Expansion Solutions. She writes marketing content for various IES and media platforms to communicate the services and values of IES. She also writes the marketing material needed to alert existing and/or potential clients of any updates within IES. She previously interned with the marketing department at Greenville Parks and Recreation in North Carolina. Shelby graduated from East Carolina University with a Bachelor’s in Sports Studies and a Minor in Marketing/Business Administration.
