One virus, one disease, many variants, 4.5 million deaths, and still counting. That is the story of the Covid-19 that we all are dealing with. It’s been two years now and we are still locked behind the doors, in our own houses, and no one is forcing us to do that. It is a virus named SARS-CoV-2 that changed everything in this world.
We have adopted online classes, work from home, online shopping, and many things to stay safe and actually survive. However, there are still many businesses were working from home is not possible and earners have to take the risk to go outside and make some money for their living.
But do you know what we need to do when one of our employees is covid confirmed? Probably not! But as the third wave is on its way and more mutations and variants are ready to make our lives worse, perhaps this is the correct time to think and know about it.
How to Respond If an Employee Is Covid Confirmed?
Cases of COVID-19 continue to rise in Australia and as a result, more employers are dealing with employees who are testing positive for the coronavirus.
We, Clean Group Sydney, in this article, are providing important considerations that employers should keep in mind as they address a positive coronavirus case. Here’s our comprehensive guide to addressing a positive Covid confirmed case in the workplace:
Step 1: Instruct the Infected Employee to Stay at Home
Isolation or quarantine of the infected people is necessary for the safety of others, thus you should instruct the infected worker to stay at home until the negative report.
If a doctor’s note-issuing an employee is unavailable, follow CDC guidelines on when an employee can stop self-isolating, the guidelines include specific requirements depending on whether the employee tested positive for COVID-19 and/or exhibited symptoms.
Step 2: Trace Contract
Now when you know that one of our employees is covid confirmed then, you will have to act quickly to identify all other employees and third parties who may have been exposed during the infectious period.
Take the help of the infected employee and identify all the other employees who may come into close or casual contact with the infected person.
You can also consider apps and technology, which are suggested by the government, to aid in your contact tracing efforts. Consult your employment attorney for specific guidance based on your situation.
Step 3: Stop the Spread of the Virus
After identifying employees in close or casual contracts, you should inform everyone they may have been exposed to the virus. You can send them home for 14 days to make sure the virus doesn’t spread.
Also instruct them to self-monitor for symptoms, avoid contact with other people, especially high-risk individuals, and seek medical help if symptoms develop.
CDC has released alternative guidelines for critical infrastructure workers. If you are an essential business, asymptomatic workers who have come directly in contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 can continue to work if certain guidelines are met.
Step 4: Recording, Reporting, and Investigation
OSHA had revealed new recordkeeping requirements requiring covered employers to make an increased effort to determine whether they are required to record and report confirmed coronavirus cases in the workplace.
To comply with that, you should prepare a report on your efforts to determine whether a positive COVID-19 case was work-related.
When you become aware of a positive report of an employee, you should:
- Contact the infected employee and ask how they believe they have contracted the COVID-19 disease;
- While respecting the employee’s confidentiality, discuss with the infected employee about their work and activities outside of work that may lead to contracting the COVID-19 disease;
- Take a look at the employee’s work environment for potential COVID-19 exposure.
Look around for evidence to aid in your endeavours. OSHA’s guidance highlights whether certain types of evidence are in favour or against work-relatedness. So, record, report and investigate carefully.
Step 5: Instruct Employees to Take Precautions
To keep everyone on your premises safe from Covid-19 infection, instruct your employees to take all the precautions. It will eliminate the further spread of the virus.
Make them aware of all the precautions and the right way to take them. Additionally, organize training programs so that they will learn everything practically. Make wearing a mask compulsory and maintain proper cleaning.
Step 6: Maintain Proper Hygiene
To continue your daily business operations, and protect your employees at the same time, employers will have to maintain a higher standard of cleaning at their workplace.
Other than providing hand sanitisers, and making arrangements for maintaining social distancing, sanitizing and disinfecting all the high-touch surfaces is a vital part of office cleaning these days. It is because disinfecting kills viruses from the surface very effectively.
Regular cleaning is not enough to fight against Covid-19, now a combination of cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting is required to keep business operations, and staff safe. And the best way to clean a workplace is to
Why Hire Professional Cleaners for Covid-19 Cleaning?
It is a well-known fact that regular commercial cleaning can make your space shine but you need the help of professionals to make it virus-free. There are many reasons to hire a professional but the best of them is that professional cleaners have access to more resources. Furthermore, they have better training, unmatched experience, and the most effective chemical solutions.
It has been observed that proper hygiene is the best defense against the coronavirus, so cleaning companies started providing comprehensive Covid-19 Cleaning services. These services are a combination of cleaning, sanitizing, disinfecting, and certification.
If you are looking for a professional Covid-19 cleaner that provides services at a very affordable rate then Clean Group Sydney will be the most perfect choice.
We have been a well-known name in the cleaning industry, and even during the peak of Covid-19, we were busy making commercial premises virus-free for businesses located in and around Sydney.
We are probably the first company in NSW that added Covid-19 certification as an integral part of our Covid-19 cleaning service. We have a team of trained professional cleaners, all the resources like tools, equipment, machinery, and chemicals.
We can make your property virus-free so even when one of your employees is covid confirmed, you can continue your business operations while keeping other employees safe. So without any delay, call Clean Group now.