How to ensure a healthy work environment
As COVID-19 disease continues to spread globally and nationally its important for employers to have some additional resources to help ensure a healthy and safe work environment. Below are recommendations from Eagle County Public Health and Environment. In addition, we have put together a few recommendations that are more specific to our resort and hospitality businesses.
A Healthy Work Environment
- Actively encourage sick employees to stay home.
- Employees that develop illness (fever, cough, or shortness of breath) while at work, should be sent home and asked to call their healthcare provider.
- Employees should be encouraged to cough or sneeze into a tissue or their elbow. The used tissues should be thrown into the trash as soon as possible to help prevent contamination of other surfaces. Providing tissues and trash cans can help improve this behavior among employees.
- All employees should be encouraged to wash their hands frequently. Hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol can also be used in work environments where access to hand sinks may be limited. Adequate supplies for hand washing or sanitizing should be made available.
- Desks, tables, door knobs, handrails and other surfaces that are frequently touched by people should be cleaned with a disinfectant more frequently.
- Employers should maintain flexible policies that permit employees to stay home when sick or to provide care for a sick family member. Employers should be aware that more employees may need to stay at home to care for sick family members than is usual.
- Place posters that encourage staying home when sick, cough and sneeze etiquette, and hand hygiene at the entrance to your workplace and in other workplace areas where they are likely to be seen.
- Perform routine environmental cleaning:
- Routinely clean all frequently touched surfaces in the workplace, such as workstations, countertops, and doorknobs. Use the cleaning agents that are usually used in these areas and follow the directions on the label.
- No additional disinfection beyond routine cleaning is recommended at this time.
- Provide disposable wipes so that commonly used surfaces (for example, doorknobs, keyboards, remote controls, desks) can be wiped down by employees before each use.
Special Considerations for Resorts and Hospitality
- In addition to the recommendations for employees outlined above, some special considerations for communicating with guests and visitors are also important.
- Encourage guests to stay in their lodging if they become sick.
- Guests should also be encouraged to call local health clinics or their personal healthcare provider if they get sick. A healthcare provider can evaluate them by phone. Additional guidance can be provided by phone, which may include information on getting tested. Please do not have guests go directly to the clinic, urgent care, or emergency department.
- Place posters and signage throughout lodging, hospitality, and resort locations that help remind visitors to wash their hands frequently, cover their cough, and to stay in when they are sick.
- All guests that have questions should be directed to the the Colorado Health Emergency Line (CO Help) at 1-877-462-2911. Language interpretation is available.
Additional resources to help you protect yourself and your family are posted at ECEmergency.org. Information is also posted here for healthcare workers, employers, and specific details on what to do if you are sick and think it might be COVID-19.