Viking Chemicals Blog Viking Janitorial Guide to Reopening

Reopening Decisions and Risk AssessmentsWhile many essential businesses (e.g., hospitals, pharmacies, grocery stores and gas stations) have remained open during the COVID-19 pandemic, other operations deemed nonessential have shut down temporarily or changed the nature of their operations. Not only has this led to significant business disruptions, but, for many, it has critically impacted their bottom line.However, we may be nearing a time when stay-at-home regulations are scaled back and all businesses are allowed to resume as normal. The question then is: How will business owners know it is acceptable to reopen? The following are some best practices to keep in mind:Review guidance from state and local governments-The COVID-19 pandemic impacts states and regions in different ways. Just because a business is allowed to reopen in one region of the country doesn't automatically mean your operations will be allowed to resume as well. As such, it's critical to understand and review all relevant state and local orders to determine if and when your business is allowed to reopen.Understand the risks-If and when the government allows all businesses to reopen, that doesn't necessarily mean COVID-19 is no longer a threat to your operations. What's more, some businesses may have greater COVID-19 exposures than others, underscoring the importance of performing a thorough risk assessment before reopening. Prior to conducting a risk assessment, it's important to review guidance from OSHA, state and local agencies, industry associations as well as your local health department. More information on conducting a risk assessment can be found below.Again, before reopening, it's critical to seek the expertise of legal, insurance and other professionals.Conducting a Risk AssessmentEven after the government allows businesses to reopen, firms still need to determine whether it makes sense to resume operations. Safely restarting your business won't be as simple as unlocking the front door.Before reopening, businesses should perform a risk assessment to determine what steps must be taken. While the complexity of risk assessments will differ from business to business, they typically involve the following steps:Identifying the hazards-When it comes to COVID-19, businesses need to think critically about their exposures, particularly if an infected person entered their facilities. When identifying hazards, it's a good idea to perform a walkthrough of the premises and consider high-risk areas (e.g., breakrooms and other areas where people may congregate). It's also important to consider what tasks employees are performing and whether or not they are especially exposed to COVID-19 risks when performing their duties.Deciding who may be harmed and how-Once you've identified hazards to your business, you need to determine what populations of your workforce are exposed to COVID-19 risks. When performing this evaluation, you will need to make note of high-risk individuals (e.g., staff members who meet with customers or individuals with preexisting medical conditions).Assessing risks-Once you have identified the risks facing your business, you must analyze them to determine their potential consequences. For each risk facing your business, you'll want to determine:How likely is this particular risk to occur?What are the ramifications should this risk occur?When analyzing your risks, consider potential financial losses, compliance requirements, employee safety, business disruptions, reputational harm and other consequences.Controlling risks-With a sense of what the threats to your business are, you can then consider ways to address them. There are a variety of methods businesses can use to manage their risks, including:oRisk avoidance-Risk avoidance is when a business eliminates certain hazards, activities and exposures from their operations altogether.oRisk control-Risk control involves preventive action.oRisk transfer-Risk transfer is when a business transfers their exposures to a third party.For COVID-19, control measures could include cleaning protocols, work from home orders and mandated personal protective equipment (PPE) usage.Monitoring the results-Risk management is an evolving, continuous process. Once you've implemented a risk management solution, you'll want to monitor its effectiveness and reassess. Remember, COVID-19 risks facing your business can change over time.If-after completing a risk assessment and reviewing local guidance-your organization determines it's safe to reopen, it's time to create your return to work action plan.Creating a Pandemic Response TeamTo ensure that employees receive clear communications and that your company is on the same page when it comes to your return to work action plan, it's essential that you create a pandemic response team. A pandemic response team is a cross-functional team that recommends and oversees workplace protocols to control the spread of COVID-19. The scope and design of your team will vary depending on your specific business, but it should at least include the following roles:Team lead(s)-[Insert name of individual or department&91; is responsible for the overall action plan. [Insert name of individual or department&91; is responsible for working with company stakeholders and relevant health and safety bodies to manage this action plan.COVID-19 prevention and protocols lead-[Insert name of individual or department&91; is responsible for recommending and developing protocols to ensure the wellness of all employees. They are also tasked with overseeing procedures for isolating employees should they become sick at work.Sanitization and disinfection lead-[Insert name of individual or department&91; manages logistics related to daily and periodic sanitation and disinfection efforts. Their responsibilities include ensuring that routine cleanings are completed and that the necessary cleaning supplies are readily available.Communication lead-[Insert name of individual or department&91; is tasked with managing any and all pandemic-related communications. They will work with HR and internal communication stakeholders to ensure COVID-19 training is completed and that employees and their managers understand their role in preventing the spread of the disease. [Insert name of individual or department&91; will provide COVID-19 related updates on a [insert frequency&91; basis and as needed.By breaking up your company's response efforts, it will be easier for your organization to be thorough and ensure that no step is missed. After all, just one misstep can lead to the quick spread of COVID-19, jeopardizing the well-being of workers.One of the first tasks your pandemic response team should address is outlining responsibilities for managers and supervisors, as well as employees.When it comes to ensuring a safe workplace during the COVID-19 outbreak, both managers and employees have their role to play.Managers and supervisors-Leadership, including managers and supervisors, should familiarize themselves with the details of the action plan. Above all, leadership must be prepared to answer questions from employees and set a good example by adhering to the guidance prescribed in the plan. This involves practicing social distancing and good personal hygiene.Employees-Employees play a critical role in Viking Chemicals Inc's COVID-19 prevention efforts. To protect everyone in the plant, outline a number of best practices that employees should follow:Understand the signs and symptoms of COVID-19, and stay home if you are feeling sick-Any employee who is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 (e.g., fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, runny nose, body aches, chills or fatigue) should stay home. Individuals experiencing such symptoms should also be instructed to consult guidance from the CDC on seeking medical care.Practice good hygiene-Employees should clean their hands often, either with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer or soap and water. Hand sanitizers should contain at least 60%-95% alcohol, and employees should wash their hands with soap for at least 20 seconds. In addition, employees should avoid touching their face and cough into their arm.Practice social distancing-Social distancing is the practice of deliberately increasing the physical space between people to avoid spreading illness.In addition to ensuring that your company's approach to reopening following the COVID-19 pandemic is a joint effort, establishing a pandemic response team will demonstrate to your employees that you're committed to their safety and well-being.Preparing for ReopeningBefore you reopen your business, you'll need to think about how you can do so safely. Most businesses will not be able to flip a switch and go from closed to open, but rather will need to reopen in phases. This section provides an overview of how to prepare for reopening.Modifying the WorkplaceTo prevent the spread of COVID-19 after reopening your business's doors, your company may need to make office modifications. These workplace modifications will most often be based on social distancing protocols, which may also be required by states or local orders as a condition of being permitted to reopen.Your business's social distancing plan will be unique to your industry and nature of work, but public health experts point to three key factors to consider when creating a social distancing plan and making necessary workplace changes:1.Physical workspace modifications-Because COVID-19 spreads through close contact, employers may need to make changes to employees' desks or workstations, and overall floor plans. Some suggested changes include the following:Separating desks and workstations to ensure that there are 6 feet between each stationAdding partitions to open floor plansClosing common spaces, including conference rooms, break rooms and cafeteriasModifying high-touch surfaces (e.g., propping doors open) to avoid employees unnecessarily touching surfacesPosting si