Practice Social Distancing, Contact Tracing, and Common Hygiene
The COVID-19 pandemic has left no corner of the world untouched. As much of the world shut down in 2020, one term began to rise in popularity – essential workers.
Essential workers are a subset of the workforce deemed essential by the United States government and CDC. Healthcare professionals, grocery store workers, teachers, first-responders, and postal workers are just a few of the careers that the public grew to appreciate.
Another career the public began to see and appreciate more throughout 2020 was that of the warehouse worker. Whether they were in the food and agriculture industry, manufacturing, or transportation and logistics, these individuals played a key role in keeping the country going during the pandemic.
And they still do!
The COVID-19 pandemic is far from over. While the United States began vaccine distribution in December of 2020, the CDC predicts that social distancing measures will be in place through the end of 2021.
During that time, warehouse workers will continue to be the backbone of the American workforce. In order to properly fill that role, they must make a concerted effort to stay healthy.
The Top Four Ways to Stay Healthy During a Pandemic
1. Maintain Social Distancing
Whenever possible, warehouse workers should strive to stay six feet away from their coworkers. This is the distance the CDC has deemed safest to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Products like Halo help make social distancing in the warehouse effortless. The bands notify workers when another worker comes within six feet of them.
Additionally, the Halo bands track these interactions to allow for simple contact tracing. This means that if one of the employees contracts COVID-19, the Halo will help identify all the coworkers that individual came within six feet of.
Contact tracing is an effective way to identify and stop the spread of the coronavirus within the warehouse.
2. Wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Warehouse workers are already familiar with the importance of PPE including head covers, gloves, googles, shoe covers, and more. Until herd immunity is achieved, face masks should now be a standard on that list.
It is not reasonable to assume a worker will always maintain a six-foot distance from coworkers while on the job. Whenever someone might come within six-feet of another person in the warehouse, they should be wearing a face covering of some kind.
This small step can go a long way in preventing the spread of the Coronavirus.
3. Stay Clean
Hand Washing is essential to avoid spreading germs and contaminating surfaces throughout the workhouse. Every employee should be regularly washing their hands throughout the day.
All employees should wash their hands after using the restroom, before breaking for lunch, or after touching frequently used surfaces or shared equipment.
The CDC recommends washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. While rudimentary, hand washing is basic for a reason.
4. Be Honest
The last element to protecting the health and safety of all warehouse employees is to be honest. If an employee starts to feel under the weather or learns they were potentially exposed to COVID-19, it is their responsibility to alert their supervisor.
Once someone starts to feel sick or learns they were exposed, they should take a COVID-19 test and stay home until the results come in.
Stay Safe
Due to the pandemic, the public now sees warehouse workers in a new light. Warehouse workers are essential to the function and progress of this country. Their health and safety cannot be underestimated.
SynTech recognizes the importance of protecting this group of workers and simplifying their safety procedures. SynTech creates custom safety solutions for some of the country’s key industries and essential workers. To learn more about the Halo contact tracing product, contact us today.