COVID-19: How to Develop and Manage Employee Health Measures

Because the virus is expelled into the air, it is logical to implement measures to contain respiratory droplets. This is best done by requiring all employees and others who are onsite to wear face masks. Unless they are medical grade, face masks do not contain all respiratory droplets, nor are they meant to protect the wearer. Wearing a mask will help protect others from someone who is shedding the virus. Some individuals may be unable to wear face masks due to health conditions; consider having them use full face shields instead to help contain their respiratory droplets.

Not all respiratory droplets will be contained by a mask or face shield, so the implementation of six feet or two meters of distance between employees is another mitigation measure. The crisis management team should carefully evaluate the site to determine where people work in close contact with one another and how distancing can be managed. In manufacturing, slowing line speed may allow for fewer employees on lines to maintain distancing. When this is not possible, construction of food-safe, cleanable barriers between employees might be the answer. Marking traffic patterns in the site to promote social distancing is another strategy. Employing the use of technology for clocking in and out can eliminate congregation and unnecessary contact with the time clock. Managing employee density in break rooms, restrooms, laboratories, and elsewhere is another mitigation measure to be employed. Using staggered shift times and break times will also help prevent employees from being in close contact with one another.

The combination of wearing masks and social distancing helps mitigate the risk of airborne transfer between members of the workforce. The choices the crisis management team makes will need to be tailored to each specific operation.

Next, consider the contact transfer risk. Human hands have long been known as a vector for the introduction of pathogens to food and food contact surfaces. Therefore, an emphasis on effective handwashing should already be in place to maintain food safety, preventing the transfer of pathogens from hands into food. Though coronavirus has not been identified as transmissible through food, our hands can transfer the virus to ourselves through contact with our face, mouth, nose, or eyes. A thorough, 20-second wash with soap and water will not only help ensure food safety, but will also help decrease the transfer of coronavirus.

Operations can further mitigate the risk of contact transfer by identifying and implementing a plan to frequently disinfect all touchpoints in the worksite. The chemical used for disinfection should be labeled as effective to destroy the coronavirus, which can be verified by checking the label or the EPA List N.

Other strategies for managing contact transfer include the assignment of pens, forklifts, and other tools to individuals for the duration of the workday, followed by disinfection at the end of the day. Kick plates can be installed on doors to eliminate the use of doorknobs. Some internal doors can be left open, if practical. The crisis management team can identify other opportunities to manage the touchpoints in the facility.

Manage Effective Mitigation Strategies

Once strategies have been selected, they must be properly managed to be effective. The order of donning PPE like face masks, face shields, gloves, and any other gear the team has chosen to accompany hairnets, aprons, and outer garments already in place is important. Check CDC guidelines for donning and doffing instructions.

Control of face masks and any reusable gear provided to employees is crucial. Any worn gear must be considered contaminated, as you don’t know who may be asymptomatic. Disposable masks must be discarded at the site in clearly labeled and lined containers, designated for this purpose only. Personnel who remove this trash need to be protected and instructed on how to handle this debris. Reusable face masks must be held captive at the plant to undergo defined washing and disinfection processes prior to reuse. Allowing employees to provide and manage their own reusable face masks means that the site has lost control of this protective measure.