Although many people are beginning to feel safer in regards to COVID-19, it is important to remain cautious in scenarios and situations in which covid could be a risk factor. Workplaces can tend to be a common setting for the spread of the virus simply because of the volume of workers in the same space. If you are on-the-job and not working remotely, there are several different ways you can reduce the chance of contracting COVID-19 and protecting not only yourself but your coworkers, customers, and loved ones back home. Most of these precautions have become common practices over the past year, but it is never a bad idea to remind yourself and those around you of the simple yet effective ways you can reduce the spread.
Temperature Checks
Ensuring that your fellow coworkers take their temperatures daily before coming to work is a simple way to avoid interacting with someone who has a fever. Temperature checks should be done before employees enter the workplace and any individual with a fever should work from home if at all possible until their fever subsides and they receive a negative COVID-19 test result. If you work in a customer-facing industry, taking customers’ temperatures before they enter your workplace is a fantastic protocol that can also drastically decrease the probability of someone who has COVID-19 infecting others.
Social Distancing & Masks
Another straight-forward way to reduce the spread of COVID-19 is to social distance from coworkers and customers. While at work, you should remain 6 feet apart from all other people whenever possible. If your workspace makes it difficult or impossible to do so, you should consider having a conversation with your employer to see if there is a way to make the space safer for everyone. By simply leaving space between yourself and others, you can significantly decrease the risk of contracting COVID-19 while at work, however, wearing a proper mask while at work is essential especially if you are in a situation in which you are unable to maintain a 6-foot distance between yourself and others.
Washing Hands
Even if your job responsibilities don’t require you to get your hands dirty, washing your hands regularly or using hand sanitizer should be a common practice to kill any viruses or bacteria that you may come in contact with while on the job. Wash your hands before you begin work, throughout the day, and before you leave to return home. By simply washing your hands whenever you are able to or when switching from task to task, you can reduce the chances of bringing COVID-19 into your workplace or bringing it home after a day on-the-job.
If your employer is requiring you to work in unsafe conditions, you may be eligible for workers’ compensation if you contract COVID-19 while on-the-job. If you are in a situation where you feel like proper protocol is not being taken to protect yourself and fellow coworkers, contact a workers compensation attorney right away. An attorney will be able to identify if your rights have been infringed upon and if your employer should be required to pay you workers’ compensation benefits. To ensure that the spread of COVID-19 is controlled at your workplace, it is important that you remain cautious and vigilant about your health as well as others’. If you feel as though your employer has been negligent or put you in a situation in which you did not feel safe and have contracted COVID-19 as a response, please contact Poirier Law Firm today!