To help reduce the spread of communicable diseases and viruses including COVID-19, workplaces should have an infection prevention and control plan. Workplaces should consider whether doing certain tasks puts employees at greater risk of exposure.
Strategies for Employers:
- Maintain Clean Facilities
- Provide clean handwashing facilities and alcohol-based hand cleansers in multiple locations throughout the building (e.g., entrances, boardrooms, break rooms, etc.).
- Post signage in the workplace, encouraging proper cough etiquette and hand hygiene (posters available here).
- Regularly clean workstations and objects with disinfectants that are touched frequently, such as doorknobs, handles, elevator buttons, and railings. Workplaces are encouraged to increase the frequency of cleaning the workstation/worksite to two times per day.
- Provide boxes of tissues and encouraging their use.
- Remind staff to avoid sharing cups, glasses, dishes or cutlery, and ensuring cups/glasses/dishes/cutlery are thoroughly cleaned using soap and warm water after each use, or placed in the dishwasher for cleaning.
- Remove magazines, papers, and other objects that cannot be cleaned from common rooms such as cafeterias, kitchens, break rooms, and waiting areas.
- Ensure ventilation systems are working properly including opening windows as weather permits.
- Encourage employees to NOT go to work if they are feeling unwell (e.g., coughing, sneezing, fever, runny nose, etc.)
- Review sick-leave policies to encourage employees to stay home when ill to reduce transmission to other coworkers and clients.
- Review requirements for medical (sick) notes to reduce burden on the health care system and additional exposure to ill individuals.
- Use social distancing techniques to conduct as much business as possible
- Encourage virtual meetings (telephone/video conferencing) to reduce prolonged, close contact between individuals.
- Discontinue non-essential work-related travel outside of Manitoba.
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