More and more states are in the midst of the four-phase plan to fully re-open businesses and get our economy rolling. This means that religious services, research labs, hair and nail salons, fitness facilities, youth/sports clubs and apartment complex pools are able to re-open. Dining establishments and retail outlets can reopen as long as business owners have the appropriate re-opening plan in place. The requirement for businesses to have a safe re-opening plan includes sections of break rooms, bathrooms, and other common areas should be disinfected frequently on a regular schedule that is determined by the employer.
Many employers are adopting guidance established by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) as central to their safe re-opening plan. Each of these agencies highlights the importance of creating six feet of distance to reduce the risk of exposure and infection to the virus. However, maintaining six feet of distance is not possible for many organizations and none of the guidance includes protocols for the scenarios within the sensitive six foot perimeter.
This means people will be returning to work environments without all the knowledge that they and their employers need to reduce their personal risk of infection and contribute to potential outbreaks.
The Urgent Need for Safety Guidance at Six Feet
Research shows that exposure to the COVID-19 virus over time creates increased risk. This is been amplified in outbreaks at food packaging plants, restaurants, and senior care facilities to name a few.
Tony Madureira is a professional mold remediator who has been protecting his employees from mold, which has the same .3-micron particles as the virus, for about 15 years with no incidents. Mr. Madureira asserts the scientific-based recommendations for mold by professional hygienists hold the key to his success rate within the six-foot infection zone and cautions businesses and employees need guidance within that zone in order to realize greater safety outcomes.
“The public has been provided numerous documents with workplace guidelines from OSHA and the CDC, but they don’t offer enough guidance for workers who operate in the less than a six-foot bubble,” said Mr. Madureira, Founder of Back to Work After COVID. “Even the State of California’s Workplace Specific Plan by industry states the importance of social distancing, but it doesn’t address what employers need to do to keep their employers safe within six-feet. We started this public awareness campaign so business, community and local government leaders can become aware of the gap in guidance and get the critical information that is absent from current credible resources. California represents the Country’s largest state economy. If we’re going to lead in the comeback, we cannot ignore this critical, identified risk.”
Back to Work After COVID invites employers and employees to access infectious zone demonstrations, education and business strategies to help them operate safely in the six-foot environment at: https://www.backtoworkaftercovid.com/.
