In most countries around the globe, social distancing has become a government requirement. This is to prevent physical contact with people who may have the COVID-19 virus. As the trade businesses and essential services continue to work, they need to implement health and safety measures to keep themselves and their customers safe.
We have a few tips for those who are still working in the field, to ensure the safety of you and your team of technicians and operatives.
Hygiene
South Africans need to be practising proper hand hygiene and sneezing etiquette to avoid the spread of the virus and other illnesses. It is a good idea to equip your workers with hand sanitizer to keep with them in their van. All staff should regularly wash their hands or use hand sanitiser throughout the day. Hands need to be washed with soap for a minimum of 20 seconds and you need to cover your nose with a tissue or flexed elbow when coughing or sneezing. Tissues should be thrown away immediately into a lined bin.
Once workers have finished on-site, they need to clean any surfaces in the area that they were working, and wash their hands after the job. After working on sites, workers should take extra precautions when going home to their families, to prevent the spread of the virus.
- Technicians should remove their work clothes before they enter their homes and keep all tools and work kit outside of the house.
- Wash work clothes on a hot wash.
- Wash their hands and have a hot shower.
Personal Protective Equipment
Facemasks, protective coverall suits, and gloves all help reduce the spread of disease. If your business requires you and your workers to work close to other people or inside their homes, you can use a mask to protect yourself and protect your clients. You can view the recommendations on using masks by the World Health Organisation via the WHO website.
Social Distancing
Applying social distancing measures on-site and at the office is important for everyone’s safety. It is advised to keep a two-meter distance apart from one another, and avoiding any physical contact, like shaking hands. If you have more than one worker on a job, they should work in different locations and keep their social distance (2m or 6ft). It’s also a good idea to rotate your workers during this time.
Working Remotely
We are very fortunate to live in an era that has technology that enables us to work remotely from home. Of course, not all businesses can do this and rely on social interactions for income, but those businesses who provide essential services and deliveries need to have a back-up plan.
Limiting human interactions throughout the workdays and avoiding physical paperwork will keep you and your staff safe. Some businesses have adopted an online system using cloud-based software, which has helped those companies coordinate their staff and jobs remotely. Cloud-based software also enables many employees to work alone from their devices, keeping social distance.
We encourage businesses to take full health and safety measures during this pandemic, especially protecting those who work in the field, and your customers.
