Dear Members,
Below you will find information about where to have your employees tested for COVID, how to get your office/warehouse workflow inspected for safety, and what to do if one of your workers has COVID or has been exposed.
CRITICAL WORKERS: Employees in the nation’s critical food infrastructure have a distinct set of guidelines from CDC, in the case of potential sickness from COVID. This represents the most updated guidance for workers in the food industry.
The CDC guidance for critical infrastructure employees have different restrictions than the CDC guidance for general employers.
For critical infrastructure workers, such as at FPAA distributors, CDC states that, “To ensure continuity of operations of essential functions, CDC advises that critical infrastructure workers may be permitted to continue work following potential exposure to COVID-19, provided they remain asymptomatic and additional precautions are implemented to protect them and the community.”
Below is an excerpt from the CDC guidance for critical infrastructure workers:
A potential exposure means being a household contact or having close contact within 6 feet of an individual with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. The timeframe for having contact with an individual includes the period of time of 48 hours before the individual became symptomatic.
Critical Infrastructure workers who have had an exposure but remain asymptomatic should adhere to the following practices prior to and during their work shift:
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Pre-Screen: Employers should measure the employee’s temperature and assess symptoms prior to them starting work. Ideally, temperature checks should happen before the individual enters the facility.
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Regular Monitoring: As long as the employee doesn’t have a temperature or symptoms, they should self-monitor under the supervision of their employer’s occupational health program.
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Wear a Mask: The employee should wear a face mask at all times while in the workplace for 14 days after last exposure. Employers can issue facemasks or can approve employees’ supplied cloth face coverings in the event of shortages.
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Social Distance: The employee should maintain 6 feet and practice social distancing as work duties permit in the workplace.
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Disinfect and Clean work spaces: Clean and disinfect all areas such as offices, bathrooms, common areas, shared electronic equipment routinely.
If the employee becomes sick during the day, they should be sent home immediately. Surfaces in their workspace should be cleaned and disinfected. Information on persons who had contact with the ill employee during the time the employee had symptoms and 2 days prior to symptoms should be compiled. Others at the facility with close contact within 6 feet of the employee during this time would be considered exposed.
For employees, following are some Do’s and Don’ts. A printer friendly version is here.
Do
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Take your temperature before work.
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Wear a face mask at all times.
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Practice social distancing in the workplace as work duties permit.
Don’t
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Stay at work if you become sick.
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Share headsets or objects used near face.
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Congregate in the break room or other crowded places.
