BICSI Insider

TECH TIP: COVID-19 PANDEMIC WORKFORCE SAFETY This Tech Tip is to share the real-world safety measures I am implementing in the field during the COVID-19 Pandem- ic. It is critical to monitor our health daily for the safety of our coworkers, custom- ers, the general public and our families. There are four essential components that I apply everyday while working as a technician servicing a large higher learning campus and a large health care network. Knowledge and simple common sense are the best tools we have. PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE) The entire world now knows the mean- ing of PPE, having learned that there are global shortages of these vital materials. Your PPE will have to be assessed for every different facility you are working in. A daily safety assess- ment before you go out into the field will prepare you in obtaining the neces- sary PPE for the facilities and areas your work will impact. For example, if you are working at a laboratory or an operating room, you may have to implement the same PPE as the surgical staff does. If you are not sure, ask your employer to implement a safety plan prior to facilitating ser- vices in the field. It is always a good rule of thumb to check in with your custom- er's safety officer to ensure you are effectively implementing the correct PPE for the areas you are impacting. At any time, you can make the call to stop work if something feels unsafe. SOCIAL DISTANCING AND PLANNING The goal of social distancing is to slow down the spread of the COVID-19 virus so our pre- cious health care system and re- sources are not overwhelmed. As of today, the President of the United States has extended Social Distancing Guidelines until 30 April 2020, although each state's guidelines may differ regarding the number of individuals in a group, essential services and critical workers. The six-foot rule is the most common social distancing practice as of now. You must plan your work efficiently to minimize your human contact while performing services. Ensure that you have all PPE and mate- rials needed to complete the task with one trip, if possible. Reach out to your contact ahead of time and make appointments, share your safety mea- sures and assess the work tasks expect- ed prior to going on site. If your employ- er allows you to work from home, please do so. SANITIZATION AND HAND WASHING It is very important to wash or sanitize your hands before, during and after you perform tasks with/near human contact. All the research that I have done indicates that you should wash your hands often with warm water for at least 20 seconds. If you are using hand sanitizer, choose one with at least 60% alcohol content. I keep a small hand sanitizer on a lanyard that will always be on my person while I am out of my house, in public or at work. It is important to sanitize your work vehicle, workstation, tools, packaged materials, badges, keys, cell phone, laptop and EDUCATION Page 12

• Cover