8 Ways to Stay Safe At Work During the Pandemic

December 1, 2020 | Career Blog

Navigating how to stay safe in the workplace during Covid-19 has no doubt been a stresser this year. Essential workers have had to adjust to new protocols in their environment quickly, and if you’re dealing with physical customer interaction, that adds another layer to the mix.

Hopefully, your employer or management has put together a policy for all staff and guests to follow when on site. So first and foremost, make sure you fully understand that policy and are following all of the rules defined within it. Beyond that, there are a lot of efforts you can take to protect yourself and others when at work during the pandemic. Add the eight things discussed in this article to your daily efforts if you aren’t doing them already!

Essential Efforts for Essential Workers

Staying safe at work goes beyond wearing a mask, social distancing, and washing your hands. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has created extensive guidelines for businesses to follow in order to protect their employees. Changes to regular procedures depend greatly on the industry you work in and the measures that must be taken to protect everyone. You can never do too much when it comes to protecting the health of yourself and others. Some examples of more ways to do just that are:

1. Sanitizing shared spaces when leaving. Areas like conference rooms, break rooms, and bathrooms are really easy places for the virus to spread. It’s hard to keep track of all of the items you touch or what may have been touched by others, so it’s best if everyone just makes a conscious effort to wipe everything down with sanitizer after using the space.

2. Avoiding commuting with others. If you do need to commute with others, make sure it’s people from your household. You may also choose to use public transportation, as many cities have blocked off seating areas in order to enforce social distancing. Make sure your city has done so before getting on a bus or train and be thoughtful about what you touch.

3. Taking the stairs, not the elevator. Elevators can fill up fast and then all of the sudden you’re trapped in a small space too close to people. Taking the stairs allows you to maintain safe distances from others as needed.

4. Washing your clothes and masks every day. Covid-19 can stick to your clothes and mask, so make sure you are removing those items immediately once you have returned home and putting them somewhere where they won’t touch anything before being washed.

5. Maintaining communication with your employer or manager. Keep your employer updated and always ask questions if you are unsure about anything. If you believe you have come into contact with someone who has covid, let them know.

6. Leaving your accessories at home. Anything extra that you normally wear, but is not essential, should just be left at home during this time. If you don’t need it, you’re better off having one less thing that can come into contact with the virus and you will be touching and bringing into your home.

7. Wearing gloves and changing them often. Gloves ensure that you aren’t touching anything that has been touched by others, and you aren’t spreading anything if you unknowingly have Covid. Just make sure you’re changing them regularly enough so your efforts aren’t in vain.

8. Behaving as though no one else is following safety procedures. If you want to keep safe, it’s better to assume that everyone else isn’t being strict about the rules. Going above and beyond will ensure you’re doing your part in every way possible.

Need Help Navigating Returning to Work?

Maybe you haven’t returned to work yet, or maybe you have, but don’t feel safe in that environment. It’s understandable if you’re having conflicting feelings during this time, but remain confident that safety should always be your number one priority. If you need to make a job change, but aren’t sure how to go about it, we can help you!

At Allegiance Staffing, we help people like you find jobs in the industry that suits them best. We do that by:

• Assessing your talents and strengths.
• Discussing your goals and future plans.
• Pairing you with the current job openings we have available.

Most importantly, we work closely with the companies who use our staffing services and have come to understand how they’re navigating these uncertain times. We can help you find a job where you feel comfortable and safe, and you don’t have to pay us anything for it. The industries Allegiance Staffing covers are:

• Automotive
• Clerical
• Healthcare
• Hospitality
• Light Manufacturing
• Warehouse

Want to learn more? Give us a call today and we will answer any and all of your questions!