Workplace Controls

Changing How the Work is Done

The way that work is completed should be evaluated to see if there are measures that could be taken to limit exposure for employees and clients. Current strategies include, but are not limited to the following:

• Staggered schedules

• Shorter opening times

• Services/sales by appointment

• Dispersed work

• Limited numbers in the space

Learn to conduct a personal risk assessment in the workplace. Consider your current workplace or planned pathway. Identify controls already in place. Suggest an additional measure that would limit exposure. What do you feel will be the challenges when making these changes?

Distancing Measures

Where possible, establishing a distance between people can help reduce the risk of infection. Since most infections require close contact, reducing or eliminating that contact can help. Along with changing how work is done, consider how close you need to be to someone in order to perform the required task.

Watch the social distancing video below on why it is important.

Where distancing is difficult, a barrier between people can contain a pathogen and reduce the risk of infection. Barriers keep droplets and other fluids from spreading out of or into an area. Food display cases are an example of barriers that have been used for a long time. More recently, barriers are appearing in store checkout lines and other locations where distancing or an exchange is difficult to avoid between workers and customers.

Single-Use Items

A single-use item is not always a disposable item. A single use item may be used by a single person and then washed and sanitized before another person used them. Cutlery at a restaurant is a good example.

However, in some areas (notably healthcare), a single-use item such as a mask is disposed of after use. This is often to maintain sterility and avoid any risk of cross-contamination.

Cleaning Processes

The general cleaning procedure in a place can help reduce the risk of infection. Regular and frequent cleaning of high-touch surfaces including:

• Doors

• Door handles and knobs

• Elevator buttons

• Cell phones

• Laptop/tablet

• Debit machines

Look around your current environment and consider what may be considered a regular and frequent high-touch surface.

Positive/Negative Pressure Rooms

A positive pressure room is desingned to keep the air outside the room from entering except through a controlled point. They are used to isolate an occupant or work task from the surrounding environment to prevent contamination of the people or the task. These rooms often have an air-lock system to enter. e.g. Hospital isolation rooms.

A negative pressure room is designed to keep the air in the room from leaving except through a controlled point. They are used to contain the occupant or work task and prevent it from contaminating the surrounding environment. e.g. Biological or chemical labs

Working in these rooms may require specialized equipment and training on how to maintain the state of the room, what to do in an emergency, and how to work in the room.