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Employers Begin To Plan Strategies To Reopen Safely

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's hierarchy of controls is traditionally used to prevent risks, including disease spread, in the workplace.
Courtesy CDC/NIOSH
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's hierarchy of controls is traditionally used to prevent risks, including disease spread, in the workplace.

Gov. Eric Holcomb says that he’ll detail the future of the “Stay-At-Home” order Friday and may give safety guidelines to allow some businesses to reopen. But workplaces will likely need to operate differently to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

In a webinar hosted by the Indiana Chamber, employers were advised to take steps like providing handwashing stations, conducting daily temperature checks, and limiting access to communal areas.

David Krause is chairman of the American Industrial Hygiene Association’sIndoor Environmental Quality Committee. He says the most effective measure would be to let employees work from home if possible, with masks and gloves being the least effective.

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He also stresses that meeting Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state health guidelines should be the minimum companies should strive for.

“That should not be something you aspire to, that should be the floor,” he says. “And in many instances, it will not be enough to protect your staff and to protect your customers.”

Krause also warns that in buildings or downtown areas that have been vacant for weeks, water supplies should be flushed to prevent an outbreak of Legionnairre’s disease

Contact Justin at  jhicks@wvpe.org or follow him on Twitter at @Hicks_JustinM.

This is a rapidly evolving story, and we are working hard to bring you the most up-to-date information. However, we recommend checking the websites of the  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  or the  Indiana State Department of Health  for the most recent numbers of COVID-19 cases.

Justin Hicks is a workforce reporter for IPB News based at WVPE in Elkhart. He comes to Indiana by way of New York. He has a master's degree from the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute at New York University and earned a Bachelor of Music Degree from Appalachian State University where he played trumpet. He first learned about Elkhart, Indiana, because of the stamp on his brass instrument indicating where it was produced. Justin was born and raised in Mt. Olive, North Carolina. He currently lives in South Bend with his dog, Charlotte.
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