Procedural Considerations for Customers During COVID-19

Now more than ever, the safety and health of your customers and employees should be top priority. This pandemic may weigh heavily on the minds of your stakeholders, ultimately affecting their experience at your business. To maintain a COVID-19-free workplace and keep your business moving forward, explore these procedural considerations:  

• Post a notice at all customer entrances expressing your ongoing efforts to sanitize the workplace.
• If there are mandatory personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements for customers, clearly and specifically state at all entrances.
• Keep the main entry door a hands-free entrance. Place signs on all other entry doors directing customers to a singular, main entry location.
• Position a table upon entry for customers to have access to hand sanitizer, tissues, disposable gloves, and unused writing utensils.
• After the mandated face covering work order is lifted, offer face coverings and/or disposable gloves to customers upon entry.
• Weather permitting, open doors and windows to promote a natural airflow and prevent stagnant indoor air.
• Set up properly distanced tables or picnic benches to allow for conversation with customers outside, when possible.
• Consider pick-up/drop-off services.
• Post a notice describing how you are keeping customers’ personal items disinfected, i.e. vehicle interior, vehicle keys, etc.
• Discourage physical contact interaction, i.e. handshakes, high-fives, hugs, and back pats.

The purpose of these procedural considerations is to provide customers with a sense of security and peace of mind, and to keep your business successfully moving forward. It ensures that your company is going above and beyond to protect the public during and after this global pandemic. Be mindful that some of these prevention measures are circumstantial and that your site-specific procedures might be determined on a trial and error period.

During COVID-19, OSHA has issued interim guidance to advise compliance officers to evaluate an employer’s good faith efforts to comply with safety and health standards. Specifically, in the event of an OSHA inspection, officers will assess employers’ efforts to comply with standards that require reoccurring audits, reviews, training, or assessments –– click here to learn more. 

Are you interested in your own site-specific program? EDMC Safety & Health can help.

Remember: Proactive Safety Beats Reactive Safety