OHC Environmental Engineering
Coronaviruses are a group of related viruses that cause diseases in mammals and birds. In humans, coronaviruses cause respiratory tract infections ranging from mild to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) infections. Viruses are strictly parasitic, which means they can only survive in a host. Coronaviruses can survive in either a human or animal host. Once the virus is dispersed in the air, it is aerosolized and enclosed within a tiny droplet. The virus can survive in that environment only for a short period of time and if it cannot find another host it will die.
The main route of dispersion in the environment is through aerosolization, which can remain suspended in the air until taken up through the respiratory system (nose or mouth) by another host if the person is within close proximity to another infected individual. When a person sneezes or coughs they release thousands of tiny droplets in the air that may contain the virus. These droplets may travel a long distance and remain suspended in the air for up to 10 minutes. The size of these droplets is usually less than 100 microns across. They can also survive on hard surfaces (e.g., doorknobs, phones, counters) for up to 48 hours. Most air conditioning filters used commercially are 8 to 13 MERV rating. Most commercial air conditioning units are not designed to handle a MERV rating higher than 13 except for special applications.
As an employer, you have a responsibility to make sure your company is following the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines protecting those in the office and in the field.
Person-to-person spread — COVID-19 is a respiratory illness and the primary source of transmission is thought to be through the respiratory tract. The virus is thought to spread mainly from person to person.
■ Between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet).
■ Through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs.
Spread from contact with contaminated surfaces or objects — It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose or possibly their eyes but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads. The COVID-19 virus may survive on surfaces for several days but simple disinfectants can kill it.
How easily the virus spreads — How easily a virus spreads from person to person can vary. Some viruses are highly contagious (spreading easily), like measles, while other viruses do not spread as easily. Another factor is whether the spread is sustained, spreading continually without stopping. The virus that causes COVID-19 seems to be spreading easily and sustainably in the community (“community spread”) in some affected geographic areas.
Employers should develop an infection control plan and stay up to date on the latest information available to protect against COVID-19. The plan should consider addressing the level of risk associated with various worksites and job tasks that workers perform at those sites. Except for health care workers, most job risks will fall in the moderate to low risk levels. Employers must also consider individual risk levels such as older employees and individuals with immunocompromised conditions. Employers should also implement the following:
■ Encourage employees to report any symptoms that may be associated with COVID-19 immediately. Some employees may be afraid to report early symptoms because they may be required to stay home and not able to work. Employer should develop
programs to help employees while they are on leave.
■ Develop a policy for hiring contract and temporary labor or other non-employed individuals. These individuals usually do not have health insurance or sick leave so they will be more resistant to self-reporting any symptoms in fear of losing their job. Review the policies of your contract/temporary labor companies to ensure it aligns with your policies.
■ Consult with their insurance and employee benefit providers, as well as state and local health care agencies, on the available health care and coverage available in case of COVID-19 outbreak.
The office environment is fairly easy to control. The following precautions should be implemented immediately for staff working in the office:
■ Place a bottle of hand sanitizer at the front office. The sanitizer must contain at least 60 percent alcohol. Anyone entering the office must apply hand sanitizer upon entry. It is important that the sanitizer is thoroughly rubbed all over the surfaces of the hands until they are completely dry. Surfaces should not be touched until the hand sanitizer has dried completely.
■ Office visits should be minimized as much as possible.
■ Upon receiving any packages or letters, either wipe the packages with a sanitizer before touching it or wear gloves while opening the package. Upon opening the package, discard the box or envelope and gloves right away.
■ No one who has been outside of the country should be allowed in the office for 14 days after they return.
■ If any individual has any form of illness, especially a fever and/or cough, they should remain at home until symptoms subside. If their symptoms worsen, they should seek medical attention immediately.
■ Increase fresh air intake into the air conditioning system. Check with the lessor to see how much fresh air intake they supply into the air conditioning unit, which should have at least 15-20 percent fresh air intake.
■ Disinfect surfaces daily, using an EPA-approved disinfectant. These items include, but are not limited to:
■ Countertops, desks and tables
■ Door, closet and cabinet knobs/handles
■ Armrests of chairs
■ Handrails and elevator buttons
■ Faucets
■ Light switches
■ Office equipment (e.g., copiers, keyboards, staplers, phones)
■ Coffee makers and other kitchen appliances (disposable cups and utensils should be used)
The field environment is much harder to control than the office environment. Take as many precautions as possible since individuals may be exposed to many people and it is unknown where they have been or with whom they have come into contact. Take special precautions when working in sensitive environments, such as schools and hospitals, which can have significant potential for contamination. The following should be immediately implemented for any field personnel:
■ Stop shaking hands and use other non-contact methods of greeting.
■ Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after you have been in a public place or after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. Before eating, smoking or touching anything that will go into your mouth, make sure to wash hands thoroughly.
■ Always carry hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol. If soap and water are not available, frequently clean your hands with hand sanitizer, especially after touching potentially contaminated objects such as door handles, money, etc. Again, it is
important that the sanitizer is thoroughly rubbed all over the surfaces of the hands until they are completely dry. Surfaces should not be touched until the hand sanitizer has dried completely.
■ Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
■ Clean hands upon entering and schedule regular hand washing reminders.
■ Create habits and reminders to avoid touching faces and cover coughs and sneezes.
■ Disinfect surfaces like doorknobs, tables, desks and handrails regularly.
■ Increase ventilation by opening windows or adjusting air conditioning.
■ When working in schools or hospitals, it is highly recommended to wear disposable gloves as much as possible.
■ Stay at least six feet away from anyone coughing or sneezing.
■ Avoid crowded places, such as elevators, as much as possible; if possible, use the stairs.
■ Avoid using handrails or any other potentially contaminated surfaces as much as possible.
■ If possible, avoid traveling by plane or any form of public transit.
■ Post signs encouraging good hand and respiratory hygiene practices.
■ It is highly recommended to bring lunch from home.
■ Bring water bottles to the site. Do not use communal drinking stations.
■ If handling money, wear gloves and do not touch cash or credit cards directly. Have the money and credit cards placed directly into a cup or bag, spray with a disinfectant and then wipe down with a disposable towel. The same precautions should be taken when handling money as a customer, such as at a drive-through or supermarket.
■ When pumping gasoline, use disposable gloves when handling the dispenser. If disposable gloves are not available, disinfect hands thoroughly immediately after replacing the dispenser and before touching any other surfaces such as the gas cap or door handle.
Construction sites pose a special concern due to the large number of people who may be on site at any given
time and working within close proximity of each other. Many of these workers will share tools and equipment such as ladders, scaffolds and hand tools. Keeping track of these tools and equipment on construction site poses a real challenge. Contractors should take the following steps to minimize employee exposure:
■ Prepare a site-specific Health and Safety Plan for COVID-19.
■ Stagger the workforce on different shifts throughout the day when possible.
■ Stagger the different contractors on different shifts of the day when possible.
■ Educate all employees on site how to protect themselves and their fellow workers.
■ Educate employees on social distancing and frequent hand cleaning practices.
■ Minimize meetings that would require employees to be in close proximity to each other, such as toolbox safety meetings.
■ Keep work crews spread out as much as possible. Designate separate work areas for different trades.
■ Make washing stations conveniently available and stagger lunchtime to allow sufficient time to properly wash their hands. Make sure soap is available for washing their hands. If hand sanitizers are used, they must contain at least 60 percent alcohol.
■ Post COVID-19 signs as a reminder to take as much precaution as possible.
■ Review the COVID-19 safety and health programs of all your subcontractors and especially temporary laborers.
■ Encourage workers to self-report any signs or symptoms associated with COVID-19.
■ Closely monitor the site to ensure they are in compliance with the prevention plan.
■ Require employees to use their personal tools as much as possible and not share them with anyone else. If employees do not own their tools, then tools should be cleaned and sanitized when transferred between employees. Do not store personal tools in
gang boxes.
■ Provide a full-time cleaning crew responsible for continuously cleaning the site.
■ Provide continuous cleaning of high contact areas such as doorknobs, ladders, scaffold, temporary restroom facilities etc.
Use of some personal protective equipment (PPE) may be required depending on the risk level. If respiratory protection is needed, surgical masks can be utilized as a minimum form of protection but N95 respirators are recommended. It is important to note that if the employer requires the use of respirators, then the employer must be in compliance with the respiratory protection program that includes training on the proper use and care of respirators, fit testing and medical evaluations. Voluntary use of a filtering facepiece respirator does not require a medical evaluation. The employer needs to only ensure that the dust masks are not dirty or contaminated, that their use does not interfere with the employee’s ability to work safely and provide a copy of Appendix D to Section 1910.134 to each voluntary wearer.
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is considered a “novel” strain of coronavirus, meaning that the virus is new and that little is known about it. We are still learning about how it spreads, prevention and control measures. Much research is still needed to determine the complete scope of how the virus affects individuals. Therefore, it is important to take as many precautions as
possible.
OHC Environmental Engineering, Inc. (OHC) is a minority owned environmental consulting firm located in Tampa, FL. OHC’s experienced, professional staff’s attention to client needs enable them to provide quality industrial hygiene and environmental consulting services to clients in the Southeastern United States. For more information, please contact OHC Environmental Engineering at 813-626-8156, by email at ohcadmin@ohcnet.com or visit their website at http://www.ohcnet.com.
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