This year, with COVID-19 cases on the rise, we need to take a few extra steps at work and at home in order to share the love without spreading the virus.
While surgical masks and respirators are being reserved for medical workers, cloth face coverings or homemade masks are recommended for everyone else. But what do they actually do and why should we wear them?
Whether you are a farmer, FLC, or farm supervisor, just as you would consider the potential for safety hazards when introducing new equipment or processes into your operation, you should utilize a similar approach now with COVID-19.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has introduced interim guidance for agricultural workers and employers to facilitate preparation, prevention, and management measures to help reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 in agricultural settings.
In response to PPE shortages due to the COVID-19 crisis, the CDC, NIOSH Agricultural Centers, and state agencies have developed guidance to assist employers and workers in conserving existing supplies and identifying alternate protection when necessary.
The CDC recommends that farm owners and operators develop sanitation protocols and procedures for daily cleaning and sanitation of worksites, including shared spaces, tools, equipment, and vehicles used by farmworkers, following CDC guidance on cleaning methods.
To protect the health of your workers and reduce the risk of infection at your worksite, it is important to talk to your employees and keep an eye on them in case they start to show symptoms at work.
Screening workers before they enter the worksite is a strategy that could help you to identify individuals who may be infected and reduce the spread among workers.
The California Institute for Rural Studies (CIRS) is leading a broad coalition of researchers and farmworker advocates to collect data on how COVID-19 is affecting farmworkers.