Online Coronavirus Prevention Training Course
Provide your employee’s with a comprehensive Corona Virus training course:
- Assign training to each employee, either individually or in a group setting
- Retain training records for 10 years to stay fully compliant
- Every employee should be trained, and we make it easy and convenient
Includes an explanation of the Corona Virus risks
consistent with guidance issued by the Center For Disease Control, the FDA, and OSHA
Includes information on the prevention and treatment
based on the CDC guidelines
Includes information concerning employees' rights
Includes information addressing responsibility of employers
to keep their employees safe
Includes information on what to do if you are sick
Includes information on protective equipment required to prevent the spread of the virus,
such as face masks, hand protection, etc.
OSHA Guidelines on the Employer Responsibility: Covid-19
This section highlights OSHA standards and directives and other related information that may apply to worker exposure to novel coronavirus, COVID-19.
Some OSHA requirements may apply to preventing occupational exposure to COVID-19. Among the most relevant are:
- OSHA's Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) standards which require using gloves, eye and face protection, and respiratory protection.
- When respirators are necessary to protect workers, employers must implement a comprehensive respiratory protection program in accordance with the Respiratory Protection standard.
- OSHA requires employers to furnish to each worker "employment and a place of employment, which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm."
The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) Aerosol Transmissible Diseases (ATD) standard is aimed at preventing worker illness from infectious diseases that can be transmitted by inhaling air that contains viruses (including COVID-19), bacteria or other disease-causing organisms.
Employers must also protect their workers from exposure to hazardous chemicals used for cleaning and disinfection. Employers should be aware that common sanitizers and sterilizers could contain hazardous chemicals. Where workers are exposed to hazardous chemicals, employers must comply with OSHA's Hazard Communication standard, Personal Protective Equipment standards, and other applicable OSHA chemical standards.
Recording and Reporting Occupational Injuries and Illness
COVID-19 is a recordable illness when a worker is infected on the job, and must be recorded in your Injury and Illness recordkeeping and reporting.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
PPE must be provided to employees at risk of injury at no cost to employees, including eye and face protection, such as goggles and face shields, respiratory protection, such as masks, and hand protection, such as gloves.
Environmental Controls – Sanitation
Employee work areas must be kept clean to prevent to minimize occupational hazards. This may mean additional cleaning and sanitizing as needed to prevent the transmission of Covid-19.
Toxic and Hazardous Substances
Since cleaning agents are used to control the spread of Covid-19, you must ensure full compliance with; access to employee exposure and medical records, Occupational exposure to hazardous chemicals, and Hazard Communications training.
Most U.S. Workers Remain at Low Risk of Exposure
At this time, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) emphasizes that, while the novel coronavirus, COVID-19 poses a potentially serious public health threat, the risk to individuals is dependent on exposure. For most people in the United States, including most types of workers, the risk of infection with COVID-19 is currently low.
Identifying Potential Sources of Exposure
OSHA standards, including those for personal protective equipment (PPE, 29 CFR 1910.132) and respiratory protection (29 CFR 1910.134), require employers to assess the hazards to which their workers may be exposed.
What are the Signs and Symptoms of COVID-19 infection?
Patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection have reportedly had mild to severe respiratory illness with symptoms such as fever, cough, and shortness of breath.
What Should I Do if I Think I Have Been Exposed to or Infected with COVID-19?
Alert your healthcare provider immediately if you think you may be infected with COVID-19, including if you have been exposed to someone with the virus and have signs/symptoms of infection. If you are experiencing symptoms, you should tell your healthcare provider about any recent travel to areas where COVID-19 is spreading. If you believe you have been exposed on the job, alert your supervisor or occupational health clinic immediately.
How is COVID-19 Treated?
No vaccine or specific treatment for COVID-19 infection is available. Hospitals can provide supportive care for infected people.
How is COVID-19 Prevented?
Measures for protecting workers from exposure to, and infection with, COVID-19 depend on the type of work being performed and exposure risk, including potential for interaction with infectious people and contamination of the work environment.
General guidance for all U.S. workers and employers: For all workers, regardless of specific exposure risks, it is always a good practice to:
- Frequently wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. When soap and running water are unavailable, use an alcohol-based hand rub with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands that are visibly soiled.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Complete an Infection Control Audit
Are you doing everything you can to prevent the spread of the Corona Virus at the workplace. This audit makes sure that you are fully prepared.
Model Sexual Harassment Policy
Unlike the flu, if an employee is exposed to the Corona Virus at work, you MUST report this as an employee incident to OSHA and your state health department. It is recommended that every employer should be prepared for a Corona Virus exposure.
Infection Control
Do you have written polices and procedures, and have you conducted employee training?
Employee Safety
Do you have exposure control, track events, and have a follow up plan?
Monitoring and Reporting
Do you monitor your employees and report exposure properly?
Hand Hygiene
The best way to prevent the spread of a virus. Are you training and promoting proper hand hygiene?
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Are you training your employees and providing proper PPE, such as gloves, face, and eye protection when appropriate?
Cleaning
Do you have a cleaning/disinfecting policy and procedure in place?
What type of records must employers maintain to verify compliance?
Employers are encouraged to keep a signed acknowledgment and to keep a copy of training records. These records may be helpful in addressing any future complaints or lawsuits. We keep your records for at least 10 years.
Q1. What is the novel coronavirus (COVID-9)?
A1. A novel coronavirus is a new coronavirus that has not been previously identified. The virus causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is not the same as the coronaviruses that commonly circulate among humans and cause mild illness, like the common cold.
Q2. How does the virus spread?
A2. The virus is spreading from person-to-person. It’s important to note that person-to-person spread can happen on a continuum. Some viruses are highly contagious (like measles), while other viruses are less so.The virus that causes COVID-19 seems to be spreading easily and sustainably in the community.
Q3. Can someone who has had COVID-19 spread the illness to others?
A3. The virus that causes COVID-19 is spreading from person-to-person. Someone who is actively sick with COVID-19 can spread the illness to others. That is why CDC recommends that these patients be isolated either in the hospital or at home.
Q4. When is someone no longer contagious?
A4. Someone who has been released from isolation is not considered to pose a risk of infection to others. Current CDC guidance for when it is OK to release someone from isolation is made on a case by case basis and includes meeting all of the following requirements:
- The patient is free from fever without the use of fever-reducing medications.
- The patient is no longer showing symptoms, including cough.
- The patient has tested negative on at least two consecutive respiratory specimens collected at least 24 hours apart.
Q5. Can COVID-19 be spread through food, including refrigerated or frozen food?
A5. Coronaviruses are generally thought to be spread from person-to-person through respiratory droplets. Currently there is no evidence to support transmission of COVID-19 associated with food.
Q6. How can I protect myself from the coronavirus?
A6. There is currently no vaccine to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
- CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including COVID-19.
- Facemasks should be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19 to help prevent the spread of the disease to others. The use of facemasks is also crucial for health workers and people who are taking care of someone in close settings (at home or in a health care facility).
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
- If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.
Q7. What are the symptoms of COVID-19?
A7. Current symptoms reported for patients with COVID-19 have included mild to severe respiratory illness with fever1, cough, and difficulty breathing.
Q8. Should I be tested for COVID-19?
A8. Call your healthcare professional if you feel sick with fever, cough, or difficulty breathing, and have been in close contact with a person known to have COVID-19, or if you live in or have recently traveled from an area with ongoing spread of COVID-19. Your healthcare professional will work with your state’s public health department and CDC to determine if you need to be tested for COVID-19.