What we are doing in response to Covid-19
As communities continue to feel the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19), I want to share with you the steps we’re taking at Outdoor Elements to help protect the health and safety of all families, customers, residents and employees, which is always our top priority.
– Derek Steele, president
In our office
Following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the World Health Organization and applicable public agencies, sanitation and cleaning efforts in our office and warehouse have been expanded. We frequently disinfect often-touched surfaces such as door handles, countertops, keypads, restroom surfaces, break-room, delivery and other applicable areas. Only employees who are not required to be on customer sites or those employees assigned to the critical and continued operation of the business entity are working remotely.
On job sites
- Check health of workers prior to entering job site
- Send anyone home who shows signs of illness (fever, respiratory cough)
- Ensure that workers maintain 6-foot distancing unless it would create an imminent safety hazard
- Provide a hand washing station with soap & water or sanitizer
- Prohibit use of shared water coolers/drinking containers
- Encourage respiratory etiquette, including covering coughs and sneezes, and avoid touching eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands
- Ensure workers take 15-minute breaks every four hours worked to practice good hygiene
- Clean and disinfect break and meal areas after use
- Limit the crossover of subcontractors
- Where necessary, maintain sign-in documents for workers on job site, but don’t allow the use of common/shared sheets
- Designate a COVID-19 safety monitor on site to enforce guidelines
- Require employees to wash hands with soap and water frequently for at least 20 seconds
You should know
The nature of landscape work, which is performed outdoors, individually, or in small teams with little public contact, poses a lower risk of spreading COVID-19. According to OSHA classifications, the landscape industry falls in the “lower risk” category of exposure (the lowest level on their occupational classification of risk for COVID-19).
We are serious and diligent in doing our part to stop the spread. We are following all federal, state, and local public health and safety directives as well as guidelines developed by the landscape industry according to OSHA and CDC guidelines.