July 4th Safety Tips

July 4th is a time to celebrate our nation’s birthday. It’s also a time to be with family and friends to enjoy a cookout and watch the fireworks. However, this year is different. Even as states are relaxing their shutdown plans and reopening, the Coronavirus is still spreading in most states across the country.

Though it’s tempting to go outside and enjoy restaurants and shopping, it is still imperative to adhere to local safety requirements.

The CDC has provided guidance on how to stay safe while communities and businesses are opening. While it is tempting to resume some daily activities, it is also imperative that you implement safety precautions to help reduce to risk of infection and spread. While there is no way to remove the risk of infection, there are potential risk factors and prevention measures you can take to protect yourself and to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

As a reminder, if you have COVID-19, have symptoms consistent with COVID-19, or have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19, it is important to stay home and away from other people. In all circumstances, be sure to follow CDC’s recommendations.

Coronavirus – Tips to Help Protect Yourself, Your Family and Your Workers

What to consider before you go

How many people will you interact with? Interacting with more people raises your risk. Being in a group with people who are not social distancing or wearing cloth face coverings increases your risk. Engaging with new people also raises your risk. Some people have the virus and do not have any symptoms, and it is not yet known how often people without symptoms can transmit the virus to others.

Can you keep 6 feet of space between you and others? Will you be outdoors or indoors? The closer you are to other people who may be infected, the greater your risk of getting sick. Keeping distance from other people is especially important for people who are at higher risk for severe illness, such as older adults and those with underlying medical conditions. Indoor spaces are riskier than outdoor spaces.

What is the length of time that you will be interacting with people? Spending more time with people who may be infected increases your risk of becoming infected. Spending more time with people increases their risk of becoming infected if there is any chance that you may already be infected.

Determining Your Level of Risk

Asking these questions can help determine your level of risk:

  1. Is COVID-19 spreading in my community?
  2. What are the local orders in my community?
  3. Will my activity put me in close contact with others?
  4. Am I at risk for severe illness?
  5. Do I live with someone who is at risk for severe illness?
  6. Do I practice everyday preventive actions?
  7. Will I have to share any items, equipment, or tools with other people?
  8. Will I need to take public transportation to get to the activity?
  9. Does my activity require travel to another community?
  10. If I get sick with COVID-19, will I have to miss work or school?
  11. Do I know what to do if I get sick?

Safety Service Options to Protect You

As MA enters Phase 2 of the reopening plan, and with COVID-19 still a concern for many people, safety measures and CDC guidelines need to be followed in order to reduce the risk of infection and spread.

COVID-19 CONSULTING BUNDLE – Written directive/policy on requirements which can be either a corporate policy or a site-specific policy.

COVID-19 TRAINING (INFECTION CONTROL WEBINAR) – We offer Open Enrollment Classes and Private Company Sponsored Classes made available at your convenience.

If you have concerns about your workforce and coronavirus, please contact us today to learn about steps you can take to protect yourself, your family, and your employees.

We hosted a webinar: What Employers Need To Know About Covid-19 Testing & Accelerating The Return To Work. Which provided tips on keeping the workplace safe for employees and customers. Watch it free here.