COVID-19 RISK CONTROL PLAN

PURPOSE

This risk control plan has been developed to protect all our employees and clients and to minimize the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) at all locations. 

*Important ‐ This risk control plan has been developed based on what is currently known about COVID‐19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),NYS Department of Health (NYSDOH), Erie Count (ECDOH, and OSHA are updating and providing information as it becomes available and it is imperative that all communications have a date and time listed.

SCOPE

This plan applies to all Hyde‐Stone Mechanical Contractors employees both in the office and in the field.

GENERAL BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) is a respiratory illness that can spread from person to person.

COVID‐19 is spreading from person to person. It is communicable. The virus is thought to spread mainly between people who are in close contact with one another (within 6 feet) through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It may be possible to get COVID‐19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching your mouth, nose or possibly eyes. Current reporting has indicated that the COVID‐19 virus can live on different surfaces from hours to days.

RISK ASSESSMENT

COVID‐19 has been confirmed in our community. People in NYS and Jefferson County where ongoing community spread of the virus that causes COVID‐19 has been reported are at elevated risk of exposure, with the level of risk dependent on the location. As of March 20, 2020 NYS enacted the “New York State on PAUSE” executive order, a 10‐point policy to assure uniform safety for everyone.  It includes a new directive that all non‐essential businesses statewide must close in‐office personnel functions effective at 8PM on Sunday, March 22.

The NYS Executive Order 202.6 “New York State on PAUSE” permits Essential Business to remain operating during this time. Essential Businesses must continue to comply with the guidance and directives for maintaining a clean and safe work environment issued by State and Local Departments of Health. Employer must verify their business is in fact considered essential under the NY State rule. https://esd.ny.gov/guidance‐executive‐order‐2026

COVID‐19 is a new disease and there is limited information regarding risk factors for severe disease. Base on currently available information and clinical expertise, older adults and people of any age who have serious underlying medical conditions are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID‐19. Some recent review of data has noted an increased risk of younger aged individuals experiencing more severe symptoms and cases.

SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19 & ADDITIONAL POSSIBLE SYMPTOMS

Patients with COVID‐19 have experienced mild to severe respiratory illness with symptoms of:

• Fever (100.4° F or greater)
• Cough
• Shortness of breath

It is thought that symptoms may appear 2‐14 days after exposure. COVID‐19 appears to be most communicable when persons are exhibiting symptoms. However, it is also believed that persons who are not showing any symptoms may also transmit the virus. See Symptoms Poster Appendix A.

The majority of the population that contracts COVID‐19 will experience mild to moderate symptoms similar to the flu. For others, especially those at higher risk, severe complications from this virus include pneumonia in both lungs, multi‐organ failure and in some cases death.

INDIVIDUALS AT HIGH RISK

Early information shows that some people are at higher risk of getting very sick from this illness. Higher risk individuals include:

• Older adults
• People who have serious chronic medical conditions, such as:
  • Heart disease,
  • Diabetes,
  • Lung disease.

Higher risk individuals should pay attention for potential symptoms (listed above). If a higher risk individual develops symptoms of COVID‐19 (see below) they should immediately consult with their medical provider via telephone or call 911:

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath;
• Persistent pain or pressure in the chest;
• New confusion or inability to arouse;
• Bluish lips or face.

Important Note – This list is not all-inclusive

CONTROLS – EMPLOYEE ILLNESS/REPORTING POLICY

The following serve as Hyde‐Stone Mechanical Contractors protocols for handling of an employee report and/or observation of illness. These protocols will remain in effect until further notice.

Employee Reports COVID‐19 Symptoms from Home

• If a Hyde‐Stone Mechanical Contractors employee experiences symptoms of COVID‐19 off the job, the employee is required to stay home. Symptoms include fever of 100.4° F or greater, cough, and/or shortness of breath. Hyde‐Stone Mechanical Contractors employees must notify their supervisor via telephone they cannot report to work. Do not report to work.
• People with COVID‐19 who have stayed home (home isolated)can stop home isolation under the following conditions:
  • If you will not have a test to determine if you are still contagious, you can leave home after these three things have happened:
    • You have had no fever for at least 72 hours (that is three full days of no fever without the use medicine that reduces fevers)
      AND
    • other symptoms have improved (for example, when your cough or shortness of breath have improved)

      AND

    • at least 7 days have passed since your symptoms first appeared
  • If you will be tested to determine if you are still contagious, you can leave home after these three things have happened:
    • You no longer have a fever (without the use medicine that reduces fevers)

      AND

    • other symptoms have improved (for example, when your cough or shortness of breath have improved)

      AND

    • you received two negative tests in a row, 24 hours apart. Your doctor will follow CDC guidelines.

Employee Reports COVID‐19 Symptoms While at Work

• If a Hyde‐Stone Mechanical Contractors employee experiences the start of COVID‐19 type symptoms while at work, they must immediately report to their Supervisor. The Supervisor will immediately instruct them to leave the office and advise them to call their medical provider for guidance.
• The employee will not be permitted to return until they meet the criteria outlined above in the section for discontinuing home isolation.
• Human Resources will contact the employee via telephone and require the employee to provide a list of all known individuals at the location which they have had close contact with over the previous 14 days.
• Human Resources will inform individual identified employees who had close contact with the employee of their possible exposure to COVID‐19 in the workplace. The individual workers should then self‐monitor for symptoms (i.e., fever, cough, or shortness of breath).

Employee Appears Ill but Denies Being Ill

• If an Hyde‐Stone Mechanical Contractors employee is displaying symptoms such as fever, cough, or shortness of breath (or is reported by others to display such symptoms) but denies having such symptoms and will not leave the office voluntarily, their Supervisor shall instruct the employee that they must leave the office.
• The employee will not be permitted to return until they meet the criteria outlined above in the section for discontinuing home isolation.
• Human Resources will contact the employee via telephone and require the employee to provide a list of all known individuals at the location which they have had close contact with over the previous 14 days.
• Human Resources will inform individual identified employees who had close contact with the employee of their possible exposure to COVID‐19 in the workplace. The individual workers should then self‐monitor for symptoms (i.e., fever, cough, or shortness of breath).

Employee Reports Having Close Contact with a Potential or Confirmed COVID‐19 Case

• If an Hyde‐Stone Mechanical Contractors employee has had close contact with an individual, such as a family member, who has COVID‐19 symptoms or has a confirmed positive test result for COVID‐19 their Supervisor shall instruct the employee to stay home or if the employee has reported to work, to leave the office immediately go home and contact their medical provider. The Supervisor will notify Human Resources.
• For cases where the Hyde‐Stone Mechanical Contractors employee has close contact with a potential COVID‐19 case, the employee will not be permitted to return until they meet the criteria outlined above in the section for discontinuing home isolation.
• Human Resources will contact the employee via telephone and require the employee to provide a list of all known individuals at the location which they have had close contact with over the previous 14 days.
• Human Resources will inform individual identified employees who had close contact with the employee of their possible exposure to COVID‐19 in the workplace. The individual workers should then self‐monitor for symptoms (i.e., fever, cough, or shortness of breath).

Employee Reports Testing Positive for COVID‐19

• If a Hyde‐Stone Mechanical Contractors employee voluntarily informs a Supervisor they have tested positive for a COVID‐19 infection, the Supervisor will notify Human Resources.
• In the unlikely case the Hyde‐Stone Mechanical Contractors employee has reported to work (County DOH would mandatory quarantine or isolate employee upon positive test) instruct the employee that they must leave the office immediately. The Supervisor will notify Human Resources.
• Human Resources shall instruct the employee they are not permitted to return to work until they meet the criteria outlined above in the section for discontinuing home isolation after being tested to determine if you are still contagious
• In the unlikely event the employee reported to work and then reported with have tested positive for COVID‐19, Human Resources will contact the employee via telephone and require the employee to provide a list of all known individuals at the office which they have had close contact with over the previous 14 days. Close contact is defined as working within 6 feet or less.
• Human Resources will inform individual identified employees who had close contact with the employee of their possible exposure to COVID‐19 in the workplace. The individual workers should then self‐monitor for symptoms (i.e. fever, cough, or shortness of breath).

Essential Employee Option

Hyde‐Stone Mechanical Contractors reserves the right to enact the Jefferson County DOH Essential Employee Work/Return to Work Guidelines. These guidelines permit essential employers to allow employees exposed to or recovering from COVID‐19, to work under the following conditions:

Essential personnel who have been exposed to a confirmed or suspected case of COVID‐19 can be permitted to work in the required workplace setting if all of the following conditions are met:

1. Working from home would not be feasible for job duties.
2. Personnel are asymptomatic.
3. Personnel quarantine themselves when not at work.
4. Personnel undergo temperature monitoring and symptom checks upon arrival to work and at least every 12 hours while at work, and self‐monitor (i.e. take temperature, assess for symptoms) twice a day when at home.
5. Personnel required to interact with individuals within 6 feet should wear a facemask1 while working for 14 days following the last exposure.
6. Personnel whose job duties permit a separation of greater than 6 feet should have environmental controls in place to ensure adequate separation is maintained, and do not need to wear a facemask.
7. If personnel develop symptoms consistent with COVID‐19 (e.g., fever, cough, or shortness of breath) while working, they should immediately stop work and isolate at home.
8. Testing should be prioritized for essential personnel with symptoms.

Essential personnel with confirmed or suspected COVID‐19 maybe permitted to work in the required workplace setting if all of the following conditions are met:

1. Working from home would adversely impact essential services or functions, including critical public health and public works infrastructure in New York or the response to the COVID‐19 public health emergency.
2. Personnel have maintained isolation for at least 7 days after illness onset (i.e. symptoms first appeared) and have not had a fever for at least 72 hours, without the use of fever‐ reducing medications, and with other symptoms improving.
3. Personnel who are recovering from COVID‐19, and return to work, must wear a facemask¹ for 14 days following onset of illness.

¹ For the purposes of this guidance, a facemask is a well‐secured mask that covers the mouth and nose. No personal fit testing is necessary for a facemask.

CONTROLS – EMPLOYEE ILLNESS/REPORTING POLICY

 General

All Hyde‐Stone Mechanical Contractors work related travel outside current work locations is suspended without the prior authorization of Human Resources. Note the CDC currently recommends that travelers avoid all nonessential travel to all global destinations

Employee has Recently Traveled to NYC or Outside the Country

• If a Hyde‐Stone Mechanical Contractors employee has traveled to a Level 3 country listed on the CDC watch/alert list (China, Hong Kong, Iran, most European Countries, the United Kingdom and Ireland) within the last 14 days, they must leave the office immediately or should be instructed to stay home. This applies regardless of whether the employee is displaying symptoms such as fever, cough, or shortness of breath, or has tested positive for COVID‐19.
• The employee will not be permitted to return to work until they have been symptom free for 14 days from the date they departed from that location.
• If a Hyde‐Stone Mechanical Contractors employee has had close contact with the traveling individual, that employee should follow the same precautions listed above for employees who have had close contact with and individual who has confirmed positive test result for COVID‐19.

RISK PREVENTION – SOCIAL DISTANCING MEASURES

 To slow the spread of COVID‐19 through U.S. communities, the CDC, NYSDOH & ECDOH have encouraged individuals to practice “social distancing” measures. Social distancing is a public health practice that aims to prevent sick people from coming in close contact with healthy people in order to reduce opportunities for disease transmission. It includes large‐scale measures such as canceling group events, closing public spaces, avoiding crowds, and maintaining a recommended distance between person to person.

Per CDC, DOH, and NYS Executive Order 202.6 “New York State on PAUSE” Hyde‐Stone Mechanical Contractors mandates the following social distancing measure at all of our locations:

• Employees are not to handshake or hug when greeting others.
• In person meetings will be postponed indefinitely. Teleconferencing or web‐based meetings will be conducted.
• Employees that do not normally work in the office and visitors will not be allowed at our office and only essential employees will be allowed on our
• Work groups will be limited. If necessary, groups will remain as small as possible and work will be coordinated to avoid contact with others.
• For the time being employees should remain as isolated as possible
• Avoiding mass gatherings (10 or more people as of March 16, 2020),
• Non‐essential gatherings of individuals of any size for any reason (e.g. parties, celebrations or other social events) are cancelled or postponed at this time.
• Remaining out of congregate settings
• Maintaining distance (approximately 6 feet) from others

HYGIENE PRACTICES

All employees are expected to follow these hygiene practices:

• Cover nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing (or an elbow or shoulder if no tissue is available). Wash hands as soon as possible after.
• Wash hands prior to:
  • Preparing food,
  • Eating or drinking,
  • Smoking,
  • Treating a cut or wound,
  • Applying cosmetics, chap stick or sunscreen,
  • After blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing,
  • After touching garbage,
  • After using the toilet, and
  • After touching shared or frequently touched items.

• Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Scrub front and back, under finger nails, nail beds and in between fingers. Rinse thoroughly. Refer to Appendix B for Hand Washing Steps. If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer. If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer.
• Washing hands with soap and water is the preferred method, however when not readily available use an alcohol‐based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Hand sanitizer should be applied to all surfaces of the hand including nail beds until dry; this should take about 20 seconds.
• Do not touch your face, eyes, nose or mouth.
• Do not take your phone with you to the restroom or leave it in a pocket or bag; do not touch your phone while eating. Disinfect your phone / phone case frequently.
• Do not share any office supplies or personal protective equipment: Safety glasses, respirators, harness, gloves, etc.
  • Sharing respirators and gloves is strictly forbidden.

CONTROLS – SANITATION & CLEANING PROCEDURES

Current evidence suggests that novel coronavirus may remain viable for hours to days on surfaces made from a variety of materials. Routinely cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces is a best practice measure for prevention of COVID‐19 and other viral respiratory illnesses in community settings. Routinely clean and sanitize all frequently touched surfaces in the workplace:

Office

• Clean and disinfect door handles/knobs, table/desk tops, chair arms, workstations, kitchen countertops, faucet handles, toilet seats and flush handles, glass windows, drawers and filing cabinet handles, and if sharing of office supplies is absolutely necessary, disinfect between uses.

Cleaning Surfaces

• If surfaces are dirty, they should be cleaned using a detergent or soap and water prior to disinfection.
• For disinfection, diluted household bleach solutions, alcohol solutions with at least 70% alcohol, and most common EPA‐registered household disinfectants should be effective. (If you use an alcohol solution greater than 70% it needs to be diluted. The higher the concentration of alcohol, the quicker it evaporates and will not sit on the surface long enough to sanitize.)
• Diluted household bleach solutions can be used if appropriate for the surface. Follow manufacturer’s instructions for application and proper ventilation. Check to ensure the product is not past its expiration date. Never mix household bleach with ammonia or any other cleanser. Unexpired household bleach will be effective against coronaviruses when properly diluted.
• Prepare a bleach solution by mixing:
  • 5 tablespoons (1/3rd cup) bleach per gallon of water or
  • 4 teaspoons bleach per quart of water
• Products with EPA‐approved emerging viral pathogens are expected to be effective against COVID‐19 based on data for harder to kill viruses. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for all cleaning and disinfection products (e.g., concentration, application method and contact time, etc.).
• For soft (porous) surfaces such as carpeted floor, rugs, and drapes, remove visible contamination if present and clean with appropriate cleaners indicated for use on these surfaces. After cleaning:
• If the items can be laundered, launder items in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions using the warmest appropriate water setting for the items and then dry items completely.
• Otherwise, use products with the EPA‐approved emerging viral pathogens claims that are suitable for porous surfaces
• Linens, Clothing, and Other Items That Go in the Laundry
• Do not shake dirty laundry; this minimizes the possibility of dispersing virus through the air.
• Wash items as appropriate in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. If possible, launder items using the warmest appropriate water setting for the items and dry items completely. Dirty laundry that has been in contact with an ill person can be washed with other people’s items.
• Clean and disinfect hampers or other carts for transporting laundry according to guidance above for hard or soft surfaces.

PROJECT SPECIFIC SAFETY PROTOCOLS

Routinely clean all frequently touched surfaces in the workplace: door handles/knobs, handles to heavy equipment, handles to A‐Verdi boxes and job boxes, doors to portable bathrooms, windows, ladder and stair rails, elevated work platform controls, heavy equipment controls, steering wheels, work tables, shared hand and power tools.

• If sharing of personal protective equipment is required, then disinfect in between uses.
• Sharing respirators and gloves is strictly forbidden.

TRAINING

Training will be conducted with all employees a copy of the training material can be found in Appendix C.

MORE INFORMATION

For more information and updates regularly monitor:

NYS State DOH COVID‐19 https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/home

Jefferson County Department of Health COVID‐19 https://co.jefferson.ny.us/COVID%E2%80%9019INFORMATION

CDC COVID‐19 https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html

New York State Department of Health’s Novel Coronavirus Hotline 1‐888‐364‐3065

Local Health Department Contact Information https://www.health.ny.gov/contact/contact_information/index.htm 

APPENDICES

Appendix A: Symptoms Poster

Appendix B: Hand Washing Steps