Whether you are an essential business that is staying open or reopening your business as state and local governments are phasing out their stay-at-home orders, keeping employees safe as they return and continue to work is a new COVID-19 business challenge.
To reduce COVID-19 exposure risk in the workplace, employers should develop an infectious disease preparedness and response plan and prepare to implement preventive measures and procedures for identifying and isolating employees that are COVID-19 carriers.
As permitted under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and encouraged under OSHA, such strategies may include measuring or voluntarily monitoring employee's body temperature to check for fever or other COVID-19 symptoms. United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has also issued and continues to update guidance to employers regarding best practices under (ADA). Employers should remember that guidance from public health authorities is likely to change as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves. Therefore, employers should continue to follow the most current information on maintaining workplace safety. To review EEOC's new directive, visit https://www.eeoc.gov/coronavirus.
According to the current guidance, employers may ask employees to report any COVID-19 symptoms identified by the Center for Disease Control (CDC). Having employees wait in line to be screened for COVID-19 symptoms before entering the work facility may prove logistically challenging. To simplify this monitoring process, TRISTAR has made available an easy self-attesting digital screening tool for employers and employees. TRISTAR's digital screening tool allows employees to check in with employers daily on their health status. TRISTAR digital screening tool is secured with multi-factor authentication. Self-attesting results will be sent to the employer's HR as soon as the screening is completed. Screening reports should be treated as confidential medical information and must be protected. This tool may not be able to capture asymptomatic COVID-19 carriers, and it is not intended to substitute clinical COVID-19 testing and medical examination. At the end of each screening, employees will receive a green or red digital display that either clears them to enter the facility or alerts the employer to possible entry issues. Employers can also elect to engage TRISTAR's expanded nurse triage services for employees who report COVID-19 symptoms utilizing the most up-to-date CDC recommendations.
This digital screening tool is easy to set up, implements no in-person contact measures, sends daily screening reminders, protects employees from potential COVID-19 exposures, and limits the company's liability risk. Call TRISTAR at 1.888.558.7478 to learn more about how TRISTAR COVID-19 digital screening service can help your business through this challenging time.
