COVID-19 has created unprecedented challenges for Dallas businesses and employers trying to keep their employees and patrons safe. How does testing help, and what other Covid-19 safety measures can you take?
How can I make sure my COVID-19 safety plan is effective?
The unending number of details covered in expert recommendations for businesses regarding COVID-19 can be overwhelming. As a general overview, consider these areas when addressing concerns about the virus.
Making the worksite safer
Many risks can be addressed through adjustments in your layout and existing facilities.
- Proper airflow can reduce the likelihood that the virus will spread, and a layout that encourages social distancing can further reduce opportunities for infection.
- Ensure HVAC systems are properly working and up-to-date on cleaning and maintenance.
- Change the layout of your space to discourage “bottlenecking” in areas and encourage social distancing between employees.
- In areas in which social distancing is impractical, consider the use of clear barriers.
Operating safely
- Ensure employees at all levels are educated regarding COVID-19 and know who to contact within your organization to have concerns or questions addressed.
- Reinforce good hygiene and social distancing with well-supplied sanitation stations and visual cues such as floor decals, signs, and colored tape.
- Reduce high touch points by eliminating use of communal supplies and using touchless/mobile technologies wherever possible.
Empowering your team
It’s important to prioritize safety when dealing with employees. Employees who feel as though a COVID-19 diagnosis results in punishment are less likely to self-report out of fear of losing income.
Employees may also resent a work environment in which they are instructed to enforce COVID-19 safety requirements, but are not ultimately supported by management when issues are escalated by clients or customers.
It’s important for employees to know that you support them taking time off as required by law and their health if they get sick. Not only will this mean your team is safer, it can also result in better morale and trust in your abilities as an employer.
Why COVID-19 Testing is Important for Businesses
Regularly testing your employees can feel burdensome, given the amount of paperwork, time, and expense necessary to administer tests to your entire payroll. But the alternative – having an outbreak at your workplace – could be even more devastating.
More dangerous variants of COVID-19 continue to emerge, putting the more than 50% of Dallas residents who aren’t vaccinated at risk. People who have had organ transplants or who have other immune disorders don’t benefit from the same immunity.
Currently, the legal precedent regarding COVID-19 liability is that businesses who are in compliance with COVID-19 regulations are generally not held responsible for an outbreak. Going above and beyond the requirements by facilitating regular testing for employees is a small piece of protection from any allegations that your business was negligent.
The Best Corporate COVID-19 Testing Option
If you are interested in Dallas corporate COVID testing but don’t want to manage the administration of tests yourself, consider an on-site mobile testing service. These services will send one or more nurses to your worksite to administer tests to your employees and/or guests.
Some services offer assistance with creating effective COVID-19 safety plans for businesses and events and can assist in making sure you have all the paperwork required by the New Normal in order.
What kind of test is best for businesses?
Although RT-PCR tests are the most accurate, they also have the longest turnaround time and require lab processing. For fast results that don’t allow any opportunities for infection between getting tested and entering the workplace, rapid tests are most practical.
Rapid antigen tests produce results in just 15 minutes, but have a 1 in 5 false negative rate. Although less accurate than the RT-PCR, this test is still accurate enough to effectively stop the virus at the door and prevent it from spreading.
For situations in which accuracy is especially crucial, the rapid Accula PCR test offers the accuracy of the RT-PCR in just 30 minutes.
Mobile COVID-19 testing services take care of all the supplies necessary to administer tests, meaning that you can focus on operations while experts focus on testing. Those being tested can feel confident that their concerns and health conditions can be accommodated by a healthcare professional, and that test results are accurate.
Professional testing services send a powerful message to employees and clients that you take safety seriously, which will be especially remembered at a time when many do not.