Health & Safety Measures

The following is a list of health and safety measures that workers and employers can take to mitigate the impact of COVID-19:

Comprehensive workplace plans to identify potential exposure routes, establish controls to mitigate risk and implement training procedures.
Emphasis on personal hygiene practices, hand-washing, respiratory etiquette, and social distancing.
Adequate supplies of personal protective equipment, especially N95 respirators, and respirator fit testing. We recommend the use of N-95s for workers in high-risk industries, i.e. health care (those who interact with patients, patient transport, etc.) It is critically important that workers who use respirators such as N-95s are trained to be able to properly use the protective device.
Protocols to clean and disinfect frequently-touched objects and surfaces.
Protocols in case of a workplace or community outbreak, including possible self-quarantine or workplace quarantine.
Consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) before hosting and attending events or large gatherings. CDC recommendations may change as the situation evolves.

As a union, the rights and benefits we have fought for can help to prevent disease and help people who do become ill, including:

Adequate, non-punitive sick leave policies that encourage sick workers to stay at home without the loss of pay, benefits, seniority or other benefits.
Family leave policies that allow people to stay home to take care of household members.
Financial remedies for unemployment scenarios, where people are not able to be at work or are required to work overtime to take care of patients.
Access to quality and affordable health care.