The Importance of Good Personal and Jobsite Hygiene

The number one way to stop COVID-19 in its tracks is to practice good personal and jobsite hygiene. If you follow these simple tips, your likelihood of passing the virus on at the jobsite is minimized.

Disinfect tools and equipment between users.

Be sure to make disinfectants available to workers throughout the worksite and ensure cleaning supplies are frequently replenished to avoid inconsistencies in availability.

Frequently clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces on jobsites and in offices, such as shared tools, machines, vehicles and other equipment (including but not limited to handrails, doorknobs, and portable toilets). If these areas cannot be cleaned and disinfected frequently, the jobsite should halt work until such measures can be achieved and properly maintained.

When the worksite is an occupied home, workers should sanitize work areas upon arrival, throughout the workday and immediately before they leave. Occupants should keep a personal distance of at least 10 feet.

Wash your hands often.

Each jobsite should have hand-washing stations, with soap and running water, to allow for frequent handwashing. When running water is not available, portable washing stations with soap are required.

Alcohol-based hand sanitizers with greater than 60% ethanol or 70% isopropanol can also be used but are not a replacement for the water requirement and is a last resort.

Workers should be encouraged to leave their workstations to wash their hands as many times throughout the day as necessary (including but not limited to: before and after going to the bathroom, before and after eating and after coughing, sneezing or blowing their nose).

Keep your distance from others.

A minimum of six feet of social distance should be maintained when possible. When not possible, face coverings are required. Remember to always keep physical distance between yourself and others while waiting for your turn to use the bathroom and to use a hand-washing station.

Post the required hygienic practices posters in areas that are visible to all workers and in the language that they can understand.

Last but arguably most important:

If an employee reports feeling sick and goes home, the area where the person worked should be immediately disinfected. Work should not continue until disinfection has occurred.

If you’d like more information and/or want to download the required hygiene posters, visit the BIA COVID-19 Center.