COVID – 19 Stop the Spread

Prevention for Ag Businesses

Objectives

• What is a coronavirus?

• Why is this mutation a crisis?

• How to protect employees

• Busting myths

What is a coronavirus

• Family: coronaviridae

• Cause about 30% of all common colds

• Genetic material surrounded by envelope with protein spikes

• Crown shaped

• 120 nm in diameter

• Four sub-groups: • Alpha• Beta • Gamma• Delta

Human Coronavirus Types

Common Human Coronaviruses

1. 229E (alpha coronavirus)

2. NL63 (alpha coronavirus)

3. OC43 (beta coronavirus)

4. HKU1 (beta coronavirus)

Other Human Coronaviruses

5.MERS-CoV (the beta coronavirus that causes Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, or MERS)

6.SARS-CoV (the beta coronavirus that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS)

7.SARS-CoV-2 (the novel coronavirus that causes coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19)

The Crisis

The Crisis

6 ft.

The Crisis

As of April 6, 2020

• Over 338 deaths in Washington

• 8,910 deaths in the United States

• 67,841 deaths worldwide

Protection

Protection

Protection

Engineering Controls Administrative Controls

• Identify any non-essential tasks that may be omitted during this period.• Modify SOPs when necessary.• Consider staff may need to be trained to perform tasks they don’t

normally do (disinfecting)• Establish protocols to

• Limit person-to-person contact• Restrict movement from farm to farm• Routinely disinfect high-touch areas• Restrict shared tools and equipment• How and when to report• Train employees

Include COVID–19 protection in your accident prevention program and communicate that change to all your employees

Protection – accident prevention program

Protection – employee trainingTrain employees on:

• New protocols and how to continue to perform work safely

• How the virus spreads

• How employees can protect themselves• Physical distancing

• Wash hands often for at least 20 seconds (happy birthday 2x)

• Avoid touching of face

• Encourage employees to stay home if sick (with any type of illness) or if they have been near anyone showing symptoms or having been diagnosed with COVID-19

• Ensure they know the signs and symptoms of COVID-19

• Fever, cough, shortness of breath

• Evaluate your sick leave policy

• Emphasize why participation is important and required in your workplace

Resources available at https://wsfb.com/https-wsfb-com-covid-19-resources/

• Change work schedules

• If you have morning meetings to divide up tasks, allow them to be done via telephone

• Conduct digital safety meetings

• Stagger breaks and lunches

• Make multiple trips to transport employees

Protection - physical distancing (6ft. Apart)

Protection – avoid contamination

• Train employees not to share common items whenever possible• PPE• Phones• Computer keyboards• Desks• Offices• Tools and equipment

• Disinfect shared work areas regularly• Bathrooms• Breakrooms• Doorknobs• Computer keyboards• Shared equipment• Employee housing• Employee transportation

Protection - disinfecting

Protection – limit access

Limit access to your workplace• Define who is and who is not considered essential staff, then limit access by

non-essential people and visitors.

• There are few reason why persons not in your employ should be in your workplace.

• Develop a policy on how and when to deny access. Include the duration the policy is sustained. Train employees on this new policy.

• Consider the need for contract work. Can it be performed by farm staff?

Protection - PPE

Respirators

Voluntary Use

• Written program

• Medical evaluation

• Training

Required Use

• Written program

• Medical evaluation

• Fit test

• Training

Respexam.com

Myth Busters

• Exposing yourself to temperatures higher than 77F degrees DOES NOT prevent COVID-19.

• The new coronavirus CAN be transmitted in areas with hot and humid climate.

• Cold weather and snow CANNOT kill the new coronavirus.

• Drinking alcohol DOES NOT protect you from COVID-19.

• Mosquitos CANNOT transmit the new coronavirus.

• Hot baths DO NOT prevent COVID-19.

• UV should not be used as a method of sterilization against coronavirus.

• Thermal scanners can identify people who have developed a fever, but it cannot detect people who are infected, but have not developed a fever.

• There IS NOT a vaccine to protect against, however, vaccination against other respiratory illness is highly recommended to protect your health.

• There is no evidence that eating garlic or rinsing your nose with saline will protect against COVID-19.

• Young people ARE susceptible to the COVID-19.

Summary

• There is a novel or new, coronavirus that causes coronavirus disease since late 2019 (COVID-19).

• The virus spreads easily from droplets of infected people entering the mucous membranes of bystanders. Six feet is considered the minimum distance for general protection from such droplets

• It has a relatively high fatality rate and an even higher hospitalization rate.

• Employers should complete a risk assessment to identify high risk areas at their worksites.

• Prevention measures should be completed according to the hierarchy of controls (physical distancing, disinfecting, training, PPE).

• Ensure PPE (or other controls/actions) does/do not create a new hazard.

• There is a lot of misinformation out there!

Important Contact Information

WA Department of Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (800) 525 – 0127

www.doh.wa.gov

CDC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (800) – CDC – INFO

(800) – 232 – 4636

WA State Resource Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . coronavirus.wa.gov

WA Department of Labor and Industries . . . www.lni.wa.gov

WASHINGTON FARM BUREAU SAFETY DIRECTOR CONTACTS

Corwyn Fischercfischer@wsfb.com(509) 881 – 4935Wenatchee, WA

Jeff Lutzjlutz@wsfb.com(509) 669 – 2990Kennewick, WA

Luis IsiordiaLisiodia@wsfb.com(509) 594 – 5801Zillah, WA

Dominique Damianddamian@wsfb.com(360) 556 – 2071Lacey, WA

wsfb.comQuestions?