Keeping essential workers healthy

Washington State Department of HealthFollow

Apr 11 · 3 min read

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has just released guidance to make sure that our essential services continue through this pandemic and that our essential workers stay healthy.

Under this new guidance, essential workers can continue to work after they have had close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19, if they do not feel sick and if they take the following steps to protect the community and their coworkers:

  • Take temperature: The employee must take their temperature every day before starting work. The employee needs to go home if they have a fever.

  • Wear a face mask: Wear a face mask at all times while in the workplace for 14 days after last exposure. This can be a face mask issued by the employer or, if these are not available, the employee can wear a cloth face covering.

  • Social distance: The employee needs to maintain six feet of distance between themselves and other people as work duties permit in the workplace.

  • Clean work spaces: The employer should ensure all areas such as offices, bathrooms, common areas, and shared equipment are cleaned and disinfected routinely.

Staying healthy while working at home

After several weeks of working at home, many of us have learned how important good ergonomics are to keep our work from becoming a literal pain in the neck (or back or wrist).

Here are some tips to improve your ergonomics while working at home:

  • Take a break every hour or so to stretch, walk around a bit, maybe wash your hands while you’re at it. Staying in one place for a long time is hard on your body! If you are working from a laptop, find an external keyboard to connect to your laptop. Then you can stack the laptop on some books or a sturdy box so you can see the monitor without hunching your neck and still type with your wrists in a relaxed position.

  • Take a walk during the day to give your body and mind a break from the screen!

  • Make your station ergonomic. Check out this advice from the Mayo Clinic on setting up a body-friendly place to work.

Employment Security

If you are not able to work because of this pandemic, check out these resources from the state Employment Security Department:

More resources are available at coronavirus.wa.gov.

Practice compassion

Don’t let sunshine and holidays tempt you to break the Stay Home, Stay Healthy order. It is critical that we keep social distancing and washing our hands right now and in the weeks to come. A bit of spring sun might make us want to go to areas that crowd easily like playgrounds or walking paths, but now is not the time. Remember, we can enjoy the sunshine by gardening or walking with people who live with us. If you live in an apartment or without access to a yard you can walk the block in your neighborhood, just make sure you keep distance from any people you encounter. Staying home is a compassionate act that protects the health of our community.

More information

Stay tuned to our blog for more information on how you can help stop the spread of COVID-19. Sign up to be notified whenever we post new articles.

Information in this blog changes rapidly. Check the state’s COVID-19 website for up-to-date and reliable info at coronavirus.wa.gov.

Answers to your questions or concerns about COVID-19 in Washington state may be found at our website. You can also contact our call center at 1–800–525–0127. Hours: 6 am-10 pm, seven days a week.

CHA Washington