We know you’re probably sick of hearing about it; everyone the world over is probably sick of hearing about it, but if you’re one of the people that have to go out to work in this mess, it’s important to know how to stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. People the planet over are likely intimately familiar with our good friends' social distancing and hand washing, but is that enough to keep workers safe?

Today’s how-to safety guide goes out to all the electricians still working to bring the people power. After all, electricity is an important tool during this crisis, so you need to keep healthy and safe as well. To help you out in that endeavor here are a few safety tips to keep you in tip-top shape.

If You Don’t Feel Great, Don’t Go To Work

The first thing that needs to be said is, if anyone feels that they may have COVID-19, they should call their doctor and consult with them on what to do next. Even if it’s just mild symptoms, stay home.You can still transmit the virus, so quarantine is your best option.

As It Turns Out, Washing Your Hands Is Still the Best Defense

Like we said before, everyone is very familiar with washing their hands. Sure, it’s a habit that you’ve (hopefully) had since childhood - but keeping your hands clean is literally your first line of defense. The really insidious thing about coronavirus is the fact that it is incredibly easy to spread, therefore, it’s important to wash your hands frequently with soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds. If you don’t have the means to wash your hands readily available, then use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol or more. If possible, hand washing and sanitizing stations should be set up throughout the worksite.

Keep Surfaces Clean

Coronavirus can stick to surfaces for days; in the case of certain materials like metal, it can remain viable for up to three days. Because the virus is easy to contract by touching surfaces, it’s important to disinfect them regularly.

Report Potentially Ill Employees

If you believe that a fellow coworker has contracted coronavirus - is displaying signs of fever or respiratory distress - then you should immediately inform your employer so they can take appropriate steps to handle the situation. If you’re an employer and you’re reading this, then you should take steps to remove the worker from the job site and have them return with a doctor’s note stating that they are well enough to work. It’s also imperative that all employees that have been in contact with the (potentially) ill worker be notified so they can take steps to lessen the spread of infection.

Employees Have the Right to Avoid Dangerous Job Sites

With this pandemic bringing much concern and confusion to many workplaces, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) has put together a set of guidelines to provide helpful instruction to workers during this national emergency. One guideline of importance is that if the employee has reason to believe that they could be endangered by entering a particular job site, they have the right to refuse, in order to preserve their own safety (and that of their family).

We’re sure that as electricians, you all practice job site safety every time you go into work. With the advent of this pandemic hitting the United States, you’ve likely been keeping abreast of safety measures at home, too. Some of these tips probably are things that you’ve heard before, but hey, better safe than sorry.

For more tips on how to keep safe during this pandemic, you can go to the National Electrical Contractors Association’s website to check out their Coronavirus Resource Center. You can also check out OSHA’s website for more preventative measures, as well. If there’s anything that you feel is important that we may not have mentioned, let us all know in the comments below! Now more than ever, we all should stay connected and share whatever knowledge we have with each other.

ElectricianTalk.com