Moving Words – Virus

Timothy Brady

“Today, there are no proven safe and effective therapies for the coronavirus. That doesn’t mean that we’re not going to do everything we can to make things that have even a hint of efficacy more readily available.”  – Dr. Anthony Fauci.

The COVID-19 National Emergency guidelines regard HHG movers as providing essential services. Therefore, it’s imperative movers do their part in stopping the spread of this virus in the communities where we work, accidentally carrying it to the communities we travel through, or to which we ultimately deliver.

It’s a mover’s responsibility to take the extra steps to protect themselves, their crews and the people with whom they come into contact. Movers are on the front line in the fight against the spread of Coronavirus in our communities.

For the safety of all concerned, it’s recommended:

In the trucks and during a move at a residence:

1. At the beginning and end of each shift, all trucks are wiped down inside and outside before and after every move. This includes door handles, steering wheels, dashboards, seatbelts, dollies, hand tools. All trucks will be equipped with trash receptacles and trash bags for disposal of all cleaning materials and gloves.
2. All trucks will be equipped with a large bottle of hand sanitizer, to be used as necessary.
3. Throughout the move, crews will wear Nitrile exam-style gloves, then put them in a trash bag and then dispose of that bag into a trash can.
4. Moving crew members will practice care with their personal hygiene by properly washing their hands after using the toilet and then putting on a new pair of Nitrile exam-style gloves.
5. Avoid body contact with others.
6. If a crew member or van operator is experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms or has been in contact with anyone within the past 14 days who has displayed symptoms or tested positive with Coronavirus, that person should call in and not come to work.
7. All crews will consist of the same team members throughout the national or state quarantine period. No team will consist of more than ten individuals.
8. All members are encouraged to practice respiratory etiquette, including covering coughs and sneezes either with a tissue or into the crook of their elbow. With the use of a tissue, it should be disposed of correctly in a trash bag, then a trash receptacle. Members should promptly wash their hands thoroughly with soap or use hand sanitizer.

In the warehouse:

1. Commercial hand-washing stations should be readily available in all warehouses where employees, contractors and van operators enter the building. Signs should be posted requiring they wash their hands for a minimum of 20 seconds and then fully dry their hands with supplied paper towels.
2. All individuals will carry their own personal hand sanitizer to be used any time they touch another person or before touching their own face.
3. Body contact with others is discouraged. If it occurs, use hand sanitizer.
4. All surfaces and commonly-handled components are wiped down at least twice daily. This includes door handles, desks, drawers, phones, light switches, keyboard/mouse/speakers; toilets, faucets and countertops.
5. Warehouse crews and van operators will wear Nitrile exam-style gloves, then put them in a trash bag and then dispose of that bag into a trash can at the end of each day. If a glove should become torn, replace it before proceeding. Put the torn glove in a trash bag and then dispose of that bag into a trash can.

Office Staff:

1. Establish policies and practices, such as flexible worksites (e.g., telecommuting) and flexible work hours (e.g., staggered shifts), to increase the physical distance among employees and between employees and others. Maintain social distancing strategies between employees.
2. Encourage move estimators to do their move estimates through the use of Facetime or remote conferencing platform apps like Zoom.
3. Discourage employees from using other workers’ phones, desks, offices, or other work tools and equipment. If this is not practical, have employees wipe down the item with a disinfectant.
4. Maintain regular housekeeping practices, including routine cleaning and disinfecting of surfaces, equipment, and other elements of the work environment. When choosing cleaning chemicals, employers should consult information on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-approved disinfectant labels with claims against emerging viral pathogens. Products with EPA-approved emerging viral pathogens claims are expected to be effective against SARS-CoV-2 based on data for harder-to-kill viruses. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for use of all cleaning and disinfection products; e.g., concentration, application method and contact time, Personal Protection Equipment (PPE).

Implement Workplace Controls

Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHA) professionals use a framework called the “hierarchy of controls” to select ways of controlling workplace hazards. In other words, the best way to control a hazard is to systematically remove it from the workplace, rather than relying on workers to reduce their exposure. During a COVID-19 outbreak, when it may not be possible to eliminate the hazard, the most effective protection measures are (listed from most effective to least effective): engineering controls, administrative controls, safe work practices (a type of administrative control), and PPE. There are advantages and disadvantages to each type of control measure when considering the ease of implementation, effectiveness, and cost. In most cases, a combination of control measures will be necessary to protect workers from exposure to SARS-CoV-2.

References for further Information:

CDC guidance for businesses provides employers and workers with recommended SARS-CoV-2 infection prevention strategies to implement in workplaces: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/guidance-business-response.html

OSHA Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19:
https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3990.pdf