Virginia Dept. of Health Interim Guidance - Screening, Monitoring & Testing Employees Return to Work

The Virginia Department of Health Interim Guidance on Screening, Monitoring and Testing Employees Returning to Work: Non-Essential Workforce app considers key information about the user's workplace, individual personnel within an organization, suppliers and contractors, and more. The app can help make sure sick employees stay at home while tracking test results, subjecting any cases to rapid contract tracing, and reporting them to the appropriate state authorities.

The workplace checklist component of this app checks for the availability of handwashing stations and hand sanitizer enabling businesses to rapidly refill these supplies if they are running low to encourage proper hand hygiene. The personnel screening checklist enables personnel to identify any recent COVID-19 test, to request a temperature check, and to have employees self-report if symptoms of COVID-19 are present or if they have had known exposure in the recent past. If a positive test is noted, the app presents the user with the option to report that result to the Virginia Department of Health. Additional guidelines are present if there are three or more positive tests indicating that a notification should be made to the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry's Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) offices. The app prompts the user to provide information related to social distancing practices at the business , while also promoting the wearing of facemasks or cloth face coverings, the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, respirators, and other standard equipment, implementing telework, and providing personnel with COVID-19 training. Businesses are also encouraged to prepare and implement preparedness and response plans within 60 days of reopening. Located within this app is a job hazard analysis geared towards workers. This analysis helps identify job hazards that may increase the risk of COVID-19 infection and identify ways to mitigate potential infection.

Overall, this app's use can help businesses identify ways to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace, improve employee health and safety, ensure the healthcare system and healthcare providers are not subject to an influx of work-related cases, and enable companies to remain operational in these trying times. By promoting the disinfecting of worksites, proper hand hygiene, health screening, self-monitoring, and self-reporting into business practices, businesses can reduce potential exposure, promote a healthy workplace, and safeguard business outcomes by avoiding shutdowns or outbreaks.