The increasing numbers of COVID-19 infections over the year reflect the poor practice of self-protection and health protocols. Not everyone has the opportunity to work from home. Many workers, especially the blue collars, have to stake their health to maintain their income. It is because they are doing their work on site.
The blue collars are different from the frontlines worker in the pandemic. The frontlines worker knows what to avoid and what is safe (although it doesn’t mean that they are free from the threat). But most of the blue collars don’t. Their lack of knowledge will endanger the community’s safety.
Hence, a blue-collar worker will twice likely to die because of the coronavirus.
If you are one of them and have to risk your health, make sure you have maximum health protection. The protection is necessary because you are not only protecting yourself. When you are healthy, it means you keep people around you safe, especially people who share a house with you.
Basic Health Protocols
The measure for protecting yourself from the COVID-19 exposure depends on the risk of your jobs. If your type of work involves the potential interaction with many people or your workplace has a high risk of contamination, you need to implement a strict health protocol.
There are two types of health protocols. The first one is the safe work practices, and the second is personal protective equipment or PPE.
Safe work practices have to implement OSHA standards to prevent occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2. The employer has to make sure to train all employees about the danger of COVID-19. The employees should know about how COVID-19 spreads among people. If your workplace hasn’t conducted the training for the new employees, ask them. Remind your workmates to follow safe work practices, especially when you see someone is ignoring the health protocols. Stay at your home if you are not in good health, even though you are sure it is not because of the coronavirus. It is because someone who doesn’t feel well is more vulnerable to the coronavirus.
Personal protective equipment is essential to prevent yourself from getting infected. It applies everywhere, including in your workplace. Wear a mask as the fundamental measure. And use a face shield and hair cap if you are in contact with many people. Another extra self-protection is to wear gloves, mainly if you handle cash or various goods. It is to prevent yourself from the virus exposure through money or the things that have been in contact with your customers. The position that has a high risk of this exposure is a cashier.
If your profession requires you to come into someone’s house, those protective measurements are a must. Maintain the six feet distance to your clients.
Regular Check-Up and Screening
Someone who got infected by the COVID-19 (mostly) doesn’t show the symptoms until the next few days. It brings danger to people around them as they can spread the virus unconsciously. It might make the company becomes a new cluster for the COVID-19. Thus, it is essential to know the COVID-19 infection on someone as soon as possible.
You can start taking care of yourself by doing the COVID-19 biochemical screening or ask the company to conduct the program regularly. It can hinder the unnoticeable infection from spreading, or it can prevent someone from hiding their sickness.
Next, you have to ensure your health by doing a regular check-up and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Whenever you are feeling unwell, refrain from going to the hospital directly. It is to avoid direct exposure to the virus, especially when you are in a weak state. Use virtual healthcare service instead, or also known as telehealth. It allows you to get in contact with medical workers and consult about your health from your home. Although, in some cases, you may still have to come to the hospital if the doctor says that you have to. Just make sure that you are using the personal protective equipment.
It can be both blessings and threats to come to your workplace on-site. Many people wish they still have jobs to do, and many others struggle to survive in their house. You are lucky because you still have income for your living.
But the threats come if your work requires you to be in contact with many people. It is increasing the exposure risk to the COVID-19.
Therefore, you have to implement safe work practices and ask your workmates to do the same. Never forget to wear personal protective equipment wherever you are.
Suggest your company conducting a regular check-up session for the workers to ensure everyone’s well-being. Nothing is too much to protect you and the people around you.
