Home service businesses may find themselves in a tight spot with the onslaught of COVID-19. As we all know, the virus is transmitted from person to person. People are being advised to stay at home to limit their contact with other people. This will help reduce the risks of contracting the virus. Because of this, businesses that offer home services may find themselves confronted by problems.
Some families may feel apprehensive about letting you into their homes. Who knows if your workers have run into someone who is infected with the virus? Your employees may be carriers of the highly contagious virus.
If you’re starting to wonder how you can recover your investment for your house cleaning or lawn care business costs, stop. People will still hire home services. Parents who have their hands full homeschooling their children and working from home still need you. Seniors will still need your help to clean, disinfect, and tidy up their homes. But it would help if you assured them that your visit would be safe.
Ensure the Safety of Your Clients
You must ensure that you are not exposing your clients to coronavirus risks or any illnesses, for that matter. Your clients trust you enough to let you into their homes. You have a job of keeping and earning that trust.
If you are in the business of cleaning homes for seniors, you must remember that your clients are immunocompromised. This means that they are at a higher risk of getting severe symptoms if they contract the virus. If you are cleaning homes for families, you must ensure that you are not putting their children at risk, too.
You must regularly coordinate with your local and state health officials for updates on restrictions and the local condition in your community. You must apply mitigation strategies according to the level of transmission in your locality.
A response and control plan can help reduce the risks that you, your employees, and your clients are exposed to. Your plan must be specific to your business and work set-up. With the help of your employees, you must identify which areas of your business will likely expose you to the virus. Once you have identified your areas of exposure, establish control measures that will reduce your risks. It will help you maintain and continue your operations while reducing the risks of transmission among your employees.
Reduce the Risk of Transmission in Your Team
If your employees are healthy, are taking precautions, and are obeying health protocols, your clients will trust you. Require your employees to wear face masks every time they go out. Encourage frequent handwashing, and require them to bring hand sanitizers with them whenever they go to a client’s house.
Employees should also maintain at least 6 feet of distance from clients and their co-workers all the time. Employees who are sick should not report to work. They should notify you or their supervisor and monitor themselves if they develop symptoms of the disease.
Employees who test positive for the virus, or who lives with someone who tested positive, should follow the CDC’s guidelines on home isolation. They should not return to work until they comply with the CDC’s criteria on when to discontinue home isolation which include:
- At least 10 days have passed since the symptoms manifested.
- At least 24 hours have passed since the fever was resolved without the need for medications.
Depending on the situation of the employee, he or she may be required to undergo RT-PCR testing before discontinuing isolation to go back to work.
As a precaution, you should also conduct daily temperature and virtual health checks when your employees report to work.
Additional Safety Precautions You Can Take
You can never be too careful when trying to fight an enemy you cannot see. Here are additional safety precautions that you can apply in your business. These practices will help ensure your employees’ safety and assure your clients’ safety as well.
- Disinfect your tools and equipment before and after each appointment. The virus can live on surfaces for hours. Disinfect using EPA-approved disinfecting agents that can kill viruses off surfaces.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use a hand sanitizer with 70% alcohol whenever you are outside.
- Do not touch your eyes, nose, and mouth, especially when you are servicing a client’s home.
- Provide your employees with the necessary PPE.
As the world begins to go back to its usual operation, it is important to be always vigilant. You need to protect yourself, your employees, and your business. You can still provide your clients with safe and quality service by taking the necessary steps to keep your operation safe and COVID-free.
