Safety Reset: Practice social distancing among colleagues
When around patients, Penn State Health employees understand the importance of donning personal protective equipment. Masks and eye protection, worn properly, help protect staff from a patient who may be asymptomatic with an active COVID-19 infection. But away from patients, some have been letting their guard down.
There’s been an increase in the number of employees who have tested positive for COVID. Tracing efforts show that some have acquired the virus by not practicing social distancing with colleagues in the workplace, especially in the cafeteria.
Just as our employees should assume any patient who comes through our doors may have COVID and take the necessary precautions, they should also take the same approach with their co-workers. Now in the ninth month of responding to COVID, “pandemic fatigue” can cause all of us to become complacent with safety efforts. Employees have been observed removing “no sitting” signs from chairs in order to sit next to a colleague. Staff have crowded onto elevators together. It’s critically important to be more vigilant in our efforts to keep our workplace and ourselves safe.
The pandemic is not going away anytime soon. Please continue to:
- Social distance in the workplace, regardless of whether in patient-facing settings or with colleagues in other areas.
- Follow the social distancing signs placed around our work environment, including roped-off seating and capacity limits for elevators and meeting rooms.
- Wear a mask whenever around others and unable to social distance.
- Frequently wash/sanitize hands and avoid touching face and eyes.
- Avoid large group activities.
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