Office regulations – Covid-19

Office Regulations - Covid-19

Obligations and duties of Mariza Olivier

  1. Mariza Olivier has a duty to herself – taking care of her own health and mental wellbeing to maintain and improve the standard of her professional knowledge and skills in the management of clients either healthy, affected by or suffering from COVID-19 infection and the impact on the communities, individuals and workplaces,
  2. She has a duty of care to clients to deliver reasonable clinical care and with concern for their wellbeing,
  3. Clients will be treated with dignity and respect. The use of equipment and facilities must adhere to guidelines on ramped up hygiene and cleaning after use,
  4. She has a duty to deal with scarce resources responsibly and this includes personal protective equipment,
  1. She has a duty to provide accurate information regarding her work environment to the public and ensure that they keep their own knowledge updated with current and correct information if needed.

Control measures at her office/work space

  1. The client area will be cleaned between client visits (essential) with a 70% alcohol environmental disinfectant,
  2. Frequently cleansing of touched objects often e.g. door handles
  3. Direct physical contact will be avoided, unless appropriate measures are taken to prevent the transmission of infection (example: hand shaking)
  4. Social distancing is in place in the consultation and therapy environment. Chairs will be placed at least 2 meters apart.

Personal Hygiene

  1. All clients should be screened for potential COVID-19 infection before they are allowed to enter. The COVID-19 Life symptom tracker will be used for this screening BEFORE Screening test is available . To do the screening test click HERE.
  2. Clients will be asked to wear a surgical mask in the case they present with symptoms of ANY respiratory infection,
  3. The CDC recommendations reflect the important role of hand hygiene for preventing the transmission of pathogens in healthcare settings for a wide range of pathogens. The ability of hand hygiene, including hand washing or the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers to prevent infections is related to reductions in the number of viable pathogens that transiently contaminate the hands. Hand washing mechanically removes pathogens, while laboratory data demonstrate that 60% ethanol and 70% isopropanol, the active ingredients in CDC-recommended alcohol-based hand sanitizers, inactivates viruses that are genetically related to, and with similar physical properties as COVID-19,
  4. All clients that enter the facility or practice shall use hand sanitiser. The therapist shall ensure that hand sanitiser is not only offered, but USED by the visitors and employees of the client. Hand sanitiser with 70% alcohol environmental disinfectant will be used,
  5. Mariza Olivier will practise good hand hygiene between clients – Hand-washing with soap and water for 20 seconds and have alcohol based hand rub available for use during and after consultations,
  6. Clients will be encouraged to practice cough etiquette.
  7. Tissues will be available during consultation and will be hygienically disposed after each consultation.

Surveillance

  1. As a healthcare worker, Mariza Olivier must advise any person that presents with symptoms to seek testing, and self-isolate at home to prevent the spread of COVID-19 infection to others that reside in the same residence. She will also notify the Life EHS / Careways case manager,
  2. Report suspected cases to the clinic if working on-site. If you suspect a client of having COVID-19 symptoms, please call the COVID-19 Hotline. Please also notify the Life EHS / Careways case manager,
  3. A complete database (ONLY the clients name and contact particulars of clients, date and time of appointment) will be kept in case of a client that shows no symptoms during consultation but test positive after consultation. This data base will be kept confidential and will only be made available for the NHLS (National Health Laboratory Service) Tracing team 

Exposure to COVID-19 and work

  1. In the case where the therapist presents with symptoms of respiratory infection, she will not go to work. She will should phone their case manager at Life EHS/Careways immediately reporting their symptoms, and report for testing at a testing facility. She will keep the case manager at Life EHS/Careways informed of her condition. She will also use the Life COVID–19 symptom tracker,
  2. In the case where a therapist has been exposed to a person with known COVID-19 infection, she will inform her case manager at Life EHS/Careways as a risk assessment should be done and a decision must be made about her self-isolating at home or to continue working.

Personal Protective Equipment

  1. No masks are required where social distancing of 2 meters can be maintained,
  2. A surgical mask is recommended where adequate social distancing cannot be maintained,
  3. Gloves are not recommended as hand hygiene is adequate to protect people from exposure. Gloves put users at more risk as they then tend to clean their hands less.

If you have any questions regarding the above aspects, please contact Careways directly on 086 123 4123 (during office hours) or send us an email:

 

 

Direct Line

086 1234 123