2020 Mandatory Preparedness Plan (EO 20-74 & EO 20-75)
COVID-19 Preparedness Plan for Call Sarah First, Inc via Realty Group
Realty Group is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace for all our staff and agents. To ensure we have a safe and healthy workplace, we have developed the following COVID-19 Preparedness Plan in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Leadership Team and all employees are all responsible for implementing this plan. Our goal is to mitigate the potential for transmission of COVID-19 in our workplaces and communities, and that requires full cooperation among all of us. Only through this cooperative effort can we establish and maintain the safety and health of everyone.
Everyone is responsible for implementing and complying with all aspects of this COVID-19 Preparedness Plan. Realty Group’s Agent Services have our full support in enforcing the provisions of this policy.
We are serious about safety and health and keeping us all working at Realty Group. Everyone’s involvement is essential in developing and implementing a successful COVID-19 Preparedness Plan. Our COVID-19 Preparedness Plan follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) guidelines, federal OSHA standards related to COVID-19 and Executive Order 20-48, and addresses:
• hygiene and respiratory etiquette;
• engineering and administrative controls for social distancing;
• cleaning, disinfecting, decontamination and ventilation;
• prompt identification and isolation of sick persons;
• communications and training that will be provided to managers and workers; and
• management and supervision necessary to ensure effective implementation of the plan.
Screening and policies for employees exhibiting signs and symptoms of COVID-19
Our team has been informed of and encouraged to self-monitor for signs and symptoms of COVID-19. The following policies and procedures are being implemented to assess health status prior to entering the workplace and to report when they are sick or experiencing symptoms.
● Self Daily Health Checks
● If you are experiencing any of the following please stay home.
● Cough
● Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
● Fever
● Chills
● Muscle Pain
● New loss of taste or smell
Realty Group has leave policies that promote staff staying at home when they are sick, when household members are sick, or when required by a health care provider to isolate or quarantine themselves or a member of their household.
● Notify your Director immediately if you are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19
● Work from home options may be available during the quarantine period.
Realty Group has also implemented a policy for informing staff if they have been exposed to a person with COVID-19 at their workplace and requiring them to quarantine for the required amount of time.
● Office staff will receive a phone call or text message with the information needed and the next steps.
● For Agents, we will send out a broker kit message along with posting the necessary information to our closed group Facebook page.
In addition, a policy has been implemented to protect the privacy of workers’ health status and health information. Realty Group will give out pertinent information only, the date, times and office location of the person with COVID-19. Example: Someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 was at the Coon Rapids office on Friday, June 12th from 9:00am - 12:00pm.
Handwashing
Basic infection prevention measures are being implemented at our workplaces at all times. Workers are instructed to wash their hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water frequently throughout the day, but especially at the beginning and end of their shift, prior to any mealtimes and after using the toilet. All customers and visitors to the workplace will be required to wash or sanitize their hands prior to or immediately upon entering the facility. Hand-sanitizer dispensers (that use sanitizers of greater than 60% alcohol) are at entrances and locations in the workplace so they can be used for hand hygiene in place of soap and water, as long as hands are not visibly soiled.
Sanitizing stations are set up around the offices along with bathroom and kitchen areas available for handwashing. Hand washing etiquette posters are posted at all handwashing areas.
● Maintain proper handwashing techniques
○ Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.
○ Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
○ Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.
○ Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
○ Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.
Respiratory etiquette: Cover your cough or sneeze
Everyone is instructed to cover their mouth and nose with their sleeve or a tissue when coughing or sneezing and to avoid touching their face, in particular their mouth, nose, and eyes, with their hands. You should dispose of tissues in provided trash receptacles and wash or sanitize Your hands immediately afterward. Respiratory etiquette will be demonstrated on posters and supported by making tissues and trash receptacles available to all staff, customers, and visitors.
Respiratory Etiquette posters will be posted throughout the office.
Social distancing
Social distancing of six feet will be implemented and maintained between staff, agents and visitors in the workplace through the following engineering and administrative controls:
Each staff member has their own workspace to work independently in.
Gloves and masks will be provided to all staff members.
All Earnest Monies or Checks and Altas will be mailed or dropped in the dropboxes.
Agent Drop-in areas are limited to Coon Rapids 2 agents at a time, Forest Lake 1 agent at a time, Apple Valley 1 agent at a time, Maple Grove 1 agent at a time, Brainerd 1 agent at a time for proper social distancing.
Disinfecting wipes will be provided at each drop-in location to ensure keyboards, mice, and workstations are clean.
Each in-office training will have a limited number of attendees. Registration will be required to participate in person.
Cleaning, disinfection, and ventilation
Regular housekeeping practices are being implemented, including routine cleaning and disinfecting of work surfaces, break rooms, meeting rooms. Frequent cleaning and disinfecting will be conducted in high-touch areas, such as phones, keyboards, touch screens, controls, door handles, elevator panels, railings, copy machines. Each office has a third party cleaner to disinfect high traffic areas. Disinfectant wipes and sprays are provided and available to all who enter the office to ensure clean workspaces. If someone should test positive for COVID-19 a professional cleaning company will come and sanitize and disinfect their area.
Appropriate and effective cleaning and disinfectant supplies have been purchased and are available for use in accordance with product labels, safety data sheets, and manufacturer specifications and are being used with required personal protective equipment for the product. Disinfectant Wipes and Sanitary Sprays have been placed throughout the office ventilation systems are being properly used and maintained. Steps are also being taken to minimize airflow blowing across people.
Communications and training
This COVID-19 Preparedness Plan was communicated by staff meetings and email to all staff Monday. June 15th, 2020 and necessary training was provided. Additional communication and training will be ongoing and provided to all workers who did not receive the initial training. Instructions will continue to be communicated to agents about how to drop off Earnest Money and Checks and Altas. hygiene and handwashing etiquette will be posted throughout our locations. Everyone will also be advised not to enter the workplace if they are experiencing symptoms or have contracted COVID-19 through staff meetings and common company messaging practices. Leadership staff will monitor how effective the program has been implemented by adding additional measures and checks to daily checklists and Leadership site checks. The Leadership Team and site staff are to work through this new program together and update the training as necessary. This COVID-19 Preparedness Plan has been certified by Realty Group management and was posted throughout the workplace Monday, June 15th, 2020. It will be updated as necessary.
