Signs You May Need to Replace Your Cloth Face Mask
Wearing a cloth face mask or covering when you’re out in public is essential for preventing the spread of COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). How do you know when it’s time to replace your cloth face mask?
While many Americans are following CDC, state and local guidance for wearing cloth face masks when they’re out in public, some may be wondering whether the masks they wear are still as effective. In addition, many may be forgetting to wash their mask after each use.
Knowing When It’s Time to Replace Your Cloth Face Mask or Covering
According to Christopher Sulmonte, the project administrator for the Biocontainment Unit at John Hopkins Medical, there’s not an exact timeline for how long you can use a cloth face mask before it needs to be replaced. The original quality of the mask and the harshness of your washing machine play large roles in how quickly your mask may deteriorate.
To see if your mask needs to be replaced, you can:
Hold your mask up to a light to check for visible fading or spots that you can see through.
Inspect your mask for any holes.
Check the fit of your mask to make sure it still fits snugly over your nose and mouth.
If your mask has visible fading, holes or see-through spots, or fits loosely, it’s time to replace your mask.
In addition, if you live in an area with colder weather, you can go outside with your mask on to see how far your breath travels through your mask. If your breath travels more than an inch through your mask, it’s time to replace your mask.
Tips for Cleaning Your Cloth Face Mask or Covering
According to the CDC, you should wash your cloth face mask or covering after each wear. As such, it’s recommended that you have more than one mask to have a safe mask to wear each day.
The CDC explains there are two methods for washing your masks:
Using a washing machine—You can include your mask(s) with your regular laundry and detergent.
Washing by hand—You can wash your mask(s) by hand, too. To do so, put your mask(s) in a bowl or bin. Use tap water, and detergent or soap to wash the mask, rinsing thoroughly to remove detergent or soap.
The CDC also states that you can use your dryer or air dry your mask(s). However, be sure to check the fabric tags of your mask(s) before using the dryer. In some cases, to preserve the fit and fabric of your masks, you may need to air dry them.
Remember, wearing a mask can help you protect yourself and prevent the spread of COVID-19 during the pandemic.
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As one of the fastest-growing agencies in California, GDI Insurance Agency, Inc. is able to provide its clients with the latest and greatest of what the insurance industry has to offer and much, much more. The GDI team has developed an “insurance cost reduction”quoting plan, that provides you with the best coverage at the best rate!
We are headquartered in Turlock, CA, with locations across the heart of California’s Central Valley, Northern California and beyond to provide a local feel to the solutions and services we provide our clients. We pride ourselves on exceeding our client’s expectations in every interaction to make sure that our client’s know how much we value and appreciate their business.
Contact us today 1-209-634-2929 for your comprehensive insurance quote!
Supporting Employees During a Potentially Lonely Holiday Season
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed many aspects of daily life—including how employees celebrate for the holidays. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urged all Americans to avoid gathering and traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday, and these sentiments will likely apply to future holiday celebrations as well. This may include—but is not limited to—Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa and New Year’s Eve, making this a potentially lonely holiday season.
Although following the CDC’s advice is essential to prevent the spread of COVID-19, canceling trips and holiday plans can make for a lonely holiday season for many employees. This article discusses ways to support employees during this unprecedented holiday season.
Employee Mental Health and Lonely Holiday Season
The holiday season is traditionally a stressful one for employees in general, but employees will likely be more stressed out this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and having to cancel holiday plans.
After almost a full year of disruption and uncertainty, many employees have experienced stress and disappointment, which could be negatively affecting their overall health. A report from Limeade, an employee experience software company, found that:
Forty-nine percent of employees have less energy to participate in non-work-related activities.
Forty-two percent of employees have trouble sleeping.
Forty-two percent of employees are less interested in socializing with friends.
In addition, about one-third of employees reported consuming more alcohol or using other substances more than usual to cope with their stress. These unhealthy coping mechanisms could affect employees’ personal and professional lives, which makes it all the more important to support them.
An employer’s role is to support employees—including their mental health and well-being. That support is even more important during a global pandemic and an unprecedented holiday season, as employees may be struggling to cope with the uncertainty.
Best Practices for Supporting Employees During a Lonely Holiday Season
How you choose to support employees during this stressful and potentially lonely holiday season depends upon your organization’s values, culture and budget. However, there are a handful of low- to no-cost ways you can provide support. This includes the following best practices:
Connect with employees. Intentionally check in with direct reports on a regular basis and simply ask, “Are you OK?” The best way to help employees is to start by asking how they are doing. Employees may choose not to engage, and that’s fine too, but it’s important to approach that conversation. Additionally, consider asking what kind of support would be helpful to your employees, and reinforce that the door is open if and when they’d like to talk.
Model healthy behaviors. To be a good example to other employees, prioritize self-care and set boundaries. Be vocal and open about what you’re doing to take care of yourself and avoid burnout.
Be vulnerable. To help decrease the stigma of mental health challenges, be transparent about personal struggles or experiences. Doing so can help other employees feel comfortable talking about how they’re truly doing during the pandemic and this holiday season.
Host a virtual holiday event. If your budget and workload allow, consider hosting a virtual holiday event. By offering a safe way to celebrate the holidays, you may help employees combat feelings of loneliness or disappointment if they have to cancel their own personal holiday plans. Some simple virtual holiday celebration ideas include:
Virtual mixers designed for multiple conversations to take place at once, rather than one big video conference
Ugly sweater contests
Holiday karaoke events
Gingerbread house building and decorating activities
Wine and cheese parties
Online escape rooms
Trivia contests
Virtual gift exchanges
Communicate regularly. Help remove unnecessary stress by setting expectations about workloads and clarifying any modified work hours and norms. Strive for weekly communications from the organization to inform employees about company news and updated policies related to the pandemic.
Highlight available resources. Last but not least, it’s important to make employees aware of available mental health resources and encourage them to use such offerings. The most commonly desired workplace features are an open and accepting culture, clearer information about where to go or who to ask for support, and training to help managers have productive behavioral health conversations.
Remember, everyone’s situation is different, so it’s important to remain sensitive to the fact that some employees may be carrying on as usual during these times, while others may be struggling. Avoid calling out specific employees and make sure to keep any conversations about an employee’s mental health or stressors confidential.
Summary
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt employees’ lives across the country, creating additional stress, worry and disappointment for many. Supporting employees during difficult times such as these has never been more important.
California’s Leader in Insurance and Risk Management
As one of the fastest-growing agencies in California, GDI Insurance Agency, Inc. is able to provide its clients with the latest and greatest of what the insurance industry has to offer and much, much more. The GDI team has developed an “insurance cost reduction” quoting plan, that provides you with the best coverage at the best rate! We are headquartered in Turlock, CA, with locations across the heart of California’s Central Valley, Northern California and beyond to provide a local feel to the solutions and services we provide our clients. We pride ourselves on exceeding our client’s expectations in every interaction to make sure that our client’s know how much we value and appreciate their business.
Contact us today 1-209-634-2929 for your comprehensive insurance quote!
At the end of the calendar year, workplace holiday parties are an experience that many employees look forward to as a highlight of the season. These celebrations are often a long-standing tradition allowing employees to celebrate with their colleagues—and sometimes family and guests.
However, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many organizations are evaluating how to engage employees safely this holiday season. Employers find themselves tasked with deciding whether they should cancel, postpone or offer an amended celebration that prioritizes safety—with many choosing to offer a virtual holiday party.
Virtual holiday parties can help increase employee engagement—but also come with a set of challenges. In addition to concerns regarding the coronavirus, holiday events can carry a financial cost and create risks for organizations if employees participate in inappropriate behaviors. This article gives an overview of virtual holiday parties and offers ideas and considerations for employers planning a virtual celebration.
The State of Workplace Holiday Parties During the Coronavirus
According to firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. who conducts annual workplace holiday party surveys, most employers are either canceling their party altogether or hosting it virtually this holiday season. Their annual survey found that:
Twenty-three percent of organizations plan to host a year-end celebration in 2020, down from 76% in 2019.
Forty-four percent of organizations canceling holiday parties this year cite COVID-19 as the reason for canceling.
Seventy-four percent of those planning to offer a holiday party are doing so virtually.
These findings show that, while holiday parties are generally popular, employers are adapting to address current realities. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution to offering a year-end celebration during the COVID-19 pandemic, and employers have a variety of options to engage their employees safely.
Considerations for Offering Workplace Virtual Holiday Parties
Holiday parties can impact employees in a variety of ways. Specifically, these events can boost:
Team chemistry and camaraderie
Employee motivation
Employee engagement
Additionally, holiday parties can give employees a break from the standard workday and even serve as an informal meeting to discuss next year’s goals and instill company values.
How an organization chooses to celebrate varies by workplace, but employers considering a virtual event may find that many of the shared experiences of a year-end celebration can take place in a remote environment.
Planning Workplace Virtual Holiday Parties
A virtual environment won’t always fully replicate the in-person experience that many employees have come to expect for celebrations. Despite this, with careful planning, employers can still plan a virtual event that satisfies employees. Similar to when planning an in-person celebration, there are steps employers will want to take, which include:
Establishing a budget for the event
Creating the event’s guest list, which may include:
All employees
A specific team, department or location
In some cases, family members or guests
Establishing and communicating expectations for employees, including appropriate behaviors and other related policies
Planning, promoting and hosting the event
Factors such as a budget and how you intend to engage employees may influence what type of celebration makes sense for your organization. Holiday celebrations often involve a variety of activities, and the good news is that many of these can be offered virtually via online platforms or video chat. Examples of virtual holiday celebrations include:
Virtual mixers designed for multiple conversations to take place at once, rather than one big video conference
Ugly sweater contest
Holiday karaoke
Gingerbread house building and decorating
Wine and cheese party
Online escape room
Trivia contest
Virtual gift exchange
These are some ideas for employers to consider and may require some advance planning. For example, in some cases, employers may choose to provide party supplies for the employee, which would require gathering and shipping those items to each employees’ home before the celebration. Or, employers may need to prepare a list of trivia questions or instructions for guided activities, such as the online escape room.
When it comes to planning for virtual holiday events, employers can consider planning the activity internally or using providers or vendors that specialize in event planning.
Alternative Methods for Recognizing Employees
Generally, holiday parties carry a cost, and diverting funds to throwing a celebration may not be an option, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although employees may be disappointed due to not being able to participate in a holiday party, employers can lift their spirits in other ways.
Many employees may appreciate a gift or form of recognition as a replacement for their prized holiday party. Alternative methods for recognizing employees can include:
Giving employees a holiday gift
Sponsoring employees to make a charitable gift
Recognizing each employee for their individual contributions
As many organizations encounter financial restraints, holiday celebrations are not a requirement by any means. However, it’s important to consider showing appreciation for employees in some way to boost engagement and morale.
Virtual Holiday Party Best Practices
Workplace holiday parties can present a host of liabilities for organizations each year. While virtual celebrations won’t take place at a physical venue, employers should still proceed cautiously. Employees joining an event remotely aren’t immune from engaging in inappropriate behaviors. Holiday parties can remain a risk for employers—but employers can mitigate undesirable outcomes by planning effectively. Best practices include:
Evaluating your policies—With an increased number of employees working remotely—and the holiday event taking place virtually as well—ensure your employee handbook addresses remote behaviors to help mitigate risks. Employees should have easy access to an employee handbook and all policies, and be aware that a holiday celebration is considered a workplace event, meaning that all behaviors are expected to comply with organizational policies.
Keeping holiday celebrations optional—Depending on an employee’s exemption status, they may need to be compensated for their time, leading to challenges for mandating their attendance at a virtual event. Additionally, while many employees will be excited about a celebration, others may feel differently. With this in mind, it may be easier to make attendance optional.
Keeping the celebration general—There is some debate over the appropriateness of observing one holiday over another. However, focusing on offering a broader “holiday party” while avoiding specific religious celebrations can be inclusive to employees of varying backgrounds and beliefs.
Setting expectations for behaviors—Unfortunately, many holiday parties can lead to inappropriate behaviors by attendees. Despite being remote, employers should be aware that consequential employee behaviors can also take place virtually. Employers can mitigate undesired behaviors by setting expectations for attendees. Be sure to include these expectations in the employee handbook and communicate them to employees.
These best practices help mitigate the risk of employees engaging in inappropriate behaviors and best ensure that employees have a positive experience.
Holiday Celebrations in Your Workplace
While holiday celebrations can positively impact a workplace culture—there is also a case for forgoing a celebration. In addition to safety concerns, these events may have a financial cost, and holiday parties can present risks for employers, such as employees engaging in inappropriate behaviors. While virtual events may be able to mitigate common concerns such as excessive alcohol consumption that can lead to inappropriate behaviors, employers should know that poor behaviors can also take place in the virtual environment.
Employers who typically host an annual celebration, but are choosing not to do so this year, should consider explaining to employees why throwing a holiday party isn’t feasible. While some employees will be disappointed in this decision, they’ll still appreciate the sincerity and transparency.
As the end of the year approaches, employers find themselves torn between postponing, canceling or hosting a holiday celebration using safe practices. Employers should consider what type of celebration makes sense for their organization, even if that means not having one this year. For additional employee engagement resources, contact GDI Insurance Agency, Inc.
California’s Leader in Insurance and Risk Management
As one of the fastest-growing agencies in California, GDI Insurance Agency, Inc. is able to provide its clients with the latest and greatest of what the insurance industry has to offer and much, much more. The GDI team has developed an “insurance cost reduction” quoting plan, that provides you with the best coverage at the best rate!
We are headquartered in Turlock, CA, with locations across the heart of California’s Central Valley, Northern California and beyond to provide a local feel to the solutions and services we provide our clients. We pride ourselves on exceeding our client’s expectations in every interaction to make sure that our client’s know how much we value and appreciate their business.
As COVID-19 cases continue to surge across the country, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued updated guidelines for safe Thanksgiving celebrations this year.
These updated guidelines focus on remaining safe during small gatherings, which the CDC points to as being a contributor to the current increase in COVID-19 cases.
As a reminder, the CDC’s guidelines are not meant to replace—but rather supplement—any state, local, territorial, or tribal health and safety laws, rules and regulations with which all gatherings must comply.
What’s the Safest Way to Celebrate?
The guidelines reiterate that the safest way to celebrate is with people from your household or virtually.
Considerations for In-person Thanksgiving Celebrations
Gathering with people who are not from your household poses varying levels of risk. If you’re considering attending or hosting an in-person celebration for Thanksgiving, there are some things you need to consider, which include:
Community levels of COVID-19—Do you live in an area that’s experiencing a high number of COVID-19 cases? Are other attendees coming from highly affected areas?
Potential exposure during travel—In addition to considering the community levels of COVID-19, consider your or other attendees’ level of exposure during travel.
Location of gathering (indoor or outdoor)—Indoor gatherings are considered to be a higher-risk activity than outdoor activities.
Duration of gathering—Generally speaking, the longer you’re in contact with someone who has COVID-19, the more likely it is that you will get it too.
Number of people expected to attend—Although the CDC doesn’t have a limit or recommended amount of guests per gathering, the more people attending an event increases the risk for COVID-19 spread.
Behaviors of attendees prior to gathering—If attendees have not been practicing social distancing, wearing masks or following hand-washing guidance, the risk for COVID-19 spread is greater.
Behaviors of attendees during gathering—If social distancing, mask-wearing and hand-washing behaviors are not followed during the gathering, the risk for COVID-19 spread is greater.
This holiday season, consider how your holiday plans can be modified to reduce the spread of COVID-19 to keep your friends, families and communities healthy and safe.
Those Who Should Not Attend or Host an In-person Celebration
The CDC’s guidelines explain that certain people should not attend in-person celebrations for Thanksgiving.
High-risk guests—Individuals who are at a higher risk for severe illness, or live or work with a high-risk individual, should avoid attending or hosting in-person celebrations. Those who are considered to be at an increased risk include:
Older adults
People with underlying health conditions
Symptomatic guests—Those who have symptoms of COVID-19 or are waiting to receive results of a viral COVID-19 test should not attend or host in-person celebrations.
Guests who have or have been exposed to COVID-19—Those who have tested positive for COVID-19 or have been exposed to someone who has tested positive should not attend or host in-person celebrations.
Carefully consider your personal situation and decide whether it’s safe for you and others to attend or host an in-person Thanksgiving celebration.
Guidelines for Safely Hosting an In-person Gathering
If you are hosting an in-person Thanksgiving celebration, keep these tips from the CDC in mind to prevent the spread of COVID-19:
Sit and eat outside, if possible. If an outdoor gathering isn’t feasible, try to keep windows open during the indoor gathering.
Limit the number of guests you invite.
Set safety expectations with guests ahead of time (e.g., mask-wearing, social distancing and hand-washing expectations).
Consider asking guests to bring their own food, drink and utensils.
If sharing food, have one person serve food, and use single-use utensils.
Limit the number of people in food preparation areas.
In addition to the above guidelines, be sure to promote social distancing at your gathering whenever possible; encourage guests to wear masks; and have soap and water, or hand sanitizer available for guests to clean their hands.
Guidelines for Attending In-person Thanksgiving Celebrations
If you’re attending an in-person celebration, keep these tips in mind to prevent the spread of COVID-19:
Bring your own food, drink, utensils, plates and cups.
Wear a mask whenever possible.
Avoid areas where food is being prepared or handled, such as the kitchen.
Use single-use plates, drinkware and flatware when possible.
In addition to these guidelines, be sure to practice social distancing and hand-washing techniques while at the gathering.
Guidelines for Traveling
Get your flu shot before you travel. Contact your doctor or click here to see where flu shots are available.
Wear a mask in public settings and when on public transportation.
Practice social distancing by staying at least 6 feet apart from people you don’t live with.
Frequently wash your hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water aren’t available, use hand sanitizer.
Do not touch your mask, eyes, nose and mouth.
Bring extra masks, hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes.
In addition, avoid making any unnecessary stops while traveling to limit your potential exposure as much as possible.
What to Do if You Were Potentially Exposed While Traveling or Celebrating Thanksgiving
If you were exposed to COVID-19 at a holiday gathering, the CDC recommends that you self-quarantine for 14 days and consider getting tested for COVID-19, even if you don’t have any symptoms.
While quarantining, monitor your symptoms and contact a doctor or hospital immediately if you experience any of the following:
Although the holidays are generally a time of getting together and celebrating, the CDC is urging everyone to be smart this year in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Successful business is all about accountability. Each worker’s individual contributions build on one another and culminate into something greater, to the benefit of the company and its customers. Conversely, when some individuals struggle with their performance, the entire organization can suffer. These poor workplace performance among remote workers tips will help you recognize and deal with performance issues.
Unfortunately, addressing poor performance isn’t always easy. This is especially true amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as remote working often makes accountability more complicated. This article offers five tips to help employers manage poor performance in the workplace, even while everyone is working from home.
1. Address the Poor Workplace PerformanceProblem Quickly
The longer poor workplace performance goes unchecked, the more damage it causes. Strategies such as incidental counseling, frequent check-ins and 360-degree reviews can all be useful for identifying and curtailing poor performance early on. Even if the majority of the workforce is working remotely, it’s critical to budget ways to check in and monitor performance in an ongoing manner—particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the margin between success and failure is razor thin.
2. Have Difficult Conversations
Difficult conversations aren’t easy for many people, managers included. In fact, nearly 20% of top executives struggle to hold others accountable, according to the Harvard Business Review. This is a problem, since issues left unaddressed will almost always worsen over time.
A poorly performing employee isn’t likely to improve if left to their own devices—employers need to have tough conversations. This doesn’t entail laying into the employee, however. Rather, employers need to thoughtfully explain where they’ve noticed performance lapses and work candidly with the employee toward improvement.
These conversations should be face-to-face (e.g., a video call) and cover the following:
Explicit examples of where the employee’s performance is waning
A clearly defined standard that the employee must meet to no longer be considered a poor performer
Probing questions to identify problem areas, such as:
What’s different now from when your performance was better?
What’s not working as well for you, be it a workflow issue, new work arrangement, co-worker relationship or something else?
For what and to whom are you accountable?
An agreed-upon goal and timeline for assessing improvement
The end goal of these conversations should be to correct the problem, not necessarily discipline the employee. For instance, an employer may discover through this process that a workflow is the main hinderance, not an individual.
In other words, migrating to a work-from-home arrangement can create unforeseen problems, which can resemble individual shortcomings. By having tough conversations, employers can figure out the truth and help work toward a solution.
3. Follow Up on Progress
Establishing performance improvement goals is only worthwhile if employees are held to them. A clear goal with measurable standards should’ve been established during the initial performance conversation with the employee. Employers should follow up about everything that was discussed during that meeting.
The length of time between the initial meeting and follow-up will vary by situation. For instance, if the main problem turned out to be workflow-related—rather than solely about performance—it may take longer to establish a fix, since that solution may necessitate input from many stakeholders. In other cases, such as when an employee is distracted by personal responsibilities, an employer may have quicker turnaround expectations and follow up sooner.
4. Keep a Detailed Record
Employers should document all performance-related issues from the onset. That means as soon as a manager notices dwindling performance, a paper trail should begin. In a remote setting, this would entail collecting emails, chat transcripts and other logs. Doing so will help guide performance improvement by cataloging specific examples for the employee to work on and identifying different time periods to compare performance against.
The record should also include meeting notes to document anything that’s discussed during performance meetings, including specific action steps and goals. Employers may consider recording video calls, with employee consent, to keep a more accurate record. Not only will this documentation help employers track performance improvement, it may also be necessary for justifying an employee’s termination if they do not improve.
5. Seek Additional Manager Training
Performance issues can often be corrected through swift action. But, if managers are unable to recognize or address poor performance with their direct reports, problems will only continue. Managers may have different blind spots in this regard. Some may not track performance closely enough, while others may speculate as to the cause of the poor performance without actually addressing it.
That’s why manager training is so important. Managers should be able to spot when performance is declining and have the resolve to address those situations with employees. This is the only method for getting to the root cause and improving the circumstances. It’s not prudent to expect employees to bring up their limited performance on their own.
Speak with GDI Insurance Agency, Inc. for more workplace guidance, including additional best practices for managers.
California’s Leader in Insurance and Risk Management
As one of the fastest growing agencies in California, GDI Insurance Agency, Inc. is able to provide its clients with the latest and greatest of what the insurance industry has to offer and much, much more. The GDI team has developed an “insurance cost reduction” quoting plan, that provides you with the best coverage at the best rate!
We are headquartered in Turlock, CA, with locations across the heart of California’s Central Valley, Northern California and beyond to provide a local feel to the solutions and services we provide our clients. We pride ourselves on exceeding our client’s expectations in every interaction to make sure that our client’s know how much we value and appreciate their business.
Preventing and Responding to LandscapersHypothermia
Working outdoors in the winter can expose you to dangerously low temperatures. This cold weather can heighten your risk of experiencing a variety of complications—such as hypothermia. It’s important to review how Preventing and Responding to LandscapersHypothermia for your team.
That’s why it’s crucial to utilize proper safety measures while you work in frigid temperatures. Review the following guidance to learn more about what hypothermia is, how to prevent it and what to do in the event that a co-worker develops any symptoms.
What Is Hypothermia?
Hypothermia can occur when your body’s core temperature falls below 95 degrees Fahrenheit. This condition is typically caused by exposure to extreme cold, but can also happen after getting drenched by rain or submerged in frigid water. Common symptoms of hypothermia include:
Shivering
Drowsiness and exhaustion
Confusion
Shallow breathing
Slurred speech
Loss of coordination
Unconsciousness
If left ignored or improperly treated, hypothermia can be fatal.
Preventing and Responding to Landscapers Hypothermia
Implement the following safety precautions to help prevent hypothermia on the job:
Always check the weather before working outdoors to properly prepare yourself. Try to limit your time outside if weather conditions are extremely cold, wet or windy.
Wear several breathable, yet protective layers of clothing while you work. This includes an inner layer to keep sweat away from the skin (lightweight wool), a middle layer to warm the body (fleece or microfiber insulation) and an outer layer that will repel wind, snow and rain (polyester or nylon). In addition to these layers, make sure you bundle up with:
A hat that covers your head and ears
A scarf or neck warmer
Mittens (rather than gloves)
Thick, wool socks
Waterproof boots that will keep your feet properly insulated
Be sure to eat healthy foods that are rich in carbohydrates and protein prior to working in the cold to help fuel your body. Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water before, during and after your shift.
If you start developing any early symptoms of hypothermia (e.g., shivering and drowsiness), tell your supervisor and go indoors to warm up. If your condition doesn’t improve, seek medical attention.
Responding to Hypothermia
In the event that a co-worker starts showing signs of hypothermia, follow these steps:
Move the individual out of the cold and inform your supervisor immediately. If the individual is unresponsive or not breathing, call 911. Provide CPR if needed (as long as you are certified to do so).
Remove any wet clothing that the individual is wearing. Provide them with warm clothing and blankets for insulation.
Keep the individual close to a heat source, such as a space heater or fireplace.
Be gentle with the individual—never rub or massage their skin in an attempt to warm them up, as this could trigger cardiac arrest.
If the individual is awake and alert, give them a warm (but not hot) beverage. Avoid offering them coffee or alcohol.
Keep in mind that these steps are not a substitute for proper medical care. Unless the individual’s symptoms are extremely mild, it is recommended that they seek medical attention.
Safety First
Your safety is our first priority. Talk to your supervisor if you have any further questions on preventing or responding to hypothermia.
California’s Leader in Insurance and Risk Management
As one of the fastest growing agencies in California, GDI Insurance Agency, Inc. is able to provide its clients with the latest and greatest of what the insurance industry has to offer and much, much more. The GDI team has developed an “insurance cost reduction” quoting plan, that provides you with the best coverage at the best rate!
We are headquartered in Turlock, CA, with locations across the heart of California’s Central Valley, Northern California and beyond to provide a local feel to the solutions and services we provide our clients. We pride ourselves on exceeding our client’s expectations in every interaction to make sure that our client’s know how much we value and appreciate their business.
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