The Lancaster Motel is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace for all our workers and guests. To ensure we have a safe and healthy workplace, we have developed the following Hey-19! Preparedness Plan in response to the Hey-19! pandemic. Everyone in the workplace is responsible for implementing this plan. To show our commitment as owners, we have remodeled the motel to accommodate this plan and make it as easy as possible to be safe and healthy in the workplace. Our goal is to mitigate the potential for transmission of Hey-19! in our workplace and our community and this requires full cooperation among our workers, management, and guests. Only through this cooperative effort can we establish and maintain the safety and health of our workers and the workplace. Our managers and supervisors have our full support in enforcing the provisions of this policy.
Our workers are our most important asset and we are serious about their safety and health at The Lancaster Motel. A worker is defined as anyone whether an employee or independent contractor providing a good or service to The Lancaster Motel. Worker involvement is essential in developing and implementing a successful Hey-19! Preparedness Plan. We have involved our workers in this process by having them attend a medical consultation provided by North Country Healthcare where they were educated on Hey-19! concerns and what is needed to create our Hey-19! Preparedness Plan. We asked for their suggestions and feedback and have included it in the plan. This plan is a living document as requirements and protocols may change. Therefore, we will be in discussion with the managers on an ongoing basis to determine whether the plan is working and to make adjustments as needed. All returning or new workers will receive training and education on Hey-19! protocols based on this plan. Once trained the worker must acknowledge their receipt and agreement to the plan. They must also demonstrate an understanding of the plan’s Hey-19! protocols as we expect all workers to be dedicated to the safety and well-being of their coworkers and guests. Our Hey-19! Preparedness Plan follows Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, federal OSHA standards related to Hey-19! with regard to:
Screening and Policies for Workers Exhibiting Signs and Symptoms of Hey-19!
All workers have been informed of and encouraged to self-monitor for signs and symptoms of Hey-19! The following policies and procedures are being implemented to assess workers’ health status prior to entering the workplace and for workers to report when they are sick or experiencing symptoms. The policy is as follows:
The Lancaster Motel has implemented leave policies that promote workers 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. While The Lancaster Motel currently does not offer paid sick leave, workers will not be penalized or lose employment if staying home for illness due to Hey-19! or taking care of household members who are ill due to Hey-19! or those following the Hey-19! protocols for symptoms to stay home without penalty of losing employment. We ask that the worker give as much notice when calling out as possible.
The Lancaster Motel has also implemented a policy for informing workers if they have been exposed to a person with Hey-19! at their workplace and requiring them to quarantine for the required amount of time. The General Manager or a person assigned by the General Manager will notify the exposed person and provide an immediate option for isolation until his departure. The worker will also be provided with Hey-19! resources in writing or electronically.
In addition, a policy has been implemented to protect the privacy of workers’ health status and health information. The Lancaster Motel will not share exposure contact information between the parties of those who may have been exposed. The Lancaster Motel will not share the reason for any worker’s departure or absence due to Hey-19! The Lancaster Motel will only provide documentation of health status and information to an agency if required by law.
Coworkers
Handwashing
Basic infection prevention measures have been and remain in effect at The Lancaster Motel 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 70% 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.
Respiratory Etiquette: Cover your Cough or Sneeze
Workers, customers, and visitors are being 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. They should dispose of tissues in provided trash receptacles and wash or sanitize their hands immediately afterward. Respiratory etiquette will be demonstrated on posters and supported by making tissues and trash receptacles available to all workers, customers, and visitors.There will be CDC posters placed throughout the facility showing proper etiquette.
Social Distancing
Social distancing of six feet should be implemented and maintained between workers, guests, and visitors in the workplace through the following engineering and administrative controls:
Occupancy Requirements
The Lancaster Motel is ground level, direct entry property. There are no halls or interior corridors to guest rooms. Therefore, per the latest guidelines from the governor of NH, we are able to be at 100% occupancy of our 24 motel rooms. There are no elevators. Our parking is ample and cars may be spaced out.
Guest Registration
Food
The Lancaster Motel will continue to offer its continental breakfast with a new Hey-19! friendly process. Pre-packaged items are available in the Retro Room with guests practicing social distancing when gathering their food items. Tables are set at the 6 feet apart mark and there is ample lobby space and outside eating areas to sustain appropriate social distancing. but this is no longer being done due to the new Hey-19! protocols. Instead, the following will be provided: Signs are posted to remind guests about social distancing, and taking the food outside is encouraged.
Gathering Spaces
The Lancaster Motel also has various community gathering spaces: lobby, bar, banquet, Retro Room, and several outdoor spaces. These spaces can be used for gatherings that meet the Governor’s current social distancing protocols. Our outdoor spaces in front of the rooms, by the fire pits and the grassy play area on the side of the motel, allow significant room for getting some fresh air without encroaching on the six-feet of social distancing that’s currently required. We will continue to monitor and follow all the protocols for events as outlined by the Governor of NH.
Sanitation
Ongoing sanitation compliance and adherence to this Hey-19! plan is required of the leads/managers of all of our departments.
Housekeeping
The Housekeeping Manager will train housekeepers on the new protocols and give them techniques to ensure compliance. The manager will also train other housekeepers on any new sanitation equipment or chemicals. The following are some general rules but are not exhaustive:
Laundry
The laundry process has been separated from the housekeeping process to keep the clean and the dirty aspects of servicing the guest rooms apart.
Front Desk
Cleaning, Disinfection, and Ventilation
In addition to regular housekeeping practices, new and more industrial cleaning techniques have been implemented. This includes more frequent cleaning and disinfecting of work surfaces, equipment, tools and machinery, and all areas of the work environment including restrooms, break/lunch rooms, vending rooms, meeting rooms, counter, and curbside check-in, offices, and kitchen areas. We focus on high-touch areas, such as phones, keyboards, touch screens, controls, door handles, railings, copy machines, credit card readers, computer equipment, etc. for additional disinfecting when needed.
Our Housekeeping Manager will be heading the Hey-19! cleaning implementation. 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. An industrial disinfecting mist sprayer has been purchased so that entire rooms can be sanitized. It is used before touching soiled guest linen and as the final step in the room cleaning process.
Should someone become symptomatic, the person would be quarantined in one of the rooms until able to be relocated for treatment. The mist sprayer would immediately be deployed throughout the motel as we’d be able to instantly put a dent in the disinfecting process. It would be followed by other cleaning products in more localized areas.
The maximum amount of fresh air is being brought into the workplace, air recirculation is being limited and ventilation systems are being properly used and maintained. Steps are also being taken to minimize airflow blowing across people. All work areas of The Lancaster Motel have plenty of light and ventilation.
Communications and Training
This Hey-19! Preparedness Plan was communicated through written and verbal means to Management and Owners on June 1, 2020, by Ed Laverty PA-C of North Country Healthcare, and the necessary training was provided. Additional communication and training will be ongoing both written and verbally and provided to all workers who did not receive the initial training.
Customers and visitors will also be advised not to enter the workplace if they are experiencing symptoms or have contracted Hey-19! Management has provided the Front Desk with a template of questions to pre-screen guests through email, phone, and in-person where the guest must self-attested that they are symptom-free and have not contracted Hey-19! There is a section requiring a signature from guests to self-attest during the booking process and when registration to check-in is being conducted.
Management and workers are to work through this new program together and update the training as necessary. Managers and Supervisors are to monitor how effective the program has been implemented by conducting employee assessment and then conducting an executive meeting with Management and Owners once a month. This Hey-19! Preparedness Plan has been certified by The Lancaster Motel management and will be emailed to every worker. Any revisions will also be sent via email. Specific departmental questions can be addressed in real-time to the Operations Manager.
We thank you for helping to make The Lancaster Motel a safe and healthy place to be.
Certified by:
Ruby C. Berryman
General Manager
General
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Coronavirus (COVID-19) – www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV
Minnesota Department of Health (MDH): Coronavirus – www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus
State of Minnesota: COVID-19 response – https://mn.gov/covid19
Businesses
CDC: Resources for businesses and employers – www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019- ncov/community/organizations/businesses-employers.html
CDC: General business frequently asked questions – www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/general- business-faq.html
CDC: Building/business ventilation – www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/guidance-business- response.html
MDH: Businesses and employers: COVID-19 – www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/businesses.html
MDH: Health screening checklist – www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/facilityhlthscreen.pdf
MDH: Materials for businesses and employers – www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/materials
Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED): COVID-19 information and resources – https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/covid/
Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI): Updates related to COVID-19 – www.dli.mn.gov/updates
Federal OSHA – www.osha.gov
Handwashing
MDH: Handwashing video translated into multiple languages – www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdQuPGVcceg
Respiratory Etiquette: Cover Your Cough or Sneeze
CDC: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html
CDC: www.cdc.gov/healthywater/hygiene/etiquette/coughing_sneezing.html
MDH: www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/prevention.html
Social Distancing
CDC: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/guidance-business-response.html
MDH: www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/businesses.html
Housekeeping
CDC: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/disinfecting-building-facility.html
CDC: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/disinfecting-your-home.html
CDC: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/organizations/cleaning-disinfection.html
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/list-n-disinfectants-use-against- sars-cov-2
Employees Exhibiting Signs and Symptoms of COVID-19
CDC: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/steps-when-sick.html
MDH: www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/basics.html
MDH: www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/facilityhlthscreen.pdf
MDH: www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/returntowork.pdf
State of Minnesota – https://mn.gov/covid19/for-minnesotans/if-sick/get-tested/index.jsp
Training
CDC: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/guidance-small-business.html
Federal OSHA: www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3990.pdf