10 Important Safety Measures for When Staff Return to 220 East 42nd Street on July 27
This Monday, July 27th, approximately 150 staff members will return to work at our 220 East 42nd Street office in Stage One of Operation Workplace. When they do, they can be confident that VNSNY and the building management have taken extensive steps to keep the office safe. Here are 10 important safety measures that have been put in place at 220:
- Home health screenings before work
Each morning before heading off to work at 220, all Stage One employees will be required to take a self-assessment checklist of potential COVID-19 symptoms. If a potential symptom is noted, that employee will stay home that day.
- Lobby temperature checks and social distancing on the 220 East 42nd Street elevators
Everyone entering the 220 East 42nd Street lobby and the East 41st Street Partners in Care lobby will have their temperature checked. Anyone who has a temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher will then be re-checked. If you are confirmed to have an elevated temperature, you won’t be allowed into the building.
There will also be a four-person limit in all the elevators at 220. The building management will have a representative stationed in the lobby to enforce this rule.
- Regular cleaning of the office
A daytime cleaning staff will provide sanitizing of high-touch areas in our 220 office throughout the day. Additionally, a cleaning staff member will be stationed at the Grand Café and terrace between the hours of 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm to provide sanitizing of surfaces during the lunch hours.
- Improved office ventilation
The building management has upgraded their ventilation system at 220 E 42nd Street, including the installation of high-efficiency filters.
- Socially distanced work stations
Each returning person’s work station has been carefully and strategically located to be a safe distance from their neighbors. No staff member will be sitting directly beside or across from anyone else.
- Mandatory wearing of a facemask or face covering when not at your work station
Staff members will not have to wear facemasks at their own work stations—the exception being if someone approaches within six feet of you while you’re at your desk. But all staff will be required to wear a facemask or face covering in the office whenever they’re walking about. Each returning employee will receive four facemasks as part of their 220 Welcome Kit.
- Required safety protocols have been developed for common areas
Specific safety protocols have been developed by VNSNY’s Health and Wellness experts for the office’s common areas. You’ll find these protocols posted on signs prominently displayed on each floor to ensure the safe use of our office bathrooms, kitchens, copiers, and other common areas, including the Grand Café and terrace on the third floor of 220.
To see the full list of 220 workplace safety protocols, click here.
- Directional paths and Plexiglass barriers
To make the floors as safe as possible, a series of one-way walking routes have been designated on each floor, so that people don’t have to walk past each other. (The paths will be indicated by arrows on the ground.) In addition, Plexiglass barriers are being installed at certain common areas such as welcome areas, bag room distribution areas and the IT Tech room.
- Sanitizer, sanitizing wipes and gloves
Abundant supplies of hand sanitizer, sanitizing wipes and gloves will be available at fixed locations through each floor for staff to use. When operating all common equipment such as copiers or printers, staff will be required to first put on hand sanitizer and then don gloves, use the equipment as needed, then take off the gloves, throw them away and apply hand sanitizer again.
- Safety Ambassadors
To make sure these protocols are followed, VNSNY staff members have volunteered to serve as Floor Ambassadors. These Floor Ambassadors will be responsible for ensuring that all safety guidelines are followed.
