COVID-19 has impacted every aspect of business in the United States, and we have all made adaptations to the way we work. In the US alone, over 46.8 million people, or over 14% of the population, have been infected with the coronavirus.
Although the spread of the virus is starting to slow, a new variant emerged in overseas and quickly made its way to our shores. This variant is known for being more transmissible and more harmful.
If you have welcomed your staff members back to the office, or are thinking about opening your office back up, it’s important to know whether you’re responsible for providing PPE. Let’s find out.
Do I Need to Provide My Employees With PPE?
The short answer to this question is it depends. Whether or not your employees require PPE is based on a range of factors. Firstly, it depends on the type of work you are in. For example, if your employees work with elderly patients, at schools, or in customer-facing roles, you should be providing them with PPE to help stop the spread of the omicron variant. When employees are working closely with others, they are more at risk of catching and spreading the virus, so PPE is a necessity.
If your employees work in open-space environments, at home, or they don’t deal with customers, providing PPE is optional. However, you should consider giving your employees the option to wear it if they are worried about catching the virus.
Do I Need to Provide PPE if My Employees Are Vaccinated?
Although there are over 193 million people who are fully vaccinated in the United States, 3 in 10 people are not. And although vaccination is the most effective way to prevent the spread of the virus, including the omicron variant, employers still need to ensure that they are doing everything they can to protect their employees. Therefore, even if your workforce is fully vaccinated, you should be equipping them with the proper PPE equipment.
Here are some of the PPE you should be providing to your employees:
- Masks
- Gloves
- Face shields
- Gowns
- Aprons
- Screens
Protect Your Employees Today
If you employ workers, it is your responsibility to ensure that your employees feel safe and are healthy while they are working. Although many Americans have the vaccine and the COVID pandemic is slowing down, your business relies on the ability of your employees, and they won’t be able to work if they get infected.
If you want to ensure the safety of your employees and the continuation of your business, make sure that you and your employees are protected with PPE. If you’re looking for quality PPE from a company that has prominence, character, and dedication, choose Sun Group Partners. We have been serving our customers with quality and safe PPE for over 40 years, and we can help ensure that your employees are protected from the omicron variant while they are at work.