An appliance repair technicians guide to working safely during the Coronavirus19 global pandemic.
At Nana, our top priority is to protect the health and well-being of our team, our customers, and their families, while maintaining a high level of service that lives up to our promise. Follow these tips to protect yourself, your family and friends, your customers, and your income!
#1: Wear A Mask
We highly suggest wearing PPE (personal protective equipment) including masks! You can also wear a face shield on top of your mask for double protection. Keep the mask on throughout the duration of your repair job to protect yourself and others.
Other protective gear that can be useful to technicians include:
- Gloves
- Shoe booties
#2: Keep Your Distance *
*6 feet to be exact. Ensure that while you were working in a customer’s home you remain 6 feet away from others at all times where possible. COVID is an airborne illness and by standing 6 feet apart you minimize your risk of catching it from your customer and your customer minimizes their risk of catching it from you. The John Hopkins website explains the spread of COVID and the reason for practicing social distancing as “droplets released into the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The droplets generally do not travel more than a few feet, and they fall to the ground (or onto surfaces) in a few seconds — this is why physical distancing is effective in preventing the spread.”
#3: Wash Your Hands
Wash your hands, use hand sanitizer and antibacterial wipes as often as possible. Though hand sanitizer and antibacterial wipes are helpful in keeping clean and keeping your immune system strong, coronavirus is a virus therefore washing your hands is the best bet to keep the virus away from you. When washing your hands make sure to use soap and water and wash for at least 20 seconds. We encourage you to wash your hands before and after each repair. We recommend keeping hand sanitizer and cleaning wipes in your vehicle to sanitize in the meantime before you are able to wash your hands when returning home or to your next job. John Hopkins Medical Center says to check that your hand sanitizer contains at least 60% alcohol to make sure it is strong enough to keep you clean and healthy. Also try to avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth, especially with unwashed hands whenever possible. As always but especially during the coronavirus pandemic, if you need to sneeze or cough, do so into the bend of your elbow. If you use a tissue to sneeze or cough into, throw them away as soon as possible.
#4: Ask Customers If They Are Experiencing Symptoms of COVID-19
Where possible, you can ask customers if they have been feeling well or feeling symptoms of coronavirus before entering their home. We recommend sending a text, email or giving them a call 24 hours before their appointment to ensure safety. If you are not feeling well, ask your customers if you can push back their appointment to another day. The CDC describes COVID-19 as affecting different people in different ways. Infected people have had a wide range of symptoms reported – from mild symptoms to severe illness.
The CDC website outlines “symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
#5: Get Tested!
If you’re not feeling well, make an appointment to get a coronavirus 19 test to ensure that you are not spreading the virus to others. If you do test positive for coronavirus, quarantine, and do not come into close contact with others for at least 12 days (according to the CDC website).
We strongly encourage all technicians to use these tips and tricks and implement them in their daily practices to ensure that we slow the spread of coronavirus, do not get it ourselves, and do not risk getting our customers sick. For more information please visit the CDC website or consult your local doctor or hospital.
If you are experiencing any of the coronavirus symptoms, call your doctor or urgent care facility and explain your symptoms over the phone. In the case of an emergency, call 911. Do not come into contact with others if you suspect you may have coronavirus.
Nana technicians are reminded that they can join weekly PRO connect calls where we discuss PPE and best field practices.
If you would like to start a career in appliance repair click here to sign up for Nana Academy. If you are an experienced technician who would like to apply to work for Nana, you can apply here.