Control of COVID-19 Hazards
Physical Distancing
Where possible, we ensure at least six feet of physical distancing at all times in our school by:
- Reducing the number of persons in an area at one time, including visitors.
- Visitors to campus are to wait at the gate.
- All orientations, meetings, conferences, etc. between students, parents, staff, and school administrators, are conducted remotely or in a large ventilated area.
- Training and professional development are conducted remotely as much as possible.
- Visual cues such as signs and floor markings to indicate where employees and students should be located or their direction and path of travel.
- Staggered arrival, departure, work, and break times.
Individuals will be kept as far apart as possible when there are situations where six feet of physical distancing cannot be achieved.
Face Coverings
We provide clean, undamaged face coverings and ensure they are properly worn by employees and students over the nose and mouth when indoors, and when outdoors and less than six feet away from another person, including non-employees, and where required by orders from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) or local health department. Face coverings are provided to any individual arriving on site who does not have one.
The following are exceptions to the use of face coverings in our workplace:
- When an employee is alone in a room.
- While eating and drinking at the, provided employees and students are at least six feet apart and outside air supply to the area, if indoors, has been maximized to the extent possible.
- Employees who cannot wear face coverings due to a medical or mental health condition or disability, or who are hearing-impaired or communicating with a hearing-impaired person. Alternatives will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Any employee or student not wearing a face covering, face shield with a drape or other effective alternative, or respiratory protection, for any reason, shall be at least six feet apart from all other persons unless the unmasked employee is tested at least twice weekly for COVID-19.
Engineering controls
We implement the following measures for situations where we cannot maintain at least six feet between individuals: Partitions have been installed where needed.
We maximize, to the extent feasible, the quantity of outside air for our buildings with mechanical or natural ventilation systems by: Islah Academy Student Handbook & Planner 2021 - 2022 - 9
Our high efficiency natural ventilation is equipped with high filtration efficiency, which are maintained and adjusted on a regular basis. All equipment is owned by our facility. As weather conditions permit, windows and doors are opened to allow fresh air to circulate.
Cleaning and disinfecting
We implement the following cleaning and disinfection measures for frequently touched surfaces:
- High touch areas are cleaned and disinfected between shifts as well as every evening by the janitorial crew which have been trained on the effective and sanitary use of all equipment and procedures.
- During class time, teachers are to clean high-touch items.
- Adequate supplies are provided to all staff, and time is provided for cleaning.
- Employees and authorized employee representatives are advised of the frequency and scope required for all cleaning.
Should we have a COVID-19 case in our school, we will implement the following procedures:
- All areas visited by said individual will be cleaned and sanitized. All cleaning will be done by school employees following established rules and procedures which they have been trained on and provided adequate equipment and supplies to conduct said cleaning. Shared tools, equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE)
PPE must not be shared, e.g., gloves, goggles and face shields.
Items that employees come in regular physical contact with, such as phones, headsets, desks, keyboards, writing materials, instruments and tools must also not be shared, to the extent feasible. Where there must be sharing, the items will be disinfected between uses by employees between uses. The janitorial crew will also clean and sanitize nightly, with the training and equipment provided by our facility. Hand sanitizing
In order to implement effective hand sanitizing procedures, we:
- Evaluating hand washing facilities.
- Hand-sanitizing stations have been established in all entrances and exits to the building and in all public areas.
- All employees are encouraged and reminded through posted signs to wash hands.
- Employees are also provided with an effective hand sanitizer in all classrooms, and hand sanitizers that contain methanol (i.e. methyl alcohol) are prohibited.
- Encouraging employees to wash their hands for at least 20 seconds each time.] Personal protective equipment (PPE) used to control employees’ exposure to COVID-19
We evaluate the need for PPE (such as gloves, goggles, and face shields) as required by CCR Title 8, section 3380, and provide such PPE as needed.
When it comes to respiratory protection, we evaluate the need in accordance with CCR Title 8 section 5144 when the physical distancing requirements are not feasible or maintained.
Employees coming in contact with students and/or bodily fluids are provided with the appropriate PPE equipment. Islah Academy Student Handbook & Planner 2021 - 2022 - 10
Investigating and Responding to COVID-19 Cases
Employees and or students who had potential COVID-19 exposure in our workplace will be:
- Advised to be tested for COVID-19 using their own health insurance.
- The information on benefits described in Training and Instruction, and Exclusion of COVID19 Cases, below, will be provided to them.
System for Communicating
Our goal is to ensure that we have effective two-way communication with our employees, in a form they can readily understand, and that it includes the following information:
- All employees are advised at the beginning of the school year in the Employee Protocols (provided in written and oral form) whom to contact in the event of COVID-19 questions, hazards, exposure or illness. Names and email addresses are provided.
- Employees are informed in the Employee Protocols that they can report symptoms and hazards without fear of reprisal.
- Our procedures or policies for accommodating employees with medical or other conditions that put them at increased risk of severe COVID-19 illness, are also included in our Employee Protocols which are reviewed annually with all staff.
- Voluntary tests are to be acquired by our staff from their own health providers. Accommodations will be made to allow staff to be tested during work hours.
- In the event we are required to provide testing because of a workplace exposure or outbreak, we will communicate the plan for providing testing and inform affected employees of the reason for the testing and the possible consequences of a positive test.
- Updates and information are provided to employees about COVID-19 hazards on a regular basis.
Exclusion of COVID-19 Cases
Where we have a COVID-19 case in our school, we will limit transmission by:
- Ensuring that COVID-19 cases are excluded from the workplace until our return-to-work requirements are met.
- Excluding employees with COVID-19 exposure from the workplace for 14 days after the last known COVID-19 exposure to a COVID-19 case.
Reporting, Recordkeeping, and Access
It is our policy to: Islah Academy Student Handbook & Planner 2021 - 2022 - 11
- Report information about COVID-19 cases at our workplace to the local health department whenever required by law, and provide any related information requested by the local
Health Department
- Report immediately to Cal/OSHA any COVID-19-related serious illnesses or death, as defined under CCR Title 8 section 330(h), of an employee occurring in our place of employment or in connection with any employment.
- Maintain records of the steps taken to implement our written COVID-19 Prevention Program in accordance with CCR Title 8 section 3203(b).
- Make our written COVID-19 Prevention Program available at the workplace to employees, authorized employee representatives, and to representatives of Cal/OSHA immediately upon request.
- Investigating COVID-19 Cases form to keep a record of and track all COVID-19 cases. The information will be made available to employees, authorized employee representatives, or as otherwise required by law, with personal identifying information removed.
Return-to-School Criteria
- COVID-19 cases with COVID-19 symptoms will not return to school until all the following have occurred: o At least 24 hours have passed since a fever of 100.4 or higher has resolved without the use of fever-reducing medications.
- COVID-19 symptoms have improved.
- At least 7 days have passed since COVID-19 symptoms first appeared.
- COVID-19 cases who tested positive but never developed COVID-19 symptoms will not return to work until a minimum of 10 days have passed since the date of specimen collection of their first positive COVID-19 test.
- A negative COVID-19 test will not be required for an employee to return to work.
- If an order to isolate or quarantine an employee is issued by a local or state health official, the employee will not return to work until the period of isolation or quarantine is completed or the order is lifted. If no period was specified, then the period will be 7 days from the time the order to isolate was effective, or 10 days from the time the order to quarantine was effective.