Safe At The Factory Door

Examples of how home furnishings manufacturers are ensuring the safety of the people who work in and visit their facilities

Workstations in home furnishings manufacturing facilities are typically 6 feet apart or more, providing a built-in level of social distancing. In addition, as communities are experiencing different levels of threat from COVID-19, manufacturers have developed and implemented various new practices in response to their communities’ needs.

Alliance4Safety recommends following all state and local government guidelines, and offers these examples for companies that wish to exceed those guidelines.

Allinace4Safety

Low Threat Level

Personal Protection

Post signs reminding people to

  • Wash hands frequently and use hand sanitizer
  • Cover coughs and sneezes with inside elbow or tissue
  • Avoid touching eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands
  • Be aware of COVID-19 symptoms, and to seek immediate medical attention if they display any of those symptoms

Provide hand sanitizer in all rest rooms, break rooms, and conference rooms

Social Distancing

Post signs reminding people to stay 6 feet apart from others in the plant

Cleaning & Disinfecting

Wear gloves while disinfecting

Dispose of gloves after cleaning

Do not spray sanitizer near heat, sparks, open flames, or hot surfaces

  • After each use
    All shared tools and equipment
  • At least 4 times each day
    Offices, desks, and conference rooms
    Common areas such as bathrooms and break rooms
    Frequently-touched areas, such as doors, windows, handles, sinks, etc.
  • At the end of each shift
    Workstations
    Any barriers that have been installed to facilitate social distancing
    All tools or equipment that have been used
    Walk the floor and wipe down electronics
    Double check the whole floor to make sure nothing was missed
Allinace4Safety

Moderate Threat Level

Includes all Low Threat Level practices +

Personal Protection

Provide hand sanitizer at multiple locations throughout the facility, especially at interior and exterior entries and exits

Require all employees and visitors to:

  • Wear a mask while inside the facility
  • Wash their hands for at least 20 seconds before and after each break, visit to the restroom, or meeting
  • Limit or avoid entirely sharing tools and equipment

Social Distancing

Require all persons to practice social distancing within the facility

  • Maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from all other persons
  • Avoid groups of 10 or more people

Stagger shift start and break times

Mark 6-foot boundaries, where possible and appropriate

Install physical barriers where practical

Utilize production transfer aids, such as inclined shelves and push boards

Cleaning & Disinfecting

After each use

  • Offices, desks, and conference rooms
  • Common areas such as bathrooms and break rooms

At least 4 times each day

  • Workstations
  • Any barriers that have been installed to facilitate social distancing
  • All tools or equipment that have been used
Allinace4Safety

High Threat Level

Includes Low and Moderate Threat Level practices +

Personal Protection

Require all employees and visitors to wear a mask as they return to their vehicles

Eliminate sharing of tools and equipment

Health Screening

Supervisors meet with employees multiple times each day to ask if they are experiencing

  • A frequent unexplained cough
  • Unexplained shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Unexplained tiredness

Ask anyone who confirms that they have any of these symptoms to seek medical attention

Cleaning & Disinfecting

Before breaks and lunch, clean all workstations, any barriers that have been installed to facilitate social distancing, and all tools or equipment that have been used