Contact Tracing Part 2

This is part two of a two part article discussing Contact Tracing. The first article discussed ‘what is Contact Tracing’, ‘business considerations’ and ‘how Contract Tracing systems work’. This article focuses on the practical next steps businesses need to take.

The key to a successful business implementation of Covid-Secure working environment is to address the needs of the Staff, the changes to the business processes and the supporting tools.

The Contact Tracing App is a part of the supporting tools. This steps and policy changes you may need to address are discussed below.

High Level Implementation Steps

The Contact Tracing App is a part of the supporting tools. The steps you may what to consider to enable the Contact Tracing app are:

1. Identify and evaluate the available mobile phone app, and validate apps implementation.

2. Plan for the rollout based on the release date of the app.

3. Create materials for education sessions for staff.

4. Assess need for supplementation of mobiles phones for employees who do not have a mobile phone, or the existing mobile phones is not capable of supporting the app.

5. Create and implement a policy that employees will be required to follow (see recommendations below)

6. Solicit ongoing feedback from employees so that the procedures can be subject to continuous improvement

These steps should form the basis of an implementation plan. Revise to meet your businesses specific needs.

Policy Suggestions

Businesses will need review and revise the operational polices. Without these policies the implementation of a Covid-Secure working environment may fail. The policy changes you may what to consider to enable a Covid-Secure working environment are:

1. Employees will be required to have a charged mobile phone on their person at all times whilst at work with Bluetooth enabled and with the Contact Tracing app loaded and active.

2. Any employee who experiences symptoms of Covid-19 must report it to their supervisor who will discuss whether the employee should go home and be tested for infection.

3. Employees who are sick should not come into work and might be required to quarantine for 14 days before returning.

4. If an employee tests positive for an infection they must immediately update the phone app within 12 hours, advise the supervisor and start quarantining at home.

5. Automatic data backup must be enabled on employee phones so that, in the event of a phone replacement, such data is carried over onto the new device and is not lost.

6. If the phone app alerts you that you have been in contact with someone who has tested positive you must let the supervisor know immediately. Staff should leave the workplace right away and quarantine at home for 14 calendar days before returning to work.

7. Site guidelines must be followed regarding the use of masks, gloves and social distancing.

Summary

Implementing the Contact Tracing app is not as simple as telling the staff to load the app. This should be handled as any business change with an implementation plan and with updates to the business policies.