Mailroom Policies and Procedures for Identification of Sick People

It is essential to have policies and procedures in place for identifying sick individuals to protect your mailroom staff and package recipients. According to The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), these are a few steps you can take to minimize the spread of COVID-19. Read OSHA's full Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19 PDF here.

Policies to Consider:

1. Inform and encourage employees to self-monitor for signs & symptoms of COVID-19
2. Develop policies and procedures for employees to report illness or experiencing COVID-19 symptoms
3. Use contactless thermometers to get temperature readings for mailroom staff or anyone entering the mailroom
4. Provide face masks for staff and package recipients

Inform and Encourage Employees to Self Monitor

Because employees may expose themselves at risk of contracting COVID-19 through their daily life, it is crucial to educate them on the most common symptoms of COVID-19. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), COVID-19 symptoms may appear between 2-14 days after exposure.

Common COVID-19 Symptoms Include:

• 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

Educate and inform your mailroom staff that if they experience any symptoms, to stay home to monitor their health, seek medical attention (if necessary), and to limit the spread of COVID-19 to others.

For an updated list of confirmed COVID-19 symptoms, you can refer to the CDC's Symptoms of Coronavirus website here.

Develop Policies and Procedures for Employees to Report Illness or Experiencing COVID-19 Symptoms

Communication with your mailroom employees will be essential to curtailing the impacts of COVID-19 on your workforce and additional stakeholders, such as package recipients. Implement and educate your staff on how they can report suspected or confirmed illness.

A Few Policy Questions You Should Answer Are:

• Who is the main point of contact for employees experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis?
• What is the best communication method to reach the point of contact?
• How should employees document their interactions with other mailroom staff and package recipients to better potential exposure?
• What is the best way to seek medical treatment for COVID-19 through the insurance providers available at your workplace?

Use Contactless Thermometers to Take Temperature Readings for Mailroom Staff or Individuals Entering the Mailroom

Where and if appropriate, you may want to institute policies for screening those entering the mailroom. One way to do this is by implementing a temperature check using a contactless thermometer during staff pre-shift meetings and at your mailroom entrance for package recipients/couriers to screen for fevers and elevated temperatures.

Provide Face Masks for Staff and Package Recipients

According to the Mayo Clinic, "face masks combined with other preventive measures, such as frequent hand-washing and social distancing, help slow the spread of the virus."

As part of your COVID-19 prevention plan, you may consider adopting a mandatory face-covering policy for all individuals present in the mailroom. If you have the capability, your facility may consider providing PPE to staff and mailroom stakeholders. Providing disposable surgical masks may be an option your workplace may consider instituting to minimize the spread of COVID-19.

Let Others Know If You Found This Helpful We encourage you to share this guide if you found it helpful in optimizing or creating your COVID-19 preparation plan.