COVID-19 Preparedness Plan for The Commons, LLC 

The Commons is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace for all our members/coworkers and guests. To ensure that, we have developed the following Preparedness Plan in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our staff and coworkers are all responsible for implementing this plan. Our goal is to mitigate the potential for transmission of COVID-19 in our workplaces, and that requires full cooperation among coworkers and staff. Only through this cooperative effort can we establish and maintain the safety and health of our coworkers and workplaces.  

Management and coworkers are responsible for implementing and complying with all aspects of this Preparedness Plan. The Commons staff have our full support in enforcing the provisions of this policy.  

We are serious about safety and health and keeping our workplace open for our members. Our Preparedness Plan follows Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) guidelines and federal OSHA standards related to COVID-19 and addresses:  

  • hygiene and respiratory etiquette; 
  • engineering and administrative controls for social distancing; 
  • housekeeping – cleaning, disinfecting and decontamination; 
  • prompt identification and isolation of sick persons; 
  • communications that will be provided to managers and coworkers; and 
  • management and supervision necessary to ensure effective implementation of the plan. 

Screening and policies for coworkers exhibiting signs and symptoms of COVID-19  

Members/Coworkers have been informed of and encouraged to self-monitor for signs and symptoms of COVID-19. The following policies and procedures are being implemented to assess members/coworkers’ health status prior to entering the workplace and for members/coworkers to report when they are sick or experiencing symptoms. 

Members/coworkers and staff will self-report if they, or their household members, have been sick or when required by a health care provider to isolate or quarantine themselves or a member of their household, in the prior two weeks before returning to The Commons or since they have returned to The Commons. Contact Peggy Stefan at peggy@thecommonswp.com or (612)599-0989. If there has been a COVID-19 illness, member/coworker/staff will not be allowed to return until they have completed a minimum 14-day isolation or quarantine. 

  • If a member/coworker/staff member becomes ill while at The Commons, they must leave immediately. 
  • If a member/coworker/staff member becomes ill with COVID-19 and has been at The Commons within the past two weeks, The Commons will not allow their return until they have completed an isolation or quarantine of at least 14 days and are asymptomatic.
  • If we do have a COVID-19 illness amongst our membership, and that member has been at The Commons within the prior two weeks, The Commons will inform members who are at-risk of their exposure while protecting the privacy of the member, their health status and health information. We will instruct those who are at-risk to self-isolate for at least 14 days.

Occupancy Procedures and Policies 

In order to maintain proper social distancing we have moved furniture and identified areas that are off-limits at The Commons. Please do not move furniture or signs! We have signage indicating new procedures for beverage service and kitchen use. You are expected to abide by these precautionary procedures.  

  • Please avoid direct hand contact with the door handles and keypads. Use gloves, a tissue/paper towel when unlocking the door and your elbow or protected hand for handles. 
  • Upon entrance to The Commons, you are required to either wash your hands, or use provided hand sanitizer. 
  • Private Office and Dedicated Desk Members are asked to work in their designated space. Coworking Members may only work in areas NOT marked as unavailable. We will be keeping track daily of members in attendance, and the work area that they used. We recommend that you also keep track of what days you are in attendance.
  • Respect other members and staff’s personal space – maintain a 6-foot distance.
  • Only one person in the kitchen at a time.
  • When serving yourself coffee or water, please use the provided tissues for touch pad and/or spouts.
  • Only use the provided paper cups for beverages.
  • There are single serving containers of cream. We are not using shared containers as before.
  • We have provided paper plates and plastic utensils in the kitchen. We are not using mugs, dishes and silverware at this time.
  • Wash your hands after using the restroom, and open door with a paper towel or elbow.
  • Though we will be doing regular cleaning, we encourage you to use provided disinfectant supplies to wipe up after yourself.

Handwashing  

Basic infection prevention measures are being implemented at our workplaces at all times. Coworkers are instructed to wash their hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water frequently throughout the day, but especially at the beginning and end of their day, prior to any mealtimes and after using the toilet. All visitors to the facility will be required to wash their hands prior to or immediately upon entering the facility. As supplies of hand-sanitizer are available, dispensers (that use sanitizers of greater than 60% alcohol) can be used for hand hygiene in place of soap and water, as long as hands are not visibly soiled.  

Respiratory etiquette: Cover your cough or sneeze  

Coworkers and visitors are being instructed to cover their mouth and nose with their sleeve or a tissue when coughing or sneezing and to avoid touching their face, in particular their mouth, nose and eyes, with their hands. They should dispose of tissues in the trash and wash or sanitize their hands immediately afterward. Respiratory etiquette will be demonstrated on posters and supported by making tissues and trash receptacles available to all workers and visitors.  

Housekeeping  

Regular housekeeping practices are being implemented, including routine cleaning and disinfecting of work surfaces, equipment, and areas in the work environment, including restrooms and meeting rooms. Frequent cleaning and disinfecting will be conducted in high-touch areas, such as door handles, copiers/printers, phone rooms, kitchen and coffee service area etc. Staff will be using a disinfectant solution to wipe down these high touch areas several times per day. The restrooms will be cleaned once per day.  

Communications and training  

This Preparedness Plan was posted within The Commons and emailed to all members on May 15, 2020. All Members and visitors will be offered a written copy on their first visit/return to The Commons.  Additional communication will be ongoing via email and workplace posting as needed. This Preparedness Plan has been certified by The Commons ownership and was posted throughout the workplace May 15, 2020. It will be updated as necessary.  

 

Certified by:  

Peggy Stefan, Co-Owner of The Commons