COVID-19 PREPAREDNESS PLAN FOR Photography by Kari
Photography by Kari is committed to providing a safe and healthy workspace for all clients and session participants as well as employees. To ensure that, I have developed the following COVID-19 Preparedness Plan in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. My goal is to mitigate the potential for transmission of COVID-19 in our workspace and communities, and that requires full cooperation among our clients and session participants. Only through this cooperative effort can we establish and maintain the safety and health of our workspace.
The health and safety of my clients is of the utmost importance to our business.
Our COVID-19 Preparedness Plan follows Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) guidelines, federal OSHA standards related to COVID-19 and Executive Order 20-48, and addresses:
- prompt identification and isolation of sick persons;
- communications and training that will be provided to managers and workers; and
- management and supervision necessary to ensure effective implementation of the plan
- hygiene and respiratory etiquette;
- contact-free payments unless not possible;
- utilizing social distancing techniques;
- studio housekeeping, including disinfecting and sanitizing;
- minimize attendees;
- proper communication;
Screening and policies for employees exhibiting signs and symptoms of COVID-19
Employees 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 workers’ health status prior to entering the workplace and for workers to report when they are sick or experiencing symptoms. Employees and Kari will fill out a screening at home each day before they come to work that asks symptoms and for them to take their temp. If they are sick or experiencing any symptoms or been knowingly exposed to someone with Covid-19 or that has symptoms, they will chat in person if at work or call or text Kari if at home, so that she can get someone else to work or reschedule the session. If at work, the worker ends up sick, they will leave the session immediately.
Employees who present with COVID-19 symptoms will be sent home to contact their health care provider for medical assessment and COVID-19 testing. If tested positive, the employee may only return completing a 14-day quarantine. Employees who present with no symptoms but have tested positive in the past 14 days may only return to work after completing a 14-day quarantine. Employees who have had close contact with a confirmed or suspected person with COVID-19 but are not experiencing any symptoms should inform their employer and may be able to work with additional precautions, including regular monitoring for symptoms and temperature, required face covering all times, and appropriate social distancing from others.
Photography by Kari has implemented leave policies that promote workers staying at home when they are sick, when household members are sick, or when required by a health care provider to isolate or quarantine themselves or a member of their household. If an employee is sick, they can be off without any pay but will retain their employment as we are a small business with under 50 employees, so we don’t fall under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act that requires businesses to provide emergency paid sick leave and expanded medical leave to employees in certain COVID-19 circumstances. However, to be exempt Photography by Kari will need to meet one of three criteria showing that “providing the leave” will be a burden on the business.
• The
leave would cause “the small employer’s expenses and financial obligations to
exceed available business revenue and cause the small employer to cease
operating at a minimal capacity.”
• The employee or employees’ absence or leave request “would pose a substantial
risk to the financial health or operational capacity of the small employer
because of their specialized skills, knowledge of the business or
responsibilities.”
• The small employer “cannot find enough other workers who are able, willing
and qualified, and who will be available at the time and place needed, to
perform the labor or services the employee or employees requesting leave
provide, and these labor or services are needed for the small employer to
operate at a minimal capacity.
Accommodations for workers with underlying medical conditions or who have household members with underlying health conditions have been implemented. The employee with underlying medical conditions or who have a household member with underlying health conditions is the same as above, the employee would be able to be off without pay as we are a small business with under 50 employees, so we don’t fall under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act that requires businesses to provide emergency paid sick leave and expanded medical leave to employees in certain COVID-19 circumstances. However, to be exempt Photography by Kari will need to meet one of three criteria showing that “providing the leave” will be a burden on the business.
• The
leave would cause “the small employer’s expenses and financial obligations to
exceed available business revenue and cause the small employer to cease
operating at a minimal capacity.”
• The employee or employees’ absence or leave request “would pose a substantial
risk to the financial health or operational capacity of the small employer
because of their specialized skills, knowledge of the business or
responsibilities.”
• The small employer “cannot find enough other workers who are able, willing
and qualified, and who will be available at the time and place needed, to
perform the labor or services the employee or employees requesting leave
provide, and these labor or services are needed for the small employer to
operate at a minimal capacity.
Photography by Kari has also implemented a policy for informing workers if they have been exposed to a person with COVID-19 at their workplace and requiring them to quarantine for the required amount of time. Kari will inform the employee if they have been exposed to Covid-19 person as soon as Kari knows via text or a phone call while maintaining confidentiality required by state and federal law and regulation.
In addition, a policy has been implemented to protect the privacy of workers’ health status and health information. If an employee has been exposed to Covid-19, Kari will only let clients know that they have been exposed by Photography by Kari, while maintaining confidentiality required by state and federal law and regulation.
Hand-Washing
Kari and her assistants will wash our hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water frequently throughout the day, but especially at the beginning and end of a studio session, prior to any mealtimes and after using the toilet.
For outdoor shoots, Kari and her assistants will wash hands before the shoot and we will have hand sanitizer with us at all time for the client and employees to use. We and the clients will use it before, during the shoot as needed and after the shoot.
For studio shoots, All attendees to the studio will be required to wash their hands prior to or immediately upon entering the studio there will be hand sanitizer available. we will have hand sanitizer at the front of the studio for clients to use upon entering the building. Employees will also wash hands before the shoot, use hand sanitizer or wash hands during the shoot as needed and wash hands after the shoot. Disposable hand towels will be available for clients as well as an automatic soap dispenser.
Respiratory Etiquette
Kari and her assistants will be wearing a mask at all times while in the presents of a client or session attendee, unless we scare younger children with our masks, we will then maintain further than 6ft from each other. Masks must be cleaned or replaced after use or when damaged or soiled, may not be shared, and should be properly stored or discarded between shoots.
For an outdoor session I encourage all attendees when age appropriate (children under 2 not required as it most likely won’t stay put and therefore not efficient).to bring and wear a face mask when not being photographed. For a studio session , we will ask all attendees to bring and wear a mask when age appropriate (children under 2 not required as it most likely won’t stay put and therefore not efficient).
CDC recommends that people wear a cloth face covering over their nose and mouth in the community setting during the COVID-19 pandemic, however, children younger than age 2 should not wear masks.
Kari, her assistants and clients who are old enough to understand will be asked 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 provided trash receptacles and wash or sanitize their hands immediately afterward.
We will email our clients before their shoots to remind them 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. Our employees will be reminded before the shoot.
Contact-Free Payments
To minimize risk, we ask that all transactions to be completed contact-free. The online payment can be made via credit/debit card, through Paypal. If this not possible, we will accept cash or check with no contact, but this will only be used as a last resort.
Social Distancing
We ask that we maintain a minimum of 6-feet distance between us at all times. You are of course welcome to be closer than 6-feet to the family members who are in attendance with you. We will be instructing you and anyone being photographed from a social distance. Photography by Kari will ensure 6 ft. distance between employees and clients, unless safety requires a shorter distance. Any time employees are less than 6 ft. apart from one another, employees must wear acceptable face coverings .
Orders will made online and by phone or video calling if extra help is needed.
Photo order pick-ups will continue at Kari’s house to main no contact pick up.
While riding in vehicles together, the assistant and Kari will wear a mask.
Photo equipment and props will be cleaned before and after shoots. Anything like pens, computers or tablets used by client or employee or Kari will be cleaned after as well.
Studio Housekeeping
Regular housekeeping practices are being implemented using disinfectant. Appropriate and effective cleaning and disinfectant supplies have been purchased and are available for use in accordance with product labels, safety data sheets and manufacturer specifications and are being used with required personal protective equipment for the product.
For outdoor shoots we will clean props and equipment before and after shoots. For indoor studio shoots, we will clean the studio after each session. This includes routine cleaning and disinfecting of work surfaces, equipment, props and areas in the work environment, including the restroom, shoot area, seating area. Frequent cleaning and disinfecting will be conducted in high-touch areas, such as light switches, the camera, door handles. Assistants will be doing the cleaning. If an employee or a client is symptomatic or diagnosed we will clean the studio with a super deep cleaning even if it’s already been cleaned. We will be doing outdoor shoots but once we start indoor studio shoots we will open the door to the studio when the MN weather allows us to and will also have a HEPA air filter that has a UV-C light in it as well.
Minimize Attendees
To further minimize risk we ask that you do not bring additional people to the session, keep it to only who is needed for the portraits and transportation. We will only photograph groups of less than 8 to stay while the state of MN or the CDC say groups of 10 or less only.
Communication
Prior to scheduling and securing a portrait session with Photography by Kari the client will be provided with a digital copy of this Covid-19 Preparedness Plan. Leading up to their session they will be given specific instructions to ensure social distancing and the recommendation that clients use face masks, along with instructions for contact-free payments. We have also posted this to our blog and given a scaled down version on our blog and facebook. This plan has also been printed and given to employees.
Certified by:
Kari McGill, Owner of Photography by Kari
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