After the lockdown, more and more people across the country are returning to their daily activities, including work. As a consequence, many people will use public transport again. In spite of getting back to our normal routine, it is well known that coronavirus cases have not ended.
At the beginning of March, the American Public Transportation Association launched the Guide for Public Transportation Pandemic Planning and Response. This guide provides a list of preparation steps and security recommendations that public transportation providers must consider, including how to prevent the spread of the virus, managing workforce impacts as well as crisis communication.
Many public transport agencies responded to the call. For instance, the New York City’s Transport Agency started to make cleanings every 72 hours using deep disinfection processes. In addition to disinfecting buses and subways, US public transportation providers are measuring passenger’s temperature, limiting the number of people inside buses and trains and making sure there is enough air ventilation.
However, there are measures that you can take to reduce the spread of coronavirus. We need to be responsible to care for people around us starting with ourselves. If you need to commute to your workplace by public transport, keep in mind the following recommendations:
- Keep your distance from other people.
- Avoid contact with people who are sick.
- If you are coughing or sneezing, cover your mouth and nose with your elbow.
- Always carry antibacterial hand gel.
- Wear a mask and plastic gloves. Dispose of them after the trip.
- Avoid touching your face, eyes and mouth.
- Don’t eat and drink. You can touch your face accidentally.
- Limit the contact with your cell phone while you are travelling.
- Clean your personal accessories like bags and your cell phone with an antibacterial wipe after each trip.
- Wash your hands after a trip as soon as possible.
If it is within your possibilities:
- Avoid travel during rush hours. If it is possible, try to adjust your work hours in order to leave work a bit earlier or later.
- Look for alternatives of transportation. If you live near to your work, you can consider walking, riding a bike or renting one. Regardless of having your own bike/scooter or not, follow the same precautions as with public transportation. Clean the surfaces you are in contact with like the seat and handlebars. Remember to wash your hands after each use.
- Reduce time travelling by finding shorter routes. The more time you spend going to a station to another, the more exposure to people and bus/subway installations you will have.
Kwema is a company that mitigates the safety risks that employees face by providing wearables that activate an emergency protocol. Our technology is designed to avoid adoption hurdles and training costs by being placed in something many employees already wear.
Watch how Kwema is disrupting workplace safety
Photo by Ketut Subiyanto from Pexels
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