Hastings Beauty School is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace for all our students, staff and clients. To ensure we have as safe and healthy workplace, we have developed the following COVID-19 Preparedness Plan in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Managers and workers are all responsible for implementing this plan. Our goal is to mitigate the potential for transmission of COVID-19 in our workplaces and communities, and that requires full cooperation among our students, staff, and clients. Only through this cooperative effort can we establish and maintain the safety and health of all persons in our workplaces.
Staff and students are responsible for implementing and complying with all aspects of this COVID-19 Preparedness Plan. Hastings Beauty School ownership has our full support in enforcing the provisions of this policy and we encourage our workers to ask questions, raise safety and health concerns and offer suggestions related to the plan and its implementation.
Our students are our most important assets. We are serious about safety and health and keeping our staff and students working. Worker involvement is essential in developing and implementing a successful COVID-19 Preparedness Plan. Our COVID-19 Preparedness Plan follows State of Minnesota Industry Guidance for our business, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Guidelines, federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards related to safety and health precautions required in response to COVID-19 and applicable executive orders. The plan addresses the following:
- Policies and procedures that assist in the identification of sick students or staff and ensure sick students and staff stay home;
- Implementation of engineering and administrative controls for social distancing;
- Worker hygiene and source controls;
- Workplace building and ventilation protocols;
- Workplace cleaning and disinfecting protocols;
- Drop-off, pick-up and delivery practices and protocols; and
- Communications, training and supervision practices and protocols.
In addition we will address:
- What customers and clients can do to minimize transmission
- Additional protections and protocols for receiving and exchanging payment;
- Additional protections and protocols for managing occupancy;
- Additional protections and protocols to limit face-to-face interactions; and
- Additional protection and protocols for distancing and barriers.
- Policies and procedures that assist in the identification of sick workers and ensure sick workers stay home
Staff and students 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. Workers with COVID-19 symptoms will be sent home immediately. If they cannot be sent home immediately, they will isolate in a closed room until they can be sent home. Staff and students who have been in close contact with a household member with COVID should not be at work until their quarantine period is finished. All students and staff will be asked to stay home when they are sick. This includes fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, body aches, etc. They are asked to stay home until the symptoms subside. Staff and students will need to call the school prior to the start of day to inform us they will not be in attendance. (By 11:30 on Mondays and 8:30 Tuesday through Friday)
Hastings Beauty School has also implemented a policy for informing students and staff 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. Senior staff will contact the students and staff electronically (email or text) or by phone to inform them if we become aware they were exposed to someone with COVID-19. In addition, a policy has been implemented to protect the privacy of workers’ health status and health information. Hastings Beauty School will follow FERPA guidelines and laws and will not give student’s personal information to other students or clients. Personal information regarding health will be shared with full time staff.
- Social distancing – maintaining six feet of physical distancingSocial distancing of six feet will be implemented and maintained between staff and students in the school as allowable. Staff, students, and clients will be required to wear face covering while working on the clinic floor. If a face covering cannot be worn by the client, or the service being provided does not allow of a face covering, the staff and students will be required to wear protective eye wear and a face shield.
Social distancing of six feet will be implemented and maintained between workers and customers or clients in the workplace through the following engineering and administrative protocols: Student station assignments will provide a minimum of 6 feet distance, during all services preformed, for the student, client, and staff. Staff and students will limit their movement on the clinic floor. Students and staff in the classroom will also maintain 6 feet of physical distance. Staff and students will be required to wear face covering when they are moving around. Face coverings will not be required while seated and working on required assignments.
- Worker hygiene and source controlsWorker hygiene and source controls are being implemented at our workplaces at all times. Staff and students are required to wash their hands often and properly. Hands must be washed at least before and after every client or service. Hastings Beauty School will provide an adequate supply of personal protective equipment such as face coverings, face shields, gloves, hand sanitizer, and disinfectant. Any additional must be provided by the student. Staff and students are required to maintain good and proper hygiene at all times.
- Workplace building and ventilation protocolsReopening the workplace includes necessary sanitation, assessment and maintenance of building systems including water, plumbing, electrical and HVAC systems. All systems were checked and found to be in good working order. All HVAC filters were changed prior to re-opening.
- Workplace cleaning and disinfection protocolsRegular housekeeping practices are being implemented, including routine sanitizing of the workplace and frequent sanitizing of high-touch areas. Workers have been instructed that personal equipment and tools should not be shared and, if shared, should be disinfected between users. Hastings Beauty School staff and students will continue to follow stringent cleaning and disinfection practices set forth by the Minnesota Board of Cosmetology, including cleaning and disinfecting all tools, implements, stations, and all other surfaces in which we or our clients come in contact.
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. Staff and students are supplied with EPA Approved Hospital-Grade disinfectant, gloves, face covering, and eye protection.
- Drop-off, pick-up and delivery practices and protocolsHastings Beauty School is not providing pick up services for clients. All deliveries can be left at a secondary entrance and only be handled by staff in appropriate PPE. All deliveries will be contactless.
- Communications, training and supervision practices and protocolsThis COVID-19 Preparedness Plan was communicated in person, with handouts, and emailed upon request to all Hastings Beauty School staff and students Monday June 1, 2020 and necessary training was provided. Hastings Beauty School will continue to be diligent in the cleaning and disinfecting practices we require from our students and staff. Staff will continue to monitor students’ tools, implements, and stations, as well as communal areas. Hastings Beauty School staff and students are to work through this new program together and update the training as necessary. This COVID-19 Preparedness Plan has been certified by Hastings Beauty School management and was posted throughout the workplace Monday June 1, 2020. Our policies will be updated as necessary.
Clients are being instructed when they make their appointments that we require face coverings at all times, to come alone when possible, to wait in their cars until their appointment time, and to stay home if they are sick.
- What customers and clients can do to minimize transmission of COVID-19Clients are required to wear face covering in the school when possible at all times. We ask clients to come alone and on time to their appointments and if the client is feeling sick or if they have someone in their household who is sick to stay home. There will be no penalties for canceled appointments.
If clients, staff, or students begin to feel sick while they are here, they are required to leave immediately and isolate themselves at home. We have posted a screening survey on the doors and ask that if anyone has any of the posted symptoms, they not enter.
We encourage our staff, students, and clients to wash or sanitize their hands often.
All equipment will be wiped down before and after each use.
- Additional protections and protocols for receiving and exchanging paymentHastings Beauty School staff will handle payments and they will be made 6 feet away from the client area.
- Additional protections and protocols for managing occupancyHastings Beauty School will adhere to the State of Minnesota’s guidelines regarding the number of people allowed on the clinic floor. (Taking into account the number of Instructors, students, clients, etc.) . Appointments will be required. We will not take walk-ins and ask that clients come alone to their appointments whenever possible. Clients are being advised of the precautions we are taking at while on the phone during the appointment scheduling. Signs are posted throughout the school notifying clients of the precautions being taken.
- Additional protections and protocols to limit face-to-face interactionsStaff and students will wear face covering while working on clients. Clients are asked to bring their own face covering. If they do not have one Hastings Beauty School will provide one. At this time we will not provide services to clients who are unable to wear face covering. Staff and students will wear additional PPE in times that face-to-face interactions are necessary. Face coverings, protective eye wear, and face shields will be worn during these times.
- Additional protection and protocols for distancing and barriersHand Sanitizer and numerous hand-washing stations are available to clients. Clients will be “checked-out” at the station before they leave.
Certified by: Dunoon Warnke. School Manager, Hastings Beauty School