Apr

COVID-19 Update: Guidance for On-Site Contractors

While SI employees are either teleworking or reporting to work as part of our frontline staff, we wanted to update you about another group of individuals who are on site every day, contractors.

Essential construction and maintenance projects are ongoing throughout the Institution. While many activities have slowed, essential renovations, repairs, and new construction have continued to varying degrees. Contractors support the bulk of these activities.

SI has asked contractors to follow the same, if not more stringent, health and safety procedures as the onsite Smithsonian staff. Contractors are required to practice social distancing, have staggered their work schedules, and work in smaller shifts to reduce the risk to each other and any Smithsonian staff they encounter. They must follow not only their employer’s safety and health policies, but also the Smithsonian’s.

If a contractor becomes ill, they are to follow the same process as employees when it comes to alerting the Response Team. Just like with an ill Smithsonian employee, the medical professionals on the Response Team will perform a contact investigation, will alert any primary contacts, and will make sure the environment has been properly cleaned. The Office of Facilities Management and Reliability (OFMR) is responsible for ensuring cleaning before, during, and after this pandemic. They have developed cleaning protocols that meet or exceed the EPA and CDC requirements. In order to maintain our current reduced staffing levels and still respond quickly if additional cleaning is required, a contracted cleaning company that will follow the SI cleaning protocols is on call.

Larger contracting companies may have slightly different cleaning or response protocols in place, but these must meet or exceed the Smithsonian protocols, and Smithsonian must be notified if any extra measures are being taken on our grounds.

As a reminder, information about reporting a positive case to the COVID-19 Response Team can be found here, when you report a positive, please leave a good contact number and be available to answer when a team member calls.

While work continues at the Smithsonian to provide care for our collections and facilities and to ensure the modernization and maintenance of out buildings, please know Smithsonian leadership and the contracting companies who support these efforts are doing their part to ensure the safety of everyone who must be on site. The COVID-19 Response Team reminds everyone that together we protect our frontline colleagues by staying home, practicing safe social distancing, and washing hands frequently.

To learn more about Smithsonian’s response to COVID-19, keep up to date on the latest guidance and policies, find answers to frequently asked questions, and explore resources to help you stay healthy emotionally and physically, please visit the COVID-19 website.

Sincerely,
The COVID-19 Response Team