Five Ways to Take your Toolbox Talks to the Next Level

Five Ways to Take your Toolbox Talks to the Next Level

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Daily safety meetings should not just be a means to share new OSHA regulations and compliance issues. They are a great way to remind your team about safety measures that are not always at the front of their minds.

Toolbox talks provide an opportunity to reinforce ongoing safety initiatives, refresh important worksite concepts, and even give your workers a place to discuss and practice new skills.

Toolbox talks are a vital component for every safety program, and their planning should be treated as such. Digital forms provide structured checklists to ensure that every necessary topic is covered, along with the means to collect important details and notes from your meeting without being limited to a small space on a paper form. 

Plus, any information collected from the daily briefing can be quickly and securely stored, which means no more jotting things down on a notepad that can be easily lost.

It is important to regularly debrief with your workers, asking what did/didn’t work, and make adjustments to ensure the vital details are being retained by your crew.

This doesn’t have to be a difficult process. Asking your workers a few simple questions at the end of a talk and taking short notes can be plenty. The feedback can be quickly reviewed to make changes to your format as needed, so your daily briefings are effective and make for a safer worksite

In addition to updating the way you deliver safety information based on worker feedback, you should mix up your toolbox talk topics on a regular basis. This can be as simple as updating your briefing to include the latest OSHA regulations each day, approaching a well-worn topic from a different angle, or just sharing new stories to reinforce the importance of current safety initiatives.

Remember, the goal is to engage your workers and get them thinking about possible risks. Regularly changing your talking points can get them focused on your worksite’s specific safety challenges.

Even if all of the latest regulations, rules, and compliance issues are covered in your toolbox talks, there are human factors that cause people to take their mind off of tasks. When workers are frustrated, distracted, tired, or even just complacent, they are more likely to overlook important safety measures.

It is so important to remember that nobody is ever trying to get hurt. When an incident occurs or a rule is broken, it is most often due to a worker’s state of mind. Your toolbox talks are a perfect opportunity to address these human factors. Providing good habits and reminders, disrupting complacency in your company, and creating a space where your crew can share their concerns are all pieces that can work against rule violations and keep your workers safe.


Looking for a safety solution that will take your toolbox talks to the next level? GoCanvas Safety includes pre-built digital forms so you can streamline your planning and ensure that every important detail is captured at your daily briefings. Customizable forms and turn-key dashboards mean you can regularly audit and update your toolbox talks, so you can focus on the human factors to keep your team safe. Learn more here.

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

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Cumberland Farms Decided to Ditch Their Paperwork and Saved Over $400k by Going Paperless

Cumberland Farms Decided to Ditch Their Paperwork and Saved Over $400K By Going Paperless

Overview 

Background

  • Industry: Retail
  • HQ Location: Framingham, Massachusetts
  • Website: Visit Here

Quick Facts

  • Saving 845 hours annually in productivity
  • Recovering $81,900 in annual time savings
  • Seeing $408,816 annual Return on Investment

The Background

With over 500+ retail stores and gas stations located across the Mid-Atlantic, Cumberland Farms today is one of the largest privately held companies in the world with revenues of over 16+ billion annually.

The Problem

With so many locations and over 6,000+ employees, trying to compile and organize the data from each store in a timely manner was becoming almost impossible. Each location was filling out any combination of paper time sheets, work orders, facility inspections, store inventory sheets, and more.

In addition to the mounting piles of paper forms and slow collection times, Cumberland Farms was motivated to reach out to GoCanvas about switching to mobile forms in order to reduce operational costs, increase revenue through greater productivity, and increase the visibility/accessibility of data within the organization.

Across the Cumberland Farms organization, the Operations, Safety, and Maintenance departments shared the same issues when it came to paper. They weren’t able to easily collect, share, and learn from the data that was being captured at their hundreds of locations across several states. Nothing was being processed in real time, and their paper process was only getting slower as their business scaled larger and larger.

The Solution

Given these issues, GoCanvas Senior Mobile Consultants worked with the team at Cumberland Farms to start developing a successful plan to transition their locations from paper forms to mobile forms. The first part of the plan consisted of identifying which forms were a critical part of the data collection process at Cumberland Farms, and to begin transitioning these forms into the GoCanvas mobile platform. The first couple of forms consisted of Part Inventory, Guest Experience, and Parts Request reports.

Once these mobile forms were completed, Cumberland Farms identified a group of “pilot users” to test out the new paperless process and compile all feedback — positive and negative.  This feedback was then incorporated into each mobile form using the no code, drag and drop GoCanvas app builder. The forms were so easy to create and edit for Cumberland Farms that they have since built out over 20+ different types of mobile forms!

“Coming from a company where everything was on paper, GoCanvas is easy to pick up and very efficient to expedited work orders, parts, and time sheets.”

– Mike Krizan, Cumberland Farms, Inc.

With the mobile forms finally tweaked to their ideal usability, Cumberland Farms focused on making the back-office process even simpler. This included incorporating the Dispatch feature of Canvas, which allows staff to manage and assign tasks from the office to personnel in the field. This allows the office staff to track and review results in real-time, as well as re-assign inspections or reports that weren’t completed on time. This has contributed to their reported 28%+ increase in productivity since deploying GoCanvas.

The Outcomes

Since fully deploying GoCanvas over 5 years ago, Cumberland Farms has collected well over 145,000 digital reports and reduced its paper costs by $11,000 per year. They also saw a full return on their investment within 6 months of fully deploying GoCanvas to their field teams. All of this, as well as their dramatic increase in productivity, led to their recurring ROI of over $400,0000 with GoCanvas.

Ready to Rethink How You Work?

GoCanvas has helped a variety of businesses across multiple industries transform their safety processes and rethink their efficiency, ultimately saving them money. Why not do the same? Reach out to one of our experts today to kickstart your process revolution.

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How Small Business Revenues have been Impacted by COVID-19

How Small Business Revenues have been Impacted by COVID-19

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GoCanvas surveyed its customer base, as well as other small business leaders, in June 2020 about their industry outlook as a result of the global pandemic. This blog post highlights our initial findings. Data from this GoCanvas Small Business Report is sourced from 270 small businesses within a varying spread of industries.  

  • 17.9% – Specialty Trade Contractors 
  • 13.6% – Building, Equipment, Electrical, Plumbing, HVAC 
  • 8.1% – Transportation Logistics 
  • 7% – Healthcare 
  • 5.5% – Foundation, Structure, & Building Exterior Contractors

Business Outlook Pre- vs. Post-COVID-19

The global pandemic forced many small businesses to halt operations, furlough employees, and increase precautions for contractors, suppliers, and vendors. While a strong proportion of small businesses cite overall confidence in their ability to return to normal operating levels, the short-term impact of the pandemic is felt across industries. 

On a scale of 1-10, please rate the outlook for your business BEFORE COVID-19 (1-Pessimistic; 10-Optimistic)

On a scale of 1-10, please rate the outlook for your business AFTER COVID-19 (1-Pessimistic; 10-Optimistic)

Per the visuals above, it will likely take time for small businesses to return to their originally forecasted operating levels. As of June 2020, nearly 14% of our response base shared their business was still suspended (considered non-essential) due to their state’s mandate. 

Of the respondents that were able to stay open during this time, nearly 50% of our respondents shared that the “stay-at-home” order was restricting the amount of work they can do. Meaning, regardless of a business’s essential status, workforce operations and efficiency are being impacted at an unmeasurable level. 

To get a better short-term estimate of business impact, we asked our respondents to rate their revenue expectations for the rest of this year: 

For many small businesses, it’s too early to tell how big of an impact the pandemic will have on their revenues – nearly 42% to be specific. To find out which industries are largely predicting the most significant declines in revenues, sign up for our webinar to learn more.


Interested in learning more? Tune into our live webinar on Thursday, August 22nd, at 2 PM ET, as we review more survey results. Register here.

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

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Daley’s Drywall Taps GoCanvas For Mobile Field Reports

Daley’s Drywall Taps GoCanvas For Mobile Field Reports

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  • Streamlined work orders from days into 30 minutes
  • Rich feature set makes it easier to collect important data
  • Improved communications with customers 
  • Field Report
  • Material Order Form
  • Field Incident Report Form

California-based Daley’s Drywall and Taping operates in an industry not known for its use of innovative products or technologies. But this provider of commercial and residential drywall services sped past its 50th year in business due to its progressive approach to meeting and exceeding clients’ expectations for safety, quality and services.

The company’s forward-looking approach has extended to adoption of technology, as long as the technology made a return on investment.

Until 2012 however, one area that remained anchored in paper-based processes was work orders and field reports. Their foremen, working on various sites, continued to fill out and submit these forms by hand. 

With drywall construction projects throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, manual submission of work orders and field reports was becoming a problem. Taking hours or days to return the office led to delays and inefficiencies in processing. With slow returns, and time spent on data entry, manual submission impacted worker productivity, process efficiency, customer satisfaction and ultimately, Daley’s bottom line.

In November 2012, Daley’s decided to go with GoCanvas, the global leader in mobile forms for business. Daley’s Drywall foremen quickly embraced the GoCanvas solution, a testament to the intuitive interface with the flexibility built in.

It was intuitive enough that forms could be created, deployed and customized by “non IT” professionals within the organization. The solution was fully deployed within three months and field report forms were created within a week. 

Daley’s Drywall found itself in the same position thousands of GoCanvas customers have; the GoCanvas platform—with 14,000+ customizable mobile forms, the form builder and real-time form management—was revolutionizing their internal processes.

Today more than 40 foremen use the Field Report form, which is customized to fit their needs. Daley’s Drywall also uses other forms, including one for accident and safety investigation forms. Over the past year and a half, this company has seen real, measurable results. Some benefits include:

Prior to turning to GoCanvas, a work order form for a new project would be signed in triplicate by a client on 3-part carbon forms. With projects at residential and business locations throughout the Bay Area, Daley’s Drywall has foremen leading projects ranging from two-man jobs to 70-person operations. These disparate locations meant that it could take several days for the foreman to return to the office and submit the work order.

Once the foreman returned to the office with required paperwork, the work order would be processed, further prolonging billing. All of these delays could result in losing up to 10 days of cash flow. This drawn out process meant that project managers responsible had delayed visibility into the status of each customer project. 

Today, Daley’s collects information more quickly. Users are able to create some field reports within 30 minutes, which is a dramatic improvement from a process that used to take several days.

In addition, the data captured via GoCanvas’s mobile form solution is automatically transmitted in real-time to Daley’s corporate office. Project managers now receive a consistent flow of key customer and project information. They can analyze this information and head off cost impact issues in the field, or other data related to the project. 

When filling out work information with paper, sending information to customers took longer. Not only did the office have to wait hours or days to receive information, so too did Daley’s clients.

Moving from paper-based processes to GoCanvas accelerated the turnaround time for delivering field reports to residential and commercial customers. When customers once waited days, they can receive in real time. As a result, customers have more immediate visibility into projects.  

“By using GoCanvas’s mobile form solution, the process of creating and submitting field reports that used to take several days now can be done in thirty minutes – significantly improving the efficiency of our mobile workforce, cash flow position and customer satisfaction.” – Craig Daley, President, Daley’s Drywall

Previously, Daley’s foremen were restricted by paper: The full information they needed couldn’t be done on paper. In the past, a foreman had to take a picture with a cellphone, email the photo to himself, and then attach it for others to view. Not only was this cumbersome, it also allowed room for error.

With GoCanvas, the foremen today can:

  • Transmit work orders back to the central office in real-time
  • Collect e-signatures from customers on-site 
  • Email the signed e-forms to project managers for immediate processing
  • Take photos of work in progress and transmit them as needed in real-time to project managers

This rich feature set assures that Daley’s not only works efficiently, but also removes fewer opportunities for errors. Using GoCanvas strengthens the information employees collect as well as continues to streamline their processes even further.

As a cloud-based, mobile platform combined with an easy-to-use mobile form builder, GoCanvas provides Daley’s Drywall the flexibility to add new features and functionality to any of their mobile forms. As needs evolve and change, GoCanvas makes editing forms a frictionless process.

For instance, as the cost of their supplies changes, Daley’s Drywall can go into their GoCanvas account and simply update the price list they use. Within minutes, these cost changes will be updated for all their technicians. This allows for an easy transition, with limited possibility for accounting errors.

Other mobile form alternatives make this process cumbersome or costly, weakening the effectiveness of their platforms. With GoCanvas it is a frictionless process at no additional cost. 

Today, Daley’s continues to embrace mobile forms. They continue to look at other paper forms they can convert to mobile, streamlining their processes even further. With faster processes, improved customer service, and real time information, Daley’s sees only benefits from going with GoCanvas.  

“Based on feedback to date from our foremen and project managers, we hope to have all our foremen operating 100 percent paperless in the near future.”  – Craig Daley, President, Daley’s Drywall

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

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Centurion Saves Over $100K Annually with Mobile Reports

Transportation workers looking at digital work orders on tablet.

Centurion Transport Saves Over $100,000 Annually with Mobile Daily Reports and Work Orders

Centurion Logo

Background 

  • Industry: Transportation and Logistics Service
  • HQ Location: Perth, AU
  • Website: Visit Here

Highlights

  • Over 75,000+ Digital Reports Produced Annually
  • $56,000+ Productivity Savings
  • $50,000 + Paper Cost Savings

The Case for GoCanvas

Centurion is the largest heavy haulage provider in Australia. They deliver national supply chain solutions to the resources, energy, construction & retail sectors throughout Western Australia, Queensland & the Northern Territory.

Prior to GoCanvas, Centurion collected information from their drivers via paper. Paperwork was difficult to keep track of and was very costly as reporting errors and long turnaround times were common. With a workforce that primarily works out on the road, drivers and office staff found that paperwork was hindering their ability to grow. Since information was collected by pen and paper, items such as work orders and job reports, may have taken a week or more to return and process. They needed a solution so that drivers did not need to pick up and bring back paperwork back to the office each day.

Centurion decided they needed to eliminate their paper processes. Their goal was to become a paperless company. When they came across GoCanvas it was a clear solution to their dilemma.

“GoCanvas makes data capture much easier to be mobile and it is great getting the information instantly”

– Sean Nun-Thawng, IT Support at Centurion

Benefits of Automation and Efficiency

Now when Centurion drivers are delivering goods to the customer the job information automatically pre-populates on the work order. GoCanvas makes it so all the driver must do is make sure to get the items signed off and then a delivery receipt is automatically sent to both the office and the customer. Office staff are also able to track the driver’s journey to make sure they went through the process correctly with the GPS functionality. These functions improve the quality of their work for not just the company but the customer as well.

Trucking companies, big and small, that operate in almost every industry can search from over 20,000 pre-built mobile form templates in the GoCanvas Application store or drill down further and look specifically at mobile form templates for Transportation and Warehousing. These can be completely customized with the online, drag-and-drop App Builder tool to fit an organization’s specific processes.  Using that same tool many businesses, like Centurion, elect to build their own mobile forms from scratch. Centurion ultimately chose GoCanvas because of the platform’s design flexibility and quick deployment. Below are a few examples of forms Centurion uses on the field:

  • Time Sheets
  • Work Orders
  • Daily Reports
  • Driver Training Checklists
  • Trailer Loading Report
  • Truck Inspections

Since fully implementing GoCanvas Centurion has been able to totally change the way they do business. With their new mobile forms, the company supervisors no longer have to chase down trucks to retrieve valuable information. Every crew is now able to submit their daily field and truck audits from wherever they are, and their office staff gets alerted in real-time.

Centurion has continued to improve the way they handle information capture by integrating GoCanvas with their own servers. Now when certain form submissions are created they will automatically generate an email to specified user groups and be uploaded to the company website. This lets users log in on the Centurion site and automatically see their relevant documents.

Overall, the trucking company has seen an amazing return on its investment in GoCanvas. Their returns have not only shown up on the balance sheet but also in their daily productivity as a business.

Ready to Rethink How You Work?

GoCanvas has helped a variety of businesses across multiple industries transform their safety processes and rethink their efficiency, ultimately saving them money. Why not do the same? Reach out to one of our experts today to kickstart your process revolution.

4 Things You Need To Know About Collecting Employee Health Information

4 Things You Need To Know About Collecting Employee Health Information

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With new protocols and processes being established across all businesses, there are questions about what sort of employee health information you can and should collect.

Fortunately, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has shared several guidelines on what details you can ask for during a pandemic.

Much of the information being requested by employers concerns the direct threat of COVID-19 and reducing risk to employees and customers. This includes rapidly identifying signs and symptoms of the Coronavirus, for example: fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, loss of smell or taste, or sore throat.

Employers may ask employees who report feeling ill at work, or who call in sick, questions about their symptoms to determine if they may have COVID-19. Asking these questions helps your team know when to contact their doctor (before showing up at their office), or to reach out to their local or state health department for recommendations.

Additionally, employees who return from travel (business or personal) may be asked about the location they visited, specifically regarding exposure during the trip. The team members may even be asked to remain at home for several days until it is clear they do not have symptoms, based on CDC or state/local public health guidelines.

One very important distinction is for employees who are covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Employers may not ask ADA-covered staff who do not have symptoms to disclose whether they have a medical condition that the CDC says could make them especially vulnerable.

If an employee voluntarily discloses (without a disability-related prompt) that they have a specific medical condition or disability that puts them at increased risk of complications, the employer must keep this information confidential.

One key component of Employee Health Screenings is taking the temperature of team members, ideally at the start of each shift.

Generally speaking, measuring an employee’s body temperature is a medical examination. However, because the CDC and state/local health authorities have acknowledged community spread of COVID-19, employers may measure employees’ body temperature. 

As with all medical information, the fact that an employee had a fever or other symptoms would be subject to ADA confidentiality requirements.

Another important precaution to reduce risk is to provide PPE to your employees and establish new sanitation processes. 

These procedures may be completely new to your team members, especially as many people may have not worn a mask or gloves previously. These steps are vital to reduce exposure points and provide reassurance to your staff and customers.

Employers can require infection control practices, such as regular hand washing, coughing and sneezing etiquette, and proper tissue usage and disposal.

An employer may also require employees to wear personal protective equipment during a pandemic. 

However, when an employee with a disability needs a related reasonable accommodation under the ADA (non-latex gloves, gowns designed for individuals who use wheelchairs, etc), the employer should provide these items.

There may be times where an employee does not show symptoms of COVID-19 during a screening at the start of a workday, but goes on to develop symptoms during their shift.

Anyone who comes down with symptoms while at work should leave the workplace, according to the CDC. This means an employer can send home an employee with COVID-19 symptoms. The same goes for sending employees home who display symptoms during a pre-shift health screening.

It is important to communicate any new procedures and protocols with your team, including your plans for collecting employee health information. Checklists, employee health screenings, and waivers are great ways to share and enforce new precautions to protect your staff and customers. 

These methods can also protect you and your business in the event you need to provide documentation that an employee has completed a checklist, signed a waiver, or participated in an employee health screening.

These are challenging times with so much to take in and consider. Keeping team members informed of changing precautions and ensuring they follow best practices will help you reduce employee risk and promote the safety of your team and customers.

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

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Gown Your Business with GoCanvas Partner Program

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Integrate with over 1,000 software applications. Enhance your GoCanvas experience by syncing real-time data to one or all of your business tools.

Connect with an Expert Today.

We’ll help you put together the right solution for your needs.

5 Things You Need to Know Before You Launch Employee Health Screenings

5 Things You Need to Know Before You Launch Employee Health Screenings

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Employee health screenings for coronavirus are vital for companies who are returning to the workplace. But it’s not enough to just screen as you see fit; following best practices for these screenings can greatly reduce exposure risks to your staff and customers.

We previously discussed employee health screenings, their importance, and provided some information about how to implement them. Now we want to get more specific about conducting the screenings from a practical standpoint. 

As you prepare your business to conduct health screenings, consider what type of screening will be best for your team and processes.

There are two general methods of employee health screenings:

  • Self-reported Health Screenings: Each employee will perform and submit their own screening data from their mobile device, typically from their place of residence.

    A Self-reported Health Screening App can be deployed to each team member’s mobile device and may be preferred by businesses without a central worksite (or where people visit customers directly), such as contractors or home inspectors.
    • Pros:
      • No need to set up a screening station or have a designated screener.
      • Saves time at the start of each workday by having employees submit data before starting their shift.
      • Reduces exposure risk by identifying high temperatures and symptoms before employees arrive at work.
    • Cons:
      • Requires additional information and training to every staff member.
      • Potential for inaccurate or inconsistent screening methods across individuals.
      • Employees must be trusted to conduct fresh, honest testing every day and report accurate results.
      • Difficult to ensure compliance of screening tools across individuals.
      • Requires all employees to have appropriate equipment, including thermometers, which can be difficult to source quickly.
  • Administered Screenings: Many organizations opt to have a set of designated screeners who collect and submit health information for multiple employees in one place.

    An Administered Screening App can be deployed to a company tablet, then performed at a workplace entrance or a single check-in station, where proper PPE and training is provided to the screening staff.

    This type of screening is ideal for businesses with a central worksite (or multiple group worksites), like in manufacturing plants, warehouses, and grocery stores.
    • Pros:
      • Ensured accuracy of screening methods and tools.
      • Only select staff require training to perform screenings.
      • Consistent data submitted from company maintained devices (no need for individual troubleshooting).
      • Proper PPE can be provided to all employees at screening station, ensuring proper usage.
    • Cons:
      • Check-in stations must be established, staffed, and regularly sanitized.
      • Potential loss of time, as employees have to be screened before starting their shift (lines and crowds are possible).
      • Increased risk of exposure as a symptomatic employee may come to the workplace before being screened.

For either method, it is important to capture consistent and comprehensive data for every employee before entering the workspace. This can include their name, work location, temperature, symptoms, and travel history. 

Ideally, you will want to use digital means to screen employee health. Using employee management apps that can be sent to an employee’s phone or a company tablet will reduce exposure risks from paper forms and multiple points of contact.

Capturing accurate temperature readings is a key component of employee health screenings, but is something completely new to most organizations. To capture accurate vitals, it is worth consulting any applicable state or local emergency orders, as some recommend certain thermometers, typically one of these types: 

  • Digital Oral Thermometers: Digital thermometers are regarded as the fastest and most accurate type of thermometer. Readings are taken from under the tongue. You can find digital oral thermometers in most local pharmacies. 
  • Electronic Ear (tympanic) Thermometers: These use infrared technology to get their temperature reading. Electronic ear thermometers are less accurate as if there is too much wax in the ear it can give an incorrect reading. Despite being expensive, they are easier to use on babies and young children, as it can be hard to get children to sit still for long enough while using digital thermometers.
  • Forehead (Temporal Artery) Thermometers: These thermometers also read heat using infrared, and are placed on the temporal artery. Forehead thermometers are also not as reliable as digital thermometers. 

Each different type of thermometer works differently and has different instructions. Per the Cleveland Clinic, here is how to accurately collect temperature data using each different type of thermometer: 

  • Using a Digital Oral Thermometer:
    • Wash your hands with soap and warm water.
    • Use a clean thermometer, one that has been washed in cold water, cleaned with rubbing alcohol, and then rinsed to remove the alcohol.
    • Do not eat or drink anything for at least five minutes before you take your temperature because the temperature of the food or beverage could make the reading inaccurate. You should keep your mouth closed during this time.
    • Place the thermometer tip under the tongue.
    • Hold the thermometer in the same spot for about 40 seconds.
    • Readings will continue to increase and the F (or C) symbol will flash during measurement.
    • Usually, the thermometer will make a beeping noise when the final reading is done (typically about 30 seconds). If you are keeping track, record the temperature and the time.
    • Rinse the thermometer in cold water, clean it with alcohol and rinse again.
  • Using a Tympanic Thermometer: 
    • Pull gently back on the top of the ear to open the ear canal.
    • Place the protective cover on the tip of the thermometer.
    • Gently insert the thermometer until the ear canal is fully sealed off.
    • Press and hold down the button for 1-2 seconds until you hear a beep (follow the manufacturer’s instructions).
    • Remove the thermometer, discard the cover, and record temperature and time.
  • Using a Temporal Artery Thermometer
    • Turn the thermometer on.
    • Place the protective cap on the thermometer.
    • Sweep the thermometer gently across the forehead so the infrared scanner can measure the temperature of the temporal artery.
    • Record the temperature and time.
    • Remove the protective cover and dispose of it.

Employers should measure employee temperatures and assess symptoms prior to starting work every day. 

Instituting a daily pre-shift health screening will prevent potential exposure risks by identifying symptomatic team members. Regular health screenings are also an opportunity to provide the latest CDC updates and necessary PPE to each employee, ensuring proper usage and further reducing risks. 

Once health screenings are implemented, you should store and review that data on a regular basis. Maintaining an employee screening log is helpful for protecting your employees and customers, identifying health trends, and taking measures to act against them.

The screening data can also serve as a means of contact tracing within your organization. On a larger scale, contact tracing involves public health staff working with a patient diagnosed with COVID-19 to help them recall everyone with whom they have had close contact during the timeframe while they may have been infectious.

In the case of employee health screenings, contact tracing can include identifying which team members had close contact with symptomatic employees and alerting these team members of potential exposure as rapidly and sensitively as possible. 

Contacts can be provided with information and support to understand their risk and identify what they should do to separate themselves from others who are not exposed. Then they’ll need to monitor themselves for illness, as there is the possibility that they could spread the infection to others even if they do not feel ill.

Employee Health Screenings reduce employee risk by rapidly identifying signs and symptoms of the Coronavirus. People who are experiencing symptoms should not be in the office or interacting with customers. This means conducting health screenings as needed are another way to help protect your staff and customers. 

If an employee has a high temperature or is showing symptoms, they should be sent home and closely monitor their symptoms once they are identified. Any workspace where they have been should be sanitized according to enhanced cleaning and disinfection guidelines.

Conducting these screenings also helps your team know when to contact their doctor (before showing up at their office), or to reach out to their local or state health department for recommendations. 

Help keep your staff informed and safe by following best practices for employee health screenings.

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

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Employee Health Screening: What You Need to Know to Reduce Risk

Employee Health Screening: What You Need to Know to Reduce Risk

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With the current challenges facing businesses, the term “employee health screening” is being use a lot.

The CDC even recommends employee health screenings, particularly for front-line workers and anyone encountering other people during their work day. But what exactly are employee health screenings and how should a business implement them?

An employee health screening is a crucial tool to identify risks to the well being of your staff and customers.

During a health screening, important information such as temperature, possible symptoms, and travel history should be checked, to make sure that your employees are healthy and ready to go.

Employee Health Screenings reduce employee risk by rapidly identifying signs and symptoms of the Coronavirus. People who are experiencing symptoms should not be in the office or interacting with customers, and should closely monitor their symptoms once they are identified.

Conducting these screenings helps your team know when to contact their doctor (before showing up at their office), or to reach out to their local or state health department for recommendations.

These screenings can also be used to provide details on the latest guidelines and recommendations with your staff, so they can take necessary precautions to protect themselves and your customers.

While all organizations should have an infectious disease preparedness plan, screening for Coronavirus is vital for companies who work directly with the general public. This is especially true for those with customers and employees from high risk groups, and those who work in an environment where strict physical distancing is not always possible.

Employee health screenings can protect people across all industries and levels of exposure, from jobs at direct risk (such as healthcare, first responder, and medical transport) to jobs with indirect risk (such as schools, population-dense work environments, and high-volume retail settings).

There are two general methods to employee health screenings:

  • Self-reported Health Screenings: Each employee will submit their own screening data. This method requires some additional information and training to every staff member, but it can save time at the start of each workday. There are some potential downsides to self-reported screenings, including accurate methods across individuals, compliance with screening regulations, and trusting employees to conduct fresh testing every day and report accurate results.
  • Administered Screenings: Many organizations opt to have a set of designated screeners who collect and submit health information for multiple employees in one place. This is often done at a workplace entrance or a single check-in station, where proper PPE and training is provided to the screening staff. It is important to make sure the employees conducting the screening understand the added risks and how to mitigate them (performing their own screening at multiple times, wearing masks and gloves, regularly disinfecting surfaces and equipment).

Ideally, you will want to use digital means to screen employee health. Using employee management apps that can be sent to an employee’s phone or a company tablet will reduce potential vectors from paper forms and multiple points of contact.

Once you’ve got the screening form in place, there are other items to consider:

It is vital to establish and share these precautions within the workplace. Letting your colleagues and customers know that employee health screenings are being conducted gives added assurance that their safety and health is important to your team.

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

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We’ll help you put together the right solution for your needs.

4 Keys to Keeping Your Team (and Customers) Safe During the COVID-19 Pandemic

4 Keys to Keeping Your Team (and Customers) Safe During the COVID-19 Pandemic

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This is not an easy time to be a business owner. It can be overwhelming to stay focused and organized on what we can and should be doing for ourselves, our team, and our customers.

This is a quick look at the big-picture actions you can do to stay proactive and protective while navigating working in the time of Coronavirus.

  • Stay informed.

There’s a lot to know out there. Facts and recommendations have shifted countless times in the last 2 months. New symptoms, updated statistics and protective procedures, and additional regulations are emerging, and it’s crucial that you and your team know the latest.

Keep up with the latest guidelines, but keep in mind that your state and even county or city might have their own specifications (if you have teams across the country or world, make sure you’re tracking what’s happening where they are). Because this is a business environment, OSHA also has some guidance on how to best protect your employees.

  • Understand the risks.

Avoiding unnecessary risks can be a powerful way of taking care of yourself and your business (and not just in relation to Coronavirus, either). In this case, there are two major risk types to be aware of: high risk groups (that is, folks who are more likely to be more gravely affected by the virus) and high risk activities (situations that encourage the spread of the virus).

When it comes to high risk individuals, it’s an increasingly lengthy list. It’s important to remember that while these folks are more at risk in some ways, people of all ages and demographics are being treated for serious COVID-19 complications.

If you have high risk employees on your team, the best thing to do is to allow them to work remotely or separately from the rest of the team if at all possible, or consider staggering work schedules so they aren’t encountering co-workers in the office. This may mean re-assigning tasks or shifting their job duties temporarily or being creative about how to get work done.

If your business serves people who have increased risks, there are precautions that you will need to take to keep them safe (see item number 3 below).

When it comes to high risk activities or situations, anything with people standing in close proximity to one another qualifies. Remember, up to 25% of people who contract Coronavirus are asymptomatic, so the best thing to do is avoid having people in contact if you can.

Of course, the nature of many jobs is to be in contact with people, and so for many, avoiding high risk situations is impossible in the workplace. In that case, again, we’d recommend taking (and enforcing) as many precautions as you and your employees can.

  • Employ and enforce precautions.

All of us, even those who can work remotely and remove themselves from most risks, need to be taking precautions. In workplaces especially, precautions can make all of the difference for both your employees and customers you may still be encountering.

What you should be doing will depend on your industry and situation, but generally, workplace recommendations include:

  1. Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily
  2. Ensure hygiene supplies are easily available and stocked
  3. Practice social distancing at all times
  4. Cancel gatherings of people (including meetings, conferences, and in-person events)
  5. Cancel non-essential travel
  6. Consider health checks such as employee or visitor screenings

In addition, reviewing, updating, and relaxing paid sick and personal time policies will help encourage people to take the time to stay healthy and not put others at risk.

Make sure that you’re documenting all of your policies formally and distributing them to your team and customers. Let customers know what to expect when they do encounter your staff and what precautions you’re enforcing to keep everybody healthy. Customers will feel better knowing you’ve mitigated the risks to them and to your team.

When your policies are documented and distributed, it’s crucial to enforce them. Checklists, waivers, and employee health screenings are a great way to make sure everyone is following procedures.

  • Recognize signs & symptoms.

Whether you’re seeing your employees in person or performing health screenings remotely, knowing the signs and symptoms of the virus is important.

Just knowing what to look for isn’t enough; what happens (and what should you do) if you or someone on your team experiences them? That all depends on the severity of the symptoms, but self-isolation is certainly the first step.

People who are experiencing symptoms should not be in the office or interacting with customers, and should closely monitor their symptoms. Depending on where you are, they might need to contact their doctor (call before showing up at their office) or state or local health department for their recommendations.

If someone in your office has been sick, make sure to disinfect the space thoroughly and immediately.

There is a lot to take in and a lot to be thinking about. But if you try to focus on those 4 components, your employees, customers, and community will appreciate that you’re taking appropriate precautions during this challenging time.

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

Three people in hard hats looking at a tablet.

Smarter, Faster, Safer: Improving Safety Compliance with Mobile Technology

Compliance, there are many ways we talk about it. A necessary evil, a chore, a struggle, or a critically important part of business. We all know how crucial it is, helping save…

Woman reviewing information on a tablet.

Your Guide to Waiver Forms — Examples and Templates

Waiver forms are a type of legal protection used by businesses to reduce their liability and risk. This type of agreement between a business and its customers is used…

Closeup of a handshake.

Duotank Transforms Business Processes with GoCanvas

Duotank is a bag-in-tank alternative to the traditional keg beer system. The aseptic tank environment enables breweries to maintain the quality of their beer after it leaves…

Connect with an Expert Today.

We’ll help you put together the right solution for your needs.

Retailers Use Mobile to Ace Inspections and Improve Store Appearance

Retailers Use Mobile to Ace Inspections and Improve Store Appearance

You’re already paying attention to how clean and safe your store is, but with so many other priorities to focus on things may slip through the cracks.

Your customers notice things like the look (and smell) of your store and make purchase decisions based on those factors. Here’s how to approach cleanliness and safety procedures in an organized, easy way that can boost efficiency and help you avoid OSHA fines.

What can you learn in this eBook?

  • How mobile forms help you keep inventory and displays up to date
  • How to prioritize safety for customers and employees using mobile technology
  • How streamlining procedures with mobile can help save money and boost your bottom line

Complete the form to access your copy.

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