As concerns around COVID-19 (Coronavirus) increase, there’s a lot of uncertainty on how to navigate the path forward. As a “hard hat” business, safety always has been, and continues to be Dandelion’s #1 priority. We want to share the ways we’re looking after the health of our employees and our customers. Some of these initiatives are specific to the ongoing health pandemic, but most of them are embedded in our company’s culture.
First and foremost, we’re listening to health professionals.
That means following advice and recommendations like replacing handshakes with waves, washing hands frequently, and making sure there’s a lot of Purell hand sanitizer available in our offices, warehouses, and company cars. We’ve also transitioned all non-essential field personnel to working-from-home.
We’re offering flexible sick leave.
Any employee who is not feeling well, or has any flu-like symptoms, is required to refrain from work (in the office or in the field). All employees — hourly and salaried — can take flexible, paid sick leave. As a company, we never want to put employees in the difficult position of choosing between financial support and protecting their own wellbeing.
We’re closely communicating with customers.
We’re proactively postponing in-person meetings if there are any questions about an employee’s health, and we are asking the same from our customers. If any customer or a member of their family isn’t feeling well, we’ll reschedule the appointment or conduct it virtually. We’re also offering free virtual consultations to all customers.
We value and reward a culture of safety.
In 2019, we hired a full-time Health, Safety, and Environmental (HSE) Manager to evaluate our existing safety policies as well as create and implement new process improvements. He divides his time between our two warehouses to build relationships with employees, conduct industry-leading training, and promote best practices.
The strongest cultures are the ones where everyone is invested in the same values. During our weekly safety meetings, employees are encouraged to share feedback on how to make work better for themselves and the public.
We’re actively monitoring the situation.
Our team is holding daily meetings to ensure we’re doing everything we can to continue operating safely and smartly. This is a challenging time for the world, the country, and the communities we live and work in. Together, we’ll get through it — spring is on the horizon. Take care of yourselves, and take care of each other.
Additional safety precautions (updated 5/4/2020).
As vital industries (such as construction) in New York State per Governor Cuomo’s declaration come back online we’re updating our operating procedures to make sure we’re keeping you and everyone involved in the installation of your Dandelion Home Geothermal System healthy & safe.
We’ll call you before we visit.
We’ll call you 1 week, and 24 hours prior to our scheduled installation date to confirm that no one is sick or exhibiting symptoms in your home. We’ll also go over the safety precautions we’re taking over the phone.
We’re outfitting our teams with masks, gloves, and other protective gear.
Our installation teams are required to wear a mask at all times. Our installation team will also have access to gloves, hand sanitizer, and other protective gear.
Cleaning and sanitizing our spaces.
We’re cleaning our warehouses at least once a week. And cleaning and sanitizing our vehicles thoroughly at least twice a week with sanitizing wipes. When working inside a customers home we’re taking additional precautions to create a safe operating perimeter for installation. We’re also maintaining at least 6 feet of distance between ourselves and our customers.
Daily symptoms assessment / if a team member tests positive.
We’ve educated our installation team what to look for in terms of symptoms. We’re asking that each team member conduct a daily self-assessment to see if they’re exhibiting symptoms.
If they are exhibiting symptoms they are being asked not to report for work, and to get tested. If they test positive they will be placed on sick leave for 14 days. We’ll conduct interviews to understand what other team members they came in contact with to proactively test those team members. We’ll also inform any and all customers that team member might have come into contact with, so the customer can take all the necessary precautions.
If a customer tests positive.
If a customer tests positive we will pause work on the project until the customer is recovered. If there is a vital need to get the heating / cooling system working immediately we will mark out our work area and make sure the homeowner does not come into that area until our work is complete.