We've been getting reports from different different clients and from the industry of people who have come back from COVID19 isolation and they've actually been suffering from brain fog and chronic fatigue. Many have really been struggling. We have been told of some instances in the workplace where these returnees have been injured and hurt themselves
No one's touched on this topic and is it something that that officers and business owners need to be aware of.
Tips for Managers and Safety Professionals
What we need to do is to is understand that these COVID19 positive employees have been exposed to an illness that we actually know very little about and is still being studied. As safety professionals we need to manage them as if they are actually new employees or actually still on light duty or still sick and vulnerable. The first tip we have is to put put them through the whole process and do the induction training as if they are new employees. The seond tip is to put them in an area where they are constantly under supervision and just make sure that they are okay.
Tips for Workers returning from COVID
The truth is that we don't fully understand the all the side effects yet.
With any risk assessment when you don't understand you've got to take extra precautions.
When you're returning back to work be aware of these these issues.
Be aware that you are going to be tired that maybe your memory isn't as sharp as it was that maybe your reflexes aren't as sharp as they were.
It may be that you're not going to be as familiar as you were prior to COVID19 with the duties that you're doing because of the brain fog and the issues that you're having.
If you're aware of issues speak up.
If you're having a bad day have the courage to say hey guys I'm not at my best I can't run this forklift or I can't do this this high impact job today.
Your life is worth so much more than getting that job done in that moment and if you're aware of it and your team are talking about it, you can take the steps to potentially avoid a fatal or dangerous situation.
If you have any questions or need more info contact [email protected]. FTS Safety provides a range of free information and resources for safety professionals with the aim improving South Africa's safety culture.