4 Steps to Implement Covid Screening Procedures

Organizations that want to establish a pre-entry screening process should identify and designate a screening area in each company location.

The screening areas must be conducive to maintenance of physical distancing. Every employee, customer, contractor, and visitor to the site will need to go through the screening process before entering. Thus, the screening area needs to be easily accessible to everyone who will be screened. Those wishing to enter the building should not have to walk through a populated workspace (e.g., locker room, cafeteria) to reach the screening area.

Once the company has designated the screening area, it should take four steps to ensure its pre-entry screening process is effective:

1. Prepare the screening area.

• Set up the screening area with a table, log sheets, pens, chairs, personal protective equipment (PPE), wristbands (if used), and sanitizing supplies.
• Provide screener PPE, including disposable gloves; disposable or washable smocks or coats; and face masks such as an N95 surgical respirator, standard N95 respirator, or disposable surgical mask and/or a transparent face shield.
• Confirm that the screener knows how to properly don PPE, understands the frequency with which he/she is expected to change PPE, and knows how to dispose of it appropriately.
• Calibrate the thermometer, if required by the manufacturer.
• Instruct employees, contractors, and visitors to maintain at least six feet of separation while waiting for screening. (Note: Where practical, mark the floor to indicate six-foot separations.)

2. Ask each employee, contractor, and visitor to the location a series of screening questions.

• STEP A: Ask the person whether he/she has experienced any of the Covid-19 symptoms: cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, fever (temperature at or above 100.4°F), chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, or the new loss of the sense of taste or smell. Please reference the CDC’s guidelines for the latest list of symptoms and other best practices.
  • If the answer is “No,” move on to Step B.
  • If the answer is “Yes,” and the symptoms are due to a known cause other than Covid-19—as determined by a healthcare professional—then move on to Step B.
  • Otherwise, explain that the individual cannot enter the premises, and should instead return home and seek medical advice. Mark the log sheet with Fail.

• STEP B: Ask the person whether, within the last 14 days, he/she has been in close contact with anyone who has been diagnosed with Covid-19, or who has symptoms that suggest they have the virus.
  • If the answer is “No,” move on to Step C.
  • If the answer is “Yes,” ask whether the individual is deemed a critical infrastructure worker, as per U.S. Department of Homeland Security guidance.
    • If he/she is a critical worker, ask him/her to wear a face mask, and remind him/her to follow the CDC guidelines for critical infrastructure workers who have been in close contact with Covid-19 patients. Then move on to Step C.
    • If the individual is not a critical worker, explain that he/she cannot enter the premises and should return home for the day. Mark the log sheet with Fail.
• STEP C: Ask the person whether he/she has been diagnosed with Covid-19 by either a positive test or a healthcare professional.
  • If the answer is “No,” move on to the temperature check.
  • If the answer is “Yes,” ask whether he/she has recovered from Covid-19.
    • If “Yes,” move on to the temperature check.
    • If “No,” explain that he/she cannot enter the premises and should return home for the day. Mark the log sheet with Fail.

3. Conduct a temperature check.

• Confirm with the person that he/she is authorizing you to take his/her temperature (verbal consent). If you receive consent, go to the next step. If the person refuses, then send him/her home, and mark Consent Not Granted in the log.
• Instruct the person to remain still during the temperature-check process, for accuracy.
• Obtain his/her temperature using a thermometer as per the manufacturer’s instructions.
  • If his/her temperature is below 100.4°F (38°C), write Pass on the log sheet and release the employee, contractor, or visitor to enter the workplace. Some organizations may ask each person to wear a colored wristband after successfully completing the screening. If that is part of your procedure, affix the appropriate wristband before allowing the individual to enter the workplace. This visual control indicates that the person has completed the screening and is approved to enter the premises. The color of wristbands should change each day.
  • If the individual’s temperature is at or above 100.4°F (38°C), inform the employee, contractor, or visitor that he/she has failed the temperature check, and that an additional test will be performed in five minutes. If the additional test indicates a temperature at or above 100.4°F, write Fail on the log sheet and explain that he/she cannot be released into the workplace. Suggest that the person seek medical advice.

4. Sanitize the screening site.

• Develop protocols to clean and sanitize all surfaces as appropriate, particularly those touched by a person who failed the screening.
• Sanitize the thermometer after each use with a sanitizing wipe.
• Clean and sanitize all equipment when screening is complete.
• Place the log sheet in a clear plastic covering prior to bringing it inside the company location, to avoid spreading disease via a potentially contaminated item.
• Properly remove PPE, discard disposable PPE, and wash hands.

See also:

• SIDEBAR TO: Preparing for the Covid-Era Workplace
• 3 Steps to Prepare for Reopening—and for Covid 19’s Second Wave