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Driver Temperature & Health Screening |
Each and every day, all drivers undergo a temperature and wellness screening before boarding the shuttle for their shift. No drivers can board any 128 Business Council vehicle if they are experiencing symptoms identified with COVID-19 by the CDC, nor if they are experiencing symptoms included in the CDC’s list of symptoms for reportable illness more in general.
Why take the drivers’ temperatures? The presence of a temperature above 100.4° F suggests the presence of an infection, and therefore anyone with a temperature at or above this level should be isolated from other drivers, employees, and the public.
However, taking drivers’ temperatures alone does not eliminate the need for other protective measures. Given that many people with COVID-19 and other infectious diseases remain asymptomatic, or are contagious for several days before becoming symptomatic, the absence of an elevated temperature does not certify health. Taking drivers’ temperatures is just one layer in a multi-layered approach to preventing the spread of disease.
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Driver Personal Protective Equipment & Rigid Driver Partitions |
All drivers are required to wear masks and gloves throughout their shift.
However, just providing masks and gloves is not enough: PPE requires training. 128 Business Council has provided training to all drivers and staff on how to safely put on, wear, remove, clean, and dispose of their PPE. (There is more discussion below in the Rider Protocols section regarding proper mask use and hygiene.)
Riders may also notice plexiglass driver partitions as soon as they board the shuttle, which provide an additional layer of reciprocal protection for the driver and riders during boarding.
Why personal protective equipment AND protective partitions? Whenever possible, PPE should be used in combination with maintaining at least 6-foot distances and avoiding face-to-face conversations. Since the driver and riders must exchange information within close contact at the point of boarding (and our shuttles do not allow for rear boarding), we have installed physical barriers.
More in general, a fundamental feature of all of our protocols is overlapping layers of protection so that health and safety is never dependent upon a single protocol.
