Workplace Safety Co-Chair Discusses the Contact-Tracing Steps Employers Should Consider

In an interview with SHRM, Travis Vance discusses some of the most important steps employers can take when following the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) guidance on contract tracing. In the interview, Travis points out that it is crucial for employers to incorporate the “6-15-48” analysis into any COVID-19 response program.  He goes on to explain that “[t]he most critical part of the 6-15-48 evaluation is determining the duration of exposure to an infected co-worker…especially since the CDC updated its guidelines to define direct exposure as 15 cumulative minutes over a 24-hour period.” Travis notes that it’s also important for employers to ask the infected employee to waive his or her confidentiality if/when possible. “If the employee waives confidentiality, the employer can have candid, more detailed conversations with employees the infected worker identifies as potential close contacts.”

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