COVID-19 Safety for Fleet Vehicles
Joe Whiteman, Director of Safety Services 7-2020 

We are about five months into the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, I have had an opportunity to speak with several members across the country to hear what their specific challenges are dealing with safety precautions and recommended safe work practices related to the Coronavirus. For the most part, I feel like contractors are at a point where they understand their “swim lane.” They have been able to adjust to the added safe working requirements and have carried on. One challenge that recently came up on the last ASCC COVID-19 Zoom roundtable was “What are you doing for site and fleet vehicles for cleaning and sanitizing and overall COVID precautions?” This was a great question, and there were really great recommendations shared by members on the call; one of the great advantages of attending this bi-monthly roundtable. I felt this was such a good question that I wanted to share these recommendations with the membership.

• Limit the use of vehicles as much as possible. This will reduce the opportunity for exposure should the vehicle not be properly maintained, and surfaces cleaned and disinfected.
• Practice social distancing, even while in vehicles. Limit the capacity of a vehicle to one individual if possible. If you cannot, or the operation requires two people, ensure they are wearing face masks, and that employees are vigilant on self-monitoring for signs of symptoms.
• Encourage good self-hygiene, train workers to always wash or sanitize their hands whenever they touch different surfaces. This will help reduce cross contamination, even before they get inside a vehicle.
• Keep track of who you assign to a vehicle, minimize multiple drivers using the same vehicle between cleaning and disinfecting.
• Address and develop specific cleaning and disinfecting regimen for each vehicle, based off the operation of that vehicle type. Don’t just focus on the interior of the cab; are you utilizing lift gates, latches, or controls on the exterior that also require cleaning and disinfecting?
• Develop a daily log and protocol for cleaning and disinfecting. Is that done prior to use, or in the afternoon after the last use? Either way, this should be identified and implemented so there is consistency.
• Ensure that cleaning and disinfecting supplies are readily available in sufficient quantities to ensure a thorough cleaning.
• Always seek out new methods and supplies to improve this effort. Although a clean rag and a spray bottle with disinfecting agent works, there are better and more thorough ways. Sprays and fogging systems are able to cover a larger area as well as reaching tighter spaces that otherwise may be missed by the swipe of a rag.