Cleveland Clinic launches a back-to-work safety initiative
The COVID-19 pandemic has created a number of new challenges, especially for businesses looking to reopen. While managers and employees may feel a sense of urgency to get their business back to normal as soon as possible, many are concerned about how to do this safely.
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To help ease this transition, Cleveland Clinic recently launched a COVID-19 platform for employers, including industry-specific guides for creating a culture of safety amid the pandemic and a weekly webinar with health and infectious disease experts.
Cleveland Clinic’s back-to-work initiative is led by James I Merlino, MD, Chief Clinical Transformation Officer. “There is a sea of information out there about COVID-19,” says Dr. Merlino. “For business leaders outside of healthcare, the information can be difficult to interpret. Sometimes it’s just wrong. During this pandemic, we saw healthcare organizations like Cleveland Clinic take the lead to ensure that patients stayed safe and received the care they needed. Now we have the opportunity to help lead our society in reactivation. The knowledge of how to manage COVID-19 came from healthcare — from the experts who understand and are studying the disease. I think businesses, as they seek to reopen and reassure their employees and their customers, are looking for reassurance from us that it is safe.”
Dr. Merlino notes that although Cleveland Clinic has had a number of infected caregivers with COVID-19, none of them was infected while taking care of patients with COVID-19. By implementing some of these same safety precautions, organizations can help protect their workforce, customers and clients.
In the back-to-work guides, Cleveland Clinic experts describe many ways to keep the safety of employees and customers central to organizations’ COVID-19 planning and response. The guides are based on the “Swiss Cheese Model” developed by James Reason, PhD, in the 1990s. The model asserts that no single tactic is 100% effective; however, when used together, they add layers of protection and support a culture of safety.
“There’s a lot of confusion out there about which practices are best. The reality is: every safety practice has pros and cons, and the evidence of their efficacy is sometimes weak. The Swiss Cheese Model has taught people in the military, airlines, healthcare and other industries that safety is not just about one thing. Safety is achieved by aligning many tactics for enhanced protection,” says Dr. Merlino.
According to Dr. Merlino, organizations are looking for reassurance and clarity. To address diverging questions from different industries, Cleveland Clinic’s back-to-work initiative has developed guides for a variety of segments, including education, healthcare, hotels, manufacturing, retail and restaurants.
“Even as restrictions loosen, we need to maintain vigilance. We are in a new era of living with COVID-19, and these safety practices need to be the new “normal” until there’s a treatment or a vaccine. As healthcare providers, we take our role as educators and community partners very seriously.”
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