Safety Measures
Personal Safety Measures
Commitment to safety guidelines
- Employees must read and acknowledge the University's Employee Safety Guidelines at KUEmployeeSafetyGuidelines.kettering.edu (login required)
- Follow guidelines in keeping with Kettering Values and showing respect for others
- Set a good example for students and other employees
- Safety guidelines are now a required responsibility of every employee’s job description
Personal Health Check Prior to Coming to Campus
- If you have any symptoms of sickness or fever, do not come to campus, please stay home
- Immediately report any situation involving symptoms of sickness including a positive test result or exposure to someone who has tested positive to HR at (810) 762-9933
- Check your temperature daily for a reading of less than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit
- Answer Safe Return to Campus Daily Questions to indicate “no” if applicable regarding health concerns (Please see “Daily Health Check Protocol” below)
Arrival on Campus
- Wear your Kettering ID card while on campus in a readily visible manner at all times
- Use only the designated entrance for your respective work area. Other entrances will be inaccessible, and no access is to be given to others when exiting a building
- Any special needs should be brought to the attention of the Director of Campus Safety for consideration and advance approval
Use of Face Masks
- Face masks must be worn when moving through public areas and in all other spaces any time more than one person is present
- Face masks must cover both nose and mouth
- Effective May 6, 2021, face masks will not be required outdoors on campus in groups of 100 or less people per the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services new epidemic order announced Tuesday. This includes gatherings in the Pool-vilion and other outdoor areas of campus. Indoors, current face mask and social distancing guidelines will still be required.
Social Distancing
- Maintain at least 6 feet of separation (specific areas may require further distancing)
- Adhere to signage instructions posted on campus
- Conduct all group meetings online, e.g. Google Meet and Zoom, unless there is a compelling reason to meet in-person
- If there is a need to meet in person, keep the group size to no more than 10 people and adhere to social distancing while meeting
- Conduct any one-on-one meetings via online tools or by phone as much as possible unless there is a compelling reason to meet in-person
- Show courtesy and step aside in stairwell landings to allow others to pass safely
- Adhere to the two passengers limits for elevator use
- Stay to the right in hallways, the tunnel, and walkways
- Do not congregate at entrances or while waiting in lines
Personal Health Hygiene & Cleaning of Personal Space
- Wash hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer
- Cough or sneeze into your arm or cover with tissue
- Clean personal equipment daily, e.g. doorknobs, keyboard, phone, and work surfaces including desks, tables, and chairs
- Avoid sharing equipment with others; when required to share, clean before and after each use
- Department Administrative Assistants can request cleaning supplies from Auxiliary Services by emailing cleanit@kettering.edu with “Covid Cleaning Supplies.” Also provide a room/office number where they should be dropped off.
Sharing Your Concerns
- Address any concerns about adherence to these guidelines to HR at (810) 762-9933
Daily Health Check Protocol
Everyone must wear a face mask and Kettering ID while on campus. Additionally, everyone returning to campus will be required to take your temperature and answer health questions each day which can be accessed online via a smartphone/tablet app at safereturn.kettering.edu. Based on your answers to the questions, you will receive approval to come to campus (indicated by “green” color screen with approval message) or be directed to stay home or stay in your residence room and contact the Wellness Center if you are a student or HR if you are an employee (indicated by “red” screen with message to call Wellness Center or HR).
You will then show your smartphone/tablet screen at the designated entrance to be allowed on campus (please see below for entrances as others will be deactivated).
To make it more accessible, you can bookmark the link or add the app to your mobile device's home screen. Students and employees can also find a direct link on the home page of my.kettering.edu (login required).
How to Create a Website Link on your iPhone Home Screen
- Launch Safari on your iPhone or iPad
- Navigate to the site where you want to create a Home screen shortcut (safereturn.kettering.edu/)
- Tap the Share icon (the square with an arrow pointing out of it) at the bottom of the screen
- Scroll down to the list of actions and tap Add to Home Screen. (If you don't see the action, scroll to the bottom and tap Edit Actions, then tap Add next to the Add to Home Screen action. After that, you'll be able to select it from the Share Sheet.)
How to add a link to your Android device
- Open the Safe Campus web page by clicking safereturn.kettering.edu/
- Tap the menu icon (3 dots in the upper right-hand corner) and tap Add to Home screen
- You'll be able to enter a name for the shortcut and then automatically add it to your home screen
For employees who do not have a smartphone, contact the HR Office at (810) 762-9933 for instructions about how to complete the daily health screening process.
Personal Protection Equipment (PPE)
The Director of Auxiliary Services and Environment Health & Safety and the Director of Physical Plant will be responsible for acquiring appropriate supplies and personal protective equipment to meet campus needs including:
- Entry to campus buildings has been limited
- Cleaning and disinfecting supplies (including micro-mist sprayers)
- Cloth face masks (including instructions for cleaning cloth masks)
- N95 face masks for first-line workers
- Hand sanitizer (including dispenser stations and refill supplies)
- Gloves
- Clear shield materials (including fabrication services)
- Rope barriers
- Handheld infrared thermometers
Cleaning
The Custodial team will clean and disinfect campus facilities daily with priority given to high-use and common areas. Special needs will be addressed as they arise. The staff will follow training procedures for the use of personal protective equipment and various cleaning supplies.
Restrooms
- Public restrooms will be cleaned and disinfected twice daily.
- Floors will be swept and mopped weekly and more frequently as needed.
Surfaces
Frequently touched surfaces and objects will be cleaned and disinfected at least daily (depending upon use patterns) including:
- Doorknobs and handles
- Stair rails
- Classroom desks and chairs
- Lunchroom tables and chairs
- Countertops
- Handrails
- Light switches
- Handles on equipment (e.g. athletic equipment)
- Push buttons on vending machines and elevators
Trash Removal
Trash cans in offices and classrooms will be emptied on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Large trash cans have also been placed in some hallways for self-trash removal.
Special Needs for Enhanced Cleaning
If a positive COVID-19 case is reported, the space will be closed off until it can be properly cleaned and disinfected. Depending upon the situation with respect to time of day, size of space needing to be cleaned, etc., an outside contractor may be brought to campus for the cleaning and disinfecting work. The focus will be on any areas where the individual is known to have been and on any items or furnishings, they may have touched.
Space Modifications (Offices, Classrooms, Elevators, Stairways, Common Areas, etc.)
The University’s goal is to provide a workplace environment that is safe for employees and for those whom it serves.
Objective
In accordance with CDC guidelines, modifications are being made to workspaces to allow for 6 feet of separation between the employee and other employees or those being served.
Physical Solutions
Safety may be achieved by moving furniture, erecting physical barriers or shields, adjusting pathways, and/or limiting capacities of spaces.
- Entry to campus buildings has been limited
- In situations where physical changes are needed, department heads will be asked to submit requests online with requests being reviewed by the Director of Auxiliary Services & Environmental Health and Safety, the Director of HR, and the Director of Physical Plant
- The Physical Plant team will then be directed to order materials and make changes as required
Other Solutions
Creativity will be helpful in addressing situations for meeting institutional needs.
- Work activity may be moved to another area rather than make a physical modification, such as providing a separate room for in-person interviews.
- In some cases, a change in how work is accomplished may be most appropriate, e.g. having individuals submit photos online for ID’s and distributing finished ID cards from a new location
Remote/Virtual Work Guidelines
Employees who are able to work remotely will continue to do so with the approval of their supervisor. This excludes essential employees critical to the function of the campus or identified employees who are unable to work remotely.
Travel Guidelines
Please note that the University’s safety guidelines relating to travel continue to be in effect.
Students or employees who choose to travel to another state in the U.S. with a COVID-19 positive testing rate of 10% or higher on a seven-day rolling average must take one of two safety measures prior to returning to campus, either:
- Self-quarantine for 14 days without symptoms of COVID-19 arising, or
- Self-quarantine for a minimum of 7 days and then be tested for COVID-19 with a negative test result.
To determine the positive testing rate for a given state, the University will utilize the data supplied daily by the John Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center through its website link “Testing Trends Tool”. If the state to which you traveled is shown to have a positive testing percentage of 10% or higher on the day of your return, you will have to take one of the two safety measures outlined above before returning to campus.
During the quarantine period, students would need to move to virtual/online instruction and employees would need to move to working remotely. If an employee is unable to work remotely during the quarantine period, he/she would need to use available vacation, personal, or sick time hours in order to be compensated.
If you have any questions, please contact the Wellness Center (for students) or Human Resource Office (for employees).