1 S. Van Ness Ave COVID-19 Workplace Safety Petition

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1 S. Van Ness Ave COVID-19 Workplace Safety Petition

City and County of San Francisco

As San Francisco prepares for an increase to on-site work starting on November 1, Local 21 is calling on the City and County of San Francisco to make sure that the right policies are in place to keep us safe at work.

The feedback we received on the Local 21 CCSF Worksite Safety Survey indicated that there were many shared concerns about ventilation at the 1 S. Van Ness Ave. worksite. On behalf of our members who have been working on site throughout the pandemic, and for those who will be expected to return to the worksite on Nov. 1, we are requesting that a licensed Occupational Health and Safety Professional perform a walk-through inspection of the building to ensure the worksite’s ventilation system is capable of controlling droplet spread from coughs and sneezes. In order to get the City to meet this demand, we must demonstrate that Local 21 members are united. We are asking you to add your voice to our petition and share with your 1 S. Van Ness co-workers.

Sponsored by

IFPTE Local 21

To: City and County of San Francisco
From: [Your Name]

We, the undersigned, are IFPTE Local 21 members working for the City and County of San Francisco at the 1 S. Van Ness Avenue worksite. We demand the following before City worksites reopen, in order to limit the spread of COVID-19 at the workplace and in our community:

• A certified Occupational Health and Safety Professional to perform a walk-through inspection on each floor and conduct a safety check of the building’s ventilation system by measuring:
- Air flow measured in cubic feet per minute (cfm)
- Temperature (0F)
- Relative humidity (%), and
- Carbon Dioxide levels (during normal occupancy)

• Installation of air and furnace filters in the building with a MERV filtration grade of 13 or higher, and installation of portable HEPA filters in work areas that need them;

• Increase ventilation as much as possible, including dilution ventilation (opening doors and windows) and increasing outdoor air supply to the building’s air handling unit. For fresh air exchange, we demand that our worksite follows industry guidelines and best practices by ensuring the industry standard on fresh Air Changes per Hour (ACH), based on the dimensions of the work area.

• Appropriate PPE and face coverings made available for all employees and members of the public entering the building;

• A documented worksite plan that details the safety protocols for in-person activity, including how face coverings will be enforced for contractors, vendors, and members of the public who enter the building;

• The name and contact information for each department’s designated Worksite Safety Monitor at 1 S. Van Ness Ave.; and

• Any staff with existing telecommute agreements will continue working remotely full-time until an Occupational Safety and Health professional performs a worksite safety inspection and verifies that our building’s ventilation system can prevent the spread of COVID-19.