Contractor_COVID-19_Safety Protocols_10.19.21.pdf

October 19, 2021 Page 1

Safety Protocols for all Smithsonian Institution Contractors that Perform Services On-Site

I. Overview and Responsibilities

This document outlines measures the Smithsonian requires to be taken by all Smithsonian contractors

(Contractors) and their employees (contractor employees), including all subcontractors at any tier, that perform work in whole or in part on-site at a Smithsonian owned or leased facility. Smithsonian

Contracting Officer’s Technical Representatives (COTRs) are responsible for disseminating these guidelines to contractors and shall ensure that the prevention and control measures outlined below are appropriately implemented.

II. Certification of Vaccination for all Contractors that perform services in whole or in part on-site at a Smithsonian owned or leased facility

• Certifications of Vaccinations

To protect worker health and to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (SARS CoV-2) that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), contractors whose employees perform work at a

Smithsonian owned or leased facility (on-site) for any amount of time must require such employees to:

o Complete the attached Certification of Vaccination form.

It shall be the contractor’s responsibility to ensure that the Certification of Vaccination form is completed for all of its employees, and all sub-contractor employees at any tier, performing work on-site.

The original Certifications shall be held by the contractor and shall be readily available for inspection upon request by the COTR or other Smithsonian Institution staff (SI Authorized Staff).

In instances where a contractor employs more than 10 employees, including subcontractors at any tier, to perform work on-site, the contractor shall gather all of the completed Certifications and make them available for inspection upon request as indicated above.

For many contracts, the completed Certifications should be gathered and controlled by the

COVID-19 officer referenced below.

For contractors employing less than 10 on-site contractor employees, including subcontractors at any tier, the individual contractor employees may hold the Certification of Vaccination form for presentation to an SI Authorized Staff member.

Based on the responses to the Vaccination Certification, all on-site contractor employees, including all subcontractors at any tier, must adhere to the instructions provided on the certification form.

• Contractor employees who are not vaccinated, may not perform work on-site unless they can produce evidence that they have received a negative COVID-19 test result, as detailed in the certification form. The negative test result must be current as detailed in the certification form.

October 19, 2021 Page 2

III. Additional Responsibilities of Contractors On-Site

To support implementation and maintenance of the most stringent prevention and control measures possible, all on-site Contractors shall designate a site-specific COVID-19 officer who will be responsible for coordinating all onsite controls and personnel behavior, which may include the gathering and retention of all Certifications of Vaccinations referenced above. These individuals shall be familiar with all prevention and control measures that are employed onsite and shall have the authority to take prompt corrective measures. Contractor shall designate at least one person and, if necessary, one alternate as the site-specific COVID-19 officer required to be onsite whenever work is occurring. Multiple contractor

COVID-19 officers may be required depending on the scope of work and nature of the contract.

If a Contractor has only one contractor employee on site, it will be presumed that this individual will be the COVID-19 officer.

IV. Prevention and Control Methods for Contractors On-Site

All contractors that work on-site shall employ all available prevention and control measures, following the hierarchy of controls, utilizing the most effective controls whenever possible.

Source: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

Prevention and control measures include, but are not limited to:

A. Mandatory Daily Health Screenings – On-site contractor employees MUST perform daily self-health screenings. Contractor employees should thoughtfully and honestly answer the health screening questions (attached) before they leave for work each day. It is not necessary for the answers to be recorded. The screening questions will determine if the contractor employee has symptoms of illness and should stay home to avoid exposing co-workers and others in the community.

Individuals with a fever and/or symptom of acute respiratory illness shall not report back to work until one of the following conditions is met, whichever duration is longer:

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• If negative COVID-19 PCR test: employee may return to work when symptoms are resolved.

• If positive COVID-19 test OR no test was performed: They are 72 hours past the end of their fever (without using fever reducing medications) or improving respiratory symptoms AND at least 10 days after the onset of any symptoms, OR

• as determined by their health care provider.

B. Face Coverings – On-site contractor employees must follow the current SI staff policy for face coverings.

• Acceptable face coverings for those who do not require accommodation of a disability include cloth face coverings, disposable masks, or other multi-layer fabric coverings (I.e., no single-layer gaiters) as long as it covers the nose, mouth, and chin with no large gaps on the outside of the face (i.e., no bandanas), and does not have an exhalation valve. A face shield may not be worn as a substitute for a face covering.

• A face covering is not considered respiratory protection and should not take the place of PPE

(like an N95 respirator) that employees may currently wear to perform specific job tasks, nor does it eliminate the need for social distancing and hygiene measures.

C. Social Distancing – Social distancing should continue to be considered within work areas based upon a risk assessment of the task. Examples of social distancing controls include, but are not limited to:

• Modify work schedules by staggering shifts or offering alternate days of work or extra shifts to reduce the number of workers on a site at one time.

• Institute telework and flexible work schedules for employees with remote-work capabilities.

• Replace face-to-face meetings with virtual communications.

• Reconfigure offices, work areas, and communal spaces to maintain social distance requirements.

• Stagger break and lunch times to reduce the number of individuals in one area.

• Ample space shall be provided for the purpose of eating or drinking.

o Contractors, in coordination with the COTR and Building Management, will designate a lunch/break area for contractor use only. SI Staff lunch rooms will not be used by contractor employees in order to reduce/eliminate any unnecessary interaction between SI Staff and contractor employees. This will be addressed in the contractor COVID-19 Prevention Plan.

• Contractors shall address the use of company vehicles to transport their employees to the work site at SI. Contractor employees should be transported in the same vehicle only when no other transportation alternatives are possible. Employers shall ensure that:

o (1) Physical distancing and face covering are followed for employees waiting for transportation.

o (2) The vehicle operator and any passengers are separated by at least three feet in all directions during the operation of the vehicle, regardless of the vehicle's normal capacity.

o (3) The vehicle operator and any passengers wear an approved face covering while in the vehicle.

October 19, 2021 Page 4 o (4) Contractors shall develop, implement, and maintain effective procedures for screening and excluding drivers and riders with COVID-19 symptoms prior to boarding shared transportation.

o (5) Employers shall ensure that vehicle interiors are cleaned and sanitized after each use.

• Stagger site safety orientations and toolbox talks to maintain social distance requirements.

V. Detection and Reporting Guidelines

If a contractor is notified by an employee, or subcontractor employee, that they have received a confirmed positive for COVID-19 (by lab test or diagnosed by a health care professional), they must immediately:

1. Isolate the infected individual from other staff and send them home, if the infected individual is on site.

2. Notify their COTR and follow the procedure and provide all necessary information as outlined in the COTR COVID-19 Reporting Guidelines (attached).

Upon identification, the contractor must remove from site all of the contractor’s employees and subcontractors identified as primary contacts and ensure they do not return to site until their quarantine period is complete, if they remain asymptomatic.

During the quarantine period, if a primary contact tests positive or is diagnosed with COVID-19, the contractor must immediately report the additional positive case(s) to the COTR according to the preceding instructions.

The Contractor must ensure any individuals who test COVID-19 positive or become ill during the quarantine period do not return to the site until the individual is:

• 72 hours past the end of their fever, without using fever reducing medications AND at least 10 days after the onset of any symptoms, OR

• as determined by their health care provider.

Primary contacts may return to work after testing negative for COVID-19 under the following conditions:

• Testing is to be completed no earlier than day 7 following the exposure and no later than day 14.

• A Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) or equivalent test will be used.

• If the primary contact tests negative, they may return to work from quarantine after day 10 (on the

11th day) provided they continue to be asymptomatic.

• If the primary contact tests positive they are considered a COVID-19 case and must follow the

10-day isolation protocol detailed above. At the conclusion of the quarantine period (14-days or based on testing, see above), the contractor must report to the COTR the COVID-19 status of all primary contacts.

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OMB Control No. 3206-0277 Exp. Feb. 5, 2022

Certification of Vaccination The purpose of this form is to take steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19, to protect the health and safety of all Federal employees, onsite contractors, visitors to Federal buildings or Federally controlled indoor workspaces, and other individuals interacting with the Federal workforce. If you fail to submit this signed attestation or any required negative COVID-19 test, you may be denied entry to a Federal facility.

My Vaccination Status By checking the box below, I declare that the following statement is true:

I am fully vaccinated.1

1 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers an individual fully vaccinated if they are:

• 2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or

• 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine

If you don’t meet these requirements, regardless of your age, you are not fully vaccinated.

I am not yet fully vaccinated.2

2 Either I have received my first dose of Moderna or Pfizer, and my second appointment is scheduled, or I received my final dose less than two weeks ago.

I have not been vaccinated.3

3 If you are not vaccinated due to medical or religious reasons, please check either “I have not been vaccinated” or “I decline to respond.”

I decline to respond.

I understand that if I decline to respond or am not fully vaccinated, I must comply with the following safety protocols while in a Federal facility:

• Wear a mask regardless of the level of community transmission;

• Physically distance; and

• Provide proof of having received a negative COVID-19 test from within the previous 3 days if I am a visitor or I am an onsite contractor who is not enrolled in an agency’s testing program.

I sign this document under penalty of perjury that the above is true and correct, and that I am the person named below. I understand that a knowing and willful false statement on this form can be punished by fine or imprisonment or both (18 U.S.C. 1001). Checking “I decline to respond” does not constitute a false statement. I understand that if I am a Federal employee or contractor making a false statement on this form could result in additional administrative action, Exp. Feb. 5, 2022 including an adverse personnel action up to and including removal from my position or removal from a contract.

Your printed name here:

Your signature here:

Date:

Directions and notice to Federal employees Consistent with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force, has established specific safety protocols for fully vaccinated people and not fully vaccinated people, respectively. You may be asked to submit this completed form to your employing agency.

In areas of low or moderate transmission, as defined by CDC, fully vaccinated people generally can safely participate in most activities, indoor or outdoor, without needing to wear a mask or maintain physical distance, and do not need to undertake regular testing—please note that consistent with CDC guidance, agencies may have different protocols for fully vaccinated people in specific work settings, such as healthcare settings. In areas of high or substantial transmission, everyone, including fully vaccinated people, must wear a mask consistent with Federal requirements.

Employees who disclose that they are fully vaccinated will comply with agency guidance for fully vaccinated individuals. Employees who are unvaccinated, are not fully vaccinated, or who choose not to provide vaccine information are required to comply with CDC and agency guidance for not fully vaccinated individuals, including wearing masks regardless of the transmission rate in a given area, physical distancing, regular testing, and adhering to applicable travel restrictions.

These requirements are to prevent the spread of COVID-19 to protect the health and safety of our workforce. Making a false statement on this form could result in an adverse personnel action against you, up to and including removal from your position.

Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. § 552a(e)(3), this Privacy Act Statement informs you of why you are being asked to provide this information.

Authority: We are authorized to collect the information requested on this form pursuant to Executive Order 13991, Protecting the Federal Workforce and Requiring Mask-Wearing (Jan. 20, 2021), Executive Order 12196, Occupational Safety and Health Program for Federal Employees (Feb. 26, 1980), and 5 U.S.C. chapters 11 and 79.

Purpose: This information is being collected and maintained to promote the safety of Federal buildings and the Federal workforce consistent with the above-referenced authorities, the COVID-19 Workplace Safety: Agency Model Safety Principles established by the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force, and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Routine Uses: While the information requested on this form is intended to be used primarily for internal purposes, in certain circumstances it may be necessary to disclose this information externally, for example to disclose information to: a Federal, State, or local agency to the extent necessary to comply with laws governing reporting of communicable disease or other laws concerning health and safety in the work environment; to adjudicative bodies (e.g., the Merit System Protection Board), arbitrators, and hearing examiners to the extent necessary to carry out their authorized duties regarding Federal employment; to contractors, grantees, or volunteers as necessary to perform their duties for the Federal government; to other agencies, courts, and persons as necessary and relevant in the course of litigation, and as necessary and in accordance with requirements for law enforcement; or to a person authorized to act on your behalf. A complete list of the routine uses can be found in the system of records notice associated with this collection of information, OPM/GOVT-10, Employee Medical File System of Records, 75 Fed. Reg. 35099 (June 21, 2010), amended 80 Fed. Reg. 74815 (Nov. 30, 2015).

Consequence of Failure to Provide Information: Providing this information is voluntary.

However, if you fail to provide this information, you will be treated as not fully vaccinated for purposes of implementing safety measures, including with respect to mask wearing, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.

Please contact with questions. Please return this form to .

Directions and notice to Federal contractors In areas of low or moderate transmission, as defined by CDC, fully vaccinated people generally can safely participate in most activities, indoor or outdoor, without needing to wear a mask or maintain physical distance, and do not need to undertake regular testing—please note that consistent with CDC guidance, agencies may have different protocols for fully vaccinated people in specific work settings, such as healthcare settings. In areas of high or substantial transmission, everyone, including fully vaccinated people, must wear a mask consistent with Federal requirements.

You may be asked to show this form and/or information from a health screening upon entry to a Federal building or Federally controlled indoor worksites, and/or to a Federal employee who is supervising or managing your work on Federal premises. Please maintain this form during your time on Federal premises.

Please contact with questions.

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2010/06/21/2010-14838/privacy-act-of-1974-update-and-amend-system-of-records https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2015/11/30/2015-30309/privacy-act-of-1974-routine-use-implementation-system-of-records

Directions and notice to visitors In areas of low or moderate transmission, as defined by CDC, fully vaccinated people generally can safely participate in most activities, indoor or outdoor, without needing to wear a mask or maintain physical distance, and do not need to undertake regular testing—please note that consistent with CDC guidance, agencies may have different protocols for fully vaccinated people in specific work settings, such as healthcare settings. In areas of high or substantial transmission, everyone, including fully vaccinated people, must wear a mask consistent with Federal requirements.

You may be asked to show this form and/or information from a health screening upon entry to a Federal building or Federally controlled indoor worksites. Please maintain this form during your visit. You may be asked to show this form as part of your in-person participation in a Federally hosted meeting, event, or conference. If you are entering to obtain a public service or benefit and are not fully vaccinated, you must comply with all relevant CDC guidance, including mask wearing and physical distancing requirements, however this form and the requirement to show a negative COVID-19 test do not apply to you.

Public burden information Public burden reporting for this collection of information is estimated to average 2 minutes per response, including time for reviewing instructions and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to PRA@opm.gov. The OMB clearance number 3206-0277, is currently valid.

may not collect this information, and you are not required to respond, unless this number is displayed.

mailto:PRA@opm.gov

Health Screening Questions for Contractors UPDATED 7/22/2021

Contractors permitted on Smithsonian owned or leased property shall thoughtfully and honestly answer the health screening questions before they leave for work each day. It is not necessary for the answers to be recorded. The screening questions will determine if the contractor has symptoms of illness and should stay home to avoid exposing co-workers and others in the community.

Health Screening Questions

1. Since you last were on site at SI, have you had any of the following NEW or UNUSUAL- FOR-YOU symptoms?

Fever of 100.4 or above, or possible fever-like symptoms like alternating chills and sweating

Frequent cough (not chronic cough or your normal seasonal allergies)

Trouble breathing, shortness of breath, or severe wheezing

Muscle or body aches that are not exercise related

Sore throat

New loss of smell or taste

Headache

Congestion or runny nose

Nausea or vomiting

Diarrhea

2. Have you or anyone in your household tested positive for COVID-19?

3. Does anyone in your household have symptoms of COVID 19?

Anyone who answers “no" to all the questions should come on site to SI as planned.

If the answer to any of the questions 1 – 3 is YES, stay home, notify your employer or Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COTR) that you are sick and will not be able to work on site, and then contact your healthcare provider and follow the healthcare provider’s advice.

If the contractor tests positive or are diagnosed by their healthcare provider with COVID-19, they shall notify their employer or COTR immediately. The COTR shall follow the COTR COVID-

19 Reporting Guidelines and use this form to collect, update, and report positive COVID-19 case information to the Smithsonian COVID-19 Resource Account.

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COTR COVID-19 Reporting Guidelines January 8, 2021

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the following guidelines apply to all Smithsonian Contracting Officer’s

Technical Representative (COTR) who monitor contractor performance and related activities in and around Smithsonian owned or leased property. By working with contractors and the Smithsonian

COVID-19 Response Team, COTRs can help prevent the spread of COVID-19 at the Smithsonian by enforcing compliance with the established guidance. To that end, COTRs shall:

• If applicable, be familiar with the Smithsonian issued guidance to contractors performing construction and/or maintenance related activities in Smithsonian facilities Coronavirus (COVID-19) Prevention and Control Plan

• If applicable, be familiar with contractor site-specific COVID-19 Prevention and Control Safety Plan(s) and identified contractor COVID-19 officer(s).

• Collect, report, and update positive COVID-19 case information to the Smithsonian COVID-19 Resource Account.

All contractors shall immediately report to their COTR any COVID-19 positive cases (as verified by a positive test result or a diagnosis from a healthcare provider) for any of their employees or subcontractors that are working within or on the grounds of Smithsonian owned or leased facilities.

Contractors will follow up with the COTR providing the results of contractor-performed contact tracing for the contractor’s and subcontractors’ employees within 24 hours of becoming aware of the verified positive case. Contractors shall use the CDC definition for primary contacts. Primary contacts are anyone who spends more than 15 total minutes a day within a 6 foot radius of a COVID positive person during their infectious period (“COVID Contact Time”, greater than 15 min in 24 hours less than six feet).

The COTR then follows the steps outlined in this guidance to report the positive case to the COVID-19

Response Team. COTR shall work to:

1) Confirm that the infected individual is and remains off site Smithsonian owned or leased property until after prescribed quarantine period is complete.

a) contractors identified as primary contacts shall follow CDC quarantine guidelines for 7, 10 or 14-day quarantines.

b) If contract staff is working on Smithsonian grounds where they may come in contact with SI staff, they must follow the 14-day quarantine, or the 10-day quarantine with a negative test collected on day 7 or later.

2) Collect from the contractor COVID-19 officer and email immediately the COVID-19 Resource

Account (SI-CoronavirusInfo@si.edu), using the subject line: POSITIVE TEST:

a) The number of positive cases https://sinet.sharepoint.com/:b:/r/sites/COVID-19/Documents/COVID/Contractor_COVID-19_Prevention_Control_Plan_6-2-2020.pdf?csf=1&web=1&e=aIpFZr https://sinet.sharepoint.com/:b:/r/sites/COVID-19/Documents/COVID/Contractor_COVID-19_Prevention_Control_Plan_6-2-2020.pdf?csf=1&web=1&e=aIpFZr mailto:SI-CoronavirusInfo@si.edu

COTR COVID-19 Reporting Guidelines January 8, 2021

b) Last day case(s) were onsite

c) Date case(s) first developed symptoms

d) Names of SI staff that may be primary contacts

e) The company, building, and project

f) A call back phone number

3) Collect from the contractor COVID-19 officer and email the COVID-19 Resource Account within 6 hours of initial notification following information:

a) When did the positive case first have symptoms? If not displaying symptoms, what day did they get tested? (This is the “Date of Illness”)

b) What days were they onsite starting 48 hours before the “date of illness” until 10 days after the

“date of illness”? (This is the “Infectious Period”)

c) If they were onsite any time during the “infectious period” did they have “COVID contact time” with any other staff?

o “COVID contact time” is greater than 15 minutes in 24 hours within fewer than six feet o Provide the names of any SI staff that meet the definition of “COVID contact time” o Provide the number of Contract staff that were onsite at SI that meet the definition of

“COVID contact time”

d) Date the positive person was last onsite.

e) Indoor common areas where the positive person spent extended work periods (not walkways and restrooms, but offices, meeting areas, indoor worksites) that would potentially benefit from a targeted cleaning. Discuss with contracting staff what targeted cleaning they are going to do and where to avoid duplication of effort

4) Collect from the contractor COVID-19 officer positive case updates no later than 7- and 14-day after initial positive case notification. E-mail positive case updates to the COVID-19 Resource Account.

Contractors must be aware there is additional evidence that a six foot radius is not protective when in an enclosed, poorly ventilated area. Face coverings will decrease the risk of transmission by about half, and likely lessen the severity of COVID disease, but they do not eliminate risk or the need for physical distancing. SI requires face coverings onsite, but the risk is not limited to SI premises. Please encourage everyone to do what they can to decrease contacts during commuting, while working on other sites, or in centralized offices.

Questions regarding these guidelines should be addressed to the COVID-19 Resource Account (SI-

CoronavirusInfo@si.edu).

mailto:SI-CoronavirusInfo@si.edu mailto:SI-CoronavirusInfo@si.edu mailto:SI-CoronavirusInfo@si.edu mailto:SI-CoronavirusInfo@si.edu