COVID-19 Due Diligence Checklist and Warning Statement

 

COVID-19 - Safety Due Diligence Checklist

This due diligence checklist has been developed from recommendations made by the Ohio Department of Health to assist students and their instructors / faculty mentors make informed and wise decisions related to face-to-face off-campus experiential learning opportunities (e.g. internships, co-ops, student teaching, clinicals, practicums, service learning, fieldwork, etc.) during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Students should also review the COVID-19 FAQs on the CDC’s website (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html) and the Ohio Department of Health’s COVID-19 webpage (https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/home).

  • ❏ Employer or site has a policy in place allowing as many employees, interns, volunteers or other persons as possible to work from a remote location.
  • ❏ Employer or site actively encourages sick employees or volunteers to stay home until they are free of fever or symptoms (without the use of medication) for at least 72 hours (three full days) AND symptoms have improved for at least 72 hours AND at least seven days have passed since symptoms first began.

  • ❏ Employer or site does not require a healthcare provider’s note to validate the illness or return to work of employees, interns or volunteers sick with acute respiratory illness (as healthcare provider offices and medical facilities may be extremely busy and not able to provide such documentation in a timely way).

  • ❏ Employer or site ensures that its sick leave policies are up to date, flexible, and non-punitive to allow sick employees/volunteers/interns to stay home to care for themselves, children, or other family members.

  • ❏ Employer or site encourages employees/volunteers/interns to do a self-assessment each day to check if they have any COVID-19 symptoms (e.g. fever, cough, shortness of breath, etc.).

  • ❏ Employer or site separates employees/volunteers/interns who appear to have acute respiratory illness symptoms from other employees, sends them home immediately, and restricts access to the business until they have recovered.
  • ❏ Employer or site regularly reinforces key messages to all employees (e.g. stay at home when sick, use cough and sneeze etiquette, practice hand hygiene, etc.).

  • ❏ Employer or site places COVID-19 health and safety posters in areas where they are most likely to be seen.
  • ❏ Employer or site provides protection supplies such as soap and water, hand sanitizer, tissues, and no-touch disposal receptacles for use by employees/volunteers/interns.

  • ❏ Employer or site provides disposable wipes so that commonly used surfaces can be wiped down by employees/interns/volunteers before each use.
  • ❏ Employer or site has a plan or policy to frequently perform enhanced environmental cleaning of commonly touched surfaces, such as workstations, countertops, railings, door handles, and doorknobs.

  • ❏ Students should seek a remote learning opportunity if possible. For remote learning activities, students and supervisors should:

❏ create a work plan or learning plan at the start of the experience;

❏ have regular check-ins and should correspond directly with their supervisor at least twice a week by phone, email or other method;

❏ have clear instructions and deadlines set by their supervisor throughout their experience;

❏ have regular feedback and supervision on their assigned projects; and

❏ keep a log of their projects that can be submitted to their supervisor on a weekly basis to track their progress.

COVID-19 Warning Statement

All face-to-face off-campus learning opportunities (e.g. internships, fieldwork, clinicals, student teaching, service learning, co-ops, etc.) carry certain risks that cannot be mitigated.  The current COVID-19 outbreak creates additional and unique risks related to such off-campus learning opportunities because COVID-19 is an extremely contagious disease that is believed to spread mainly from person-to-person contact.  Off-campus learning opportunities may require close person-to-person contact for an extended duration of time, which increases the likelihood of disease transmission, regardless of the degree of care that individuals take to reduce the risk of transmission.  If a student works in close proximity with an individual who is COVID-19 positive, then his or her odds of contracting the disease will increase, even if the COVID-19 positive individual is asymptomatic, and even if such student and others are wearing face coverings, gloves, etc.

STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN OFF-CAMPUS LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES IS ENTIRELY VOLUNTARY.  BY ENGAGING IN AN OFF-CAMPUS LEARNING OPPORTUNITY, EACH STUDENT AGREES THAT SUCH STUDENT: (1) IS AWARE AND UNDERSTANDS THAT ENGAGING IN AN OFF-CAMPUS LEARNING OPPORTUNITY DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IS PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS, AND INVOLVES THE INHERENT RISK OF SERIOUS ILLNESS AND/OR DEATH; AND (2) IS VOLUNTARILY PARTICIPATING IN THE OFF-CAMPUS LEARNING OPPORTUNITY DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC WITH KNOWLEDGE OF THE DANGER INVOLVED AND HEREBY AGREES TO ACCEPT AND ASSUME ANY AND ALL RISKS OF ILLNESS, INJURY, AND/OR DEATH, WHETHER CAUSED BY MIAMI UNIVERSITY’S NEGLIGENCE OR THE NEGLIGENCE OF ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY.