SERVICES PROTOCOL
What is Coronavirus (COVID-19)?
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are common in humans and in many animals. They cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to severe diseases, such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). This new strain of the Coronavirus COVID-19 had not been previously identified in humans. In severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.
How does Coronavirus (COVID-19) spread?
Human coronavirus mainly spreads through droplets from an infected person. These droplets can infect a person through:
• Coughing or sneezing
• Close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands
• Touching an object or surface which has a droplet of an infected person, then touching your mouth, nose or eyes before washing your hands
Spread Prevention Guidelines
Cleaning and sanitizing guest and work areas have always been the core to our standard of service, a philosophy never more important than in a case of an infectious disease outbreak like COVID-19.
It is the intention of this aquatic service center and diving operation to not only comply with the safety standards and protocols but to assist government authorities in making sure that the local community as well as visiting guests behave accordingly for everyone’s safety.
With the best intention to continue offering our services ensuring a safe environment, Scuba Dogs reserves the right to make further changes as well as close down operations and/or aquatic services at any time, if necessary.
In accordance with local and global authorities, cleaning and disinfecting should be enhanced if someone with Covid-19 was in the building. Even if the case is only suspected, the following steps will be followed immediately according to the CDC recommendations:
- Immediately close off areas visited by the ill person(s) including offices, restrooms, common areas, and shared equipment of any type from other people.
- Open windows and doors where possible and safe, and operate fans (including heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning fan systems) to increase the ventilation rate in the affected areas.
- Leave the spaces where the suspected case occupied vacant for twenty-four (24) hours to reduce the viral load before allowing cleaning personnel to enter.
- Clean and disinfect all areas used by the ill person(s) thoroughly. Vacuum space if needed, using a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter.
- Ensure all areas are completely clean and disinfected before reopening access to continue regular business operations safely.
- Guest & Employee Health
Hand Sanitizer: Cleaning stations are placed at the entrance and common areas to help sanitize and disinfect all guests and staff entering or exiting the facility.
Physical Distancing: Guests will be advised to practice physical distance from other groups not travelling with them. Employees will be reminded not to touch their faces and to practice physical distancing by standing at least six feet away from others whenever possible. All Scuba Dogs facilities will comply with local or state mandated occupancy limits.
Sinage: There are various signs all throughout the facilities to ensure proper behavior in regards to distance, health and hygiene, and other protocols.
Employee Health: Employees are instructed to stay home if they do not feel well and are instructed to contact a manager if they notice a coworker with a cough, shortness of breath, or other known symptoms of COVID19. Employees exhibiting any of the symptoms of COVID-19 while in the facilities are instructed to immediately notify their manager.
Guest health: Guests are recommended to stay home if they do not feel well. Services may be rescheduled via email or telephone call if the guest is not feeling well.
- Employee Responsibilities
Hand Washing:
• Correct hygiene and frequent handwashing with soap is vital to combat the spread of the virus. All employees have been instructed to wash their hands vigorously (or use sanitizer when sink is not available) using warm water above 108°F for 20 seconds.
Wash hands after: using the restroom, sneezing, touching your face, blowing your nose, cleaning, sweeping, mopping, smoking, eating, drinking, entering and leaving the hotel, going to break and before and after completing a shift.
• Employee(s) who feel sick or experience flu-like symptoms must be sent home immediately and urged to seek medical care.
• Employee’s “return to work” will be monitored on a case by case basis, consistent with our policies and in consultation with healthcare provider, and corresponding health authorities.
• All employee workstations must be disinfected constantly.
COVID-19 Training: All employees will receive training on COVID-19 safety and sanitization protocols with more comprehensive training for our teams with frequent guest contact.
Vaccination: All Scuba Dogs employees must be vaccinated and boosted in order to provide services to our guests.
- Cleaning Products and Protocols
Our facilities use cleaning products and protocols which meet EPA and PADI guidelines and are approved for use and effective against viruses, bacteria, and other airborne and blood borne pathogens.
Public Spaces and Common Areas: The frequency of cleaning and sanitizing has been increased in all public space with an emphasis on frequent contact surfaces including, but not limited to check-in counters, door handles, public bathrooms, equipment areas, merchandise area, and seating areas.
Shared Equipment: Shared tools equipment will be sanitized before, during and after each shift or anytime the equipment is transferred to a new employee. This includes phones,
Computers, payment terminals, and all other different contact items used throughout the facilities.
Gear disinfection: We have placed One (1) gear cleaning station installed with Quaternary Ammonium Compound (Quats), a chemical solution known to be effective against enveloped viruses such as COVID-19, as recommended by the Divers Alert Network (DAN) and others for the proper sanitation of all snorkeling and scuba gear. All equipment is sanitized after each use and at the end of each day.
- Aquatic Services
- All aquatic facilities must adopt global safety guidelines to their particular pool or beachfront facility conditions and services in order to assure safe practices that do not represent a risk of infection; as instructed by international institutions such as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), and the Starfish Aquatics Institute (SAI), among others.
- All participants must clean their hands whenever they enter the shop and register in the counter area.
- All tours, training classes, and aquatic activities are strongly recommended to be conducted independently with an assigned professional to avoid participation with members of other households.
- In regards to the aquatic equipment, it is strongly recommended that every participant have their own gear to avoid the risk of infection.
- In training, none of the equipment parts are shared with other participants at any time before, during, or after the aquatic training as dictated by international training agencies, unless under strictly life-saving circumstances.
- Additional guidelines and protocols may apply to the following activities provided by independent contractors and/or providers such as boat operators, transportation companies, and public beach facilities:
– Swim Lessons
– Aquatic Fitness
– Beach Tours & Trainings
– Boat Trips
– Pool Party Events
– Classroom Work
Scuba Dogs is and will continue to operate under strict protocols to assure the wellbeing and safety of customers and staff members.
- Our website, educational signage at both dive facilities, and our personnel are instructing all customers and implementing these protocols daily.
- For reference, in our website, we have included documentation that has guided us in the establishment of these protocols. These include the Starfish Aquatics Institute “Water Safety Position Statement”, the Divers Alert Network article “Disinfection of scuba gear and COVID-19” article published on June 10, 2020 and the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) official recommendation for diving titled “Best Practices to Reduce Virus Transmission Risk”.
- Scuba Dogs aims to assure the safety of all staff and customers alike, which is always our #1 priority and reserves the right to change the currently stated protocols at any time.
SAFETY IS PRIORITY #1, LET’S BE SAFE!
Calle Buen Samaritano D-13, Urb. Gardenville, Guaynabo, PR 00966
787-783-6377 / www.scubadogs.net
