County keeps snowplow crews out of quarantine

Garth Meyer, Whitman County Gazette | Nov 26, 20200

COLFAX — With winter coming on, Whitman County Public Works is looking to keep plow drivers out of quarantine by having crews separated.

If they lose a group at one shop, another crew from another has to fill in.

“If we get hit hard by COVID, how do we keep the plows out?” Public Works Director Mark Storey said.

“If we’re down 5-10 people, we’re gonna have a hard time keeping the roads cleared. We struggle even when we have all hands on deck.”

Last week, Storey reminded road crews of operational precautions.

“I know some people are fed up with all the restrictions (specifically mask wearing requirements),” he wrote to employees.

Public Works shops act as a work base for a range from 2-20 employees.

The main shop near Colfax Airport includes a mechanics crew, bridge crew and a sign crew. Each works in a separate area, with doors between.

Employees are to maintain social distance as much as possible and wear masks.

All told, Public Works takes care of 3,000 lane-miles of roads in the winter.

Last March, when virus quarantines were first ordered, Public Works staggered start times for road workers, such as one employee arriving at a shop first to punch in at 6:20 a.m., the next at 6:30 a.m. and so on.

The end of the day was staggered, as well.

“We’re on that verge of locking things down again,” Storey said.

Another tactic to limit plow drivers exposure to the coronavirus, when loading rocks or gravel, is to have only the shop foreman touch equipment controls.

Another precaution requires employees riding in the same vehicle to wear masks.

If a worker has a positive COVID-19 test, then all of the crew at the shop may be required to quarantine for 14 days.

“That’s true whether that’s a family member or a co-worker,” Storey said. “But with staggered starts, we stay away from each other; we don’t have to quarantine.”

The department has two men out quarantining now.

“One guy is on his third one,” Storey said. “No symptoms, and he has not been sick once. But that’s the rules, ‘til you get past that incubation period.”

Lost time is covered by a combination of sick-time, CARES Act funding and more, he said.

So far, no Public Works employee has tested positive that he knows of, Storey said.

County health protocols call for quarantine if a person who has tested positive has spent 15 minutes or more in close interaction with others.

“So, if a crew doesn’t sit around and B.S. every morning and drink coffee before going to their (workspaces), we shouldn’t have a problem,” Storey said. “Winter is when we need everyone at their best, and available.”