Sunflower Hill COVID-19 Procedures and Guideline for Volunteers

Following CDC and Alameda County Health Guidelines Sunflower Hill has created an in depth Covid-19 Plan to help keep employees, volunteers, and visitors safe when accessing our locations. We have highlighted basic guidelines below, but at your request we are happy to share our complete Covid-19 plan with you.

Anyone accessing SFH locations should follow CDC-recommended steps if sick or feeling under the weather. Do not visit SFH until you have met the criteria to discontinue home isolation and have consulted with a healthcare provider and state or local health department.

People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of reported symptoms, ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness.

Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:

  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Fever
  • Chills
  • Muscle pain
  • Sore throat
  • New loss of taste or smell

This list is not all possible symptoms. Other less common symptoms have been reported, including gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.

Expectations from Volunteers to Sunflower Hill

As Sunflower Hill takes measures to keep you safe, we also ask that you take the following measures to help us limit risk to all employees and those visiting our Sunflower Hill site:

  • Do not report to a volunteer shift if you feel sick. If you start to feel sick while at Sunflower Hill, please go home immediately and take care of yourself.
  • Upon arriving at SFH we will, ask you to wash your hands, remove your mask and replace it with a mask provided by SFH staff. We will then take your temperature before giving you access to the garden from the parking area.
  • Maintain social distancing (6 feet apart) at all times in the garden.
  • Do not shake hands or hug as a welcome when meeting or seeing people.
  • Follow the face covering/mask guidelines outlined below, wear a face mask at all times while in the garden.
  • Wash hands often, and for the recommended 20 seconds (sing happy birthday twice).
  • Help wipe down high traffic / touch areas like tools, wash sinks, Volgistics Scanner, etc. with anti-bacterial wipes provided by SFH.
  • Do not share food or leave “community food” out.
  • If you travel out of state, self-quarantine for 14-days after returning home.
  • Speak with SFH Staff if any questions or issues arise.

Face Coverings/Masks
A face covering is generally a cloth, bandana, or other type of material that covers the persons mouth and nose. The CDC currently recommends that people wear cloth face coverings in public places and when it’s impossible to practice social distancing. We will ask visitors to the garden to wear our provided face mask upon arrival and check in.

Following the guidance of the CDC, employees, and visitors of Sunflower Hill should wear a face mask while at SFH. Wearing a face mask is a sign of our mutual respect for the health and well-being of each other. SFH encourages wearing a face mask when in any SFH workplace and interacting with fellow staff members or visitors. There are times when employees may choose not to wear a face mask, for example if the employee is working in a dedicated personal space and no other person is in the area. If someone enters the area, the person should put the face mask back on.

Wearing a face mask can help prevent the spread of Covid-19, but only in addition to other measures that should be taken in the workplace, as outlined in this plan.

To get the most benefit from a face covering:

  • Make sure the face covering completely covers nose and mouth.
  • Read the directions for use (if provided).
  • Wash hands before and after removing it.
  • Try not to touch face when adjusting the covering through the day
  • Keep cloth coverings clean by washing them daily.
  • Don’t share face covering.
  • Keep face covering away from machinery that it could get caught in.
  • If using disposable face covering, do not reuse them. When discarding a disposable covering, ensure its placed in an appropriate trash receptacle.
  • Don’t lay face covering on a surface that may be contaminated.
  • Don’t use a damaged or holey face covering unless it’s there is no other option.

Temperature Taking
While the taking of one’s temperature has historically been prohibited under American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA), the EEOC states that temperature checks, medical inquires and testing is now allowed under the ADA’s “direct threat” exception, as an individual with covid-19 poses a “direct threat” to the health of others.

Sunflower Hill has weighed the pros/cons of taking temperatures at its locations, and has decided that for the safety of all employees and the community it will be taking temperatures upon arrival to the office, Garden, Irby Ranch or Stable Cafe. Anyone with a temperature higher than 100.4o F (38.0o C) will not be admitted.

All staff will be trained on how to use the infrared thermometers. The process and policy are outlined below:

Garden Process – Staff

  • Prior to reporting to the Garden, employees will conduct a quick self-evaluation to ensure that they do not have any of the following symptoms: cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fever, chills, muscle pain, and/or sore throat.
  • Upon arrival to the Garden, the employee will use the provided thermometer in the Garden office to take their temperature. If the employee’s temperature is 100.4o F (38.0o C) or higher, they will exit the premises and contact the SFH Executive Director via phone.
  • If the employee’s temperature is less than 100.4o F (38.0o C), they will proceed to the next steps.
  • Wash hands for 20-seconds.
  • Wipe down the thermometer with the wipes provided by SFH.
  • Once the employee has completed the above steps, they should log their temperature on the private document provided by SFH.

Garden Process – Volunteer / Program Participant

Upon arrival at a Sunflower Hill wait in the parking area. A SFH staff member will meet you near the red barn to complete the check in process. Please plan to arrive just before your scheduled volunteer time to allow check in to occur on time. If you are late please call the SFH staff member to notify them of your arrival and wait in the parking lot.

  • The designated SFH staff member will wash their hands for 20 seconds, put on gloves and have a face covering on before checking in volunteers.
  • The SFH staff member will ask the volunteer to wash their hands for 20 seconds using the sink near the red barn. They will be provided a new mask to put on.
  • The volunteer/program participant’s temperature will be taken on the forehead using the touchless, infrared thermometers, by designated SFH trained staff.
  • Any volunteer or program participant with a temperature higher than 100.4o F (38.0o C) will not be admitted past the parking lot.