COVID19 Safety Plan for Kingston Ceramics Studio

 

A. Physical Distancing:

  1. All work stations have been separated so that they do not face or abut one another and have 6 feet of distance between them.

  2. Instructors have a dedicated workstation for demonstrations and will not share wheels with students. Instructors will maintain 6 feet of distance between themselves and students when demonstrating. 

  3. The spaces around the demonstration area are 6 feet away from one another and marked off with tape on the floor. 

  4. Classes have been reduced to a maximum of 6 students at a time, members are no longer allowed to attend the studio during class time. 

  5. Members are now required to make reservations for studio time, in order to control the number of people in the studio at once.

  6. Parties have been reduced from a max of 12+ to 6 people. 

  7. We are now open seven days a week, 9am – 10pm, to make additional appointments.

  8. Only one person is allowed in the glaze room at a time. A person using the glaze room will wear a P100 rated respirator and goggles and will turn on the environmental ventilation.

  9. During clean up: Only one person at each sink at a time, staggered clean up.

  10. Kids classes will return once school is back in session.

  11. Kingston Clay Day will be cancelled until 2021, and then re-evaluated.

  12. Designated areas for pick-ups and deliveries, limiting contact to the extent possible have been established. Outside firing may be left in the hallway on a table, by appointment and can be invoiced via email. In-house firing can be paid for and ticketed using the new table just outside the office area.

 

B. Personal Protective Equipment:

  1. Assistants, instructors, and visitors who come to the studio must wear a mask when they arrive and at all times when within 6 feet of other people. KCS will have a box of 50 face masks available for use by anyone who needs one. Masks are available at Herzog’s, online, and other stores. When we use half of this supply, we will purchase more. 

 

C. Cleaning & Hygiene:

  1. A disinfectant capable of killing 99.9% of germs will be available in the studio, and will be used to disinfect high touch common surfaces twice a day.

  2. We will add ¼ cup of bleach to a bin of clay when reclaiming. Once clay is taken out of a bag, any discard will be placed in reclaim buckets, NOT  the bag. Members can manage their own clay on their own shelves if they wish.

  3. Three new fans have been added for air circulation, for a total of five. We will keep doors and windows open as much as possible, and the fans on whenever people are present.

  4. Each student, member, and instructor MUST have their own common tools. 

  5. We will have a bleach/water bucket in the sink (refreshed daily) for cleaning any special communal tools after use.

  6. We will post signage in the studio reminding people to wash their hands frequently.

 

D. Screening Process:

  1. Instructors and assistants will complete a Google form questionnaire before completing their shifts onsite. (see Terms & Conditions). Alexis Feldheim will review the responses on a daily basis. They will voluntarily take their own temperature, and will go home if they have a fever of 2 degrees over their normal temperature, even if they feel well. They will not return to the studio within two weeks unless they have a negative test result.

  2. Class appointment cancellations due to illness are excused, and class pass expiration dates have been waived, so as not to encourage people to come to class when ill or exposed to an ill person. Classes will be rescheduled.

  3. All customers making appointments will be required to sign our terms & conditions for using the space: 

    • I will wear a mask when I arrive and at all times in the studio, and will immediately wash my hands with soap and water or hand sanitizer upon entering.

    • I will clean up after myself well so the area I used can be easily disinfected when I leave. 

    • In the last 14 days, I have not had a COVID-19 positive test.

    • I have not been exposed to anybody with a COVID-19 positive test, nor anyone suspected of having COVID-19 but not yet tested in the last 14 days. (Essential workers who consistently wear proper PPE and practice safety precautions according to the CDC guidelines at work are exempt from this statement as it pertains to their work.)

    • I attest that I am feeling well, and if I do not feel well at any point before my appointment, I will cancel and not risk bringing COVID-19 to the studio. I will follow these rules until further notice.

    • I understand that these terms may change as more is learned about COVID-19.

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E. Contact Tracing Reporting:

  1. A log will be kept in the office that records all visitors to the studio who are assistants, instructors, and guests. Delivery persons with PPE will not be included in the log.

  2. If an assistant or instructor tests positive for COVID-19, KCS will report that information to the state and local health departments, and will comply with all tracing efforts, including contacting individuals who may have been exposed.

  3. In the case of anyone present at the studio  testing positive for COVID-19, we will clean the tables, tools, wheels, stools, and all handles with a 99.9% effective germicide such as Lysol from a local supermarket.

  4. In the case of a positive COVID-19 test in the studio community, I will contact all possible affected people by using the information in our reservation system.


G. COVID-19 Updates & Resources:

Staying up to date on industry-specific guidance: 

To ensure that you stay up to date on the guidance that is being issued by the State, KCS will Consult the NY Forward website at forward.ny.gov and applicable Executive Orders at governor.ny.gov/executiveorders on a periodic basis or whenever notified of the availability of new guidance. 

 

State and Federal Resources for Businesses and Entities 

 

Personal Protective Equipment Guidance 

 

Cleaning and Disinfecting Guidance 

 

Screening and Testing Guidance 

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