Practice Caution During Community Clean-Ups

Following a weekend of rioting and looting in cities and communities across the United States, volunteers and professional cleaners have flocked to damaged facilities and neighborhoods to sweep up broken glass, remove graffiti, and generally clean the mess. Communities have banded together to perform clean-ups, from Minneapolis to Houston and Atlanta to Kansas City, Missouri, CNN reports.

As in routine community clean-ups, safety rules are essential, such as:

• Wear gloves and other protective clothing
• Use your legs, not your back, when bending to pick up something heavy
• Practice caution when picking up sharp objects and chemicals
• Work in a team, not alone, especially in isolated areas.

However, community clean-ups during a pandemic are especially challenging due to the need to socially distance and practice other measures to lower the risk of spreading coronavirus. Review the benefits of wearing a mask properly to protect not only yourself but others around you.