On March 11, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) characterized COVID-19 as a pandemic. The coronavirus has since been found in 49 states and more than 100 countries worldwide. The virus is transmitted from person to person through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

Atlas Roofing is committed to the safety and well-being of our Asphalt Life family of employees, suppliers and contractors. We are actively monitoring the spread of the coronavirus, taking all of the proper precautions, as well as addressing the impact it could have on our industry.

Because working from home is not an option for contractors, here’s a checklist of some ways you can protect yourself and your crews while keeping business going during the outbreak:

• Don’t allow sick employees or crew members to work, even if it slows down business.
• Make sure your office and facilities are properly supplied with soap, hand sanitizer and disinfectants.
• Provide plenty of hand sanitizer and disinfectants in trucks and on job sites and encourage roofers to wipe down shared equipment, such as nail guns, after each use.
• Suggest that employees who exhibit symptoms that include a fever, cough or shortness of breath immediately go home and contact their doctor.
• Avoid shaking hands and try to stay at least 6 feet away if you must meet face to face with homeowners.

In addition, the CDC recommends that everyone:

• Wash their hands often or use a hand sanitizer — especially after they’ve been in a public place, or after blowing their nose, coughing or sneezing
• Avoid touching their eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick
• Cover their mouths and noses with a tissue when they cough or sneeze
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily (e.g., tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets and sinks)

Staying Safe In The Field

Business CAN still go on! Stay innovative and maximize technology. Here are some tips for keeping business moving during this time:

• Limit direct contact with homeowners by using apps such as Apple FaceTime or Google Hangouts.
• Send an email to potential leads and offer a virtual visit. (Zoom Video Communications is a great resource.)
• Utilize drones to inspect roofs. (CompanyCam’s timeline feature allows you to share photos and footage of your findings.)

Catching Up

Now is the time to get caught up on any backlogs of warranty submissions, as well as take advantage of Atlas Roofing’s free business-building tools, such as:

• 3M Scotchgard™ Protector Shingles Sales Specialist training
• AtlasPRO™ webinars
• Hammer Time With Paul instructional videos

Remaining Diligent

At this time, we want to assure our customers that our supply chain is safe. All of our manufacturing plants are fully operational and lines are still running. We will continue to track new developments and make further assessments as needed.

In the meantime, we’ll be wishing you well during this time apart. We can’t wait to get back out there with you in the future, so we can Live, Roof, Play... together again!

Additional Resources

For the most up-to-date information about COVID-19, visit the CDC’s website.

Watch and share four free educational courses on coronavirus infection control and pandemic awareness via the Docebo learning platform.