I feel compelled to pass along a message to my friends and co-workers, that when you hear the words “shelter in place” this means YOU, not the other guy. I just watched a moving news segment featuring first responders helping the elderly and sick, packed hospitals with Drs. and nurses showing visible signs of fatigue and the communities worldwide who are rallying to keep the faith and hope.  Getting through this is EVERYONE’S responsibility, so let’s be part of the solution and not pass it along or point a finger at the other girl/guy or generation.

This pandemic health issue should scare you.  I have sons in New York and Ohio, and as a parent, as much as I would love to tell them to come home so I can keep him safe, the truth is I cannot.  The best we can all do is stay put and make healthy precautions part of our new normal:

  • STAY HOME when necessary work responsibilities are not required
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water (20 seconds)
  • Practice social distancing with home deliveries or those selective necessary trips to the grocery, pharmacy and our work
  • Clean surfaces with antibacterial wipes, especially your cell phones, computers and other work equipment.  
  • For those who have young children, I know balancing parenting and work from home are even more challenging, but if our kids are playing with friends as they were pre-Covid-19, do you know if their friends’ families are diligently staying in place? 

What else can we do?

I miss my social network as much as everyone else, so why not set up a family/friends weekly facetime or Zoom gathering.  It really works!

For those of you who aren’t driving on a regular basis, why not take the money you save on gas and support your local food bank for those who don’t know how they will feed their families until the government stimulus checks are received.

We work in an industry where our products and services are necessary for the communities in which we live and work so let’s make sure we keep ourselves, our coworkers’, customers’, families’ and friends’ safety ever-present in what we do before, during and after our work is conducted

Let’s all do what we can to stay safe and healthy, both physically and emotionally. 

Best regards,

Shari Carlozzi

Tremco-WTI Safety Solutions Director

NWIR Executive Committee Past Chair