Yellowstone Wildlife Guide Company COVID-19 Employee Health & Safety Protocol
PO Box 204 Gardiner MT 59030
207-441-7199
Updated on 3/14/2021
Our Policy
The choice to travel with us is an important one, and the safety of our customers and employees is paramount. At Yellowstone Wildlife Guide Company, we pride ourselves on providing a safe and eco-friendly way to connect with nature. With the outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19), we’ve added even more health & safety protocols to protect you and your loved ones when you travel with us. We also understand that this is an ever-changing situation with different regulations across multiple regions. We remain committed to closely monitoring the situation and will adjust at-will to meet the expectations of our customers and regulations of the government and national park service.
This policy document outlines the steps we’ve taken to ensure our trips are operated safely, as well as the mandatory protocols and procedures that all employees must adhere to.
Covid-19 Employee Protocols
All employees must abide by the following protocols related specifically to Covid-19, along with the general health and safety policies of Yellowstone Wildlife Guide Company.
1. Masks and Face Coverings
All employees and guests must wear a mask or face covering when in the same vehicle or proximity of their guide, or accompanying guests. If there is a reason that you cannot wear a mask, please contact us in advance.
2. Social Distancing
All employees and guests must remain at least six feet apart whenever possible.
3. Disinfectant Protocols
All shared surfaces, equipment and gear must be disinfected on a daily basis, at commencement of the tour.
4. Covid-19 Testing
Regular testing, when possible, is encouraged throughout the season.
5. Contact with Infected Individuals
If an office employee, guide or passenger exhibits symptoms of Covid-19 or tests positive for the virus, the General Manager will notify any employee or passenger who has come into contact with them. The infected person’s identity will not be revealed. Employees who have been in contact with an individual with a positive test or symptoms of Covid-19, will be told to stay home and encouraged to take a Covid-19 test. They will not be allowed to return to the physical office or to the field until they can provide a negative test or have met the CDC requirements for finishing a self-quarantine. Absent a negative test, the CDC determines that you can be with others after:
- 3 days with no fever and
- Respiratory symptoms have improved (e.g. cough, shortness of breath) and
- 10 days since symptoms first appeared.
6. Infected individual in Yellowstone Wildlife Guide Company Vehicle
If a passenger or employee exhibits symptoms of Covid-19 or tests positive for the virus, and they have been inside our vehicle, the vehicle will be placed out of service for at least three days. All staff will be notified. After these three days, the vehicle will be disinfected.
7. Infected Passenger on Tour
In the unfortunate event that a guest shows symptoms of infection on tour, the tour will be canceled with full refund. Arrangements for quarantining the vehicle will be made, as stipulated above. Guides and staff members who may have interacted with the infected individual, will be told to stay home and encouraged to take a Covid-19 test. They will not be allowed to return to the physical office or to the field until they can provide a negative test or have met the CDC requirements for finishing a self-quarantine.
8. Contact for Covid-19 Concerns
If you have any questions or concerns about Yellowstone Wildlife Guide Company’ Covid-19 policies and protocols, please direct them to Evan Stout, at evan@yellowstonewildlifeguidecompany.com or 207-441-7199.
What You Can Expect While Traveling With Us
All Yellowstone Wildlife Guide Company operated tours will follow the below guidelines:
1. Daily Vehicle Sanitization
Our vehicles will be sanitized and disinfected daily in order to significantly reduce the spread of bacteria and viruses, including COVID-19. While our vehicles have always been cleaned at the end of each tour, we have implemented additional disinfectant procedures in response to the pandemic. This ensures that our guides and customers stay safe while exceeding the requirements set by the CDC. This includes:
- Daily sanitization & disinfection of all surfaces within the vehicle
- Additional disinfection of high touch surfaces during the tour. (i.e. door knobs, handles)
- The use of EPA registered Earth-friendly disinfectants which are free of toxic byproducts so you can breathe easy
2. Social Distancing & Small Groups
We pride ourselves in minimizing our environmental impact with the use of small private groups. Now for the health and safety of passengers during the COVID-19 outbreak, we’ve made them even smaller (Maximum 7 guests).
In addition, our guides will give an extensive briefing to the entire group regarding our mandatory policies while on tour with us. These topics include:
- Social distancing (6+ feet of separation) at all times outside the vehicle
- Use of face mask throughout duration of the tour
- Avoid touching eyes, nose, mouth or face
- Reminding groups to wash their hands at rest stops
- Encouraging the use of hand sanitizer when needed
3. Physical Protective Barriers
During the COVID-19 outbreak, all of our tours will be conducted with extensive use of PPE (physical protection equipment). The following measures will be implemented on our tours:
- Required use of face masks for both guide/driver and passengers
- Face masks must be worn inside the vehicle at all times. To reduce environmental waste, we encourage customers to bring their own. If a customer does not have their own mask, we will provide one
- Available hand sanitizer
- All vehicles are equipped with medical grade hand sanitizer to be used throughout the course of the tour