Six months ago, the World Health Organisation declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Following swift lockdown impositions to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, nations are now carefully reopening their economies to a new normal. While the end of the pandemic remains distant, businesses have recognised the need to adapt to it. If your organisation is planning to reopen soon, it is vital to implement strict measures to ensure the safety of everyone in the office. Here are a few tips to help you:
Encourage social distancing
The novel coronavirus spreads through droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes or even speaks and enters the body through close contact. Employees working in small offices for long hours are at a high risk of infection. Each employee must have four squared metres of space to themselves to inhibit the spread of the virus. As far as possible, organise meetings on videoconferencing. If not, try and limit the number of attendees. When meeting others, maintain 1.5m distance from them. If adequate social distancing is not possible, consider staggering your staff roster or allow them to work from home temporarily.
Actively promote hygiene
Both employees and customers must be encouraged to sanitise and wash their hands regularly. Ensure that they have adequate access to soap and water. Place hand sanitisers at prominent places in your workplace and regularly replace or refill them. Ensure that your office is cleaned every day. Surfaces like desks, door handles, taps, and toilets – or any surface that is frequently touched – must be sanitised and cleaned often. The same goes for equipment for computers and phones.
Practise safety protocols
Ensure adequate ventilation. It will decrease the concentration of virus particles in the air. Request all employees and customers to wear face masks when they come to the office. If anyone in the workplace reports fever and respiratory symptoms, they must be isolated from the remaining staff. Advise them to get tested and stay at home until they recover, even if they only display mild symptoms. Emphatically communicate this point to all employees.
As we wait for a vaccine, it is crucial to deploy the right safety measures to contain infections. If you are looking for protective gear, we can help you connect with the right manufacturers. Visit our website to know more.
References:
https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/getting-workplace-ready-for-covid-19.pdf
https://theconversation.com/heading-back-to-the-office-heres-how-to-protect-yourself-and-your-colleagues-from-coronavirus-140436
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