Proactive Measures Businesses Can Take To Keep Employees Safe When They Return The Office After COVID-19
Posted on June 12, 2020 in Blog
Business grinding to a halt. Masks on every face. Events canceled. These last few months have been anything but normal. And while some states are starting to lift restrictions, many business owners are feeling cautiously optimistic about returning to work. Needless to say, it’s going to be a while before things start feeling normal again.
Whether you’re a commercial growth facility, an office space or a tech company, you’re going to need to make some adjustments as your employees return to their workspaces. In fact, the Boston Globe reports that one study found up to 16 percent of flu transmission takes place in the office. While we know that COVID-19 is not the same thing as the flu, this should give you an idea of just how easy it is for an infectious disease to spread in the workplace.
Aside from the increasing both your cleaning and the space between employees, there are a number of products that can slow down the spread of sickness. As a metal building contractor that cares deeply about safety, Hance Construction would like to offer you these tips to keeping your returning workforce healthy:
Install physical barriers
Many workplaces feature open-office environments to encourage collaboration. These set-ups now pose a danger, as it can be difficult to maintain a six-foot distance between employees.
One way to mitigate this hazard is to install protective barriers or what are commonly known as sneeze guards. These clear, acrylic screens can be easily mounted between cubicles without doing damage to the existing structure and can help cut down on the amount of airborne germs in the office. They’re secure enough that they can be left in place as a permanent fixture or effortlessly removed afterwards. Since the surfaces are easy to wipe clean and sanitize, sneeze guards make it simple to sustain a healthy environment.
Even if you put six feet of space between your employees, you will still need to account for individuals from outside your organization coming into your building. This is especially true for those who work in commercial growth facilities, many of whom saw a dramatic increase in sales and foot traffic during lockdown.
Regardless of whether those record sales continue after quarantine ends, both office spaces and commercial growth facilities still need to take measures to protect employees who come into direct contact with customers. One solution is to install consultation booths in the reception or cash register area. Companies such as Global furniture have rolled out booths as a specific response to the COVID-19 crisis. These booths include a protective screen and a document slot so money and other goods can be easily exchanged.
Whether you want to keep your employees at the front desk safe as they greet visitors and receive deliveries or make sure your workers are healthy as they distribute cannabis products to the general public, a consultation booth will give that added layer of protection.
Purchase easily-cleaned furniture
Some surfaces are easier to disinfect than others. Those cloth couches in the break room, for example, might add that much more time to the already over-extended cleaning crew. If it’s been a while since you replaced office furniture, now might be the time to consider an upgrade. The upfront cost might be high, but it could save money in the long-run on lost labor due to disease and additional time to disinfect.
Desk chairs are another place where hygienic solutions exist, and there’s an entire sector dedicated to designing furniture that cuts down on infectious disease transmission in health care facilities. These include desk chairs that have pull over upholstery covers and finished seat pans to make it easier to clean and prevent the spread of germs. Tech companies or other office environments that are trying to mitigate coronavirus spread may find investing in this furniture upgrade well worth the cost.