Tips For A Clean and Safe Work Environment

Now that we’ve gotten the green light to go back to work in an office, it is critical that we get back in the safest way possible. Whether you work in HR or take a leading role at your place of work, you might be wondering what are the preventative measures you must take. Here are some tips that will help your job place stay safe, clean, and healthy during the high-risk times of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tip #1 Clean & Disinfect

It’s possible your workspace hasn’t been vacated in a while, that doesn’t necessarily make the coast clear. Make sure before getting started the workspace has been cleaned and decluttered, minimize high contact areas, and create space in lobby places. Then, disinfect the high-contact areas such as light switches, doorknobs, countertops, stair railings, and any common elevator or vending machine buttons. Disinfecting should be a frequent process.

Tip #2 Encourage Social Distancing

Social distancing is still important to maintain in your workplace. What this looks like could mean changing up the office structure, moving desk spaces around, and ridding of any lobby or table areas. To ensure social distancing, consider placing reminders in signs, floor stickers, and flyers. Also, make time to declutter the office so to avoid more risk.

Tip #3 Prompt Identification And Isolation of Sick People

Employers should put policies into place encouraging immediate reporting of when they are sick or experiencing coronavirus symptoms. This might also include frequent reminders of the symptoms using flyers or signs at the workspace. Refer to Tip #5 for more ways. 

Tip #4 Ensure PPE & Reinforce Hygiene 

Regardless of your workspace, a time like now requires Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Face masks are the solution to making sure everyone around you is protected, extremely vital for businesses that deal with visitors who will be coming and going. Other examples of PPE include face shields, gloves, or goggles. All PPE must be worn properly and at appropriate times as well as disposed of, cleaned, or stored if applicable. 

Additionally, like every flu season, we often hear and see reminders such as covering your mouth with your elbow, take the time to remind your team about this. With such higher stakes, however, also take the effort of doing things like having tissues available, ensuring soap and additional hand sanitizer options are provided, and reminding employees not to touch their eyes, nose, or mouth.

Tip #5 Employee Screenings

Implementing strategies such as screening tents to screen employees before the point of entry could be incredibly beneficial to ensuring your team remains as safe as possible. Employers everywhere are checking temperatures using non-contact thermometers under mobile testing tents to ensure the safety of their employees and guests. 

These tips refer to ways of staying clean and healthy while you work, refer to our other blog, “ Screening Tent Stations & Best Practices for Returning to Work Safely” for more helpful notes and a checklist regarding more best practices.

These tips were conducted with the help of information gathered from OSHA and CDC publications. 

 

Now Offering Hand Sanitizers & Face Masks