When you are an employer, you have employees coming into the workspace, whatever workspace that is, and you have a right to keep them safe and from harm. Part of this is taking some steps to protect your employees, as well as customers, from COVID-19. No doubt you will already have some plans in place, especially if your place of work has reopened. But as coronavirus can spread and transfer from people to surfaces, more can always be done to make sure that standards aren’t slipping, and that you are taking steps to keep the workspace safe for everyone.
Cleaning is a really vital part of the risk assessment for coronavirus. We can keep a safe distance between others and desks as much as you like, but if those desks aren’t clean in the first place, for example, then it will just mean the germs will still get spread around the office. We know that frequent handwashing is another element to this, as it can play a massive part in reducing the potential for a spread of COVID. But how can you make sure that this all continues in your workplace? It would be great to hear what you think and what measures you have put in place.
Signage and displays
There is no excuse for ignorance, and when it comes to keeping employees safe, making sure that they know the rules and it is stated all around the office is so important. Signage and displays reminding employees to wear face coverings where required, or to wash hands or sanitize hands, can really help as a reminder. It can be a good idea to change the color or position of the signs from time to time, in order to stop them from just blending in as employees get used to them. The reminders can be really helpful and make such a difference, especially when including a reminder about good handwashing techniques.
Additional handwashing facilities
When you are wanting to create a much more COVID-safe environment, then it can be a good idea to think about having some additional handwashing facilities to make it easier for them. If you don’t have the space to have some handwashing facilities, then make sure that you have some space for hand sanitizer, as that can be sufficient until someone can next wash their hands. Some of the things to think about for hand washing and sanitizing stations are:
- Having hand washing or sanitizing stations near entry and exit points will help people to be able to wash their hands as they arrive or leave different areas.
- Make sure that there is always soap or hand gel, as well as water, disposal towels, or hand dryers.
Cleaning the workplace
Increasing how much you clean in your workspace is so important. You might not think that there are some areas that need to be cleaned, but everything should be cleaned regularly. Doing a risk assessment in the workplace can help you to identify some of the main risks, as well as some of the main areas that could be a risk.
Clean frequently
Keeping some surfaces clear so cleaning can be carried out is a really important step and can help make cleaning much simpler. Deciding on guidance around cleaning toilets, changing facilities, and showers is important. You could also think about stepping up things like restaurant kitchen cleaning, if you are in that industry. Things that you might not have cleaned throughout the day, will now need to be, so do bear in mind the extra time that additional cleaning can require.
Identify frequently touched surfaces
There are a range of surfaces that will get touched much more than others. These things could be elevator buttons, bannisters, doors, and anything else that can get touched a lot. These are the kind of surfaces that can be easily touched by a lot of people, meaning that germs can spread. As a result, these are surfaces that need to be cleaned more than once a day. Combined with people washing their hands regularly or sanitizing their hands, it can help to reduce the spread.
It is so important to play your part in helping to reduce the spread. By putting more cleaning in place, as well as cleaning stations in the workplace, you can make sure that employees are doing what they can. Talk to your team and get them all on board, and it can make a big difference to how you are all feeling and how many people adhere to the new ways of working.
