Most of us are jittery about being in the office, especially with the coronavirus in the air. For those who have been working from home, the thought of going back is even more frightening. Of course, with all the risks involved, employers wonder how to keep corona out of their offices.
Offices present a very likely breeding ground for Covid-19 because most are crowded. Besides, some offices have hundreds of employees. Ensuring they observe hygiene measures can be a tall order. How do you keep everyone productive and safe at the same time? You will need a solid plan to steer the team forward.
But, there is no need to worry because employees can work in a corona-free environment with the following measures.
Keep Corona Out with These Sure Steps
1. Avoid Overcrowding
Whether you are a small company with just a few employees or a big organization with a large workforce, you must ensure social distancing. Corona spreads easily from one person to the next through aerosols in the air when a person coughs or sneezes. Therefore, it will be hard to keep corona out of your workplace if employees sit close to each other.
The further apart the employees are, the lower the risk of spreading Covid-19. Social distancing can be achieved by having the workers sit at least 2m apart. Another helpful way to keep the office safe is to minimize the number of walk-ins. The fewer the number of people visiting your office, the better.
2. Ensure Hygiene in The Office
One of the surest weapons against corona is ensuring cleanliness. With proper hygiene measures, you will not only keep corona out but also stop the spread of other diseases. Ensure there are handwashing points and sanitizers in shared spaces within the office. Places such as washrooms, kitchen, and by the doors are a good start.
Equally important is personal hygiene. Have you blown your nose, coughed, or sneezed? Do it on a tissue paper and dispose of it. Making it a habit for workers to clean after themselves will keep corona out of the office. Therefore, provide every worker with a dustbin.
Besides personal hygiene, regularly cleaning and disinfecting work surfaces are other effective ways to keep the office safe. Such surfaces may include computers, desks, kitchen tops, and water dispensers. Employees touch these surfaces constantly, and should they be contaminated, there is a risk of spreading the virus.
3. Hold Meetings Virtually
Do you have an important meeting today? Hold it online. By now, a majority of companies have adopted online meetings to keep corona out of their offices. If the online wave has left you behind, this is the best time to catch up with the new way of doing things.
Holding virtual conferences reduces the risk of spreading corona by preventing risky face-to-face meetings. It also minimizes movements by employees, therefore, keeping germs in check. The internet is full of wonderful applications for virtual meetings from Zoom to Teams software.
4. Ensure Proper Ventilation
An airy office is a breath of fresh air for every employee. With the Covid-19 pandemic, it becomes a necessity to aerate your office properly. Frequently open the windows and the doors to keep corona out.
Since it is impossible to have every worker sit by a window, increase ventilation. If your ventilation systems are not working, now is a good time to fix or update them. However, if you do not have a ventilation system, fans are also a good option to keep air flowing.
5. Plan for Any Eventuality
Every successful company plans. Therefore, work with a smart strategy. You might have done all the above things, but you still end up with a Covid-19 case. All is not lost, and you can still keep corona out.
Should an employee fall sick, make sure there is a system in place instructing other workers on how to act. As a company, it is important to train your staff on how to spot corona symptoms. If a worker is suspected of having contracted the virus, what is the next course of action?
If the employee is in the office, they should immediately go home. The recommended self-isolation time is 14 days after which they should be cleared by a health provider.
The Takeaway
Work does not have to be a place every worker dreads. There is a new normal, but it is not the end of the world. Remember, maintaining hygiene is a proven way to protect your workers from the coronavirus. Even though you have been cleaning the office daily, you must now double your efforts.
Further, overcrowding is your enemy. Learn to love visitors from a distance. Every time that meeting reminder pops up in your calendar, the safest place to hold it is online.
If you adhere to these simple changes in your office, you can keep corona out.