Small Remodeling Tips That Can Make Your Workplace COVID Compliant
Although the coronavirus is still with us, in the interest of keeping the economy going, many businesses have been given the green light to reopen. At the same time, these businesses know how important it is to keep their employees and their customers safe. Many of them are enforcing regulations to make sure everyone who enters their offices wears a mask and social distances from other people. They are putting hand sanitizer on each desk and taking extra efforts to keep surfaces clean.
Some business owners are taking things a step further by doing a bit of remodeling. They know that by repositioning certain fixtures, they can make the workplace flow in such a way to limit contact between workers.
Remodeling to become COVID compliant does not have to be a big, expensive job. There are small things you can do and, considering the peace of mind it will provide you and your employees, it will be well worth the effort. Read on to find out more about what type of remodeling you can do to keep your workplace safe.
Markings on the Floor
One way to keep workers away from one another is to post markings on the floor. Markings can serve several purposes. They can give workers an idea of where they should be sitting or standing to ensure they are always six feet away from their colleagues.
Markings can also be used to direct the flow of traffic in common walkways. Once workers know which way they should be walking, they will be better able to social distance when passing co-workers by.
If you have a casual work environment, markings can be made by simply putting tape onto the floor. If you are going for more of an upscale look, you may want to call in a flooring specialist to install markings that work well with your interior design.
Post Hand Washing Signs
According to the CDC, “handwashing is one of the best ways to protect yourself and your family from getting sick.” Encouraging employees to wash their hands when they are at work can be a fantastic way to reduce the spread of COVID.
To help employees remember to wash hands, post signs in the restroom explaining the proper handwashing procedure. Hands should be washed for at least 20 seconds and they should be thoroughly lathered and rinsed.
You might be surprised to find how many people don’t know how to wash their hands to effectively eliminate germs. Hanging signs can be a tremendous help.
It’s also a good idea to post signs around the office to encourage people to wear masks and social distance.
Improve Ventilation and Air Quality
According to the EPA, “the type of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system can all impact potential airborne spread of the virus.” Taking steps to improve ventilation and air quality can help reduce the spread.
While recirculating air is not the best option, circulating outdoor air will be helpful in keeping air cleaner. If your building does not have a ventilation system, you can open windows to let outside air in.
Humidity also influences the spread of the virus. Although many believe that high humidity encourages germs, it has now been found that the opposite is true.
According to Medical News Today, “drops in humidity make it easier for airborne viral particles to travel.” They also state that cilia, the organelles that line the body’s airways, do not work as well to expel viral particles in low humidity.
To make sure the humidity levels in your building is not promoting the spread, adjust heating and ventilation systems so that humidity falls right around 40% – 60%. You can also use humidifiers to keep the humidity in check.
Air filters can also be used to keep air clean. An effective air filter can remove 99.7% of particles from the air including those that have the COVID virus.
Install Partitions
Partitions can be effective in reducing the transmission of germs.
Partitions can be installed on counters to separate customer service employees from customers. They can also be used to keep the spread under control in offices with cubicles. When these partitions are installed between workers, they can work as germ shields that will keep colleagues from getting each other sick.
With workplaces reopening, there are plenty of companies that have these partitions available. They are fully customizable, and easy to install and sanitize.
Make Equipment Easily Accessible
In your office, you may have pieces of equipment that everyone uses. Maybe this is a credit card processor or a printer.
Shared equipment might work well enough in most instances, but in times of a pandemic, this is an ideal way to create a breeding ground for germs. What’s more, it increases the risk of employees moving around spaces where they will be in close contact with each other.
To keep this from happening, make sure equipment is closest to employees that need it most. You may also want to designate a person as the only one permitted to use this equipment until the pandemic is over.
If neither of these options work for you, another option is to buy more equipment so no one in the office has to share.
Touchless Faucets and Soap Dispensers in the Restroom
With the coronavirus raging on, you want to limit the spread of germs as much as possible.
Shared surfaces that several people touch can increase the spread of germs. To limit shared surfaces, install as many touchless items as possible. Putting touchless faucets and soap and paper towel dispensers in restrooms will give employees peace of mind in knowing their hands are truly clean.
Add Tech
Workplaces can also update to include technology that will help them remain COVID compliant. The importance of COVID safety has inspired many tech companies to come up with technology that can do everything from alert workers to the regulations in place to helping employers produce ways to keep their workplaces safer.
These tools can also be used to screen employees before they arrive at work to capture temperature readings and assess risk. They allow employees to report a breach of COVID compliance regulations and alert employees when social distancing breaches occur. They also provide reports based on the data they collect that can help employers make decisions on how to proceed in their COVID safety strategies.
Keeping a workplace COVID compliant comes with its share of challenges. While masks and hand sanitizers are effective in limiting the spread, small remodeling efforts will you give you the confidence of knowing your workers and customers are truly safe. Which of these upgrades will you be making to stop the spread?
PeopleOne Care is a digital solution that helps organizations manage their return-to-work processes seamlessly while ensuring employee safety and compliance to the federal guidelines.
Also, try our modern intranet software PeopleOne to engage and communicate with your employees.
