Reopening of offices after lockdown is an overwhelming experience. There is an excitement of going back to the work desks. Meeting colleagues and having good conversations in person is something we all are waiting for. At the same time, the fear of contacting the virus is somewhere scaring not just employees but employers as well.
Clearly, these mixed feelings can not be a barrier in the workflow. But what is important at this point of time is focusing on spreading awareness about health and safety. Furthermore, just talking about safety and well-being is not sufficient. It is important to practically implement all the advice. Only when we all follow proper guidelines, can we fight against this fatal virus.
Measures Essential For Health And Safety Of Employees:
Both personal hygiene and clean surroundings are important to be safe from the coronavirus. When we talk of personal hygiene, it includes measures like wearing a face mask, avoiding crowded places, healthy diet, and everything that we hear on a daily basis. Apart from these personal hygiene practices, there are some other office safety measures.
Following is a list of measures that are a must especially now when the employees are revisiting offices after a long time:
- Regular cleaning – Ensuring a dirt and germ free environment is the responsibility of the employer. Regular cleaning is an unavoidable measure especially post the pandemic. While the basic cleaning activities are always being performed in every office, the need for coronavirus cleaning services is becoming essential nowadays. Obviously, the coronavirus cleaning service is not the same as the regular cleaning services. These are available with commercial cleaning companies, who are keen on contributing towards controlling the spread of infection in workplaces. With the help of coronavirus cleaning, the commercial properties become a comparatively safe place for visitors.
In this professional cleaning, the team ensures that they are providing clients a dust free environment. For every surface or object, the team is using a different cleaning method that will make the surface bacteria free. High-touch point cleaning and deep sanitization, disinfection are the two unique aspects of coronavirus cleaning. Because the disease is life-threatening, it only makes sense to hire a team with years of experience into professional cleaning.
- Air quality and ventilation – We inhale an infinite number of bacterias and germs in every breath we take. But these germs are not leading us to a fatal end. On the contrary, ever since the pandemic began, none of us is aware of whether the air we breathe is safe or not. In a commercial space, an important measure now is to focus on air quality and ventilation. Because the office is a place where so many employees are sitting in a closed space, the air quality is a risk for the health of all the people.
To reopen offices after the lockdowns, it is important that employers work on air quality and ventilation. Ensure that you are using air purifiers to improve the air quality. At the same time, make sure that your office has proper ventilation. To be safe from the virus, it is vital that you are breathing fresh air.
- Social distancing measures – This is one measure that is being emphasized a lot just when the coronavirus scare began. To be safe from the coronavirus, it is important to maintain social distancing within the workplace. Social distancing measures should be such that there is a safe distance of at least six feet between two individuals. Within a commercial space, make sure that there is a seat gap between two employees. To avoid crowding, flexible timings for employees can be a good option. Call employees on alternate days to avoid rush within the workplace. If possible then work on the designing of the office keeping in mind social distancing needs. Furthermore, virtual meetings and touchless entry are a good way to avoid spread of infection.
- Communication and signage in the workplace – Just adopting the measures for health and safety will not suffice. It is important to establish a proper communication channel between employees and employers. Talking and spreading awareness about covid-19 amongst employees is the responsibility of the employer. Moreover, the environment of the office should be such that the employees can comfortably discuss any health inconvenience that they are facing. Apart from communication, signages in the workplace are also important. Informative signages will ensure that employees are following the rules and procedures. Posters encouraging social distancing, masks, sanitization, etc keep employees aware of their responsibilities. Furthermore, employers must provide sanitizers and hygiene products at convenient distances within the office place. All these measures together will definitely help in reducing the spread of infection in an office.
Bottom Line:
To conclude, a conscious effort towards following the above measures is essential for safety and well-being in a commercial space. There is a definite requirement of hiring coronavirus cleaning companies to ensure that the commercial space is safe for employees and other visitors. Any expense on commercial cleaning is definitely something immensely useful. So, as an employer planning to welcome back the employees, make sure you are taking all the necessary actions.