Making your workplace safe to return to after coronavirus.
May 12, 2020
As we start to prepare for the ‘new normal’ after much of the world has dramatically changed due to covid-19, the way we work in offices will be different too.
Before we return to the office, consider the design of your workplace to adhere to social distancing measures recommended by the government to stop the spread of Covid-19. Saxen are able to help with space planning, social distancing screens and furniture solutions that you can implement in the workplace to help reduce risk and keep your staff safe.
Some of the measures you can take to make your workplace safe to return to after Corona Virus:
- Social Distancing Measures
- Creating Physical Barriers
- Fever Scanning CCTV
- Door Automation
- Contactless Access Controls
- Softphone Telephone Systems
- Cleaning and Hygiene
Here are some solutions that you could implement:
1. Distancing Measures
Safe distancing
- Move furniture where possible to separate staff or customers
- Avoid close back-to-back or face-to-face configurations
- Split up grouped desking or tables
- Move desks to utilise wall space
- Use of barriers between desks
- Make use of meeting rooms and breakout areas normally used as social gathering areas to add extra desks
- Encourage employees to email, text or call rather than meeting with co-workers
- Operate a one-way system in office corridors, use floor vinyls or stickers
- Stagger break times to stop gatherings at canteens and kitchen areas
- Consider flexible working hours to stagger start/stop times (lift capacity)
- Put up signage to remind staff of social distancing rules
- Staff should not car share unless from the same household
- If a staff member feels unwell, they should immediately go home and self isolate
Example of a new floorplan: slide the cental bar to see changes.
2. Creating physical barriers
- Glazed Sneeze Guards to shield against droplets
- Acrylic which can be wiped clean with usual disinfectant
- Acrylic top screens can be added to existing desk screens
- Standard desk screens in healthcare vinyl with waterproof surface and antimicrobial properties
- Available to fit any size of desk
Physical Barrier Examples: floor stanidng and surface-mounted
3. Cleaning surfaces
Clean and disinfect high touch surfaces thoroughly and frequently:
- Door handle
- Light switches
- Sinks and taps
- Phones
- Kitchen surfaces
- Calculators
- Keyboards & Mice
- Bin lids
4. Personal Hygiene
- Discourage sharing of equipment or suppliers (cups, spoons, milk, coffee etc)
- Employees to wipe down surfaces
- Company to increase cleaning schedule and target high touch areas
- Signage to remind staff to wash hands often and for 20 seconds
- Use paper towel to turn off taps
- Use paper towels of air dryers to dry hands, do not share towels
- Don’t touch your face, eyes, nose or mouth
- Cover your mouth and nose with inside elbow or tissue when coughing and sneezing
- Use hand sanitiser when it’s not possible to wash hands
- Change clothes upon return home and wash at highest temperature recommended on care label
Saxen can help with a safe return to work with services such as space planning, move management, offsite storage, floor box moves and IT moves. Please contact us for more information.
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