Although we all might feel like we’ve already got used to the ongoing global pandemic, we must keep our guards up, especially considering another surge of coronavirus cases around the country. While many businesses have been forced to work remotely and close their doors for visitors entirely, some facilities continue to operate in a hybrid work model.
Because of that, it is necessary to take appropriate precautions following current restrictions to keep both your employees and customers safe. Your reception area or office lobby should be taken care of first, as these are the entry points, making them the most trafficked and vulnerable areas of your facility.
Below, you will find several essential pandemic safety tips that will help you minimize person-to-person contact and reduce the risk of spreading the virus. Besides introducing capacity limits and enforcing mask policy, you should also install touch-free doors, ensure regular cleaning, and provide hand sanitizing stations. Continue reading to learn more about keeping your lobby germs-free.
Hand Sanitizer
Hand sanitizers are a must-have for any business that continues operating in a pandemic state. They will help keep your employees germ-free, ensure that they stay healthy, and avoid spreading the virus within your community, most importantly. Make sure to install hand sanitizing stations at every entrance point of your office, as well as at the workstations of your employees.
The FDA recommends using alcohol-based hand sanitizers over antibacterial soap, as the latter is ineffective against most germs and may even lead to more antibiotic resistance. To ensure that hand sanitizing stations remain effective, make sure to properly maintain them and replace the disinfectant regularly and timely.
Touch-Free Doors
An excellent way to prevent potential contamination is by installing touch-free doors at every entry point of your facility. This will significantly reduce the risk of people getting infected or spreading the virus around the office. Most automatic swing door systems are equipped with advanced sensors and can be activated by simply waving your hand or an object in front of them, making them ideal for use in facilities and offices that maintain strict hygiene standards.
Capacity Limits
While you may not be able to close your facility and prevent people from entering, you can enforce capacity limits for your office. Make sure to post signs informing visitors about the capacity limit, as well as the required protective measures. This will prevent overcrowding and minimize the risk of infection.
This should help your visitors avoid getting infected and ensure compliance with your policy. You might also consider offering online booking services and encourage clients to schedule appointments instead of visiting your office. This way, you can easily limit the number of people that enter your facility and avoid overcrowding.
Mask Policy
Another mandatory precaution is enforcing the use of masks in your business premises. If you are an employer, you should ensure that all your employees are wearing their masks at all times when engaging in work-related activities. You may also provide masks for your employees, as disposable masks are meant to be replaced frequently and tend to break easily.
However, you should also make sure that all visitors are required to wear a mask before entering the premises. Visitors should be informed about the necessary protective measures, and you should enforce compliance with a strict rule that does not allow people to remove the mask or otherwise uncover their mouth or nose when inside the building.
Frequent Cleaning and Sanitising
Besides providing hand sanitizer, cleaning and sanitizing commonly occupied areas are the most effective ways of keeping your office safe from contagious viruses. Although you can’t really eliminate them, you can limit the spread by regularly cleaning common surfaces, for example, cleaning the office table after the customer has left.
Although your workplace is likely to experience a decrease in foot traffic throughout the pandemic period, it is still crucial to ensure that your reception area and around it is as clean as possible. Besides regular sweeping, wiping, and periodic professional cleaning, you should also regularly disinfect surfaces with anti-bacterial cleansers.
Maintain a Safe Distance
It is crucial to remember that even if you have already taken all precautions possible to ensure your employees’ safety, they might still be at risk of contracting the virus if they engage in face-to-face communication with visitors. That is why it is essential to maintain a safe distance between your staff and visitors.
You should make sure that your reception area is sufficiently large and equipped with enough chairs to accommodate both staff and visitors. To help with that, you can also place floor stickers indicating the required distance or install glass windows on reception booths.
To Sum Up
With a new surge of virus cases reported around the world, it is vital to keep ourselves as well as others safe from catching the illness. While the pandemic is not yet under control, there are several things you can do to ensure that your office remains clean and safe.
The pandemic safety tips mentioned above will help reduce person-to-person contact and protect your staff and visitors from the virus. By enforcing the mask policy, capacity limits, and hand sanitizer use, you can help prevent the spread of germs and ensure that everyone stays safe and healthy!
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