Stay safe while working from home with these safety standards!
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The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in governments around the world implementing measures to try to slow the spread of the virus. For many countries, this meant several months of lockdown, where all non-essential businesses were closed, and people were told to stay in their homes as much as possible.
Many countries are now beginning to relax these rules, but there are still strict rules in place regarding social distancing and other measures designed to keep people as safe as possible. For those that have returned to their place of work, things probably look very different.
The current advice in the UK states that people should work from home if it is possible for them to do so. However, there are many roles which require a physical presence in an office or other workspace. For these workplaces, employers have a responsibility to maintain the highest possible standards of health, hygiene and physical distancing for all employees, which includes performing a risk assessment before people return to work.
Furniture At Work provides a comprehensive range of protective screens and guards to help promote social distancing and keep people as safe as possible. The current guidelines state that all employees should ideally be kept two metres apart during the working day. Adding protective screens to each workstation helps employees to feel reassured that they are at minimal risk of contracting the virus while at work.
Other measures that workplaces should be implementing include practices that minimise contact and limit the amount of people each employee must communicate with in person each day. This includes establishing an infrastructure that requires minimal sharing of equipment and having fixed teams in place so each ‘bubble’ can be kept separate from others.
Specific work areas should be marked out with paint or tape to help people maintain social distancing, signage should be provided to help people stay two metres apart, and people who have to work closely should be set up to work side by side rather than face to face, to help prevent transmission.
Cleaning and sanitation are an essential part of keeping staff healthy in any business in 2020. If you want to keep COVID-19 out of your home, it is essential to learn how to stay safe and clean your workplace properly. All employees should be provided with hand sanitiser and any cleaning products that may be required, which should be of the correct potency to kill coronavirus germs. Staff should not only be provided with access to proper sanitation facilities, but also trained in how to use them effectively.
Cleaning should be performed regularly, particularly in high-traffic areas such as corridors or lifts. Employers should also be taking the time to talk to their staff regularly so that any concerns they may have can be discussed and dealt with, inform them of any additional support measures being put into place, and check up on their general health and well-being.
