How to make your workspace safe after lockdown
With the country going back to work in phases as announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa, here are a few ways you can ensure the safety of your employees at the workplace.
There is no denying the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown has had an unprecedented impact on how businesses operate. But, the implemented measures have also afforded many businesses the opportunity to push workspaces into the future.
“In our experience, we know creating a working environment in which employees are safe and free to flourish, is extremely beneficial for both a company’s culture and bottom-line,” says Raghmah Solomon from Vortex Design Solutions, an interior design company specialising in compliance of building fire, HVAC and electrical systems to obtain an occupation certification from the city council.
Here are eight steps to consider to help safeguard your building and/or workspace:
Educate your staff
Go the extra mile to make sure your staff members understand how the new health and safety regulations work and why they are in place. No measures you adopt are going to be effective if your staff members are not educated on how to use them or on the facts about how Covid-19 is transmitted.
Re-evaluate your access control systems
Some buildings use finger biometrics for security. These are easily replaced with card-controlled access systems which eliminate the risk posed by employees touching the same touchpad continuously.
Automate your doors
Many doors have no closing mechanism which means staff must touch the handles. Automating doors with a door closer and a no-touch sensor button is an easy and an unobtrusive step towards safety.
Clear the clutter
Apart from having proven psychological benefits, a clean workspace will eliminate possible places for the virus to linger.
Redesign the workspaces
Areas of top priority are worktops that are not hygiene friendly in reception areas and canteen areas, as well as sale points at retail spaces which should have sneeze guards.
Hand sanitising is key
Have mobile hand sanitiser units at as many common touchpoints as possible for people to disinfect should they touch a shared space.
Restructure open-plan layouts
The safest way to be in a shared space is to adhere to the two-metre distancing as per the office quarantine solutions guidelines. Invest in mindful, sustainable technology for teams to restructure their collaborative meetings and team huddles, as well as information signage to keep all members of your company in contact and up to date. Scientific research has shown that the virus will survive on many surfaces that make up our office spaces and this means the potential risks for virus transmission in the workplace are everywhere.
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