How to Prepare your Office Space For returning employees during Covid

How to Prepare your Office Space For returning employees during Covid

Working in safety is imperative that is imposed on us for a resumption of coronavirus contagion-proof activities. However, if production and commercial companies have found their way to restart, there is still a lot of uncertainty about how the work environment should be set up in the post-Covid-19 offices space.

In effect, workspaces or office space, as they are known, may lose their usefulness amid a pandemic that has not yet reduced its impact and that at this time can be faced with biosafety protocols and avoiding crowded places.

However, there are economic activities that require their physical headquarters, as well as positions that must continue to be performed in person.

To be able to comply with all the rules, companies must take care of equipping their offices accordingly and, if necessary, restructuring them.

Here are some tips on how to reorganize workspaces as well as how to conduct the whole work environment in the office to avoid occasions in which the virus could spread more easily.

Setting hand disinfectants (disinfectant dispensers are most common), sanitation wipes, and trash cans that can be operated with the foot in different places in the office. Stations for disinfecting mobile devices also help to limit the spread of viruses.

Check your office and the arrangement of tables, cupboards, or other office furniture to see whether groups can form quickly. This is often the case, especially in reception areas or at meeting points. Therefore, remove all obstacles so that your employees can get to their work quickly. For example, get additional coatrooms and storage space so that employees can stow personal items such as jackets or bags directly at the workplace.

To improve hygiene in the workplace, you can separate individual work areas from one another with table partitions. At team workstations, for example, (table) partition walls are suitable. These not only improve hygiene, but also the acoustics in the area. Instead of the classic textile-related partitions, we recommend using plastic partitions. Viruses adhere more poorly to the smooth surfaces and cleaning is also much better and easier to clean and thus meet the increased hygiene requirements.

Partition walls can also be used to structure the office space according to requirements. Place the room dividers in such a way that your employees move along defined paths in the office and thus maintain the minimum distance of 6 feet apart. Partitioned walls can also be used to separate personal networks, such as individual teams or departments, from one another and thus avoid cross-departmental contact.

Ventilation systems in workplaces

Companies that use air conditioning systems should avoid their use, and if necessary, periodically disinfect the ducts and ventilation system. With this, the doors and windows must also remain open.

Co-working-type offices or without divisions should have a minimum distance of 6 feet between personnel, with acrylic screens as dividers and that, as far as possible, employees only occupy intermediate positions.

Also, “the goals or receptions would have additions, such as shoe disinfection mats and antibacterial gel dispensers. Other adjustments. They could be a locker area where raincoats or clothes that have been contacted outside are kept; and another area for disinfection with alcohol and sinks, which would work through stations with pedals or sensors.

Even the space for lunch could also be affected. Socialization would not be possible to comply with distancing and restriction in dining rooms or cafeterias. To these renovations, an alternation between virtual and face-to-face could be added, prioritizing activities that require face-to-face and organizing work teams by groups and shifts to avoid crowds.

As the management, you ensure that your employees can comply with the hygiene rules like:

1. Comply with hygiene rules

Even if compliance with hygiene standards should already be met in everyday office life, this is all the more true at the moment. Wash your hands regularly and thoroughly with soap and warm water. Avoid unnecessary contact with surfaces and objects and disinfect your hands regularly. You should not cough or sneeze in the direction of those around you but the crook of your arm.

2. Face mask compulsory

The requirement to wear a face mask now applies to numerous public places. The way to work in local public transport is already affected. But wearing a face mask is also recommended in the office space to protect yourself, and above all your colleagues.

3. Social distancing

The term social distancing has become a defining one for the current situation. Keeping a sufficiently large distance from other people significantly reduces the risk of infection. Even if it is much more difficult in the office, you should always keep enough distance from your fellow human beings whenever possible. The following basic rules apply:

  • Avoid physical meetings. A large number of people over a long time in a limited space is currently not a good idea. Instead, use digital tools such as Slack or Zoom to exchange ideas.
  • The same applies to lengthy meetings and planning on the whiteboard.
  • Even if it may feel strange at first, keep your distance from other colleagues on the way to the kitchen or the toilet.

4. Pay attention to symptoms

It is still important to contain the spread of the virus. Therefore, pay attention to typical symptoms in yourself and others. People who show these symptoms should leave the office immediately and get tested for possible contamination. 

Even the space for lunch could also be affected. Socialization would not be possible to comply with distancing and restriction in dining rooms or cafeterias. To these renovations, an alternation between virtual and face-to-face could be added, prioritizing activities that require face-to-face and organizing work teams by groups and shifts to avoid crowds.\

As the management, you ensure that your employees can comply with the hygiene rules like:

5. Comply with hygiene rules

Even if compliance with hygiene standards should already be met in everyday office life, this is all the more true at the moment. Wash your hands regularly and thoroughly with soap and warm water. Avoid unnecessary contact with surfaces and objects and disinfect your hands regularly. You should not cough or sneeze in the direction of those around you but the crook of your arm.

Conclusion

As a company, you must ensure that all your employees are safe. Ensure all the required guidelines are followed to the letter and you will nothing to worry about as you go on with your daily today work.

If you would like to inquire about a new Covid safe office space that meets all of the requirments; contact us online or call at no obligation. Whether you have a simple question or would like to review what available on the market that's right for you - we are here to help.

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