As companies now look to return to the office, we've put together a simple guide to help you adapt to the recommended precautions and measures to prevent further spread of COVID-19.
Working from home
If your staff can work from home it is advisable to do so.
We’ve put together 5 simple steps to ensure you get the best out of your home workstation.
Managing Risk
Conduct a risk assessment in your workplace to look at what preventative measures you can make for the safe return of employees.
- Ensure social distancing
- Increase hand washing
- Use of screens and barriers for separation
- Retrofit desks to ensure side by side or back to back working
- Adopt a rota system with fixed teams to reduce the contact time with each person
Five steps to safer working together
Social distancing in the office
- Re-configure your office layout to maintain 2 metre social distancing in the workplace. Ideally work stations should be back to back or side to side
- Use screens and barriers for separation. These can be desk mounted or hanging screens from the ceiling
- Use floor markers and visible signage to introduce a one way walking system in the office and introduce waiting area zones for people to stop and wait for anyone who may pass
- Introduce a plan for entrance and exits to the workplace as well as a protocol for the delivery of post and parcels.
- Avoid the use of communal spaces and meeting rooms where social distancing can’t be guaranteed
- Introduce a break and lunchtime rota to ensure social distancing in breakout spaces and canteens
Hygiene Control – Reducing risk
- Encourage staff to increase the frequency of hand washing and surface cleaning
- Provide anti-bacterial sanitiser stations throughout the workspace
- Limit ‘high-touch’ items such as whiteboards, printers and photocopiers where possible
- Reduce activity in the office space to as short as possible
- Introduce ‘fixed team’ working and a rota system to reduce the number of people you can come into contact with
- Stagger breaks and lunches to avoid crowds in the breakout area.