orried about the safeguarding workplace in the times of COVID19? Starting from office reception here is an action plan to ensure employee and visitor health protection.
The best way to fight any disease is to follow the instructions issued by your local health bodies and steer clear of rumors. The coronavirus pandemic that started in China soon spread to other countries like wildfire and is causing havoc infecting millions and ravaging the economy globally.
Governments are shutting down complete commercial sectors to prevent the spread of Coronavirus, and it has put a massive crimp in the gross domestic product in months to come.
Talking about companies, it is important to take extra care and attention regarding sanitization and adopt the best disinfection practices for your office year-round moving ahead.
Practicing such preventive measures help mitigate risks for employers while reducing their concerns.
When we confer about offices we cannot overlook the role that the front desk or office reception plays as a front line of defense be it for disruptive visitors or diseases.
In our previous post, we discussed three ways to ensure health and safety at your office premises. These are-
- By adding an agreement, depicted in the below picture
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- By adding a screensaver
- Pre-registering the visitors for a touchless sign-in
Moving further, you should regularly disinfect the reception area. It is important to sanitize the tablet or kiosk used for checking in the visitor, employee, delivery executives, etc. Since this is a high infection period, it is advisable to sanitize after each check-in.
These are some guidelines by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention i.e CDC on how to clean and disinfect your facility.
Clean
- Clean all the surfaces using soap and water. Exercise daily cleaning of high touch surfaces. These include-Tables, doorknobs, light switches, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, sinks, etc.
Disinfect
- First, clean the area with soap and water and or use detergent if it’s dirty and then use the disinfectant.
- Wear gloves and make sure there is good ventilation when using detergent and disinfectant.
- The sanitizer or disinfectants used should have at least 70% alcohol.
Soft surfaces
- Includes- carpeted floor, rugs, and drapes, etc.
- Clean the surface using soap and water or with cleaners appropriate for use on these surfaces.
Electronics
- For electronics, such as tablets, touch screens, keyboards, remote controls, and ATMs, consider putting a wipeable cover on electronics.
- Use alcohol-based wipes or sprays containing at least 70% alcohol. Dry the surface thoroughly after.
Find out more here
Here are CDC’s additional considerations for employees
- It is important to educate workers who perform works like cleaning, laundry, or are picking trash regarding the symptoms of COVID-19.
- You should provide instructions to the workers in the case if they develop symptoms within 14 days after their last possible exposure to the virus.
- Your company should create policies for the protection of workers.
- It is crucial to train your cleaning staff, and the training should include
- When to use PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)
- What PPE is necessary
- How to properly put on, use, and then take off
Encourage a culture of washing hands and sanitization in the office
COVID-19 will find it difficult to spread when we all keep our hands clean.
Make it a priority for visitors to keep their hands clean as soon as they first walk in.
Here is what you can do-
- Firstly, place sanitizers near the visitor check-in stations.
- Secondly, instruct your lobby personnel to offer hand sanitizer to all visitors and employees.
- Thirdly, practice social distancing and avoid shaking hands.
WHO states that social distancing is an effective measure of containing the spread of the new coronavirus. “Maintain at least 1 meter (3 feet) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing”.
With the CoReceptionist you can even add videos into the check-in process illustrating best methods for handwashing, suitable greetings, and social distancing techniques.
Reduce the number of meeting & office visits. Encourage work from home.
To effectively practice Social distancing and prevent the spread of coronavirus, limit the footfall in your office to keep your employers healthier. We all know the importance of teamwork, collaborations, and partnerships, however, given the situation now, limiting unessential travel, visits, and meetings will help a great deal in keeping the disease at bay.
Managers should caution employees to stay home if they aren’t feeling well. They can also guide employees to reschedule office visits if visitors show any signs of sickness.
Managers and company leaders should encourage employees to work remotely and put in action a work from the home policy if there is none
Working remotely is a trend that has been around for a few years now. Technology has made it easier for employees to communicate via their computers. This will reduce the traffic office.
The role of your office lobby or reception area should never be under-estimated. With the right visitor management system, it can be a powerful gateway for your office safeguarding your office premises, visitors and employees.
We wish you health. Be alert and be responsible.
