It is our responsibility to work together to suppress COVID-19 in the workplace.
Technology is now a fixture in all businesses. This article will outline ways you can ensure that your business adheres to government regulations. Below are links to these guidelines.
UK Advice: Coronavirus(COVID-19) – Advice for business
Ireland Advice: Coronavirus(COVID-19) – Advice for business
Strong communication and a shared collaborative approach between employers and workers is key to protecting against the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace.
It is also essential to achieve success and maximum buy-in. Employers and workers will have regular engagement about COVID-19 and preventative measures in the workplace.
Information and guidance should be provided by employers to workers, which should include:
- How it spreads
- Cleaning routines
- Safe use of work technology/equipment
Bizimply’s COVID response centre has a wealth of resources and knowledge to help you put systems in place to bounce back better.
How COVID-19 Spreads
The virus that causes COVID-19 disease is spread when the person with COVID-19 coughs, sneezes or speaks. The fluid or droplets land on objects and surfaces around the infected person. Other people contaminate their hands by touching these objects or surfaces and then bring the virus into contact with their eyes, nose or mouth by touching them with their contaminated hands.
It is still not known how long the virus survives on surfaces in different conditions. The period of survival may vary under different conditions (e.g. type of surface, temperature or humidity of the environment). Studies indicate that it can persist on surfaces for hours and up to several days in the absence of effective cleaning. Thorough and regular cleaning of frequently touched surfaces is essential.
If disinfection is required it must be performed in addition to cleaning, never as a substitute for cleaning.
Cleaning Routines + Procedures
Cleaning of work areas must be conducted at regular intervals. Further information on cleaning in non-healthcare settings is available from the ECDC here.
A list of guidelines:
- Implement thorough and regular cleaning of frequently touched surfaces.If disinfection of an area is required it must be performed in addition to cleaning, never as a substitute for cleaning
- Ensure contact/touch surfaces such as tabletops, work equipment, door handles and handrails are visibly clean at all times and are cleaned at least twice daily.
- Implement modified cleaning intervals for rooms and work areas. This applies especially for washroom facilities and communal spaces. Cleaning should be performed at least twice per day and whenever facilities are visibly dirty.
- Provide workers with essential cleaning materials to keep their own workspace clean
(for example wipes/disinfection products, paper towels and waste bins/bags). - Increase the number of waste collection points and ensure these are emptied regularly throughout and at the end of each day.
Safe Use of Technology
In addition to regular cleaning and increase communication employees can
- Gloves: You could also, should you wish, go a step further and adopt a strict practice of wearing touchscreen utility gloves, again practically eliminating any direct skin contact. Of course, it’s vital these gloves are regularly cleaned and removed before making any contact with your own body parts, e.g. scratching an eye, touching your mouth or when visiting the bathroom
- Personal styluses: for contact-free clock-in on the timestation or when using any touchscreen like a POS system. In addition to regular screen wipes, for those who regularly use an interactive touch display (including tablets), owning and using a personal stylus will help cut direct interaction, further reducing the risk.
- Enable remote clock in/out. See Remote Time Work Management blog in our COVID19 response centre for more information.
In conclusion, it is critical to do a ‘risk assessment’ to identify what might cause harm and take reasonable steps to prevent it. Adopt clear safety standards and use the resources made available by the governments (linked above).
We at Bizimply also strive to uphold the best possible standards of health and safety. Don’t hesitate to contact us by phone, email or social media if you have any questions:
Phone:
(UK) +44 203 642 5644
(IRE) +353 (1) 254 2524
Email: [email protected]
Help Centre: Click Here
Twitter DM: @Bizimply
LinkedIn: Bizimply
