As workers come back into offices, factories and other business environments, it’s critical for companies to take every possible step to prevent workplace transmission of COVID-19. Although there’s no way to guarantee a workplace won’t become a spreading site, there are some steps you can take to drastically reduce the likelihood. Here are four effective ways to prevent coronavirus infection at your workplace.
Require Masks for All Workers at All Times
One of the most effective ways to prevent workplace infection is to require all employees to wear masks at all times. Even cloth masks have proven quite useful in reducing viral spread. If possible, make surgical masks or KN95 masks available to your employees at the company’s expense, as these masks are even more effective and providing them free of charge will encourage compliance.
Make Provisions for Social Distancing
While most workers don’t operate within six feet of each other in normal office environments, lunch and break rooms are a different story. Under ordinary conditions, workers can usually sit alongside each other in very tight areas. Until the pandemic has abated, though, you’ll need to provide enough space for socially distanced lunches and breaks. Try to mark out 6-foot spacings with tape on the floor so that employees can easily gauge how far apart they are.
Have Your Workplace Deep Cleaned After Positive Tests
At this point in the pandemic, there are a number of coronavirus disinfection services that will deep clean your workplace to eliminate any viruses that may have settled on surfaces. While you don’t have to do this regularly, it is a good idea to have a cleaning service come in if one of your employees tests positive. With proper use of masks and social distancing, there’s a minimal risk of an infected employee spreading the virus to others. Undergoing a deep cleaning will further reduce that risk and provide your employees with a safer work environment.
Install an Office Air Purifier
To remove possible viruses in the air, you can install an air purification system in your office. Purifiers that use UV light or HEPA filters are most effective for containing coronavirus. As with deep cleaning, this provides an extra measure of protection for your employees on top of masking and social distancing.
By taking these four basic steps, you should be able to significantly reduce the changes of COVID-19 spread in your workplace. The more precautions you can take, the more likely it is that you’ll be able to bring your workers back to the office with minimal difficulties.
Lizzie Weakley is a freelance writer from Columbus, Ohio. In her free time, she enjoys the outdoors and walks in the park with her husky, Snowball.
