Now that lockdown restrictions are being eased around the UK, businesses of all shapes and sizes, and across all industries, are beginning to open their doors once again, allowing their workforce to return to the office and welcoming customers back with open arms once more.
But it’s important to make sure that employees are comfortable about returning to work and that your customers feel safe coming into your place of business to say hi.
The World Health Organization has published guidance to help companies ready themselves for a return to work, advising them on how to prevent the spread of covid-19, how to manage risks when organising meetings and events, what to consider when travelling for business and preparing your workplace in case the virus arrives in the community.
Making sure that workplaces are clean and hygienic is key, because surface contamination is one of the main ways that the virus spreads. It’s essential that you set up a robust cleaning regime and ensure that all desks and tables, telephones, keyboards and so on are wiped down with disinfectant regularly.
It’s also important that employees, contractors and customers follow certain procedures as well, so make sure that you’re promoting regular and thorough hand-washing. This can be achieved by installing hand-sanitising stations in prominent places throughout your workplace, refilling them regularly.
Ensuring that there are places where people can go to wash their hands with soap and water would also be useful, since this kills the virus and prevents the spread of coronavirus.
Carrying out a risk assessment will help you identify the right kind of cleaning strategy for your particular business.
Consider frequently touched surfaces and focus on these as a central part of your cleaning regime, such as doors, bannisters, workstations, door handles, toilets, changing rooms, vehicle handles and steering wheels, shared equipment, taps, kettles and so on.
Adequate cleaning strategies involve a two-pronged approach – deep cleaning at least once a day and periodic cleaning at various times throughout the day. The latter could include cleaning items immediately after use, for example.
It might also be a good idea to set your workplace up in such a way as to reduce the need for contact with surfaces and objects in the first place, such as by reducing equipment, propping open doors and fitting automated sensors on doors.
You will also need to ensure that your members of staff are aware of their own personal responsibilities when it comes to preventing the spread of coronavirus. Keeping surfaces as clear as possible will help keep the workplace more hygienic – and easier to clean, for example.
Keeping the store cupboards fully stocked with all the cleaning products you need is all the more important these days, so make sure you do a stock take on a regular basis and replace items before you run out.
Our surface disinfectant offers protection against harmful bacteria, viruses and fungi to any hard surface. Find it in our online shop.