The arrival of the coronavirus pandemic saw a dramatic shift as the UK’s workforce suddenly found themselves working from home. While some people may have created a dedicated home office to work from, many workers’ improvised home workspaces fall short of ideal.

With the country entering a second national lockdown, those who have been working from home will undoubtedly be continuing to do so for the foreseeable future, and it’s time for those who found themselves working from the kitchen table, sofa, and even in bed to up their WFH setup game.

It is said that Churchill used to work from his bed in his pyjamas, and John Lennon tried to change the world from between the sheets, working from your laptop on the sofa or from the bed is detrimental to your health.

How do I set up my home workspace?

Musculoskeletal disorders are the most common work-related injury, and proper ergonomic setup has been shown to reduce common ailments such as muscle strains, lower back pain, and tendonitis, as well as decreasing fatigue and enhancing productivity.

If you do not have access or room for a dedicated work desk, then a flat surface is essential, and a proper ergonomic chair is a must.

Fresh air and natural light are important, as is considering your posture while working.

The UK Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors suggests several ways that employees set up their workspace and stay healthy while working from home.

It is important to take regular breaks and engage in physical movement to help your physical and mental wellbeing. Keep hydrated and stretch regularly, and take a break to go for a walk outside instead of being sat for hours on end during endless Zoom meetings.

Keeping your home workspace hygienic

Our homes are a haven for microbes, and the typical work desk is home to over 10 million bacteria. Your monitor, keyboard, computer, mouse, office files, chair and personal items are all reservoirs for microbes, which are mainly deposited via our hands, skin and hair.

With the ongoing pandemic, it’s essential to ensure that you keep your WFH space clean and sanitised. If you do begin to feel ill, it is essential to seek medical assistance and take time off sick.

By soldiering on and battling through it, you will not only be spreading the germs over your workspace and home, but you will inevitably end up stressed from working while ill, weakening your immune system further.

Remember, good hand hygiene is one of the most effective ways to reduce germ transmission.

Keep your work desk uncluttered and clean, and regularly wipe it down with ordinary detergent. To clean your keyboard, monitor and other equipment, first unplug them, then dust with a soft microfibre cloth before wiping with a moist alcohol or detergent wipe.

Do not eat at your desk, unless you want a side order of microbes with your sandwich. Wipe and disinfect your phone regularly, as it hosts all sorts of pathogens, potentially including faecal material. Resist the urge to take your phone into the bathroom, especially if you enjoy scrolling during your lunch!

A safe and hygienic work environment in the home is essential to maximise the benefits and to reduce the risk of injury and illness

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The continuing coronavirus crisis means that many people will be working from home for the foreseeable future, but it may be necessary for some to return to the office either part-time or full-time. After so long away, it is bound to bring up some anxiety around hygiene and safety.

While companies are taking measures to ensure hygiene standards and COVID-secure precautions are in place, the thought of returning to old routines and job pressures can be daunting to anyone.

We have a look at some tips for how to make the transition back to the office a little easier.

1. Get back into a routine

Even the most organised of people will have seen their routines thrown into disarray over the past few months, and the idea of getting back into the daily grind and routine can be an unsettling thought.

The key to dealing with this is to begin building up your routine ahead of time so that your first day back isn’t so much of a shock to the system.

Before your return to the office start date, set your alarm for the time you would usually be getting up for work, and start getting used to the early mornings again. Prepare your clothing for the next day the night before, even if for the moment that is still your WFH loungewear, and even prepare lunches for the next day to prepare your mind for ‘work mode’.

1. Avoid burning yourself out in the first week

Avoid throwing yourself into work by filling up your diary with meetings. Make sure you allow yourself an adjustment period and schedule in some breaks to give yourself a rest and recharge.

Likely, your work colleagues and yourself are all out of the office work habits, so go slowly and gently, and remember to be kind to yourself.

1. Reflect on the positives

Life during lockdown provided many of us with the chance to live a slightly simpler life for a few months, so the return to office life can be a bit of a culture shock.

Make the transition a little easier by embracing the time off you’ve had, and focus on the positives that came with it, such as more quality time with the family, new skills you may have picked up, or even finally finishing that Netflix boxset everyone had insisted you watch.

Make a list of all the things you have enjoyed and place it where you can see them, and don’t forget them just because your routine is returning to normal.

1. Ask about safety measures

Before you return to the office, it might be an idea to speak to your manager or boss about what safety measures have been implemented to minimise the risk of contracting or spreading the coronavirus. Familiarise yourself with the changes to the office environment and the new rules and guidelines in place to help reduce any anxiety.

If you need surface sanitiser products for your COVID-secure office, contact us today.

Autumn has officially begun, which means we can expect to see a little bit more inclement weather coming our way… so now’s the time to think about how best to go about keeping your homes and offices clean and tidy in the face of increasing amounts of dirt and grime being trodden through living and working spaces.

Firstly, keeping your outside areas as clean as you can is wise, because it means that less debris will be brought inside on the bottoms of shoes or blown in when doors are opened. It will also make it safer for people to approach buildings, as driveways and paved areas won’t be slippery and treacherous.

Investing in a good quality doormat is a good idea, as it means that people have the opportunity to wipe their feet before they go inside, leaving any muck and mud outside where it belongs – which will, again, make it easier for you to clean interior spaces.

As for the cleaning itself, it will depend on what sort of floor coverings you have as to which hygiene strategy would be the most effective one to follow.

For carpeted areas, consider washing these every three months or so using a carpet shampoo machine – but always check that the detergent you use is compatible with the material, or you could cause more problems than you solve.

If you have hardwood flooring, always go around with a vacuum cleaner before you mop, so you can pick up any dirt and debris that may have been tracked through on people’s shoes. 

This will also help prevent any grit from scratching the wood, which can be difficult to sort out. Also consider using a steam mop for a really deep clean if the floors start to look a little bit on the lacklustre side.

You don’t always have to use a wet mop and you can really create hygienic living and working environments with dry mopping in between deeper cleans. These are reusable, so eco-friendly at the same time and it can be quicker to get the job done, as mop heads are often bigger than wet mops.

Prevention can be better than cure and if you are really worried about how your flooring will weather the storm of autumn and winter, you could consider investing in something like a floor protection product. You can buy these for both carpet and wood flooring, so you can protect all parts of the office or home.

The film is very quick and easy to lay down and provides up to 45 days of protection, so ideal for this time of year. All you need to do is peel it up afterwards, once the bad weather has passed us by. No residue is left behind so your flooring will always look good, no matter what happens.

The government has launched a new campaign to help prevent the spread of coronavirus indoors over the winter months, urging people to continue washing their hands regularly for at least 20 seconds, covering their faces and observing social distancing measures to control infection rates and avoid a second wave.

The Hands. Face. Space campaign will run across print, radio, TV, out of home, social and digital display advertising, as well as on community media channels over the coming weeks, with a new video being released to help drive home the message, showing how coronavirus can spread indoors.

The film encourages people to follow simple steps to help reduce the risk of infection at a time when it’s expected that they will be spending more time at home and indoors during the colder months.

While coronavirus isn’t likely to survive for long on outdoor surfaces in sunlight, it can survive for over 24 hours in indoor environments, so hand-washing regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or making good use of hand sanitiser can reduce the risk of both catching and passing the virus on.

Wearing a face covering is also advised because the virus is carried in the air by respiratory droplets, which can land on surfaces or other people. They can also stay in the air indoors for at least five minutes, longer if there is no ventilation.

And social distancing is necessary because virus transmission is most likely to happen within two metres of an infected person. It won’t always be possible to maintain this exact distance but the campaign aims to encourage people to remain mindful of their surroundings.

Chief medical officer professor Chris Whitty said: “As we approach winter and inevitably spend more time indoors, we need the public to keep following this important advice to control the spread of the virus.

“Following these simple steps could make a significant difference in reducing the transmission of Covid-19 and help protect you and your friends, colleagues and family from the virus.”

Regular cleaning of office environments, as well as domestic properties, is certainly wise at the moment and, as winter approaches, you may want to increase your vigilance in this regard. 

Remember that surface contamination is one of the main ways that the virus can spread so implementing a robust cleaning regime is certainly wise, particularly in the office where people come and go all the time. Make sure that all desks, tables, telephones, keyboards and other office equipment are wiped down with disinfectant regularly throughout the day.

You may also want to put up posters reminding people of the importance of good hygiene now and in the future to help prevent the spread of the virus as winter approaches.

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