The ongoing pandemic of Covid 19 has shown us that we must never neglect hygienic standards. Not only that, but with the continual health hazards, hygiene requirements at a workplace should be even more upscaled in order to provide a healthy working environment for employers and employees. Depending on the industry and business, all workplaces should have clean and safe premises for their staff and guests and top up some of the standards of cleanliness due to the potential coronavirus contamination. Besides all of that, working environments can be a juicy area for loads of microbes, viruses, and bacteria to gather, so Covid or not Covid, every workplace should implement special health and safety measures to protect their workforce. Here are some of the vital things you could incorporate.

Target all germ hotspots effectively

Basic know-how from biology taught us that various microbes need the help of humans to move around. To combat those micro-organisms and nasty viruses you need to target the hotspots, that is, the most used or touched workplace surface areas. Clean and disinfect the railings, door handles, keyboards, and other equipment. The next most important thing is to use a special hand sanitizer before handling any common or shared equipment. Keep a pack of antimicrobial wipes nearby each work area and thoroughly clean all equipment after use.

Stress the importance of regular hand-washing and sanitizing

Besides regular disinfection of target spots, all staff should be informed how to meticulously hand wash and what adequate techniques they should use, and how often they should do this. Print out and hand out leaflets, hand posters outside restrooms, kitchens, and other common areas where is start hand-washing facilities. The transient microbes and other micro-organisms can be effectively removed by washing and drying. Hence, it’s important to get a quality hand dryer, sanitizer, soap, and have warm running water so all employees and visitors could perform the hand-washing and sanitizing activity immaculately.

Promote good standards of personal hygiene

Something that should never be left out is the importance of the good personal hygiene of each individual employee. This means that as their employer or supervisor, you should remind them of the importance of basic regular handwashing and the use of hand sanitizers at work. Especially due to the widespread of coronavirus, all staff should be reminded not to touch their faces, to cough or sneeze in their arm, and to always sanitize their hands before touching certain equipment. Another thing that all staff should be informed about is the regular personal endeavors related to personal hygiene. They should always clean up after themselves, wash their mugs and cups, not leave the toilet without washing their hands, etc.

Set up a mandatory clean-up schedule

If you are overburdened with work, you still need to keep good workplace hygiene your top priority. Cleaning should be seen as a shared responsibility that should be performed regularly. Consult your management or HR and construct a clear and mandatory cleaning schedule that would involve every personnel to follow the specific workplace hygiene. This indicates that they would have a list of responsibilities and duties around cleaning their working premises. People who learn to manage and organize their working environment often realize the vitality of keeping mutual workplace health in order. Making it a company policy can prevent potential disputes amongst those involved as to the fairness of the schedule. Everybody who carefully follows the cleaning rules and regulations of the cleaning schedule will certainly give their contribution to the general well-being of the entire workplace.

Inspect the communal areas

Even though most employees spend their working hours at their desks or designated working spots, they will need to take a break, go to the canteen for lunch or drink coffee. As most workers tend to take breaks in common areas in an office or workplace, it is advisable to keep all those places sharply clean. Besides hiring extra cleaning staff, advise your workers to maintain hygiene. They should put away their snacks and drinks after consuming them, don’t leave warm food or sugary snack in the open because they represent a fantastic breeding spot for germs and other bacteria. Clean sinks and other communal containers with detergent and cloth on a daily basis.

Separate eating zones

When a worker gets entangled in their job, very often they don’t go on a long break but rather stay at their desk and eat their lunch there. Food remnants are notorious for carrying germs and gathering bacteria, so a specific eating zone should be established and separated from the rest work. To keep the office area clean, advise people to eat in the canteen, go on the terrace, and take smoking breaks outside the premises. Clean and fresh air is equally vital for keeping good workplace hygiene.

Allow sick days

If your worker gets Covid 19, they would need to stay in isolation for a minimum of two weeks, so it’s only logical that you keep away any employees who have coronavirus symptoms at home and allow sick days to recover. Working from home has become a new trend, but when the job impedes you from working remotely, then when you get ill you should simply utilize your sick days. Never discourage sick time, because if one individual takes a day off sick, they would recuperate much faster and come back to work sooner. Plus, by taking sick days rather than sitting in the office sick, they don’t impose risk on other employees.

Perform hygienic evaluation

We are still coping with the ongoing virus and its vigorous consequences, and it will take months, if not years, to fully restore things to normal. Set up a special hygienic officer who would patrol the workplace and ensure all cleaning measures are taken care of. Have them evaluate the effectiveness of the entire hygienic program and advise them to perform a survey to make sure everything runs smoothly. Once you know everything is in its right order and all sanitary and hygienic measures are adequately implemented, you can rest assured that your workplace is safe and clean.

Covid 19 represents one of the biggest and most daunting health and safety challenges most employers have to deal with. Take clear precautions, apply the above-mentioned pieces of advice, establish a safe and clean working environment and you would have a safe-proof working ambient.