Ensuring places of work are hygenic and safe for staff
AS RESTRICTIONS continue to lift and more and more people return to work, the onus switches to ensuring those places of work are hygenic and safe for staff.
While there are fewer new cases of Covid-19 than at the pandemic’s peak there is still an all too real threat of a second surge, and one of the ways we can combat this is by creating work environments in which the risk of infection, and thus, the risk of spreading the virus, is minimised.
And this applies to all workplaces, whether its a factory, an office, or a retail space, whether the staff number in the hundreds, or there’s less than a handful of you there at any given moment.
In addition to providing hand sanitiser, masks and other PPE to your staff members, businesses can also ‘deep clean’ their premises, eradicating any lingering germs and creating a sterilised environment for workers.
Cleaning of all work areas must be conducted at regular intervals using disinfectants to kill germs and stop the spread of disease and in a visible manner to instil staff and visitor confidence
Yet, even this isn’t enough. Temperatures should be checked on a daily basis and anyone feeling unwell should be sent home for the day until they have recovered.
Members of staff should be provided with information on how to spot the signs and symptoms of Covid-19, on cleaning routines and hygiene controls, and how to dispose of rubbish, including tissues.
Appropriate signage should be erected on the premises to remind staff of the HSE recommendations regarding the suppression of the virus and social distancing should be practised where possible.
Barriers should be placed between members of staff and, in particular, between staff and those visiting the workplace. Shift patterns should be altered so that workspaces don’t become overcrowded and a record of everyone who enters and exit the premises should be kept by a chosen member of staff.
Furthermore, a co-ordinator should be appointed to communicate strategy and plans designed to quell the threat of the virus and provide up-to-date reliable information to employees.