With people returning from remote work, safety precautions are paramount. While working in-facility comes with a lot of perks, we can’t count safety from virus spread among them. Therefore, taking the necessary steps to keep employees safe should be every company’s first priority. To prevent the spread of COVID-19, Varsity Tents is here to assist with providing barriers. However, we also have a lot of knowledge on antiviral safety, due to our continued work with the public. Here are the 5 safety precautions for returning to work after COVID-19 that we want to share with you.
1. Continue Washing Your Hands
After two years of COVID-19, many people have gone lax on washing their hands. In the first months, we were all scared of the unknown. We washed our hands while out of the house, when we came back to the house, and throughout the day as well. However, as months have turned into years, many have become less concerned with hand washing.
Ensure employees are washing their hands at least every 30 minutes if they’re working with customers. This measure can prevent transfer of COVID-19 through touching one’s face.
2. Enforce Mask-Wearing from Staff and Clients
Mask mandates are frequently ignored and, in some places, are optional for those who have been vaccinated. For optimal safety, enforce mask-wearing from staff and clients regardless of vaccination status. No one is harmed by wearing a mask, so they can only help. Plus, it’s not uncommon for anti-mask customers and clients to claim vaccinated status just to get out of wearing a mask.
3. Prevent Spreading Through Air
One of the best ways to prevent the spread of an airborne virus like COVID-19 is to keep the air flowing. Keep open windows when the weather isn’t too extreme. This will allow fresh air to blow through and replace any air that might contain the virus.
If the weather doesn’t permit, or your place of work has no large windows, the best way to prevent the spread is with barriers. Using tents to isolate static work spaces is one of the best preventative measures you can use. Any job that’s done from one spot can be isolated with a tent, containing any infected air breathed out by a worker.
4. Wipe Down Surfaces
While it’s been discovered that COVID-19 is spread more through aerosolized breath, it isn’t impossible for it to spread through touch. Continue to wipe down any surfaces that are frequently touched with 70% isopropyl alcohol. This includes buttons on card readers, pens, keyboards, desks, counters, and more.
5. Stay Vigilant About Symptoms, Testing, and Vaccination
If your place of work is crowded or has less than ideal quarters for putting up barriers, stay vigilant. In a space like this, every employee should be vaccinated before returning to work. If an employee is delayed in getting vaccinated or is medically unable to, they should be regularly tested to ensure they’re not infected. If even one employee gets infected, they put everyone else in the workplace at risk. By the time symptoms start appearing, the entire workforce could be infected. When returning to work after COVID-19, if you notice any symptoms in an employee, send them home until they can be tested. Even if they don’t have COVID-19, you’re better safe than sorry.