A Safe Return to Work: How to set up a healthy workplace

Even once the pandemic subsides, the behavioural habits we’ve formed in response to isolation and physical distancing has set a new precedent for the way in which we practice health and hygiene in the workplace. 

With a hyper-awareness of the safety of any given physical environment, there’s increased pressure for corporate offices to implement the necessary health and hygiene equipment to reassure staff that their health is being prioritised.  

But how do we set up this new healthy working environment that staff feel comfortable in? 

Entry Screening 

An effective entry screening process can help stop infectious diseases from spreading throughout your workplace. Installing hand sanitising stations at the entry of your office or a sanitising mat helps kill germs before they enter your office. 

Desktop Partitions and Acrylic Screens 

Physical distancing has become the new normal. We’re now much more comfortable keeping a healthy distance between people so it’s unlikely that even after the pandemic social distancing will disappear.  

To accommodate for your staff’s changing preferences and to ensure that they can comfortably work in the office, you’ll need to install desktop partitions and acrylic screens. By providing a physical barrier, these desktop partitions are a necessary infection control aid to help build a healthy workplace.  

Private Cubicles 

For those employees that found self-isolation a little too comfortable, installing cost-effective and compact private cubicles will ensure staff can maintain their own personal space and continue working at their desk uninterrupted. 

Private units like the ISO Study Carrel are the perfect solution for open plan office spaces that need to accommodate for physical distancing without compromising on floor space. Since these units work best together, you can continue to keep the aesthetic and environment of long shared desks, but with the additional privacy. 

Improved personal hygiene precautions 

With increased germ paranoia, it’s important for staff to know that personal protective equipment is available to them if they need.  

Ensuring equipment like hand sanitising stations are readily available and easily accessible on staff desks, common areas and entryways can help give staff piece of mind that they can safely maintain their own personal hygiene. Plus, the accessibility of these stations throughout the office will give you piece of mind that your colleagues are also practicing good hygiene. 

Organise regular cleaning 

If you aren’t investing in furniture that self-cleans (i.e. the aforementioned antimicrobial products) then you need to step up your cleaning regime even further. It is recommended that at the end of each day, common touch surfaces or shared spaces like light switches, desk tops, staff kitchen, computers keyboards, etc. should be disinfected. If you haven’t already, you should schedule commercial cleaning at least once a week. 

Sticking to a regular cleaning schedule can help prevent harmful germs from building up so you can  provide your staff with a clean and safe environment to work in. 

Invest in antimicrobial office furniture and accessories

Antimicrobials have become a popular choice in the new workplace, and for good reason. Antimicrobials are agents that kill or stop the growth of microorganisms including bacteria, viruses, or fungus on contact. When this is formulated into the surface of common-use products, that surface becomes much safer and cleaner to use. You can learn more about antimicrobials here! 

Sylex Ergonomics stock a range of office furniture and equipment that feature this antimicrobial additive to help maintain a clean working environment. Some of our most popular office chairs, like the Giro and Wrangler office chairs are now available with antimicrobial fabric. Plus, the new Oblique furniture desk range are now available with antimicrobial tops.  

Investing in antimicrobial products gives staff the peace of mind that the furniture they use frequently is safer and cleaner to use. For more antimicrobial products, like antimicrobial keyboards, pens, and mousepads, visit New Workplace. 

Setting up a healthy workplace is more than just infection control. The physical environment has a direct correlation on an individual’s perceived safety. The more same is true in an appropriately set up workplace    designed to combat the paranoia lingering from the pandemic.