What Should You Do Before Your Office Reopens?

10/15/2020 (Permalink)

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed what 'clean' means - How will your office adjust?

When the Coronavirus pandemic began this past March, many offices in Connecticut and across the country closed down and shifted to remote operations to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Before offices can safely reopen, they must plan operations around preventing the spread of COVID-19 as employees return. Here, we will review what you should do to keep your office open, safe, and healthy according to CDC guidelines.

Know The Difference Between Cleaning, Sanitizing & Disinfecting

These terms have been used interchangeably throughout the pandemic, causing some confusion in cleaning protocols. To properly prevent the spread of COVID-19 in your office, you should know the difference between the three. 

• Cleaning removes germs, dirt, dust, and impurities from surfaces or objects.

• Sanitizing lowers the number of germs on surfaces or objects to a safe level, as judged by public health standards or requirements according to the EPA. A surface must be cleaned before it is sanitized, and sanitizing does not impact viruses.

• Disinfecting kills germs on surfaces or objects. Like sanitizing, disinfecting is not completely effective without cleaning the surface or object first. 

Maintain Healthy Office Environments

1 | Plan to perform routine cleaning & disinfection of high-touch surfaces such as doorknobs, keyboards, sink handles, light switches, desks, countertops, and more,. Create a schedule with your janitorial staff or contact a disinfecting company to ensure your office is properly disinfected on a continual basis.

2 | Use hospital grade disinfectants that meet the EPA disinfection criteria and are appropriate for the type of surface. There is a difference in disinfecting porous vs. non porous surfaces.

3 | Think about your office ventilation system. According to the CDC, business owners should do all they can to increase circulation of outdoor air inside. Some businesses have invested in special Hepa filters for their HVAC system to help prevent airborne microbes from circulating in the air. 

4 | Change the layout of the office. Make sure it is in compliance with social distancing guidelines. Position cubicles or desks 6 feet apart and install physical barriers where social distancing is not as easy. 

5 | Have a plan in case an employee tests positive for COVID-19 or has been in close contact with someone else who has. 

Promote Behaviors To Stop The Spread

On top of cleaning and disinfecting your office on a continual basis, you should promote a culture in the office that helps reduce the spread of COVID-19. You want to make sure all employees are on the same page to help them feel secure returning to in-person operations during a pandemic.

• Promote hand hygiene. Require that employees frequently wash their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. The best way to ensure this would be to create a schedule to wash hands after a certain time period.

• Enforce mask wearing. Encourage office staff to wear masks as they move around the office or in communal areas. 

• Ensure adequate cleaning supplies. Position hand sanitizer in high touchpoint areas to encourage using it, or give a bottle to every employee to keep at their desks. Be sure to be stocked with hand soap and disinfectant wipes. 

• Post signs and messages promoting behaviors to stop the spread. If you have requirements for mask wearing, hand washing, or how to navigate through the office, clearly post them. 

• Make it clear when employees should stay home. Encourage employees that are sick or have had close contact with someone with COVID-19 to stay home, and create policies around when employees are able to return. 
• Promote no-contact operations. If you have an office where clients used to visit, try to shift to no-contact operations with those outside of your office. Promote zoom or conference call meetings with clients, and discourage those who do not work in the office from coming inside. 

• Allow employees to work from home. Even though your office may be open, it’s still best to still limit the amount of people working from it at one time. If employees are uncomfortable returning to the office, allow them to continue working remotely. For larger offices, it is a good idea to create a remote vs. in-office schedule with your employees to limit the amount of people in the office at once. 

Following proper CDC and local guidelines throughout the pandemic is essential to keep offices safe, healthy, and open. 

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