Return To Work Safely

by Molly McQuade
Return To Work Safely

2020 has been a strange year so far. Coronavirus has taken over every part of normal life for people across the world. It has led to businesses closing, both temporarily and permanently, leaving hundreds of thousands of people jobless. It has prevented holidaymakers from travelling abroad and most tragically it has cost millions of people their lives.

As some COVID-19 guidelines are starting to relax to in the UK, many people can return to work after being furloughed. Here at Coffee Seller, some members of staff are slowly returning to work in the office to help get the business back to 'normal'. As thousands of other businesses are reopening, it is important that health and safety guidelines are put in place to ensure all members of staff and visitors are protected from the virus as much as possible.

There are many ways to reduce the risk of spreading the virus in the workplace, so we have put together a simple guide to break down some ideas of how your staff can return to work safely.

Regularly Wash Hands

  • Everyone must regularly wash their hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm water to stay safe at work.
  •  All toilets must have soap available for staff and visitors to use.
  • Provide hand sanitiser; you could give a bottle to each member of staff, and install hand sanitisers and hand wash stations in the entrance and exit points. Anyone entering and leaving the building should be encouraged to clean their hands to ensure everyone is safe in the workplace.
  • You should wash your hands after going to the toilet, before and after eating - this should be done anyway, but reiterate to your employees to ensure they are safe at work.
  • At Coffee Seller, we have two hand wash stations available which suit all types of businesses. You can purchase them outright or lease when ordering in bulk for larger workplaces so your staff are returning to a safe workplace.

Purchase outright price:

You will decrease contact with the pedal-operation. You have the option to set this free-standing or fixed to the floor. It includes a low dosage 5 litre bottle of WHO approved 80% alcohol liquid-based sanitiser which reduces spillage and waste as 2 ml is dispensed each time. The slimline design makes it super versatile for all businesses no matter the size. Keeping the uCleanse Hands-Free Sanitiser clean is super easy, as the stainless steel exterior can be quickly wiped down to increase hygiene, and the sanitiser bottles can be replaced easily.

AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE OUTRIGHT OR LEASE IN BULK.

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Social Distance

  • The government's advice is to keep a distance of 2 metres where possible to reduce the spread of infection. When you are back in work you should avoid visiting your coworkers' desks and instead send emails or call them directly if you need to contact them. 
  • Implementing these social distancing measures may involve rearranging desks and work spaces or installing separators between desks to ensure contact is reduced to a minimum.  

Improve Filtration and Ventilation

  • Scientists have found that COVID-19 can be spread through the air, which means the droplets can be breathed in. In small offices air is circulated quickly through the room and in a bigger area, it takes longer so the droplets will have reduced when they reach the next person. To prevent the risk of spreading the virus you could keep the windows or doors open.
  • You could also install air purifiers to clean the air as it travels around the room to keep your staff safe at work. 
  • You should make sure to turn fans off. This is because fans work by circulating air around a space, so if you switch them off the virus is less likely to travel from person to person in big droplets. 
  • Wearing a mask blocks the droplets in the air from entering your respiratory system through the nose and mouth, which reduces the risk of spreading. Face masks should be encouraged for visitors to wear and even your employees. They can become quite uncomfortable to wear for long periods of times, but wearing them in more enclosed spaces will help reduce the spread. There are many types of face masks you can make or purchase; here is a short guide on how different kinds will protect you. 
  •  There are many types of face masks you can make or purchase; here is a short guide on how different kinds will protect you. 

Reduce People In Workplace

  • If it is not possible to rearrange the workplace to distance employees, you should reduce the number of people in at one time. Limiting this will reduce how many people are mixing at one time and therefore decrease the risk of spreading Coronavirus.   
  • If possible, setting up employees to work from home is strongly advised, so fewer people are entering the workplace at all. A lot of businesses have already done this throughout lockdown and it could become the new norm for a lot of people. 
Notices in Coffee Seller's office about COVID rules

Here are some notices we have across the workplace in Coffee Sellers office to ensure members of staff and any visitors are aware of the guidelines set up due to COVID-19.

We hope this guide was useful and it has helped you when reopening your business. You can visit the GOV.UK website for all the information and answers to all of your questions about returning to work safely and creating a safe environment for your staff and visitors. 

If you are interested in any of our hand wash stations, you can fill in our contact form here or call us on 0800 035 5584 to speak to one of our expert reps!