Health and Safety measures in Workspaces Post COVID-19 Pandemic
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April 04, 2022
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It's been two years since the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic turned the world upside down. It was all unexpected, unfortunate, and unprecedented. It impacted the health of millions, it took the lives of thousands, it baffled the lifestyle of every individual across the world. Shutters and gates of commercial spaces had to remain closed for a long period. Some businesses had to call it quits. The ones that stayed rooted even after trembled market conditions and muddled recession are now gradually getting back on track as the spread of COVID-19 and its variants have slowed down. However, the threat has not ended yet.
China, the US, Russia, Mexico, Brazil, the UK, Peru, India, Colombia, Argentina, Spain, Germany, France, Iran are still fighting through the pandemic. Whereas, China is the worst-hit country currently, India accounts for the second-highest caseload at 43,020,723.
As most people in India are now completely vaccinated, the offices countrywide have started to reopen since the beginning of 2022. Companies across sectors that had switched to work from home throughout 2020 and 2021 are now ready to welcome their employees back to the workplace. With the easing of restrictions, workplaces need to be prepared for the return of 100% employees while the menace of COVID-19 with its variants like Omicron and Delta is still dangling over every country.
The perks of returning to offices and sites are new connections, collaborations, opportunities to travel, and a life far away from the dull and depressing lockdown. But everything comes with a price.
No matter where your employees work – be it in a warehouse, a building site, or an office – Keeping everyone's health safe while people are connecting face-to-face should be the major accountability of every organization.
It's the new normal and there's no room for mistakes. One wrong step and everything collapses.
This pandemic provided a stark reminder of the tremendous value of health and fitness. It taught us, whether you are a business tycoon or unemployed, viruses don't discriminate – regardless of gender, age, financial conditions - everyone suffers the equivalent harrowing consequences when it comes to Global calamity.
COVID-19 has taught us to rethink health and safety, especially in the workplace, on a wider level.
No matter where you work – be it in a big corporate building, a warehouse, or a small office – the physical work environment looks considerably unalike what we left behind before the pandemic.
While masking requirement stays the same across many offices, here are some essential and effective tips for healthy ergonomic workspace.
(I) Vaccination is a must before getting back to work
As the four walls of home and office differ, the safety measures differ too. During the period of working from home, employees had a much lesser threat of being infected than they have after returning to office space due to day-to-day traveling and physical interaction with various people. As the invention of vaccines has allowed us to safely resume routine work, it doesn't ensure 100% protection. The foremost way to make workplaces safe from COVID-19 transmission is to get only those employees on board who are completely vaccinated. Vaccinated people are much less likely to get infected, and even if they get infected, they are less likely to become symptomatic.
(II) Practice social distancing
The WHO recommends keeping at least six feet distance from each other to hinder the spread of infection. Wear a mask or face shield at the workstation.
(III) Avoid touching common areas
No matter the sector, all the people working in commercial settings should avoid touching common areas like doorknobs or lifting buttons with bare hands. Use a touchless key or tissue and throw it immediately in a dustbin. People should disinfect hands with alcoholic sanitizer. Do not touch furniture and stationery over and again. Keep sanitizer and cleaning supplies on your work desk. And avoid touching railings and other potential contaminated surfaces. Moreover, more than four people shouldn’t be allowed in a single elevator. Use a staircase instead of a lift which is the best option for health and fitness as well.
(IV) Sharing is not always caring
Maintaining basic hygiene is a must for the safety of yourself, colleagues and visitors. Hence you need to wash your hands with soap and water/sanitizer throughout the day and have your meals at a distance from others. Avoid using shared cutlery and if you have to, first wash it thoroughly.
(V) Evade physical contact so far as possible
Even though a handshake is a great gesture of professionalism in every industry worldwide, it is rather a wise decision to evade handshaking. Needless to say, our traditional 'Namaste' has become a popular and safe gesture of greeting after the COVID-19 pandemic. Let's stick with this beautiful method of welcoming for everyone's safety!
(VI) It's the digital era. Let's utilize it precisely.
Client meetings and even internal meetings should be conducted via video conferencing as and when needed. Not interacting physically doesn't make much of a difference when we have advanced technologies such as the Internet, Wi-Fi, and today's amazing video-communication services at the tips of our hands. If it's vital to conduct a physical meeting/event, allocate dispensers of alcohol-based hand rub prominently around the meeting room/venue. Arrange seats such that meeting participants are at least one meter apart from each other.
Besides above-mentioned safety measures, the biggest measure that we can take against COVID-19 is to strengthen our immune system as much as possible and get our health checked at regular intervals.