As things slowly return to normal, employers, office building managers, and warehouse supervisors are trying to decide how to safely open their office after COVID. Social distancing requirements and hygiene facilitation will now be expected everywhere, so it is important that you devise a plan for how to safely reopen your office after COVID.
The CDC has issued an up-to-date list of Employer Information for Office Buildings. It is important that facility managers hire a BSC that can fulfill all of the new requirements needed to address the pandemic and that keeps their janitorial team members educated on the latest rules and regulations.
Below we will discuss how to safely reopen your office after COVID.
Schedule a walk-through of your office when considering how to safely reopen your office after COVID
Before reopening your office to employees, you need to make sure that it is prepared after an extended time being closed. You should get together with your janitorial team and schedule a walk-through that can identify problems and help with the creation of a health and safety plan.
Citywide Facility Solutions will conduct a hazard assessment of your facility to help identify potential risks.
Hiring experience like you get with Citywide Facility Solutions will help when you consider how to safely reopen your office after COVID and prevent having to close it again. Taking the necessary steps for your office now will protect your employees and their productivity, saving you money in the long term.
Everyone with a vested interest in the safe reopening of your office should be involved in the evaluation process. Common areas where social distancing is difficult should be identified and addressed. Here are a few things you can do to neutralize potential hazard areas:
- Modify work and meeting areas
- Remove and rearrange chairs in reception
- Post signs and information regarding social distancing
- Schedule regular disinfecting of high-traffic areas
- Engineer a plan for an infection or an outbreak in your office
Inform employees and supervisors of new COVID protocols
Part of the health and safety plan that you create with the help of your janitorial team should include education for supervisors and employees. They need to know what to do in the instance they are potentially exposed to COVID-19, if they begin to exhibit symptoms at work, and if they return a positive COVID-19 test.
How to safely reopen your office after COVID if an employee has been exposed to COVID-19: They need to inform their supervisor immediately and stay home from work until they are cleared to return by their doctor.
If an employee exhibits COVID-19 symptoms while at the office: They need to leave the facility immediately and report to a supervisor so that contact tracing can be accurately performed. A BSC like Citywide Facility Solutions will have an emergency plan in place for instances such as this. They will begin to address the potentially infected areas of your facility immediately with disinfectant. Employees who came into contact with the infected person should be notified so that they can get tested.
If an employee returns a positive test: Then they should contact their supervisor immediately and stay home from work. The same procedures need to be conducted as if they exhibited symptoms at work.
During this time of uncertainty, it is essential to hire a BSC who knows how to safely reopen your office after COVID and is prepared to address the increased cleaning demand of your office. One that is prepared to contain potential infections in your building.
Citywide Facility Solutions has an office near you. Contact them today to schedule your office walk-through and prepare your facility for reopening after COVID: (416) 488-8090.
