Keeping Your Building Safe from Covid-19

February 8, 2021 – by Tony Earnshaw

In the past year the outbreak of Covid-19 has drastically changed the way we live and work. Now, as vaccines emerge and we learn to live alongside the virus, businesses are considering the best ways to bring their staff back into the office safely.

But how can you make your building ‘Covid safe?’ Here are a few starting points.

Cleaning

In office environments where staff are generally working in close proximity of one another, the spread of Covid-19 may feel inevitable. But research shows that regularly cleansing and disinfecting surfaces can reduce the risk of transmission. It’s important to understand that cleansing and disinfecting are different things. Cleansing (with soap and water) should take place before disinfecting and is essentially a way to swiftly remove the majority of Covid-19 particles from a surface area. Disinfecting uses a chemical product such as bleach to kill any remaining particles.

Employing professional commercial cleaners to deal with communal areas is beneficial, as is encouraging staff to look after their own work stations and regularly use a hand sanitising agent, alongside regular hand washing.

Social distancing and ventilation

Offices have always been known as places where bugs notoriously spread often due to poor ventilation systems and cramped conditions. Now more than ever it is important to use ventilation and filtration systems that can remove harmful pathogens in the air. Opening windows will also increase the fresh air flow and allow any harmful particles to be released from the office.

Even with these measures in place, however, your real risk comes from allowing too many people into the workspace. Social distancing measures, such as a limiting the amount of people in the office at any given time, adjusting the layout and floor plan of the office and encouraging remote working and virtual meetings where possible, can help keep the numbers (and consequently the risk of exposure) down.