Across Europe, lockdown measures are being lifted cautiously and restrictions are being eased in phases. However, it is still necessary to maintain good hygiene and social distancing rules to prevent the pandemic from flaring up again – at least until a vaccine is found.
The resumption of operations poses major challenges for companies across all sectors, be it retail or wholesale, tourism, production facilities or catering. After all, there are a number of things that need to be taken into consideration in order to comply with the regulations correctly. If the virus spread among the workforce, it could have devastating economic impact on the company.
What are the rules companies have to pay attention to now and which tools help them implementing the hygiene and social distancing rules?
Cleaning and Sanitization of Surfaces
Studies indicate that the virus may remain on surfaces for several days. For this reason, special attention must be paid to the regular cleaning of tables, counters or panels in companies.
First of all, one should be aware of the difference between cleaning and sanitizing. Cleaning mainly removes impurities and kills germs to a small degree. This can reduce the risk of infection. However, to reduce the overall number of germs, it is necessary to sanitize or even disinfect. According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), regular cleaning is sufficient outside of healthcare facilities. Nevertheless, if disinfection is carried out, it should be carried out as wipe disinfection. The RKI issued recommendations for the selection of a suitable and approved disinfectant.Personal protective equipment worn during cleaning and sanitizing must be disposed of afterwards. Companies should define frequent points of contact and clean them regularly. These include handles, switches and surfaces, but also electronics such as telephones, keyboards and cash registers. Cleaning and sanitizing agents are available for the latter. Handles and taps can be replaced by contactless versions to reduce the risk of infection. Disinfection lights are also available, which allow germs to be killed without the use of chemicals.
The establishment of a cleaning schedule helps to ensure regular cleaning. Additional overview is provided by stickers on which the last cleaning can be noted. The employer should also ensure that the appropriate products are available in sufficient quantities.
Personal protection
To ensure the individual protection of employees, personal protective equipment (PPE) is important during work, depending on the activity and region. PPE includes masks and gloves, for example. These minimize the risk of infection both among employees and in contact between employee and customer. In any case, PPE must be available in sufficient quantity. It may only be worn once and must be disposed of afterwards.In addition, adequate hand hygiene should be ensured. The employer can facilitate this by providing soap and sanitizer. In order to make the new rules a habit, signs can be put up to show that hands should be washed correctly and simultaneously remind people to do so. In some regions, a protective mask must be worn in companies and shops. Signs can also make it easier to comply with these regulations.
Social Distancing
Wherever possible, a distance of 1 to 2 metres should be kept between each other. To minimize personal contact, meetings that do not urgently need to be held in person should be held by telephone or online. Moreover, it may be necessary to divide up the workforce by means of a personnel plan so that companies are not fully staffed and it is easier to comply with the social distancing rules. In addition, break times should be staggered, especially if a canteen has re-opened, as the risk of infection is particularly high when eating and drinking.
Compliance with the social distancing rules can be made easier by applying floor markings or barriers, in order to prevent the virus from spreading when personal customer contact takes place. For example, a security line should be drawn in front of counters and cash registers. Markings glued to the floor can also be used to guide customers specifically through a store or to guide employees through production or warehouses by providing directions. These should be designed as one-way routes and should be marked with a directional sign. In addition, stickers on the floor can be used to indicate where customers can wait in a queue to ensure sufficient distance.In addition, spitting protection can protect employees who have personal contact with customers, as it can catch the finest droplets.
In any case, the long-term and correct implementation of hygiene and social distancing rules in companies requires a major change. Employees and management should be in close contact at all times in order to ensure the safety of the workforce and customers.
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