For months now, the CDC has recommended taking a layered approach to preventing the spread of the virus within office buildings, schools and other indoor spaces.
So, the question remains: As a business owner, are you ready to take on the responsibility? Below are several ways to help keep your employees and customers safe as we continue to grapple with this global pandemic.
- Using your state’s guidelines and local public health mandates, enforce mask-wearing in public areas of your business, especially where social distancing is not possible. While no safety measure is foolproof, masks are still considered one of the first defenses against the virus, particularly when combined with other strategies. If possible, provide branded masks to employees to show solidarity and reinforce this commitment to supporting staff safety.
- Though the virus is now known to spread more easily through the air than on surfaces, encourage your employees to wash their hands frequently and keep their work areas clean. Though COVID-19 has shown to primarily be transmitted through the air, you can continue to maintain deep cleaning and disinfecting of high-touch surfaces within your building, which can also help protect against other common ailments, such as the flu. However, implementing these procedures, not as “hygiene theater,” but rather as a targeted practice aimed to diminish health risks, is a transparent way to protect your team members and facility visitors.
- Look into the ventilation upgrades using ultraviolet-c (UVC) germicidal irradiation emitters or HEPA filtration systems. Scientists are finding the virus is more easily transmissible in public indoor spaces with poor ventilation. In the long run, enhancing your indoor air quality can save you on cleaning costs and decrease absenteeism by keeping your employees safe from many airborne viruses for years to come.
As we inch closer to a new year and our efforts against the pandemic continue to pay off, every business owner and facility administrator should consider how they can help reduce the spread of this virus and keep their building occupants safe and healthy with ventilation upgrades.
