Workplace Social Distancing – How To

Firstly, what is social distancing? If you’re not already aware, social distancing has been implemented by the government to ensure we keep at least 2 metres away from others to reduce the spread of COVID-19. This is incredibly important in and out of the workplace to look after ourselves as well as others.

As coffee shops, clothing shops, restaurants and offices begin to open, it’s no surprise that we’re raring to go out and enjoy ourselves or return to work but how will we continue to social distance and what precautions can be taken?

Less Contact

Whilst social distancing implies you’ll have less contact, it’s not just about touching people. It’s also taking into consideration the paper we touch, the handles we open and communal areas we use.  To be even more cautious it’s beneficial to send more emails or make more calls than walking through the office to ask for support. In addition, leaving doors open where possible will also eliminate the need of touching handles and any cross contamination.

Social Distancing Dividers

Office partitions have been used as part of office design for years, but with COVID-19 making an appearance the requirement has change somewhat. Reducing the number of fabric screens, has led to an increasingly popular choice of acrylic freestanding and desktop divider.

The acrylic social distancing office partition are ideal when you’re dividing an area for an individual but wish to have visibility. A clear acrylic option enables full communication to commence as normal.

Staggered schedule

If you’ve been working from home, you’ll be excited of the return to the office to be reunited with work colleagues and friends. However, staggered shifts having been introduced to ensure all employees can work from the office but on set days and times to ensure numbers are limited.

So, you might be returning to work, but not with your usual team. Remember it’s to keep you safe and that’s all that matters.

Sanitisation

Keeping your workspace as clean as possible is something you can do as an individual. Using anti-bacterial wipes and hand sanitiser regularly is a clever idea. By doing so, you’ll have a thoroughly cleaned workstation before and at the end of every shift.

Whilst washing your hands is the most effective way to clean your hands, in between washing and were a tap might not be available – anti-bacterial gel is better than nothing.

These are just a few ways in which you can adapt the workplace and change the way you think. Some changes might be around us longer than we anticipate but additional precautions are available to ensure safety.