Tips to make sure you’re keeping health and safety as top priorities when business re-opens
As states begin to lift stay-at-home orders, businesses and organizations are working to put more health and safety controls into place for reopening—for example, increasing cleaning and disinfection, installing more touch-free systems, and reviewing HR policies in terms of sick time and working from home.
Employees, too, should be prepared to play their part in the effort. Just because a company may re-open doesn’t mean everything can go “back to normal,” in the way it was pre-pandemic. Instead, here are some strategies to keep in mind during the transition:
Maintain Social Distancing: Being together with colleagues again will feel like a relief, but save the handshakes and hugs until public health experts give the green light. In the meantime, social distancing will still be important, and some companies may also require face masks. Even if it’s not policy, face mask use is advisable in situations where distancing is not possible, and/or if you’re caring for others at home who are in a high-risk group.
Re-Consider Travel and Meetings: As part of the social distancing focus, those jokes about “this meeting could have been an email” may feel a little more serious. Just as non-essential travel will likely be discouraged, so too should non-mandatory meetings. If a meeting is deemed necessary, consider the configuration of people in the room to maintain space, or even better would be to have a meeting outdoors if possible.
Stay Aware of Shared Spaces: In any building or facility, there are areas where people naturally come and go, such as elevators, kitchen areas, bathrooms, locker rooms, and meeting rooms. When you transition back, there should be procedures in place to maintain distance and cleanliness in these places in particular. Maybe that means additional disinfectant wipes, or more handwashing in addition to increased awareness.
Keep Up the Handwashing: At this point, everyone has been made aware of the importance of washing hands and refraining from touching their faces, and this will continue to be a focus when you head back to a shared environment. Remember these key rules:
- Use running water: Research has shown the temperature of the water doesn’t matter, although people tend to prefer warm water. But cold water works, too, if that’s your preference.
- Lather up: Wet hands first and then use soap and begin rubbing the hands together. No need to try and find antibacterial soap or some special blend, experts have noted any soap works. It’s the detergent-type action that helps germs slide off your hands and into the water.
- Put in the time: Research suggests only about 5% of people wash their hands for as long it takes to get truly clean. That time, 20 seconds, is about how long it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” twice, but you can also count or choose a catchier tune. The chorus of “Dancing Queen,” “Jailhouse Rock,” and “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” are all about 20 seconds, for example.
- Be thorough: Spots that people typically miss include the back of the hands up to wrists, the lower palms, between the fingers, and in the nail bed.
- Use a paper towel to dry: Experts note that rubbing hands with a paper towel can also remove some germs, so you may be getting rid of some that survived the hand washing process.
- Keep hands moisturized: Frequent washing can dry out your skin, which may lead to tiny cracks or nicks. Prevent this by making moisturizing part of your routine.
Stay Healthy: Right now, your immune system is your best defense, which means that as much as health and wellness has been a priority before, it’s now more important than ever. In addition to distancing and cleanliness, implement some of the tactics that research has shown works for boosting immunity:
- Stay hydrated
- Eat a healthy diet
- Limit alcohol
- Get more sleep
- Stay connected with others
- Take breaks
- Get outside every day
- Exercise consistently, and move more in general
- Stay home if you’re sick
After what seems like years apart at this point, it will definitely feel like a step forward to try and regain some normalcy. But that shouldn’t come at the expense of health and safety, for yourself and everyone around you. Staying aware and having more safeguards in place can go a long way toward being able to enjoy being back in shared spaces.