Following the introduction of the COVID-19 vaccine, 2021 is already seeing a gradual return to the workplace. In the wake of previous lockdowns, the UK Government launched a five-step programme to encourage this return to work, which included: staying home where applicable, carrying out risk assessments, promoting social distancing, reducing transmission where social distancing is not possible and finally, reinforcing cleaning processes.
Although published in 2020, this programme is also applicable during the release of the current restrictions. It encourages businesses to evaluate their health and safety practices and clean more thoroughly and frequently.
To supplement these guidelines, employers should consider their obligation under the government Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations, where they have a legal duty to ensure that the workplace is kept clean for staff, including reducing exposure to hazardous substances. Despite these guidelines and regulations, there is still confusion as to what is regarded as ‘clean’ and the steps that should be taken to help achieve a virus-free workplace.
Enter professional cleaning companies like Regimental Cleaning Services, which can evaluate the cleaning services a business requires and will carry out any subsequent cleaning and disinfecting. Whilst nothing can compete with the thorough clean offered by Regimental Cleaning Services, the most important things to consider as employees return to the work environment include:
Step one: Stay at home
One of the main methods of transmission for COVID-19 is from person-to-person contact, where contact constitutes breathing in droplets coughed or sneezed by another person. If employees are out of work, they have less chance of catching the virus from others or spreading it themselves. Furthermore, essential staff that are required to be on-site will be more protected if numbers are kept to a minimum. However, if people cannot work at home, it is time to look at undertaking a risk assessment.
Step two: Undertake a risk assessment
Establishing a risk assessment is step two of the aforementioned five-step program, which should be done in conjunction with staff and volunteers in order to amalgamate the needs of everyone in the workplace. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) sets out four recommendations to consider when developing the assessment:
Identify the situations in the workplace that will permit the transmission of COVID-19
Decide which members of your workforce are most at risk
Determine the likelihood that someone could be exposed while at work
How the risk can be removed or controlled
Creating and maintaining a COVID-19 risk assessment will help a business manage the spread of the virus and help employees to understand the precautions being undertaken that keep both themselves and consumers safe. This assessment must be written down if the business has more than five employees, but HSE recommends businesses of all sizes do it. Putting the main points extracted from the assessment in a public setting, such as on a website, will help ensure transparency with consumers.
Step three and four: social distancing and reducing transmission
An integral part of the risk assessment involves re-designing the workplace to allow for social distancing – that is, people need to be always at least two metres apart, in accordance with current government guidelines. To ensure this is the case, it may be necessary to stagger employee start times, create one-way walk-throughs or change seating layouts. If maintaining this two-metre distance is not possible, consider shift patterns that reduce the number of people working at any one time, or making sure that people are sitting facing away from each other. In addition, increase the number of hand sanitising stations available and open windows for ventilation.
Step five: Reinforcing cleaning practices
The best risk assessment still needs to be augmented with actual cleaning and disinfecting, which can be a daunting and overwhelming task. The good news is the assessment provides a foundation of where to start. Within it should be areas that are highly trafficked and surfaces that are touched most often (such as desks, doors, computers, kitchen appliances and incoming or outgoing mail).
Cleaning can be more effective if these areas are kept clear and free of clutter – make sure to communicate this to employees so everyone can work towards a safer environment. Create a schedule of what needs to be cleaned and when, remembering that whilst planning may identify places not normally cleaned as a top priority, some areas unoccupied for seven or more days may just need a regular, routine clean.
Time to implement the cleaning schedule. Cleaning crews should wear disposable gloves, gowns and masks, which can be thrown away safely afterwards. First, it is vital to reduce the viral load on surfaces by cleaning the area with soap and water. This will increase the effectiveness of the subsequent disinfectant.
Cleaning should always progress from the cleanest to dirtiest parts of the area, to avoid spreading dirt to areas that are less soiled. Follow this general cleaning with an appropriate disinfectant; remember, cleaning is about removing contaminants whereas disinfecting is about killing pathogens. In a non-health care setting the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends using one part sodium hypochlorite (bleach) to 49 parts water, or 70-90% strength alcohol, as a disinfectant. Make sure to always follow the instructions on the label! It is necessary to disinfect frequently touched surfaces at least daily.
To top it off, do not save all the cleaning until after hours and make sure to get seen while you clean. This may not increase the actual cleanliness of the business, but it will increase staff and consumer confidence.