How to Create a Safe and Socially Distant Office

There’s no doubt that the coronavirus has taken a considerable toll on human health across the globe, but it’s fair to surmise that the world’s governments are increasingly focused on the socio-economic impact of the pandemic.

This is why countries throughout the world are reopening their economies and workplaces, despite the fact that some are still approaching a peak in terms of case numbers and fatalities.

With this in mind, there’s a growing onus on businesses and entrepreneurs to create safe and socially distant workplaces, which can minimise the risk of infection while simultaneously contributing to economic growth.

Here are some steps to help you achieve this objective in your office!

1. Understand the Concept of Office Occupancy

When the UK and other nations went into lockdown, companies were asked to ensure that their employers were equipped to work remotely wherever possible. 

However, key staff members (such as call centre workers) were often required to remain in the office, creating a scenario where some workplaces remained dangerously cluttered and a potential breeding ground for the virus.

This issue will only be compounded as other employees begin to return to the office, and with this in mind, it’s crucial that managers understand the concept of office occupancy in great detail. 

The reason for this is simple; as this refers to the ratio of office space used to the total amount of space available at any given time, and it can be calculated according to the size of your premises and precise number of people employed.

Calculating this enables you to establish an optimal level of office occupancy, while also factoring in the need to keep employees at least one metre apart (according to the latest social distancing guidelines). This is the first step to safeguarding your staff and minimising the impact of absenteeism during the coronavirus pandemic.

2. Make Hygiene a Key Watchword

Hygiene is always a key consideration in any office, but it has arguably never been more important than during the recent pandemic.

More specifically, the increased use of hand sanitiser throughout the day has played a key role in combating the spread of Covid-19, while studies have also shown that this won’t weaken your immune system in the longer-term.

It’s therefore wise to install numerous hand sanitisers throughout the office, particularly in strategic locations outside of toilets and any communal areas (which should also see restrictions in terms of usage). You should combine this with a clear desk policy that minimises clutter and incrementally reduces the risk of contamination.

If your office has been closed for a brief period and is preparing to reopen, you may also want to consider carrying out deep cleaning processes such as ‘fogging’. 

This involves hiring skilled and accredited contractors to deploy specialist products and cleaning agents, in a bid to clean large areas quickly and efficiently.

3. Organise Your Workspace and Drive Remote Working

From a practical perspective, it’s also important to organise your workspace and ensure that your office occupancy remains at the optimal level on a daily basis.

A simple way to achieve this is by continuing to empower remote working wherever possible, but in instances where you want to encourage individuals back into the workplace, you’ll need to be proactive when managing your available space and protecting individual employees.

To achieve this, you could install the iotsport ESD booking system to manage the flow of people in and out of your office. 

This requires employees to book desk space ahead of time, while the smart and intuitive nature of the system provides real-time office occupancy data and helps to prevent workers from arriving on-site without a confirmed booking.

This type of measure is crucial when enforcing social distancing rules on a daily basis, particularly as Covid-19 case numbers continue to fluctuate across the globe.