The latest government advice states that you should work from home if you can, and while working from home has helped slow down the spreading of COVID-19, there are some instances where you and your employees may need to return to the office. Before you do this though, your need to ensure that ensure the office space is in the best and safest condition to prevent the spreading of the virus. 

You should make arrangements and take all the necessary steps to make sure that social distancing measures are fully in place before returning to the office. If you want to ensure you are protecting your office from COVID-19 and to find out if your office meets the requirements set by the government to safely re-open your office, keep reading this post. 

Make good hygiene practices mandatory

You should be washing your hands thoroughly and frequently as per the guidance set out by the government. You need to have hand sanitiser stations set up throughout your office, as well as providing hand sanitiser for each employee to have on their desk. It may be worth looking into buying hand sanitiser in bulk from somewhere like Chemdistro.co.uk. 

Spray and wipe down surfaces regularly such as desks, tables, door handles, railings, and light switches. You will also need to wipe down telephones, keyboards, and mouses with disinfectant. Face masks inside an office environment isn’t mandatory currently, but you can still provide these to employees should they wish to wear one. You can look at the mask types from https://www.sciquip.co.uk/disposable-medical-face-masks.html.

Limit the number of people in the office

If you have many employees, you may want to consider introducing a work schedule as to when people are allowed into the office to try and limit the number of people inside at one time. Employees will need to alternate what days they can work from home or the office and this can be done by teams or if staff have meetings they need to attend, although it should be advised these are done via video calls. 

By introducing staggered shifts that allow employees to start and finish at different times, this will help staff from commuting on public transport at peak times. If desks were placed close together, you will need to move these apart to ensure that the 2-meter rule is in place. 

Place posters and signs around the office

When employees are back in an office environment, they may forget some of the COVID-19 measures that are in place. By placing the appropriate signs and posters around the office space, this will act as a reminder to employees to wash their hands often, keep 2-meters apart, and avoid sharing equipment and stationery. 

If you can you should introduce a one-way system for entrances and exits, stairwells, and corridors. Put arrow stickers on the floor to help people follow the rules. Consider a one in, one out system for toilets and communal areas like the kitchen. Remember to check the government website often for updates regarding COVID-19 as the outbreak is still ongoing and the guidance changes regularly.