Workplaces in the UK are all legally required to maintain health and safety procedures and have been for many decades. Still, now more than ever, in the middle of the Covid 19 pandemic it means that we are all, workers and employers alike, responsible for keeping each other safe at work.
Employers throughout the UK are working hard to keep up with the latest developments in safety equipment to keep their employees, clients, and visitors as safe as possible whilst on and around company premises.
Right from the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, government advice has centered around the main tenets of social distancing and hand cleansing as the best way to avoid transference of the virus.
Read on for the WorXmart guide to the best products for keeping your workplace safe in these dangerous times and beyond.
Hand Sanitising Products
Automatic hand sanitiser dispensers are ideal in larger workplaces where there are many people and should be placed in easily accessible areas such as inside doorways and near toilet blocks. These can be wall or desk mounted and easy-open to allow refills. Smart motion sensors mean no-one has to touch the dispenser when sanitising. Manual dispensers are another option. Choose either liquid, gel or foam sanitisers whichever is your personal preference; all are equally effective.
For a fast-acting sanitiser, a liquid sanitiser which contains 80% alcohol to combat bacteria and viruses like Covid-19 is recommended.
Products to Aid Social Distancing
The best way to avoid transmission of the virus is to utilise appropriate barrier products, the most basic of which is a disposable face mask. Where there is high footfall; for instance, many visitors to your premises, a disposable face mask dispenser is invaluable. For double protection, use a protective face shield as well to protect against coughs and sneezes. Personalise these with the name of the person using it to avoid cross-contamination.
Desk screens made from antimicrobial felt can protect individual work areas and can be folded and stored away when not in use. For larger areas where separation is needed a mobile screen with interlocking easy-clean plastic strips will provide the required protection wherever needed. Outside spaces can benefit from a wall-mounted walkway screen to keep personnel protected from the weather and each other as these can be utilized to direct them in safety where you need them to walk.
To avoid people coming into close contact with one another and potentially transmitting the virus, the government recommends that one-way systems are used wherever possible, and floor markers that indicate travel direction should be used. Social distancing markers should be placed on floors, doors, or walls to remind employees and visitors of the 2-meter distance requirement.
Where there is a need to sit, such as waiting rooms or classrooms, use highly visible seat markers on chairs to indicate where people should and should not sit, to help prevent the transmission of bacteria or viruses.
PPE
For hazardous areas where the wearing of a hard hat is required, a combination hard hat or face shield offers multi-layer protection. Children’s protective face shields are available for use in the classroom or outdoors. Protective equipment can help when social distancing measures are more difficult to follow, making sure staff and customers alike are protected.
Room Foggers
Where there are large numbers of people moving around your premises whether staff, clients or visitors, it can be challenging to ensure a complete bacteria and virus-free environment. If there is doubt about safety, a room fogger will dispense a potent disinfectant to cleanse and sanitize surfaces and the air within a room leaving it ready and safe for use.
