Many business operations have stayed open with various health and safety measures during the COVID-19 pandemic, while others have had employees working from home since March 2020. As a business owner or manager, the safety of your staff and clients is a top priority, but so is getting back to business. Planning to return back to the office? Make the transition easier by following these three steps.
Step 1: Make a Place Plan
It’s no secret life looks different than it did a year ago. From plexiglass barriers to face masks to hand sanitizer everywhere, there are physical changes that will likely need to be made to your space. Additionally, depending on when the business moved to a work-from-home model, how much of the workforce remained at the building, and what kind of internal maintenance schedule was kept, there may be a lot to do.
Inspect the Interior
It’s a good idea to start with a thorough walk-through of the building, especially if it has been largely unoccupied and without its regular maintenance crew. Keep an eye out for areas that may have developed mold and surfaces that may have been damaged by weather or other factors. It’s also a good idea to fire up the HVAC system to make sure it functions properly and doesn’t have any musty odors which is often a sign of mold. HVAC systems can be cleaned to help improve the indoor air quality of the building.
Review Current Guidelines
The knowledge surrounding COVID-19 has changed a lot since the beginning of the pandemic. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have a large amount of information available for business owners to help reopen facilities safely. Some of these resources include Guidance for cleaning and disinfecting public spaces, workplaces, businesses, schools and homes and Interim guidance for businesses and employers to plan and respond to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Determine the Budget
Bringing your employees back to the office safely will require a special budget. Sanitizers, disinfectants, personal protective equipment (PPE), and cleaning staff all have associated costs so it’s best to make a plan early, even if you change it as you move forward.
Step 2: Make a People Plan
Your employees and customers rely on you to make smart choices that will help keep them safe and healthy. While these are certainly uncertain times, creating a plan and implementing a formal policy can help to give clarity and peace of mind.
Create a Written Cleaning Policy
In some industries, cleanliness has always been a priority. Restaurants, salons, clinics, and other businesses have always been required to submit to state inspections and evaluations and therefore are likely to have a written cleaning policy in place. For other businesses, this is the perfect time to create a policy detailing the what, where, how, and who to implement your plan.
Create a Detailed Everyday Plan
One of the best ways to ensure that a strong cleaning program is put into place is by offering detailed procedures. “Disinfect the countertop” is a good start, but “Disinfect the countertop, including all sides and edges, with the sanitizer in the green bottle by spraying and allowing to sit for 30 seconds before wiping away” is far more likely to result in proper disinfection. This plan should include what objects need to be cleaned, who is responsible for each area, and which products should be used. It’s also a good idea to include directions for use, how long it needs to sit (if at all), and how to avoid cross-contamination. This plan should also include the COVID-19 public health basics like washing hands, staying home when sick, and wearing a mask when in contact with others.
Create an Outbreak Plan
While we’ve all been disinfecting and sanitizing like every surface has the SARS-CoV-2 virus on it, certain precautions should be taken when exposure has been confirmed. An outbreak plan allows you to spring into action and reduces the stress and anxiety that can come with this. A proper plan should include extra measures that need to be taken to ensure the continued health and safety of your facility and its occupants including deep cleaning and sanitization from a professional disinfectant company or additional PPE.
Step 3: Make it Happen
Even the best plans are dependent on the people who execute them. If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s the importance of having a plan and the flexibility to change it at any time. Once you’ve inspected your building and made your plans, it’s time to work with your staff to find the best solutions for you.
Confirm Your Budget
After setting your policies and plans, you may find that the budget you set in Step 1 isn’t going to work. For some employers, the cost of bringing staff back to a central location isn’t worth it once they’ve assessed the costs, while others may find that their building or operation requires very little change. Now is the time to revisit the budget and make changes as needed.
Check-in with Staff
The cleaning policy you outlined in Step 2 will only work if staff adhere to it. Check-in with your staff or supervisors to ensure expectations are being met and ask for feedback on how things are going. Adjust the program or work toward new solutions as needed.
Returning to the office is a challenging goal for many employers, but it can be done safely. Thoughtful planning and following the guidance of trustworthy, scientific sources can help to make the process much smoother and easier, but if you’re looking for one more layer of preparation, consider hiring the professionals at PurePro One to disinfect your business before you reopen.