COVID-19 Safe Office Workplace

According to “AIHA – Healthier Workplaces, A Healthier World,

“The reopening of office workplaces should be conducted in a thorough manner accounting for several factors before employees are allowed to return. Employers in office settings should not only address preparing the workplace for operations to occur during a pandemic (e.g., enhanced disinfection measures), but also the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) of the workspace.

For such businesses with indoor workplaces, IEQ is a concern for buildings that have been unoccupied and/or dormant for extended periods. Employers should also consider the comfort of employees as they return to work because they may be in a heightened state of concern. Putting in place thoughtful measures to ensure employees are well-positioned to transition back to work with minimal disruption is important.”

No matter the size of your business it is an employer’s responsibility to provide a safe and healthy work environment for their employees .

With restrictions beginning to lift, employers are challenged with difficult questions pertaining to preparing the office to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission during operations and addressing IEQ (indoor environmental quality) concerns before reopening, such as:

• How can I help alleviate stress and concern for employees while at work?
• What should I do to ensure that I am reducing the risk of transmission in common areas?
• Should I inspect the entire workplace before reopening?

Aspects to reopening an office that should be emphasized during the pandemic include: workplace configuration, conference rooms, lobby and common areas, kitchens, ventilation, and enhanced cleaning practices. All of these aspects, regardless of workplace sector or size, should be considered to ensure both worker safety and comfort when returning to work during a stressful time.

Sample Reconfiguration

This is an example of a simple reconfiguration we completed for one of our customers. By tweaking the existing workstation configuration we were able to restrict traffic flow withing the workstation cluster, thus limiting the exposure that the employees have with their co-workers. It’s also a solution that used the customers existing furniture and can be changed back quickly and easily at a later date.

Some areas to focus on…

Review floorplans and remove or reconfigure seats, furniture and workstations as needed to preserve recommended physical distancing in accordance with guidelines.

Reconfigure workstations so that employees do not face each other, or install partitions if facing each other cannot be avoided.

Consider eliminating reception seating areas and requesting that guests phone ahead and install a plastic partition at the reception area.

Prior to re-occupancy it is recommended that employers perform a detailed review of the configuration of your workspaces.  In most cases a simple workstation reconfiguration is all that’s needed.  Re-form Project Managers have been participating in virtual meetings and webinars associated with workspace safety. We can help you with reconfiguring your office space so that you can re-open safely.

COVID-19 Project Profile…

For this project we were able to provide medium high panels and glass toppers in between each workstation. The medium high panels allow light inside the office space. The glass toppers provide privacy, a sound barrier and a physical barrier between employees. Even during Covid your existing workspace can still function while protecting your employees.