18 Ideas To Protect Your Office To Accommodate Social Distancing
18 Ideas To Protect Your Office To Accommodate Social Distancing
The spread of coronavirus has brought a lot of uncertainty in people’s minds and there is no one who has remained untainted from its effects and office spaces are no exception. Most of the states are now removing lockdowns strategically, which calls for the office spaces to be compatible with social distancing. Although there will be an upsurge of people working from home, we still have a long way to go before offices become obsolete. Therefore, all the organizations are now facing an immediate issue that requires them to reorganize their offices such that they comply with the guidelines issued by their respective governments and render their employees safe. These changes will become a part of the future of the company and the organizations which aren’t able to come up with viable plans are bound to struggle.
Keeping your struggles in mind, we at Doors22 have toiled tirelessly to come up with office divider ideas that will help you create a space that is safe for all your employees and takes care of social distancing amidst the post-coronavirus phase. We have listed down some measures you can undertake to reshuffle your office before opening again. You would need to upgrade and add some features to your current office to minimize the chances of transmission.
1. Social distancing is going to be the most challenging and important part to implement in your offices. For your office to work efficiently, you have to keep the transmission at a minimal level, which can only be achieved by making sure that the workspaces of the employees are at a certain distance.
2. Your new office design should require the least bit of physical interaction among people. You can achieve this goal by installing our social distancing glass partition walls for commercial offices that will keep the germs away from one workstation to another. Facing the workstations opposite to one another, thus allowing for a greater distance between them is also an effective way to counter this problem.
3. Many organizations are using glass social distancing office partitions/dividers. Since the offices usually do not have enough space to incorporate a 6-foot gap between workstations, glass office partitions come in handy to limit physical interaction. You can also introduce personalized glass cubicles since they are completely enclosed for each employee.
4. If you do happen to have a 6-foot distance between your workstations, make sure you install some warning signs that remind the workers of the necessity of social distancing.
5. Make sure that there are ample sanitizers installed at different points you deem necessary. High-traffic areas like the reception and entry exit gates should definitely have access to hand sanitizers.
6. Get rid of door handles. Install doors that can swing open both ways without requiring the usage of hands and can be opened by a push of the shoulder or leg.
7. Get motion-sensing lights for the whole office space to avoid people touching the switches. This is also eco-friendly and will help your office and the environment in the long run.
8. Along with motion-sensing lights, also install faucets and other washroom equipment that do not require touch.
9. Another prevalent technique that is being used in hospitals for preventing transmission is asking the employees to walk in a clockwise direction. This one-way flow will help minimize people coming in contact and the offices will continue to work in an orderly manner.
10. Every employee should be asked to cover his desk with a sheet of paper before starting work and then throw it away at the end of the day.
11. Invest in your employees to get them personal laptops, phones, etc., so that the same device is not used by many people.
12. Since there is going to be limited or no travel, for the time being, make some adjustments to introduce a better video-conferencing experience. Everyone, even the employees who are working from home should feel immersed in the office experience so they don’t feel left out during these trying times.
13. Make sure that no one feels left out in the office with social distancing in place. The barriers and working from home can be stressful for your employees and it is your duty to bring them together socially. You can do this using many virtual methods, like gaming or virtual dinners, etc.
14. Give extra thought to your office’s ventilation. Good ventilation is essential to curtail the spread of the virus. It could be as easy as opening windows, but you can always get a professional opinion about the matter.
15. It’s all about the air, therefore you should get an air filter ASAP which would control the climate inside your office and help in diminishing viruses and other allergens.
16. Since furniture inside your office is going to require constant cleaning, invest in getting furniture that is easier to clean and maintain. This would help your office in the future as well so it’s worth the investment.
17. There is definitely going to be a decrease in the number of actual conferences you’re going to have in your conference room, so you can diminish that room to give more space for your employees.
18. Install security spaces that keep in check the employees’ temperature regularly and take immediate action if and when required.
Many offices are trying to innovate and introduce in their workspaces objects which would promote a touch-free environment. The 6-foot distance rule is the most important takeaway from all guidelines and to integrating it with office space is the biggest challenge everyone is facing right now. There needs to be a stricter cleaning schedule as well which ensures that the office is sanitized regularly and thoroughly. Glass social distancing partitions/dividers are barriers that will help limit physical contact and also restrict the spreading of germs and viruses around your office.
Keeping the above pointers in mind, you can re-create your office that complies with the norms and promotes a healthy living environment among your employees. This is no doubt going to be a challenge but it can be handled easily with understanding and right guidance.
If you need a personalized plan of officer divider ideas made for you, you can contact us on our website and we’ll get in touch with you to answer all your queries in detail. Keep yourself and your employees safe during these trying times.
Doors22 Team
1-866-756-7493