Protecting your office environment; prepare now to stay safe in the future

Now officially in the second wave of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and in a second (albeit different style) lockdown we are still being encouraged to keep the economy going as much as possible. Some businesses are staying open or reopening, some have been forced to close again and, for all, the future relaxations/restrictions are still difficult to predict.

One thing that is certain – this is not going away. If you have a business that requires your workforce to work in an office environment or from a make-shift home office, there are ways of protecting your office environment to ensure your staff stay as safe as possible.

Just like the first wave of COVID-19 cases, the official guidance from public health officials and medical experts will play an important part in how your business should respond in this second wave.

Now is the best time to review the risk factors in your office and identify your hazards. You need to think critically about the exposure your staff has to COVID-19 if you expect them to return to the office.

Here is our Diamond Office Furniture checklist to help you assess your risks and plan ahead in protecting your office environment.

Firstly, you should consider members of your workforce who need protecting due to pre-existing health issues for them and their extended family and these measures can help:

• Have you implemented the appropriate social distancing measures?
• Have you provided screens between desking areas?
• Have you provided sanitising stations where needed?
• Have you configured your office walkways to ensure a one way system?
• Have you provided workstation assessments in the office or home office?
• Have you got the appropriate COVID-19 signage?

If you are feeling worried that you don’t have any or many of these measures in place, don’t worry as our experienced team our at Diamond Office Furniture can help you. Agreeing a mutually convenient time, we are happy to undertake a walk-through of your office premises with you when it is unoccupied or quiet, maintaining all social distancing rules and wearing face coverings.

We are space planning, office furniture and accessories professionals who can help you to reconfigure your office space meeting the safety requirements you need in protecting your office environment and keeping your staff safe.

By putting your team on a rota or ‘work from home’ requirement, you can instantly create the social distancing you need by taking out seats/desks and create a 1.5m gap between colleagues. This gives us the scope we need to come in and effectively plan, design and future-proof your office set-up, providing you with 2D or 3D drawings to show you how your office will look. We can even help your staff with appropriate home office furniture solutions if required.

We can then add in the right style of desking, chairs and storage to ensure that social distancing is maintained around the office and productivity levels are improved. We can also install protective screens between desks, around reception and front of house areas to keep staff and clients safe at all times.

We never forget about the staff you have working from home either; we offer home visits to ensure that their working environment is meeting all H&S requirements and that their wellbeing is taken care of in terms of suitable seating, desking and technical set-up reducing physical, mental and output decline.

Our advice to you is be adaptable, be progressive and be open to constant change in your business to keep your employees, customers and your overall operation protected during this second wave.

Contact us today to explore ways of protecting your office environment; prepare now to stay safe in the future.