In order to keep your employees and customers safe, and to protect yourself, keeping your business clean is a must. To prevent the spread of germs at work and to assure your employees and customers that your business is clean, consider these sanitizing tips and expert recommendations.
Regular Deep Cleaning and Disinfecting
Before opening your doors, do a thorough deep cleaning. Then, disinfect all surfaces. Cleaning expert and founder of Steri-Clean Inc., Cory Chalmers recommends deep cleaning first to remove biofilms. Chalmers describes biofilms as “clusters of germs and bacteria that can coat all the surfaces in our homes and offices.” He explains, “If we don’t remove these biofilms, the Lysol or disinfectant that you are going to try and use cannot penetrate the virus.”[1]
Once open, maintain a regular cleaning and disinfecting routine. You can hire a cleaning service to deep clean and spray surfaces. It's also a good idea to test your surfaces. You want to verify that the process worked. While tedious, this is one of the best ways to help keep everyone safe.
Promote Impeccable Hygiene at Work
Step two to keeping your business clean is hygiene promotion.
- Hang signs to remind staff and customers to wash their hands with warm water and soap.
- Remind employees to practice safe coughing and sneezing etiquette. They should cover their mouth and nose with their upper sleeve or a tissue.
- Encourage the use of face masks in your business and at outdoor worksites.
- Make personal protective gear including masks and gloves available to your staff.
- Stock plenty of soap at all sinks. Place disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer around your workplace. This way, staff can regularly wipe surfaces and everyone can clean their hands with sanitizer whenever they feel the need to.
Social Distance at Work
The CDC recommends continuing to follow social distancing. This means staying at least six feet apart from other people.[2] This isn’t always easy to manage in the workplace. For example, your workstations may be located closer together or staff and customers need to interact when making a purchase.
However, with the right approach, and a little help from protective equipment, it is possible to protect your staff and employees from the coronavirus.
- Consider staggering your employees so only part of your staff is in the office or on the worksite at any one time. Let other staff members continue working from home.
- Move workstations so they are at least six feet apart. Make sure employees have a designated workstation instead of sharing workspaces.
- Install sneeze guards to create a physical barrier. You can use sneeze guards around workstations and as a protective barrier between customers and staff who need to interact.
Extra Safety Steps During the Summer Months
This summer, as an employer, you’ll have to consider both COVID-19 and the health dangers that high temperatures bring. There is a lot of focus on virus protection right now. Don’t forget to review your summer safety plan as well. Warm temperatures can lead to health problems such as dehydration and heat-related injuries.
- To protect your staff, be sure to supply them with plenty of water so they can stay hydrated on the job.
- If your employees work indoors, make sure your air conditioning system is working well. Have it professionally cleaned to remove any dust and microbes.
- If your employees work outdoors, put up shade stations. Schedule in extra breaks when the temperature is high.
Keeping Your Business Clean Offers Many Benefits
By keeping your business clean, you'll do more than prevent the spread of the virus. You’ll also instill confidence in people.
Take preventative measures. Regularly clean and sanitize. Use the right equipment. All of this will help people feel safe in your business.
These steps can also help to reduce the spread of other germs. They could potentially even lower the transmission of the flu and other viruses once flu season begins.
And, you’ll gain peace of mind knowing you’re doing a great job keeping everyone safe and helping your community get through the pandemic.
[1] https://www.wifr.com/content/news/Is-your-business-clean-570183631.html
[2] https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/cleaning-disinfecting-decision-tool.html
Product Compliance and Suitability
The product statements contained in this guide are intended for general informational purposes only. Such product statements do not constitute a product recommendation or representation as to the appropriateness, accuracy, completeness, correctness or currentness of the information provided. Information provided in this guide does not replace the use by you of any manufacturer instructions, technical product manual, or other professional resource or adviser available to you. Always read, understand and follow all manufacturer instructions.