The COVID-19 crisis highlighted the importance of maintaining a sanitary workplace. The norm now includes readily available disinfectants for sanitizing surfaces. However, even before this health crisis, there was an expectation among employees for a safe work environment — this includes protection from accidents like spills and falls, as well as from infectious diseases. Creating a sense of safety in the workplace is deliberate — it requires strategic planning and implementation of procedures to maintain a clean and health-conscious environment.
Determine the Specific Needs of Your Workplace
Different types of workplaces, such as factories, medical facilities, and office spaces, have varied cleaning requirements. The initial step to ensure a sanitary and healthy workplace is identifying the most effective practices for your specific setting.
Healthcare facilities demand stricter cleaning protocols compared to most workplaces, but all work environments should prioritize sanitary common areas to reduce the spread of germs. It’s essential for every workplace to implement strategies to promptly clean spills on floors, preventing possible slips and falls.
Keeping your workplace sanitary
If your workplace does not utilize a professional cleaning service, organizing and allocating cleaning tasks among staff members is essential. In smaller settings like a retail store, it’s quite usual for staff to rotate cleaning responsibilities. A simple roster displayed in a common area, such as a break room, can effectively ensure regular cleaning and maintenance of hygiene standards.
In larger workplaces, it’s more common for employers to engage a cleaning company. However, staff members are still expected to contribute to maintaining cleanliness by properly disposing of food remnants in kitchen and break areas and avoiding actions that could lead to unsanitary conditions.
Regardless of the workplace size, identifying areas that experience high foot traffic and frequent contact is crucial. Regular disinfection is necessary in communal spaces like break rooms and meeting rooms, potentially several times daily based on usage. Also, it’s vital to consistently clean and sanitize high-contact points like stair handrails, elevators, and bathrooms.
SCHEDULE WORKPLACE CLEANING
If you don’t have a professional cleaning team, organizing cleaning tasks and delegating them among staff is necessary. In smaller establishments like a boutique, it’s typical for staff members to rotate cleaning responsibilities. A simple schedule posted in a communal area can be effective in maintaining cleanliness and hygiene.
In more spacious settings, it’s common for employers to engage a cleaning service, while employees are responsible for maintaining cleanliness by properly disposing of food remnants in kitchen or break areas and avoiding actions that could contribute to a dirty workplace.
In any workplace, recognizing areas with high foot traffic and frequent touchpoints is crucial. Regular disinfection of surfaces in communal spaces like break rooms and meeting rooms is essential, perhaps multiple times daily depending on the area’s usage. Also, it’s important to regularly clean high-contact areas like handrails, elevators, and bathrooms to keep them sanitary.
Have Clear Guidelines about Food in the Workplace
In certain work environments, eating a sandwich at your desk is acceptable. At an office desk, the worst you might encounter is a few crumbs on your keyboard, posing no significant risk to others. However, in medical settings, consuming food outside designated areas like the breakroom could be hazardous. In industrial settings or places with heavy machinery, even a small spill could damage costly equipment and lead to injury. Therefore, establishing clear rules about food and drink consumption in these areas is essential.
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Have Supplies Available
Store cleaning supplies in specific areas and ensure all employees are aware of these locations. Essentials like paper towels, disinfectants, hand sanitizers, as well as gloves and masks, should be easily accessible. When selecting cleaning products, opt for environmentally friendly options that don’t contribute to indoor air pollution.
Create a Sanitary Workplace Culture
In addition to providing supplies and setting schedules, engaging everyone in maintaining a clean and healthy work environment is crucial. Here are some strategies to foster a culture of cleanliness in the workplace:
Conduct training for staff on the correct usage of personal protective equipment (PPE) and how to keep surfaces and shared spaces sanitary. Utilizing an external trainer can be effective, as it allows both management and staff to learn proper practices together.
Communicate the significance of good hygiene and disinfection routines. Regular hand washing is key in curbing the transmission of illnesses such as the common cold, flu, and COVID-19.
Encourage proper hand hygiene by ensuring the availability of hand sanitizers and soap in bathrooms, kitchens, and lounges.
Place signs in bathrooms and communal areas to remind staff about the importance of handwashing.
Hire a Professional Cleaning Service
Employing a professional cleaning service allows your employees to concentrate on their tasks, secure in the knowledge that their work environment is sanitary and healthy. These services supply all necessary cleaning materials and staff.
Although employees are still responsible for proper trash disposal, regular hand washing, and tidying up after themselves, larger tasks such as cleaning restrooms, mopping floors, and sanitizing expansive communal areas are managed by the cleaning service.
Posted by Ruidoso.com
