Helpful Safety Tips To Consider When Returning To Work

Heading back to work after any kind of time away can be a bit uncertain (and unpleasant, to say the least), but going back to work after a pandemic and quarantine? That’s a whole new ball game.

If you’re planning to return to work after a prolonged period of isolation, you're not alone. Millions of Americans are headed back into the office after being in quarantine for several months. 

There’s not a lot you can do to prolong this, either, as most people have minimal control over when, if, and how they return to work.

Fortunately, there are some tips you can follow that will help keep you safe during this scary period of history. Whether you’ve been working as an essential, front-line worker throughout the entire pandemic or you’re just coming out of isolation, consider following these tips so that you can return to work safely during these uncertain times.

How COVID-19 Spreads

By now, you’re probably familiar with all the basics of how COVID-19 spreads. However, if you’re headed back into the office after a long time away in isolation, it doesn’t hurt to review the key concepts. 

Here’s what we know. 

COVID-19 is caused by SARS-CoV-2, a novel coronavirus related (but of course, far more deadly and contagious) to other colds and flus. 

It is believed that COVID-19 spreads by direct contact with an infected person, either from a sneeze, cough, singing, laughing, talking, or breathing. When someone engages in one of these actions, their infected droplets, also known as aerosols, remain suspended in the air and are then inhaled or ingested by other people. It can also be transmitted through feces and when you touch a surface that recently came into contact with infected droplets.

Scientists and doctors still aren’t sure which method of transmission is the most common. However, you should be taking steps to limit each kind of spread regardless.

Improve Sanitization

Offices all over the country have been stepping up their game when it comes to keeping commonly touched surfaces sanitized, and that’s a trend that you’ll likely see continuing as you return to the office. From phones to door handles, elevator buttons to desks, there are all kinds of surfaces that you touch (both deliberately and inadvertently) on a daily basis. 

This is a challenging task for most maintenance and facilities workers to carry out on their own. Good sanitization requires a thorough, two-step process of deep cleaning with warm water and soap and then sanitizing with a disinfectant, like isopropyl alcohol or a diluted bleach solution. 

Most companies now have rigid cleaning and sanitization policies in place to ensure that COVID-19 does not spread. However, it doesn’t hurt for you to take up your own cleaning regimen in the office, too. Get into the habit of wiping down frequently touched surfaces while you are at work - the cleaner, the better.

There are risks in the bathroom, too, many of which you’re probably already avoiding because of a bathroom’s innate “ick” factor that you’re already aware of!

For starters, every time you flush the toilet, you generate aerosols that can float around for up to 30 minutes. If the toilet contains infected feces - you get the picture.

Fortunately, there is a simple solution. If there is a lid, close it before you flush. If there is an exhaust fan, let it run to circulate the particles out of the room when you leave the bathroom. Of course, if you can avoid it, don’t use the bathroom right after someone else. As always, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly and often.

If you’re in charge of major purchasing decisions at your company, you may want to see if it might be possible to purchase touch-free toilets, bathroom doors, and faucets. This can dramatically reduce the amount of time it takes to sanitize this sensitive area - and it will keep your employees safe, too. 

Elevators, in particular, are being targeted as an area of concern when it comes to the spread of COVID-19. The New York City Health Department recommends that buttons be sanitized regularly and that everyone maintain the six-foot separation rule both inside the elevator and in line. That can mean longer waits for the elevator, but it’s worth it. You can also take the stairs, of course!

Wash Your Hands

Although OSHA is recommending that companies and employers provide hand sanitizer, tissue boxes, and additional trash receptacles to their employees, it’s also important that employers and employees alike take additional measures to promote proper hygiene.

For example, sick employees should be encouraged to stay home. If you own or work in a retail store, the number of customers should be controlled. Both gloves and eye protection should be provided to employees who work in high-risk jobs, too.

There are basic preventative measures that should be followed regardless of your risk for contracting COVID-19 at work. For example, you should avoid contact with people who are sick and avoid touching your nose, eyes, and mouth. If you don’t have any tissues, cough or sneeze into your elbow.

Using hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol is recommended, but good handwashing is even more integral when it comes to controlling the spread of COVID-19. Wash your hands often, using soap and water for at least 20 seconds, particularly after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.

Wear a Face Mask

Wearing a face mask is perhaps the least effective measure when it comes to stopping the spread of COVID-19 - however, at this point, it's the most universal. Controlling COVID-19 by wearing face masks has been a hot subject ever since the pandemic first reached the United States. While some experts say that face masks are not effective at protecting workers outside of healthcare professionals and first responders, others argue that they are. 

Wear a face mask, but know that other measures should be in place (such as sanitation and good handwashing) to stop the spread of COVID-19. There is a clear and important role for PPE (personal protective equipment), but it shouldn’t be your company’s (or your) only line of defense. 

Many states and local health departments are encouraging or requiring workers and citizens to wear face masks at all times. There is no universal decree on this matter, so if public health professionals recommend the widespread use of masks, it’s a good idea to encourage your employees to do so.

In any event, you may want to encourage your employers to wear face masks in open areas where employees congregate, such as elevators.

There are other kinds of personal protective equipment that you may want to consider wearing (or purchasing for your employees, depending on what kind of business you run or manage). Some employers provide PPE essentials like gloves, respiratory protection, goggles, and face shields. Again, PPE can prevent exposure, but according to the U.S> Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, PPE should not take the place of other prevention strategies.

If you wear a face mask or another form of PPE, take the time to make sure it fits properly and snugly around your face. Wash it frequently and make sure you take the proper measures to protect yourself in your particular situation.

Improve Ventilation and Filtration

Whether you are an employee or an employer, improving filtration and ventilation is key. Both the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization have been slow to recognize that this disease could spread through the air beyond the typical six feet of separation we’ve been urged to maintain.

Nevertheless, it’s vital that you keep your distance. Remain six feet apart and do your best to improve filtration and ventilation in your workspace. If you’re an employer, invest in better-quality air filters for the AC system and consider purchasing portable air purification devices.

If you can, spend the money on high-grade filters that are rated MERV 13 or better in all HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) systems. Although this sounds like a costly upgrade, it doesn’t actually cost that much to upgrade to a better system.

You can also invest in portable air purifiers. These are costly, but they can reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission. High-quality purifiers, particularly those with HEPA filters, can remove all kinds of viruses and germs from the environment, making them effective in the fight against illness.

Don’t have control over the ventilation and filtration systems at your company? There are still steps you can take to keep yourself safe.  Open up any windows and doors in your office space, which will help filter particles out of the air. 

It’s still not clear how many coronavirus particles it might take to make someone ill, but evidence based on other illnesses shows that the dose of particles to which you are exposed does matter. Taking Any and all steps you can to mitigate the spread of these droplets - and to dilute the concentration in a given space - is vital. 

That said, it’s not a stand-alone solution. Filtration in HVAC systems can serve as an overall risk mitigation approach but won’t serve as a solution by itself.

Avoid Crowded Workspaces

If you have employees that don’t necessarily need to report to the physical office setting, don’t make them come in. Many jobs can be completed just as easily from home, and this can not only make your team more productive and reduce your operating expenses, but it can help keep fellow employees safe, too. 

That said, as more employees return to work and travel to work, it’s vital that companies consider a change in the way they go about traditional scheduling. For example, you can create separate shifts or alternate workdays so that fewer people are in the office at a given time. Close conference rooms and break areas, if possible, to limit places where people might congregate. 

There are other ways you can improve efforts toward physical distancing. For example, if desks face each other, move them to create offset angles. That way, any respiratory droplets and aerosols are directed toward the walls or open aisles rather than other employees’ faces. This can be done even if you are just an employee at your company - move your chair so it’s positioned away from others.

If you are a manager or own a business, there are other steps you can take to mitigate the risk of spreading COVID-19. For example, many are now installing plexiglass barriers between office workstations. Others are using cubicles where there were formerly none to help keep employees separated. 

Avoid sharing food or coffee makers with your coworkers. It might break your heart not to share your favorite Little Debbies with your work bestie, but it’s important that you keep your snacks to yourself to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. 

Whenever possible, avoid sitting at a table with your coworkers to eat lunch. You tend to touch your face and mouth often while you eat, and since it’s not possible to wear a face mask or other personal protective equipment while you’re chowing down, you could be putting yourself at an elevated risk for COVID-19.

Forget the water cooler talk, too - or at least modify it. If you are in a shared office space, either taking a break or talking to a coworker, keep your mask on to help protect yourself and others.

Helpful Tips To Consider When Returning To Work Before During and After A Pandemic

If you are at an elevated risk of severe illness from coronavirus, or if you have a disability, you may want to talk with your employer about accommodations that can be made as a result of the pandemic.

You might be able to telecommute or alter your work setting to reduce your risk. Know your rights - the Families First Coronavirus Response Act has expanded medical and family leave rights for reasons related to the pandemic.

Ultimately, there is no such thing as zero-risk when it comes to preventing the spread of COVID-19 - you have to leave your house eventually! However, if you're feeling anxious over the return to work after the pandemic quarantine, rest assured that following these return to work safety tips can help make the shift a little safer.

Shana Thompson is a full time professional writer and editor. Shana has worked extensively in the fields of content marketing, on-page and off-page SEO (guest posts, backlink acquisition), and creative writing. As an experienced pro content writer, Shana has worked on several magazines, publishing companies and marketing agencies. Many recent projects have included everything from nutrition and health services, where a lot of research and citations were needed, to writing about health, sustainable, eco-friendly products.

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