HYGIENE IN THE OPEN SPACE: THE BEST PRACTICES TO ADOPT

In recent years, the open-space layout has become increasingly popular in the workplace, offering the advantage of bringing teams closer together and facilitating communication. However, the Covid-19 epidemic has challenged the viability of this model, mainly in terms of hygiene. The fact that employees work in the same space increases the risk of transmission in the event of infection.

Fortunately, these spaces have been redesigned to meet new health requirements, and now that I have brought the outbreak under control, they’re back on trend.

Nevertheless, there are a few practices to adopt to ensure that open-space is a wholesome place to work for everyone.

Always disinfect in the event of pollution

Every employee must treat his or her workspace as a sensitive area requiring a high level of hygiene. Like a sterile environment, it must be cleaned and disinfected in the event of contamination. In the open space, this means disinfecting the desk after a colleague has passed through.

Consider that the space has been polluted and that, before you can move in again, you need to “decontaminate” all objects: keyboard, desk, chair, desk blotters, pens and pencils, phone and so on. Don’t be afraid to exaggerate a little, because as the saying goes: “prudence is the mother of safety”.

For quick and easy disinfection, use an Impec multi-purpose disinfectant wipe containing 75% alcohol, perfectly designed to eliminate bacteria, viruses and germs.

The company can also supply a suitable disinfectant product, such as Impec disinfectant cleaner spray, which is simply sprayed onto the surface and object to be disinfected.

Hand hygiene is essential

The whole point of open space is to facilitate collaboration between teams. It’s that fatal moment when you have to use someone else’s workstation and contaminate that surface unintentionally. The good news is that contamination is not fatal, since clean hands are all that’s needed to avoid it.

Before changing workstations, it’s very important to disinfect your hand with a hand sanitizer. This is also a product that the company must make available so that everyone can respect hand hygiene.

Washing and disinfecting hands is also necessary after any physical contact with other colleagues and before touching the keyboard or any other object at the workstation.

Avoid eating at the workstation

While it’s okay to let colleagues work at your desk, eating at your desk should be strictly forbidden. Apart from the fact that it prevents you from focusing on your food, it’s also a good way of spreading crumbs all over the desk and between the keyboard keys. Secondly, it takes extra time to clean up, and usually requires a special vacuum cleaner to remove all the dirt embedded in the keyboard.

To keep your office spotless, avoid eating or snacking there as much as possible.

Implement a daily cleaning routine

The key to optimal hygiene in the workplace is to clean your personal space each time you arrive at work, before you leave your workstation, at the end of the day and whenever it gets dirty.

For larger companies, it may be necessary to hire a cleaning service to take care of deep cleaning every now and then. Otherwise, each employee will need to be given several minutes before and after work to ensure the cleanliness of their workspace. In all cases, the use of high-quality cleaning and disinfecting products is essential to ensure that work areas are spotless.

Always renew the air in the room

Air renewal is an important practice for eliminating airborne bacteria and viruses. This is all the more relevant when the room is shared by several employees at the same time.

On average, the recommended frequency of ventilation is 2 times a day in the morning and afternoon in open spaces.