Starting May 14th, 2020, the Government of Alberta began the first phase of its relaunch strategy , allowing restaurants, stores and public facilities to cautiously re-open. Businesses will be expected to follow common health and safety guidelines as restrictions slowly relax in our province. While many people will be glad to get back to work, you should keep in mind a few tips to keep you and your staff safe during this time.
1. Disinfect the Premises
Before everyone returns to the work, give your workspace a thorough cleaning and disinfection. It will ensure a baseline level of hygiene before you re-open to the public. Be sure to implement disinfecting protocols for the foreseeable future to avoid complacency.
Encourage everyone to clean their work areas every day before leaving to go home. Once surfaces are disinfected, consider placing promo items that welcome your staff back to work on their workstations, like branded golf balls, mugs, pens or notebooks . It will make them feel recognized and appreciated.
2. Spread Out
When your business opens up again, it’s important to continue to follow the physical distancing guidelines and ensure that no more than fifteen people are gathered in an enclosed space together. Try to space out the workstations in your building so that you are able to stay at least 6 ft (approximately 2 m) apart while you work.
3. Return in Phases
If your employees are all working from home right now, it might be a great idea to conduct the return to work in phases. Create a timeline that will slowly increase the number of people that are in the workspace and make sure that people know they should monitor themselves and not come to work under any circumstances if they feel unwell.
4. Wash Your Hands
Encourage people to wash their hands often and avoid touching their faces while they are at work. You touch so many surfaces on a daily basis, so it’s important to keep your hands clean. It sounds so simple, but washing your hands with warm soapy water for a minimum of twenty seconds does wonders to prevent the spread of bacteria and viruses.
5. Avoid Recirculated Air
It’s starting to get warmer, and Alberta does heat up in the height of summer. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has recommended that buildings avoid using air conditioning , as it may contribute to spreading the virus in enclosed spaces. Keep that air conditioner off and open windows for airflow instead.
6. Wear a Mask
For the near future, it’s going to be a common sight for people to be wearing masks when they are out in public. When you return to work, you should be wearing a mask to protect your colleagues, and if they are wearing them they are protecting you too!
The Promo Addict can supply your business with masks , because our staff has worked hard to source, produce and keep an inventory of well-crafted cotton masks for our customers. We also have a partnership with Mint Health & Drugs and they are now carrying our masks in stock.
From all of us at The Promo Addict, we hope everyone stays safe and healthy as Alberta opens up its businesses again in the coming weeks and months. Be sure to contact one of our passionate promo experts if you’d like to create a welcome package for your staff.
