How Safe Is My Workspace?
Going to work during the throes of a global pandemic has everyone asking the question, "How safe is my workspace?" Is yours safe?
12/08/2020
With so many of us going back to work, even with the global pandemic spreading around us, we are all equally worried about health and safety, particularly as concerns social distancing and sanitizing and we decided to take a look at how you can have a safer work environment and be assured of your safety under these unpleasant circumstances.
Over and above the global pandemic, research has shown that too many deaths occur around the world due to poor air quality in the work place. In some areas, the indoor (breathable) air is worse than that outdoors. Not something you want to think about when everyone is concerned about breathing the air around them. However, there are procedures that can be put in place by both you and your employer to improve air quality and ensure a health workspace:
1. CLEANLINESS IS IMPORTANT
Keeping your office space clean is one of the most obvious ways for improving air quality, no matter where you work. Without a regular cleaning service coming around, it is so easy for a workspace to get dirty, whether it is piles of paper or files or lack of cleaning. If you are concerned about cleanliness in your workplace, request that action be taken:
• Have your own dustbin for your dedicated space. Empty this yourself into a plastic bag for removal.
• Keep your desk top organized and as clutter-free as possible.
• Ensure that cleaning staff wipe down the floor daily. Preferably morning and afternoon.
• Sanitize surfaces in your office at least twice a day.
• Ensure that anyone entering your workspace is masked and sanitizes immediately.
• A few indoor plants not only make any office more welcoming they also absorb the toxic substances in the air and release out the oxygen which we inhale. Place indoor plants in the corners of your office to enhance the airflow.
2. ALLOW AIR CIRCULATION
While you may think that keeping your door closed will prevent contamination of your office space, a closed environment will limit air circulation and increase your vulnerability to airborne infections. There are plenty of ways to improve air circulation:
• Keep any doors and windows open during the day, unless you are prevented from doing so.
• Allow sunlight into your space as much as possible by opening blinds or curtains.
• Remove or re-position any large pieces of furniture that block airflow.
3. HAVE REGULAR AIR QUALITY CHECKS
Your employer is responsible for ensuring that the air you breathe is of good quality, and for this purpose regular air quality checks should be undertaken. Apart from airflow, checks should be done to detect the presence of mould.