As more people head back into work, it seems like the bad news surrounding COVID-19 just doesn’t stop. The U.S. death toll has surpassed 500,000—a monumental toll that comes just over a year since the virus was first detected in the country. What’s more, the CDC has confirmed cases of new variants in several different countries, including the U.S., that might be more contagious and deadly. The coronavirus has undoubtedly taken its toll on the global economy, and it’s not over yet. But while the virus has wreaked havoc around the globe, some companies haven’t changed the way they do business or have only made minor adjustments.
The pandemic has impacted all businesses in some shape or form. For those who are already back in the office, chances are your workplace environment has changed. Safety precautions are being taken that might affect the way you used to do your job, such as rearranging desks so that they are socially distanced. Decreased focus on face-to-face collaboration means colleagues will likely witness a change in their normal regular teamwork routine with more virtual interactions. Management has been forced to take time out of their schedule to deal with the pandemic, which has meant extra safety responsibilities in their day-to-day workload. Plus, all employees have to wear a mask, which can become uncomfortable over prolonged periods of time.
While employees might take some time to adjust to these new safety measures, these protocols are definitely for the benefit of everyone at the office. Prison systems serve as an example that highlights the lack of appropriate measures in response to COVID-19. Prisons, which often share resources and have large populations of people in close quarters, make physical distancing impossible. As a result, these facilities are particularly vulnerable to the spread of diseases. In fact, according to research completed on the U.S. criminal justice system, inmates contract the virus at a rate more than three times that of the general population.
Heading Safely Back Into Work
Ensuring optimal protection from COVID-19 is a challenge for people who have to go back into the office. While there are several things you can do to protect yourself, like wearing face masks in public and avoiding public transportation, some people have a very hard time changing their daily habits and routines. That being said, employers and employees have to work together to prevent the virus from spreading in the workplace.
In order to take steps to limit the spread of coronavirus, companies need to make sure that the environment they provide for their employees is as safe as possible. Some of the most common ways that the virus is spread include coughing, sneezing, and touching contaminated surfaces, followed by touching the mouth, nose, or eyes.
To protect your employees from the virus, the work environment needs to be regularly cleaned and disinfected. This way, the virus will not be able to spread as easily throughout the workspace. While working environments will certainly look different for a while, encouraging employees to use an app for sharing and screening their colleagues’ health status regarding COVID-19 will give everyone at the office peace of mind.
The COVID PreCheck app is such a technology employers can incorporate for a safe return to the office. The app includes an assessment based on the Swiss cheese model, which is a model used by experts to illustrate layers of protection for blocking the spread of the coronavirus. The assessment is designed to determine the level of safety in the workplace in regards to COVID-19. A better score on the assessment indicates that your business’ safety level is high and has implemented sufficient protective measures in the workplace. Factors addressed in the assessment include employee screening and data lab access.
Put simply, the more safety measures the workplace puts in place, the safer the working environment will be. COVID PreCheck app provides another layer to the Swiss cheese model as another tool for protecting against the coronavirus. Visit the website on your smartphone’s browser or desktop to get started on rating your workplace’s safety in regards to COVID-19.
