Going Back to the Office? Check Out These Workplace Hygiene Tips

Prasna Devi
Going Back to the Office? Check Out These Workplace Hygiene Tips

With the latest announcement of the National Recovery Plan Phase 2 and Phase 3 in some states, we see more economic sectors opening up and employees are preparing to return to their workplace. That being said, most of us have been working from home for months and the thought of going back to the office might give us mixed feelings - some are probably concerned about the SOPs while the rest might be unsure of what and how to prepare for it.

While we have all learned to adapt to the new norm and SOPs, it’s important to take precautionary steps and practice good personal hygiene when returning to the workplace.

Here are several recommended hygiene tips and best practices that you can take to protect you and your loved ones at home.

1. Clean and Disinfect the Office

For starters, the management team should take the lead by arranging for a professional and thorough cleaning to be performed daily. This is to disinfect the air and provide a safer work environment for employees.

Everyone should also commit to regularly cleaning high-touch surfaces such as lift buttons, door handles, pantry countertops and even the water filter as these surfaces are touched by countless people throughout the day. You can take the extra measure to protect yourself by wearing disposable plastic gloves when touching these surfaces.

Reminder: Discard the gloves properly in the bin and do not reuse it.

2. Maintain Good Hygiene Practices

Practice good personal hygiene and make it a habit, as it can help reduce your chance of contracting the virus. You should sanitize your work space at least twice a day - first when you arrive at the office and another round before leaving. Of course, if you are able to do a quick wipe every few hours or so, that would be better.

It’s also important to wash your hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds with an antibacterial soap, and to dry it afterwards with a tissue. If you have no access to wash your hands with soap and water, no worries - you can use a hand sanitizer first. This pocket hand sanitizer eliminates 99.9% of harmful bacteria and is on sale for only RM2.70. 

3. Avoid Touching Your Face

It is recommended to not touch your eyes, nose or mouth as there are higher chances of the virus entering your body through them. The logic here is - if you touch a surface which is contaminated with the virus and proceed to touch your eyes, nose or mouth without washing your hands or sanitizing first - you may get infected.

Face Mask4. Always Keep Your Mask On

Your nose and mouth should not be exposed while you are at the office, even when you are not speaking to anyone directly. The best practice is to wear a double mask - a surgical mask layered with a cloth mask. If you would like additional protection, you can wear a protective shield mask.

Wearing a mask can reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19 as we are protected from the contaminated droplets of other individuals around us.

5. Practice Social Distancing

Let 1 meter apart be your new mantra! We have been advised to stand or distance ourselves from one another at least 1 meter apart. Why? Because if you are standing close to someone (who unknowingly has the virus) and that person coughs or sneezes, you can breathe in the liquid which may contain the coronavirus.

Regardless if the person around you is showing any symptoms of COVID-19 or not, you should maintain a safe distance and adhere to the SOP at all times.

Practice Social Distancing

6. Manage Meetings Carefully

For the time being, it’s advisable to avoid in-person meetings - especially in large groups or confined spaces. Instead, you should opt for virtual meeting calls using the available digital platforms like Google Hangouts, Microsoft Teams, Skype or Zoom.

If a physical meeting is really necessary, be reminded that the meeting room should only be used at a 50% capacity while adhering to the SOP laid out by your company. Make sure to keep a 1 meter distance from one another, wear your protective gears and most importantly, avoid handshakes when greeting your colleagues. 

If anyone is feeling under the weather, advise them to return home immediately to keep everyone protected or else, you should remove yourself from the space.

With all that said, it’s rather difficult to predict the exact scenario and what to expect once everyone starts going back to the office. For now, the focus is on staying protected to control the spread of the virus.

At LionFile, we hope to protect all our employees and customers during this challenging time. That’s the main reason why we have recently added protective products to our online store - everyone has to do their part for the safety of our nation. Stay safe everyone!