With businesses across the world opening back up, business owners have a responsibility to their customers to ensure they are opening up safely. While there’s still plenty that researchers don’t know about the novel coronavirus, there are some simple steps business owners can take to keep their spaces COVID-free. Read on to find ten tips that can help.
1. Clean Frequently Using the Right Products
Table of Contents
- 1. Clean Frequently Using the Right Products
- 2. Disinfect Correctly
- 3. Make It Easy to Maintain Distance
- 4. Require Masks and Check at the Door
- 5. Encourage Extra Hand Washing
- 6. Perform Symptom Checks
- 7. Perform Hazard Assessments
- 8. Install Air Purifiers
- 9. Limit Payment Options
- 10. Provide Ongoing Employee Education
Not all cleaning products kill the novel coronavirus. It’s best to avoid vinegar-based cleaning solutions and other all-natural products, at least for the time being. They’re just not strong enough to effectively protect against COVID 19.
Business owners still have plenty of options when it comes to choosing cleaning products. They can use disinfectants that contain at least 70% alcohol, diluted bleach mixtures, or soap and water, and can find more at bigclean.com.au regarding individual cleaning products.
2. Disinfect Correctly
Every disinfectant product is a little different, but most need to be left in place for at least a few minutes to achieve maximum effectiveness. This includes sprays, wipes, and liquid cleaners. The best thing to do is to review the directions on the product’s packaging prior to each use to make sure it’s being applied correctly and left on surfaces for long enough to do its job.
Business owners need to disinfect all frequently touched surfaces, especially those touched by customers, like card readers, door handles, shopping carts, baskets, and restroom fixtures. It may be wise to invest in wipeable covers for electronics and encourage employees to do the same since smartphones also fall into the frequently touched objects category.
3. Make It Easy to Maintain Distance
Social distancing has been shown to be one of the best ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Make it easy for customers to maintain a distance of at least two meters, or six feet, from others by limiting the capacity of stores, putting up signs that remind them to maintain distance from others that are not in their households, and placing markers on the floor near cash registers and other normally congested places. Don’t be afraid to remind customers who aren’t being as diligent as they should be about maintaining their distance.
4. Require Masks and Check at the Door
Businesses that have enough employees should consider placing someone at the door to check each customer for a mask before he or she enters. Even in those few areas of the globe that still haven’t passed mask-wearing requirements, individual businesses can still help stop the spread of COVID-19 on their own premises by making it a company policy to refuse admittance to anyone not wearing a mask.
5. Encourage Extra Hand Washing
Employees should already be required to wash their hands after starting their shifts, coming into contact with certain liquids and food products, going to the bathroom, and sneezing or coughing. Employers need to up the ante in today’s times, though. Workers should be washing their hands frequently to avoid unintentional transmission.
6. Perform Symptom Checks
As most people know by now, not all people infected with COVID-19 experience noticeable symptoms. That means it’s unwise to assume that, because someone looks and feels well, he or she is safe and should just behave normally. Performing daily symptom checks on employees can still be an effective strategy for reducing transmission. Here’s how to do it:
- Take employees’ temperatures to rule out fevers
- Ask about and keep an ear out for coughing and shortness of breath
- Consider giving employees a written list of COVID-19 symptoms, and ask them to sign at the bottom confirming that they have not experienced any symptoms in the past two weeks
- In especially congested businesses, consider requesting symptom checks from customers, as well
Make sure employees who may be sick have the resources needed to stay home to avoid transmission. There are plenty of assistance programs available for COVID patients and those suspected of being infected.
7. Perform Hazard Assessments
Hazard assessments can identify the risks associated with different activities and help business owners determine when to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) and implement other controls to mitigate health hazards. Perform these assessments frequently to make sure employees and customers aren’t exposed to unnecessary risks.
8. Install Air Purifiers
Recent studies have shown that the novel coronavirus can be aerosolized, which means it can travel across larger distances and linger for longer periods under some circumstances. Those risks include using air conditioning units that recirculate air without purifying it first. Purchase air filters or purifiers designed to remove viral particles and run them constantly when the building is open to the public.
9. Limit Payment Options
While most businesses don’t want to alienate potential customers by refusing cash entirely, they can still encourage touchless payment options. Move the card reader closer to customers and further from cashiers and consider switching to terminals that support touch-free credit and debit card payments if the company doesn’t have them yet.
10. Provide Ongoing Employee Education
Don’t just implement all these changes once and then assume employees will remember exactly how to follow them. Instead, provide ongoing education for employees to remind them of the importance of following guidelines intended to curb the spread of coronavirus and keep them safe.
Cleaning more often, undergoing symptom checks, wearing a mask, and taking the time to ensure that customers are respecting social distancing and mask-wearing guidelines may create some minor hassles, but these simple measures are the best way to reduce transmission.
The Bottom Line
Scientists the world over are working on vaccines to prevent COVID-19 infections, testing treatments to ensure the best possible outcomes for infected patients, and doing everything possible to advance their knowledge of this new disease. Currently, though, the best methods for preventing the spread of the novel coronavirus must be carried out by regular citizens, workers, and business owners.
If everyone takes it seriously and continues to practice social distancing and good personal hygiene, those actions will reduce transmission and prevent unnecessary deaths. It’s worth the effort.
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