How To Maintain Social Distancing in an Office?

Maintain social distancing in an office is the best way to reduce the risk of coronavirus spreading between workers and you can achieve that with a 2 metre physical distance and by avoiding people working face to face. The COVID-19 outbreak has changed the way we work but if we all follow government advice, we can help to reduce the spread of the virus within the community.

While some offices remain closed with employees working from home, some businesses have started to slowly reopen. If you are wondering how to maintain social distancing in an office, here are a few tips you can follow..

Access the risk in your office space

It is the employer’s duty to make sure that their office is safe enough to protect people from harm. Employees should feel safe returning to work, knowing that there are procedures in place to ensure social distancing and prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Before you ask your workers to return to the office, you must identify whether areas of your work could cause the spread of the virus and how likely it is that people could be exposed.

Communicate with your employees

Once you have assessed the risk and outlined health and safety guidelines, you should discuss the changes with your employees. This will allow them to voice any concerns they have before putting social distancing at work into practice.

Create a 2m physical distance

By now, we all know that staying two metres apart is the recommended safe distance for decreasing the transmission of coronavirus. To ensure your office complies with social distancing, it’s important to physically arrange work areas that keep people two metres apart. This may mean redesigning your office space. Solid and glass partition walls are an affordable way to create separate areas within an office. Our demountable office partitions are easy to install and custom made to your specifications. Find out more about the benefits of demountable office partitions.

HSE recommends that if it is impossible to keep everyone 2 metres apart you should considering having only one person per work area or use a screen to create a physical barrier.

Avoid people working face to face

If it is challenging to keep people two metres apart, you may consider using glass desk divider screen to create a physical barrier. COVID-19 is spread primarily through water droplets but clear desk divider screens offer an effective shield for employees when social distancing isn’t possible.

In addition to physical barriers between employees, you can also reduce face-to-face contact with virtual meetings with clients.

Provide social distancing signage

Never underestimate the power of clear signage. Use signage throughout the office to remind employees to maintain a two metre distance and wash hands regularly. You can also provide hand sanitiser nearby to encourage employees to take responsibility for hygiene.

At Applied Workplace we have a range of office solutions to help you keep social distancing at work, including office sneeze guards and barrier screen for retail.

To find out how to maintain social distancing in the office with our glass partition walls and desk dividers, contact us on 01202 577776 or speak to us via Live Chat. Alternatively get a free instant quote.