July 23, 2020 by maidwhiz
One of the scariest things about the COVID-19 pandemic is that it’s impossible to completely protect yourself from it. No matter how frequently you sanitize your workplace, or how much you promote social distancing and office hygiene, there’s always a chance that someone will get sick.
As the owner or manager of your company, you need to be prepared for the possibility of one of your workers getting infected. Reacting correctly will not only safeguard the health of your employees: it will also minimize the financial losses your business may suffer as the result of the outbreak.
Keep reading to learn more about how to deal with a COVID-19 case in your office.
Can workers return to a workplace after it was disinfected for the coronavirus disease?
The first thing you should do if one of your employees tests positive for COVID-19 is to immediately separate them from other employees, vendors, customers, and visitors. This is best done by sending them home, or calling them an ambulance if they’re experiencing severe symptoms.
Sick employees should not return to the workplace until they’ve been approved to do so by a registered medical practitioner. Employees who aren’t infected themselves, but who have a sick roommate or family member, should observe CDC-recommended precautions and notify their supervisor.
If it has been 7 days or less since the sick individual has been in the office, any areas they used for prolonged periods of time should be closed off for 24 hours, and then extensively cleaned and disinfected. These areas can be used normally afterwards.
How long do companies need to close for disinfection after an exposure to the coronavirus?
The answer to this question depends on whether the business is considered essential, the severity of the COVID-19 outbreak, and when the infected individual has last been in the facility. Essential businesses such as airports and train stations can continue operating no matter what.
For other businesses, the general rule is that you should cordon off the area used by the sick employee for at least 24 hours before performing a thorough cleaning and disinfection. If you’re unable to close your business for that long, you should still strive to close it for as long as possible to reduce the risk of infection.
If it’s been more than 7 days since the sick employee has been in the facility, there’s no need to close the business for disinfection.
How do I support employees as they return to work during COVID-19?
Whether an employee has stayed home because they were positive for coronavirus, they were taking care of a household member who was positive for the virus, or your business has practiced a work-from-home policy, eventually they will have to come back to the office.
Ask yourself the following:
- Is it safe enough? As an employer, it’s your duty to thoroughly test health and safety measures to ensure your premises are indeed safe for employees and customers alike.
- Is it essential? Can the employee continue to work from home? If the answer is yes, your safest option is to continue the work-from-home policy for as long as possible.
- Is it mutually agreed? There needs to be a clear dialogue between the employer and the employees in order to reduce any potential anxiety and ensure everyone at the workplace understands that all measures have been taken to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace.
Where can I book the top office cleaning services in Paramus?
As we stated at the beginning of this article, there’s no way to be 100% safe from COVID-19. Smaller businesses have a lower possibility of having an outbreak than ones located in large, public buildings like the Garden State Plaza, but the chance is never zero.
The only way to minimize the likelihood of infection is to ensure your premises are expertly cleaned and disinfected on a regular basis. Here at MaidWhiz, we can help you with that. Book your commercial cleaning today and take full advantage of our full satisfaction guarantee.