Keep Your Team Healthy & Safe with Dalco's Top 8 Healthy Workplace Tips
First & Foremost, having a healthy workplace is vital to your bottom line. Prioritizing workplace safety & cleanliness leads to a positive, productive and healthy work environment- Which is good for everyone.
Tip One: Keep Things Clean
Disinfect High Touch Areas Often: doorknobs, light switches, keyboards, desks & anywhere else that's touched lots.
Clean & Sanitize Shared Spaces: breakrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, etc.
Use Proper Techniques: If you're cleaning often, but not fully reading directions on your cleaning products, your surfaces may not actually be clean. Thoroughly follow directions on your cleaning & sanitizing products and tools.
Tip Two: Use The Right Tools
Using the appropriate cleaning supplies is vital. We suggest using microfiber cloths, disinfectants & gloves. All of which are available at Dalco!
Tip Three: Maximize Indoor Air Quality
Ensure good ventilation and airflow, and utilize fresh air when possible. Keep those windows open whenever you can. Fresh air is the best air!
Invest in properly sized air purifiers- purifiers that are too small for your spaces won't be able to adequately purify your air. Check out this handy CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate) calculator to determine what your space needs.
Replace air filters in your HVAC & vacuums regularly. Each month, you should swap out the air filters for your AC & furnace, as well as in your vacuums & air purifiers. We recommend HEPA filters.
Tip Four: Stay Home When Sick
Encourage your employees & team members to stay home when sick in order to minimize germ sharing.
Follow these suggestions on when to stay home, from our customer Allina Health:
-Stay home if contagious, vomiting, having diarrhea or have a fever of 100 degrees or higher.
-Your illness makes it hard to focus or function at a normal level.
-You have a potentially contagious rash (staph infection, chicken pox, shingles, measles, etc.)
Tip Five: Make A Plan
Take time to build out an effective Healthy Workplace Plan. Our Dalco specialists are here (in our Midwest territory) to meet with you, and to work together to build a HWP specific to your space.
Once you've made a Healthy Workplace Plan, be sure to communicate it thoroughly to your team. A plan only works if people are aware of it.
Tip Six: Train Your Team
It made sound silly, but teach your team proper coughing & sneezing etiquette. According to the NIH*, droplets can travel around 25 feet- which is a big deal, especially in shared spaces.
Tip Seven: Prioritize Office Safety
Keep Spaces Well Lit & Free of Tripping Hazards: A safe and clean work environment protects employees from accidents & injuries.
Use Floor Matting: Over 90% of bacteria is transferred to flooring from shoes. Floor matting collects that bacteria, along with dirt & moisture.
Inspect & Maintain Equipment Regularly: Set a monthly date to inspect & maintain your equipment. Stay ahead of faulty equipment issues that can endanger your team.
Tip Eight: Mental Health Matters
Ways to help your team with their mental health:
-Offer insurance with ample & affordable mental health care
-Host workshops or support groups to provide a safe space for your team to talk or to learn methods to care for their mental health
-Offer mental health days. Ensure your employees can take time off to care for their mental health
-Create dedicated quiet spaces. Sometimes a quick break to center yourself in a quiet space
-Finally, normalize mental health conversations. Engage with your employees and team members, make sure they feel comfortable and safe coming to you for help.
If you're in Minnesota, WI, or Michigan and would like to talk about additional ways to keep your office & staff healthy, happy and safe- we're here for you! Reach out to dalco@dalcoonline.com and one of our specialists will be in touch.
*Arumuru V, Pasa J, Samantaray SS. Experimental visualization of sneezing and efficacy of face masks and shields. Phys Fluids (1994). 2020 Nov 1;32(11):115129. doi: 10.1063/5.0030101. PMID: 33244217; PMCID: PMC7684680.
