Managing the return to the office post summer holidays

Back to Infection Control Basics

Do staff understand the chain of infection? This is fundamental knowledge in Infection Prevention & Control.

The new normal is going to include things like, adequate ventilation, hand hygiene and enhanced decontamination for the foreseeable future, so your buildings may need to be reconfigured to allow for this.

• Look at devising a heat-map of areas with heavy footfall.
  
• Consider whether simple measure such as hand hygiene and increased touch point cleaning are needed.
  
• Having doors open with door stops for example - could help reduce the number of touch-points and improve air flow and ventilation.
  
• We now know that indoor air quality and good ventilation are important for reducing airborne transmission.
  
• If you have an internal mechanical ventilation system, make sure it is performing as it should .

You can contact us for a professional indoor air quality assessment

Cleaning & Disinfection

Workplaces need to be both cleaned and disinfected as often as possible, to reduce the risk of transmission. Assess your spaces and make a list of what each one needs.

For example, if there are showers and changing facilities, set clear  guidance to ensure they are  and clear of personal items .

If you don’t already have it in place consider implementing the national colour coded cleaning  scheme . The national colour-code system has been in use long before COVID-19. It is an incredibly effective way of containing pathogens by preventing cleaning supplies from inadvertently cross contaminating different areas.

If someone in an area, such as the kitchen uses a cloth, and then the same cloth is used in a bathroom, it can spread E Coli or other pathogens easily. This is why it’s so important not to cross-contaminate another area after cleaning this room. cut for everyone. 

By using colour coding on reusable cleaning tools such as cloths, mops and buckets  it significantly reduces the chance of the tool being used twice in different parts of the building. The colour codes are as follows

• Red: Bathrooms, washroom areas, areas with en-suites and shared bathrooms.
• Blue: General lower risk areas, including lounges, corridors, bedrooms, and offices.
• Green: General food and bar areas, including kitchens and food storage areas.
• Yellow: Clinical and isolation areas, including sluice rooms and laundry rooms.

Employee Health ,Safety & Wellbeing

Your workforce should feel safe to return to the office. A recent survey from TUC, polled 2100 UK workplace safety representatives.  They found that 25% reported there were no measures for social distancing in their workplace. Also a third complained PPE was inadequate.

Employee safety is of paramount importance. The visibility and consistency of COVID-19 safety measures is key to helping employees feel they are safe at work.

Biosafe from Advanced Clinical Solutions led by NHS trained Infection Control Nurses, we can help with the following infection safety measures in your workplace

Plan

• Building Design Consultancy (commissioning new buildings
• Building Works Consultancy (e.g. renovation, retrofits)
• Water Hygiene Assessments
• Indoor Air Quality
• Ventilation Assessments
• Space & Flow
• Temperature

Respond

• BioSafe℠ Deep Cleaning
• BioSafe℠ Decontamination & Fogging
• BioSafe℠ Outbreak Response
• Outbreak Management Advice

Protect

• 30+ different CPD Accredited Training Courses (Infection Control related)
• Policy and Procedure writing
• Infection Control Auditing
• Infection Surveillance & Dashboards

Visit our website to find out more or request a quote

www.biosafe.online

 www.advancedclinicalsolution.co.uk/biosafe