Keeping Your Workplace Safe Amidst Lightening COVID Restrictions

Post by:The Reserves Network

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the world to think differently about the way they work regarding health and safety throughout the last year. Now, as regulations are lifting state by state to “get back to normal,” employers need to evaluate how to keep their employees safe while on the job.

In honor of National Safety Month, here are suggestions to consider for ways to reconfigure your workspace as your state lessens restrictions it put in place during the during the pandemic.

Listen to your employees.

It’s important to keep in mind that, while some of your employees may be ready to go back to the way things were before COVID-19 others may feel safer with certain processes remaining the same. Listen to your staff and find out what you need to do to help them feel safe at work.

To do this, consider sending out a survey to each employee to ask how comfortable they are with certain protocols: face masks, social distancing, staggering shifts, etc. Then, use their feedback to decide what safety processes you can get rid of and which you should continue to adopt.

Determine what best practices to keep in place.

Your company most likely implemented several new safety protocols at the beginning of the pandemic in order to keep the workplace as safe as possible, while still meeting production deadlines.

There are most likely a few simple things that are easy to keep in place that will make every employee:

  • Continue to encourage sick workers to stay home until they are well.
  • Ask each employee to assess their health and potential symptoms before entering your facility.
  • Keep handwashing and sanitizing stations set up throughout your workplace and ask your employees to use them frequently.
  • Keep using a touchless clock in system or consider investing in one.

Remain safety conscientious.

Just because the COVID-19 regulations are being lifted doesn’t mean you should become complacent regarding workplace safety. Don’t take your foot off the gas! Continue to monitor your state’s recommendations moving forward and see how these fit into your specific workplace.

In addition, make time to discuss these changes with your employees. Have regular discussions to keep them up to date on ever-changing rules and guidelines, whether it’s COVID related or not.

Under any circumstances, changing your workplace environment is challenging. The Reserves Network has over 35 years of valuable insight on ways to create and maintain a safe and efficient workplace. Contact us today to learn more!