The Workplace and the Coronavirus

The coronavirus has been everywhere lately – in the news, the media, on posters in buildings and in our nightly conversations around the dining room table. It’s no surprise we are all stocking up on nonperishables and bottles of water! Some businesses have shut down until the scare goes away, but for the rest that remain open, employees are asking one question: how can I stay safe at work?

1. Wash Your Hands For At Least 20 Seconds
   • Although this may seem like common sense to most, it really is the simplest and most effective way to avoid the virus. The CDC claims that the most important times to wash your hands are as follows:
     • After using the bathroom
     • Before, during and after food preparation
     • Before eating food
     • After blowing their nose, coughing or sneezing
     • After caring for someone who is sick or after changing a child’s diaper
     • After handling pets or other animals or their food and waste
     • After touching garbage

     

2. Practice Proper Manners
   • We’re talking sneezing and coughing. Instead of shaking hands with clients or coworkers, bump elbows. To help prevent the spread of germs, the CDC recommends:
     • Avoiding coughing or sneezing into your hands
     • Covering your mouth and nose with a tissue or upper sleeve when you cough or sneeze
     • Putting used tissue in a wastebasket

     

3. Tidy your workspace
   • Employers should continue to urge employees and maintenance staff to routinely clean all regularly touched surfaces in the workplace. For example: keyboards, remote controls, desks, countertops and doorknobs. Try keeping Lysol wipes and Purell handy in your office.

These small efforts throughout the workday all play a part in preventing the spread of the flu and other viruses.