The events of this past year have been very hard on every business, especially small businesses. As the economy starts to reopen and employees come back to work, it is essential that employers do what is necessary to minimize the risk of employees getting COVID-19. Many of the ways this can be done are already known: Wear a mask, practice physical distancing, wash hands often, and regularly clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces. One other way for employers to minimize this risk is to improve the office ventilation systems.
According to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration’s COVID-19 guidance on ventilation:
Ensuring adequate ventilation throughout the work environment can help to maintain a safe and healthy workplace. Employers should work with a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) professional to consider steps to optimize building ventilation. An HVAC professional can ensure that the ventilation system is operating as intended.”
OSHA offers the following tips to optimizing ventilation:
- Ensure all HVAC systems are fully functioning
- Remove or redirect all personal fans to prevent blowing air from one employee to another
- Open windows or use other sources of fresh air, where possible.
- Make sure exhaust fanes in restrooms are fully functional, operating at maximum capacity, and are set to remain on.
COVID has drastically changed how we run our business. These are just few recommendations from OSHA regarding improved ventilation. We recommend visiting the KPA’s Coronavirus Resource Center for more information like this. Keeping your employees safe and productive is our number one goal.
Click the Calendar to schedule a free consultation to talk all thing COVID response. We are here to help.
