Tag Archive for: Covid-19

Can Office Cleaning improve your business?

It is really important to make sure your surroundings are clean, not just at home, but at work too.  Office work usually means that people are in fairly close proximity to one another, so hygiene and cleanliness are key, especially in the unprecedented times that we find ourselves in.  There are many affordable office cleaning services available, but before you engage one, make sure that they’re the best fit for your commercial premises, in order to get the best from them!

Flexibility is a two way street

Usually you will be able to choose a time slot that suits you for your cleaners to come in, either in or out of office hours.  Each business is individual, and their needs can differ greatly, so flexibility between you and your contractor will benefit you both.

Expert Care

Your contractor is expert in looking after the cleanliness and hygiene of commercial premises. They know your requirements, and tailor their service to deliver the best possible schedule of cleaning to you.

Making your clients feel at home

A professional cleaning service can have an indirect impact on your potential clients and customers.  When they visit your office, they will note that you run your business from clean and sanitary premises, free from dust, dirt and grime.  This will let them be assured that you care about the cleanliness of your surroundings and take into account the health and safety of your employees.  This will all have a positive impact on your business.

Save time

Cleaning in-house is all well and good, but it could detract your attention from other important jobs. On the other hand, if you and your employees are busy with particular tasks, then cleaning can get forgotten completely! Save yourself some time and hassle by employing a professional cleaning service – many are geared up for specialist COVID-19 cleaning. You will then have time to devote to your business!

 

You can see the services that Brightr offer here or view our COVID-19 service here.

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Cleaning your Workplace to Reduce the Risks of COVID-19

An employer’s first duty of care is to their staff, and as such you must protect them from harm. As the phased return to work is underway for most businesses, this means that reasonable steps must be taken to protect everybody from contracting Coronavirus.

The virus, just like other cold and flu viruses, can be transmitted from the carrier to surfaces, and then passed from the infected surface to other people that come into contact with it. By making sure your workplace is clean the risk is reduced, and your business can be classed as ‘COVID secure’.

Before you decide on the level of cleaning needed for your business, a risk assessment needs to be carried out to help manage risk and how to work safely and protect people during the pandemic.

There are lots of factors to consider; identifying how often you will need to clean, which surfaces are touched frequently, and whether deep cleaning is necessary every day.

Frequently touched surfaces are generally classified as such due to the amount of people touching them and the frequency in which they are touched. These can include:

• All work surfaces such as desks and workstations
• Door handles, window handles, dispensers and water coolers, taps, kitchen appliances, cupboards
• Common or staff areas such as bathrooms, reception areas, changing rooms and corridors
• IT equipment
• Goods inwards or outwards

It is not always possible to clean items or areas after every use. Implement measures to clean them often, or whenever possible. There are also ways of reducing the need for cleaning:

• Limit the amount of people in any one area.
• Clear clutter, thus reducing the need to touch objects.
• Fit foot plates to doors eliminating the need to touch handles.
• Insist on thorough handwashing at regular intervals.
• Be flexible; agree to a balanced home/office work schedule. The fewer people in work at any one time reduces the risk of the spread of infection.

Depending on the type of business you run, you may need to implement regular deep cleaning. This is a thorough clean of frequently touched surfaces, carried out at least once a day. You may need periodic cleaning; this is cleaning at different times during the day. This might also include regular cleaning of items immediately after use.

Talking to your workers is imperative; encourage them to co-operate with new measures put in place, and if you have an onsite cleaning team to engage safely with them. They should be responsible for keeping their personal working space clear of clutter and debris so that effective cleaning can be carried out.

Notices can be used to communicate the need for sanitary conditions during the coronavirus pandemic. Posters used to inform your staff of their responsibilities and to inform them of cleaning schedules will help with co-operation around your cleaning staff or contractor.

Whichever way you move forward, the situation we are in is sure to be the new normal, at lease for the foreseeable future. Cleaning companies such as Brightr have a dedicated COVID-19 cleaning team who will wear full PPE when cleaning your premises. For advice or a quote, get in touch here.

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Staying Safe when Returning to Work

With business set to restart over the coming weeks, many people will be understandably nervous about venturing out to work in the wake of the current Coronavirus pandemic.  They’ll have spent the last few months in the safety of their own home, either furloughed or working from home.  As they return to the office, and must get used to a new normal, many will need reassurance that it is safe to do so.

As employers there is a lot that can be done to give that reassurance, and many practices that can be put into place in order to stop the spread of not just the Coronavirus but other germs and viruses too.

When you reopen your doors to invite your workforce back, it may be prudent to invest in a professional clean; many cleaning companies like us here at Brightr undertake specialist COVID-19 decontamination cleaning, as well as regular commercial cleaning, all in line with current rules and guidelines.

Set an example

Whether you are an employer or employee, take responsibility for your own personal hygiene.  Wash your hands with soap and water regularly and use hand sanitiser between hand washings. Insist that everyone else also adheres to hand washing rules, and be sure that light switches, socket switches and door handles etc are regularly sanitised.

Be distant

Stay socially distant from others to reduce the risk of transmission of all germs and viruses.  Personal cleaning coupled with regular contract cleaning will ensure your workspace stays hygienically clean and sanitary too.

Halt the spread

The cold and flu viruses can survive for up to 72 hours on some surfaces, and although studies are still being carried out on Coronavirus (because it’s a new disease) it’s understood that it can survive up to 48 hours on surfaces, although the infectious virus is likely to decrease significantly by 24 hours.

Be flexible

As many employers are staging a staggered intake of employees, remaining flexible will be key in the coming months.  Self-isolation is a very real possibility for your workforce at one stage or another until a vaccine or cure is found for COVID-19.  Help to contain the virus by maintaining social distance, isolating any suspected infected person, and ensuring a regular schedule of cleaning is kept.

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