Once it is safe to return to the office, a new normal to promote health and provide a sense of safety is going to be expected. Health and safety considerations are rising in importance, alongside our continued considerations for cost, team cohesion, and productivity.
As our understanding of the current health crisis evolves, so will the recommendations to protect the workforce. However and whenever workers start to physically return to the office, the tactical approach to the office should consider CDC-recommended physical distancing guidelines, individual health necessities, and personal protective equipment requirements. The design of the physical space can make it easier for employees to comply with these considerations. Physical barriers, visual mobility and usability cues are actionable changes that, when paired with organizational, cultural, and individual contributions, will foster employee health and sense of security.
Physical Barriers
Physical barriers (e.g. panels, screens, stack-on storage, etc.) may be added to separate employees during work tasks. These barriers, while not necessarily a replacement for physical distancing, may help reduce the risk of virus spread by impacting respiratory droplet travel.
Physical barriers may also serve as a reminder for employees to remain physically distant and provide a sense of comfort and a feeling of safety. However, it will be important that employees do not feel so comfortable that they revert to old habits. Communication and education will be critical to remind employees of proper procedures.
Cleanability
Separating employees for individual work by incorporating physical barriers is important, but so is cleaning those barriers. Facilities should select materials that can be easily and regularly cleaned with CDC-recommended chemicals.
Although fabric panels have been a popular addition in offices due to their perceived acoustical values and tackability, glass, laminate, or metal screens may provide better cleanability. Not all fabrics can withstand the harsh chemicals recommended for disinfection. Regardless of the materials chosen, care must be taken to clean and disinfect these materials according to manufacturers’ guidance, so the finishes are not ruined. For Allsteel’s recommended COVID-19 cleaning and disinfecting protocols, click here.
Remember: it’s important to review updates from the CDC, but it is generally believed that viruses can continue to live on hard surfaces and therefore be transferred through touching those surfaces. The benefits of physical barriers are reduced if they are not cleaned in a way that will kill viruses. Even those products that are labeled anti-microbial will require frequent cleaning. To learn more about antimicrobials, click here.
Application
When considering application, the addition of taller spine or lateral screens can help define personal boundaries at a desk and protect employees from direct contact with their adjacent co-workers. Taking into consideration the minimum and maximum heights needed for your employee’s work processes will aid in the barrier’s effectiveness. Consider whether these panels are connected to fixed stations or whether they will need to move with a height-adjustable desk. Location of workstation may also mandate special consideration. For example, a desk on the end of a row or a collaboration area in a corner may be prone to accidental contact as pedestrians pass through halls. Here, a whiteboard panel can be installed to minimize accidental contact.
Storage should also be considered when creating boundaries. Tall filing cabinets can be moved or brought in to establish barriers between walkways and personal workstations, and above-desk cabinets can work like panels to separate employees’ face-to-face interactions.
Visual Cues
Visual cues are another consideration to reinforce and promote physical distancing and provide a sense of security. Visual cues are signals that allow employees to act with certainty, support organizational requirements, and mandate social responses in an environment where uncertainty and stress may be higher than normal. Visual cues are physical reminders to individuals to adhere to recommendations and ensure that all employees are using the same protocols. These considerations may save employees unintended physical collisions but will also reduce need for awkward conversations between employees about ‘best practices.’
Examples of visual cues include:
- Arrows or one-way markers to indicate the correct orientation of walkways
- Indicators of 6-foot spaces in locations where lines may occur (e.g. coffee machine)
- Color/material cues to reinforce breakout spacing
- Entrance and exit markers in rooms with multiple entrances
Poka-Yoke: Mistake-Proof Your Space
Poka-yoke is the art of designing spaces or products to mistake-proof the use. In this context, poka-yoke can be applied to spaces and applications to create intuitive social distancing. By creating an environment where users naturally act to distance themselves, there is less room for human error.
Conclusion
Humans are social creatures and collaboration aids productivity. This is true in spite of the current global health crisis. Though the office may look different when it is safe to return, thoughtful consideration and tactical execution of the designed environment, along with holistic cultural and organizational support, will allow workers to readily return to the office to work together again.