Government COVID-19 -Offices and contact centres Guidance for people who work in or run offices, contact centres, and similar indoor environments.
What you need to know
Objective: To make sure that any site or location that has been closed or partially operated is clean and ready to restart, including:
- An assessment for all sites, or parts of sites, that have been closed, before restarting work.
- Carrying out cleaning procedures and providing hand sanitizer before restarting work
Steps that will usually be needed:
- Checking whether you need to service or adjust ventilation systems, for example, so that they do not automatically reduce ventilation levels due to lower than normal occupancy levels.
- Most air conditioning systems do not need adjustment, however, where systems serve multiple buildings or you are unsure, advice can be sought from your heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) engineers or advisers.
Keeping the workplace clean
Objective: To keep the workplace clean and prevent transmission by touching contaminated surfaces.
Steps that will usually be needed:
- Frequent cleaning of work areas and equipment between uses, using your usual cleaning products.
- Frequent cleaning of objects and surfaces that are touched regularly including door handles and keyboards, and making sure there are adequate disposal arrangements for cleaning products.
- Clearing workspaces and removing waste and belongings from the work area at the end of a shift.
- Limiting or restricting the use of high-touch items and equipment, for example, printers or whiteboards.
- If you are cleaning after a known or suspected case of COVID-19 then you should refer to the specific guidance.
- Providing extra non-recycling bins for workers and visitors to dispose of single-use face coverings and PPE. You should refer to guidance for information on how to dispose of personal or business waste, including face coverings and PPE.
Hygiene: handwashing, sanitation facilities, and toilets
Objective: To help everyone keep good hygiene through the working day.
Steps that will usually be needed:
- Using signs and posters to build awareness of good handwashing technique, the need to increase handwashing frequency, avoid touching your face and to cough or sneeze into a tissue which is binned safely, or into your arm if a tissue is not available.
- Providing regular reminders and signage to maintain personal hygiene standards.
- Providing hand sanitizer in multiple locations in addition to washrooms.
- Setting clear use and cleaning guidance for toilets to ensure they are kept clean and social distancing is achieved as much as possible.
- Enhancing cleaning for busy areas.
- Providing more waste facilities and more frequent rubbish collection.
- Providing hand drying facilities – either paper towels or electrical driers.
- Keeping the facilities well ventilated, for example by fixing doors open where appropriate.
Changing rooms and showers
Objective: To minimise the risk of transmission in changing rooms and showers.
Steps that will usually be needed:
- Where shower and changing facilities are required, setting clear use and cleaning guidance for showers, lockers, and changing rooms to ensure they are kept clean and clear of personal items and social distancing is achieved as much as possible.
- Introducing enhanced cleaning of all facilities regularly during the day and at the end of the day.
Handling goods, merchandise, and other materials, and onsite vehicles
Objective: To reduce transmission through contact with objects that come into the workplace and vehicles at the worksite.
Steps that will usually be needed:
- Cleaning procedures for goods and merchandise entering the site.
- Cleaning procedures for vehicles.
- Introducing greater handwashing and handwashing facilities for workers handling goods and merchandise and providing hand sanitizer where this is not practical.
- Regular cleaning of vehicles that workers may take home.
- Restricting non-business deliveries, for example, personal deliveries to workers.