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What workplace health and safety measures should we keep post pandemic?

What workplace health and safety measures should we keep post pandemic?


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A just-released survey by members of The Executive Centre on business sentiment has revealed that most believe strongly that it’s a good idea to keep in place workplace safety measures – even after impact of Covid-19 is no longer a factor.

Nine out of ten respondents (91%) believe that increased sanitation of high touch-point areas such as door handles, keypad entry buttons and table tops should continue post pandemic.

It’s an especially good idea in cities like Hong Kong, where employees often commute to work on crowded buses and the MTR, where germs can gather on the hands from hand rails and seats and increase the risk of microbial infection, whether there's a pandemic or not. Regular hand-washing with soap is also recommended, especially after commuting.

The survey also found that a further 62% of respondents said that socially distanced workstations and floorplans should be implemented heading into the future, while temperature checks for all individuals (53%) and more than a third (38%) considered it a good idea for mandatory travel declaration forms for all visitors to the workspace.

It will be interesting to see if such attitudes of vigilance persist as the threat of Covid-19 begins to recede in the months and years ahead.

post pandemic protocols

Less favoured workplace protocols post pandemic
In terms of less-preferred health and safety workplace protocols after Covid, the least favoured was face mask wearing in the office. This met resistance as it acts as a restriction to certain social interactions such as smiling, eating, drinking and even to a degree breathing and having conversations.   

For similar reasons, shielded workstations also gained little favour, with respondents saying it would create a physical barrier between colleagues and can feel impersonal and unsociable.

While compulsory health declarations for employees upon office entry was also spurned, amid concerns it would require valuable time and concentration to fill out and require personal and sensitive information that employees may prefer to keep private.

The questions were posed to 425 respondents across 14 countries.

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