The coronavirus pandemic has taught us many things. One of these is how quickly and easily viruses are spread between one person and another. If you’re running a home office, here are some extra precautions to create a safe space for you, your family, and your clients and customers.
What makes a home office safe?
In today’s environment, the ability to discuss things face-to-face or to collaborate in person means mitigating the risk of transmitting the coronavirus or one of its variants. For your home office, there are a few ways to do this. These include:
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Create distancing opportunities.
Most health experts recommend standing or sitting at least six feet from people outside of your immediate family, especially if you and the other party have not been vaccinated. To do this in your office, use a long conference table or space your office chairs a few extra feet away from your desk.
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Go contactless when possible. Even if you can’t avoid having people come into your office, you can make some processes happen without physical contact. One example is to use business software for your mid-level company. This way you can manage inventory, track time, and handle payroll right from your smartphone.
- Reduce airborne contaminants.
Because most viruses travel on aerosol droplets, one of the best ways to reduce particles in the air is to ensure that you have adequate airflow. Air purifier manufacturer Blueair explains that this can have a meaningful impact by diluting the number of airborne contaminants in an enclosed space. If you can’t afford an air purifier, opening the windows or keeping a small fan in your office will offer some protection.
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Mask up.
Most of us are tired of masks at this point, but the fact remains that they remain one of the most effective ways to slow the spread of the virus. The Medical College of Wisconsin explains that cloth face masks, although not the most effective, are a viable option. You could offer these embroidered with your logo or, if you don’t have the budget for this, keep a box of medical grade masks – the blue ones, which are available at most pharmacies – at the entrance to your office.
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Use ultraviolet light.
When used properly, ultraviolet radiation can reduce the number of pathogens floating through the air. There’s still quite a bit of confusion on this one, so it’s best to contact your healthcare provider for their opinion before you rush out and spend the money on a UV lamp.
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Keep your office away from your family. Make sure that your home office has a separate entrance so that potentially sick customers don’t infect your family. The opposite also applies, and keeping your business area separate from your home reduces the chances that a sick family member may make one of your clients ill.
- Utilize natural light. Bringing in more natural light can make us calmer, and according to the Rebuild Your Vision blog, artificial light is bad for your eyes. Furthermore, having poor lighting in your office may encourage customers to lean in closer to you to look at things like chalkboards, computer screens, or prototypes.
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Wash fabric surfaces often.
From the sheets on your bed to your carpets and upholstered furniture, make a point to keep all of your fabric surfaces clean. This rule also applies to high-touch hard surfaces, such as the mailbox, doors, and office supplies (pens, notebooks, copiers). If your upholstered furniture needs to be professionally cleaned, you can find well-reviewed furniture cleaning pros on sites like Angi. Check your furniture’s warranty to see if it will cover the cost of cleaning.
While the safest interactions are still done online, it is possible to minimize potential risks at your home office. Make sure that you can distance safely, keep the air and surfaces clean, and minimize interactions between your family and your customers. The right lighting and an offer of a free mask will also help. If you’re ready to get back to business, remember to do so safely. Your family and your customers are counting on it.
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