It’s time to get back to business safely and responsibly. Part of this responsibility is practicing good hygiene, which has never been more critical. The pandemic has had a significant impact across various industries, introducing challenges and opportunities for businesses operating in a new environment where hygiene standards are being scrutinized more than ever before.
Heightened levels of hygienic awareness require new ways of working. Facilities can create a safer workplace by implementing new methods of cleaning to reduce the risk of infection, ensure employees and visitors feel safer, and meet enhanced cleaning and disinfecting protocols.
Help your guests feel safer
COVID-19 is shaping behaviours and attitudes toward public spaces and creating increased awareness of hygiene. In a recent survey by Tork, 77% of survey respondents said they feel more unsafe going to facilities with unhygienic public washrooms due to COVID-19 and 70% wish that more facilities offered paper hand towels as an alternative to air dryers.[1]
For facility managers, this change in perception presents an opportunity to rethink hand drying solutions. While facilities may have considered air dryers before the pandemic, a change in consumer perceptions has led many facility managers to make the switch to paper hand towels.
According to CDC guidelines, facility managers can contribute to a healthy public space by ensuring their washrooms are fully stocked with hand hygiene products, including paper hand towels.[2] Products such as the award-winning Tork PeakServe® Continuous™ Hand Towel System help improve visitor hygiene thanks to high-capacity, one-at-a-time hand towel dispensing that ensures guests only touch the towel they use.
Supplying hygiene resources
It’s important to clearly communicate hygiene protocols across facilities so visitors and staff can do their part to minimize contagion. Facility managers can integrate good hygiene practices into their reopening plans by instituting washroom cleaning checklists to ensure hygiene compliance, creating posters to encourage handwashing, and using floor decals to space out guests and emphasize social distancing. You can access free resources from Tork by downloading this Back to Business toolkit.
Hygiene can also be improved by rethinking washroom design. In hygiene-critical environments, paper towels have long been the recommended alternative for hand drying.[3] Facility managers should consider installing paper hand towel dispensers by the entrance of rooms, near sinks, and in breakrooms to help prevent the spread of bacteria that can cause illness.
Upgrading cleaning solutions
In order to create clean and hygienic spaces while abiding by safety protocols, facility managers must be equipped with proper cleaning solutions.
Digital cleaning solutions can transform cleaning operations thanks to real-time data. Tork EasyCube is a data-driven cleaning solution that improves cleaning operations via connected devices. The system allows cleaners to track visitor numbers and measure refill levels, optimize resources for greater efficiency, and send messages to coworkers in real-time to alert them of cleaning needs. As a result, staff members can focus their time and attention on where and when it’s needed most.
As society returns to work and facility managers seek ways to secure a new standard of hygiene, creating safer spaces, supplying checklists and signage to promote hygiene practices, and modernizing cleaning solutions can help transform business operations. To learn how you can secure a new standard of hygiene in your facility, visit TorkUSA.com/safeatwork.
Rachel Olasvicky is the Regional Marketing Manager – Commercial and Public Interest at Essity Professional Hygiene, a leading global hygiene and health company.
[1] 2020 Survey conducted by United Minds in cooperation with CINT in April 2020. The survey covered the U.S., with a total of 1012 respondents.
[2] https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/large-events/considerations-for-events-gatherings.html
[3] Snelling A.M., 2010.
