How to Implement Safety Protocols for Your Establishment During the Pandemic

How can you implement safety protocols in your establishment during the pandemic?

1. Disinfect your establishment
2. Observe social distancing and wear PPEs
3. Implement a contactless system
4. Log your employees and visitors

Around 90,000 businesses in the Philippines have shut down due to the pandemic. Many workers experienced being laid off. But as the COVID-19 cases are decreasing, more establishments are being allowed to reopen. People are now going out to different establishments to get their needs and buy their wants. But the “new normal” is very different than what we were used to before the pandemic.

The decrease in cases doesn’t mean that you can relax. Health and safety protocols still need to be observed and followed to decrease the risk of spreading the virus. If both establishments and its visitors are not careful, cases could increase and we could go back to lockdown. It is imperative to make safety a number one priority because this could risk businesses shutting down again. As a business owner, you must know how to implement safety protocols for your business.

Disinfect Your Establishment

The first thing that you need to do for your establishment is to disinfect it. For those that are doing the cleaning, it is important to wear disposable gloves. Double cleaning is also recommended. Wash surfaces with soap and water to reduce germs and use a disinfectant after to kill the remaining germs. Remember to clean high-touch surfaces that are always in contact with people. Some examples are doors, seating areas, counters, phones, computers, switches, handles, etc. Use disinfectants for COVID-19. If those are not available in your area, undiluted household bleach is also appropriate.

Clean your establishment regularly to prevent the spread of the virus. For hotels, rooms should be immediately disinfected after check-out. For restaurants, tables and chairs should always be cleaned after guests eat. Some establishments provide sanitizing mats where guests can rub their footwear to be disinfected. Alcohol, tissues, and disposable waste bags must also be provided at the counter for customer use.

Observe Social Distancing and Wear PPEs

Business owners must treat their guests with hospitality. Before the pandemic, physical contact such as hand-shakes is normal when meeting someone new. But nowadays, business owners must enforce physical distancing and wearing of personal protective equipment. Personnel and guests may feel restricted, but our health and safety must be the number one priority.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is clothing or accessories that decrease a person’s exposure to health risks. Both personnel and guests must wear face masks and face shields inside and outside the establishment. This is just the basic standard of the new normal that we are experiencing. Every time we go out, this is required by all establishments.

The physical distancing of at least 1 meter between people is also mandatory. Tables should be placed accordingly, and personnel to guest interaction must also be the same. Floor markers 1 meter apart should be placed for queues, while health guidelines must also always be posted on entrances and counters. Visual guides are helpful to lessen interaction and having to explain to your guests. Acrylic dividers for counters and front desks also add protection.

Security devices such as CCTV cameras can also help you monitor if physical distancing is being implemented in your establishment.

Implement A Contactless System

Your personnel will wear PPEs such as face masks, face shields, and gloves when handling cash and checking the temperature. But this means that they still have to get in contact with their guests. Have you noticed the lack of social distancing when personnel checks your temperature manually? Some guests would be uncomfortable with this, while your personnel will have to interact with hundreds of people every day.

Implementing a contactless system can lessen interaction between people while still accomplishing tasks. A contactless temperature measurement solution can help detect guest temperature accurately even when wearing masks. Some are even built with a CCTV so personnel can just check through a monitor for fever detection alarms. It can also simultaneously detect multiple people at once.

Log Your Employees and Visitors

Everyday many people would go in and out of your establishment. In this pandemic, it is important to record and monitor who those people are to assist with contact tracing. Nowadays, guests are required to fill-up a health declaration form when entering an establishment. This information informs the business owner on the health condition and travel history of a guest. But is that enough? You need more information like a photo and an identification card to keep in your records for contact tracing.

A visitor management system can help you register guests and keep them in your database. Some are even being customized to ask questions about health and travel history. Guests can also be pre-registered to inform them about safety protocols in advance.

Key Takeaway

Establishments are slowly reopening and allowing visitors. Our government is even allowing hotels to open for accommodation provided that they secure accreditation to operate. But it doesn’t mean that everything is back to normal. As a business owner, you may be wondering how to implement safety protocols for your business. You need to first make sure that every corner of your establishment is disinfected, and maintain that cleanliness every day.

Establish a contactless system for even more protection. Physical distancing is also now a norm and must be observed. Lastly, keeping a record of the people going in and out of your establishment can help you with contact tracing. We hope that our advice can help you return your business to the “new normal”. We here at ELID can help you make your business safer.