RETURN TO WORK PLANS – are you prepared?

As restrictions around the country are beginning to ease and we move from the lockdown phase into the recovery phase, organisations and businesses are closely reviewing their daily cleaning practices and frequency of cleaning.  There is a whole new standard against which cleaning regimens are being assessed in order to ensure the health and safety of building occupants.  Accordingly, as more and more businesses open their doors to welcome staff, clients and customers, organisations need to have robust return to work cleaning plans in place that clearly outlines what a return to business entails.

This pandemic has brought cleaning and cleaners into the spotlight with the result that greater value is placed on cleaning and greater value placed on the people doing the work - our cleaners are among our frontline heroes.  Cleaning and it’s role in the day-to-day functioning of all sites where people congregate, work and live has become a higher priority for businesses.  Thpalnis extends outside the workplace to schools, hospitals, aged residential care facilities, early learning centres, shopping malls, - and the list goes on.

Cleaning companies and the cleaning industry has responded to the crisis by implementing new training programmes for staff so they can implement appropriate infection control measures and preventative steps as part of their regular practice.  These training regimes include new work practices and protocols and stricter rules around use of PPE to prevent the spread of infection and to protect cleaning staff.  Public health guidance and fast-tracked Covid-19 cleaning certification modules, along with the new training programmes, have been vital to the cleaning industry as first responders during the height of restrictions.

Businesses are also stepping up their internal staff training with mandatory COVID-19 hygiene courses and programmes being implemented across the country.  Hospitability and tourism businesses will be required to comply with these new practices and will have to display signage to indicate their venue or business is compliant. 

It Is important for all organisations and busines to have a return to work cleaning plan and for this plan to be reviewed and revised frequently during different stages of the pandemic and as conditions change. A return to work cleaning plan will need to include following key element:

1. PREPARE – prepare your workplace for occupation
   1. Understand how your organisation’s health and safety risks under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 have changed
   1. Prepare your workspace for occupancy
   1. Conduct deep cleaning and establish daily cleaning schedules
   1. Review staffing – staggered starts / entry & exit procedures / meeting spaces / food prep spaces / identify vulnerable workers / work from home where possible
   1. Take all reasonable steps in maintain social distancing
   1. Have a documented plan of response to a COVID-19 infection

• INFORM - Prepare welcome packs for staff to inform them of new policies and cleaning arrangements such as:
  • Hygiene protocols
  • Cleaning practices and schedules
  • Workstation protocols
  • Social distancing measures
  • Use of kitchen facilities
• Reporting of ill-health
• Client/customer interaction protocols
• Implement ongoing two-way communication with staff
• PREVENT – ensure management of health and hygiene by:
  • Identifying touch points in the workplace
  • Providing appropriate ‘hands free’ sanitation stations
  • Increase frequency of cleaning of washrooms/breakrooms/dressing rooms
  • Use of PPE where appropriate for interaction with visitors/clients/customer eg. Masks; gloves
  • Health Testing policies, and how these will be implemented
  • Review external services eg deliveries, waste management
• RECOVER
  • Monitor effectiveness of return the work programme and make necessary adjustments
    • Is it effective and does it support those workers who have returned to work
    • Has it contributed to restoring business confidence
    • Does it support the health and wellbeing of staff
  • Regularly review and update your Business Contingency Plan

Safety, hygiene and wellbeing are now top of mind.  It is essential that organisations and business owners take the necessary steps to review, upgrade and document their return work plans and especially their cleaning programmes to ensure the health and safety of all.  People want to feel safe and know that their employer cares about their health and safety, so there will be more focus on the “visibility” of cleaning, with more cleaning being done in the daytime and during work hours. 

Upgrading cleaning practices, regimens and protocols is a major priority for organisations not only from a hygiene and infection control perspective and the wellbeing of staff, but also to store business confidence and profitability.

Where a worker is returning after an injury, your return to work planning should also line up with the support available through ACC, so cleaning, hygiene and workplace adjustments are handled together rather than in isolation.

At White Spot Group we can assist you with reviewing your cleaning programmes and scheduling.  Our staff are certified and highly trained to deliver superior outcomes.  Call now for an obligation free consultation.  0800 107 017