Common mistakes that risk Covid-19 in workplace

There are a range of things that many businesses are doing that risks Covid-19 spreading through their workplace.

Co-founder and Director at Cleancorp, Lisa Macqueen discusses some of the most common mistakes being made at the workplace, that risk Covid-19.

“At Cleancorp, we have been on the frontline of the Covid-19 pandemic, having cleaned and sanitised more than 1000 premises and received thousands of commercial enquiries since March,” says Ms Macqueen.

“Unfortunately, we have seen a significant proportion of organisations cutting corners or unaware of what the difference is between cleaning and Covid-19 disinfection services.”

Common health & safety mistakes:

1. Failing to update to a new contingency plan. “If they haven’t already, organisations should revisit their contingency plans to ensure they are not being overcharged or are locked into an old pricing schedule when they could be shopping around for more competitive rates.”
2. Missing crucial touchpoints. These include surfaces and underneath chairs in hospitality premises – and the chairs themselves.
3. Relying on spray-and-wipe techniques. When cleaning an area that has had a confirmed case of Covid-19, hospital-grade disinfectants need to be used in the curing process.
4. Lack of transparency with employees and site visitors around cleaning practices. “Greater transparency from organisations around the cleaning tools, disinfectants, agents and techniques they are using is crucial for gaining the trust of their workers and customers, as well as ensuring that these people feel safer and more confident about their personal health and safety.”
5. Implementing rules for legislative compliance only, rather than for people’s safety. Ms Macqueen says that many organisations have taken steps to convey their compliance with Government requirements to avoid fines, WorkCover claims or negative publicity – instead of doing so with the aim of making people safe.
6. Using the same cleaning materials across multiple areas. Clean wipes must be used for every piece of equipment shared between people and rooms. Sufficient instruction and supervision should be provided to make sure that these surfaces are properly sanitised.
7. Applying the same rules to confirmed Covid-19 sites. “At Cleancorp, we have extended the 1.5 metres rule to 10 metres to ensure there is no close contact between our staff on a confirmed Covid-19 site. We have also taken measures to ensure that all cleaners wear PPE before entering the site and have no contact with the client.”