Is your practice set up for social distancing of your team?

9 Mar 2020

The workplace is changing rapidly and Cassins can help with the physical layout of your practice. COVID-19 has changed how healthcare practices need to be configured to keep staff socially distanced. You may be considering having staff return from working at home or returning to normal hours. So, you need to ask yourself ‘How complaint is your workplace?’ You may have read many things about the increased need for PPE in workplaces. But have you considered how the workplace and workspace might need to be altered?

You might also be considering how to bring all your employees back to your practice, so it is important to put reasonable plans in place for your staff. Workplace compliance against COVID-19 by way of social distancing requires that they be kept 1.5 m apart. This is a requirement before staff can return and is highly likely this measure will remain in place for the foreseeable future.

For example, office workspaces may only be able to hold half the employees (or patients) they were originally designed to accommodate, to ensure employees desks are spaced out from one another. Filing rooms, reporting rooms, kitchens, toilets, waiting rooms and other small rooms will also be impacted. It is important to check the restrictions imposed by the NSW state government and any industry-specific requirements.

Things to consider:

  • How many team members do you have and what space do they need to work in?
  • How closely do they need to work together? How am I going to socially distance my team?
  • Do they need to interact with anyone else such as patients, industry reps, sample collection couriers, etc. Does this include physical contact?
  • Social distancing measures may require that physical screens, barriers or layout changes need to be implemented.
  • Do your doors need a relatively inexpensive, easily retrofitted hands-free opening solution?
  • Can you further reduce touch points by installing senor activated lights or taps in toilets?
  • How often is your air conditioning serviced and what grade of filters does it have?

Cassins can work with you to provide current, appropriate and cost-effective options, which may include works done while you continue to practice. Call our team on 1300 122 774 to find out how.