Office Guidelines Post Lockdown- Advisory for All Companies

Operational Rules

• Gathering of 5 or more persons at any office should be avoided.
•  Install thermal scanners at the entry of office buildings, as feasible. The mandatory placing of hand sanitizers at the entry of office buildings. If having flu-like symptoms, a person may be advised to take proper treatment/quarantine, etc. No employee should stand/sit closer than 6 feet from another.
• Avoid sending physical files/ documents. Undertake essential correspondence in official mail.
• Lunch breaks to be staggered to avoid gatherings
• Discourage to the maximum the entry of visitors in the office complex. No “non-essential” visitors allowed in offices. Only those visitors who have proper permission of the officer who they want to meet should be allowed and should be properly screened before entering the premises.
• Meetings, as far as feasible, should be done through video conferencing. Minimize or reschedule meetings involving a large number of people unless necessary.
• Employees need to work in shifts, with an hour’s gap between shifts
• Use of staircases to be encouraged. In case of lifts, no more than 2-4 people should be allowed at a time
• For staff dependent on public transport, vehicles will need to be arranged by companies. These will be allowed to work with 30-40% passenger capacity.
• The employees who are residing in notified containment zones are advised to follow the guidelines of local authorities regarding the movement in these zones ad should join office only when conditions are relaxed.
• Advise all employees who are at higher risk i.e. older employees, pregnant employees and employees who have underlying medical conditions, to take extra precautions. The companies may take care not to expose such employees to any front-line work requiring direct contact with the public.
• Identify a room or area where someone who is feeling unwell or has symptoms can be safely isolated o Have a plan for how they can be safely transferred from there to a health facility.

Points to keep in mind for maintaining good health & hygiene

• Masks must for all employees.
• Adequate hand sanitizers to be available at the workplace.
• Use of Aarogya Setu app is a must.
• Thermal screening mandatory for all staff.
• All workplaces to keep a list of COVID hospitals nearby.

 Guidance on facemasks

• It is essential that workers use face masks properly so that they are effective and safe.
• The use of face masks may be considered when working in closed spaces with other persons, or when it is not possible to maintain a safe distance from other people. Such situations may arise not only in the workplace, but also at clients’ premises, when carrying out visits or deliveries, or when using public transport.
• Face masks should only be considered as a complementary measure and not a replacement for established preventive practices, such as physical distancing, cough and sneeze etiquette, hand hygiene and avoiding face touching.

• It should fit properly, completely covering the face from the bridge of the nose to chin.
• Clean hands properly before putting the face mask on or taking it off.
• Only touch the cord or elastic at the back of the face mask when removing it, not the front.
• If the face mask is disposable, be sure to do so safely in a proper container.
• If reusable, wash the face mask as soon as possible after use with detergent at 600C.

Guidelines on disinfection-Indoor areas including office spaces

• All the office spaces meeting rooms, lunch places, conference rooms should be cleaned twice in a day i.e. in the morning before office hours and in the evening after office hours. All the desks, the chair should be disinfected properly with soap and water. It is important to wear disposable rubber boots, gloves and masks before starting the process of cleaning.
• Start the process of cleaning from cleaner areas and keep on going towards dirtier areas.
• The indoor areas of the office such as gates, entrances, lobbies, lifts, corridors, staircases, escalators, elevators, security guard booths, office rooms, meeting rooms and cafeteria should be cleaned with a help of a disinfectant. Use 1% sodium hypochlorite or phenolic disinfectants.
• High contact surfaces like phone buttons, handrails, intercoms, printers/scanners and other machines should properly be cleaned with 1% sodium hypochlorite. Soak in a linen cloth in it and clean from every side.
• Things like pens, dairy, files, keyboards, mouse, mouse pad, should be cleaned properly.
• Metallic surfaces like doors, door handles, keys etc. should be cleaned properly with alcohol-based disinfectant.
• Office premises should install hand sanitizing stations at the entry and nearby the cafeteria.
• If someone in the office is coughing without following the customs or masks, his/her seat and the nearby area should be cleaned with 1% sodium hypochlorite.
• Avoid the usage of disinfectants on highly contaminated areas (such as washrooms) as the splashes contain in it can spread the virus.
• Clean the toiler floor by using detergent and broom/brush. Properly scrub the floor using detergent or soap powder and wash off with the water.
• Clean the Toilet pot with 1% Sodium hypochlorite and long handle angular brush. Clean the inside of the pot with recommended agents and brush while using a scrubber and cleaning agents for the outside.

Do’s & Don’ts

Do’s

• Do follow the physical distancing. 
• Do maintain personal hygiene 
• Do hand wash frequently. Use the hand wash, soap or use alcohol-based hand rub. 
• Do cover your mouth and nose with a mask while going out 
• Do sneeze and coughing in your elbow.  
• Do discard used tissues, masks, gloves carefully in the closed bins after use. 
• Do visit a doctor if feeling unwell. Do wear a mask and hand gloves while visiting a doctor. 
• Do check your temperature and if you feel any symptoms, call State helpline number or the 24×7 helpline number of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare at 011-23978046. 

Don’ts 

• Don’t shake hands with anyone. 
• Don’t maintain close contact with anyone and especially if someone is suffering from cold, fever and breathing problems and if you are experiencing cold and fever. 
• Don’t touch your eyes, nose and mouth
• Don’t spit in public
• Don’t travel to places without any work and take preventive measures while going out. 
• Don’t club in large crowds and gatherings. 
• Don’t believe in the wrong information and stop spreading rumours or panic.