The Coronavirus pandemic has taken a humongous toll on the way the world used to function. It forced countries to initiate nationwide lockdowns for limiting the transmission of the deadly and incurable virus among the people.

Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic and rising cases, India went under a complete lockdown on 25th March 2020 that eventually got extended till 31st May 2020. The lockdown has resulted in a massive blow to the country’s economy, which persuaded the government to unlock certain services and infrastructure from the first week of June in a planned manner.

Recent guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) have allowed various companies to resume their business activities and employees to return to their work under strict rules. Companies are leveraged to create a safe and hygienic office environment in order to ensure the safety and wellness of the employees.

Here are some safety measures that employees and companies should ensure when returning to work post lockdown:

1. Follow the guidelines issues by the government

First and foremost, office authorities should follow all the safety guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). While resuming work is essential for reviving the economy, safety and wellness of the people is of utmost importance. The guidelines include all necessary disinfection and sanitization procedures, management of contacts, measures to be taken in the occurrence of a case, basic preventive measures, etc. These guidelines must be diligently implemented in office premises in order to ensure a safe and comfortable environment for the employees.

2. Ensure regular temperature checks

Office authorities should conduct regular temperature checks of the employees, especially at the entrance of the building. Fever or increased temperature is one of the most common symptoms associated with the COVID-19 disease. In case any employee is diagnosed with high body temperature, he/she shouldn’t be allowed to enter the office premises. For instance, we at Wipro Lighting conduct regular temperature checks using a thermal gun for ensuring the safety and wellness of our employees.

3. Sanitize and wash hands regularly

Washing hands with soap or sanitizing them with an alcohol-based sanitizer is one of the primary safety measures all people must follow. In such a scenario, office authorities should make sanitizers and hand washing facility available to all the employees. Moreover, they should ensure the use of face masks and latex gloves and strictly follow all respiratory etiquettes in the office premises.

4. Maintain social distancing

Social distancing is the most important safety measure that people should follow in order to stay protected from the COVID-19 disease. As per the MoHFW guidelines, employees are required to follow a physical distancing of at least one meter at all times. We at Wipro Lighting ensure that our workforce maintains a distance of at least 6 feet from each other in all our facilities and office premises. In addition, we have also introduced ULTRARAY™, a range of UV lights with antimicrobial properties. These lights are capable of killing up to 99.99% bacteria and virus in the air as well as on the surfaces, eventually making the workspace safe for the employees.

The Coronavirus fears have certainly changed the way people lived and worked. Moreover, the reality is that the disease is here to stay for a while and people should learn to live with it. With the country’s economy taking a toll, people are suggested to resume their work while taking preventive measures in accordance with the guidelines issued by the government.