The "new-old" SARS-CoV-2 occupational health and safety regulation has been in force since 1 October, because a significant increase in the number of corona cases is expected for autumn and winter. Companies are urged to introduce appropriate protective measures, such as special hygiene concepts. Again? Has nothing changed? Yes, it has! Clever companies have made provisions during the summer months. Because wearing a mask at the office or all back to "home office" is really no longer necessary.
A significant increase in the number of infections is expected in the coming months. However, it is no longer just a matter of the feared overloading of the health system, but rather of the survival of many companies. While a year ago we were still somewhat protected by the fresh vaccination, today - as the summer has shown - one can be infected very quickly and also repeatedly with the supposedly mild Omikron variant. And that has consequences for the entire economy. Because infected people are not as seriously ill as with the delta variant, but many more people are, and possibly more often. Staff absences are already noticeable - train connections are cancelled or letters cannot be delivered.
This makes it all the more important for companies to do everything possible to ensure that employees not only enjoy coming to the office, but can also have contact with colleagues without restrictions and stay healthy.
The well-known and proven rules come into force again:
Implementation of the AHA+L rule at workplaces
Reducing the number of people in contact with each other at work, e.g. by reducing the simultaneous use of rooms
Offer of home office
Mandatory use of masks wherever technical and organisational measures for infection control alone are not sufficient.
Test offers for all employees who are present
But do we really still need the mask in the office today? There are now technical solutions that make it superfluous. UVC air disinfection devices, such as UVIS Air can be one of the technical protective measures and make wearing a mask superfluous.
For the sake of health and the environment
As much as the pieces of paper in front of the nose and mouth protect against infections, they have also become a problem. According to the magazine Business Insider, three million Corona masks end up in the rubbish worldwide every minute - a time bomb for the environment. Research is already underway on reusable masks, but funding is still lacking to move forward quickly.
This makes it even more important to look for environmentally friendly, sustainable alternatives. Sterilising water, air or materials with UVC light is not a new technology. The high-energy light has long been used in medicine or in the food industry. With UVIS Air, this technology is now also available as an environmentally friendly and safe measure against all kinds of germs in offices. The constant, disinfected air flow forms a kind of protective bell jar and thus ensures 99.99 percent disinfected air at the desk or in the meeting room.
The digital world has become part of the DNA of many companies, and working remotely is no longer a novelty. Nevertheless, collaboration in the local offices and interpersonal exchange is also extremely important for success. Making this work safe is the responsibility of the companies. UVIS Air gives back a piece of security in the offices and in meetings that was not there for a long time.
Sources:
https://www.bmas.de/DE/Service/Gesetze-und-Gesetzesvorhaben/sars-cov-2-arbeitsschutzverordnung.html
https://www.businessinsider.de/wissenschaft/corona-masken-plastik-einweg-globales-umweltproblem/
Published: October 4, 2022