Updated CDC guidelines on returning to work safely

As many offices begin to reopen, health and safety is going to be top of mind for both employers and employees. Some workers may be anxious about sitting near their colleagues again after a year at home, and business leaders are doing everything they can to make workers feel more comfortable. 

But according to scientists, a lot of widely adopted COVID safety precautions might not really be doing much good.

Here’s the CDC’s updated guidance on the most effective safety measures, and the ones that might not be worth the effort.

Focus on ventilation

Scientists have agreed that the biggest culprit to COVID-19 spread is airborne transmission. This means it’s critical for your workspace to have good ventilation and air filtration. Ask yourself how often the air is changing in your space.

COVID isn’t spread through large droplets – it happens when small particles linger in the air for hours. In poorly ventilated spaces, these can build up and increase the risk of infection. Being outdoors helps these particles disperse more quickly.

One precaution a lot of employers are wasting their time with? Sanitizing surfaces, the CDC says. Scientists have determined the risk of transmission by touching infected surfaces is very low. Employers should put that money and effort into ventilation improvement.

Many companies have installed plastic dividers between employees’ desks, but the CDC thinks those are of “questionable” benefit. A study showed that the coronavirus can actually build up on these dividers if they aren’t disinfected regularly.

As more get vaccinated, COVID cases will go down, but these precautions can still be invaluable to fight colds and the flu.

Cite: Heading back to the office? Ask for air filters, not bleach

Renee Cocchi

Renée Cocchi has a passion for learning and helping other professionals do their jobs more effectively and efficiently. She earned her Master's Degree from Drexel University, and she’s spent the past few decades working as a writer and editor in the publishing industry. Her experience covers a wide variety of fields from benefits and compensation in HR, to medical, to safety, to business management. Her experience covers trade publications, newsmagazines, and B2B newsletters and websites. When she's not working, she spends her free time just chilling with her family and volunteering at a local dog shelter. Her goal in life is to help all shelter dogs get happy, loving homes!