Infection control in the workplace is more predominant than ever before, particularly for the healthcare sector which has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Businesses need to follow stringent guidelines to ensure the safety of their employees by providing a safe workplace that follows adequate infection control procedures and the right equipment and training. COVID-19 has had a profound effect on mental health and for employees returning to work, meticulous infection control procedures will be integral to dissipating the psychological effect of post Covid-19 anxiety within their workplace environment and contact interaction with colleagues.
One Digital Signage and Nexus have partnered to create an end-to-end infection control programme to help healthcare businesses ensure their facilities are safe for people to return to work. The EnviroSmart programme has already been used by a myriad of businesses including The London Transport Network and over 300 department stores in the UK including Fenwicks, Harrods and House of Fraser.
The programme includes application of the world’s first antimicrobial treatment from Nexus which applies a permanent mono-monecular layer that prevents infection from touched surfaces by creating a double protective barrier between surfaces and hands, mitigating cross contamination and breaking the chain of infection. Followed up with the implementation of Germfree 24 Hand protection provided by One Digital’s smart hand washing stations. The programme also includes engagement with HR and FM departments to address the psychological impact on staff post Covid-19 and to provide reassurance to them that the organisation has taken measures to ensure a safer working environment to include environmental employee wellness and to address social distancing measures, access and way-finding routes and air quality monitoring.
The EnviroSmart programme will be an integral tool for ensuring businesses keep their staff safe in the coming weeks and months and those that have already used the system have reported positive outcomes. There were no traces of Covid-19 on surfaces and in the air on London Underground or the city’s buses after Imperial College London experts carried out tests last month and it is the second time they were negative following use of EnviroSmart. An international insurance company with a 100-seat call centre reported a 50% reduction in absenteeism due to illness having used the programme.
For Nexus and One Digital Signage, Envirosmart is the future of environmental hygiene and infection prevention. Nexus’ Michael Rollins says: “Good hygiene and infection protection in the workplace is about embedding new behaviour, good practices and sustained compliance. This is achieved by the identification and raising of awareness of touch points, the frequency of cleaning touch points and moments of hand hygiene through washing as well as the use of sanitiser for extended hand protection.
“Social distancing, hand hygiene practises and competency, cough and sneeze etiquette, waste disposal and handling controls are all critical things to also address and consider,” he adds.
One Digital Signage is really excited to be working with Nexus on the worthwhile project, which it says is a “gamechanger” for infection control in the workplace. Group Sales Director Nathan Murphy says: “The pandemic has highlight the need for smart signage that can be updated across multiple locations with a touch of a button, digital signage is tipped to be the biggest growth market over the next 4 years with more and more demand for instant up to date information.
“With the heightened threat of infection spread and for behaviours changing to regularly wash our hands, smart infection control units are integral for the health and social care sector, where infection control is so much more important for patients and the elderly and their health and wellbeing.”
