Employees are not the only people returning to the office. We are going to see a lot of changes  in relation to visitors’ policies to ensure everyone’s safety as operations evolve to accommodate the new normal. Adequate planning is required to manage human elements as well as physical resources that can be altered according to best practices and individual mandates.

Add Acrylic Sneezeguards
Physical barriers have become no-nonsense necessities that are set up to discourage unnecessary touch, limit items shared with the reception staff, and block any airborne pathogen from spreading across the counter. Most reception spaces were not originally designed with a barrier in place, but current circumstances have prompted many vendors to increase the production of temporary solutions for added safety.

There is a high demand for clear acrylic sneeze guards and safety shields. They have already been popping up in a restaurant, retail, and reception environments. Whilst many of these solutions were initially forged from DIY pieces of plexiglass, well-designed machined temporary sneeze guards have become new and important commodities for the interim.

A guard that has aluminum framing to keep the unit upright and stable at all times can be selected for use in large areas. There are new wrap-around units that provide protection on all sides, as well as full-height guards that suit positions like security guards or valets that may not have desk protection at all times. Smaller units can be placed in front of narrow windows, to provide a smaller footprint for easy storage and assembly.

Find Touch-Free Solutions
Go for a touch-free program to increase the safety of your sign-in system, ones that can capture more than a name. Many tablets or iPad have apps that can use voice commands to capture customers’ vital information. Some programs can capture photos, videos, or even soundbites to provide more precise metrics than a paper logbook.

These solutions should be kept on the opposite side of the reception desk right in front of arriving guests. To guarantee the security of any expensive tech, it is best to use a locked stand or anchor. This helps to keep the tablet safely in place. Tablets with charging ports can solve different problems in one, increasing visibility as well as keeping the device ready-to-run at all
times.

Create Visitor Protocol
A set of policies and practices communicating what is expected of visitors, reception staff and employees as well should be clearly determined and made available. Adopting the best practices for visitors’ management is top of every leaderships’ to-do list. However, it is important to ask reception staff and to get feedback on what would make them the most comfortable when returning to work. Choose processes that are feasible for everyone to keep up with.

● Do you want every visitor to have a mask on or other PPE? if that is the case, it’s best to provide these items to anyone arriving without one.
● Provide adequate hand sanitizer at every entrance.
● Use sanitizer and sanitizing wipes to regularly wipe down touchpoints, door handles,
countertops, and pens used for signing in.
● At all times discourage handshakes and unnecessary contact. It is a no-brainer to include a gentle reminder on signage that can keep the idea of a touch-free welcome at the front of everybody’s mind.

Classify Visitor Type
Determine the importance of the various types of visitors, from familiar faces to outside parties, and communicate expectations before they arrive at the office. Take an effective approach not only based on the type of guest, but also on a timeline that will lift restrictions as safety concerns are loosened.

● Routine visitors, including janitorial staff, can be informed of best practices in advance and can be subjected to more complex safety and sign-in procedures.
● Outside clients and vendors are a bit more unpredictable parties and it may be a wise the decision to limit their contact to virtual meetings or small groups at first.
● Friends and family do hold a complicated place, although they might be better-vetted thanks to their connection to employees, it is best to limit their contact in the beginning.
● Delivery drivers might become more popular as lunch hour needs become more complex, enforcing contact-free drop-off outside of reception doors will be effective in eliminating unnecessary points of contact.

Provide Physical Guidelines
Distinctive crowd control tools, visible signage, and floor decals are clear, visceral, and silent ways that help manage the flow of visitors in waiting areas. These easy but clear means of communication can speak volumes, even if your front desk staff is busy with another guest. You can customize some solutions to meet your own internal processes, in addition to the guidelines recommended by the CDC. Providing visitors with directions to bring them into space as well as leading them to destinations is a must. Appropriate signage can be used to communicate expectations while guide ropes help keep queues neat and orderly. To provide better rules-of-thumb for safe distancing, using floor decals are an alternative to sloppy tape for providing visual boundaries.

Before important meetings after signing in, guests should be able to sit readily. Rearrange any waiting room furniture and separate eating areas. Wherever possible, remove any superfluous chairs and tables. Also, discard any reading materials that can hold hard-to-clean germs. The use of easy-to-clean vinyl seating or those with antimicrobial coating can take waiting room cleanings to another level.

Have dedicated spaces
In order to keep both employees and visitors apart at all times, set aside specific conference rooms as employee-only spaces or areas that allow outside visitors. Both areas will require strict cleanliness standards. Visitor-facing spaces should be stocked with single-use supplies and deep cleaning solvents for use in between meetings.

In extending common courtesies like providing beverages or snacks, stick with disposable items like single-use cups or water bottles. Encourage guests to come along with their papers and pens. Be sure to dispose of any consumables infrequently emptied garbage bags should they forget theirs.