TAMPA, Fla. — As more companies are asking employees to come back to the office, it's important they make the workplace safe and comfortable.
That can be difficult when a virus like COVID-19 spreads so easily through the air. But, a local developer and builder started helping companies make protecting their employees a priority.
Think about it, since this pandemic started, if someone coughs or sneezes near you or even within earshot, it triggers a fear in us that is not altogether unreasonable anymore. We don't want to get sick and working in a room full of people will never be the same.
There are a lot of steps businesses can take to add layers of protection, but it all starts with airflow.
Jonathan Moore's company, Invision Advisors, consults with businesses to check their airflow and help protect employees.
One of the most important things they check is how the air moves inside the workspace.
"Every business is different, whether they have cubicles or they're a restaurant with seating or a retail shop... understanding how people move and sit still in a space and how long they stay in the space."
Moore has tools to help determine spacing for how the business is used and for arranging seating and desks for optimum safety.
"Ultimately we started to talk about airflow and I use this little toy, I have it here. It's a wind detector, but it really can start to document how a sneeze would move through a space."
Moore said it's all about making sure people feel safe.
"You really need to make sure that you're employees, your customers, your clients are comfortable in any environment that you bring them in to ask them to perform the work that they're supposed to be doing."
If rearranging seating doesn't work, then there options to refit air conditioners with special filters or even UV light for extra protection.
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