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MrBrightside  
#1 Posted : 10 September 2020 10:25:29(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
MrBrightside

Hi All,

Has anyone seen or come up with some good ways to encourage employees to social distance in the work place. We have all the standard floor signs, marking, arrows, spocial distanced desks etc but people tend to gravitate towards each other, especially when looking at something on a screen.

Other than keep reminding people and going full Running Man, i'm looking for something effective.

Thank you in advance

A Kurdziel  
#2 Posted : 10 September 2020 10:40:38(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
A Kurdziel

There is no magical formula for this: its down to changing the culture which of course will takes time. At one time spitting in the street was regarded as acceptable as was smoking at the dinner table. That’s gone. Most people feel uncomfortable if not wearing a seat belt in the car. Using a phone while driving is going that way. In the meantime, all you can do is your best. There is also the issue of being too overbearing. On my commute the train staff will say must wear a face covering, which is true. They will then add if you have an exception you must provide evidence (which is not true) and that if are caught you will be subject to an instant massive fine; again, not true. A great way to upset people.  Just become you move in closer that 2 m from someone does not mean that anything will happen virus wise(viruses don’t understand  the difference between 2 m and 1.5 m)   

Roundtuit  
#3 Posted : 10 September 2020 11:05:04(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Roundtuit

You can't really change nature - the phrase is social distancing because humans are invariably sociable

Zorbing balls? won't get much work done but they will be physically separated.

There is of course the ubiqutous app - one being trialled relies upon BlueTooth and some wizardry involving a form of echo style location which is fine providing:

1) Everyone has a phone compatible with the app

2) The phone has the correct hardware

3) The phone is switched on, and despite the background energy drain, remains charged for the full shift

4) The phone is not in their locker or attached to the nearest charging point

5) The workplace permits phones on the "shop floor"

6) Your employment does not involve engagement with the others or the public who do not have the app

Or the reverse engineered parent/child proximity alarms which now warn of approach rather than wandering off again the usual issues regarding being charged, worn and working.

Instruct employees not to wash - within a week or two no one will want to get near "swampy"

Sorry for the above, when you have done the reasonable as listed in your post anything else......

Perhaps for their next trick will be the suggestion of Covid Marshalls in the workplace - start rolling in the fines to fund the pandemic.

Roundtuit  
#4 Posted : 10 September 2020 11:05:04(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Roundtuit

You can't really change nature - the phrase is social distancing because humans are invariably sociable

Zorbing balls? won't get much work done but they will be physically separated.

There is of course the ubiqutous app - one being trialled relies upon BlueTooth and some wizardry involving a form of echo style location which is fine providing:

1) Everyone has a phone compatible with the app

2) The phone has the correct hardware

3) The phone is switched on, and despite the background energy drain, remains charged for the full shift

4) The phone is not in their locker or attached to the nearest charging point

5) The workplace permits phones on the "shop floor"

6) Your employment does not involve engagement with the others or the public who do not have the app

Or the reverse engineered parent/child proximity alarms which now warn of approach rather than wandering off again the usual issues regarding being charged, worn and working.

Instruct employees not to wash - within a week or two no one will want to get near "swampy"

Sorry for the above, when you have done the reasonable as listed in your post anything else......

Perhaps for their next trick will be the suggestion of Covid Marshalls in the workplace - start rolling in the fines to fund the pandemic.

biker1  
#5 Posted : 10 September 2020 11:14:40(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
biker1

Yes, COVID marshalls with cattle prods, that would do the trick.

thanks 2 users thanked biker1 for this useful post.
Connor35037 on 10/09/2020(UTC), A Kurdziel on 10/09/2020(UTC)
achrn  
#6 Posted : 10 September 2020 11:21:59(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
achrn

Originally Posted by: Roundtuit Go to Quoted Post

There is of course the ubiqutous app - one being trialled relies upon BlueTooth and some wizardry involving a form of echo style location which is fine providing:

I think the government has competely dropped all pretense of doing anything with the world-beating app.  Now we're going to have world-beating testing instead (that merely relies on technology that doesn't exist and a near doubling of the NHS budget).

They do seem rather fixated on having world-beating this-that-or-the-other cloud-cuckoo fantasies.

thanks 1 user thanked achrn for this useful post.
A Kurdziel on 10/09/2020(UTC)
peter gotch  
#7 Posted : 10 September 2020 11:29:32(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
peter gotch

I'm with AK.

I think you are going to have to try and let people apply some of that "common sense", reminding many of them that your precautions are not just about protecting those in the workplace but the more vulnerable (mostly elsewhere) as well.

It would be reasonable to assume that the risk is going to be in some way proportionate to distance, and thence the "viral load" (though the level of correlation will depend on other variables such as indoors/outdoors, air conditioning etc).

Some of the research suggests that a small part of the virus could spread 8m or more when someone e.g. coughs. Other research indicates that even without a face covering most of the viral load from a cough is contained within 1m of the person who coughs. With a face covering "most" can reaonably be expected to be a greater proportion of the viral load than without.

The first glimmers of evidence are emerging that there is some kind of correlation between viral load and infection, i.e. what you would expect without the research findings.

So, may be time to ignore the debates as to why there are different rules (that keep changing) in four parts of the UK and get back to discussing Covid just as you might many other risks

AND to ignore the rules that apply beyond the boundary of the workplace (as those rules are NOT your problem!)

Let your colleagues do their OWN risk assessment, think about the issues, and answer the question...

"All else being equal, is it LIKELY to be safer 2m away from each other than 1m?"

"...and if we must be 0.5m, 1m or 1.5m apart, what else can we do to reduce the risk of transmission?"

Then it's about engendering that culture that for the time being "we are all there to look after each other and those beyond the workplace".

Once you have overcome that hurdle then perhaps you can also discuss what people do beyond the workplace, but that's probably for another day.

P

John Murray  
#8 Posted : 10 September 2020 11:58:34(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
John Murray

"Has anyone seen or come up with some good ways to encourage employees to social distance in the work place"

Have a few of them start coughing. Opens-up a gap immediately.

MrBrightside  
#9 Posted : 10 September 2020 12:26:52(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
MrBrightside

I think you are going to have to try and let people apply some of that "common sense"

That did make me laugh. I have made a note of cattle prods.

Thanks for the feedback so far. 

thanks 1 user thanked MrBrightside for this useful post.
A Kurdziel on 10/09/2020(UTC)
chris42  
#10 Posted : 10 September 2020 12:34:23(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
chris42

Not specifically the workplace but I have considered getting a T shirt that says “If you are close enough for me to punch you, I may”. Now I wouldn’t, but look like someone that could!

I have wondered about getting everyone clown trousers, you know the type with the big hoop in the waist band and braces. Perhaps just a threat, and get some clown music on my phone to play when I spot someone.

Perhaps a swear jar type fine system, with proceeds to the Christmas party (if there is such a thing)

When people get absorbed in what they are doing they subconsciously gravitate closer, it is natural for them. All we can realistically do is get their management to keep reminding them, and hopefully they start reminding one another. I suspect there are a lot of people who feel it will not happen to them.

Chris

MrBrightside  
#11 Posted : 10 September 2020 12:48:05(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
MrBrightside

I just marked out a 2m zone around my desk (floor and desk). Its amazing how many people actually stop when there is a line. Might need to buy more tape.

thanks 1 user thanked MrBrightside for this useful post.
A Kurdziel on 10/09/2020(UTC)
biker1  
#12 Posted : 11 September 2020 09:57:35(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
biker1

On the subject of the government's latest brainwave, COVID marshalls, this has got the police forces scratching their heads. They don't understand what their role is, and since they will have no legal enforcement powers, it comes across as yet another PR stunt from the powers that be. Stand by for the arguments and fights in the high street. Since security people in large shops and supermarkets are not compelling the wearing of masks, I don't hold out much hope of these marshalls achieving much.

grim72  
#13 Posted : 11 September 2020 10:23:42(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
grim72

It's not something I've tried personally but I had heard good things about the Mind the Gap app that Network Rail use. There was a feature about it on the BBC News site: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-54091539 I guess you could have all office staff download the app and see if that can help at all?

I'm amazed no-one has developed the safety zone lighting that we see around forklifts yet so we can stick them on our heads and walk around with a 2 metre blue/red circle around us.

MrBrightside  
#14 Posted : 14 September 2020 08:15:40(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
MrBrightside

So my new list of control measures:

  1. More tape
  2. Flashing light in head
  3. Laser projection of a 2 m circle around each person
  4. T-shirts with a threat of violence
  5. Clown trousers (colour optional)
  6. Common Sense
  7. Cattle prods

I think that should cover it, thanks everyone.

thanks 1 user thanked MrBrightside for this useful post.
chris42 on 14/09/2020(UTC)
nic168  
#15 Posted : 14 September 2020 11:28:27(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
nic168

Roundtuit, you may laugh but I have just been copied into a return to work plan which included a refernce to myself and the facilities manager walking the floorplates to check thet people were observing the 2m rule and following all the arrows. I have queried this-on the grounds that they are all grown ups and the virus does not have a tape measure. Roll on October 30th.
Hsquared14  
#16 Posted : 14 September 2020 12:39:06(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Hsquared14

All I can say is that where I work has been open all the way through in a "hot spot" area.  People do their best at social distancing but we are all human and occasionally things do slip but we haven't had a single case.  We have all the signs, tape, perspex screens etc in place and everyone has hand sanitiser.  But I think everyone here is just too busy to spend much time with other people and therefore no one has been sick. 

thanks 1 user thanked Hsquared14 for this useful post.
RVThompson on 14/09/2020(UTC)
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