As workplaces and factories implement safety practices and protocols to prevent transmission of COVID 19,. Employees and other personnel need to be protected while ensuring business continuity so that livelihoods are not impacted. WHO, ICMR, Cambridge, Oxford studies, and researches including the people who have been cured have proved that immunity is the winner. As per recent ICMR studies about 34000 people were tested from hotspot areas and 30% of people had developed antibodies remaining asymptomatic. These people had such strong immunity that they didn’t even know that the virus had hit them. Prevention is better than cure. Routine SOPs and sanitizations are in place but now there is a need for a twist in WELLNESS SOPs workplaces can attempt to follow for a healthy workforce and to mitigate the spread of the pandemic .
Let us have a lowdown on small changes and WELLNESS SOPs an organization can try to assimilate in the modified work culture.
IMMUNI-TEA
Substitute TEA/ COFFEE WITH KADHA CHAI
Masala tea or what we call as CHAI has always been a traditional Indian Drink. You can replace the tea or coffee vending machine with freshly served MASALA CHAI or KADHA twice a day. Since its summers, the ingredients have to be balanced to not to heat the body and stomach. Spices in both should ideally have cloves, cardamom, tulsi leaves powder, ginger, pepper, and cinnamon. Add mishri instead of sugar. This will cool the heated effect of spices and replace the white sugar. Serve immunity and serve good health for sustained productivity. Make boiled water available to be consumed sip by sip. A regular practice will substantially improve immunity and fight any virus on a daily basis.
AYURVEDIC HAND SANITIZERS
Be cautious against fake Methanol based sanitizers flooding the market. Very few brands are licensed to produce and market alcohol-based hand sanitizers. With boycott China and global unrest situation, buy only DESI, Local Vs VOCAL HAND SANITIZERS. Brands like Kairali are hardcore Ayurveda Indian brands that produce Hand Sanitizers made with Aloe vera, Lemon, Basil, Vit E, Glycerine based with a minimum of 70% alcohol. Such Hand Sanitizers are worth an investment to save skin, health, and protection from COVID 19 and other viruses. It not only kills bacteria but works as a moisturizer too.
HOMEMADE CLOTH MASKS
Discourage the use of purchased masks. The employers can get masks stitched from their own employees and promote in-house manufacturing. It can be ideally made with organic cotton or pure cotton. This mask is not only reusable infinite times but extremely soft, skin-friendly, and does not suffocate. It is easy to wash and reuse. Does not seal the nose and mouth. It can decrease the incidence of flu by up to 75%. Few East Asian countries follow this practice of routine use of masks. While a surgical mask can be used only once, the respirator mask needs to be discarded when breathing resistance increases or gets soiled. Getting mask stitched also encourages and gives employment to women or men sitting at home. Cloth masks must be washed in soap and water and dried, before being reused.
INCENTIVIZE WITH HEALTH KITS
Essentially a health kit given every month to the workforce should have homemade cloth masks, Ayurvedic locally made sanitizers, Kadha sachets, zinc, and Vitamin C Celin tablets, Indian manufactured PPE kits, hand gloves and IMMUNITY kits that have herbs like GILOY, Ashwagandha, and others. This little incentive is not a cost but an investment towards an undisrupted workforce, work and increased productivity thus.
Office Workout compartments
Embrace and inculcate the culture of healthy living.
Organizations with possible space can create OFFICE WORKOUT COMPARTMENTS-- Anxiety + lack of physical activity + unhealthy eating make a deadly combination in reducing immunity. If your lifestyle is causing you to have a weakened immune system, it is time to correct that. Employees can take healthy workout breaks during the day with regular Yoga Sessions, especially 10-20 minutes Pranayam to strengthen lungs and immunity. Those who can, do cardio-based exercises to increases heart rate and spot jogging. Dancing classes are also a great way to keep active. Just 30 minutes can really contribute to the daily exercise quota. Eat healthy food (fruits, Vitamin C rich food). Eat lots of fruits and raw vegetables. Drink a good amount of water, lime water, etc. A combination of raw garlic, ginger & pepper has got strong antiviral properties (can be taken with honey).
WELLNESS HOLIDAYS- Medical leaves of employees can be twisted to WELLNESS HOLIDAYS to provide IRON HEALTH for good productivity of the organization. Invest in health is priceless. It’s a new world post-COVID. With immunity as a shield, its time to give wellness holidays as a bonus. Let your office team experience and indulge in health break with wellness programs for a naturally healthy lifestyle. Healing traditions of ancient India such as Ayurveda, Naturopathy, Yoga, Meditation, Sattvik food, balance the mind-body and soul. Heal the root causes and come back energized with dual-energy at work. Embark on a healing journey with Holistic medically supervised health optimization programs
Canteen- Immunity with Cleanliness
The meals and drinks at the office Canteen should be loaded with immunity and proteins. Amla candies, supplements, basic and generic multivitamins, fruit juices, and bowls with Vit C, Masala Chai, Sherbets, and others can be ideal picks on the Canteen Shelf. A maximum of 4 employees per table should be allowed. Switch on to pre-prepared meals where possible and do a no contact delivery. Use disposable cutlery and if the canteen uses durable cutlery, sanitize dishes with hot water. Drinking water facilities to have disposable cups. Staff to carry their own water bottles and tea/coffee mugs. They should clean it themselves rather than sending it for someone to clean. Dustbins should be closed/ covered ones and not open ones especially in lunch areas, washrooms. Perfect cleanliness to be followed in kitchens and pantries.
EMPLOYEE WELFARE SCHEMES
Created an internal website and/or call-in line where employees can access relevant information. This website or call-in line should be closely monitored to ensure appropriate and timely responses. Identified one designated point of contact regarding the plan for all employees.
Share your coronavirus response plan with employees and explain what human resources policies, workplace and leave flexibilities, and pay and benefits will be available to them. Push for Video Conferencing and Telecon or App-based meetings.
COMPLIMENTARY INVENTORY - Keep enough stock of disinfectants, tissues, liquid soap, thermal scanner, masks, gloves, 1% sodium hypochlorite, and others to knock out unseen germs. Do not put the costs of additional COVID 19 essentials on employees. Rather combat costing with lesser miscellaneous expenditure. For efficient screening practices, use thermal guns (to read the temperature) to be available and staff to be educated on checking everyone's temperature. Re-organize office spaces keeping in mind social distancing. Evaluate all the waiting areas????and ensure social distancing in practices. Distance out seats/chairs/ sofas and block them with neat labels
Know the Extent
It is important to use masks and wear gloves. But it is equally important to know ' to what extent'. You can avoid wearing masks while driving,. It is recommended to use a mask only if you have someone in front or very close. It is extremely important to lift it every 10minutes as prolonged use of masks and breathing exhaled air turns into carbon dioxide which may make you feel dizzy. AVOID MINDLESS SANITISATION- Think once, what can kill the virus, would that gas leave you without a side effect? Sanitize your seat once initially but not every hour as only you are using it. Attend conferences but prefer standing during the meetings. Ensure a change of air through the HVAC system and open windows after every meeting where possible. Keep the social distance of 2m. Sanitize devices like laptops, mobiles, or computers. Contact with gadgets is inevitable. Blow some compressed air around the keyboard to remove crumbs and dust particles from between the keys or just distribute some cleaning slime that will grab gunk from the nooks and call it a fun work play activity.
Recite Mahaprana Dhwani- Inhale deeply and silently for about 4-5 seconds concentrating attention on the cranium and pressing lips softly together, exhale slowly and without interruption, produce the sound of mmmm resonating like buzzing bee. This may last for 8-10 seconds. Repeat for at least 11 times. This meditation technique activates both the pituitary gland and builds immunity immensely.
(By Khushboo Jain Founder, MadAboutWellness | Spas & Wellness Expert. Follow on Instagram -@khushboospas, www.khushboojain.co.in )