Stop the Spread! The Benefits of a Sneeze Guard for Your Workplace

In the age of COVID, companies need to be more cautious than ever when it comes to protecting their employees and products. Without proper personal safety equipment, businesses are risking the safety of their employees and the general public by staying open. 

How can businesses ensure the safety of their employees and clients within their workplace?

Many companies have started placing a sneeze guard around areas with high traffic to protect the public. Here is how sneeze guards work and why you should use them in your workplace.

What Are Sneeze Guards? 

A sneeze guard is a large plexiglass shield that stands as a physical barrier between two people, usually an employee and a customer. They can be used just about anywhere, from grocery store checkouts to workplace cubicles. 

Sneeze guards can be made from a variety of different materials, including glass, plexiglass, and acrylic. While many companies use flat versions of these barriers to protect their employees, there are also curved variations held in place by strong metal frames to give a larger range of protection.

When Are Sneeze Guards Used?

These barriers are used in a variety of situations and were around long before the pandemic. They can be used to protect food in a display case, as well as to keep a chef or baker separate from what they are baking. 

Sneeze guards are frequently seen as barriers where employees and clients interact directly, such as at grocery stores, banks, and clothing stores. Anywhere where two people interact directly, you'll likely see a sneeze guard in place to protect both parties.

Not only are sneeze guards used to prevent germs from transferring between people, but they help companies adhere to the six feet social distancing rule set by the CDC. Placing the barrier strategically will help your employees and customers stay a safe distance from one another, stopping the spread of the virus.

The Benefits of Using Sneeze Guards Properly

Sneeze guards can offer a variety of benefits to your company if implemented and used properly. Here are a few of those benefits.

Ensures Safe Food Preparation

When your bakers or chefs are preparing food, it's imperative that they aren't breathing, coughing, or sneezing on the products. By placing a sneeze guard in front of the cooking area with a hold for their hands and tools, you are effectively cutting off their ability to get germs onto the food they're preparing.

Sneeze guards are also great to protect any food put up on display, such as in a bakery where baked goods are set out. They not only prevent your employees from affecting the food, but they also keep your customers from getting anything onto the food as well.

High Durability

Because of the sturdy materials that sneeze guards are built from, your protective barriers will last a long time. You won't have to worry about them cracking or shattering, either. Extra support can be added to the bottom of the barrier as well to ensure it doesn't fall over and shatter on the floor.

Using glue and adhesive strips, your sneeze guard will stand firm and tall wherever you decide to place it! All you have to do is examine the adhesive every few days to make sure it's still sticking well.

Offer Full Visibility

Many companies dislike the use of masks because it prevents people from seeing your face. With sneeze guards, you have a full range of visibility of both your employee and the customer on the other side of the physical barrier.

Although the sneeze guard is a wonderful way to protect your clients and employees, you should still require masks in your store. Any steps we can take to slow or stop the spread of COVID are important to implement!

Easy to Clean and Disinfect

Because of their smooth, sleek materials, sneeze guards are super easy to clean and disinfect on a regular basis. Encourage your employees to disinfect them whenever they have a free moment for the cleanest and safest experience.

Make sure to disinfect the outside of the sneeze guard as regularly as possible, since it sees more foot traffic. Cleaning the inside before and after each employee's shift is the best way to stop the spread of COVID.

Sneeze Guards Can Be Folded for Easy Portability

If you need to transport your sneeze guards anywhere, you're in luck! They are made with wonderfully lightweight materials, so moving them from place to place is a breeze. 

Not only are they light, but larger sneeze guards are also built in a way that allows them to be folded up for easy transport. Of course, this is only applicable to sneeze guards with multiple sides; smaller sneeze guards are easy enough to move to a different location without the need to fold them up.

Have Your Employees Start Wearing a Sneeze Guard Today

Overall, placing a sneeze guard between your employees and your clients or your employees and your products is a fantastic way to prevent the spread of COVID at your workplace. No matter what size or material you choose to use, purchasing sneeze guards for your company is perfect for making your workplace safer for your clients and employees alike.

Are you curious about what type of sneeze guard would work best at your location? Do you want to know more about the different materials your sneeze guards could be made from?

We're here to help. Contact us with any questions you have regarding the purchase of your own sneeze guards, and share this information with your friends and family to help prevent the spread of COVID today.