The office currently becomes one of the new clusters to the Covid-19 transmission in Indonesia. There have been a growing number of cases in recent weeks.
UGM Epidemiology expert, Bayu Satria Wiratama, revealed that there should be the implementation and strict controls of health protocols in every office. It aims to ensure that every active employee in the office adheres the protocol set.
"There is a high risk of transmission in the workplace, especially when there is closed space of the workplace and interactions with many people. Because it needs firm control from the covid control team in the workplace," he said.
According to him, it indeed has a high risk of transmission at work. Moreover, in closed workplaces and there are interactions with many people. In a closed office room, he explained, the droplet which could be the source of Covid-19 transmission can move throughout the room, especially in a room that uses the air conditioner.
According to him, in performing the policy to restore activities in the office partially or as a whole, each institution is necessary to make a risk assessment and make several adjustments to the working conditions in the office to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Ideally, every office needs to have good air circulation, and adjust the seating position with a minimum distance of 1 - 1.5 meters. While in terms of working hours, there should also be adjustments to reduce the ratio of the number of workers in the room, one of them is by applying a shift system.
"We need some shift adjustments to reduce the intensity of workers in a closed room. It can be in some various forms. One of which is by shift working hours," he added.
He added, every worker needs to apply the 3M principle and avoid 3K, both when working inside and outside the office.
He explained that 3M's principle is mandatory to wear masks in all office locations, keep a distance by adjusting the table and position of each person, eliminating shared dining rooms, and making strict prayer arrangements, and washing hands by providing facilities and education and strict rules.
Bayu emphasized that employee should keep wearing their masks during their activities in the office, even though there are separators or bulkheads between tables.
"You can take off your mask if you eat, but it is strictly forbidden to talk," he said.
Whereas, there is also a 3K principle that we must avoid. Those are appeals to avoid crowds, close and close contact, and closed rooms/rooms.
"Sometimes people are preventive when they are in the office, but when they are outside, they become not vigilant, hanging out with friends, continuously eating and chatting, also taking off their masks," Bayu said.
Health Protocol Application at UGM
In response to the new cluster deployment problem of Covid-19 in offices, Covid-19 UGM Task Force Coordinator, dr. Rustamadji, said that UGM had prepared several anticipatory steps before implementing maximum easing restrictions on campus some time ago.
A Circular to the New Normal Structure at Universitas Gadjah Mada issued in early June regulates steps for the overall restoration of academic and non-academic services as providing health protection for UGM community members.
One of the steps taken is a change in the work system, which includes adjusting the work system through flexibility in carrying out official tasks from the office and home, adjusting governance, and preparing infrastructure support.
Besides, UGM also established a policy of opening academic activities inflows so that the flow of students returning to campus also runs steadily.
"This virus cannot move, but the person moves. So, we create shifting in the hope that the distribution does not spread quickly," he added.
Since the implementation of this policy, according to him, each unit has been quite successful in implementing health protocols, even developing many innovative measures to prevent Covid-19 transmission.
"So far, we have excellent results. When viewed from the number of visits relating to covid so far there have been no cases of academics personnel who were exposed and subsequently infected," Bayu said.
Author: Gloria
Photo: Freepik.com
Translator: Natasa A