This month marks the one year anniversary of the commencement of the COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions in Canada. A lot has certainly changed over the course of the past year, especially the ways in which we do business. As we look back on the past year, it’s easy to see that a lot of businesses have taken the virus seriously and done everything in their power to mitigate the spread while ensuring the health and safety of customers and employees alike.
An important part of that initiative includes installing freestanding and attached sneeze guards throughout the workplace. If your business has been temporarily closed for a long time and you’re just now reopening, it’s important to make sure that you’re doing everything you can to follow government health and safety guidelines. Working with professional sneeze guard suppliers in Toronto guarantees that you’re getting a high-quality and effective product for a reasonable price.
What Is a Protective Shield Sneeze Guard?
Typically made out of plexiglass or acrylic plastic, a protective shield sneeze guard is a hard-surface barrier that separates workstations and the individuals who use them. Whether it’s separating customers from employees or coworkers working in the same space, freestanding or attached protective shield sneeze guards help prevent the spread of harmful disease-spreading germs.
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, these protective barriers have become more important than ever. They’re instrumental in keeping people apart and ensuring that customer interactions are kept to the absolute bare minimum. Moreover, protective shield sneeze guards act as an additional barrier between individuals in public spaces and prevent droplets from making contact with other people and objects in the store.
Why Does Your Business Need Sneeze Guards?
Sneeze guards serve the dual purpose of protecting both your employees and customers from potential contamination. They’ve always been a staple in the food service industry, particularly buffets, fish and meat counters in grocery stores, sandwich shops, and any other restaurants where food is prepared in front of the customer.
COVID-19 has merely amplified the need and demand for freestanding and attached sneeze guards in more public places including nail salons, banks, and retail environments. Here are a few reasons why you should consider installing high-quality sneeze guards throughout your workplace from a trusted plexiglass supplier in the GTA.
Helps Stop the Spread of Infectious Diseases
Sneeze guards provide a thick protective layer between customers and employees in the workplace. Unfortunately, not everyone is able to wear a mask for long periods of time. Some people have pre-existing or extenuating medical conditions that prevent them from being able to wear a mask and installing sneeze guards can help prevent their water droplets from making contact with other people and products in your store.
Even before COVID-19, sneeze guards were proven to be effective in stopping or slowing down the spread of other viruses including the common cold and the flu. As long as they’re sanitized regularly, sneeze guards are highly effective at protecting customers, employees, and products from contamination.
They’re Easy to Install and Clean
Plexiglass or acrylic protective shield sneeze guards are extremely easy to install. Depending on the size and layout of your business, you can have your entire workplace covered in a matter of a few hours. Hiring a local attached or freestanding sneeze guard barrier supplier can help move the project along faster and minimize your business’s downtime in the process.
Once the sneeze guards are installed, they’re extremely easy to maintain and sanitize. Simply train your employees to clean them after each use or customer interaction. Sneeze guards are also designed for workplaces that don’t directly deal with customers in person, such as offices. Encourage your employees to keep their personal workspaces clean and sanitary by providing them with sanitary wipes to disinfect their desks, cubicles, and sneeze guards on a regular basis.
They Give Customers and Employees Peace of Mind
During these particularly trying and stressful times, many customers might be nervous about returning to in-store shopping. Your employees, who are expected to deliver exceptional customer service at all times, might also be a little wary about working a customer-facing job right now. The barrier created by plexiglass sneeze guards can help give both customers and employees peace of mind in knowing that you’re doing everything you can to ensure their well-being and improve the shopping and working experience.
They Provide Additional Protection Against Diseases
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, government guidelines and mandates in public places have included:
- Wearing some type of face covering (e.g., masks, face shields, etc.)
- Wearing gloves
- Frequent hand washing
- Sanitizing hands and frequently touched surfaces
- Physical distancing
Installing sneeze guards throughout your commercial property in addition to all of these stipulations provides an added layer of protection for customers and employees. Individually, these measures are insufficient to fully slow down or prevent the spread of COVID-19. When implemented in conjunction with one another, however, they’re extremely effective and have been proven to significantly slow down the spread in public places.
Which Businesses Should Use Sneeze Guards?
All customer-facing businesses and work environments that require employees to work in close quarters with one another should install sneeze guards throughout their premises. If some employees are capable of working from home, then employers should allow them to do so for the foreseeable future.
With that in mind, here is a list of businesses that should consider installing protective sneeze guards, so that they can continue to safely serve customers in person:
- Retail stores
- Nail salons
- Restaurants and cafes
- Banks
- Supermarkets
Plexiglass Sneeze Guard Suppliers in Toronto and the GTA
Canada Plastics & Belting Inc. is a leading plexiglass supplier in North America. We design and manufacture custom sneeze guards for a variety of businesses and purposes. In addition to plexiglass, we can also supply acrylic and polycarbonate sneeze guards. Our products are solid, easy to install, and affordable. Contact us today to learn more about our products and sneeze guard installation services or to place an order.