There’s hardly an organisation that hasn’t had to make radical changes to their workspaces in some way as a result of Covid-19.  Whether it’s rearranging offices, introducing one-way systems or screening between workers, social distancing and increased sanitisation requirements have seen significant differences in production and working environments – and likely will continue to for many months to come.

To prevent common touchpoints, operatives need access to their own equipment which they don’t have to share.  This means there is less risk of the virus being passed between workers as a result of using the same utensils or tools.

Shadow board equipment stations are the simplest and most hygienic way to ensure each worker has their own dedicated set of equipment available.

To facilitate social distancing, many companies have been forced to slow down production lines and reduce numbers of operatives, which obviously has a negative impact on production efficiency and capacity. 

Using shadow boards such as tool storage stations, minimises downtime looking for equipment. This means manufacturers can improve productivity and therefore stay ahead, even with a reduced workforce!

Whether it’s for tools or PPE, now is more important than ever to ensure processes are clear and easy to follow. With a large percentage of the factory working contingent not having English as their first language, highly visual methods are the most effective way to achieve this – including visual management and shadow boards!

Having equipment exactly where it needs to be not only saves time, but it also plays a crucial role in preventing workers having to move around the plant.  Less mobile employees makes it far simpler to achieve effective social distancing and ensure happy, safe employees.

For manufacturers who have recently had to provide additional PPE for their workers to protect against Covid-19, storage of these items has not proved straightforward – especially when equipment needs sanitising to avoid contamination. 

Consider PPE storage stations for face visors along with mounted wipes so these can easily be sanitised before and after use.

With constantly rotating shift patterns and busy production schedules, there’s a very real risk that any equipment without a ‘home’ will get missed from regular cleaning and sanitisation. 

By creating a specific home for handheld tools and utensils, these items can be methodically cleaned and sanitised – board by board – to ensure there is no food safety or virus transfer risk from contaminated equipment.