The Awful Truth About Why You Need Sneeze Shields
Posted on: 26 October 2021
Sneeze shields stop spittle and germs from landing on you when someone sneezes, coughs, and even loud talking from landing on food or other people. As the COVID pandemic continues, ebbing and flowing over time, the use of plastic shields at counters and other non-food areas may start to wane. However, if you are remodelling your business or even constructing the interior for a new one, don't ditch those sneeze shields. If you weren't planning on placing them at customer-facing stations, you may want to do so now.
Some People Will Never Cover Their Mouth
Despite all the advice to cover one's mouth when coughing or sneezing, some people simply will never do it. Others who routinely cover their mouths still occasionally can't, either because their hands are full or the cough or sneeze is without warning. The sneeze shield protects the person they're talking to from the force of the sneeze or cough. Remember, even though sneeze shields were mainly used at restaurants to protect food at spots like salad bars, that was just one use. You don't have to have a food establishment to use these shields. Certainly, you're not going to be able to protect everyone (e.g., two workers speaking to each other somewhere else in the office or store). But for workers who have to face random customers every day, the shields can be a blessing.
No Illness Doesn't Mean You Want That Spittle Anywhere Near You
When called out for coughing or sneezing on someone or something, many people apologise. Unfortunately, some just refuse to apologise and instead insist they're not ill, so no one should complain. Don't put your workers through that—install sneeze shields and plastic sheets so that your workers simply don't have to deal with it at all. It still won't be pleasant for other customers stuck in line with the person, but your workers will be safer.
COVID Isn't the Last Pandemic
Australia is fast approaching the end of the second year of dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. While vaccination will soon (hopefully) change the game in this country, you also have to keep the future in mind, which means accepting that this isn't the last pandemic society will ever see. And pandemics don't have to be exotic novel viruses; known viruses like the flu can cause a pandemic, too, as they did back in the 1910s. Putting sneeze shields up now and leaving existing ones in place is a good move given that one day, you might need them again.
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