Many businesses and workplaces around the nation struggled to figure out how to keep going during the pandemic. For public-facing businesses, that often meant putting up some kind of protective barrier to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 while serving customers. Workplaces with office-based work had most employees working from home whenever possible. While some of that remote work flexibility may continue even after the pandemic is over, many people and companies are anxious to get back to their normal work routines. This raises the question for both types of workplaces: How do you assess whether the temporary social distancing barriers should become permanent?
The Temporary Versus Permanent Debate: Realistic Expectations
One of the worst things that could happen as vaccines and effective treatments against COVID-19 become a reality in the coming months would be to just go back to pre-pandemic ways of working, even though that’s what most everyone wants. It would be extremely unwise, perhaps even foolish, to think getting through the current crisis means we won’t have to think about one for another hundred years (the last pandemic of this magnitude was the so-called Spanish Flu back in 1918-1920. The more realistic outlook would be to recognize how this kind of pandemic could happen at any time. A false sense of security would be a very unfortunate outcome when this pandemic is finally over.
Keep in Mind the Capacity for Adapting and Flexibility
You’ve probably gone into businesses where temporary social distancing barriers were put up, and you might have noticed that they looked, well, temporary. In many cases, they were thrown together quickly with whatever materials could be easily obtained. This is understandable given that everyone was in emergency-public-health-crisis-mode in order to achieve some modicum of safety. Now, however, is the time to think about whether to make those temporary barriers permanent and to seek ways to leverage them into additional workplace protection to enhance safety and security.
While it’s easy to say the barriers erected got in the way of work, take a moment to step back and reflect on something amazing—how quickly everyone adapted and found ways to get work done in spite of what was happening. Yes, the social distancing barriers and practices have been annoying and downright exhausting, and yet we’ve managed to adapt. The barriers in many cases weren’t made well or didn’t use the most durable materials. Now that we’ve seen how businesses can adapt and work with these kinds of barriers, there is an opportunity to make them permanent, and of a much higher quality that preserves a better look along with functionality.
Bulletproof is also Virus-Proof
The opportunity for businesses moving forward is to replace temporary social distancing barriers that were little more than plastic sneeze guards with permanent bullet-resistant barriers that not only help prevent the spread of a virus during a pandemic but also provide protection against gun violence. One enemy is invisible, the other is not, but bulletproof barriers are a double-duty solution that works on both types of enemies. And this is the kind of integrated solution any business or workplace would be wise to consider. The threat of gun violence remains a very serious concern throughout corporate America, whether it’s professional business offices, convenience stores, financial institutions, restaurants, manufacturers, or retail establishments. It’s also only a matter of time before another infectious disease rises up to cause the next pandemic.
Creative Industries: Providing the Protective Barrier Solution You Need
The products we make at Creative Industries are bullet-resistant barriers and materials, typically transparent, that provide bulletproofing to protect employees and others from gun violence. But they also provide the kind of permanent protection needed during a pandemic to prevent the spread of a virus or other germs and bacteria that cause diseases. We offer a wide variety of standard products and can also customize anything you might need to meet your safety and security requirements. Our approach is to work collaboratively with every customer client to clearly identify your needs and then create solutions that work. We invite you to explore our website, get in touch through our contact page, or call us up toll-free at 800-776-2068. We’re here to help!