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If there’s any commercial foyer or waiting room that needs to be as hygienic as it can be, clinical healthcare environments should lead as the example to follow.

With so many people rotating in and out, sometimes sitting near one another, and potentially spreading communicable illnesses, it’s essential for clinical staff to manage their commercial waiting spaces, both public and private.

Essential hygiene management can never be 100% perfect, after all, humans are messy, and transmit respiratory bacteria. We saw similar outcomes during the Covid-19 pandemic when exterior distanced waiting lines, border sections between seats, compulsory mask-wearing, and constant rotation of waiting patients were emphasized.

But it’s not just about the stop-gap measures you put in place to secure and protect those people under your care, it’s also important to recognize the need for a baseline level of continually improving hygiene standards.

In this post, we’ll discuss how clinic waiting rooms can sustain the most hygienic space possible and as such, cut down on transmissible diseases or undue mess.

Let’s get started: 

Ventilation & HVAC

Airflow throughout a public space is always going to determine how fresh and hygienic the area is, not entirely, but significantly so. This is why commercial contractors use HVAC software to manage continual installations, servicing, and upkeep of waiting room services.

From air conditioning that helps rooms remain at a stable temperature, especially in summer heatwaves, to ventilation that allows air to move through the space appropriately, the consistent ability to provide fresh air will help determine the comfort of this waiting space.

In some cases, light heating during the winter months can also cause those who may be bitten by the cold outside to relax more easily and gather themselves before the appointment, preventing the very real need to sneeze or spread bacteria to other possible waiting room guests.

Sanitation Procedures

Essential sanitation procedures should be very much in place no matter the time of year or volume of clients you speak to each day.

This will include using protective cases for sofa cushions or chairs, disinfecting surfaces, and seats regularly (including door handles), cleaning the restrooms, and also the magazines you may have in the middle of the waiting space.

If you have public water coolers or coffee makers, then it’s good to disinfect those and make sure implements such as cups or mugs are washed thoroughly before return use. Hiring a commercial cleaning company or in-house janitorial service to commit to light or deep cleaning every hour or two is ideal, and publicly-visible cleaning checklist documents can reassure attendees that you invest in their calm comfort while attending your offices.

Touchless Solutions

Touchless solutions, like automatic doors that open when motion is detected, scanned entry for temporary guest passes, or having your clinicians open the door to clients let into the private areas can help reduce how often visitors will touch certain surfaces in your building.

While these measures can be as extensive or as light as you feel is necessary, it’s always good to consider how they fit within your clinic, and if it’s worth the investment. Of course, some provisions offer a wise upgrade opportunity, such as sinks that turn on at the wave of a hand, or motion-detecting hand driers that prevent regular surface touching.

Staff Hygiene 

Staff hygiene goes without saying, but of course, it’s always good to make this a matter of policy and not just an outcome you hope for by offering gentle reminders. To begin with, ensuring staff know to wash their hands when coming in and out of certain areas can help prevent the transmission of bacteria.

You can also provide staff with masks if they need it, develop a robust policy of staff calling in sick with your front desk before the day begins, and ensure they know the essential sanitization measures when handling inventory or transferring medical items. 

Waste Management

It’s essential to implement capable waste management measures. Making certain that you use the appropriate refuse bags for organic materials and then storing them in strong containers that are regularly cleaned is essential.

Usual waste paper can be placed in your recyclable bins, and public wastage bins should have closed lids and changed when full throughout the day. Good waste management can also be aided by a particular wastage service that visits you daily or every other day, to pick up your refuse and appropriately handle it.

Waste management of this nature not only prevents refuse from building up, but it always makes certain that you have recourse if a bag breaks or you need specialist handling over certain materials – for example, clinics may need to manage used syringes that can be transported safely. 

It’s also important to secure your refuse areas, as sometimes, your value as a clinic can lead you to dispose of unique items that thieves may be interested in harvesting the raw materials of. This might include hazardous chemicals or their containers, old medical equipment, discarded prescription medications, and more. You will no doubt follow the correct regulations for disposing of these items in line with the medical stipulations you work under, and we’re certain that will include handling your refuse correctly.

Of course, doing so also achieves better hygiene, a win-win.

Auditing Practices

You can never correct poor handling of your clinic management without appropriate audits. Depending on the country you live in, many medical centers will encounter governmental health inspections and auditing from the regulatory bodies that govern the permissions they have to operate. 

In many cases, it can be healthy to pay for private companies to come and hold you to an even stricter standard than these bodies could. They may even offer training for your staff members to follow, allowing you to optimize your approach, working smarter and not harder.

This may even unveil glaring issues that have since gone unnoticed before an official regulatory body may have looked at the situation with less lenience. For example, if the waiting room of your private clinic has a problem with fruit flies due to the restaurant next door, despite your constantly deep cleaning, then you can address that issue more stringently and work with the appropriate health bodies to find a solution.

Layout & Navigability

Ultimately, it’s worthwhile to design your waiting space so that fewer people have to sit in close proximity to one another. Navigability is also essential, as wheelchair access, easy evacuations, and the ability for clients to find a seat without having to step over the legs of others seated will ensure better hygiene.

This will also have a positive effect on other suggestions here, such as letting you develop better airflow and ventilation throughout the waiting room. It will also help clients take a seat more comfortably as they wait to be called, as opposed to having to “circle” a row of seats before they move closer to the office. It’s also good to have easily accessible utilities, like the water cooler, near easy to reach waste baskets in multiple seating locations.

Hygiene Provisions

You can also provide simple provisions to help clients stay safe. Simple masks that can help them cover their nose and mouth if they have a respiratory illness are optional but helpful. Hand sanitizing gel dispensers can also ensure everyone present has the chance to keep their hands clean.

You can also remind clients of their hygiene obligations with signs that encourage them to make use of these facilities. They’re here for a reason, after all.

With this advice, we believe you’ll have integrated some of the best and most essential hygiene management solutions for your clinical waiting rooms.