Office communal kitchens

[RatherBeInBed]

If you have gone back to work in an office, can I ask what measures have been put in place around use of shared kitchens? I have been tasked with putting a risk assessment together relating to this, and have thought of a few issues that don't seem to be mentioned in the HSE or gov.uk guidance:

Should washing up with a shared sponge be allowed or should we bring our own sponges? Or do we encourage the use of disposable cups?

Does the dishwasher kill the virus?

Is there any risk in sharing microwaves/fridges as long as we wipe down touch points between uses?

We have all the usual hand washing and social distancing stuff in place but want to make sure everything is covered off before the office starts getting busier!

Large non-ministerial Civil Service department, so everything has been risk assessed to kingdom come and errs on the over-cautious. Kitchen wise: No communal mugs, plates or cutlery- everyone must bring their own. We’ve always been responsible for providing our own tea and coffee etc but now this should be kept in your personal drawer and not left in the kitchen. Increased cleaning regime to include cleaners wiping down kitchen surfaces and cupboard handles on a two-hourly basis. Everyone who has opted to return to the office has to keep a bottle of sanitiser on their desk and clean their hands every time they leave it and return to it. We have dishwashers but the communal kitchen dishcloths have been removed in favour of paper towels. Communal fridges and microwaves still in use - albeit included in the heightened cleaning regime.

Not allowed to use the kitchen at all. No fridge, toaster, microwave, sink, kettle, or utensils. Only allowed access to the water machine and have to use disposable cups, but one use only.

Prior to lockdown had to use personal utensils.

A bit rubbish really, it doesn't overly affect me as I have always taken lunch in a coolbag and I don't drink tea or coffee. It is pants for everyone else though.

Oh and we can't sit in the kitchen for lunch.

Can't use personal water bottles to fill up from tap.
All seating is piled up, not allowed to use.
More frequent, in depth cleaning of areas.
Only supposed to have one person/time in the kitchen area.
They are tolerating private food in fridges for now.
Microwave removed.
Washing up is allowed with communal sponge.
I think communal milk, tea, coffee etc. has been removed from communal areas but we still have some communal tea bags in my office (glory hallelullah).
We are mostly supposed to WFH anyway.

Toilets are supposed to be max. 2 persons in room at a time (4 cubicle room).

Our kitchens have been completely off limits during the limited return so far. You have to take drinks in with you or buy nearby.

@TheGreatWave that is pretty much what is happening in DH's office

Dh's company is huge so they've had enormous assessments.

At my work atm there is only my MD and Me, so most of this doesn't apply. Only by reading this had I remembered what goes on in bigger organisations.

Thanks all, this is really helpful. I almost think it would be easier to just make the kitchen off limits for now.

No kitchen facilities at our work at all. Bottled water is provided for anyone who wishes it. Everyone brings in a flask if they want hot drinks/food.

A friend who works at a large medical-based (private) company has to bring in their lunch with ice packs as they've blocked the kitchen, fridge and microwave off for now, but have bought a coffee/tea vending type machine (free to use) and you can use disposable cups.

Dp just got disposable wipes for the kitchen and told his staff to wipe things down after use. Not too many in as they wfh half the time

Amazing how this is all a massive row back from previous states of the world where single use disposables were phased out in many offices.

Nothing, we're using it as normal although only one person is allowed in at a time. Things are pretty relaxed in our office.

Interesting to read this because nothing at all has changed in our staff kitchen and communal areas. Everything is still available to use, shared coffee, tea, etc all there and we're making big rounds of drinks as normal. I guess there is a bit more cleaning going on.

Only one person allowed in at a time (its tiny!) And wash up your own stuff basically, though, that's always been a rule.

Been in throughout. We hotdesk across several sites so no drawers to keep anything in. If we’re in an office we have to take our own everything with us. No communal anything.

Nothing has changed. Small office just a handful of us. Own office rooms. Share kitchen and wash up mugs and re use random.

I'm not sure about the vending machines (I am not back in the office just yet) probably not though.

I'd rather a little less "safe" then the soul less, joyless, airless space that I will be going back to. Interaction is pretty much banned too unless it is on the phone.

@RatherBeInBed

If you have gone back to work in an office, can I ask what measures have been put in place around use of shared kitchens? I have been tasked with putting a risk assessment together relating to this, and have thought of a few issues that don't seem to be mentioned in the HSE or gov.uk guidance:

Should washing up with a shared sponge be allowed or should we bring our own sponges? Or do we encourage the use of disposable cups?

Does the dishwasher kill the virus?

Is there any risk in sharing microwaves/fridges as long as we wipe down touch points between uses?

We have all the usual hand washing and social distancing stuff in place but want to make sure everything is covered off before the office starts getting busier!

I would say in answer to your dhswashing dilemma, it would have to be the dishwasher at a nice high temperature.

I’ve been physically in work since June. There’s no new measures in the kitchen (apart from using paper towels instead of tea towels), despite the stringent measures elsewhere. The kitchen is small but there’s only ever about 6 of us in the office at any one time now so it doesn’t get crowded at least.

I work in an NHS community team. Little has changed, except we aren't supposed to make drinks for anyone, just for ourselves, and only one person in the (tiny) kitchen at a time. We aren't allowed shared lunches etc and the info from our trust clearly states we shouldn't be sharing food. But there is still regularly cake etc in the kitchen

The only restriction introduced at our place is on the number of people using the kitchen.

Personally I think the communal fridge is a risk point as the virus survives at low temps so I’ve started taking a cool bag.

I would never use the communal sponge at the best of times! Especially not after you’ve seen Graham from IT clean out last week’s mouldy Tupperware with it 🤢

Don’t really know what the problem would be with personal water bottles. With disposable cups you often get lots of people handling them when too many fall out of the dispenser & just get put back in the top.

Our water machine works with a push lever so you are pushing the edge of your cup against it. I will possibly end up filling a cup and decanting it into my bottle.