Are Your Lactation Accommodations Sufficient Post-COVID?
In the post-COVID workspace, having a dedicated, secure, and clean space for breastfeeding employees is more critical than ever. Do your lactation accommodations align with the safety recommendations for preventing the spread of COVID-19?
Consider
How many employees will be using the space?
Do you have a space meant for multiple breastfeeding employees? How far apart are they spaced? Can they pump six feet apart and enter and exit appropriately?
Consider
What sort of ventilation does the room get?
When you’re dealing with diseases that spread via the air we share, air exchange is an important consideration. Is your air circulation sufficient to move out stagnant air? Does the air change rate in the room meet the guidelines for preventing the spread of disease? (Mamava lactation pods are well-ventilated with fans providing continuous air circulation at optimal air exchange rates.)
Consider
Who will be using the space?
Temporary lactation space solutions like repurposed storage closets, conference rooms, or borrowed offices may, in some cases, meet legal compliance. But in a post-COVID workspace, such shared spaces—used for a variety of purposes—may increase traffic to the space and make it more difficult to mitigate the spread of disease.
Consider
How will breastfeeding employees access your lactation space?
Some lactation spaces require users to retrieve a key to use the space. This could cause unnecessary interactions—something important to consider in a post-COVID world.
Consider
How easy is it to clean?
Lactation spaces decorated with upholstered furniture, carpeting, or other absorbent surfaces are difficult to keep clean, whereas smooth surfaces—like those used in healthcare or industrial food prep settings—are designed to be easily cleaned and disinfected.
Consider
Is the space set up to help minimize exposure?
If there’s a trash can (and there should be!) available in or near the space, does it have a footstep? Does the lighting require touch to turn on and off? Do you offer hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes for breastfeeding parents using the space?
Mamava designs solutions to empower breastfeeding and pumping parents on the go, like our freestanding lactation pods, Mamava’s lactation space locator app, and other helpful resources.
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