Why Individually wrapped is the only way to go.

When it comes to providing personal protective equipment (PPE) for your students and staff, there are a number of approaches, each of which will send a slightly different message about how much you value the health and safety of your staff and community.

Now more than ever, it is essential to be aware of the ways in which your public image is being impacted by your approach to providing PPE.

In some states, face masks are legally required to go out in public; in other states, they’re more of a strong recommendation. Regardless of what your local laws around face mask use are, the CDC’s guidance on the effectiveness of facial coverings for slowing the spread is clear.

The unspoken messaging of face mask use

Not wearing a mask in public these days sends a message. People notice and make judgments about your lack of regard for your own personal health as well as your disregard for the health and safety of those around you.

When infected individuals wear face masks, however, there is a much lower risk of the viruses in their cough droplets infecting those around them. Not wearing a mask means sick individuals could be coughing into the open air, spreading the virus through droplets that linger for hours. Wearing a face mask makes it so sick individuals can’t cough in such a way, instead making each of their coughs about well protected as if they had coughed into their elbow like CDC guidance advises people to cough.

Regardless of how face masks technically work, they are the ultimately one of the few things we know of that can effectively lower the rate of a virus’ transmission, so people (rightfully) have come to place great value in wearing them in public.

People have subconsciously come to attribute an array of positive qualities to people who are wearing face masks in public places.

Why masks are important for your business

If we see an employee of staff member without a mask on, they wonder if your business really cares about them as a customer and it sends a message, whether you intend it to or not.

The importance of having a game plan when it comes to distributing PPE for customers and staff cannot be stressed enough these days.

This isn’t just a passing fad either. The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic will be far reaching and long lasting and will change much about our lifestyles and attitudes towards public health. Face masks will be used in public spaces for years to come, especially by those who have medical conditions that increase their risk of complications with the coronavirus.

Your options for face mask distribution

Free-for-all

The most common option so far appears to be providing boxes of face masks so customers and employees can grab them on their way into a store or location. This method is efficient in quickly getting as many masks to as many people as possible, but it simply isn’t a sanitary or hygienic way to provide PPE.

Guests and employees will take note of such a gesture and it could end up hurting your brand more than it helps. On top of that, this means of distributing masks exposes more people to an increased risk of contact with the virus.

People know that reaching into a pile of masks exposes them to an increased risk of getting sick. Even though they might not say anything immediately, giving out masks this way plants the seeds of doubt in the backs of your employees minds over whether their employer genuinely cares about their safety and wellness.

Provide a manned checkpoint near entry

The second option we’ve seen in action is for a specially assigned employee (or specially assigned employees) to stand at a specific point near the entrance to a location where they hand out face masks to those coming in (hopefully while also wearing gloves).

This option is by far safer than the first option we mentioned, but it doesn’t completely narrow down the potential points of contamination along the distribution route.

The person handing out masks, for example, could easily touch a contaminated surface while passing out masks, and from then on every mask they touch could be potentially contaminated with a virus. While handing out the masks, an employees’ gloved hand could come into contact with the unwashed hand of a member of the general public as they’re handing them a mask, and from that point on, other masks they distribute could be contaminated, as well.

Prepare individually packaged mask kits for each customer and employee

This option is the best one we’ve mentioned thus far, but it still presents a few possible points of contamination that are difficult to avoid.

For one, whoever you assign to prepare the individually bagged masks needs to be absolutely certain to follow sanitation guidelines so as not to introduce potential contaminants to the masks as they’re working. This option also requires for you to buy as many individual sealable bags as you have masks. While this may seem like an economical option compared to others, it’s simply not a cost efficient way to pay for each of the masks to be individually wrapped.

Require that customers and employees bring their own reusable masks

This option may seem like one of the worst options, but it isn’t necessarily the least effective. The pros include that you won’t have to invest in PPE for employees and customers, you might (if you strictly follow your own requirements) prevent the spread of the virus in your facility and you place the measure of what qualifies as sufficient protection in the hands of each individual entering your location.

The cons, however, outweigh the pros for this option, as you could easily lose a significant portion of business by turning employees or customers around at the entrance for forgetting to bring their own PPE, and this could make your business seem harsh if you follow your own requirements as outlined.

Ultimately, each of the options we’ve discussed so far has fallen short of striking a healthy balance between public health idealism and practicality. This is why we decided to introduce our latest product, which can help you achieve this balance with ease, all while costing you about the same as providing open boxes of PPE for customers and employees would.

Individually wrapped face masks that go the extra mile

When it comes to finding the safest and most hygienic means of providing a face mask to customers and employees, individually sealed options are undoubtedly the premium option.

Finding economical options for wrapping each of the face masks, however, is where things get tricky. Using sealable plastic bags may be an economical option if you’re only trying to seal enough face masks for just your employees. But if you’re trying to prepare more than a few hundred, things get pricey rather quickly.

That’s why we recently introduced our new individually wrapped face mask products. These face masks can be ordered in boxes of 30 and cases up to 1200 and they provide a guaranteed safe means for you to provide employees, customers and staff with a clean face mask. In addition, the folded wrapping that helps keep the face mask uncontaminated.

If you’ve decided that individually wrapped face masks are right for your facility, please check out our order info page place your order now!