Are Pods Safe in a Post-COVID World?
As teams begin to return to the workplace, what is the role of the office phone booth? Office pods grew in popularity in pre-COVID open offices, where they offered a crucial space for employees to find privacy for phone calls, time to focus on solo work, or even just a chance to find some peace and quiet.
Post-COVID, enclosed spaces—especially in an office—can cause a feeling of discomfort. How do we know that pods will be safe when we return to work?
Poppin’s own office pod, the PoppinPod, has a fan that’s been designed specifically to completely recirculate clean air within the phone booth every five minutes, making it a safe addition to any post-COVID workplace.
How Does the PoppinPod Fan Work?
The PoppinPod fan is located at the top of the pod, so it pulls fresh air from close to the ceiling, where it’s unlikely to be contaminated by droplets from breathing, talking, or coughing. From there, the fan pushes fresh air down to the bottom of the pod, pushing any droplets in the “old” air down out and out of the pod. Since droplets are heavier than air, they’ll stay low, where they won’t be breathed in by employees.
In any PoppinPod, the air is completely recirculated every five minutes, ensuring fresh, clean air for every user.
The Safe Personal Workspace
The PoppinPod Kolo 1 and PoppinPod Kolo 1 Plus are designed for personal use. In the pre-COVID open office, this alternative to benched desks and seating offered a place for focused work and private phone calls. Post-COVID, the PoppinPod Kolo 1 and 1 Plus office phone booths create a self-cleaning space for personal work. Outfit them with a screen for video-calling remote employees, set up a rotating schedule, or simply assign them to employees week-by-week. When one person leaves, simply wait five minutes to ensure completely fresh air in the pod with no risk of inhaling the last person’s droplets.
The Conference Room Alternative
The PoppinPod Kolo 2, (and the 4 and 6, which are coming later this year!) are office pods designed to be turnkey conference rooms. While existing conference rooms are harder to control for—HVAC systems, vents, and random air flow can move droplets around at breathing level—PoppinPod office phone booths eliminate those risks. The fans pull fresh air from above and push the existing air down and out, quickly moving droplets away from the meeting members. Like the PoppinPod Kolo 1, the air inside is completely refreshed every five minutes. Schedule five minutes in between meetings and rest assured that the air has been replaced with fresh air from above the pod.
How to Clean the PoppinPod
The PET surface of the PoppinPod is “rough,” allowing it to catch droplets and not re-release them. The glass and work surface can be cleaned with soapy water or common household cleaners. By putting a Sanitation Station in each pod, you can ensure that each employee leaves the pod clean for the next user.
Want to learn more?
Reach out to one of our PoppinPod office phone booth experts for advice and recommendations for reconfiguring your office for post-COVID work.