Making working from home mandatory would “undoubtedly” fall short of the collaborative efforts of the social partners in terms of effectiveness, leading business representatives warn. In many economic sectors, great efforts have already been made for some time by companies and employees to protect employees at the workplace in the best possible way from the risks of infection with the COVID-19 pathogen SARS-CoV-2. Technical infection control solutions have been implemented, the effectiveness of which has been scientifically proven. One proponent of technical solutions in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic is Prof. Dr. Christian Kähler. The world-renowned scientist has been researching the generation, spread and evaporation of aerosol particles in space at the University of the Federal Armed Forces in Munich for more than 25 years. Commissioned by Trotec, Prof. Kähler has researched a synchronized protection concept for office workstations and schools ensuring that people in closed rooms are reliably protected against an infection with the coronavirus. The study results confirm that the combined use of TAC high-performance air purifiers and innovative acrylic glass partitions with aerosol protective edge reduce the risk of infection at the workplace significantly.

The protection concept for office workstations is based on four essential elements:

1. Partitions with an aerosol protective edge for separating breathing zones
Transparent protective screens between the workplaces of people sitting opposite or next to each other prevent employees from becoming infected with the COVID-19 pathogen over short distances through droplets or aerosol particles released when breathing, talking, coughing or sneezing. The crystal-clear partitions with aerosol protective edge provide reliable protection against larger droplets and also prevent the aerosols exhaled at the workplace from overcoming the partition and floating to the adjacent workplace.

2. High-performance air purifiers provide virus-free air for working and breathing
Virus-laden aerosol particles in the room air are considered to be the main carrier of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. By use of a high-performance air purifier of the TAC series or AirgoClean^® One, these tiny particles (0.1 - 5 micrometres) are reliably removed (99.995 %) from the room air in next to no time. The air cleaner filters the room air and minimizes the risk of an indirect infection since the virus load in the room is kept at a constantly low level. Intense shock ventilation is no longer necessary. As a result, the office spaces remain consistently warm and ventilation is only required if the CO₂ level is too high, which can cause fatigue among the employees and affect their ability to concentrate. Ventilation can be done during the breaks in order to exchange the stale room air for fresh air.

3. Medical masks for safe moving around in the building
FFP2 / N95 / KN95 masks or medical face masks are to be worn in all areas of the company where employees move around freely. Compared to homemade face coverings, FFP2 / N95 / KN95 masks ensure a much higher level of protection, as droplets and aerosol particles are reliably filtered out of the air stream by the mask material.

4. CO₂ traffic light for controlled airing behaviour
A high CO₂ content affects our well-being and ability to concentrate. The CO₂ concentration in the room can also be used as an indicator of a high aerosol concentration. Using the convenient air quality monitor BQ30 you can always keep an eye on the CO₂ room air concentration. This way, you can improve the room climate by supplying outdoor air if necessary.

If possible, small tables should be avoided for lunch (fig. 2a). Instead, we recommend a setup with long tables with a sufficient distance between the people sitting opposite each other (fig. 2b).

Positioning of acrylic glass partitions between the people

Transparent protective screens with an all-round aerosol protective edge must be installed between the people eating. As an alternative, a row of tables can also be positioned against a wall.

Positioning of the TAC or AirgoClean^® One high-performance air purifier

High-performance air purifiers are required to reduce the risk of indirect infections. Depending on the room situation and size, the use of several devices is recommended to ensure at least a 6-fold room air circulation per hour with highly efficient HEPA air purification in the entire catering area. People working at the serving counters must also be protected by partitions with an aerosol protective edge. Additionally, the staff working at the counters must wear FFP2/3 mask to protect both themselves and the employees to the greatest extent possible.

In the reception area of your company, the infection risk is particularly high. This is where customers, suppliers and visitors are greeted and documents, shipped goods or information are exchanged. Direct contact with a large number of people is therefore unavoidable. Especially for these situations with an increased risk of infection, we recommend using the visually attractive countertop with an all-round aerosol edge. The transparent partition protects both the visitors and the staff working at the reception in the best possible way against flying droplets and aerosols.

Uncomplicated installation, high level of protection

Thanks to its well thought-out design, the pleasantly lightweight countertop can be installed and repositioned in no time – without any installation effort. There's not easier and more flexible way to protect your employees in direct customer contact.

Our countertops are available in three standard sizes (other sizes on request):

• SMALL (H: 750 x W: 595 mm)
• MEDIUM (H: 750 x W: 795 mm)
• LARGE (H: 750 x W: 995 mm)

The 26 cm wide and 12.5 cm high hatch enables an easy exchange of goods, money or documents – while at the same time a high level of protection against larger droplets and smaller aerosol particles is ensured.

In the “Guide to protective screens for schools, offices and businesses”, available as a PDF, you can see for yourself how comparatively easy it is to implement a safe hygiene concept in your company. The guide contains how-to information for implementing the hygiene concept for closed rooms recommended by Prof. Christian Kähler, scientifically proven facts on the risks of infection indoors, and technical solutions to reduce the risk of infection at office workstations to a minimum. You can download the PDF here: