Traffic Light Lanyards: A social distancing system

As we begin to see the relaxation of coronavirus restrictions, social distancing measures will begin to see changes. It’s likely that some environments will continue to enforce measures whilst others return to normality, but some of the population won’t be ready to socialise at a pre-pandemic level.

With more than 2.2 million people undertaking the highest level of shielding in the UK, it’s going to be tough for many to return to normal. Many workplaces are beginning to encourage their staff to come back to the office or visit events, so it’s important to ensure that everyone can show their comfort with certain levels of contact.

Lanyards have long been a fantastic tool when utilised for separating and colour co-ordinating groups, including during the pandemic. You can also use them for the return to social events by offering a traffic light system to your staff, attendees, or delegates. Using different colours can help to differentiate between people who are happy with resuming social contact or those who are keeping a distance – and the people who fall in between.

They’re perfect for allowing people to make a choice depending on their level of comfort without singling anyone out or the need for any awkward conversations, and the colours are also easily identifiable by using a common theme, such as the traffic light system.

We’ve put together a convenient pack that contains 75 lanyards (25 of each colour) and 3 free downloadable posters, so you can simply put the lanyards next to the corresponding posters and let people pick their own.

The lanyards are included as 25 light green, 25 yellow, and 25 red colours. With a width of 10mm, they’re made from quality polyester material for hours of comfortable wearing, and a plastic health and safety breakaway clip for ease of mind. They also feature a plastic clip so you can easily attach a cardholder or punched ID card, perfect for displaying any staff or visitor passes.

The printable poster that accompanies red lanyards simply states, “I’m keeping my distance right now!”, whilst the yellow says “Avoiding contact, but happy to chat!”, and the green says “Open to handshakes and high-fives!”. These are simple statements that are easy to remember for anyone who is wondering what each colour lanyard means.

Where can traffic light lanyards be used?

The traffic light lanyard system can be used in a number of places, including offices, schools, shops, and other workplace environments, along with training course venues and event spaces.

As employees begin to return to the office, many workplaces are offering a flexible way of working. Some people are returning to the office when they may have a busy schedule but are otherwise working from home, whilst some are returning full-time. Offering your employees a lanyard of their choice can easily differentiate between those who are happy to chat and those who may not have the time.

Within schools, these coloured lanyards can be worn by teachers, assistants, and other members of staff to easily explain the differing levels of comfort to children and encourage them to act appropriately according to the colour of the lanyard each person is wearing.

And with training courses and events beginning to start taking place again, attendees can be incredibly wary of mingling with so many people from different areas. To put their minds at ease, you can offer traffic light lanyards upon entry so attendees can all easily tell their peers’ level of comfort with social distancing and contact.

Find out more about our Traffic Light System Lanyards, or get in touch with one of our experts to learn about other ways you can improve health and safety in the workplace or at events.