Rieke Office Interiors Develops New PPE Products for the Workplace, Helping Employers Keep Everyone Safe as They Return to Work


Rieke Office Interiors’ SafePanel Rx can be up-close and personal, keeping people safe even when collaborating with coworkers on a project or gathering information from clients.

“Because of COVID-19, safety is now part of everyone’s culture. We created SafeSpace Rx as a natural product line extension to address this need so employers can bring their employees back safely and with confidence.”

COVID-19 is reshaping the way business owners and employees think about safety in the workplace. Companies are using innovative methods to keep their employees and clients safe. One such company, Rieke Office Interiors (ROI), had that in mind when it developed a series of new SafeSpace products. Both adaptable and affordable, the designs are the perfect solution to workplace social distancing.

Inspiration for the SafeSpace Rx products—specially designed protective shields, panels, and panel extenders–came from the face shields that doctors are wearing to protect themselves from all germs, particularly the COVID-19 virus particles. It’s a concern for employees, too, as experts suggest there is a possibility that the virus can be spread through tiny particles, or aerosols, from breathing or speaking, and not just the larger particles generated in a cough or sneeze.

Once the idea had time to take root, ROI’s president, Melissa Kehl, and her team were able to work their way from inception, through technical and design challenges, to a finished product in one week. The key to shifting gears so quickly, Kehl said, was having manufacturing on-site, having their engineers on-site, and using parametric software that provides the best flexibility available.

The results give employees confidence that they have a safe and effective way of interacting with others. The SafeShield Rx portable protective shield, the SafeTrans Rx portable protective shield with transaction slot, and the SafePanel Rx portable workstation extenders are elegant and sleekly designed to be visually unobtrusive even as they provide security and satisfaction for everyone returning to work.

Employees will be reassured by the personal separation and viral protection they offer, while still allowing them to feel connected to their coworkers and customers. Even better, they are designed to allow for movement, so they can be re-configured as needed.

ROI isn’t new to blazing a trail of change. Kehl says it all began with their first line of office furniture. “From there, the business grew into custom furniture and millwork, a flooring division, and our interior design division, Vertical Interior Design. We keep adding to the mix of what we’re doing; a continual improvement process is what we’re always striving for.”

The PPE products for the workplace were a natural outcome of ROI’s philosophy and blended perfectly with their ability to shift their laser-like focus quickly and easily. “The trend in recent years has been open office environments, and I don’t think people are going to feel comfortable and safe coming back to that,” Kehl said. “We work closely with our customers to design and manufacture custom office furniture that supports their unique culture. Because of COVID-19, safety is now part of everyone’s culture. We created SafeSpace Rx as a natural product line extension to address this need so employers can bring their employees back safely and with confidence.”

Kehl has tried the shield out personally and gives it two thumbs up. “At first, I thought it might be kind of awkward, but I actually felt safer talking to that person, and it looked good while I was talking to them. I prefer our SafeShield Rx product over a mask, and I feel safer. Particles may get through a cloth mask, but not a shield. It also wasn’t as much of an interference as I had thought it could be. It really works.”

SafeSpace products are safe, secure, and, starting at $99, offer satisfaction to business owners at all levels. For more information, contact their sales team through http://www.rieke.com/safespaceroi

About Rieke Office Interiors

Rieke Office Interiors (ROI) has an impressive, state-of-the-art, 150,000 square foot, office furniture manufacturing facility in Elgin, Illinois. As a certified WBE business in its 27th year, ROI provides innovative products and services that are fully customizable, a unique capability that isn’t found anywhere else in the office interior industry. This flexibility allows ROI to create a big impact for any budget, streamlining the project process to make each vision come to life. For more information, visit http://www.Rieke.com.

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