7 Sneeze Guard Designs to Protect Workers and Customers
Sneeze guards go by many names like cough guards, hygiene screens, perspex screens, and more. But they all represent the same idea - creating a physical barrier between two people to limit the exposure to germs and viruses.
Given the current COVID health crisis, more and more public spaces like bars, restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops, cafes will be either be required or recommended to use a physical barrier like this to protect employees and patrons from unnecessary exposure to germs and the virus.
The basics of a sneeze guard
What is a sneeze guard?
Sneeze guards are simple partition systems designed to act as a divider between various areas. Especially useful for counters and areas where food is displayed, these protective measures ensure that viruses and germs are not spread between cashiers and customers, and also prevent display food from getting contaminated.
The height of your sneeze guard
The minimum height of your sneeze guard should extend 4 inches past average head height. So we estimate that the minimum overall height of your sneeze guard should be about 6 feet. Our designs below show the posts being about 3 feet tall, so if your counter or surface is below 4 inches you may want to adjust the height of your posts accordingly.
The plexiglass screen
You can purchase a variety of pre-cut clear screens online or have some built to your specific requirements. For example, we found these clear sheets at Home Depot
Using pipe and fittings for support posts
Choosing pipe and fittings to construct a sneeze guard will give you the flexibility to build structures that suit any layout, no matter how tight or awkward these are. Using standard cuts of clear screens that you can find in most DIY stores, you can equip your store with sturdy protection in no time.
What is more, you can easily install the system and, later on, disassemble it and reuse the components for other projects or in a different configuration.
Easy to install, the system only requires an allen key to put together.
1. Linear sneeze guard
This design uses 2 pieces of pipe as guard posts, both attached to the top of the counter using flanges. The plastic sheet attaches to the structure using M50 single swivel sockets.
Small linear sneeze guard materials
Specs:
- Length: 3' (Configurable)
Assembly:
- Thirty Minutes
- Allen Key
What's included:
What's not:
2. Enclosed sneeze guard design
This design offers protection from both the front and one side and is fixed to the counter surface using round flanges. Similar to our prior design, the plastic screen attaches to the uprights using M50 fittings.
Enclosed sneeze guard materials
Specs:
- Height: 3' (Configurable)
Assembly:
- Thirty Minutes to One Hour
- Allen Key
What's included:
What's not:
3. Freestanding sneeze guard
This design uses two pieces of pipe as guard posts, both freestanding. This means that you can move the structure from one counter to the other or reposition it where you need it to be.
Freestanding sneeze guard materials
Specs:
- Height: 3' (Configurable)
Assembly:
- Thirty Minutes
- Allen Key
What's included:
What's not:
4. Side mount sneeze guard
This design uses two uprights: one that mounts on the counter and one that mounts to the side of it.
Side mount sneeze guard materials
Specs:
- Height: 3' (Configurable)
Assembly:
- Thirty Minutes
- Allen Key
What's included:
What's not:
5. Freestanding sneeze guard - Full height
This freestanding sneeze guard can be used to separate various sections of your shop. Perfect for barbers, hairdressers and salons.
Full height freestanding sneeze guard materials
Specs:
- Length: 6' 6" (Configurable)
- Height: 6' 6" (Configurable)
- Depth: 2' (Configurable)
Assembly:
- Thirty Minutes
- Allen Key
What's included:
What's not:
6. Freestanding sneeze guard - Half height
This half height freestanding sneeze guard is designed to go over the counter for the protection of your staff and customers. The mid bar can be placed anywhere up and down the frame so that it matches the height of your counter.
Half height freestanding sneeze guard materials
Specs:
- Length: 10' (Configurable)
- Height: 6' 6" (Configurable)
- Depth: 3' (Configurable)
Assembly:
- Thirty Minutes to One Hour
- Allen Key
What's included:
What's not:
7. Make it wider with extension posts
All of these designs can be extended infinitely using a double sided tab fitting on a post.
Specs:
- Height: 3' (Configurable)
Assembly:
- Thirty Minutes
- Allen Key
What's included:
What's not:
Looking for help?
If you are looking to build sneeze guards using our pipe and fittings system (or any other structure!) get in touch with our friendly team: we would love to help!
