COVID-19 and the facility management industry are currently at war. The pandemic has disrupted almost every area of workplaces and challenged its normalcy. Since the pandemic started, facility managers explore new opportunities for socially distant offices and remote work. The fight continues as COVID-19 evolves into new variants and new facility management measures emerge to overcome it.
The role of facilities management during COVID-19 in corporate settings has led to constant adaptation and emerging pressures to the changing circumstances. Departments have to ensure a hygienic, productive, and safe workplace in an entirely new way, which means more time and financial resources to successfully maintain the office environment and prevent any risks of infection. These measures include sewer jetting and cleanout, sanitation plans, and facility hygiene.
The facilities management staff serve as the first line of defense against COVID-19 in the corporate setting. This would mean bigger responsibilities, modern solutions, and extra hours to prevent disease transmission in the workplace. With that in mind, we’ll discuss the top considerations for facility management to help facility managers keep the workplace safe and avoid further disruption.
Building sanitation
Among the major roles of facility management in beating COVID-19 is to establish a clean work environment, which begins with sanitation. The staff has to review maintenance schedules, spot sterilization, sanitation standards, and daily cleaning practices.
For most facility managers, sanitation in the business setting involves exploring new practices and products that deal with COVID-specific concerns. Is the maintenance staff using products that effectively kill COVID-19 on any surface? Does the department have existing measures on sanitizing shared office equipment, such as copiers, coffee machines, and work tables?
Examine the extent of building sanitization according to the standard of public health agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Explore new cleaning practices and the different types of contact surfaces and establish a comprehensive sanitization program that prevents any form of virus from spreading.
Facility ventilation
Health officials reveal that the COVID-19 virus spread in the form of airborne droplets. Thus, indoor air quality is of primary importance for facility managers. These steps include consultation with HVAC experts and implementing correct responses for HVAC systems and force air quality.
Top considerations include HVAC filter replacements, high-efficiency options, air quality maintenance, and other services that ensure the efficiency of air systems within an indoor environment. Forced air is a critical factor in buildings, making it an essential pillar in facility management to ensure a safer working environment.
Workspace and floor plans
Redesigning the modern workplace is an emerging priority for most organizations. Facilities managers explore what makes a workspace safe and which areas they need to eliminate to meet the physical distancing guidelines. Facility departments face challenges that vary from rethinking the entire office environment and hybridizing workplaces to adjusting specific workspaces.
Besides establishing new floor plans, facility managers should also assess its efficiency by changing the whole oversight process. This approach has a rippling impact on budgeting, building planning, cash flow, and other areas of facility management. They also need to reestablish work efficiency and explore how existing facilities will affect business success. This can be a challenging responsibility for facility management departments, considering the end is still nowhere for the pandemic.
Workplace guidance
The effects of COVID-19 also affect facility policies. Managers face the challenge of re-educating staff about workplace interactions, including everyone in it.
From mask-wearing policies and proper utilization of amenities to social distancing parameters, all these are just a few of the many new considerations managers have to plan and implement. While it takes a lot of time, budget, effort, and continuous oversight, these policies need to be improved, adapted, and followed. It also includes the continuous revision of information and guidelines from health organizations involved in setting the standards for workplace safety.
Workplace policies should also consider the tangible components of the workplace, such as workplace modification and posted signage. Leaders and employers must be constantly reminded of new policies to support facility managers in their war against COVID-19. These policies should include appropriate hygiene standards and acceptable physical interactions within an indoor office environment.
Facility management supports the workplace indirectly and directly. They establish complex integrations and processes to ensure the improvement and upkeep of the facilities they manage. Considering the suggestions above will help facility management departments determine what to do amid a global health crisis. This will not only maintain a healthier workplace but also provide organizations a stronger foundation towards success.
