The Covid-19 pandemic has caused many of us – probably most of us – to change our regular habits, both work and leisure related. As things change and we ease back into the old way of doing things, how will we continue to ensure the safety of ourselves, and our colleagues and clients, friends and neighbours? Here are some things to take into consideration.
Buildings that buzzed with activity have stood empty or been inhabited by only a skeleton staff for varying lengths of time. As the number of users starts to ramp back up to pre-pandemic levels, it’s advisable to take certain steps and actions to make sure everyone can be confident they are safe. We’ve divided those into the things you can see and the things you can’t see.
The things you can see
Workplaces and buildings with shared spaces may continue to look different. Some people will feel more comfortable by continuing to wear masks. For face-to-face service providers plastic screens may simply be adopted as ‘the norm’. We fully expect hand sanitiser availability to continue.
All these efforts have helped people to feel more safe and secure in their working environments. But, as a building owner or operator you also have a duty of care to maintain the things visitors cannot see.
The things you can’t see
It’s easy to get carried away and to focus on issues related to containing, if not eliminating, the coronavirus, but threats to health and safety existed before it hit and they continue to exist now. It’s important not to take your eye off the ball when it comes to the everyday stuff we do, like ensuring good air quality, and fire safety.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has produced guidance for guarding against legionella when reopening buildings and restarting systems, including ventilation systems.
There’s also guidance regarding ventilation flow rates and how it can be beneficial in reducing droplet transmission of all viruses.
More generally, when it comes to air quality it’s important to make sure air filters are operating as required and that the HVAC system ductwork, including air handling units, are clean.
Of course, ductwork cleanliness also has an impact on fire safety; dirty dampers can fail to operate when needed if dirt and dust prevents the damper mechanisms from working. If dampers fail, fire compartments fail, and people’s safety is put at risk.
If you’ve taken advantage of lower occupancies to undertake M&E works in your buildings, there might be a legacy from that to deal with, such as dust and debris build up.
We recommend you have air filters and ductwork, inspected and replaced/cleaned where needed, and fire and smoke dampers tested to ensure they are all operating as required. Fire dampers in particular require testing annually. With many buildings stood empty for over a year it’s worth checking the latest test dates. This helps you stay compliant and gives you confidence that it’s not just the visible things you do that contribute to the safety of the people who use your building.
Get the ball rolling
Give us a call to discuss how we can help, whether that’s with cleaning, testing, or both. Don’t delay – as more people head back to work, more companies are looking for assistance and the diary is filling up.
