The COVID-19 pandemic means property owners are being forced to adjust their building operations. Property managers have to adhere to new guidelines regarding building operations as employees start returning back to work. But where exactly do you start? How do you ensure the safety of your workforce while managing your overhead expenses? Here’s what many property managers are doing to help building owners adapt to COVID-19 rules.
- Disinfect High-Use Common Areas
- Put Down Traffic Control Stickers
- Direct Public Patrons to a Designated Area
- Limit Elevator Capacity
- Provide Hand Sanitizing Stations
- Close Amenity Spaces
Disinfect High-Use Common Areas
Whether your building or office space has a shared elevator, hallway, bathroom, or staircase, there is no getting around limiting access to those shared spaces. Have your janitorial staff disinfect the area two times a day for optimal cleanliness. Additionally, it is wise to invest in an industrial fogger for efficiency to make it easy to disinfect large areas.
Install Traffic Control Stickers
If your building has a lot of foot traffic in certain areas that are hard flooring, install stickers to mark the correct six feet distance through the space. This will remind patrons to keep their distance from one another. Have designated entrances and exits and where possible make walking paths a single direction path.
Direct Patrons to Specific Entrances
To limit frequent office visitors to exposure, limit public access to funnel in from one entrance. This way employees can avoid public entrances and limit themselves from exposure.
Limit Elevator Capacity and Stairway Flow
One solution is to lower elevator capacity to be a maximum of two people at a time. This way people can social distance and limit the number of people they come in contact with in a small space. Many building owners are limiting stairways to one direction only so that people do not have to pass by each other.
Provide Hand Sanitizing Stations and Mandate Masks
Just like in a hospital, more and more facilities are putting hand sanitizing stations around the common areas of the building. Evaluate the busiest areas of the office space and insert a hand sanitizing station where it’s convenient. While most communities are mandating the use of masks in public, it’s important to remind employees and building visitors to continue this practice in your building.
Close Amenity Spaces
To limit exposure, close or restrict capacity in areas where people generally congregate. This could be cafés, patio spaces, co-working areas or lobbies. At times, use of common areas may be unavoidable. Using traffic guiding stickers or spacing out furniture within the area will help assist people in maintaining safe distances from one another.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a life-changing shock for everyone, and property managers have had to adjust a lot of our practices during this time. At Plaza Companies, we are there for our clients through unpredictable situations. Contact us today at (623) 972-1194.