Proactively Protect Your Office From the Next Pandemic

It may not be something we want to think about, but there’s a reason why the federal government has a department specifically for pandemic planning and response. While Covid-19 may be heading towards more of an endemic scenario for us, most experts believe that we’ll eventually face another pandemic — especially as our global economies recover. It’s important to proactively protect your office from the next pandemic, whenever that may be. Here are several things you can do today to get ready for what may come tomorrow.

Focus on improving building air quality

As we learned from the pandemic, air transmission is the most likely way for a virus to be transmitted from person to person. That means it’s ultra imperative to have clean air in your office. You can start by investing in air sanitizing systems and HEPA filtration systems. Another type of decontaminant process is to use UV-C light to clean a space when it’s unoccupied. Finally, consider including bipolar ionization integrations throughout your office to “clump” virus particles together, thereby making them easier to catch in air filters.

Consider switching durability to chemical cleaning for desks

Do most of your team members have fancy wood desks that need to be treated with care? If so, it’s worth considering a switch to more chemically durable materials that can be easily sanitized by your cleaning company overnight. If the materials can’t withstand harsher, viral-fighting cleaners, they’re going to degrade more quickly while at the same time acting as a host to those same viral agents.

Upgrade your restrooms

The next step is to upgrade your restroom facilities. With these upgrades, the keywords here are antimicrobial and hands-free. Let’s look at each of these individually.

First, you want to replace your current fixtures with antimicrobial and non-porous counterparts. This includes your doors, handles, and anything else that a person might touch when using a restroom facility.

Second, as much as possible try to transition your restrooms to hands-free options. Automatic flushing toilets, soap dispensers and sinks can minimize person-to-person transmission. Change your doors so that they open out as people use the restrooms or install foot handles if that isn’t an option.

Finally, reconfigure office layouts

If possible, reconfigure your office layouts to minimize in-person interactions. Set up one-way passages for foot traffic, install modular furniture that can be easily replaced or reconfigured, and keep common areas flexible so that if the need arises for social distancing guidelines to be reinstated, you can make on-the-spot changes to keep people working yet healthy.

Protect your office while maintaining operations

The goal of our blog post today wasn’t to frighten or create a cause for concern. Rather, it’s to help protect your facility by preventing having to shut down again when the next health crisis rears its ugly head. A big part of that involves proactive office planning, and partnering with an Integrated Facility Management firm is one way to do exactly that. With over 30 years of experience in IFM, we’re uniquely qualified in this arena. Contact us to see how our services can help keep your building operating despite what’s around the corner.