Facility Managers are at the Forefront of the Covid-19 Response
In the light of the deadly Covid-19 pandemic, we must always keep in mind that facility management professionals are at the forefront of emergency response preparedness during outbreaks. They are the ones who are charged with actual response and they directly act as response managers and response coordinators.
Being in charge of the maintenance of organizations, buildings and the people in it, it is the responsibility of facility managers to take the correct action towards implementing containment and prevention strategies. Let us take a look at how a facility manager can be better prepared to deal with a pandemic like Covid-19:
• Cleaning and disinfecting: a facility manager needs to reinforce cleaning routines so that the likelihood of the survival of the virus on objects, touch panels and surfaces can be reduced. The team that is responsible for the cleaning needs to be educated on this subject and the specific procedures that are to be used needs to be specified by the manager. All air circulation through centralized air conditioning and ventilation systems need to be disabled. Components that might pose a threat of infection need to be disinfected, cleaned and replaced on a weekly basis.
• Limiting concentration of people: as per the guidelines set forth by governments across the world, the concentration of personnel needs to be reduced. A facility manager can achieve this by making adjustments to shifts, installing options for remote working and creating flexible work environments. Employees who exhibit symptoms of cold need to be encouraged to stay at homes.
• Reducing physical proximities: it is the responsibility of facility managers to ensure that density of staff in the same space is reduced. For instance, in elevators, employees should not exceed 50 percent of the capacity; neither should they be working in spaces that are smaller than 2.5 square meters. In order to avoid getting staffs, clients or suppliers in the workplace interact with each other through handshakes and reduce the risks of hand to hand contamination, alcohol based sanitizers should be placed in meeting rooms, cafeteria and rest rooms.
• Cancelling international trips: we all know that international trips, fairs and events are an important part of every facility manager’s job; however these must be completely avoided during an outbreak like Covid-19 that is affecting more than a million lives across the world. Considering the large number in which people are contracting this infection, travel increases the possibility of bringing it back to your country and workplace.
• Keeping people informed: you need to make sure that there are flexible policies for sick leave at your workplace. These also need to be in accordance with the national healthcare recommendations. Ensure that all your staff knows about these. Put up posters that talk about the rules and regulations about hygiene. There should be instructions too on what an employee should do if he suspects that he has an infection.
With the help of a facility management app, facility management leaders have access to highly accurate data related to facilities that not just has spatial information of employees but also information about assets that are associated with the day to day operations of a business. This app offers a platform for tracking all these information and it is needless to say that during these difficult times, the data available in these apps are being actively used in response planning and coordination. Let us take a look at how accurate information can help facility management teams to respond to unplanned emergencies like the global pandemic Covid-19:
• Space inventory: consider your organization space and assess the risks associated with each of these spaces. These could involve areas that are crucial to operations. This also means considering space that might be more susceptible to the spread of the outbreak. This might be areas where employees and staffs mostly congregate like meeting rooms and breakouts. All these areas are tracked and managed by these apps and facility managers can avail this information on the go.
• Asset tracking: facility management solutions are perfect for tracking location of equipment and different supply areas and these when coupled with preventing maintenance programs can enable you to manage tasks like inspecting and also filling sanitizers and cleaning materials.
• Utilization of space: it is possible for organizations to track usage of bookable space and locate who might be using that space over the period of time by looking through a room booking history. If your organization is using sensors, with the help of a mobile booking app, facility teams can tell who all were there in a meeting. This is a great way to track employee location.
• Air quality: as occupants or employees congregate, the air quality will gradually diminish. A facility management solution with analytics will help you visualize the air quality of specific areas. This will also help you improve floor plans and reconfigure the furniture layouts.
Therefore, the role that facility managers play in responding to emergencies or outbreaks like the Covid-19 go hand in hand with the availability of the right kind of facilities management app. Without an app, it will not be possible for a facilities team to stay updated on the latest facilities information and respond to emergencies in the best possible way.
