Comment: Safe return to workplaces requires thoughtful plans for layouts, elevators, ventilation, and more

SINGAPORE: Following the COVID-19 outbreak earlier this year, cities around the world moved quickly to force work from home.

In Singapore, the government strongly encouraged employers to allow employees to stay home for work when the country increased its Disease Outbreak Response System Status (DORSCON) level to orange in February to minimize interactions and transmission of the virus.

Later, it made it mandatory by default when possible, when circuit breaker measures were introduced in April.

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LISTEN: Going back to the office, can you say no?

EARLY IMPERATIVES TO WORK FROM HOME

The rationale for working from home (WFH) is clear. Offices tend to be densely populated with close people. Before COVID-19, it was not a habit in most countries, including Singapore, to wear a mask if one had a cold, and employees could go to work despite feeling unwell.

A 2013 study from the University of Arizona showed that germs can spread from a person’s hands to office surfaces in four hours. These include common high-touch points like table tops, lift buttons, coffee machines, and refrigerator handles.

Another study from the Norwegian National Institute for Occupational Health published this year revealed that employees who work in open work spaces face a 12% higher risk of sick leave than those with their own offices.

While there are different scientific views on the transmission of COVID-19 through the air, several cases suggest that it can be spread through smaller droplets carried in the form of aerosols. This has led to a greater consideration of fresh air flow, as most modern offices use central air conditioning systems.

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Given that many of us spend around eight hours a day at work and interact frequently with colleagues, it was clear that emptying workplaces could help slow the spread of the virus. This was particularly critical in the first weeks when cases increased.

However, avoiding the office is not considered a long-term sustainable solution. Instead, what is key is keeping the office safe and healthy to minimize transmission.

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IS WORKING FROM HOME THE NEW NORMAL?

The jury is still out on the full impact of the protracted WFH, but it is clearly having adverse effects on businesses like restaurants and services that serve the office crowd.

Additionally, for some industries, the need to access on-site workstations containing sensitive information precludes the WFH.

Others may find in-person collaboration much more productive. Even tech companies like Netflix, which has a flexible work culture, have seen their CEO, Reed Hastings, recently point out that “not being able to meet in person … is a pure negative.”

As much as the WFH may improve work-life balance for some, many surveys, including one from the National University Health System (NUHS) Center for Mind Sciences, have shown that over an extended period, the cost of mental health can be significant, with increased anxiety. and stress due to the blurring of personal and professional boundaries.

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INDICATE THE WORKERS TO STAY SAFE

As part of Phase 2 of Singapore’s reopening, the Multi-Ministerial Task Force has encouraged companies to return workers to their workplaces since late September, but with safeguards in place. We have not yet defeated the COVID-19 threat, so companies that do so should focus on providing the safest office possible with the necessary measures.

Much will depend on the offices maintaining a clean environment, beyond adhering to the minimum standards set by government guidelines.

Encouraging employees to practice good hygiene and exercise social responsibility can make the biggest difference. The same research from the University of Arizona reveals that the spread of germs in the office can be mitigated by regular cleaning of high-touch surfaces, frequent hand washing, and the use of disinfectants and cleaning wipes.

Implementing these changes can reduce the risk of infection to less than 10 percent compared to a risk of 40 to 90 percent without them.

Little nudges can change behavior. In JLL’s Asia Pacific neighborhoods in Singapore, for example, safe distancing notices are posted at workstations and in common areas such as the pantry and meeting rooms. Cleaning kits are placed in meeting rooms for employees to disinfect areas.

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Capacity has also been reduced by temporarily eliminating 50 per cent of seats and adopting split team provisions, as stipulated by Safe Management Measures issued by the Ministry of Manpower, NTUC and the National Federation of Employers of Singapore. .

Safety management officers have also been appointed to conduct regular inspections and ensure that health and safety measures are strictly adhered to.

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SMALL CHANGES WITH BIG DIFFERENCES

Homeowners and occupants should evaluate their buildings and technical systems to verify compliance with safe spacing law enforcement and regular surface cleaning. But it’s the small, specific touches that minimize contact throughout the journey from the front door to the office.

We have worked with clients and their buildings to recalibrate elevator control to increase travel speed to reduce travel time and increase capacity, as social distancing limits the number of passengers in the elevator.

Technology can also allow us to collect data to monitor the environment and enable a rapid response when a case of COVID-19 is detected.

In Shanghai’s Baoland Plaza, a Grade A office complex in the city, the owner installed equipment to obtain real-time data and employed wireless IoT sensors to monitor air quality, temperature, humidity and power consumption. .

PAY ATTENTION TO VENTILATION AND COMMON SURFACES

Offices must also be well ventilated, with high-efficiency filters, ultraviolet light technologies that kill microorganisms, or simply have the ability to open windows, send airborne particles as often as possible, and channel fresh air from outside.

The pandemic has prompted the Singapore Building Construction Authority to review its policies on air conditioning and mechanical ventilation. Newer buildings may already have these air quality controls – for example, the upcoming Guoco Midland is equipped with an advanced air filtration system to filter up to 95 percent of air pollutants and eradicate pathogens through irradiation. UV germicide.

Ultraviolet light systems can also be used on escalator handrails as a continuous disinfection process. Singapore-based Capitaland has installed an automatic UV handrail disinfection device at Capital Tower and Galaxis.

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Similarly, there is a growing movement towards contactless access in buildings through the use of smartphone apps and destination control elevator systems.

The hospitality industry is leading the way in this regard through digital records and mobile keys. More office buildings and businesses are beginning to adopt workplace applications to do the same.

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HEALTHY OFFICIALS AT THE FOREFRONT

Business leaders and corporate real estate professionals are increasingly aware that buildings can help serve as the first line of defense against disease, as says Dr. Joe Allen, Director of Healthy Buildings at the College of Public Health of Harvard University.

There is an increased interest and desire for certifications like the WELL Building Standard, the industry-leading global benchmark for health-focused buildings globally, offering a framework and actionable strategies to guide corporate occupants and building owners through the same to achieve healthy environments.

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In fact, the School of Design and Environment at the National University of Singapore is leading the way, as the first building in Singapore and the first university in the world to earn WELL Certified Gold last year, for meeting all 10 goals, like air, light, thermal. comfort that support human health.

The real estate industry has been moving towards healthier and more sustainable offices for some time. What must happen now is an acceleration of that movement, so that companies can continue to focus on the health and safety of their people, their greatest asset.

The CNA Leadership Summit 2020: Navigating the Post-Pandemic World will discuss through a series of television shows and webinars how companies and organizations have reacted to the pandemic and applied innovative practices.

More details are available at: cna.asia/leadership-summit.

Albert Ovidi is Chief Operating Officer and Director of Property and Asset Management at JLL Asia Pacific.