Improve Your Workspace Before Reopening in a COVID-19 World
4 things you can do to upgrade before reopening to provide peace of mind for your occupants and yourself
2020 has been a year unlike any other. Buildings and facilities are shut down across the country and throughout the world—even as many companies are keeping the ball rolling with employees working remotely. But there will come a time when your office, warehouse or other business space will reopen so that we can work at creating a new normal in the workplace. While you and your staff are waiting to get the doors open again, we’ve put together four tasks you may want to tackle so that when things open, you’re ready to roll.
Get Your Facility Up to Code
Now is an excellent time to review all federal, state and local codes in reference to the overall safety of your facility. One area that can sometimes be overlooked is egress wayfinding. There are requirements where visitors, employees or vendors must be able to access stairwells even when the power is out. Glow-in-the-dark wayfinding for a stairwell is often the easiest way to ensure this is possible, and in many cases, it’s simply part of the building code.
Glow-in-the-dark material is more precisely known as photoluminescent or PL material. This type of wayfinding material is especially useful in case of an emergency. On Sept. 11, 2001, when the World Trade Center was attacked, this type of wayfinding was particularly useful in helping those trapped inside find their way out of the building. In addition to being useful from a safety standpoint, there are now code requirements for this in many places. Checking up on your current status with photoluminescent egress is an important step.
Restore Tile and Grout
When you see your tile and grout every day, it can be easy to overlook how grimy these surfaces become. Even if you are serious about mopping and scrubbing your floors and other tiled surfaces, getting tile super clean is difficult. Now is a great time to work on restoring these surfaces to get them looking clean and fresh once again. Professionally maintained tile will not only look better, but also be much easier to keep clean on a day-to-day basis, too. Most importantly, clean tile and grout goes a long way toward providing peace of mind to employees coming back to the office, who expect to see areas at their cleanest. Check out the options at APEX and let us help with this trying task.
Clean and Restore Workstations and Chairs
Now, more than ever, the importance of a clean workspace is heavy on our minds. By deep cleaning seating and panel fabrics, you keep your indoor environment healthy and looking its best. At APEX, we know how important the right equipment, cleaning solutions and skills are in cleaning your fabrics—and we know that the wrong solutions can damage many surfaces. Our technicians use low-moisture cleaning systems that improve the look of surfaces, remove allergens and increase the lifespan of these expensive pieces.
Use Surface Protection
Finally, before you reopen, you want to do everything you can to protect everyone in your facility from COVID-19 and other contagious diseases. In addition to social distancing and mask requirements, another tool in your arsenal should be surface protection. Did you know that APEX can help with this, too? SurfaceWise2™ is the first antiviral surface coating approved by the EPA to kill 99.9% of viruses, including the virus that causes COVID-19, within two hours. Taking this proactive step is one of the best ways you can ensure everyone who works in or visits your facility stays safe during these trying times.
Completing these four tasks will make a huge difference in the overall look and feel of your work area. However, there are always other jobs that may make an impact as well. Whether you need to restore carpeted areas, clean the ducts or otherwise improve your space, take advantage of the time you have now to create a workspace that improves productivity and staff morale. Once you’re ready to reopen, your facility will be better than it has ever been.