I think we can safely say that no-one was prepared for the pandemic that made its way around the world at the beginning of this year. Medical supplies and planning scenarios have been shown to be lacking and many businesses have struggled in their transition to remote operations.
But we must deal with the situation at hand and learn lessons from it in planning what to do next. Many of our property manager clients have been asked by their residents and RMCs what they can do (and of course how much it will cost) to mitigate any lasting or further effects from the coronavirus.
As such, we thought it might be helpful to provide you with some pricing and information on how to proactively and retroactively increase your buildings’ defence against disease.
Before Commencement of Any Works
Something we would recommend doing before any works are undertaken, and in any event to ensure best practice is followed, is an update of risk assessments and method statements (RAMS) wherever possible. This is of particular importance in scheduled maintenance but must also be considered on anything non-reactive in nature, such as project works.
We should also say that policies and guidelines will inevitably be updated or revised during this period. The below guidelines and service recommendations have been prepared based on the Government’s (current) published guidance on risk mitigation and reducing the risk of viral transmissions.
At Homyze, we will continue to monitor these releases and amend our advice to allow you and your residents to safely navigate domestic and commercial buildings.
The REstart Checklist
At Homyze, we have developed ‘REstart’ – a checklist approach to getting your buildings better prepared for the new (ab)normal. As you can see from the below, it may not make sense to undertake all of them at once (e.g. is there a ‘right’ time to do a corona-clean?) but this should provide the basis for ongoing maintenance and provide the framework for undertaking these works when necessary.
Risk Assessment: In order to ensure that your mitigation approach is fit for purpose, the first step should be to comprehensively study and identify the hazards and make an assessment of the risks.
Full Sanitation Clean: We recommend undertaking a virucidal clean and disinfection of all communal areas & facilities. Again, this is more of a ‘reset’ function but specialist cleaning may be something to incorporate on a periodic basis.
Distanced Communal Areas: It is always easier to follow directions when those directions are clearly laid out. As part of our retrofit services, we are undertaking the supply & installation of signage & taped distancing.
First Defence Systems: Particularly important for buildings with concierges/on-site amenities and also for staircases/lifts. Consider supply & installation of sneeze screens, hand sanitisers,’no touch’ bins and wipes.
System Checks: A full inspection & testing of mechanical/electrical systems. This may need to be done as people go back to work to ensure any trend programs in building management systems reflect any change.
Regulatory Checks: Undertaking building maintenance has been more difficult during this period. We recommend you review and issue any lapsed buildings certification to ensure your building is safe.
Amenity Relocation: This may be just a case of installing screens or indicating safe distancing. In other situations, concierge desks, gyms etc. may require reconfiguration as identified in the risk assessment undertaken.
Life Safety System Checks: The building occupancy increase magnifies the impact of any failure in these systems so we would also recommend a review or a full inspection of fire alarm/smoke detection systems.
Ongoing Maintenance: The above assessments will likely indicate that your scheduled maintenance will need to be amended to some degree. It’s always preferable to reduce emergency call outs with regular maintenance checks.
Retrofit Options
Whilst the above deals with the building on a more general level, there are also ways in which transmission risk can be reduced by retrofitting existing hardware and infrastructure. Whilst we have not considered more comprehensive works such as air filtration enhancements, these can also be carried out.
The simplest and easiest means of addressing the basics of hygiene risk are retrofitting existing assets. Homyze can supply and install the below across a single property or an entire portfolio. Here is some pricing for simple but effective implementations:
Antibacterial Door Handles (Straight/Lever) £49.99+VAT (per unit)
Available in blue or black, this clips over existing lever door handles to kill up to 99.9% of bacteria using harmless silver ions. This product also has a shelf life of 6 months.
Antibacterial Gel Dispensing Pull Door Handles £399.99+VAT (per unit)
Given that the evidence suggests that the coronavirus can survive on door handles for up to 9 days, the gel dispensing version goes even further in protecting residents. This product requires refilling approximately every 2,000 ‘pulls’ at a cost of £79.99 +VAT.
‘Hands Free’ Door Openers £49.99+VAT (per unit)
Eliminates cross contamination and reduces the spread of germs, this low maintenance option allows residents to access spaces ‘hands free’. Made of heavy duty aluminium this is quick and easy to install. Not ideal for buildings with mostly elderly tenants.
Antibacterial Pull Door Handles £49.99+VAT (per unit)
Available in blue or black, this clips over existing door handles and uses the same technology as above. Uses no chemicals or poisons to kill up to 99.9% of bacteria. This product has a shelf life of 6 months.
All of the above are based on provision of a single product. Volume discounts are of course available.
For detailed pricing on the above (and other) services, please click here. Please note that these are based on our London operations, and will be lower in our Manchester office and in regional areas.
Homyze is a complete property maintenance solution, providing block managers with a single source of everything from call handling through to major works. We operate in London and Manchester serving property managers across reactive, PPM and Section 20 works.
We pride ourselves on excellent service and are intent on making the lives of property managers easier when it comes to maintenance. If we can help in any way, whether on coronavirus works or other property maintenance requirements, please get in touch with us at [email protected].
