FOCUS INTERVIEWS
Never before in the FM sector have priorities
changed so quickly. In February and
March it was all about exiting people from
buildings, closing them down and setting up
home-working. In April and May it was about
managing a largely empty portfolio. And now as
we move into June, the industry has gone full
circle as businesses slowly start to reopen and
facilities managers get their sites ready to be
occupied again.
Businesses need to take a three-step approach
to re-occupation, says Ravi Bhatnagar, Account
Director at boutique facilities management
provider Anabas. “The first focus is on preparing
the building itself, the second focus should be on
36 JUNE 2020
preparing and training the facilities team so they’re
ready for the new normal to support people when
they come back to the building. And the third step
is readying the workforce in advance through clear
communication about what to expect when they
return to work, training them on new policies and
protocols for social distancing, clear desk policies
and what to do in the event of an emergency.”
The process needs to start by risk assessing
the workplace against government guidance
standards to determine the capacity for people
returning, says Chris Moriarty, Director of insight
and Engagement at the Institute of Workplace
and Facilities Management. “Social distancing
requirements will likely mean that the number
who can return to the workplace is dramatically
reduced. To determine what the operational
workspace actually is, they will also need to review
things such as access points and li s, optimising
flows and minimising bottlenecks.”
PRIORITISE SPACE
Once FMs know how many people they can
accommodate, they will need to consider who
needs to be physically at work and who does not,
to help prioritise and organise the space. This
may result in a large number of people, possibly
a majority, continuing to work remotely who
will need to be supported to create workspaces
conducive to productive working, adds Moriarty.
UP AND
RUNNING We talked to industry experts about what FMs need to do to
get buildings ready for the post COVID-19 world