Mitigating the Facility Risk during Pandemic

The worldwide corona virus pandemic has brought global businesses to a standstill. Global businesses have been disrupted, oil prices have dropped considerably, the stock market is in shambles and any brands that relied heavily on Chinese manufacturing for their goods and products have been forced to deal with delays and other disruptions as many Chinese factories remain shut down.

If you are a facility manager, you’ve probably been forced to discuss the escalating coronavirus outbreak more times than you would like. Worse still, you are now required to contemplate what the virus means for the future of your facility.

As a result of the pandemic, customer and third-party behavior are not what it used to be. Facilities have also seen numerous changes in the demand for their products or services. Businesses must also account for their labor force unavailability as a result of the increased number of sick workers.

So, what can facility managers so to mitigate the facility risk during these trying times?

Pick someone that will lead the pandemic response team

If you are the facility manager, you or someone responsible enough will have to step up and take charge of the pandemic response plan. This means that the person in charge will also become the nominated official source of information.

As the facility manager, don’t try and do too much. For instance, anything concerning the welfare of employees should be left to the head of HR. any preparedness or response tactics should also be overseen by a COO. If all parties and departments understand their duties and responsibilities, it becomes a lot easier to mitigate the effects of this pandemic.

Establish Protocols for Communication

Do you have a system in place that will allow you to communicate company news with your employees or customers? You must ensure that the communication protocols are in place.

Inform your employees about how and when you intend to update them on any updates or changes that arise such as permanently shutting down your integrated facility management services. When communicating with your customers, ensure that you are as direct as possible.

Provide a Safe Working Environment Always

If your facility is deemed essential, it means that there is still a trickle of employees frequenting the facility. As the facility manager, the safety of all employees, visitors, or on-site contractors is your responsibility and primary priority.

Create a clean workspace that will limit the spread of coronavirus and establish necessary protocols to keep everyone safe. For instance, you might want to consider deactivating any building passes or security keys until the pandemic is over.