A company that specialises in facilities management has warned of the potential dangers that companies face when reopening workplaces that have been unused for many months because of COVID-19 and lockdown.
DRS Facilities Management, a Swansea-based provider of specialist engineering solutions to the facilities management sector, has stressed that unused buildings and work premises can host a number of dangers in addition to COVID-19 including Legionnaires’ disease developing in the water or air conditioning, gas-powered boilers malfunctioning, fire alarms and emergency lighting failing.
In response to this challenge, DRS has launched a specialist audit service designed to both check and mitigate all these risks and also prepare the workplace for employees again in the context of the threat of COVID-19.
This will include advising on and installing any required signage and information around distancing policies and partitions as well as organising a deep clean and sanitisation of the premises in advance of them being used by returning staff.
Mark Phillips, managing director at DRS Facilities Management, said: “As lockdown measures ease, many companies are preparing to reopen and get their staff back in the workplace. However, many premises will have been completely unused for many months now and that can spell danger.
“That is why we have launched this specialist service specifically designed to aid companies to get their employees back to work safely, both in the context of COVID-19 and the many other health and safety issues companies need to consider when they open up again. Of course, we do all this within the context of government guidelines and all our staff are also tested for COVID-19 on a regular basis.”
