Sitemark, the independent benchmarking service for the facilities management industry, has released a facilities management workplace risk assessment tool in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
The risk assessment tool helps FMs identify the control measures to consider to minimise the risk of workplace infections. Originally produced for Sitemark clients, the company has decided to distribute the tool to all businesses considering the serious nature of the outbreak.
The assessment will vary from business to business and it is intended to be used alongside existing risk assessment policies and government guidelines. Sitemark has identified five areas to be assessed for control measures:
Site control – access points, visitor restrictions and visitor hygiene, non-touch dispensers and door mechanisms.
Cleaning provision – specification frequency, schedule definitions, service provider contingency, chemical use, curtains / blinds, and rugs / mats, swab testing and steam cleaning.
Signage and education – hand washing signage, hand washing videos and update alerts.
Building user behaviours – home working, dress code, travel reduction, handshaking, workspace hygiene and self-isolation.
Contingency plans – building closure plan, contract clarification, deep clean provider, deep clean methodology and sick pay policy.
FMs enter an impact and adoption score for each assessment, then use a calculation in the tool to generate a score that will suggest the overall site risk level. Sitemark’s experience of benchmarking more than 300 service providers across 7,000 sites has given it a unique position from which to advise businesses.
Mike Boxall, managing director at Sitemark, commented: “We felt obligated to share this assessment tool far and wide in the FM industry considering the severity of the coronavirus outbreak. We hope that through frequent assessment of key control measures, organisations across the country will be able to minimise the impact of the outbreak, and most importantly ensure their employees and customers stay healthy.”
The risk assessment tool can be downloaded here.
