Keeping buildings safe amidst the COVID-19 pandemic: Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates—June 9, 2020
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Issue
With global efforts focused on the containment of COVID-19 outbreak and the prevention of further spread, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) has implemented measures in the national real property portfolio to aid in these efforts.
Key messages
- PSPC is committed to providing its clients with healthy and productive work environments
- We continue to liaise with Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) to determine appropriate cleaning and building maintenance protocols for our buildings during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Preparatory measures for building re-occupancy are underway
Background
Although occupancy levels are currently reduced, PSPC buildings remain operational and all mandatory maintenance and life safety system testing continue on our regular schedule ensuring that essential government functions can be delivered in a safe environment. Additional measures taken include:
- amendment to national cleaning specifications to augment cleaning/disinfection of common areas and high-touch points to twice daily, cleaning contractor capacity remains adequate to fulfill this new demand, should resource constraints arise, PSPC will work with client departments to reprioritize the number of serviceable locations (not anticipated), it is expected that PSPC will continue the new heightened disinfection standards until a vaccine is found
- development, in consultation with Health Canada, of water systems requirements to mitigate risks of water stagnation and associated bacterial growth (for example Legionella), protocols include regular flushing of buildings’ hot and cold water systems to ensure continued water use as well as water testing prior to re-occupancy
- implementation of supplemental heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) maintenance activities to promote occupant wellness during the COVID-19 pandemic, these include increasing outdoor airflow into buildings, increased filtration, avoiding potential for cross contamination between exhaust air and supply air, and ensuring proper operation of cooling towers to address Legionella risks, qualified expertise was obtained from PHAC and the American Society of Heating and Refridgerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) revised measures for COVID-19
- incident reporting and specialized disinfection protocols are in place for suspected and confirmed cases of COVID-19, as of June 3, 2020, PSPC has actioned 554 requests for specialized disinfection within 330 buildings, affecting 53 departments nationally
- hand sanitizer stations are being installed at building entrances and departments are securing the same for their internal workspaces
- Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat and Health Canada approved signage is being placed in elevators, washrooms and common areas to raise awareness of proper handwashing practices, physical distancing, and factual information on COVID-19
- dissemination of various communiques to clients and contractors promoting personal protective practices as well as targeted messaging to the cleaning community to emphasize the need for additional diligence in cleaning/disinfecting methods, as well as contract performance compliance
- support for client community enhanced service requirements to install barriers (such as plexiglass) and established specialized cleaning (such as high traffic service counters) in the workplace is ongoing
- ongoing engagement with service providers and industry (Brookfield Global Integrated Solutions (BGIS) and the National Building Owners and Managers Association) will ensure that maintenance measures remain current with evolving best practices
Next steps
While physical distancing and telework provisions are reducing general occupancy rates in our buildings at this time, we recognize that, in the future, occupancy levels will begin to increase.
In anticipation of this, PSPC is developing methods to ensure healthy and productive work environments for the eventual return to full occupancy in our buildings. Examples include:
- reinforcing protocols with client departments on physical distancing awareness in high traffic areas including management of entry/exit of building occupants, traffic management, and washroom etiquette
- responding to special cleaning requests
- ensuring adequate performance of water and ventilation systems in line with up to date industry recommendations
- ensuring elevators and other alternative circulation pathways (stairwells) are well serviced
Document navigation for "Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates: June 9, 2020"
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