Commercial Real Estate Reoccupancy Checklist

Safety checklist for commercial real estate and office buildings

Protecting the safety of employees, customers and facilities is a priority for companies as they move to reopen, recalibrate operations and drive growth after a crisis. UL Solutions offers the following suggested guidelines for safely resuming operations of office buildings and other places of business.

General operations

1. Post signage of proper personal protective equipment (PPE) use and cleaning protocols, and mark floors to guide proper social distancing. 
2. Prop doors open to minimize touching handles. Remember to consider additional requirements for fire-rated doors.
3. Limit capacity in heavy traffic areas, implement strict disinfecting practices for high-touch surfaces, including elevator controls, and ensure proper stocking of cleaning products.
4. Review facility walkways to ensure social distancing and traffic flows.

Reception and visitors

5. Install clear plastic barriers where social distancing cannot be maintained.
6. Provide touch-free visitor sign-in and disinfect reception equipment between each use. 
7. Provide additional portable hand sanitizing stations where needed.
8. Establish transmission mitigation protocols for visitors, including truck drivers, contractors and delivery drivers.

Kitchenette and foodservice 

9. Increase space between tables where possible, while avoiding obstruction hazards and place cleaning products on each table.
10. Consider grab-and-go alternatives and eliminate the use of coffee dispensers, counters and reusable kitchenware.
11. Evaluate communal kitchen compliance to health and safety practices and establish cleaning protocols for frequent touch areas, e.g., microwaves and vending machines. 
     

Conference and meeting rooms

12. Limit access to conference and meeting rooms by requiring scheduling, locking doors and removing chairs.
13. Encourage cleaning before and after the use of common areas.

Changerooms and washrooms

14. Identify separate washrooms for guests and employees and limit the number of staff in changerooms at one time.
15. Deactivate hand dryers and replace with disposable paper towels and use hands-free soap and water dispensing fixtures where possible. 
16. Provide additional portable hand sanitizing stations where needed.
17. Place signage for proper handwashing.

Workstations

18. Increase space between workstations where possible, while avoiding obstruction hazards, and use barriers between workstations where social distancing cannot be ensured.
19. Wear proper PPE whenever leaving workstation or office.
20. Limit employee time in workstations where possible.

Additional resources

CDC Employer Information for Office Buildings

Always review and follow local health guidelines, building codes and regulations when resuming operations in your facility.