Covid-19 safety assessments to create safer real estate properties

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Hemant Sethi, Country Head India, British Safety Council India The COVID-19 pandemic upended the global economy in a massive way that has never before been seen. The implications of the virus went well beyond health affecting businesses across the world and posing unique challenges to most industries. However, as lockdowns eased and businesses started opening up gradually, organisations were required to understand the measures they needed to take while seeking to resume operations. It became seminal to put in place systems which ensured, so far as is reasonably practicable, that workplaces could function without safety risks. Before reopening, it became essential for businesses to perform a risk assessment to determine what steps must be taken to ensure safety. Like most industries, the real estate sector too faced one of its most difficult challenges in years. As businesses were allowed to open up, it became necessary for real estate owners, developers, managers and investors to explore a way forward to restart business safely and in the process demonstrate compassion for tenants as well as workers and employees. The need for a rapid risk assessment framework became all the more significant and real estate developers had to be armed with a comprehensive plan to identify and determine appropriate control measures to help mitigate issues arising from COVID-19. It is a given that maintaining safety policies, procedures, and protocols would require immense amount of commitment. For places like construction sites, in addition to planning for the traditional safety hazards, site safety plans now also need to combat COVID-19 and a robust, safety plan is a necessity. While resuming operations in this situation may seem like a daunting task for most real estate developers, fortunately, they do not have to do it alone. To ease out the process, they can seek help from experts who can assist through support and consultancy in determining what actions need to be taken to ensure business reopens smoothly. There are organisations that offer detailed assessment on general return to work and safety guidelines suitable across sectors. The assessment is a review of the manner in which developers are trying to prevent COVID because it is important to have a comprehensive and methodical approach in the whole process. The assessment consists of a framework that aims to enable developers to create robust safety protocols and arrangements, designed to effectively manage the risk of COVID-19 as far as is reasonably possible within their workplace. These guidelines provide a selection of types of control measures which can be combined to provide the best practical protection to employees and others. More specifically, the assessment is based on the bulwark of a host of areas including Assessing risks, Planning control measures, Allocating roles and responsibilities, Implementing and maintaining controls, Communication and training, Monitoring effectiveness and Reviewing and revising arrangements. Within these, the guidelines also cover details on Control Measures including points like How to Minimise the risk of transmission, Total avoidance of personal contact, Health control and surveillance, Social distancing, Personal hygiene, Use of personal protective equipment, PPE, Workplace cleaning and Workplace ventilation. For Indian companies, the assessment guidelines are designed by taking into account the current best practices in occupational health and safety guidance issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Government of India, The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the European Commission. Overall, such assessments do not require more than a day and developers can assign a staff member for that period who could oversee the project. Along with the guidelines, some organisations also offer consolidated consultancy services in the form of credible and reliable sources of support to return to operational activity. Through professional teams of health, safety and environmental experts, this technical consultancy can prove to be extremely beneficial for developers looking for some semblance of normalcy in business. Large chain developers with residential, commercial, and retail properties across locations as well as standalone developers can avail of these services as per their requirements. Likewise, COVID safety assessment is also important for construction sites. Despite the impetus to restart or continue work, doing so safely is important. Since the onus of protecting site workers and employees falls upon developers, it is their responsibility to ensure the health and safety of workers by putting the right policies and procedures in place. Workers need to be given up-to-date instructions, training, and supervision on the COVID safety requirements from time to time. Developers also need to enforce all health and safety procedures on their construction sites including sanitary protocols, proper hygiene, social distancing, use of personal protective equipment (PPE), sessions on COVID-19 requirements, and prompt resolving of health issues related to COVID-19 by workers. In India, among real estate developers, there has been a significant demand for assessment consultancy. Besides the safety aspect, a COVID risk assessment is also a significant way to instil confidence among employees as well as external stakeholders. Such an action could go a long way in sending out a message that the developer cares for the safety of not just their own workforce, but also that of the tenants who are housed in their premises and the visitors who may have to frequent the premises. The implementation of the additional safety measures along with audits have provided many real estate developers in India the confidence to return to the workplace. At a time when businesses are getting used to functioning in the new normal, real estate developers would definitely benefit by relying on such strong technical support with the independent assurance that workplace safety, health and environmental arrangements are in accordance with current guidance and best practices.