Each day, maintenance and engineering managers are implementing technology to create high-performance buildings, but just as important as the building is the people who work in it. The physical workplace is one of the key factors affecting performance and job satisfaction. When it comes to the organization’s bottom line, personnel costs far outweigh the costs for design, construction, maintenance and operations. Improving the workplace can reduce the largest line item in the costs of a building — personnel — and offer a meaningful return on investment.
To help managers achieve these goals, the WELL Building Standard was established as an evidence-based system for managing the performance of building features that impact productivity and occupant health, and the standard’s reach into the marketplace continues, even in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.
Recently, the International WELL Building Institute announced that Empire State Realty Trust became the first commercial real estate portfolio in the country to achieve the WELL Health-Safety Rating for Facility Operations and Management. The trust’s portfolio is comprised of 14 office properties and six standalone retail properties totaling about 10.1 million rentable square feet, including the Empire State Building.
The rating measures five categories: cleaning and sanitization procedures; emergency preparedness programs; health service resources; air and water quality management; and stakeholder engagement and communications.
Dan Hounsell is editor of Facility Maintenance Decisions.
