Trust must be regained, “Come in and stay safe” must become standard
Good old days?
Do you remember the time when you never even thought about giving health in rooms a second thought? I'll take the liberty of leaving out Feng Shui followers who are able to direct negative energy onto their neighbors with mirrors on the wall, as well as dowsers who can explain poor sleep with water veins under the bed. But even representatives of these teachings do not concern themselves with measurable indoor climate, air quality and surface hygiene. Climate, air quality and surface hygiene in rooms - be they apartments, offices, coworking spaces, hotels or indoor sports facilities - determine like hardly anything else whether our health suffers in them.
So, do you remember? This time, which in retrospect seems almost innocent and naive, basically encompasses your entire life. Until the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The influence of climate and air quality on health has long been the focus: outside the door
Awareness of the connection between climate and air quality on the one hand and well-being on the other has been there for a long time. Fine dust on the doorstep has (rightly) been a concern for years in environmental policy, citizens' initiatives and courts, the diesel scandal has eroded the credibility of the automobile industry that is so beloved in Germany, and the responsible part of the world is fighting to reduce greenhouse gases in order to combat climate change and global warming, one of the central challenges facing humanity, perhaps the most important. But, as the examples mentioned above also show, the focus is only on the climate "outside" - in front of the front doors. We have actually overlooked the climate "inside". We have so far been indifferent to how things behave in rooms, with the exception of the issue of heating and cooling in the utility bill. This is not only not far enough and illogical, but basically negligent.
Health in rooms? Offers for spa, furniture and yoga…
Google and other search engines also show this omission. For example, the following search results dominate for the following combination of terms:
- “Health + Hotel”: wellness hotels with spa and fasting cures
- “Health + Office”: ergonomic furniture
- “Health + Fitness Studio”: exercise and relaxation courses as well as information on nutrition and training
Yoga, Pilates and ketogenic diets alone do not keep us healthy if the indoor climate is harmful.
Generation Corona sensitized to indoor climate and hygiene
Now times have changed. Corona has changed everything. Terms that were previously only known to a few experts, such as aerosols, FFP2 masks, rapid antigen tests, RKI and herd immunity, are now common knowledge. The advantages and disadvantages of vector vaccines compared to mRNA vaccines are the subject of discussions among friends and work colleagues. And every child can now explain the social distancing rule and the correct way to wash their hands.
The Corona generation - around the globe - will never again uncritically move into closely spaced desks in open-plan offices, find crowds in front of and in elevators harmless or touch door handles with the thoughtlessness described at the beginning, at least not as long as there are doubts that the surface of the door handle has been adequately disinfected.
Perhaps in the future, office work despite the flu will no longer be seen as a sign of heroic toughness and masks in everyday life will remain a visible sign of learned protection against colds, as has long been common practice in Southeast Asia's metropolises. The latter without strange-thinking people immediately comparing the conditions with those under the Nazi terror regime or in North Korea.
Health in rooms permanently relevant
Indoor health is - late but fortunately - a major issue that has been brought into the spotlight by COVID-19 and affects every type of company and every type of office and workspace in the economy. In times of Corona, appropriate health protection is also a prerequisite for a successful return to office environments and workplaces during and after the official restrictions expire.
However, indoor health is not only important now in the current pandemic. The topic will retain its new-found relevance even after the pandemic, mainly for two reasons:
- Increased attention and expectations regarding indoor climate and hygiene as a result of the aforementioned experiences
- "after the pandemic is before the pandemic"
Further legal requirements to be expected
The legal requirements for health in rooms have long been in place: the operational responsibility of property owners and property managers, but also the responsibility of employers, require the protection of customers, guests and employees. It is also to be expected that the legislature will tighten and specify the regulations and place greater responsibility on those with creative power. And it should. The smoking bans that were legally regulated years ago and are now completely normal are a reference.
Growing ecosystem rich in technical and infrastructural solutions
What about the technical and infrastructural solutions for controlling the indoor climate and infection risks? In fact, there is no lack of knowledge about what is necessary in terms of climate and hygiene in offices and what is detrimental to health. This is laid down in pandemic-specific as well as permanently valid hygiene standards (e.g. based on the federal and state ordinances and regulations and the recommendations of the Robert Koch Institute for workplaces). Likewise, the ecosystem - from PropTech to the multinational TGA manufacturer to the providers of on-site services in the office space and at the workplace - contains everything that is necessary and required, from sensors to filter systems to surface-appropriate, naturally pollutant-free cleaning agents.
Economy benefits from appreciation of employee health
It is astonishing that the unions have not yet discovered this field for themselves. There is probably no conflict of interest between employers and employees in this regard: the economic damage caused by work absences due to infectious diseases transmitted in the workplace and by losses in performance due to poor indoor climate is enormous. Employers could also benefit from an HR perspective: companies that value the health of their employees are valued themselves.
Pollutant emissions from building materials and people
What are the basic levers? There are essentially two causes of pollution in indoor climates:
- Firstly, building materials (emission of pollutants) - materials that are compatible with health must be used in construction and renovation. Healthier buildings must become the rule, according to a guiding principle of the Sentinel House Institute, which has built up Europe's largest database of health-tested materials for healthier living and working, construction and renovation.
- Secondly, pollution in operation - i.e. pollution introduced by people in the use of space (e.g. viruses) or emissions generated in the workplace (e.g. CO2).
In today's working world, operation in particular is the decisive lever for health in rooms: firstly, because new construction is relatively the exception - the world is no longer a green field, but is already built on. In Germany alone, there are over 500 million square meters of qualified office space in stock.
On the other hand, the health burden during ongoing operations can be reduced comparatively easily: by ensuring a healthy climate and appropriate hygiene in buildings and rooms.
Trust must be regained in offices
Trust must be regained, particularly in offices. 71% of all employees in Germany now work at an office workplace at least part of the time. They all want to feel good about coming to the office (again). It should be a given that everyone who enters an office will not have their health compromised - the promise "Come in and stay safe". But it is not. That could change in the future.
Will healthy spaces become a matter of course?
In terms of time, two (related) developments are not unlikely:
- In the short term, "health in rooms" is a business opportunity for office operators and workspace providers: offices and workspaces with a healthy indoor climate and a hygiene concept that reduces the risk of infection are more attractive and easier to market than those without. Indoor climate and guaranteed hygiene are therefore a differentiating criterion for spaces and space operators. Corporate real estate, asset, property and facility managers are in demand, as are landlords.
- In the medium term, healthy rooms could even become a must-have criterion. The more their rooms are marked accordingly, the less the other office managers can avoid it. Employees, guests, co-tenants and subtenants will demand appropriate offices. That would be a game changer. Appropriate qualification of spaces (of any kind) must then be as self-evident as the TÜV sticker for a car and the energy certificate for a building today.
TÜV badge and energy certificate as a model for hygiene label
Employees, tenants and guests are looking for reliable hygiene standards to feel safe in the workspace - whether desk, office or meeting room. What are the must-have criteria for room qualification?
- Uniform quality standards for premises
- Uniform test parameters
- Verifiability by third parties
- Optical identification in the sense of being visible to everyone who enters the premises - i.e. a label
These criteria also characterize the TÜV badge and energy certificate.
Speaking of TÜV: TÜV SÜD recently launched the “staysafe” service for the office market together with PropTech ShareYourSpace.
- With an app, providers and operators of offices and workspaces can check their own hygiene protection concept and reduce the risk of infection for office space users.
- The “staysafe” or “staysafe monitored by TÜV SÜD” label issued upon successful check is visible confirmation that the duty of care is being met.
The “staysafe” label can be displayed on the digital marketplace www.shareyourspace.com when advertising space.
ShareYourSpace enables the short-term rental and letting of a wide variety of workspaces based on the Airbnb principle by connecting space owners and space seekers, structured searches, and simple presentation, inquiry, booking and payment processes.
An exciting combination that addresses the topic of "health in spaces": TÜV SÜD, a global company that traditionally stands for safety and trust like no other, and a startup that has committed itself to the mission of "Boosting Flexibility + Sustainability In The Office World".
Good old days? Healthy new days!
In summary:
- Health in workspaces has been in the spotlight since COVID-19
- Without trust, there is no "back to normal"
- Come in and stay safe is a must
- A "health label" in office buildings that is visible to all, similar to the energy certificate, is a business opportunity and could become standard
Perhaps the new era is not so bad and the old one not so healthy as is commonly assumed.