Menu
Follow
tangram
Search
Search
Navigating What’s Next
Working with our network of leading organizations and experts, we are sharing what we’re learning about the return to the workplace
across time horizons of now, near and far.
Employee Safety is paramount – people need to be safe and feel safe.
Everyone needs to feel safe at work. They need to be confident that their employers have done everything possible to create a safe environment — especially for those who may be at higher risk.
• Culture is rooted in community and the “ social infrastructure” – places and protocols -- that connect people and shape how we interact.
• The modern workplace provides the infrastructure needed to foster relationships, build communities at work and allow people t o achieve
more.
• Companies want to bring people back to the office because they know it’s the best place for people to come together, align on priorities and get things done.
• People have grown weary of isolation and look forward to being able to speak directly to their colleagues and solve problems.
• As organizations plan for people to return in waves, they need a strategy for the physical work environment that follows new safety protocols
and allows people to create, collaborate and be productive.
• Three key strategies to consider when retrofitting spaces now or reconfiguring the near term are:
Density – the number of people per sg. Ft./m,
Geometry – how furniture is arranges,
Division – using screens, panels or barriers.
• These strategies should be used in combination to create spaces that, when supplements with new safety guidelines, allow people to confidently come back into the work place.
• Going forward, organizations will want to create a diverse range of spaces that are highly adaptable to allow them navigate what’s next
Now / Retrofit
• This will be the first wave, with portions of the workforce continuing to work from home.
• Planning for now also means retrofitting the workplace, based on a common-sense approach that adheres to governmental and global
health guidelines, including physical distancing, adding barriers, cleaning and safety measures.
• Focus on retrofitting existing applications and take a common-sense approach based on current understanding of preventing disease transmission.
Near / Reconfigure
• At this stage, organizations may be ready to bring back most or all of their workforce.
• Building on what we learn from our experiences and science, organizations can begin reconfiguring the workplace. This will involve new ways to lay out space and change work settings to offer longer term solutions for enhanced safety.
• Businesses will need to reconfigure their spaces to accommodate increased numbers while still adhering to distancing guidelines.
• Solutions should be highly adaptable so spaces can change quickly in response to any unplanned future disruptions.
• These solutions should also be based on science – including what we’ve learned about pathogens and how they are transmitted and destroyed.
Far / Reinvent
• Work environments in the future will require reinvention as science-based evidence and emerging technologies offer new solutions.
• Planning paradigms of the past were driven by density and cost. Going forward they need to be based on the ability to adapt easily to possible economic, climate and health disruptions.
• The reinvented office must be designed with an even deeper commitment to the wellbeing of people, recognizing that their physical, cognitive and emotional states are inherently linked to their safety
• The opportunity ahead is to reinvent a workplace that is inherently adaptable – able to change as needed, based on new conditions, whether it be the next epidemic or a new prospect for growth.
• Planning paradigms of the past, driven by density and costs, are shifting -- flexibility and fluidity take precedence over permanence.
• Creating “social infrastructure” – a range of diverse places and experiences that shape how people interact – will allow people to make connections and build trust that, in turn, fuels their level of engagement.
Minimum Distance
Create minimum 6ft/2m distancing between people in open workstations, meeting spaces, cafés and lounge spaces. Reduce occupancy by removing desks, tables and seating, or use alternating desks
Meet in the Open
Use open spaces for meetings of more than five people, leveraging flexible furniture with movable whiteboards and screens to create boundaries.
More Owned Spaces
Reduce/eliminate shared desking and shift to more owned individual spaces.
Re-orient Furniture
Reconfigure desking to reduce face-to-face orientation; turn workstations to 90-degee angles to prevent workers from working directly across or behind one another.
Separate Desks
Pull workstations and desks apart to increase distancing.
Add Space Division
Increase barriers for existing workspaces by adding screening, storage elements, plants or partitions.
Moveable Screens
At workstations, consider increased user-movable screening and privacy devices to reduce exposure.
Height Helps
Implement the highest boundary possible above the work surface (on all exposed sides) when a minimum 6ft/2m distance cannot be achieved.
Many are already anticipating what the office will look like post COVID-19.
How will we return to work and what necessary adjustments will be made to ensure employee safety? Because making drastic changes to your current work environment can be costly. Here are a variety of screens & Space Dividers to fit your budget and design aesthetic. Separation Screens aid infection-control efforts and offer a protective barrier between those who seek help and those who stand ready.
Everyone is giving ideas of what needs to happen but, we are the ones who will do it for you.
Tangram Flooring & Light Construction Services has developed a team of specialist to assist in preparing your office for employees return to work. Our goal is to support you by creating a safe and functional working environment while you are focusing on getting your core business up and running. We have developed a 3-point program to assist in the critical areas of returning safely and offing a feeling of security to your staff.
Services we provide and can manage for your space:
Before You Return & Maintenance
Tangram Workplace Sanitization
Asset Management
Move Services
Furniture Reconfiguration/Space Planning
Office Best Practices
i. Touchless Technology i.e. Doors
ii. Key Card Readers
iii. Digital Signage
iv. Mapping & Traffic Flow Documentation
v. Air Sanitization Systems
vi. Copper Fixtures
vii. HVCA Cleaning
Before You Enter
Temperature check stations & thermal scanner security kiosk, with a basic medical questionnaire
Person Protective Equipment
Once in The Space
Sanitization Stations
Contact Tracing
Occupancy Sensors
Sanitization Sensors
Protective Screens and
Antimicrobial Surfaces
Falk Walls
Glass Walls
Germs and bacteria cover virtually every surface in any given environment.
With this reality in mind, and in direct response to the current COVID-19 crisis, Tangram Interiors now offers Tangram Workplace Sanitization as an accessible resource to all our clients. This dedicated maintenance program provides disinfection and sanitization services on a quarterly and annual basis.
Every site presents unique challenges, exposure scenarios and operational complexities. Tangram’s treatments are designed to address each business’ unique characteristics and minimize the impact to occupants and operations.
Atmospheric ULV Fogging of Interior cubic area.
Breathing Zone 6-8 feet high.
Atmospheric ULV Fogging of Interior cubic area. Breathing Zone 6-8 feet high.
Damp wipe, disinfect and sanitize high contact touch surfaces with ServprOXIDE™. Emphasis will be placed on applying a liberal amount of disinfectant to reach the required 5 minute dwell time for maximum efficacy.
High touch areas include but are not limited to: countertops, faucet handles, sinks, elevators, door knobs, light switches, keyboards, monitors, etc).
Employees will be wearing complete
Personal Protective Equipment.
Atmospheric ULV Fogging of Interior cubic area. Breathing Zone 6-8 feet high.
Damp wipe, disinfect and sanitize high contact touch surfaces with ServprOXIDE™. Emphasis will be placed on applying a liberal amount of disinfectant to reach the required 5 minute dwell time for maximum efficacy.
High touch areas include but are not limited to: countertops, faucet handles, sinks, elevators, door knobs, light switches, keyboards, monitors, etc).
Employees will be wearing complete
Personal Protective Equipment.
3 Stage Decontamination Chamber.
Our Professional Disinfection Crews are uniquely prepared to sanitize your business during this unprecedented time.
They are fully equipped to handle jobs of every magnitude following the protocols set forth by the CDC with a commitment to providing rapid emergency response 24/7 throughout the United States. Tangram’s Workplace Sanitization is a full-service approach to biohazard decontamination fully complies with local, national and international regulations. Tangram utilizes only hospital-grade products per CDC recommendation that combat the spread of germs in order to promote healthy and safe work environments. While tough on germs, the disinfectants used are gentle and safe for you and your employees. Furthermore, Tangram will continue to ensure your workplace is sanitized on a quarterly basis to protect the ongoing health of your organization.
When you're ready, we're here to help!
