After an unusually cold and wet Winter, Spring has finally sprung here in Southern California. And you know what that means — it’s time for Spring Cleaning.

If you own and/or manage multifamily, retail or office property, this task can seem like a daunting undertaking. Fortunately, the Property Pros at CAM Property Services are here to help lighten your load with everything from repairs and enhancements to cleaning and landscaping.

JANITORIAL

Let’s start with the most straightforward way we can help achieve your Spring Cleaning goals. No matter the challenge, our Janitorial Pros will make your property truly sparkle. From general facility cleaning to floor and window care, you’ll be hard-pressed to find another team with as much experience and versatility to make your tenants happy. Our team communicates with you using state-of-the-art technology to get the job done efficiently and effectively.

DAY PORTER SERVICES

This Winter brought a barrage of storms to SoCal, resulting in potential harm to your property. Pooled water on rooftops and parking lots, can lead to bigger problems if left unattended and unreported. Fortunately, our perceptive and highly trained Day Porters can identify and report these issues before they become major headaches to their supervisor. Your mind will be at ease knowing a true professional is acting as your ‘eyes and ears’ keeping your property in tip-top shape.

PARKING LOT SWEEPING

Our Parking Lot Pros not only remove cigarette butts, paper, glass, bags, and all types of debris that create hazards and eyesores, we also know how to assess and extend the life of your asphalt. Compromised asphalt from recent storms will show ‘alligatoring’ and dangerous potholes can damage tires opening your property to liability claims. Water is abrasive and will remove and fade the striping of your parking lot and curblines. The Property Pros can help repair water damage by filling cracks and potholes to restriping the lot to full asphalt removal and replacement.

STORMWATER MANAGEMENT

April showers may bring May flowers, but they can also bring unwanted debris into your stormwater system. Fortunately, stormwater management is one of the many services our Property Pros excel at. We can help with compliance, design, and construction of your system to treat stormwater and handle anything that washes in.

LANDSCAPING

Speaking of May flowers, what about landscaping? Our Property Pros are experts when it comes to plant and flower selection, cultivation, irrigation design, and repair, resulting in landscaping that really wows. We also specialize in maintaining and selecting the right plants for the right season, so your property is always in bloom. And with all the recent rains expect to see weeds in your landscape, which can be prevented with application of pre-emergent herbicides.

As you can see, when it comes to Spring Cleaning, CAM is the right call to spruce up your property. Just let us fix all of the above!

Click HERE to learn more.

We have entered an era where viral outbreaks have become so common that the general public is now familiar with terms such as Ebola, Zika, Norovirus, and Coronavirus. Big or small, these pandemics have created heightened fear and concern about health and safety in public places. One of the solutions that facility managers are using to address this concern is electrostatic fogging with virucide.

The latest coronavirus outbreak has risen the stakes considerably. Beyond confirmed human-to-human contact and airborne transmission, the virus has been proven to be resilient. Disinfecting with anti-virus fog delivers a wide dispersal of cleaning agents to sanitize rooms from top to bottom. This cleaning technique, previously limited to hospitals, food processing facilities, and sterile environments has now entered the mainstream.

In addition to public safety, the focus on the health of employees is also rising. Federal regulatory agencies and local health boards are addressing working conditions more stringently, as employee infection rates rise. Industries have been crippled from the quarantine of entire work crews. Businesses are becoming more proactive to reduce the spread of viruses at the workplace before problems rise to these levels. Virucide fogging has been a great way to protect workspaces such as retail shopping, offices, government agencies, and industrial warehouses.

Effectiveness and ease of use are the top reasons why fog-based virucidal disinfectants have caught on. Through electrostatic fogging, the anti-virus becomes negatively charged micro particles, which repel each other, thus creating a wide dispersal pattern. The virucide fog, more accurately described as smoke or vapor, is light and airy. The negative ionic charge also creates an attraction to the positive charge of common surfaces, allowing a uniform coating of even the most difficult to reach touch points.

The spread of viruses from around the world has led to the development of products to combat these strong biological infectants. Concentrates are available that combine strong anti-viral and anti-bacterial agents with regular cleaning solutions, yet are non-hazardous, clear, odorless, environmentally friendly, and rinse-free. Mixed at a highly dilutable rate of 1 part concentrate to 64 parts water, this product is safe for human contact soon after use.

Chances are that workplaces have already taken the basic precautions of issuing personal protective gear and new guidelines as part of the new normal. The question becomes what else have you done? Employee and customer well-being have focused attention on how the workplace is serviced, including cleaning standards, indoor air quality, and hygiene. Managing these risks is increasingly falling on facility managers.

Beyond the risk of infection, an outbreak can cause irreparable damage to the reputation of a business, brand, facility, or even managers, especially if a response is slow or ineffective. Tests have shown that chemical agents used in anti-virus fogging can continue to act toward preventing future outbreaks, with residual efficacy possibly extending into months. A regular virucidal schedule can provide building tenants and customers with a level of comfort for their safety and health that will protect lives, as well as business operations and reputations.

Weighing the benefits against the risk of not acting, it becomes clear that virucide electrostatic fogging is a strong and effective tool for today’s property manager.

In California, CAM Property Services provides cleaning and disinfecting services to more than 1,300 properties. Please contact us today at 800-576-3050 to order the best professional facility services for your business.

As businesses reopen in the post COVID-19 era they may have only one opportunity to win customers back. While there are plenty of unknowns, there are things of which we can be certain. The public is on high alert regarding sanitization and will remain so indefinitely. Future purchasing decisions might easily be made based on which companies are showing signs of looking out for customer and employee health.

Facility cleaning and sanitizing, which has typically occurred afterhours or at the very least out-of-sight, may very well be moving to the forefront as consumers demand the confidence and security that comes with knowing a company’s cleaning practices. Customers are asking questions they have never asked before, such as when was the last time that door handle was cleaned or what product do you use to wipe down tables?

Landlords and tenants have a common goal in bringing customers back to businesses. The cost of restarting in-person transactions just might be an investment in stronger cleaning regimens. Letting the public know about better sanitization through certification from a third-party source improves the effort.

While questions about sanitization are on a steep rise, they follow the pattern of recent changes in consumer behavior. Businesses have already seen shifts in consumer habits this millennium with advertisements seeped in social awareness replacing traditional consumer messages. Large companies now invest heavily in building trust with communities to establish a millennial-friendly tone.

Brands such as Ben & Jerry’s and Starbucks have long tapped into the belief systems of their loyal customers, mimicked in socially responsible behavior and corporate practices. TOMS shoe company, founded in 2006, skyrocketed to success by supercharging their corporate giving to include donating a free pair of shoes for every pair sold. Similar companies have followed.

In 2017, the conversation delved even deeper with companies forced to move beyond what they stand for into declaring publicly what they stand up for. And consumers began to proactively make purchasing decisions based on these declarations.

A recent study on Corporate Social Responsibility shows just how important these messages are to potential customers. An incredible 87% of consumers said they would purchase a product from a company that advocated a cause they also cared about. Equally alarming is that 76% would refuse to purchase from a company which supported an issue contrary to their own beliefs.

Which brings us to present day, where consumers demand to know the practices, beliefs, and inner workings of companies where they do business. Wouldn’t it be great if you could head these questions off at the door? You can.

For years, companies have been signaling all kinds of information. Think about the signs you see on a regular basis, posted on a business door – accepted credit cards, armed security company, ADA compliance, se habla español, and health board rating.

Due to popular client demand, CAM Property Services has designed a variety of signs to let customers know that the businesses they enter have strict professional sanitization practices in place. Facilities that undergo superior sanitization and anti-virus fogging to combat the Coronavirus are specially designated with certification.

CAM has been providing professional, commercial grade sanitization to restaurants, national retail chains, shopping centers, government facilities, office buildings, transportation companies, and more since 1987.

You can let your customers know that you are looking out for their health and safety by hiring professional cleaners. Clients are using table tent cards, wall signs, pedestal signs, front window stickers, and even lawn signs to announce a space has been sanitized with anti-virus fogging.

Cleaning has taken center stage and CAM Property Services is proud to be a longstanding partner for retail, commercial, government, and industrial properties in California. Contact CAM now at 800-576-3050 to join in protecting customers as they transact their business safely and confidently.

For the residents who live there, a multifamily building is more than just a place to dwell — it’s home. When one thinks of home they think of safety and security, but your property could be riddled with potential risks.

They can exist anywhere, from high traffic areas littered with filth to unclean trash chutes contributing to poor air quality throughout the building. Fortunately, you don’t have to tackle these problems alone. CAM Property Services can help increase the overall wellness, cleanliness and health of your property inside and out.

DAY PORTER SERVICES

Identifying potential problems before they occur is the key to prevention, and it requires a knowledgeable team of professionals with experience in floor care, maintenance, janitorial, handyman services, and property inspection.

With CAM Property Services, you get that and more: A Property Pro who can tend to everything your building needs — including things you probably haven’t considered. Our highly visible and responsive day porters also help put tenants at ease by increasing the safety of your property. Peace of mind like that is priceless, and CAM can provide those services without going over your budget.

ENHANCED CLEANING

Residents rightly expect the building in which they live be kept up to a certain standard. Fortunately, CAM’s Property Pros are Global Biorisk Advisory Council certified to help you do just that: keep your building up to snuff.

Our experts in the field identify high traffic where diseases can spread and neutralize them before an outbreak occurs. We provide multiple tiers of cleaning services, from preventative measures to sterilizing confirmed infection zones.

TRASH CHUTE MAINTENANCE

Another aspect of your property that contributes to the well-being of your building is trash chutes. Maintaining your chutes is not only mandatory to avoid safety code violations, but it can also contribute to a more sanitary atmosphere that your residents and their guests will truly appreciate. With CAM Property Services, you can have cleaner, more efficient trash chutes and by extension, cleaner air and less unwanted odor, at a price you can afford.

As you can see, there are plenty of ways to help revitalize your multifamily property to make it healthier, cleaner, and happier. Contact CAM Property Services today and let us get to work.

As the world continues to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic, many commercial building owners and shopping center managers are feeling optimistic for a return to pre-pandemic conditions. And with that expectation comes an emerging trend in which tenants are seeking out new locations that offer superior leases and amenities.

We call it, “The Great Relocation.”

After successfully weathering a global pandemic, now is not the time to get left behind. Restoring your property to its pre-COVID shine should be of utmost importance in order to retain your current tenants and gain new ones.

Luckily for you, CAM Property Services is here to help. Our property experts perform an array of critical services that can help bring your building back to life without breaking the bank. From making a strong first impression with superior outdoor maintenance to keeping your interiors looking as good as new, CAM has you covered.

EXTERIOR SERVICES

People make first impressions, and so do places. This is why properly maintaining the exterior of your building is so critical. Visitors form an impression long before they step inside. Is it clean? Is there paint chipping away? Is the landscaping up to date? Is the parking lot well lit? Are there potholes?

All these elements should be considered before introducing a potential new tenant to your property.

Cigarette butts, glass, trash bags, and other debris aren’t just eye sores — they’re hazards that can cost you a tenant in the long run. CAM can help prevent this from becoming an issue with our parking lot sweeping services. We don’t just make your parking lot feel safer, we’ll make it more appealing. Additionally, CAM can haul illegal dumping from your property.

Other headaches like damaged facia from sign removal, old signage, vandalism, and neglected landscaping can further damage your property’s image and value. CAM’s experienced team can handle these problems and others. From using nutrient-rich mulch in landscaping to repairing damaged areas surrounding the building, we’ll have your property looking its best in no time.

INTERIOR SERVICES

Once potential tenants are inside, the real sales pitch begins. Having a clean space to showcase can make or break a deal. CAM can help smooth the transition from one tenant to the next through our vacancy prep services. These services include cleaning the interior and exterior of your vacancy, shelling out the space, and smoking out the windows to effectively showcase your property.

After a new tenant has signed on, keeping them happy is paramount. An attentive area manager can do just that. CAM’s experts have a keen eye for floor care, maintenance, and handyman services. Both tenants and customers will feel at ease knowing that your property is well maintained and monitored.

Getting your property back to pre-pandemic levels can feel like a major challenge. With help from CAM, you can make your property appeal to new tenants while retaining your current ones. From maintaining your parking lot to keeping your interiors looking as good as new, CAM is your property management partner.

Call us today to get started at (800) 576-3050.

As the world begins to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses are finding it challenging to entice employees to return to the workplace. In what has been called “The Great Resignation,” waves of workers are leaving their jobs at record levels, and the requirement to return to the office full-time is playing a big part in that movement.

According to a recent poll by McKinsey, a global management consulting company, 30 percent of respondents said they would consider quitting if forced to return to full-time, on-site employment, and about half of those who left their jobs cited a lack of a positive work-life balance as a primary reason. Faced with the challenges of this “new normal,” many employers are seeking to reach a middle ground, utilizing a hybrid model in which workers are on site or in office only a few days a week.

Businesses who find themselves in a similar predicament — welcoming employees back in a hybrid capacity — should take this opportunity to reassess how the workspace fulfills their current needs. Fortunately, CAM Property Services can help you navigate this “new normal.”

Redesign Your Workplace

Under this new hybrid model, only a fraction of the workforce is in the office at any given time. Due to that, businesses are needing 40 to 50 percent less space than before the pandemic. As the workplace shrinks, the need to remodel and reimagine existing space comes into play. CAM can connect you to specialties to navigate these obstacles — from planning and design to general construction and ADA remediation, we can help revitalize your space for “the new normal.”

Under this new hybrid model, only a fraction of the workforce is in the office at any given time. Due to that, businesses are needing 40 to 50 percent less space than before the pandemic. As the workplace shrinks, the need to remodel and reimagine existing space comes into play. CAM can connect you to specialties to navigate these obstacles — from planning and design to general construction and ADA remediation, we can help revitalize your space for “the new normal.”

Companies that improved overall performance during the pandemic relied on small, cross-functional, and cross-silo teams that worked with an in-person dimension. These teams brought with them a strong sense of socialization, something that has been missing in the remote work world. Taking a strategic approach to redesigning your office space in order to facilitate better collaboration, teamwork and socialization can help better maximize your company’s performance.

Make A Clean And Safe Space

It’s imperative that employees feel secure knowing that they are returning to a clean and safe work environment. Firms are starting to expect concierge-level, face-to-face services for workers for them to feel at ease about the cleanliness and safety on their return to the workplace.

CAM Property Services can fulfill this need by providing on-site professionals that ensure the facility is operating cleanly, smoothly, and efficiently. From ensuring that the interior office is up to code, all the way to cleaning graffiti and addressing vandalism, you can rest easy knowing our professionals are on the job.

CAM provides the highest quality services for over 1,300 properties across California, and that number is constantly on the rise. Whether you need to remodel your office or hire day porter services, our reputation for knowledgeable and personable care is unmatched, and we’re always taking on new clients, big and small.

Reimagined: Fitness Centers

As restricted businesses move toward reopening, normal operations are being altered to address heightened public health and safety concerns. The reopening of fitness centers is high on the list of those requiring modifications. Managers will need to implement plans for enhanced hygiene and social distancing, especially as indoor usage increases.

Operators have been asked to provide answers to questions such as:

• What are the social distancing rules for gyms?
• How to modify fitness center floorplans for social distancing?
• How are gyms disinfecting against COVID-19?
• How to avoid infection at a gym?

Fitness centers will need to quickly enhance disinfecting protocols, control customer flow, prevent gatherings, and effectively communicate new protocols to employees and customers.

To address these issues, you might want to consult with an Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) specialist trained in the latest safety recommendations, poised to evaluate fitness equipment, facility usage, and emerging technologies.

We caught up recently with Pranav Heryani, the EHS specialist for CAM Property Services, and got his input on important areas for fitness centers to address as they being to reopen in California. Heryani feels that companies must commit to an educated approach to safety and cleaning, including staff accountability. Earning and keeping consumer confidence will be key factors as businesses move forward. Here are some of his detailed suggestions to follow.

Occupancy Levels

Using CDC recommendations, the ideal occupancy level for any facility can be easily calculated. Imagine a 6-foot circle safety zone for each customer or employee. This circle has an area of 113 sq ft. Divide the area of each room in the gym by this number to determine the safe occupancy level of that room.

Social Distancing Measures

Aligning social distancing measures with existing fitness center floor plans requires a systematic strategy. If spacing is not an option, closing off alternating pieces of equipment is the next best thing. The minimum safe distance between operable equipment is six feet.

While cardiovascular and weight equipment have typically been grouped by function, it may be necessary to reconsider equipment groupings and layout to achieve safe distances for improved customer safety.

Locker rooms are a major area that must be considered. It is recommended that larger shower facilities close every other shower to achieve safe distancing. Lockers must also be spread out with alternate spacing. While layouts vary by facility, be sure to evaluate subjectively or consult a qualified professional. Smaller locker facilities may need to close altogether during this time.

An Educated Approach to Cleaning

Appropriate cleaning and disinfecting measures are vital to every operating plan. The good news is that cleanliness has always been a major consideration at fitness centers. Adopting and sticking to a rigid routine is essential. Constant cleaning throughout the day is reassuring to customers and contributes to a safe environment.

However, there is a difference between cleaning and disinfecting. Cleaning involves the physical method of removing dirt and impurities, which mitigates the risk of spread but does not eliminate it. Disinfecting is the killing or elimination of harmful pathogens. Regimens must include protocols and solvents that can accomplish cleaning and disinfecting. An outside property service may be better equipped to provide disinfection on an on-going basis.

Fitness centers are a unique environment featuring non-porous surfaces (metal equipment and mirrors), porous surfaces (rubber mats, grips, and upholstery), and electronic display screens (cardio equipment).

You must consider a wide-ranging list of effective solvents for different surfaces or risk damaging them. One disinfectant is unlikely to be suitable for all surfaces. Assess all surface types in your facility and acquire multi-purpose solutions or products formulated specifically for fitness equipment. 

The application of these cleaning agents is equally important. Facilities must correctly apply products and allow them to remain on surfaces for the recommended duration in order to kill viruses effectively. Anti-virus fogging is also a viable solution implemented regularly to sanitize high-touch surfaces.

Supplies

Once protocols have been defined and a regimen is created, supplies must be adequately stocked. This includes personal hygiene products for members along with personal protective equipment (PPE) and solvents for employees.

As cleaning products continue to remain in high demand, a business may benefit by contracting with an outside property service that has strong relationships with key suppliers to ensure access to steady supplies.

Routine and Scheduling

Traditionally, it has been acceptable to clean fitness centers prior to opening and after the closing of the facility, with spot cleaning following peak usage. This must change in the current climate. Detailed cleaning and disinfecting must be performed before, during, and after business hours. Members will appreciate efforts taken by management to ensure their health and safety.

Incident Response

Even in the cleanest environments, a random viral incident can occur. Swiftly, decisively, and transparently addressing the situation can make a huge difference. Third-party intervention is often necessary for providing a commercial grade incident response with high visibility and a credentialed response unit. Maintaining consumer confidence will be critical in the business climate ahead of us.

Greatest Member Concerns About Returning To The Gym

Throughout the pandemic, fitness centers have been declared high risk facilities for viral outbreaks and spreading. Facilities must take extraordinary measures to assuage concerns and combat the prevailing public opinion.

Action Steps

While your in-house team may be qualified under normal conditions, a third-party option should be considered to enhance facility services.

In California, for example, CAM Property Services has specialists that have Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) certification, EHS training, and 34 years of commercial property experience. They can help craft your tailor-made fitness center re-opening plan.

Their professional facility team can deliver a socially distanced floorplan, implement state-of-the-art disinfecting measures, establish occupancy threshold guidance, and incorporate futurist business ideas that align with your company’s goals.

Whatever direction you choose, please take steps to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 for the health and safety of all.

About The Subject Matter Expert: Pranav Heryani is an EHS & Sustainability Specialist. Among the next generation of environmental professionals, his projects have encompassed both local and international efforts toward green initiatives with practical sustainability for the commercial sector.

In many cases, the way in which office spaces are used is going to change. The timeframe for workers returning to office buildings remains fluid and ultimately comes down to individual company decisions. In general, the schedule to return to offices en masse is likely to mirror the overall reopening of the statewide economy. The behavioral changes influenced by COVID-19 also remain uncertain. However, it is clear that health and safety concerns will take center stage at the workplace.

Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS) experts have begun re-examining the modern office workspace in the light of the pandemic and changing views on shared workspaces.

Returning To The Office Is Inevitable For Many Workers

Prior to the pandemic, offices were considered essential to raising productivity, fostering culture, and attracting talent. Securing prime office real estate was competitive in metropolitan cities. In recent years, many of those workplaces focused on collaborative, group environments. Office space requirements per employee witnessed a 20% decline. The upward trend in efficiencies was due to open floor plans with break-out rooms and other common amenities. Leaders in the technology and banking industries configured spaces to provide 65-70 sq. ft. per employee – a stark contrast from the recommended 100-120 sq. ft. per employee used by the architectural community for decades.

Did we squeeze in too many people too quickly? Based on a survey conducted by McKinsey, 80 percent of respondents confirmed they enjoyed working from home, while 41% believed they were more productive.

The COVID-19 outbreak has informed leaders that a good percentage of staff can work from home and deliver efficient results. This has raised questions regarding whether there is a need to maintain offices as before. It may also be suggested that businesses enlist new strategies to make offices more humane, productive, and safe.

EHS professionals say there are indications of what the future of office spaces should look like.

Enhanced Cleaning, Disinfection, and Elimination Measures

Employees will rightfully be expecting enhanced cleaning programs as they return to work. Frequent and effective disinfecting of public areas, such as receptions, pantries, dining areas, cafés, copy rooms, wellness rooms, and high-touch surfaces will have to be considered. An after-hours cleaning program, that attacks common areas with antimicrobial treatments to prevent germs and bacteria from circulating through touch, air, and water, is also fundamental.

Ease Office Congestion

Retrofit – Workstation enclosures and space delineation has become essential. It is important to understand how collaborative spaces need to meet current safety norms. Workstations should be set up with appropriate distance between them, while rules regarding the use of common area furniture will address maintaining proper social distances. Hygienic products for employees, such as hand sanitizers, antibacterial soaps, gloves, masks, and disinfectant wipes will become standard office supplies.

Reconfigure – It is crucial to ensure social and physical distancing by introducing new elements to the office. The introduction of plexiglass, panels, dividers, and wall enclosures will be key to re-purposing interior and exterior space for maximum occupancy. Traditionally, construction materials and fabrics were never considered amenities, however, post-pandemic they will have a spotlight. Offices built with construction materials that are antimicrobial, such as metallic and some laminate surfaces, as well as treated fabrics that can withstand strong cleaning treatments, will become more commonplace.

Re-invent – Other workplace amenities aided by technology will take on a prominent role. The inclusion of touchless dispensers, faucets, trash receptacles, paper towels, smart thermostats, and motion sensors will not only help reduce physical touch but prove to be cost saving at an imperative time. Think adaptability instead of permanence. Fluid instead of fixed.

Hospital Grade Elements

Eliminating pathogens being passed through droplets, physical proximity, and airborne transmissions will need to be targeted in design. The inclusion of quarantine rooms, oxygen supplies, and mask stations in office spaces have now reached beyond the realm of sci-fi and into reality.

HVAC Considerations

Airflow, air quality, and filtration will be held to a higher standard. Office buildings may require major re-engineering to avoid virus exposure. Floor or zone based segmentation of the air distribution system will be the norm in future building designs. High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters are likely to become a standard feature. Air changes per hour may have to be increased to ensure higher levels of air purity.

Investing in Physical Safety

Having undergone a long period of restricted movement, the behavior of employees will change, and they will require more physical and mental space, not to mention personal safety.

Despite these changes, we will always need workspaces that foster collaboration, innovation, creativity, and a sense of belonging. There will always be a desire for amenities like artfully designed meeting spaces, eating areas, or physical activity centers like gyms.

The experts at CAM Property Services are here to assist you in making your workspace pandemic resilient. While every organization varies with regard to privacy policies and shared spaces, returning to work will clearly be changed in many ways. Our clients have access to a wide variety of property management services and solutions informed by our in-house EHS subject matter expertise to address their evolving needs.

About The Author: Pranav Heryani is an EHS & Sustainability Specialist. Among the next generation of environmental professionals, his projects have encompassed both local and international efforts toward green initiatives with practical sustainability for the commercial sector.

Responding to the urgent threat of COVID-19 and setting the foundation for permanent changes will be crucial as the commercial property industry reinvents itself.

COVID-19 has had transformative effects on how society lives, works, and plays. The commercial arena has shifted drastically from traditional settings to cautious travel, work from home policies, and office closures.

Businesses and consumers alike are narrowing their wallets to spend only on essentials. Effective cash management entails focusing on resiliency, sustainability and efficient capital expenditure decisions. Real estate leaders must act now to make several decisions on thousands of scenarios, rather than broad, portfolio-wide decisions.

How can a property owner go beyond adapting to COVID-19?

To ease fear among end-users and improve morale, along with the profit and productivity that follows, property owners and tenants must raise their own credibility to earn the confidence of consumers.

Successfully acclimating to the pandemic era requires property leaders to mitigate harmful pathogens by proactively pursuing and implementing strategies that are tailor-made to their businesses.

One such course would be to engage with a professional specializing in Environment Health and Safety (EHS). These specialists are trained in planning and implementing practices that address these converging factors.

Here are some of the ways an EHS specialist can help commercial properties:

• Quickly scaling the ‘new normal’ in a manner the consumer can visualize and trust
• Developing protocols for cleaning, sanitizing, and adapting common areas
• Providing consolidated services and solutions

The following quote should be the operating mantra of every company as you start to pivot.  Now is the time to review and reset how your business operates.

“Adapt or perish, now as ever, is nature’s inexorable imperative.” – H.G. Wells

As overwhelming as it sounds, there is tremendous opportunity here. This truly is a time when you can increase your risk agility, reduce bottom line costs and elevate your preparedness. This increased agility will be invaluable to the future resilience of your business.

At CAM Property Services, we are helping clients across several asset classes achieve just that. Our EHS expertise can yield highly targeted property solutions and services. With statewide reach and local facility professionals, we can provide insights on how your asset should evolve, determine best procedures and protocols, help you address reopening concerns, and reinvent space. Our team is ready to help keep everyone safe and in business.

About The Author: Pranav Heryani is an EHS & Sustainability Specialist. Among the next generation of environmental professionals, his projects have encompassed both local and international efforts toward green initiatives with practical sustainability for the commercial sector.

As customers re-enter public buildings in greater numbers, we need to ensure that they are comfortable in urban spaces and allowed to move about safely. Innovative solutions are crucial to support the well-being of customers.

Our responsibility to property managers is to ensure their assets are pandemic resilient while simultaneously delivering positive impacts on business operations, thus factoring in Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) in decision-making. Our cost-effective strategies are focused on increasing revenue, improving productivity and mitigating risk at a time when it has never been more imperative.

Businesses across California are getting back into shape, proactive landlords and property managers are creating designated safe shopping zones while working collaboratively with us at CAM Property Services. We are constantly updating our service offerings with the latest and safest technologies.

It was not long ago that hardly anyone gave a second thought entering the bustling lobby of a large building or stepping on an escalator. Today, our world has changed, and the way businesses and consumers interact with commercial spaces has been altered. Building owners are making public safety a top concern, establishing safeguards for people to move through buildings with confidence.

For example, escalators are indispensable to today’s urban lifestyle, commonly found in places such as shopping centers, theaters, sports arenas, transit stations, and airports. They are used and touched daily by scores of customers to prevent accidental falls. Unfortunately, worn and gouged rubber escalator handrails can host bacteria and viruses, thus posing a direct threat to human health. It has become common that escalator riders are using handrails progressively less, which has posed increased risks and liabilities.

“If you don’t think the handrail is clean, you don’t want to hold it. Not holding the escalator handrail, however, is not a great option as it increases the risk of injury from loss of balance” says Hanna Inget, head of new services and solutions at KONE, an escalator and elevator provider.

People aren’t the only passengers on escalators. Handrails are often an express lane for germs due to constant contact with unclean hands. Researchers have found traces of blood, mucus, urine, and feces on handrails, not to mention harmful bacteria and viruses. Cleaning escalator handrails has been an ineffective and time-consuming process, until now.

CAM Property Services has added an innovative new escalator handrail disinfection technology to their facility services. It renews and disinfects escalator handrails, providing increased safety and peace of mind for customers who typically hold handrails for balance. The process requires no additional power source, no escalator downtime, and can expertly clean and condition the dirtiest of escalator handrails.

The handrail cleaning system is a non-motorized, safe and simple system to remove dirt, bacteria, and 99.9% of pathogens from moving handrails. A patented cleaning formula is applied to microfiber pads, proven effective in independent studies, attached to molded pad holders on a mobile dolly system, which cleans the moving handrails from “bead to bead” without interrupting operations.

The cleaning and conditioning solutions are biodegradable and have been developed over years.

A mix of silicones helps restore and even protect the rubberized handrail material, extending its useful lifespan. The engineered design uses the power of the escalator to facilitate the cleaning action as it restores and disinfects one rail at a time.

As we ease out of lockdown and re-enter public urban buildings, such as shopping centers, we need to feel comfortable in populated settings. From disinfecting handrails to people flow planning, innovative solutions will not only support well-being but allow your property to adapt and thrive in this new era where EHS is at the forefront.

At CAM Property Services we continue to find new ways to support our clients and their customers. Our suite of anti-virus property management services includes electrostatic fogging, aerial drone inspections, customized plexiglass barriers, and visual cues.

CAM Property Services is adapting holistic and analytical approaches to facility management and cleaning standards. Combining our diverse array of property management services, EHS subject matter expertise and observational methodologies, we are able to yield highly targeted science-based solutions for any asset class with the industry’s best services.

About The Author: Pranav Heryani is an EHS & Sustainability Specialist. Among the next generation of environmental professionals, his projects have encompassed both local and international efforts toward green initiatives with practical sustainability for the commercial sector.