With the world’s hotels starting to open their doors again to guests as the international lockdown begins to lift, assessments on a range of critical maintenance factors need to be completed before venues can be deemed safe for occupancy.
In the UK, CIBSE has a list of statutory maintenance reports and inspections that need to be complied with in all buildings.
The Syntegra Group’s specialist M&E design subsidiary Building Services Group (BSG) has the expertise to help hotel owners and other building owners to conduct the relevant assessments prior to the big climb out of the crisis.
Much of the documentation required for compliance can be completed remotely to satisfy social distancing rules.
With the world’s hotels starting to open their doors again to guests as the international lockdown begins to lift, assessments on a range of critical maintenance factors need to be completed before venues can be deemed safe for occupancy.
Indeed, many of the actual assessments themselves can be conducted by our team remotely as a hotel or building representative can guide the assessor round the relevant systems on a smartphone video call to check for compliance issues.
‘Maintenance teams have been run right down during COVID,’ said BSG Director Dave Thomas. ‘But control systems still have to meet obligations.’
He said Legionnaires Disease, for example, could be lying dormant in unused water systems which need flushing through and treating immediately prior to guests checking in to hotels or people returning to offices.
Checks relating to fire alarms, fixed wire tests, gas safety and installation record drawings all need to be up to date.
Non-obligatory, but topical and advisable in the current climate relating to the Coronavirus, is cleaning air filtration systems.
Dave said: ‘We can survey fresh air supply system ducts. There’s no obligation to put access panels on supply ducts but really they’re needed every 3m for cleaning purposes. Despite filtration systems, they still gather dust and are potential breeding grounds for a virus.
‘The hotel industry needs pulling up on its maintenance standards. Refurbishments can be done quickly and maintenance records not updated but they are crucial.’
Anyone interested in a maintenance survey check prior to reopening should get in touch.
‘People are going to be sensitive to these areas and concerns,’ Dave warned.