3 MIN READ
Published 05/14/2020
Our planning guide can be helpful as you look to reopen or expand operations. Remember to always adhere to federal, state, and local requirements, CDC guidelines, and recommendations of in-house counsel.
Due to the rapidly evolving nature of exposure, we recommend that your organization appoints a manager to coordinate efforts for COVID-19 response.
Reopening considerations
Operations
- Follow CDC, state, and local public health department guidelines for cleaning, disinfecting, and guidance on maintaining physical distance.
- Monitor capacity limits in accordance with current state and local public health regulations for building occupancy.
- Post signs notifying customers of the following:
- Not to enter if they feel sick.
- Etiquette surrounding coughing and sneezing.
- Proper hand-washing hygiene.
- Use of face coverings in accordance with state and local public health recommendations
- Stagger occupied rooms to allow for increased distancing between guests.
- When re-opening buildings, work with maintenance to assess the operation of the HVAC and water systems, change air filters, and flush water systems.
- Identify, address, and modify areas where people tend to congregate.
- Post signs to limit elevator capacity, reminding guests of social distancing. Encourage the use of stairs and consider utilizing more rooms on lower floors.
- Analyze and modify operations as needed, for example:
- Eliminate self-service beverage stations.
- Eliminate self-service buffet lines.
- Promote online check out.
- Utilize virtual guest directory vs. in-room hard copy directories. Remove in-room magazines and menus.
Employee safety
- Follow CDC guidelines for approved cleaning products and appropriate cleaning and disinfecting techniques.
- Increase staff or consider utilizing third-party cleaning vendors to assist your staff with reopening, as well as ongoing increased cleaning demands.
- Equip staff with proper personal protective equipment (PPE) based on job tasks and follow state and local public health recommendations on the use of face coverings. Ensure housekeeping staff is trained on changes in increased cleaning and disinfecting protocols.
- Address employee wellness by providing frequent breaks and open communication channels.
- Follow CDC and state guidelines reminding employees who feel sick to stay home.
Guest safety
- Provide hand sanitizer at check-in counters.
- Separate tables and seating in common areas to at least six feet apart.
- Increase cleaning and disinfecting frequency in high-touch areas, such as restrooms, check-in counters, common areas, elevators, handrails, etc.
- Post guidelines and instructions to help enforce physical distancing and proper hygiene practices for hand washing.
- Clean/sanitize/disinfect common high touch items in guest rooms (remote control, thermostat, door handles, chairs, luggage racks, irons, hair dryers, etc.).
- Encourage customers to use touchless payment options when available.
Pools, spas and fitness areas
- Re-evaluate the necessity of re-opening the pool, spa, fitness areas, and other amenities.
- Consider making amenity use by reservation only to control the number of users, and to allow time for cleaning and disinfecting between use.
- Close water fountains and encourage bottled water use.
- Frequently clean all equipment with approved disinfecting solution, paying extra attention to high-touch areas (weights, treadmill interfaces, handrails, etc.).
- Consider using a “ready to clean” sign after equipment is used by guests to alert staff to clean and disinfect equipment in a timely manner.
- Frequently clean spaces around the pool and fitness areas (changing rooms, showers, toilets, pool chairs/tables, and handrails).
- Work with your local tourism board to develop destination standards.
Conclusion
Communicate to employees and guests about the steps you are taking to help keep them safe.
Capturing and documenting your programs and efforts for future reference.
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This website is general in nature and is provided as a courtesy to you. Information is accurate to the best of Helmsman Management Services’ knowledge, but companies and individuals should not rely on it to prevent and mitigate all risks as an explanation of coverage or benefits under a policy or service contract. Consult your professional advisor regarding your particular facts and circumstance. By citing external authorities or linking to other websites, Helmsman Management Services is not endorsing them.
