Background 

Social Distancing is a fundamental element of the COVID Return to Work Health & Safety Protocol, published by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation on 9th May 2020.  This document is a blueprint for companies eager to get their staff back into the workplace, safely and with full adherence to regulations. Documents such as this can be released and updated on a regular basis, so it is important to make sure your practices are up to date.  

We were tasked with providing a Space Planning Assessment that was fully inline with Physical Distancing regulations as per Section E – 4c of the document. The client requested detailed explanations for every recommendation with full and direct reference to the document to be provided. 

Business Challenge 

The purpose of this report was to provide recommendations to the client on how to safely manage the reoccupation of their offices. The recommendations applied to Client controlled areas only and not those areas which fall under the Landlords remit.  However, there are some instances which impose an onus on Landlord to comply to ensure controls are effective.   

How we Helped 

Having undertaken site visits and a review of site drawings, Acacia completed a Space Planning Assessment in line with Physical Distancing as outlined in the above-mentioned protocol. As a result of the Assessment and its findings, there are a number of actions recommended to allow safe access to the building. The review was undertaken with a view to permitting occupancy on a significantly scaled back basis. Additional action may be required at a later time, as building occupancy is permitted to increase so as to ensure social distancing guidelines can be adhered to.  

Alongside a detailed summary of area specific space planning, which included floor plans with recommended active and inactive desks and areas, we provided a full list of all locations within the client site with recommended occupancy levels for each area.  We also outlined areas that required controlled access requirements like one-way systems defining upward and downward only staircases and lifts.