COVID-19 Exposure Control, Mitigation, and Recovery Planning

The wide variety of workplaces, work activities, and company cultures precludes a “one-size-fits-all” approach to COVID-19 planning. MFA can help organizations develop or refine site-specific plans to reduce risk of COVID-19 transmission. Plans could provide clear guidance to address elements such as:

• Risk assessment
• Building system management, e.g., HVAC and plumbing
• Physical distancing
• Hygiene and sanitation
• Travel restrictions
• Personal protective equipment / masks
• Symptom monitoring and tracking
• Procedures to respond to a positive case
• COVID-19 leave policies
• Space/task specific procedures
• Communication and training

Communication Support

COVID-19 is at the intersection of many complex scientific, political, economic, and cultural issues. Implementing effective workplace policies requires thoughtfully engaging your stakeholders, including employees and clients. We know this is not an easy task.

MFA’s communications specialists have decades of experience helping organizations conscientiously engage with internal and external audiences to build trust and maintain credibility, which can be essential to reduce the risk of disease spread and maintain smooth operations.

Cleaning/Disinfection Protocols and Quality Assurance

MFA’s industrial hygienists can help you develop appropriate cleaning and disinfection procedures consistent with established guidance and sound science. If necessary, MFA can help provide third-party quality assurance of cleaning and disinfection practices.

Training

It is important that workplace safety protocols are shared widely and adhered to by all staff and office guests. We know that mitigating the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace is uncharted territory. can provide training to help people understand the common hazards and appropriate mitigation tools to reduce risk of COVID-19 transmission. Training can range from general hazard communication with designated facilities managers to site-specific or task-specific protocols.

Building Systems Support

Virus particles, when present, can remain suspended in indoor air spaces (particularly those with little airflow) for hours or even days. Heating Ventilation and Cooling (HVAC) systems are responsible for the conditioning/cleaning of our indoor air. They also dictate airflow patterns in our buildings. Both may impact the spread of virus particles and the concentration to which occupants are exposed.

MFA’s air quality engineers and scientists can examine the quality of the filtration and the capability of facility HVAC systems for improved filtration, if needed.  We can examine and diagram the flow of air in building spaces to recommend placement of employees and visitors. We can also recommend occupancy levels to reduce the risk of exposure.

We can identify areas with poor ventilation that may benefit from supplemental room filtration, filtering the air and recirculating it to save on heating and cooling costs while reducing exposure to virus particles. To assist building managers with organizing all of this information, MFA can generate easy-to-follow, color-coded, and interactive building maps that identify areas where social distancing may be maintained, occupancy concerns, cleaning regimens, and potential airflow issues.

Data Analytics

As businesses and municipalities prepare for returning to the workplace, we have to keep our employees and customer’s safety paramount. At the same time, we need to be more vigilant than ever about maintaining profitability and keeping people working.

MFA provides its clients with expertise in spatial data management and analytics using applications that integrate architectural mapping, engineering, indoor air quality, building/plant demographics, industrial hygiene, and communications.

We combine software applications in a manner that allows users to seamlessly track the health and well-being of staff, visitors, and customers. Our integrated software platforms allow us to provide flexible data gathering and visualization for decision-making; assist with identifying regulatory compliance; and provide powerful tools for communication with internal and external audiences. These user-friendly dashboards and interfaces can be operated from a desk, tablet, or phone—increasing accessibility while saving you time and money.