To make working in our building as safe and as healthy as possible, we have, together with the other tenants, sent out rules for everyone working in the building. These rules apply to visitors as well. But making those rules is not that easy. Being a niche incubator for multiple companies with multiple dedicated rooms and spaces for specific tasks, simply requires thorough planning and action. In this article we’ll show you what we did.
(This article has been updated on September 29, 2020 / October 14, 2020 / June 28, 2021 / November 9, 2021 / November 29, 2021)
Throughout the pandemic we have been following the rules set by our government, like mainly working from home. Basic corona prevention measures still apply.
Here is an up to date list of Dutch corona measures.
What it means for people in the building
– Work from home as much as possible;
– Wear a face mask when walking around;
– Meeting Spaces (01, 02 and 03 ) can’t be used after 17h00;
– Events will be online again;
– Basic rules and measures still apply, (keep your distance, wash hands, ventilate, cough/sneeze in elbow).
If there are (necessary) physical meetings with us in the building, we want you to use the Dutch Corona Check App for access to our building. Please respect our choice to ask for the QR code.
BASIC RULES
- Keep your distance from each other (min. 1,5 meter)
- Wash your hands or use disinfectants, regularly
- Sneeze and cough in your elbow
- Use paper napkins and throw them away afterwards
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth as much as possible
- Try to avoid door knobs, objects and surfaces whenever you can
- Don’t shake hands
- Ventilate the rooms you’re in
- Make sure not too many people work in a closed office. Too full? Spread working days or time.
- Stay home:
- If you have a mild fever and/or respiratory complaints (nose cold, coughing, soar throat, and/or high temperature over 38 degrees Celsius)
- When you were in close contact with a person who had said complaints (close contact = within 2 meters and for longer than 15 minutes)
- When you have been abroad in the last 14 days
Next, we took some measures for the entire building:
BASIC MEASURES
- First of all, we have addressed that we want to create an environment for people to safely share their concerns. Therefore it’s perfectly fine to point someone at the rules if they are not showing safe and/or healthy behaviour. We all need to be responsible.
- In the meeting room there will be a list for external people who can leave their contact details. This is so we can easily contact them in case of an infection in the building.
- We placed disinfectant and cleaning products on multiple spots in the building
- We put up leaflets with safe working instructions
- We open doors for ventilation
PUBLIC SPACE RULES
Next: rules for the use of public spaces. As we are in a multi-tenant building, we have a lot of shared space. The correct use of those spaces needs to be in line with the habits of the other tenants. We have rules for the main kitchen, the toilets, the elevator, the terrace, the stairs and the main hall (atrium).
- Wear a face mask when moving around
- Keep right on the stairs
- Max 2 people in the elevator
- Go to the toilet on your own floor
- Keep your distance, even outside on the terrace and in front of the building
- Take a break in the atrium in small groups only
- Every tenant has it’s own table for lunch. Full table? Wait till there’s a spot available or have lunch somewhere else
INCUBATOR RULES
We have several types of rooms and offices in the startup incubator part of the building. We have custom rules for the coworking space, the meetings rooms, the workshop (fablab) and a small kitchen.
- Don’t make a crowd in a closed space
- Meeting Rooms can’t be used after 17:00
- Everyone is responsible for a safe amount of people in a meeting room
- Limit the use of shared office supplies and clean them after use
- Use the small kitchen as less as possible
- Use your own mug and/or water bottle
- Consult with the other tenants and make appointments about who can be in the workshop and when
- Limit the use of shared tools and materials – and clean them afterwards.
INCUBATOR MEASURES
- We made a central point to pick up and leave dishes at the coffee machine, as it’s a more open area than the small kitchen
- We put plexiglass between some desks at the coworking space
- We made some desks unavailable because of the 1,5 meter rule
- You need to book the flex desks in our booking system, so we know who was where and when
- We left empty offices open for people to work if there are no spaces left in the coworking space
As you can see, we have to think of quite some factors. But we believe they are truly necessary to keep our working space safe. We all have a responsibility to stop the pandemic.
If you have any questions, feedback or ideas regarding our approach, please send them to info@sbicnoordwijk.nl. We’d love to hear your thoughts.
