One and a half meter office & building automation

In anticipation of the press conference and the announcement of the Dutch government, it looks like we will have to implement a one-and-a-half-meter economy for a long period of time. This will also mean that a distance of one and a half meters from colleagues must be observed in the office. The government, industry organizations and trade unions are currently working on rules that will allow society to restart carefully.

Various studies have shown that approximately 60% of the available workplaces are temporarily unusable. The efficient use of workplaces has therefore become even more topical and necessary and employers must use the available workplaces more intelligently. A mix between working at home and in the office can be a solution. Sensors and the building management system can be of great value when drawing up a schedule or schedule for employees who want to work in the office.

Sensors, data from building management systems and building automation are of great value in smart use of the available workplaces in an office building. Partly because desks may not be used by multiple colleagues in one day, measuring occupancy and managing services such as cleaning is facilitating and important in making efficient use of the available workplaces.

Office buildings that are already equipped with sensors that measure occupancy have an advantage when the current corona measures are relaxed. Protocols for a one-and-a-half-meter office are already being created: organizations are preparing with these protocols for the re-use of office buildings.

Building automation and building management systems can help keep the curve of infections, hospital admissions and deceased corona patients flat, and ensure that employees can return to the office in rotation. However, even when using technology, it remains extremely important to apply strict rules and keep a distance of at least one and a half meters from colleagues.