Robots rise to meet challenges facing hospitals

As health-care facilities have expanded their floor plates due to a shift towards a higher ratio of single-patient rooms, they are also grappling with tight operating budgets and a high focus on infection control. Together, these factors create a challenge for hospitals to deliver materials throughout the facility in an efficient and time-sensitive manner.

Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) can help bridge this gap. AGVs are automated transport systems that autonomously navigate busy back-of-house spaces that are shared with staff, such as corridors and departments. The systems are highly sophisticated and are capable of activating and navigating automatic doors and elevators. AGVs are currently being used for a range of tasks in hospitals, including the pick-up and delivery of meals, waste, linens, supplies and medications.

AGVs have become more common in healthcare capital projects with hospitals recognizing the value these systems can bring in terms of productivity, safety, reliability and efficiency.

Designing a successful AGV system

The design of an AGV system is unique to each project and is dependent on the hospital’s overall business objectives and operational goals. Some of these include improved supply management for clinical services, timely medication and food delivery, and efficiency in the overall supply management processes. It is critical that these goals and operational assumptions align with the AGV and hospital design to ensure a successful system.

Operational considerations

While AGVs have been in use for some time in other industries, a hospital AGV system differs from these in that its ability to consistently achieve performance parameters and throughput is heavily influenced by both the users and the technical performance of the system.

In hospitals, a large number of users from often siloed departments must interact with the system. A key to a successful AGV system is fully defining the operational processes of the AGV users in concert with the AGV system design. An AGV system is heavily dependent upon the human interfaces with the system, such as users respecting the design of the AGV Cart Matrix, prompt removal of carts upon delivery within the scheduled time parameters, keeping all AGV areas free of obstacles, cart alignment, cart loading and removal timing, and having a central operator who monitors the system to proactively ensure on-time deliveries and prevent system backlog. It is also critical that the AGV and associated departmental operations, policies, procedures and staffing are reflected in the basis of the design.

Technical considerations

Throughput of an AGV system is also significantly influenced by the design of the system, which includes space, design of routes, the technical capability of the system, preventive maintenance, WiFi, cellular network (5G), Local Area Network, elevator capacity and integrations with the fire alarm and access control systems.

AGVs require wider corridors and pathways to support their turning radius and bi-directional flow, specially-designed elevator lobbies that support not only the AGV navigation, but also the cart-associated workflows, specific elevator types and capacity, battery charging locations, maintenance rooms and ‘send and receive’ locations within individual departments for AGVs to pick-up and drop-off carts. The AGV schedule and cart quantities determine their required spaces, thereby making early planning critical to the end success of the system.

If designed with these considerations in mind, hospitals can realize a host of benefits including:

Improved productivity. AGVs can reduce supply chain management costs and provide reliability in the transport of supplies compared to non-automated methods.

Availability. AGVs can operate on a 24/7/365 basis. Advances in battery technology have significantly shortened charging times, resulting in AGV systems that can be on call throughout the day to respond to demand. Distribution can be scheduled for off-peak hours.

Reduced damage to facilities. With improved collision detection and environmental recognition, well-designed AGV systems can almost eliminate damage to doors, walls, elevators and other structures in the hospital while also ensuring safety as they are programmed to never collide with other objects (including people).

Predictability and enhanced traceability. AGVs are programmed to operate to a schedule, making it easier to deliver complementary resources within the same time periods. By leveraging WiFi, sensors and radio-frequency identification (RFID) or similar, hospitals can minimize the occurrence of adverse events by facilitating the accurate identification of carts, providing real-time location of materials, and creating a record of all cart movements throughout the facility.

Facility considerations

There are a few important distinctions between the implementation of AGVs in new builds versus existing sites. While new builds can incorporate many of the above requirements into early planning by ensuring that the programmed space requirements are captured, there are limitations to retrofitting existing hospital buildings with an AGV system due to narrow hallways, non-compliant elevators and WiFi limitations.

While a detailed assessment is needed to determine the options available to existing sites, there have been promising advancements in Automated Mobile Robots (AMRs) that can help automate the transport of specific supply management services such as food, medications and supplies. AMRs do not have the same space requirements as AGVs and, therefore, can
mitigate the need for renovations, making it a cost-effective technology for organizations interested in automating their supply chain management processes or implementing just-in-time deliveries.

With increasing digitalization and pressures on operating costs and infection control, AGV systems will play an increasingly significant role in the hospital setting. The advancement of technology both with the AGVs themselves and the broader AGV environment is rapidly progressing—making these systems flexible, practical and effective elements of modern health-care facilities.

Megan Angus, is a principal at HH Angus & Associates. She leads Angus Connect, a growing multidisciplinary division that provides a full suite of technology visioning, planning and design engineering services. She is a registered nurse and an experienced management consultant, with over 20 years of industry experience.

Robyn Munro is an information, communications and automation technology (ICAT) Analyst at HH Angus & Associates. Also a registered nurse with a Masters in eHealth, she uses her experience as both a front-line clinician and digital health researcher to apply a clinical lens to the planning and design of various ICAT solutions.

Urban planners seek return to ‘old normal’ in downtowns

Urban planners of downtowns in mid-sized areas are more interested in returning those spaces to the way things were before the pandemic.

In a study, led by researchers from the University of Waterloo and recently published in the journal of Planning Practice & Research, planners were asked to identify the attributes that contributed to the success of downtowns prior to the pandemic as well as the attributes that would facilitate their post-pandemic recovery.

While some urban scholars predict that recovery will lead to a “new normal,” the planners surveyed are primarily focused on restoring the “old normal.” The study suggests that the planners are not preparing for any fundamental changes to past practices even in the face of changing reality.

“Despite calls for greater creativity and innovation, there is essentially no difference between what planners viewed as more important to downtowns pre-and-post the pandemic,” Pierre Filion, an emeritus professor in the School of Planning at Waterloo, said in a statement. “There will not be any radical transformation of post-pandemic downtowns from the pre-pandemic downtowns of the early 21st century that would change the basic forms and functions.”

The findings show the ideal revived downtowns will exhibit many of the same functions in a distinctive built environment even with much attention being paid to the impact of the pandemic on the largest metropolitan areas. For instance, there will be increased use of outdoor and green spaces, more mixed-use development, particularly in residential areas; and transportation models friendly to walking and biking.

“Downtowns are likely to remain distinctive places within the cities, characterized by a mix of higher-density land uses, including specialized retail, office employment, and housing,” said Filion.

The study identified government as an obstacle to the successful revitalization of mid-sized downtowns. However, many of the proposed recovery policies require government intervention, especially in public-private partnerships and collaborations where there is no single organizational structure that is appropriate.

Even with the increased government funding, the researchers noted it will be impossible to sustain the required levels of public investment in the revitalization of mid-sized downtowns in view of reduced government revenues in the long run.

Ontario explores overnight electricity discount

A proposed discount interval for Ontario’s time-of-use electricity rates could introduce ultra-low pricing for power consumption during overnight hours with a corresponding added premium during the on-peak periods of the day. Energy Minister Todd Smith has instructed the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) to assess the logistical requirements and financial implications of this envisioned voluntary time-of-use option and report back by April 1. The proposal has also been posted on Ontario’s Environmental Registry for public comment until March 29.

As outlined, three objectives underpin the initiative:

Providing more choice for residential, small business and farm customers subject to Ontario’s regulated price plan (RPP);
Increasing the efficiency of the electricity system if loads can be shifted to off-peak hours and reducing requirements for new infrastructure to meet peak demand; and
Supporting decarbonization through reduced demand for the natural gas-fired generation that typically goes online during peak demand periods.

A 2015 OEB pilot program, which offered select residential customers the option for ultra-low overnight prices in tandem with a higher on-peak price, is identified as a guiding model. Both Smith’s instructions to the OEB and the Environmental Registry also cite the 2020 meta-analysis of the regulated price plan, which concluded that revised overnight electricity rates could help encourage emissions-reducing behaviour.

“Over the coming years, electrification of emissions-intensive sectors is expected to provide opportunities to reduce province-wide emissions. This trend will also put pressure on the electricity grid. There is an opportunity to consider new rate designs that could anticipate increased electrification and support the decarbonization of the economy,” Smith states.

Supporters of the proposal maintain it would give Ontario residents a de facto “right of first refusal” on the surplus baseload generation that has long been exported at a loss to the United States during the hours when supply outstrips provincial demand. An overnight electricity discount could also improve the economics of charging electric vehicles (EVs) and/or large batteries used for energy storage, while associated higher on-peak rates could strengthen the case for solar generation.

“I think it is a step in the right direction. It is better to let Ontarians have the electricity at a deep discount during this time than to pay the U.S. to take it,” says Bala Gnanam, vice president, sustainability, advocacy and stakeholder relations with the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of Canada and a member of the Independent Electricity System Operator’s (IESO) stakeholder advisory committee. “Beyond EVs, I am hopeful that this would spur adoption of residential energy storage technologies.”

“The U.S. has had a sweetheart deal for years for the surplus power that is sold out-of-province at a negative price,” concurs Scott Rouse, managing partner with the consulting firm, Energy@Work. “This could be an investment in energy efficiency that delivers cheaper electricity and sustained environmental improvements.”

As part of its work, the OEB will be consulting stakeholders on specific proposed rate structures. The public consultation through the Environmental Registry is seeking general input on: measures that can influence load shifting; how proposed higher on-peak and ultra-low overnight prices could help integrate looming electricity demand from EVs and other technologies into the distribution system; and how to balance optimum rate signals with cost recovery requirements.

“There is a huge need to re-evaluate the off-peak pricing, as it has always been way too high and provided little motivation to shift to off-peak use,” submits Andrew Pride, an engineer and consultant specializing in energy management and conservation strategies. “The unpredictable nature of price signals is also a challenge for homeowners and businesses. The government has been changing the price signals throughout the past three years so there needs to be confidence that an ultra-low overnight rate will continue.”

Under Ontario’s three-interval time-of-use rates, RPP customers pay off-peak prices — currently set at 8.2 cents per kilowatt-hour — during the 12 hours from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. The provincial government intends to have the new time-of-use rate scheme available by April 2023.

Public opinion getting tougher on carpet cleaning

Dirty carpet is not a good look for commercial facilities, that much is clear. And like much in the facility management industry during the course of the pandemic, public opinion on carpet cleaning has got tougher.

A new Harris Poll in collaboration with carpet care leader Whittaker has revealed just how often the public feels that facilities should be conducting floor care.

Strikingly, nearly half (45 per cent) of respondents to the survey said that commercial facilities such as retail stores, office buildings, and restaurants should clean their carpets at least once a day. Four in five (80 per cent) said that commercial facilities should clean their carpets at least once a week.

Of that 45 per cent of Americans surveyed, nearly two in five (38 per cent) said that facilities should address carpets several times a day, while 62 per cent suggested that once a day is an ideal frequency.

Previous research from Whittaker had found that 93 per cent of Americans said that dirty carpet would negatively impact their perception of that business, highlighting the critical need for a strategic carpet care program.

The good news is that during the pandemic, facilities have certainly been cleaning and disinfecting surfaces more frequently to address the spread of pathogens.

Whittaker’s report said that maintaining a schedule in place for cleaning carpet helps remove embedded soils and surface stains that negatively impact its appearance and the perception that people have of a business with dirty floors.

“Regular carpet care upholds its appearance by removing dirt and protects the investment for years,” said Joe Bshero, Director of Technical Services at Whittaker. “This research highlights the need to frequently conduct carpet cleaning to give facility visitors confidence that your organization prioritizes cleanliness.”

Bshero added: “Pairing an ergonomic machine with effective chemistry enables facilities to quickly and easily address carpet soils and stains,” added Bshero. “Consistently using these essentials can reduce the need for more disruptive and costly carpet care down the road.”

The hidden risks of switching insurers

Condo corporations are legally required to maintain property insurance and various types of liability insurance. In a hard insurance market, with increasing premiums, deductibles and renewal denials, many condo corporations are switching insurance providers.

There are many reasons why switching providers is in the best interests of the condo, but there may be hidden risks. Unbeknownst to many policyholders, changing insurers can create a gap in coverage that can expose the corporation to significant financial consequences.

Many condo corporations hold “claims made” insurance policies. Generally, claims made policies require that the claim be made and reported to the insurer within the policy term. Claims made policies also generally exclude coverage for any claim arising from an insurable event that occurred prior to the policy term. This type of provision is often referred to as a “prior act exclusion” and the language and scope of the exclusion can vary from policy to policy.

This could mean that if a condo corporation switches to a new insurance provider, even where they stay with the same insurance broker, the condo may not be covered under its prior policy for claims made after the expiry of the policy term. This can be the case even if the insurable event giving rise to the claim occurred during the policy term.

In addition to not having a valid claim under the old policy, the condo may not be covered under its new policy for any claims arising from insurable events that occurred during the prior policy term because of a prior act exclusion clause in the new policy. This can create a gap in coverage that no one realized or intended. The financial consequences of this gap in coverage could be catastrophic for a condo corporation.

While gaps in insurance coverage can leave a condo corporation financially vulnerable, here are various strategies that can be used to identify and mitigate gaps in coverage:

Be proactive

Carefully review the expiring policy and proposed new policy to identify whether there is a significant change in coverage or in the insurance provider. Many condos may not realize that they are changing insurance providers, especially if they are staying with the same insurance broker. Once you have reviewed the policies, talk to your broker about any significant changes, potential gaps in coverage, and the options available to mitigate these risks;

Purchase additional coverage

Explore purchasing an extended reporting period from the expiring policy provider. This extends coverage to future claims made within the extended period if the claims are based on insurable events that occurred during the prior policy term;

Seek legal advice

Discuss with legal counsel whether there are any potential “wrongful acts” that could give rise to a claim and consider submitting a notice of circumstance to the expiring policy provider. This is a complex process and the scope and possible consequences of the notice must be carefully considered; and

Explore potential changes to policy terms

You may want to speak with your insurance broker to see if there is an opportunity to negotiate policy terms with the new provider. Unfortunately, this may not be possible in a hard insurance market when options are limited. In a more favourable market, you may be able to narrow the scope of prior acts exclusions in the new policy or include a “discovery clause” in the new policy to provide coverage for events that occur during the policy term but have not resulted in a claim by the expiration of the policy.

Every condo must have insurance, but having a policy in place is only one part of the equation. Every insurance policy has exclusions, which are as important to understand as what is covered. Be sure to work with an experienced insurance broker who can clearly explain both what is covered by your insurance policy and what is not. By knowing what exclusions apply and how policies work, condos can take steps to mitigate their risks and avoid any gaps in coverage.

Kate (Letchford) Schoffer is a lawyer with Cohen Highley LLP in London. Cohen Highley LLP has offices in London, Kitchener, Chatham, Sarnia, Stratford, and Strathroy. Kate provides risk management and regulatory compliance advice to condominium corporations, unit owners, and property management companies.

The need-to-know about using ice melt

The predictions for the late winter and early spring weather is that the cold temperatures may well persist into the middle of March in some areas. Over the next few weeks, many facility managers and maintenance staff may use ice melt to help keep the winter weather at bay.

While it’s a common solution for the problems that cold weather brings, there are several things that ice melt users need to be aware of, says Colton Crowe of AFFLINK, a leading membership organization made up of jansan distributors.

How it’s made and how it works

A common ingredient in ice melt is calcium chloride, a compound that absorbs moisture and releases heat. This helps melt the ice and slow ice build-up on outdoor surfaces.

Application requirements

Different brands have different application requirements, too. For instance, it may need to be applied using specific equipment. Always check labels and product descriptions as you would for a disinfectant or other product.

Care is needed

As with any product, caution should be taken during use. Though the product’s label may say it has minimal impact on nearby vegetation or it is safe for indoor floors, ice melt can be detrimental to vegetation.

Harming floors

Also, if it is walked onto or collects on floors, it can eat away at the floor’s finish and cause a variety of other floorcare-related problems. This can harm the floor because the finish helps protect the floor.

North-facing walkways

As everyone in the Northern Hemisphere knows, north-facing buildings and walkways get little direct sunlight. As a result, these areas usually need more quantity of melt and more frequent applications than other areas.

Monitor and document

Continually monitor and document ice conditions around the facility and record each melt application. This can be useful for many reasons, not least that this documentation can help minimize liability issues in the event that a slip-and-fall incident occurs.

Cleaning and scrubbing

Select sufficient and efficient ice melt removers to remove it from floors after use. These products suspend the ice melt, allowing for easier removal.

Avoid mopping floors

However, mops can spread the melt. Instead, use an auto scrubber to gently remove it from floors. The machine will help preserve the finish and protect the floor.

“Also, be aware that no two facilities are exactly alike when it comes to using ice melt,” adds Crowe. “An astute jansan distributor can make product selection and application easier, help ensure walker safety, and reduce winter operating costs.”

IBI Group founder Ewen Fisher passes away

IBI Group co-founder Ewen Fisher has passed away at the age of 86.

Originally from Toronto, Fisher earned his first degree in civil engineering at the University of Toronto (U of T) and then his master’s at the University of Illinois. He was instrumental in the founding of IBI on Nov. 1, 1974, and subsequently shaping its corporate culture and values.

Following the completion of his educational career, Ewen was instrumental in the firm’s growth in Canada’s western region through his work on some of the firm’s first projects, including the Calgary International Airport, the Alberta Urban Hospitals program and the Calgary LRT project. Ewen’s early collaborations with fellow founders on projects such as our first hospital project, the Lady Minto Hospital in Cochrane, Ontario, established many of our early private and public clients who we still work with today across the living, learning, healthcare and mobility sectors.

Upon his return to Toronto later in his career, Ewen’s exceptional engineering and project management skills led to the successful completion of several of IBI Group’s most notable projects. Two of these generational projects include the redevelopment of Liberty Village in downtown Toronto and the Windsor Station — Bell Centre in Montreal, which are recognized within Canada as key components of our urban landscape.

“Ewen’s legacy as a consummate professional and kind colleague will continue to live on,” says current CEO Scott Steward. “While we mourn the loss of one of our leaders, we feel confident in continuing on the path he has helped to shape.”

Task Force publishes steps to boost Ontario housing supply

Ontario’s Housing Affordability Task Force has published a report featuring recommended measures to increase the supply of market housing across the province. Appointed in December, 2021, the Task Force was created to help the government identify and implement solutions to address Ontario’s critical housing supply shortage.

“Everyone has a role to play in addressing the housing supply crisis. As our government consults with municipalities, the public, and industry leaders and experts, we are balancing these perspectives to develop practical, forward-thinking policies that unlock and fast-track all types of housing for all types of Ontarians,” said Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “I’d like to thank Jake Lawrence and the entire Task Force for their hard work, including conducting extensive consultations with other stakeholders, to develop their report.”

The report’s recommendations are divided into the five main areas it has determined will best increase the supply of market housing and meet a goal of adding 1.5 million homes over the next 10 years. Those areas include:

Making changes to planning policies and zoning to allow for greater density and increase the variety of housing.
Reducing and streamlining urban design rules to lower costs of development.
Depoliticizing the approvals process to address NIMBYism and cut red tape to speed up housing.
Preventing abuse of the appeal process and address the backlog at the Ontario Land Tribunal by prioritizing cases that increase housing.
And aligning efforts between all levels of government to incentivize more housing.

Additionally, the Task Force’s report makes other recommendations to increase housing supply over the long-term, including to digitize and modernize the approvals and planning process, grow the skilled labour workforce, and encourage new pathways to home ownership.

“When Premier Ford and Minister Clark created the Task Force our instructions were clear: to deliver concrete, actionable recommendations to address the housing affordability crisis by getting more homes built,” said Jake Lawrence, Chair of the Housing Affordability Task Force and Chief Executive Officer and Group Head, Global Banking and Markets at Scotiabank. “Lengthy reviews, bureaucratic red tape, and costly appeals are making it too difficult to build new housing. We propose an ambitious and achievable goal to build 1.5 million homes over the next ten years and the steps needed to get there.”

The Task Force report is part of the government’s broader plan to seek feedback from a variety of sources, including through municipal and public consultations, to identify and implement measures to address the housing supply crisis and get homes built faster. In January, Premier Ford and Minister Clark hosted the Ontario-Municipal Housing Summit and the Rural Housing Roundtable to coordinate efforts with municipalities, and the government recently held an online public consultation for Ontarians to share their input, which received over 2,000 responses.

Property tax shift pending from new subclass

The property tax shift from Toronto’s new small business subclass will have a greater magnitude than originally estimated when City Council approved the parameters for the relief measure last fall. A report to Toronto Council’s budget committee advises that approximately 29,000 businesses will qualify for a 15 per cent reduction in the tax rate, necessitating a 0.99 per cent increase for the remainder of commercial ratepayers. The offset had previously been pegged at 0.85 per cent.

The introduction of the new tax subclass — which was enabled through an amendment to Ontario’s Assessment Act last year — comes in the overarching context of a recommended 2.2 per cent increase to the commercial tax rate for 2022. Budget deliberations are scheduled for the February 19 Toronto Council meeting.

As provincial legislation now authorizes, any Ontario municipality can enact a bylaw to set criteria for a small business subclass and reduce tax rates by up to 35 per cent for qualifying ratepayers. It has been left to municipalities to set eligibility criteria and determine whether rate reductions will be financed within the commercial tax class or across the broader tax base. Once the tax rate reduction is established, municipalities can apply to the provincial government for a corresponding reduction in the education tax rate for qualifying properties.

Under Toronto’s rules, all commercial properties with a current assessed value (CVA) no greater than $1 million qualify. As well, commercial properties in the downtown, waterfront districts, on an arterial strip designated as one of the “Avenues” in Toronto’s Official Plan or in designated commercial “centres” are eligible, provided that: either the lot size is no greater than 7,500 square feet or the commercial condominium unit has no more than 2,500 square feet of gross floor area; and the CVA does not exceed $7 million.

“A strong majority of business organizations, representing both large and small commercial properties have been consistent in their preference for the small business tax subclass to be funded across all property classes,” states a communique from REALPAC, on behalf of a number of the city’s commercial real estate organizations. “This would significantly reduce tax burden shift onto non-subclass commercial properties.”

Home owners and builders lack awareness of IAQ health risks

When homeowners and home builders know more about indoor air quality (IAQ) and its related health risks, they care more.

A recent report from Panasonic, an industry-leading manufacturer of air conditioning, heating, and IAQ systems, concluded that a lack of knowledge offers builders a prime opportunity to educate homeowners about the health risks of poor air quality – and the solutions that can prevent it.

Among the key findings were that after exposure to scientific findings, the number of homeowners who viewed their own homes as somewhat or very unhealthy more than tripled, from 12 per cent to 39 per cent. For homebuilders, the number more than doubled, from 29 per cent to 62 per cent.

After the survey, two out of three homebuilders considered IAQ to be much more important, with 62 per cent recommending IAQ solutions, up from 49 per cent before learning of risks mitigation through IAQ technologies.

Life-threatening health risks were seen as the top factors to elevate the importance of IAQ for both homeowners and homebuilders. The risk of off-gassing from volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in many building materials was the second most compelling fact for both groups.

Nearly two-thirds (62 per cent) of current and prospective homeowners put a lot of value in healthy home environments but prioritized factors like natural light and lack of clutter over less visible factors like IAQ, green building, and cleaning products prior to exposure to the IAQ scientific findings.

Only a small percentage of homeowners considered the air in their homes to be somewhat unhealthy (10 per cent) or very unhealthy (two per cent), and only one out of eight homeowners felt they had any health issues from poor IAQ.

In addition, over 70 per cent of builders recognized ventilation and filtration as helpful strategies for addressing poor IAQ.

High-efficiency particulate absorbing (HEPA) filtration and high-performance HVAC systems were the IAQ technologies most likely to be recommended by homebuilders. The study report notes that HEPA filters are more than 99.97 per cent efficient at capturing airborne viral particles associated with COVID-19, and improved ventilation improves health outcomes in a majority of scientific studies, with health improvement generally in the 20 per cent to 50 per cent range.

In conclusion, the survey found significant changes in participants’ perceptions and behaviours when presented with scientific findings around indoor air quality’s impact on short-term and long-term health issues.

“Many people are not aware that indoor air can be five times more polluted than outdoor, which could lead to serious and life-threatening health risks,” said Kevin Smith, General Manager of Life & Device Solutions Division and Visual Solutions, Panasonic Canada. “Educating homeowners and builders on the importance of IAQ and solutions for filtration, ventilation, purification and management of indoor air is essential for maintaining a healthy living environment. Our research found that conversations around IAQ are vital between homeowners and homebuilders, to drive healthier living and a change in the industry.”

Cleaning performance must be objectively measured

Historically, cleaning performance has been based on meeting contractual task and frequency requirements, with actual performance measured solely on visual inspection.

However, according to Steve Ashkin, Green Cleaning expert and one of the professional cleaning industry’s key influencers, this procedure has never been viewed as highly effective.

“And now, due to the coronavirus pandemic, both the cleaning industry and our customers are reminded of the need for more objective measurements of cleaning performance,” says Ashkin.

Fortunately, it’s now possible with the development of inexpensive ATP (adenosine triphosphate) meters and the lessons learned from their use in healthcare, food, and pharmaceutical manufacturing.

“Now is the time to employ this testing technology in office buildings, schools, long-term care facilities – wherever there is critical concern about the health and safety of building occupants,” stresses Ashkin.

However, he says that these systems must be used appropriately to ensure reliable, repeatable, and reportable results. To do so requires following the protocols established by the U.S. Green Building Council.

This includes the following:

Identifying

Identifying areas in a facility such as high-touch surfaces, spaces, and “space types” that need to be assessed using ATP monitors. Be aware that not all surfaces and spaces in a building present a high or substantial risk of pathogen transmission.

Prioritizing & evaluating

Once identified, the next step is to determine how frequently these areas must be tested and evaluated.

“This allows cleaning professionals to concentrate their [cleaning] efforts where the risk of cross-contamination is highest,” adds Ashkin. “Normally, this is based on heavily used areas and surfaces, touched by multiple people throughout the day.”

Specifying

Even in those areas heavily used in a facility, certain surfaces may present higher or lower contamination risks. Higher-risk surfaces – tabletops, microwave controls, conference tables in high-use conference rooms, food preparation surfaces, washroom faucet handles, and flush valves – may need daily ATP testing to measure cleaning performance, while other areas need less testing.

Specifying standardized testing helps maximize the benefits of the analysis while minimizing cleaning and testing times and the cost of swabs.

Randomizing

While testing of high-touch surfaces and frequently used spaces is crucial, we cannot ignore less critical surfaces and spaces, emphasizes Ashkin. To ensure overall cleaning effectiveness, conduct a limited number of tests on randomly selected surfaces or spaces throughout the month. This helps ensure overall cleaning effectiveness.

Analyzing

Analyze all data collected to quantify and determine if some surfaces or spaces need more or less attention, where there may be systemic problems, or where different cleaning products, equipment, or solutions may be necessary.

“This last step is essential,” says Ashkin. “View it as the feedback cleaning professionals, and all facility stakeholders, need to ensure their facilities are clean, safe, and healthy.”

Further, he adds that once a baseline of cleaning performance is established, “it may be possible to pre-determine if cleaning is even required on certain days. This will help focus [cleaning] resources to those areas that need thorough cleaning the most.”

Quebec association urges condo insurance reform

The Association Québécoise des Gestionnaires de Copropriétés (AQGC) is calling on the Quebec government to change co-ownership rules in the condo sector, which are allowing insurers to refuse to compensate when a loss emanates from their insured units.

Since Article 1074.2 of the Civil Code of Québec came into force on December 13, 2018, the AQRC says that the community of co-owners have been paying for restoration work of affected private and common areas with “little hope” of being compensated by the insurer of the co-owner who is actually responsible for the loss.

Quebec’s Ministry of Finance recently proposed a regulation to cap the contribution to the self-insurance fund at $100,000. The AQGC says this solution will be of little use to a vast majority of condominiums in the province.

“Let us remember that this new self-insurance fund must be used by syndicates to provide sufficient liquidity to pay the amounts of insurance deductibles for all claims that the individual insurers of the co-owners refuse to assume following the legislative change put in place in December 2018,” the AQRC recently stated. “This self-insurance fund could indeed be reduced if we returned to a successful insurance plan. Until then, whether we cap the contribution to this fund at $100,000 or not, in the end it will always be the co-owners who will pay the bill.”

To resolve the situation, the AQRC suggests:

Mandatory inspection on Quebec construction sites to limit the costly deficiencies affected by too many buildings, including many hidden defects;
Guaranty plans be more effective to save condominium syndicates from long and costly legal proceedings;
Correcting the wording in article 1074.2 C.c.Q. which remains poorly formulated and causes many disputes. Insurers of co-owners systematically refuse, since 2018, to compensate co-ownership claims caused by their insureds.

Meanwhile there aren’t enough insurers who want to insure buildings. As the AQRC states, “insurers have continued to withdraw from the condominium sector, further reducing choice in the market.”

Syndicate insurance premiums and deductibles, up to $500,000, also continue to rise, although risks are reduced due to these same higher deductibles and self-insurance funds. This new system is causing a “moral hazard” to the detriment of the community of co-owners, As AQRC further states, “syndicates are obliged to make reparation for the damage caused to the building, with no guarantee of compensation other than by undertaking lengthy and costly legal proceedings.

“Co-owners have limited ability to pay and are currently besieged on all sides by the significant increases in condominium fees that result from the obligations provided for in the many bills that have come into force since 2020 (Bills 16, 141, 41, etc.),” the AQRC added. “The dysfunction of the insurance sector is too much to take, and a major financial irritant that must be resolved quickly.”

Funding announced for B.C. tourism projects

More than 50 new tourism projects throughout B.C. are receiving a total of $21.3 million for shovel-ready infrastructure projects.

The funding aims to strengthen tourism growth and develop emerging tourism opportunities, stimulating the recovery of B.C.’s post-pandemic visitor economy.

The Richmond Olympic Oval and the Shipyards in North Vancouver are among the projects to receive funding. Both destinations will receive $1 million each.

“The Richmond Olympic Oval is an enduring legacy venue of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games for Richmond and the country,” said Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie. “This $1-million provincial grant will support the development of a planned sport and event plaza in front of the iconic oval that will leverage existing facilities for tourism, sport and fitness. It will expand opportunities for use through programs, public use and events, and bring more vibrancy to the neighbourhood around the Richmond Olympic Oval urban waterfront community.”

North Vancouver applied for the funding to improve the Shipyards’ capacity to host a variety of year-round programming and attract visitors and tourists in all seasons. The local tourism sector has been significantly affected during COVID-19, and the Shipyards saw a steep decrease in events, programming, site animation and visits to local restaurants and hotels.

The funding will elevate the visitor experience at the Shipyards with newly improved infrastructure such as vending pods, water stations as well as electrical, lighting and traffic-flow improvements. Work on the improvements is scheduled to begin in spring 2022 and the upgrades are anticipated to be completed in early 2023.

“The Shipyards is a vibrant outdoor space that all people have enjoyed, especially over the course of this pandemic,” said North Vancouver Mayor Linda Buchanan. “Our waterfront is of great historical and economic importance to our city. With this grant in hand we will be able to deliver infrastructure and heritage upgrades that will enhance the space for residents while attracting visitors from across the region and beyond. These improvements will also support our local businesses with their recovery efforts.”

In February 2021, in response to the pandemic and through StrongerBC, the province provided $20 million for 54 projects specifically for tourism through the first round of CERIP. The second investment of $21.3 million in 2022 doubles this, providing a total of $41.3 million for the tourism ecosystem for more than 100 projects.

Are you Ready for the EWRB Deadline?

Since 2018, most privately-owned large buildings in Ontario have been required to report their water and energy consumption as part of the Ministry of Energy’s Energy and Water Reporting and Benchmarking (EWRB) initiative. A daunting prospect for many, EWRB ultimately delivers countless benefits, making the upfront stress of annual compliance worth it.

In the short-term, building operators can expect to achieve improved energy efficiency and utility savings; in the longer term, they’ll reap the rewards of benchmarking — a tool used to capture meaningful data and enable better decisions about where and how to maximize efficiencies over time.

Although the 2020 data obtained from previous EWRB years has yet to be shared publicly, there’s no doubt large building owners will benefit when it happens.

“Benchmarking allows large building owners to compare their energy and water performance against other similar buildings in their region,” says Justin Tudor, President, Keller Engineers. “With that knowledge, they can make system adjustments accordingly, then monitor whether or not they are making sufficient progress. Ultimately, EWRB facilitates more accurate, measurable results, and helps generate best practices that will lead to better, healthier buildings overall.”

By 2023, annual reporting will be required for any building with a total gross square footage of at least 50,000 including multi-residential high-rises, low-rises and large townhome complexes. According to Tudor, a good rule of thumb is that if your building has more than 50 units, you will need to report your water and energy consumption on July 1^st every year.

While some building owners and condominium corporations may choose to self-report their findings by appointing a staff member to the task, others may prefer to outsource the responsibility to an accredited third party. Either way, the regulations do require independent verification of data by a qualified person in the first year of reporting and every five years thereafter.

Key Steps

For those preparing for EWRB compliance by July 1^st, 2022, here is an overview of what to expect:

STEP 1 – Data collection
Allow yourself ample time to gather all the detailed information needed to complete the EWRB report. This includes location and ownership, gross floor area, use type, EWRB ID number, and energy and water usage data for the required period. Typically, your EWRB number is provided via written notification through the Ministry of Energy, otherwise it may be obtained by emailing [email protected].

STEP 2 – Data verification
For the first year (and every five years thereafter), an accredited body or certified professional must verify your data.

STEP 3 – Data reporting
Completed reports must be submitted by the July 1st deadline through your Energy Star Portfolio Manager account.

For the complete Ontario EWRB support guide, click here.

Need help from an expert?

For those seeking assistance (and peace of mind) from an outside service provider, Keller Engineers has the expertise to get the job done right. Whether you are looking for end-to-end management of data collection, verification, and reporting, or simply someone to help with first-year verification or management of the online reporting tool, ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, we offer an array of services to meet your every need.

Please click here for a detailed look at Keller’s EWRB services or visit: www.kellerengineering.com

COVID-19’s impact on hygiene is lingering

The impact that COVID-19 has had on hygiene can be clearly seen from how the public responds, and the recent results from Cascades PRO’s October 2021 consumer snap poll offer valuable end-user insights for the cleaning and maintenance industry moving forward.

The survey focused on numerous key indicators, including hand hygiene, surface cleaning, and public sentiments moving forward.

Hand washing

In particular, 74 per cent of respondents said that they wash their hands more often now than they did before the pandemic, but 70 per cent indicated they wash their hands for 20 seconds or less, contrary to the CDC’s recommendation.

Over the next three years, 88 per cent suggested that they will continue to wash their hands more often than before the pandemic.

Hand drying

The impact of COVID-19 towards hand drying in public washrooms nearly split the respondents. 50 per cent indicated they now give more thought to hand drying versus 42 per cent who indicated that their thoughts have not changed.

In addition, 64 per cent of respondents said they prefer the use of paper towels from a
touchless dispenser.

Nearly half of respondents indicated that their use of paper towels has not changed as a result of COVID-19, but 36 per cent said they are using paper towels to dry their hands more than pre-pandemic.

Workplace cleaning

Unsurprisingly, respondents indicated that COVID-19 has impacted how often they clean surfaces at their workspace. Over half (56 per cent) said they are cleaning surfaces more often now than before the pandemic.

More than three-quarters (78 per cent) expressed some level of concern about hygiene
in the workplace, with only 22 per cent saying they were not concerned.

When asked what respondents expected to do more at work now, more than half replied with periodically wiping down their workstations (57 per cent) and using hand sanitizer after moving around the office (51 per cent).

Ultimately, nearly three in four respondents (73 per cent) said they are satisfied with their employer’s hygiene protocols in the workplace.

The importance of sustainability

Sustainability appears to be a key factor for many people, with 85 per cent of respondents saying that it is important that their workplace implements up-to-date sustainability innovations and practices such as recycled paper products and dispensers that limit the number of paper towels dispensed.

Restroom cleanliness is vital

As often noted in surveys of this type, restroom cleanliness is important.

61 per cent of people said that dirty toilets negatively impacts their perception of a public building and would deter them from visiting the building in the future. Meanwhile, 59 per cent and 46 per cent said the same about a lack of toilet paper and insufficient methods of drying hands, respectively.

Looking to the future

Respondents were also asked which behaviours they were most likely to continue permanently beyond the pandemic. Increased awareness of their proximity to other people was the top answer with 64 per cent, closely followed by increased awareness of surfaces touched (61 per cent) and more frequently washing hands (60 per cent).

COVID-19 cleaning lessons: In with the new, stick with the old

Did you know that some experts now recommend that HVAC systems be turned off before cleaning and disinfecting surfaces? We rarely heard of such cleaning protocols being recommended in facilities before COVID-19. But examined more closely, especially in light of the pandemic, we can see why this is being advised as it’s one of many COVID-19 cleaning lessons learned.

When we clean and disinfect surfaces, vapours from the cleaning and disinfecting agents can be released into the air. These vapours can prove harmful if inhaled. But there’s more to it than that. The entire cleaning process can also release potentially health-risking contaminants into the air.

Remember, one of the critical components of professional cleaning is agitation. We are scrubbing surfaces to loosen and remove soils and contaminants. If the pathogen that causes COVID-19 is on those surfaces, it may become airborne. If so, we may inhale those pathogens, and inhalation is the primary way the virus is spreading from person to person. By turning off the HVAC, cleaning professionals reduce the risk of inhaling harmful fumes and pathogens.

What other cleaning lessons do we need to learn from the pandemic? Mike Sawchuk, a Canadian-based coach who helps facility managers improve their in-house cleaning operations, says there are not so much new lessons to be learned as old and proven lessons that must be more closely adhered to.

“For instance, cleaning professionals were taught for years to clean surfaces first before disinfecting and follow the manufacturer’s instructions when it comes to dwell time,” says Sawchuk. “But before the pandemic, these instructions were all too often overlooked. Now, they can’t be. If the job of cleaning professionals is to keep people healthy, all the proven lessons we have been taught over the years to ensure effective cleaning and keep building users safe must be followed.”

Some of the other old but proven cleaning and disinfecting lessons Sawchuk says need following closely are:

Read the label

Disinfectant product labels provide a wealth of crucial information, such as how long the disinfectant should dwell on the surface before removing, what pathogens the disinfectant is engineered to kill or eliminate, and whether the disinfectant must be rinsed off surfaces after use.

Understand threat levels

We are often aware of the level of risk that different pathogens present and how this knowledge can impact which disinfectants we should select. But understanding threat levels is much more important now, due to the pandemic.

Ideally, cleaning professionals should generally use a broad-spectrum disinfectant engineered to eliminate most bacteria, viruses (including coronavirus), protozoa, fungi, and other pathogens – ensuring all pathogens of concern are listed on the label. These broad-spectrum disinfectants normally are used when there is a low to medium threat level.

However, if there has been an outbreak of disease in a facility or concerns have been elevated, a more powerful, high-level disinfectant may be necessary. Again, be sure the disinfectant’s efficacy against the pathogen(s) of concern is clearly listed.

Review SDS (Safety Data Sheets)

So often, cleaning professionals turn to the SDS after there has been an accident. In an emergency, that can be the worst time to first read the SDS. When a new product is introduced for cleaning and disinfecting surfaces, along with the label, read and understand the SDS. Further, make sure it is readily available at any time.

Mix things up

Whether in-house staff or cleaning contractors, many cleaning professionals select the same products repeatedly. They may even be encouraged to do this by distributors who may offer price discounts for bulk purchases of the same product.

However, pathogens can become immune to the active ingredients in those products, similarly to antibiotic resistance. This is when pathogens become immune to antibiotics, and the medicines no longer work. Using different types of disinfectants can prevent this.

Surface testing

ATP (adenosine triphosphate) monitoring and testing systems have been around for years. These systems were first used in facilities within industries concerned about contamination in work and storage areas, including foodservice. They were introduced into the professional cleaning industry nearly two decades ago; however, their use has been sporadic. ATP monitors should be used regularly to test surfaces before and after cleaning as they are a proven scientific system and we must assess cleaning’s effectiveness. The results can be used to provide better training of cleaning workers, evaluate products and procedures used, as well as the tools and equipment used for cleaning.

A new lesson

Although it appears true that we can help ensure effective cleaning and protect the health of building users by simply following cleaning lessons and practices we already know, Sawchuk says there is one new lesson that has evolved as a result of COVID-19: conducting a site assessment or site evaluation.

“Essentially, a site evaluation provides a fresh and different perspective,” he explains. “It helps identify high-touch and other surfaces in a facility that need cleaning attention but may be overlooked by facility managers and cleaning professionals working in the facility every day.”

However, Sawchuk adds that a professionally conducted site evaluation goes even further. In addition to identifying high-touch and other surfaces that may need effective cleaning, such an evaluation should:

Suggest cleaning frequencies. Some surfaces may need to be cleaned and disinfected more often than others, or at different times.
Help with product, procedure, tools, and equipment verification and validation. Some cleaning solutions and disinfectants have been proven to work more effectively on certain types of surfaces than others. The site evaluation will likely make recommendations.
Observe and evaluate the custodial skills of the cleaning workers. Cleaning workers should be not only well-trained on products, procedures, and cleaning frequencies, but also educated on the key role they play in keeping the facility safe and healthy.

“The pandemic has left us no room for error,” concludes Sawchuk. “Professional, well-trained cleaning workers are needed more now than ever before. They help save lives.”

Robert Kravitz is a former building service contractor and now president of AlturaSolutions Communications, a jansan thought leadership marketing agency founded in 2002. He can be reached at [email protected].

This article was also published in the Spring 2022 issue of FC&M magazine.

Multifamily rent slippage deemed temporary blip

Canada’s institutional investors typically view multifamily rent slippage as a pandemic-related blip that was never expected to be lasting. Newly released 2021 results from the Canada Annual Property Index reveal that multifamily assets posted the largest year-over-year decline in net operating income (NOI) among the four main property sectors — a 5.8 per cent drop from 2020 — while delivering a 7 per cent total return on investment for the year.

Speaking as part of an industry insider panel tasked with providing on-the-spot feedback alongside the online release of the results last week, Jaime McKenna, managing director and group head of real estate with Fengate Asset Management, advised that an uptick in rents in the fourth quarter of 2021 will begin to flow through more obviously this year. Last year’s data is considered more reflective of 2020 trends.

“What’s happening in the marketplace is always about six to 12 months ahead of what’s happening with the returns,” she maintained. “What we did see for the first six months of COVID is that nobody moved. People stayed in place or those who moved were exiting the rental market. So we saw vacancy grow and we came into the new year (2021) either in decline or, at best, holding.”

“The concessions that were probably offered on the front end (of 2021) to bring renters back in, that’s also making its way to this data,” added Eric Plesman, head of global real estate with the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOP).

Capital growth belies decline in net operating income

In the big picture, multifamily assets were the second best performers in the index — which encompasses 2,367 directly held standing assets in 46 portfolios, collectively valued at $171.6 billion — last year. Industrial topped the scale with a 31.6 per cent total return, while office and retail offered more modest matching total returns of 2.8 per cent.

Looking at the components of the total return, industrial assets saw a whopping 26.4 per cent increase in capital value, following a 7.8 per cent gain in 2020. Multifamily recorded 3.8 per cent capital growth, outperforming a 2.2 per cent increase in 2020. Office and retail properties posted another year of eroding value, but at a more muted level — at 1.8 per cent and 1.5 per cent respectively — than in 2020.

Across the entire index, NOI fell by about 15 per cent between Q1 2020 and Q1 2021. In analyzing how that influenced capital appreciation or decline, Simon Fairchild, executive director with the index producer, MSCI, outlined some varying impacts according to sector.

“Not all of that fall was eating into capital values because valuers didn’t expect that to continue into the future,” he advised. “They expected a recovery and, indeed, it’s happening so that would seem to have been the correct assumption.”

In retail, a 17.4 per cent year-over-year jump in NOI has had little impact on capital value because it’s still only a partial climb back from a 30 per cent drop in 2020. “On the other side of things, obviously valuers and investors have a positive view on residential. They’ve almost discounted the current fall in NOIs,” Fairchild noted.

Similarly, Paul Mouchakkaa, managing partner and Canadian head with BentallGreenOak, observed that would-be apartment buyers are unlikely to find any COVID-triggered bargains. Plesman concurred with McKenna that rents are beginning to rise again, and described an uneven pandemic fallout in HOOPP’s portfolio.

“I was surprised when I saw the number (for declining NOI). We haven’t been hit as tough as this with our own portfolio,” Plesman reported. “I think part of it is the mix of suburban versus urban. Our urban assets got hit a lot more than the suburban assets. It was just stickier (in the suburbs) and we didn’t see the same declines.”

Portfolio weighting shifts away from office and retail

Last year saw approximately $703 million of net new investment in multifamily properties within the index. That’s a 6.5 per cent boost to the $660 million inflow in 2020, yet well back of the cascade of new investment in industrial properties, which surpassed $2.4 billion.

An 87 per cent increase in industrial investment for the year also occurred in the context of a $913 million, or 30.6 per cent, year-over-year reduction across the index as a whole. Furthermore, Fairchild noted that a disproportionate share of the “other” category, which received more than $1.5 billion of new investment, is development land destined for industrial projects.

“This is really a very strong tilt in terms of net new money going into these portfolios,” he said. “The flipside of that is disinvestment from retail and offices to the tune of about $1.6 billion.”

The sell-off in the two sectors, which Fairchild reiterates “have been the bedrocks of institutional investment in Canada for decades”, augments evidence of the shift in weighting of asset types that is occurring in commercial real estate portfolios. Mouchakkaa traced that change in both directly held and listed portfolios, while Bryan Reid, MSCI’s executive director of real estate research, illustrated how investors are now seeing the widest divergence in returns based on property type rather than, as has conventionally been the case, the region where they are located.

“Close to three quarters of the transactions last year were in the multifamily and industrial space. Historically, it’s closer to 40 to 50 per cent. About 20 years ago, multifamily and industrial combined were about one eighth of the private market index in Canada, so roughly 12 per cent. Today that portion is now one third,” Mouchakkaa observed. “That’s not a fluke. That’s really a change, both in investor preference and in value.”

“Historically, the spread of returns has been greatest across countries and cities, and property type has actually played a much smaller role in diversification or the alpha story,” Reid said. “Really, in the last two year’s we’ve seen this blowout in sector spreads. I think this is why a lot of people look at allocations to sectors and think: this is potentially going to be quite a significant driver of returns going forward.”

Barbara Carss is editor-in-chief of Canadian Property Management.