BCO releases lift and escalator guidance for reopening offices

The British Council for Offices (BCO) has published new guidance for the safe use of escalators and lifts, as the country begins to return to the office. The safe use of lifts and escalators has been a priority for the industry, with 90 percent of decision-makers and influencers in the commercial office sector saying they were worried about their safe use. To help solve these headaches, the guidance emphasises the importance of social distancing and strict hygiene measures.

For lifts, this means reducing the amount of time that doors stay open, implementing queue controls, marking where users should stand and upgrading controls to make them touchless – something which could see the introduction apps that allow users to select their floor by phone, or buttons which are pressed by foot.

Escalator riders, meanwhile, can also expect to be told where to stand by markings, and to be guided by upgraded antimicrobial handrails.

The guidance suggests that masks should be worn, particularly in lifts, and that hand sanitising stations should be provided at both entry and exits points for lifts and escalators.

All this will make the office experience feel very different. An average 2,000kg escalator carries sixteen people, but will now be capped at just four.

Change, however, shouldn’t just be for Covid-19. The paper states that even if a vaccine is found, a future pandemic would necessitate the ‘same response’. To mitigate against future pandemics, the paper suggests more substantial design changes, which include fitting wide doors to lifts and improving their ventilation.

Chris Richmond, Head of Real Estate, PwC, said: “As one of the first corporate occupiers in the UK to reopen all our offices in early July, we are committed to ensuring the safety of our people and maintaining a Covid-19 secure environment within all our offices.

“Lifts and escalators provide specific challenges and I applaud this latest BCO guidance that provides an insightful, practical and considered view for occupiers and their advisers too. As purveyors of best practice, we will be paying close attention to its findings and recommendations.”