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Work Place Advice

Office Wellness: Sights, Sounds and Smells Make a Difference

In the wake of the pandemic, employee engagement has become a front-burner topic for nearly every employer. As companies navigate the return to working in person to varying degrees, they’re devoting more and more attention to keeping team members safe, happy and engaged.

What role can the workspace environment play in office wellness? A big one, in ways both good and bad. In fact, employers need to factor in at least four of the five senses in office design considerations (probably not taste, unless you’re providing lunch). Let’s take a look:

Fireline Corp. Workstations

Sight:

Everyone considers colors when designing an office space, but perhaps not their potential effects on the people in it. There is science behind the psychology of colors and the emotions they can elicit. To greatly oversimplify, green is associated with creativity; blue with security, confidence and analytical thinking. Red promotes productivity in physical work (but may hinder analytical thinking), and too much white leads to boredom. Yellow? Well, people just don’t seem to like it. Use yellow sparingly. Check out the red pops of color at Fireline Corp. here.

3form Acoustic Edge

Sound:

Too often an afterthought in office design, the acoustical properties of a space are vital to productivity and keeping team members happy. We’ve seen many very attractive spaces that are difficult to work in, especially in the age of the open office plan. This might be because workers are too close together or because the space is designed with hard surfaces that cause every sound to reverberate. It’s often easy to fix the latter situation with strategically-applied acoustical panels to deaden the space. Ensure workers have private, quiet spaces available in an open office plan. Make sure to approach office design with not only your eyes but your ears. Check out 3form Edge ceiling features here.

Smell:

Our sense of smell is tied directly to our memories, and is another factor in work productivity. Employers walk a difficult line right now: Spaces need to be cleaned and sanitized regularly, but the aromas of bleach, ammonia or other harsh cleaners can have a negative effect on productivity. These strong smells may also cause headaches or even allergic reactions. Consider cleaning products carefully and look for agreeable scents. Beyond that, you might consider enhancing office wellness with smells: Lemon is known to be good for creativity, and lavender is calming, to name just two examples. But again, you need to be mindful of potential allergies.

Visit Baltimore Office Sit to Stand Desk

Feel:

No one’s going to be very productive, or very happy, if they spend their days working in an uncomfortable chair or at a desk that’s not an appropriate height. There’s such a wide selection of ergonomic office furnishings from so many manufacturers that there’s really no reason not to get this right. In general, consider adjustability: Desks that allow standing or sitting, chairs that adjust to multiple positions. Check out more office spaces at Visit Baltimore here.

Indoor Air Quality

Among many other things, the pandemic has brought a renewed emphasis on indoor air quality, especially in office settings. In many cases this has taken the form of greater attention paid to HVAC systems to reduce the chances of disease transmission. But even setting aside the germ factor, according to many estimates the indoor air we breathe is up to five times more polluted than our outdoor air.

The reasons for this are obvious: Indoors, we get less ventilation, thus trapping toxins like formaldehyde, benzene and VOCs from paints, furniture and other finishes. We can combat the situation with expensive air purifiers, but what about the simple houseplant?

Plants, of course, consume carbon dioxide and produce oxygen, so any plant does at least a little good in contributing to indoor air quality. But can plants also reduce those toxins we’re breathing?

The research on this offers differing answers. Again, any plants are probably better than no plants, and while plants do indeed remove carbon dioxide, ozone and other pollutants from the air, some research suggests that it takes a large quantity of plants to make a measurable difference. A NASA study, however, trends in the opposite direction, saying that only 15 to 18 houseplants in a 1,800-square-foot area can make a meaningful difference in removing pollutants.

All of this is one reason for the growing popularity of plant walls (or green walls, or vertical gardens) in commercial settings. Green walls are living design features that can be employed on existing walls or created to divide spaces, and the design possibilities are limited only by imagination. Plants can grow together and intermingle to create a stunning, forest-like effect, all while working around the clock to filter the air you breathe.

Which plants are best? There are many choices, but favorite plants for better air quality include the humble ficus, aloe vera, spider plants, and flowering varieties including peace lily, gerbera daisy and chrysanthemum.

One word of caution: It is possible to overdo it. Plants (and the soil they grow in) will increase the moisture content in a given space, and if done to excess might introduce molds or other toxins to the air. Monitor humidity and air quality carefully.

And as a side benefit, you might want to volunteer to be among those responsible for the care and upkeep of your office plants. Research demonstrates that gardening, indoors or out, reduces stress.

The Evolution of the Workplace

As we approach two years of a radically changed work environment due to the pandemic, much uncertainty remains. Plans to return to the physical workspace have been derailed or delayed by the Omicron variant and organizations are grappling with how best to move forward. What has changed in the workplace, and what needs to continue changing? Take a look at the evolution of the workplace.

Some businesses have decided that they can get along just fine with a remote workforce, at least in the shorter term. They’re in the minority, but many were already operating virtually pre-pandemic, so the transition has been easier. At the other end of the spectrum are those for whom remote work is not a viable option: service industries, manufacturers and so forth.

In the middle are the vast majority of businesses, trying to roll with the continued punches of COVID and figure out the best combination of in-person, remote and hybrid work for their own teams and circumstances. And if there’s one word to describe handling all this uncertainty, it’s this: adaptability.

That can mean a lot of things, but in terms of office design it’s really the continuation of a trend of several years: Many organizations had already seen the value of flexible workspaces in both the more efficient use of space and the ways in which they promote collaboration. That physical adaptability will now become even more important.

Remote and hybrid work means fewer opportunities for teams to collaborate in person, which is indisputably more effective. So when a team is in the same physical space, every effort needs to be made to maximize that opportunity with an environment that can adjust on the fly to changing needs.

Adaptability is required far beyond the physical workspace, of course. We still don’t fully understand how this prolonged stretch of diminished interaction will affect all of us as workers and as human beings, and business leaders will need to be even more flexible than their workspaces to accommodate the changing needs of their teams.

Check out this adaptable workspace at Frederick Innovative Technology Center (FITC).

COVID-19 Update

Douron’s COVID-19 Update

Douron is fully operational to provide service to our employees, clients, partners and community. We have received required status for distribution to essential companies per state and federal guidelines.

We are continually monitoring the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) for daily COVID-19 updates to provide our employees a safe and healthy working environment. Click here to learn more about how you can protect yourself and others from the virus.

We have established a continuity plan that relies on email, virtual meetings and remote connectivity as our primary contact and response method. With our software phone application, our employees can be reached at their normal extensions. Messages left on team members’ work phones are monitored and answered as quickly as possible.

Our showrooms in Baltimore, Rockville and Delaware are open. All of our facilities are being cleaned and disinfected regularly to ensure a safe work environment.

MANUFACTURING PARTNERS

Douron is monitoring the operational status of our manufacturing partners and we will provide updates, as we receive them, via email.

SALES

Account Executives will continue to be available by their standard email addresses, phone extensions and mobile phone numbers. All responses to projects from our Account Executives will be via email or phone.

CUSTOMER SERVICE SUPPORT

Douron headquartered team members are in office and fully operational. Our continuity plan has been tested to make an easy transition as not to delay our ability to serve you.

WAREHOUSE, DELIVERY AND INSTALLATION (WD&I)

Currently, Douron is accepting all shipments and making deliveries, while safely completing projects. There is restricted entry for delivery drivers to our warehouse and paperwork is being delivered to the door. Our warehouse team has been provided rubber gloves, masks and disinfecting spray to utilize upon receipt of product and to use as necessary. All WD&I employees have proper documentation of the nature of their delivery being essential to the operations of our clients.

After installation, all furniture surfaces and cabinet are sprayed and disinfected. We want to ensure a safe installation process. Our employees are aware and following (CDC) guidelines of daily cleaning of tools and building materials; washing hands as often as possible; covering coughs and sneezes with tissues and avoiding touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.

WARRANTY AND CLAIMS

Our Corrective Actions Department is reviewing all claims made by clients and reporting information to the appropriate manufacturer.

If you are experiencing any warranty or service related issues, please fill out a warranty request form or email correctiveactions@douron.com.

We are working together with you to provide safe and healthy environments.

Effects of Pandemic on Supply Chain, Costs and Productivity

Like many industries, office furniture has been impacted by the challenges of supply chain issues resulting from the effects of the pandemic. We are experiencing constant lead time changes and sometimes-daily cost increases from manufacturers.

While the current situation is beyond our control, Douron is here to help guide you through this constantly-changing process. Douron is working every day to get your furniture furnishings as quickly as possible, and at the lowest cost the market will allow. You can rest assured that we’ll provide you with the most up-to-date information regarding your project’s schedule, any necessary price changes and current effects of the pandemic. As soon as we know, you’ll know.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate these unusual times together, and thank you for choosing Douron.

Lead Times in Current Climate

 

Raw Materials Cost Increasing

• Industrial metals nearing record highs, increasing 1.53% from September and ~200% from early 2020.
• Iron Ore prices are rebounding 8.02% from September.
• Since July 2020, Cold Roll Steel has increased more than +230%.
• Aluminum + 49% in the last 12 months.

Container rates and supplier delivery times need significant progress

• Container rates have declined from over $13K to $11.2K per container, an 8.21% decrease from August.
• Supplier delivery times are declining for the first time  since early 2020, but still at record “slow” levels.

More logistics capacity needed

• Global transport capacity is starting to increase (almost 10%) from early 2021, but still 30% less from where it was in 2019.

Safety Month: Safety on the Jobsite

June is National Safety Month, the perfect time for a little refresher on best practices for a safe jobsite. In 2019, the most recent year for which statistics are available, more than 5,000 workers suffered fatal accidents on the job, or nearly 15 per day. Of those, one in five were related to the construction industry. So while jobsites in general have made safety improvements over the years, there’s clearly still a great deal of room for improvement.

Let’s take a look at the top ways to keep work sites safer:

Plan ahead: Jobsite safety begins with a plan for what will happen that day and making sure the appropriate tools, equipment and safety gear are ready to go. Many workplace accidents result from using inappropriate equipment for a particular task, or from the absence of proper safety apparatus.

Train: The right tools and safety equipment are just the start. Workers must be trained on safe operation of any equipment, and on the proper use of safety gear. Safety training is not a one-and-done event either … plan for regular refresher sessions so all team members are always up to date. From the importance of using the appropriate tool for the job at hand to proper techniques for lifting to avoid injury, there’s no shortage of safety training topics.

Project Planning

Communicate: Employees will tend to take safety about as seriously as management does. Company leadership needs to make it clear that jobsite safety is a high priority, and to communicate that message consistently. From regular meetings to jobsite signage, keeping the safety message from and center is vital.

Inspect: “Inspect what you expect,” goes the saying. For jobsite safety this means regular checks of tools and equipment for signs of wear or breakage, as well as ensuring that equipment like scaffolding or fall protection gear is properly set up. And the work site itself should be inspected daily to make sure proper “housekeeping” related to safety is maintained. Regular inspection will identify safety issues before they have tragic results.

Review: The final step in a solid safety plan is a regular review of results. Were there accidents or injuries? How could they have been prevented, and what policy changes need to be put in place to keep them from happening again? This process should involve all levels of management, especially those who are actually on the jobsite.

While we highlight workplace safety in June, jobsite safety is vital every day of the year. Begin with proper planning, and finish with a regular review of results to keep jobsites safer.

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