When you’re in the throes of running your company and making sure everything is in order every month, it can be easy to let the maintenance of your office building slip through the cracks. Often, especially during a busy period, there are so many other things to think about and consider, meaning cleaning, maintenance and hygiene are likely to be lower down on your list than you’d like to admit. In these circumstances, it’s good to have a general idea of what needs doing for you to ensure your office building is a clean, hygienic and healthy environment to work in.
Office Building Maintenance Checklist
When you’re in the throes of running your company and making sure everything is in order every month, it can be easy to let the maintenance of your office building slip through the cracks.
Often, especially during a busy period, there are so many other things to think about and consider, meaning cleaning, maintenance and hygiene are likely to be lower down on your list than you’d like to admit.
In these circumstances, it’s good to have a general idea of what needs doing for you to ensure your office building is a clean, hygienic and healthy environment to work in.
So, in this article, we’re going to take you through a few of the things you should make sure are on your office building maintenance checklist.
Electrical Tests and Maintenance
One of the most important things to add to your office building maintenance checklist is doing electrical tests and maintenance.
This is so essential to your company running smoothly, ensuring that everyone in your office can do their job properly with the right tools, electrical items, and technology.
In addition, checking and maintaining your electrical items and system can help reduce the chances of any electrical accidents, which can be dangerous.
Lighting Tests and Changing Bulbs
As well as checking on the electrics in your office building, it’s also a good idea to check and maintain your lighting, to make sure any bulbs that are getting dimmer are changed.
In addition, it’s a good idea to have an emergency lighting system in place. This means that, if the primary lighting system fails, the emergency lights kick in, meaning there doesn’t have to be a massive disruption to your employees’ days.
By keeping on top of lighting and bulbs, as well as ensuring your emergency lighting system also works, you can mitigate the effect of any potential lighting issues or problems that may arise.
Plumbing Checks and Maintenance
Another essential thing to add to your checklist for office building maintenance is plumbing checks
Without the right plumbing, your employees won’t have access to the essentials like toilet facilities and water.
Also, failing to check the plumbing every so often lead to issues going unnoticed, which can in turn result in bigger problems down the line, such as leaks.
This is why keeping an eye on your plumbing by doing regular checks and maintenance can help you out immensely in the long run, meaning any problems are noticed and dealt with early on, before they get worse.
Drainage and Gutters
Leading on from the point above about plumbing, checking your drainage and gutters should also be part of your office building maintenance checklist.
Just like with plumbing checks, this type of maintenance is essential to ensure everything in your office building runs as smoothly as possible without issues and problems building up.
Checking your drainage and gutters regularly helps you stay on top of any issues that arise every now and then, so they can be actioned and sorted as soon as they crop up.
It’s important to fix these things as early as possible before they continue to build up, as this can lead to severely blocked drains and other drainage problems.
Fire Equipment Checks
By law, your office building should have measures for employees and guests to be able to safely evacuate during a fire.
This can include anything from a fire extinguisher to a properly working fire alarm and fire doors.
It’s essential to regularly check that this fire equipment works, and to replace extinguishers, alarms and doors when necessary to ensure that, in the unlikely event of a fire, your employees and guests are able to exit the building unharmed.
Window Cleaning
Now that having access to windows and air vents is a requirement for offices, it’s important to keep these windows clean.
Just like having an overall hygienic and clean office makes a good impression on clients and customers, clean windows do the same.
Also, studies have found that sitting near a window in the office can help boost productivity, so it’s best if these windows are clean, letting the sun in to improve the mood of everyone in the office.
Air Duct and Air Vent Cleaning
As we touched on above, having windows and air vents is a legal requirement, so cleaning and maintaining these should be high up on your checklist for office maintenance.
When air ducts and vents are clean, they’re able to more efficiently let air in and out of your office space. In addition, getting rid of dust and other buildup of grime and dirt in your air ducts and vent helps improve the air quality in your office.
This is great for the health of your employees, and helps you adhere to legal requirements, which state that the indoor air quality should be just as good as, if not better than, the air quality outside.
Weekly General Cleaning
When it comes to maintaining your office building, it’s a good idea to keep on top of things by doing weekly general cleaning, which includes hoovering or sweeping the floor and wiping down surfaces.
This helps prevent the buildup of dust and dirt on desktops and on your carpet or floor.
A cleaner environment is positive for everyone, both clients and employees, and getting rid of dust and grime on a weekly basis can be beneficial to your employees’ health, especially if they have dust allergies and asthma.
Bathroom Cleaning
A section of your office which should be given special treatment when it comes to cleaning is your bathroom and toilet area.
Hygienic and comfortable toilet facilities are essential for employees to be as productive and healthy as possible, which means maintaining and cleaning these areas as much as possible.
Ideally, bathroom cleaning should be done on a weekly basis at least, as part of your general weekly cleaning plan.
So, when you’re creating your office maintenance checklist, don’t forget to add bathroom and toilet cleaning to the list.
Kitchen Cleaning
Another area which should be kept clean and hygienic at all times is the kitchen in your office.
In your kitchen area, employees want to be able to gather, prepare and eat their food in a hygienic and comfortable space, which is why it’s essential to maintain it as part of your weekly cleaning. It’s where they go on their lunch break, so you’ll want it to be as hygienic and inviting as possible.
This includes cleaning the fridge, throwing out any unused or sour milk and other snacks and refreshments, and cleaning cooking equipment, as well as cutlery and crockery.
It’s also essential to keep kitchen surfaces, tables and chairs clean as part of your checklist.
Floor and Carpet Cleaning
As we touched on earlier, it’s important to keep on top of hoovering and/or sweeping your office floors, to ensure that any dirt, dust or debris is removed.
This helps improve the air quality and often can eliminate any musty smells coming from a dirty carpet.
In addition, keeping on top of floor and carpet cleaning can pay off in the long run, as it can help improve the longevity of your flooring, meaning you’ll have to replace it less.
The Importance of Maintaining your Office
So, it’s evident that there are several different things you should consider adding to your checklist of office building maintenance.
It’s essential to keep on top of all these things, as they can massively help you save money in the long run.
In addition, maintaining and cleaning your office regularly will ensure your office is a safe and healthy environment to work in, which can help boost employee focus and productivity, as well as generally making them feel more comfortable and cared for in the office.
