Author Archives: support

It’s no surprise to everyone that within the last 12 months or so the world has changed significantly. The outbreak of Covid-19 has forced a number of different businesses and industries to create temporary changes that might actually become a permanent fixture in the future.

While many of the working population will eventually return to working from traditional office spaces, those offices may be very different places with every different design consideration and ways of operating. 

Here we are going to discuss some of the changes that we believe you as the employer should consider before getting your employees back in the office.

Office Design and Layout

There a universal idea about what a typical office environment looks and feels; that being a mixture of meeting rooms, shared common areas and cubicles. Although throughout the decades the stereotypes have changed slowly, they may be a big push to change this completely to suit the post-COVID world. 

Companies could create workspaces specifically designed to support the kinds of interactions that cannot happen remotely. If the primary purpose of a company’s space is to accommodate specific moments of collaboration rather than individual work, for example, should a large majority of the office be devoted to collaboration rooms? Should companies ask all employees who work in cubicles, and rarely have to attend group meetings, to work from homes? If the purpose of office space is purely for individual work, can companies still justify the reason for their employees to come to the office? 

One change companies should enforce is having fewer chairs and desks in a given area, this will allow for safe social distancing. In addition, having partitions/shields in between desks, spaced seating, and sufficient air ventilation will also be a big help in reducing the chances of getting COVID-19. 

In the present and future, technology is playing a central role in enabling employees to return to office buildings and to work safely before a vaccine becomes widely available. Companies will need to manage which employees can come to the office, when they can enter and take their places, how often the office is cleaned, and if they are remaining sufficiently far apart as they move through space.

To maintain work efficiency, collaboration, and corporate culture, the boundaries between being physically in the office and out of the office must collapse. For example, virtual meetings could be a good idea, as not everyone needs to physically be in the room to still attend meetings, some can join online. 

Working at the office Vs Flexible arrangements

It is almost certain that most office-based companies will have some sort of flexible working arrangement in the near future. In many cases, companies were already transitioning towards flexible arrangements, and this process was only accelerated by the onset of COVID-19.

Woods Bagot one of Australia’s top architectural and consulting practices propose an idea where only a segment of the workforce is at the office at any given time.

JLL and Woods Bagot both suggested more companies should split their staff into ‘teams’, with one team working at the office on certain days, and another team working at home. This will limit the number of occupants in the building at any given time. 

Others will offer the opportunity to work from home permanently, with hubs available as “touch-base spaces”. According to McKinsey research, 80 per cent of people enjoy working from home. Forty-one per cent say that they are more productive than they had been before and 28 per cent that they are as productive. 

Office cleaning and maintenance

If your company has decided that there is still a need for an office, it is pivotal that they look into possibly completely changing how the office is cleaned and maintained. 

“it’s recommended that surfaces should be cleaned at least daily. Special attention should be given to frequently touched surfaces (e.g. tabletops, door handles, light switches, desks, toilets, taps, TV remotes, kitchen surfaces and cupboard handles). Ideally, once clean, surfaces should also be disinfected regularly. Alternatively, you may be able to do a 2-in-1 clean and disinfection by using a combined detergent and disinfectant.”   

According to the Safe Work of Australia website; 

So it’s important that you hire companies such as Star Property Maintenances that are equipped and ready to meet the requirements of proper COVID sanitation.

Conclusion

As employers experiment with bringing their employees back to offices, the leadership must act now to ensure that when they return, workplaces are both productive and safe. In hindsight, there will always be a need for a “Central Office” but the current purpose/definition of having one will change in the near future. 

The return to work after lockdown measures could be a hugely complex affair, with employers having to accommodate various regulations alongside the concerns of employees, suppliers and customers alike. Given the bizarre circumstances placed upon them, it’s perhaps no surprise that technology is playing a serious part within the re-opening.

One popular example is the introduction of UV disinfection robots. Although this technology isn’t new to the industry, they have garnered a significant demand from hospitals, airports, hotels, shopping malls, food companies, cleaning industry, cruise ships, pharmaceutical companies, office complexes and plenty of others seeking to acquire solutions to confirm infection-free environments.

But you may be wondering how does this technology even work? Most systems of this nature utilize short-wavelength ultraviolet light to kill microorganisms via a process called “ultraviolet germicidal irradiation”. The robot begins by mapping the space it’ll be working in, and then begins moving around the room while emitting short-wavelength ultraviolet (ultraviolet C or UV-C) light to kill or inactivate microorganisms by destroying nucleic acids and disrupting their DNA, leaving them unable to perform vital cellular functions.

“It’s so powerful, it can disinfect a space of 99.99 per cent of the virus that causes COVID-19 in less than five minutes. That’s something humans can’t achieve as quickly, although humans are still needed for general cleaning and sanitizing, as well as operating the robot.”

said by Xenex, one of the leading companies in this field.

This is very promising, but what are some drawbacks? For starters, UV radiation can cause skin irritation and damage your eyes meaning that almost all machines currently in use can only work safely and effectively in rooms void of people. But we see this as not too big of issues because it could free up the employees time to do other task whilst the machines are working.

Another potential issue is cost. This technology only recently had a huge increase in production so cost is still quite high at the moment which can be a big limiting factor for smaller businesses wanting to use this technology. But this issue won’t be a problem in the near future with the ever-growing market/need for this.

Overall we are thrilled and excited to see how technology such as this can help advances the cleaning industry as a whole. Although some businesses may hesitate towards new things, we always try to have an open mind to experiment and see how we can improve our business.

Removing graffiti can be a troublesome and time-consuming job for anyone. You need to have the right equipment and a well-trained team to do the job effectively and efficiently, without harming the surface area. Here we are going to discuss some preventative measure you can take to reduce/prevent the amount of graffiti on your work and residential spaces.

Maintenance

Having a well-maintained property will present the image that you care deeply about your outdoor space and that vandalism is not tolerated. Keeping your property well maintained should include;

• Keeping the lawns cut and tidy (no weeds and potholes)
• Free of rubbish

This will also help encourage your surrounding neighbours to maintain their properties so the whole neighbourhood appears neat and tidy.

Fencing

Depending on the location of your office/house you may want to consider fencing. Fencing is a great option to prevent vandals from trespassing onto your property as well as providing them with a surface area they are less likely to vandalise. This is because textured surfaces are difficult to spray paint and make graffiti hard to read. Some fencing option is; metal cyclone fence, bar fences and bamboo fences.

Security

Ensure your property has adequate security to prevent access by graffiti vandals. Restrict access to walls and other flat surfaces by installing locks, fences and gates. Secure items such as benches, barbecues and wheelie bins so they can’t be used to gain access to walls or rooftops.

As of 27th of August 2020, the Morrison Government has introduced what we consider landmark legislation that will see Australia taking responsibility for its own waste and establishes a national industry framework for recycling.

Here at Starpm we are thrilled by the introduction of this bill as it will lead our country closer to a cleaner and greener future. Keep reading below to get a good understanding of what is gonna take place.

The Bill will implement an export ban on waste plastic, glass, paper and tyres agreed by Commonwealth, state and territory governments in March this year, whilst also including the existing Product Stewardship Act 2011 with improvements to motivate companies to take greater responsibility for the products they produced as well as the waste that is created during and after its lifetime.

The NWRIC (National Waste And Recycling Industry Council) believes this bill will help achieve the overarching goal of a circular economy.  Most importantly this step by the Australian Government recognizes that waste and recycling services are an essential service. Additionally, they create a vital resource industry that makes a substantial economic contribution to the nation. It is an industry that Starpm believes has great potential to strengthen Australia’s resource security, generate clean energy, create jobs and protect the environment.

So you have started a new housing project or maybe decided to completely renovate your front and backyard. Either way, you’re gonna make and accumulate a lot of waste throughout the process and you may be thinking my regular wheelie bins should be fine right? Actually you’re wrong, there are a few things you need to consider, and we are here to help with that.

It’s a good idea before starting your project to see what type of waste you’re going to produce. As different types of wastes require different types of disposal methods. Generally speaking, waste can be classified in 4 different ways, these are;

• General waste
• Mixed Building waste
• Bricks and Concrete
• Green waste

General Waste (Light waste)

General waste can be described as most household waste, meaning waste that is/was produced from within your household. These items can include things likes;

• Boxes
• Clothes
• Toys
• Appliances
• Furniture
• Wood (light)

Mixed Building Waste (Heavy waste)

Mixed building waste will contain waste from households, construction/renovation, demolition and Offices. Examples of such items are; Mixed concrete

• Bricks
• Tiles
• Metal
• Office and HouseHold furniture

Bricks and Concrete

This type of waste is self-explanatory, including;

• Bricks
• Concrete
• but will also allow Tiles and rocks as well

Bricks and Concrete have their own category due to the strict rules enforced by the Disposal facilities.

Green Waste

Also known as Organic waste, we will see typical see;

• Grass clipping
• Tree trucks (No greater than 400mm)
• Twigs
• Small branches
• Shrubs

Now that you’re an expert on what is accepted and not accepted in skip bins, what’s the next step? To hire a bin from a trusted and reputable company. Luckily you’re already in the right place. Here at Starpm bins, we are more than happy to answer any further questions you have and to work with you to provide you with the correct bins to fit your needs.

Don’t hesitate to reach out to us on 02 9606 8656 / 0484 915 356 as well as our email admin@starpm.com.au