ESD Headquarters Receives WELL Health-Safety Rating
By Tim Zelazny, RA, LEED AP, WELL AP, CPHC
By Tim Zelazny, RA, LEED AP, WELL AP, CPHC
We all have a role to play in the fight against COVID-19. We’re excited to announce that ESD’s Willis Tower headquarters has earned the WELL Health-Safety Rating, an evidence-based, third-party-verified rating that signifies the measures we’ve taken to support the health and safety of our employees.
Pursuing WELL Health-Safety Rating was a no-brainer. The rating supplements our previous LEED, Fitwel and Be Safe Chicago health and wellness certifications. It also verified via a third party our existing COVID-19 plans (i.e. return to work, business continuity, HVAC maintenance) with insights from the International WELL Building Institute Task Force on COVID-19, the CDC, WHO and ASHRAE.
Highlights of the WELL Health-Safety Rating on ESD employee’s health and safety include:
Cleaning and Sanitization
To reduce transmission through surface contact, ESD worked with Willis Tower to ensure that security check-in was touchless and janitorial staff was trained in high-touch surface cleaning and proper PPE use. Hand sanitizing stations were placed where touch-less measures were not an option.
Emergency Preparedness Programs
To minimize mental stress on our employees, ESD created a Business Continuity Plan to ensure that normal operating conditions would continue as the office seamlessly migrated to working from home.
Health Services Resources
ESD’s existing health benefits were reviewed, and we were awarded points for successfully communicating employee benefits, infectious disease testing, virtual mental health coaching and flu-shot access during work from home.
Air and Water Quality Management
The rating served as a tool for ESD to engage with the base building on confirming that MERV 13 filtration and increased ventilation was in place. As part of the rating’s annual recertification, ESD will continuously audit our office space to mitigate mold and moisture concerns at our tenant cooling equipment.
Stakeholder Engagement and Communication
Thermal screening stations were set up at each floor’s entry point to help screen for possible instances and communicate an added layer of reopening confidence.
We look forward to recertifying annually to ensure our office space remains healthy and safe for our employees post COVID-19.
To date, ESD has helped three base buildings and one tenant space achieve WELL Health-Safety Rating.
Want to learn more about WELL Health-Safety Rating? Reach out Tim.
Interested in learning more? Check out these related news items.
While ESD is being recognized for its outstanding work and contributions to the community, the Greater Chicago Food Depository was the real winner at the recent 35th Annual Chicago Commercial Real Estate Awards gala. (Learn more about the Chicago Commercial Real Estate Awards.)
ESD’s work on the Las Vegas Convention Center continues to win acclaim for its application of innovative design and effective use of energy—this time with an honorable mention for the 2023 ASHRAE Award for Engineering Excellence. (Learn more about ASHRAE Technology Awards.)
Women and minorities often face unique challenges in the architectural, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. That is why a group of female professionals recently gathered to share their experiences and insights working in a male-dominated industry. (Learn more about Women in Construction.)