The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) has opened enrollment for the WELL Health-Safety Rating for Facility Operations and Management.
More than 100 organizations and real estate portfolios across the globe already enrolled. Organizations across a wide range of industries and geographic locations have responded swiftly to implement the program’s science-backed guidance as they seek to instill confidence and trust among their staff, stakeholders and the broader community.
The WELL Health-Safety Rating is an evidence-based, third-party verified rating for all new and existing building and space types focused on operational policies, maintenance protocols, emergency plans and stakeholder engagement strategies to help organizations prepare their spaces for re-entry in a post COVID-19 environment.
Adapted from features in the WELL Building Standard (WELL) that focus on facilities, maintenance and operations, the WELL Health-Safety Rating is designed to guide and empower the actions of large and small businesses alike in taking the necessary steps to prioritize the health and safety of their staff, visitors and stakeholders. It also serves as an annual process that supports efforts to promote the long-term health and safety of people.
“We’re all eager to get back to our workplaces, back to school, back to traveling, dining, and cheering on our favorite teams and performers,” said IWBI chairman and CEO Rick Fedrizzi. “As organizations across the globe respond to the COVID-19 crisis through changes in policies and protocols, the WELL Health-Safety Rating delivers the evidence-based health strategies required to help them safely reopen with the confidence and integrity provided by third-party verification.”
Created by IWBI, the WELL Health-Safety Rating is informed by guidance developed by the World Health Organization (WHO), U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), global disease control and prevention centers and emergency management agencies, recognized standard-making bodies, such as ASTM International and ASHRAE, and leading academic and research institutions.
IWBI has leveraged insights from its Task Force on COVID-19, established at the outset of the pandemic to help business and building leaders integrate actionable insights and proven strategies in the fight against COVID-19 and other respiratory infections.
“This moment has highlighted the critical role that buildings, and those that own and operate them, can play in supporting people’s health, safety and well-being,” said IWBI president Rachel Gutter.
“This new rating aims to meet the urgent need to deliver high health and safety standards in all of the spaces we occupy. While longer term design strategies are important in reducing the risks of infectious disease spread, this rating focuses on strategies that can be implemented immediately to address acute threats, using our buildings and spaces as a first line of defense in the fight against COVID-19.”
