COVID CLEAN UP
HBM Works
To Clean Up COVID
When COVID-19 hit
Hawaii earlier this year , Jarrett Walters , President and COO of Hawaiian Building Maintenance ( HBM ), immediately went to work ensuring the safety of both his employees and customers . One of Hawaii ’ s preeminent cleaning companies , HBM provides services to 300 locations , comprised of commercial office buildings , retail centers , and AOAO complexes across the islands of Oahu , Maui , and Kauai .
One of the first initiatives Jarrett completed proactively in response to COVID-19 preparations was to leverage the company ’ s supply chains to avoid potential disruptions . Fortunately , the company had recently opened new warehouse space , so they were able to quickly stock products from the EPA ’ s approved list of disinfectants suitable for combatting COVID-19 .
The company implemented innovative cleaning regimens using these new products and implemented a host of cutting-edge technologies within their own office and at their clients ’ offices . These efforts included UV lighting to ensure effective filtration and sanitation of air conditioning systems , portable desktop filtration systems , antimicrobial barriers , and full-fledged sanitation services with electrostatic sprayers to disinfect in the event of a confirmed case .
A COVID-19 taskforce — comprised of Jarrett ; Paige Onishi , Executive Director of Operations ; and Dawn Eyman , Director of Human Resources and Safety Manager — convened on calls nearly nightly since March to make team decisions as new information became available . “ We have taken a very aggressive stance since day one of COVID , building a really strong set of policies and procedures ,” said Jarrett .
Now that the fall is here , HBM is positioned to help others with their questions and concerns . “ A lot of times , customers call us and ask what they can do to keep tenants safe , and we have a number of approaches locked and loaded so we ’ re not recreating the wheel ,” said Jarrett . “ We appreciate when they take a collaborative approach with us so we can help them generate beneficial solutions and not just operate out of fear .”
HBM has worked diligently to keep employees safe on the job by deploying fewer people working in congested areas , requiring mask wearing and social distancing , and utilizing temperature checks and health screening questions
for all job sites . The company ’ s Director of Safety enrolled in the Johns Hopkins University contact tracing certification course and has since implemented a contract tracing program for the company .
Recently , the company held a town hall Zoom meeting for all of its managers and supervisors where they had an opportunity to talk to an expert on contact tracing as well as the disease as it exists today . “ We want to not only give them forums to develop a healthy caution toward the disease but also to eliminate some unnecessary worry and give them general tips on how to live a more safe and productive life during this period of transition ,” said Jarrett . The goal is to stay abreast of the most recent developments and opinions on COVID and give employees opportunities to talk to medical professionals and ask questions .
HBM is quick to credit Atlas Insurance for helping them navigate this uncertain time . “ Atlas went as far as looking at our policies and procedures to help us identify any blind spots with regard to risk and safety ,” said Jarrett .
Any company that wishes to inquire about HMB ’ s COVID-19-related cleaning services or learn more about how HBM is partnering with their clients can visit hbmhawaii . com . +
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