CHLA Lodging News May/June 2020

www.calodging.com May/June 2020 15 It’s hard to know exactly how building systems will behave or interoperate after being shut-down for an extended period of time. This is why maintenance and engineering personnel should be planning for this by actively engaging the manufacturers, suppliers and servicer providers for all of the building equipment and systems, today. Setting time aside to run and test all hotel building systems before re-opening to the public will help provide a smoother transition. Contingency Planning Reporting on the seasonality of COVID-19 infections tells us that warm weather is good and winter months could bring a resurgence of the virus. Some in the government and media have been discussing a re-opening of the economy in May or June but also warning of another quarantine or lockdown in November or December should the infection rate begin to rise again. Every business should have a detailed contingency plan or Continuity of Operations Plan, but many do not. Researching successful organizations emergency & contingency plans will give you insight on how you need to plan and what you need to plan for. The entire service industry can get a glimpse of what may be coming by taking cues from major grocery chains; acrylic sneeze guards at the cashier stands; “one way” aisles; social distancing decals on the floor at checkout stands; lowering store occupancy and density; employees sanitizing surfaces over and over. In order to win the day, engagement will be the key. Engage employees. Engage public health officials. Engage insurers. Engage critical suppliers, vendors, manufacturers and service providers. Do all of these things today. Because it’s the fourth quarter, the clock is running and we’re down by a score—forget the prevent defense and embrace the blitz.  Matthew Karp, CLSD, CFI-I, is the Senior Loss Control Manager for Petra Risk Solutions, which provides a full-range of risk management and insurance services for hospitality owners and operators. Their website is: www.petrarisksolutions. com. Matt can be reached at 800.466.8951 or via email at mattk@petrarisksolutions.com .