LEED Safety First Credits Embraced Quickly

As occupant health, safety, and wellness continue to play crucial roles in this new era of facility management, here is some good news from the U.S. Green Building Council. 

In just the few months since the LEED Safety First credits have been created, more than 130 project teams have used these credits to make their buildings safer and healthier during the pandemic. According to USGBC, “The credits provide sustainable and healthy best practices that align with public health and industry guidelines and help address critical operations including indoor air quality, water systems, cleaning and re-entry.”

One example, USGBC cites, is a LEED Silver project on the 15th and 16th floors of the PCL Glendale District Office in Glendale, Cal. The 28,500-square-foot space, currently operating at 25 percent capacity, was one of the first to incorporate the LEED Safety First: Re-Enter Your Workspace credit by using tenant surveys for potential COVID-19 symptoms, directional signage, hands-free door openers, and signage regarding cleaning frequency. 

Cleaning, indoor air quality and ventilation rates, and water system recommissioning are also strategies covered in the LEED Safety First credits, which any project team with an active LEED project can use toward certification.