Safety Awhere

Introducing SAFETY AWHERE

Your return to iQ will be to a SAFETY AWHERE environment and experience that’s been exhaustively reconfigured to reflect our Five Foundations of Safety—Screening, Sanitation, Social Distancing, Adaptation and Communication—as they relate to COVID-19.

Our Spaces are Safety Certified by

Screening

Anyone entering an iQ location must complete a self-screening questionnaire and pass through a touchless temperature screening station to ensure they are asymptomatic. With a successful pass of these steps, Members will be issued a colour-coded wristband, changed daily, that assures them that everyone around them has also been successfully screened. Without a successful pass, Members are not permitted in the space and are asked to remain home.

Sanitation

All shared spaces and high-contact zones are on a two-hour cleaning rotation by best-practice-trained cleaning professionals. Hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipe dispensers are widely available throughout all spaces and Private Offices, which offer additional precautions like recyclable desk mats.

Social Distancing

Highly-visible directional decals and capacity markers in lounges, meeting rooms, kitchens and booths will help Members work, collaborate and circulate safely. When extra space is required, Flex Spaces—converted offices and meeting rooms—can accommodate both staffing needs and social distancing requirements. All Private Offices have been reconfigured where necessary with new desk orientation and/or desk removal, and plexiglass shields.

Adaptation

Safety A·where·ness means re-looking at literally everything: from replacing shared snacks with individually wrapped single-servings, to providing private offices on an as-needed basis, to rehauling our Member Benefit Program with new features aimed at helping Members thrive in the new work world, be it in-office or remote.

Communication

Accurate information and advice have never mattered more, so Members can now turn to iQ Location Staff for a no-charge Workplace Acclimation Consultation that will equip you with a personalized back-to-work safety plan for you and your business.

Member Testimonials

Carla Elm

VP Operations, Revenue Services Group

“In the best interest of supporting businesses to reopen safely and viably throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, iQ Offices has shown great organization, communication and hospitality towards myself and my co-workers at Revenue Services Group. Our two-person office is located at the 550 Robson Street address in downtown Vancouver. I wholeheartedly endorse the services of this Canadian-based co-working space provider. They are an energetic and bright team on a mission to enhance your working experience.”
Doug Steele

COO, Decision Point Advisors

“Our team has been with iQ for just over a year and we are very pleased with the space and services. We were impressed by the speed in which iQ came out with their Workplace Acclimation Plan to address the office’s and members’ safety needs during COVID. The attention to detail and efforts made by the iQ team helped us to feel safe and comfortable in making the decision to come back to work.”
Issa Nakhleh

CFO, Numerixsquant

“I have been thoroughly impressed with the proactive approach that iQ Offices took during the COVID crisis. They put in place a detailed plan that addressed all the issues that a tenant requires from a landlord. This plan effectively dealt with the reality of social distancing, pre-screening and cleanliness. I had researched best practices for returning to work in preparation of that eventuality. iQ Offices’ complete plan met or exceeded all these standards, which was appreciated by our staff. Even with a couple of high-risk people, we had full confidence to return to work knowing that iQ Offices fully supported our safety.”

FAQ

What does safety certified space mean?

This certification signifies iQ’s successful completion, at all locations, of Get Ready Global’s COVID-19 Safe Workplace Assessment. The assessment is based on best practices, regulatory guidelines, the statutes of Public Health Agency Canada (PHAC), Public Health Ontario (PHO) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OHSA), and compliance with Provincial Ministry of Health guidelines.

Is screening effective if someone is asymptomatic?

Our approach to screening is to try to identify people who, while asymptomatic, could have been exposed to COVID-19 through travel or personal networks, as well as people who have symptoms. Screening is the first of our Five Foundations of Safety — Screening, Sanitation, Social Distancing, Adaptation and Communication — that provide an optimal approach to minimizing risk.

How do I know if everyone in iQ has been screened?

A daily colour-coded wristband will be given to everyone who successfully passes our temperature scanning station and Self-Screening Questionnaire. Should a Member complete the Questionnaire prior to arriving onsite, they must visit reception and obtain their wristband before going any further. No one will be permitted onsite without a wristband.

Are you looking into the HVAC as part of your safety reconfigurations?

We are working closely with our landlords as they endeavour to increase fresh air intake and situation-appropriate filtration, and are following World Health Organization and other governing body advice to ensure we comply with best-practice safety measures.

Is social distancing in place at iQ offices?

We have implemented a Social Distancing Policy at all locations, asking people to keep a distance of 6-feet or 2-meters apart. Clear, visible decals have been installed that establish one-way or right-of-way routing, as well as seat markers and capacity markers for common areas. Each private office, meeting room, and common area has undergone a strict safety assessment which resulted in changes, where necessary, in desk orientation, addition of plexiglass shields, and the removal of desks. In order to accommodate each Member’s staffing needs and our social distancing policy, we have converted some meeting rooms and offices into flex spaces where desks can be reserved as-needed.

Do I need to wear a mask in an iQ space?

The Public Health Agency of Canada recommends wearing a non-medical mask or face covering in public places, especially crowded ones, when physical distancing — keeping a distance of two metres from other people — isn't possible to do consistently. In Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, we require masks be worn in all common areas, such as hallways operating as right-of-way, elevators/stairwells, and frequently-used common areas. In Vancouver, we strongly recommend that our members, guests and staff follow these best practices as well.

What cleaning and sanitation measures is iQ taking?

iQ has implemented stringent cleaning and sanitization procedures in collaboration with external cleaning vendors, landlords and our own Facility Cleaning Representatives. They involve intensive training, equipping staff with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), two-hour cleaning rotations for all common areas, kitchens, washrooms, and high-contact zones, and posted cleaning schedules. Hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipe installations have been made available throughout common areas and high-contact zones to encourage consistent hand washing. To help Members maintain clean work areas, we have made recyclable desk mats available, as well as Office Cleaning Kits with an initial stock of hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes.

How do I check in if I am entering the office after-hours?

If entering iQ after 5:30 p.m., Members must complete the Self -Screening Questionnaire found here . With a successful pass, Members are permitted to enter. iQ receives a report each morning of who has entered the space the day before based on encrypted key card and form submission data. Without a successful pass, Members are not permitted into the space and are asked to remain home.

How can I learn what iQ is doing to keep me and my team safe?

In addition to the information on this page, you can review our Membership Rules and Regulations Also, iQ Location Staff have been trained to provide all Members with Workplace Acclimation Consultations: a personalized back-to-work plan for you and your business.

How have safety measures affected amenity offerings at iQ?

We have adapted many aspects of our shared amenities, including replacing shared snack containers with individually packaged portions (sustainably sourced where possible), encouraging the use of personal reusable mugs and water bottles, replacing onsite mugs and glasses with a recyclable option for visitors — and most importantly to many iQers, Happy Hours will be offered by bar-cart, so Members can still enjoy a beverage on Happy Hour-designated days.

What environmental screening measures has iQ implemented?

As part of our continued efforts to ensure a safe workplace and promote a strong safety culture, we are pleased to introduce a new service called Poppy that we will be piloting at select iQ locations. Poppy is a pathogen sensing and monitoring service that monitors the air and surfaces of indoor spaces on a daily basis for the COVID-19 virus (SARS-CoV-2) and other pathogens -- essentially making the invisible visible. By continuously monitoring the common areas, Poppy can help pinpoint areas that need to be addressed (and how), well before anyone would normally know. Poppy also provides a day-by-day view of the effectiveness of COVID-related measures we've put in place. Learn more at poppy.com/iqoffices

SafetyAwhere