Government is moving to create a maintenance policy for the properties it owns and leases in an effort to reduce sick building complaints.
This was stated by Senior Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, with responsibility for Coordinating Infrastructural Projects, Dr. William Duguid, as he delivered the feature address at the opening of the “Design and Implementation of a Sustainable Building Maintenance Framework” Symposium, held recently at the Hilton Barbados Resort, Needham’s Point, St. Michael.
The Senior Minister highlighted the growing concerns in the public sector regarding the state of buildings and the closure of offices due to environmental issues, which include indoor air quality concerns and malfunctioning air conditioning systems. leading to hot work spaces and mould growth.
It was made clear that ensuring the efficient and sustainable management of these facilities are critical, especially considering the well-being and productivity of the workforce.
“This sick building syndrome is becoming an increasingly common problem, and is one that has been having a significant impact not only on the well-being of workers, but also on overall productivity…. These topics discussed at the symposium are to identify and help flesh out the critical issues that would lead to the design and implementation of a sustainable and effective maintenance framework that will prioritise the safety and health of workers,” Dr. Duguid stated.
He noted that the “situation is untenable”, but Government was taking steps to determine appropriate sustainable solutions to resolve the issue with the establishment of a maintenance policy that would create the framework necessary for mitigating the adverse challenges.