New elevator protocols you should follow when returning to the office

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, elevators have been a point of concern for many of those who are returning to work. In a city like New York, for example, tall buildings mean taking the stairs is not always practical. Fortunately, there are ways to address this problem and mitigate risk by practicing COVID-friendly elevator etiquette, as well as by putting strict protocols in place to ensure the safety of all. We’ll go over some important elevator etiquette to observe when using shared elevators, as well as important measures for your company or your office building manager to put in place.

Elevator etiquette

• Wear your mask properly: Mask-wearing has been proven to be a highly effective method of minimizing viral transmission — studies have shown that mask-wearing is a highly effective method of reducing your risk of getting coronavirus. Make sure that upon entry into both the building and the elevator, your mask is properly covering your nose, mouth, and chin, and is pressed closely to your face. Even if you are the only person in the car, it’s still important to wear a mask, as airborne particles may be present from the previous passenger.
• Enter cautiously: Before entering the elevator, make sure that everyone entering (or already inside) is wearing a mask. If you observe that any passengers are not wearing masks, refrain from riding — instead, wait for the next safe elevator, or take the stairs if possible.
• Stand away from others: To the extent that the size of the elevator permits, stay as far away from others as you can. A six-feet distance is ideal, but in any case, create as much of a distance between you and your fellow riders as possible — for example, in the corner of the car.
• Avoid speaking: Throughout the duration of the ride, it’s important to keep speaking to a minimum to avoid airborne transmission of particles. Avoid talking on the phone or speaking to fellow passengers. You may opt to face the corner of the car for additional safety.
• Try not to touch surfaces: Fomite transmission (aka transmission via contaminated surfaces) is one of the possible modes of viral transmission, according to the World Health Organization. If necessary — for example, if you need to press a button — try to use tissue, your elbow, or your sleeve.
• Observe standard hygiene best-practices: Make sure you’re taking all the routine steps to avoid getting sick. Sanitize your hands before getting on the elevator, don’t touch your face, and make sure to wash your hands immediately after exiting the elevator.
• Avoid crowds: If you see that an elevator is over-crowded, don’t get on — wait for the next elevator instead. This will ensure that all passengers can safely distance to the extent possible.
• Take stairs: If your office is on a lower floor and you’re able to do so, opt for the stairs to reduce elevator traffic.

Important elevator protocols

It’s crucial for both building management and companies to implement and enforce elevator safety protocols to ensure the safety of all building occupants and visitors. Here are some steps to take to minimize traffic, encourage distancing, and overall limit transmission:

• Set a maximum occupancy: No more stuffing into crowded elevators: going forward, set a maximum occupancy limit to ensure that there’s enough space within the elevator to socially distance. Depending on the size of the elevator, you’ll want to only allow 2 to 4 people maximum per ride.
• Place markers: In order to encourage social distancing amongst riders, place social distancing markers (in the form of stickers, for example) in the elevator to designate where riders should stand. The number of markers should match your maximum occupancy.
• Enforce mask-wearing: Before people enter the building and the elevator, ensure that they’re wearing a mask to keep themselves and other riders safe. A good measure would be to keep masks on hand to offer one to anyone who is without. You also may want to designate a specific “elevator concierge” to enforce protocol.
• Offer hand sanitizer: In the lobby of the building, it’s a good idea to have sanitization stations close to the entry — this gives visitors the option to clean their hands and prevent infection. The CDC recommends sanitizer solutions with at least a 60% alcohol content. Opt for touchless dispensers to eliminate opportunities for surface transmission.
• Regular cleaning: Regular disinfection of the elevator is crucial. Have a designated person to wipe down (while wearing gloves and a mask) the elevators on a periodic basis (for example, once or more every hour — or even after every use), paying special attention to areas that are touched often, like elevator buttons.
• Implement staggered schedules: To help avoid overcrowding, implement staggered schedules to help the building avoid overcrowding and consequently, to avoid elevator traffic and long elevator wait times. Have employees come in shifts so that you have fewer employees in the workplace at a time — this will also help with social distancing in the office.

Long-term solutions

COVID-19 has highlighted the ways in which we can better design the layouts of our offices, buildings, and cities. In terms of the elevator, what are the longer-term fixes to increase the flow of traffic while still keeping people safe?

One solution, according to our President, Michael Colacino, is “destination dispatch technology” — in other words, an elevator optimization technique that uses algorithms and technology to group passengers by destination. Say goodbye to stopping on every floor until you get to your floor! This is overall beneficial from a health perspective because it 1) reduces trip times, which in turn reduces the time that passengers spend exposed, and 2) reduces wait times and better directs traffic. Colacino’s prediction: it’s only a matter of time before we see destination dispatch tech everywhere.

Other budding technologies include ultraviolet light systems designed to kill viral bacteria, touchless elevator solutions, and more.

In observing the above measures and etiquette, office-goers can greatly mitigate the risks of riding in elevators and overall curb transmission rates.