Panel Built Modular Offices Create Seamless, Convenient COVID Barrier in the Workplace

Due to COVID-19, the American workplace is changing now more than any other time in decades. Companies are doing whatever possible to ensure the safety of their employees and the future of their business. These measures include adapting their current work environment to better fit into the world of social distancing with PPE, physical barriers, and/or six feet of separation. For many office environments, this can require a complete reconfiguration of their workspace, moving away from the collaborative, open office design. Physical separation between employees with barriers is one of the engineering controls to reduce hazards associated with COVID-19 because they are effective without depending on workers to adapt their behavior like is required with proper PPE usage or personal sanitation.
Panel Built, Inc. has had the opportunity to outfit modular office systems into facilities of all types, working in warehouses, commercial offices, school systems, government buildings, and more. In each of these applications, modular office systems are used over traditional methods because of their inherent advantages in speed, convenience, and flexibility. And, with the rapidly changing workplace, these modular benefits provide a great advantage to businesses looking to separate and protect their employees with COVID demising walls.
With prefabricated wall systems, businesses see a fast turn-around time from the project’s beginning to end. As companies start returning to full capacity, fast project times allow helps ensure the new, safer environment is ready for employees returning. Underutilized spaces quickly can be turned into effective, personal offices with demising walls or creating a fully-enclosed office space.
With the panels pre-cut in a modular construction facility, the offices are installed with minimal disruption on-site. Oftentimes, facilities opt to have their new modular wall systems installed over the weekend with employees coming in on Monday to a completely new workspace. A panelized wall system greatly reduces the amount of waste both at the job site and for the project as a whole with less clean-up required after installation is complete.
Additionally, modular office systems are a semi-permanent office solution. This means the office space can be removed, relocated, or expanded at a later date if needed. With the rapid changes companies are seeing due to COVID-19, flexibility for the future can be vital, especially for those who are currently renting their space.
With convenient installation and quick project times, an office, classroom, manufacturing plant, medical facility, and other spaces can provide a safer area for all those inside. While everyone should follow proper social distancing, PPE usage, and personal sanitation, installing a physical barrier into the workspace is a hazard control that can provide safety without relying on others to follow the guidelines.