By Victor Gomez
The health crisis declared in Spain and the consequent closing of commercial activities meant a double challenge for Equilis Spain, owner of Finestrelles: on the one hand, to keep the shopping center open for those activities declared as essential, and on the other hand, to adopt the necessary safety measures for the return to normal–and all this in the midst of a great initial lack of knowledge about how to combat the spread of Covid-19. Little by little, more details became known and, in addition to the compulsory measures dictated by the government, Equilis wanted to go one step further because the safety of the more than 1.300 people working in Finestrelles and the more than 7 million visitors we currently have make us particularly respectful to them.
Finestrelles in Barcelona is a mostly open mall, so the first challenge was to purify the air on the hypermarket floor and the accesses through the parking garage. To do this, air filtering and renewal machines have been installed with a HEPA filter and UV rays that guarantee safety and improve the air we breathe in the shopping center. These machines were installed in the first week of the health alarm and thanks to this we have been able to establish the necessary trust and security for the mall’s workers and clients.
The second step was to create a entire series of protocols aimed at returning the shopping center to normal. All these protocols have been brought together under a seal of health and hygiene guarantee that we have defined as “Healthy Space” (“Espacio Saludable”) that encompasses all the measures taken. These measures include:
- Installation of 5 UAP-V air purifiers;
- 4 specific customer service points, called “Healthy Space” where customers can find out about all the measures included under the ‘Healthy Space Label’. They will also find Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), with masks, gloves and hydrogel;
- Consistent disinfection of handrails of travellators and ramps, by means of UV lamps that eliminate viruses and bacteria;
- Real-time gauging control;
- Continuous safety distance monitoring;
- Air quality control;
- Permanent disinfection of critical points;
- Reinforced cleaning protocols;
- Protection of all accesses of the mall from the car park;
- More than 50 hydrogel dispensers distributed throughout the shopping center;
- Shoe disinfectant mats.
All these measures, representing an investment of nearly 400,000 euros, offer the maximum guarantee for our workers and clients, and we have started our re-opening campaign under the slogan “Breathe Confidently”. Our objective is that everyone feels “at home”, safe, calm, and with all the comfort of being in a protected and healthy space.
