Non-specialized inspections to defeat Coronavirus Pandemic

Since we were strongly hit by COVID-19, it was issued, by governments, new legislation applicable to enclosed public spaces, from shopping centres to small stores, defining regulatory restrictions, in order to guarantee health conditions.

Having all this context in mind, it was of upmost importance the role assumed by Sonae Sierra to support its tenants in a close partnership. From shopping centre preparation, information to tenants, to the support on implementing the necessary measures, it was essential the adequate preparation of stores to receive visitors and restore its confidence and comfort, so they fell like to repeat the “new shopping” experience.

Sonae Sierra has a unique Safety, Health and Environment Management System (SHEMS) widely implemented and already well known by shopping centers’ operational teams, includes legal compliance and set the obligation to identify and manage new legal requirements, specific from the different geographies.

In this way, to help tenants to have knowledge and comply with, it was implemented time ago a Tenant management procedure, that establishes the basic principles for tenants’ management regarding safety, health and environment issues and the minimum SHE inspections to control its implementation. The inspections varies according with countries and the type of activities (restaurants, stores or warehouse) and are performed according with a pre-defined periodicity.

The local and non-specialized inspections are done according with checklists, that were rapidly updated with a COVID-19 section. Due the issue’ importance was performed pre-reopening inspections and from then on repeated periodically, according with the result, to increase tenant’s knowledge and preparedness to face the new health rules.

The inspections were done using an online application. When a non-conformance was identified, the system generates an inspection report asking tenant’ resolution and scheduling new inspection.

The COVID-19 non-specialized inspections:

• Guaranteed the tenants’ knowledge and legal requirements implementation;
• Assured an adequate preparation at the shopping centres reopening;
• Contributed for a safe & health of visitors and tenants, avoiding the disease spread;
• Gave confidence to return to shop “as usual”.