When workers head back to the office in the coming months, the spaces might look similar to how they were left when the pandemic began in March 2020.

But flicking on a light switch, visiting the washroom or even heading to another floor could reveal a slew of issues missed amid the health crisis.

91裸聊视频淲hen something small goes wrong, like a sink overflows or leaks 91裸聊视频� it gets noticed like right away probably 99 per cent of the time 91裸聊视频� but because these buildings are empty, or almost empty, there91裸聊视频檚 not nearly as many eyes to catch those things,91裸聊视频� said Jim Mandeville, senior project manager at property restorer First Onsite.

Mandeville expects everything from burned out light bulbs to malfunctioning elevators to become issues as Canada plots a return to pre-pandemic conditions, including working from the office.

That return to spaces Canadians retreated from will remind people that dormant buildings or ones that saw few visitors for months or years can be like a petri dish.

Stagnant liquids that remained in mugs or toilets, dripped from leaky faucets or pooled around windows are a haven for germs, a breeding ground for mould and even a trigger for legionnaires91裸聊视频� disease, a respiratory infection caused by breathing in bacteria.

91裸聊视频淎 lot of people thought we91裸聊视频檇 be back in a few weeks, so cream got left in refrigerators and things got left on people91裸聊视频檚 desk,91裸聊视频� said Mandeville.

91裸聊视频淭hat can create a real mess.91裸聊视频�

Electrical issues, clogged or frozen pipes and jammed doors can also pose safety threats, if they were unnoticed by people only entering buildings for cursory checks or to retrieve items needed for remote work.

Mandeville expects problems to crop up mostly at smaller properties without a maintenance crew or diligent owner, but there will be tasks and considerations for those running large buildings too.

They91裸聊视频檒l be contending with provinces using staged approaches to drop COVID-19 safety measures like occupancy restrictions and vaccination passports.

Such changes combined with the difficulties of predicting how many people will head into work or are comfortable visiting a business are keeping RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust busy.

91裸聊视频淵ou have to act as though anyone and everyone could show up at one point, so you have to make sure that the entirety of each of these buildings is kept in very good shape from a health and safety perspective,91裸聊视频� said Jonathan Gitlin, chief executive of the commercial real estate company.

While the company may soon be able to stop enlisting security crews to check vaccine passports and manage lines, frequent cleanings dovetailed with an obsession around air quality aren91裸聊视频檛 going away.

Kevin Hardy, the vice-president and head of Oxford Properties Group91裸聊视频檚 Eastern Canada office, agreed.

91裸聊视频淭he average occupant of our buildings didn91裸聊视频檛 care what type of filter we used two years ago, and now everybody knows what a MERV 13 or a HEPA filter is,91裸聊视频� he said, referencing terms used to describe the efficiency of air filters.

His team is exploring implementing a real-time dashboard tenants can use to find out the air quality in their spaces.

Oxford is also keeping handy fact sheets with information on how frequently everything from elevator buttons to bathrooms are cleaned in its more than 14.9 million square metres of commercial real estate.

Regardless of whether you have a property manager or maintenance crew, Mandeville recommends company leaders inspect working spaces before sending in staff and urges them to look at every nook and cranny.

91裸聊视频淲hen you91裸聊视频檙e looking for things that are wrong, especially potential water intrusions or potential mould problems, those things are almost always going to be where the floor meets the wall, where the wall meets the ceiling and around windows and doors or around plumbing fixtures,91裸聊视频� he said.

If you find a problem, don91裸聊视频檛 expect a quick or cheap fix, he warns.

91裸聊视频淐hances are you91裸聊视频檙e not going to be able to fix it today or tomorrow, because with COVID getting materials and parts is a disaster right now,91裸聊视频� he said.

91裸聊视频擳ara Deschamps, The Canadian Press