Please note: This protocol will be updated to comply with ongoing recommendations and any rules and regulations that New York City introduces during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Surgical masks/face coverings: No tenant or guests will be allowed access to the building without a face cover/surgical mask covering the tenant’s, employee’s or visitor’s nose and mouth and having their temperature taken. Individually wrapped masks will be available to anyone who arrives without one.
Temperature: All tenants, employees and visitors will have their temperature taken upon arrival. If a tenant’s employee or visitor has a temperature of more than 100.4F, they will be stopped and asked to call their office. Either over the phone or in-person, the responsibility of denying an employee or a visitor access to the building will fall to the tenant. Please note, if an employee or visitor refuses to have their temperature taken or to wear a mask, building security will assist to the extent permissible and the tenant will be notified. However, if the employee or visitor makes any threats, appears violent or engages in insulting, demeaning behavior or other misconduct when asked to have their temperature taken or when asked to wear a mask. Owner reserves the right to ask them to leave the building, in its sole discretion.
Gloves/FaceShields: Screeners will wear gloves and face shields to protect themselves and tenants from contamination.
Signage: Wayfinding signage throughout the lobby (on walls and floor) will guide tenants and visitors.
Social Distancing: All tenants and visitors must stay six feet apart when queuing for the reception desks or to swipe their IDs at the turnstiles. There will be signage to indicate this. We are working to expedite the 555 visitor check-in process.
Vendors: Any vendors or service providers visiting your floors must adhere to our building protocol and we request that you notify us in advance of their visit.
There will be clearly visible signage on front doors delineating the entry doors and egress doors.
Nonrevolving doors - The double glass doors closest to 55th street will be 555 Madison tenant and visitor entry doors. The double glass doors closest to 56th street will be NYU dedicated entry doors. Additional lobby staff will help to open doors and direct traffic through the lobby, in addition to taking temperatures.
Revolving doors - The revolving doors in the middle will be egress doors. If there is additional need, we will convert one of the revolving doors to an additional 555 Madison tenant and visitor entry door.
We will have a representative standing in the lobby and helping tenants find their way for the first few weeks. These helpers will also take temperatures of all visitors and tenants. Individually wrapped masks will be available at the front desk for those who need a mask. Floor markings will also delineate where to stand (NYU check-in, 555 guest check-in/tenant entry) with six feet apart spacing for check-in lines.
Tenants will be directed by signage on the floor to the turnstiles. Our readers are front-mounted and tenants should hold their IDs one inch in front of the sensor. There is no need for tenants to touch the turnstiles or readers, therefore please do not touch the turnstile or place your ID card up against the sensor. The arms drop as soon as the ID is scanned.
Visitors to non-NYU offices: We ask that visitors be entered into the visitor management system the night before. Our new system will generate e-visitor passes which tenants can email to the visitor in advance of their visit. When a visitor arrives at the building, they do not have to check in, they simply scan the printed email or use their phone to gain entry through the turnstile. This will allow a touchless process for entry into the building and will reduce the amount of traffic waiting to access the building. If a visitor does not have an e-visitor pass, they will be directed to front desk to check-in by way finding signs orby a building representative. We will have a plastic enclosure at the front desk to protect the security guards. In addition, our guards will wear gloves and surgical masks/face covers at all times.
NYU Patients: NYU handles their own visitor check-in, which includes prescreening of each visitor and temperature taking. NYU also requires each visitor to wear a mask.
Please note: If a tenant needs an ID made for a new employee, please email us a copy of their drivers’ license or passport and a head shot of the new employee. We will have the card made and dropped off at your office.
Once through security, floor way finding signage will direct people to queue up for the elevators.
We will have someone standing in each elevator bank directing people to each elevator and helping elderly and disabled employees/visitors to the front of the line.
Floor signage will encourage six feet spaces as much as is feasible in the physical space. There will be decals on the floor to delineate where to stand.
(Please note: There are Purell dispensers in each elevator lobby.)
There will be a building staff member in the elevator lobby directing tenants/visitors to elevators. We will encourage one person per elevator or two people per elevator, provided they stand on opposite sides of the elevator (there will be decals on the floor in the elevator showing where people should stand). As more people come back to work, we will revise the elevator protocol as needed.
The low-rise elevators will be clearly divided between NYU elevators (three elevators to the right) and low-rise tenants elevators (three elevators to the left).
Should anyone feel uncomfortable travelling in an elevator with someone else, they can wait for the freight car or use the stairs. We will provide access to all floors via Stairway A, Monday thru Friday from 8am to 10 am. Tenants are welcome to use the stairs to walk down at anytime, as this will help reduce elevator traffic.
Multi-tenant floor bathrooms will have Purell dispensers on the outside of the bathroom door.
Please remember to wash your hands for 20 seconds.
Give people space if they are moving in and out of the bathroom.
Try to retain six feet of space between yourself and others at all times.
No more than two people should use the common bathroom at a time. If there are two people in the bathroom, come back later or wait outside for your turn.
In light of health concerns, we are limiting the amount of delivery people and messengers with access to the building and the building elevators. To that end, we are opening a mail and package room.
The new mailroom will be located in the back lobby next to the loading dock. All messengers, bulk deliveries and food deliveries should use the service entrance on 56th street. They will not be allowed to enter through the front lobby.
All incoming packages and USPS mail will be distributed by mailroom attendant. For outgoing UPS/FedEx and USPS mail, please continue to drop off outgoing mail in the current UPS/Fed Ex and USPS boxes in the lobby.
We have ordered two UV disinfecting wands for anyone who would like to borrow/use them to disinfect their packages.
UPS/FedEx overnight deliveries will be collected by the mailroom. UPS and FedEx daytime deliverieswill continue as usual. UPS/FedEX daytime delivery people will be provided surgical masks/face covers and gloves and they will deliver directly to tenants as usual.
Package/Messenger delivery: When a package is delivered, it will be scanned and the tenant will receive an email notice. You will receive the package within two hours of the time it was dropped off. If you need the package sooner than two hours, please call the mail room and let them know. They will coordinate delivery of the package to your floor as soon as possible.
Food Delivery: If you have a food delivery, please pre-pay for your delivery and we will email you when it arrives. Please collect the delivery from our mailroom. Delivery people will not be allowed through the front lobby or up into the building.They must use the 56th street service entrance.
Bulk Delivery: If there is a bulk delivery for your floor (water delivery, several large packages etc.) we will notify you by phone that the delivery needs to be brought to your floor. We will provide the necessary surgical masks/face covers and gloves to the delivery person and then escort them to your floor.
(Please note: Procedures to be detailed further and coordinated with tenants based on the volume and the type of deliveries they receive. Mailroom phone number and email address to follow. Hours of operation 8 am – 5 pm.)
We have three dedicated cleaners who are tasked with disinfecting/cleaning the common areas throughout the day. The high touch point areas are the focal point. These include:
At the onset of COVID-19 we upgraded our cleaning solvents to CDC recommended products. These solvents are used throughout the building and are rotated every two weeks to discourage any resistance the virus may develop. These include:
We are increasing the fresh air intake for the building by 20-40%.
We are limiting the amount of recirculated return air.
We are also upgrading the intake air fan supply filter media from 7 MERV to 14 MERV.
We have doubled the frequency with which we replace the8 MERV pre-filters and 14 MERV bag filters.
We have installed a micro misting disinfecting system on the supply fans throughout the building.
We are in the process of installing a UV ray filtration system in our main air return ducts. The system will kill any airborne pathogens or bacteria attached to air molecules as they pass through the main air ducts. The UV system will be operational by Mid-October.
Contact the building management office.
Building management will coordinate overnight disinfecting of the affected office and common areas following the direction of the EPA and CDC.
While we cannot dictate procedures for handling employees who are suspected of illness or who are ill with COVID-19, according to the most recent CDC guidance an employee may be cleared to return to work under two options.