Written by Silvana Wu, Senior Project Manager, Hazardous Building Materials, at Pinchin Ltd.
I’ve been seeing these memes pop up on social media and chuckle every time I see them because I can definitely relate. I’m sure that most reading this can too, standing in line at the store and feeling that dreaded tickle and pressure growing at the base of your throat. It usually doesn’t take long for that impending cough and consequent judgey-side-eye looks from those around you to make you question why you decided to go out in public in the first place.
These memes could also describe my metaphorical “coughs” I felt building up inside me during the first few weeks of the pandemic: my anxiety in regards to exposing my parents/grandparents to COVID-19 if I got sick; my stress from not being able to support my team or do my job properly from the confines of my home; and the sadness of not being able to embrace or celebrate in person with my family/friends for the foreseeable future.
I’m fortunate that my job as a Senior Project Manager for the Hazardous Building Materials Group at Pinchin Ltd. provided me immediate access to the best expert advice on the topic and to gain specific knowledge on how to protect myself and loved ones during that time. With my team’s daily communications, online training and access to relevant resources, it was easy to cut through the endless, sometimes chaotic messages that were being aired on the media. This knowledge helped me realize that there are ways to control and manage the panic I felt back in March every time I ventured out to buy food or other necessities and deliver them to my parents who couldn’t leave their house.
I’m not sure when we will be able to get back to having workplaces where we can convene in large groups, attend conferences or just go out after work with coworkers for drinks, but I‘m confident that when that time comes, my workspace will be safe and I will have peace of mind collaborating again with my colleagues. Our experts at Pinchin are engaged in several innovative ways to keep our teams and our clients safe during this pandemic. Our teams across Canada have held several industry webinars over the past months on a variety of topics, from HVAC systems in our schools to utilizing technology to help re-occupy our buildings and businesses.
My hope is that I can reach out and work with others to stifle some of their metaphorical coughs so they too can learn what options are available to create a safe work environment for themselves and the rest of their team. Contact me if you have any questions or concerns about your business.
