We are deeply focused on keeping our Staff, Members and Visitors healthy and safe while working in our coworking space.
As we continue to navigate new challenges, we have developed a guide that lays out a process to raise awareness of new health and well-being protocols and potentially helpful practices. While it is not a one-size-fits-all approach, the guide includes practical recommendations, based on various scenarios that you might face when returning to our coworking space. Regular updates will be made to the guide based on real-time feedback.
The Guide covers a wide range of topics, including:
Emergency Response Plan and Teams
Cleaning and disinfection procedures
Social distancing strategies
This has been a difficult time for everyone and reestablishing a coworking space where Members feel comfortable is our top priority. It is our hope that by sharing this resource we can help you and your team accomplish the same goals, as everyone adapts to new protocols in today’s still challenging conditions.
This Health & Safety Guide is maintained by Co-OperateOn, LLC for the benefit of all persons working and companies operating in the Co-Operate@Black Fire office suite. Co-Operate@Black Fire’s office is located on the third floor (Suite 300) of the UNLV Harry Reid Research & Technology Park building. The address is 8400 West Sunset Road, Suite 300, Las Vegas, NV 89113.
This Guide is governed by and subordinate to your licensing agreement with Co-Operate@Black Fire. It is important that everyone working in Suite 300 read and understand the material in this guide. Co-Operate@Black Fire reserves the right to modify this guide without prior notice to Members. Co-Operate@Black Fire will keep members advised of any changes to the guide; however, changes may occur before any written revisions are implemented and circulated.
1.Hygiene Etiquette and Best Practices
1.1 Protective Coverings
Co-Operate@Black Fire has aligned with CDC’s recommendations on mask usage. Face Coverings are optional for fully vaccinated Staff, Members and Visitors. Fully Vaccinated is defined by 2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine. Co-Operate@Black Fire respects the choice of any individual that may continue to wear their face covering based on their and their families’ personal health concerns.
For unvaccinated Staff, Members and Visitors please continue to wear a face covering for all instances where required by emergency directives and associated guidance issued on the NVHealthResponse website or by Nevada OSHA.
Visiting other businesses/floors located in the Black Fire Innovation building please check with their policies and procedures of face covering requirements.
2. Cleaning
Cleaning and disinfecting are part of a broad approach to preventing infectious diseases. Other measures include staying home when sick, covering coughs and sneezes, and washing hands often. Below are Co-Operate@Black Fire’s cleaning procedures to prevent infectious diseases specifically through cleaning and disinfecting.
Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that are touched often. Co-Operate@Black Fire will do multiple scheduled daily sanitizing of surfaces and objects that are touched often, such as tables, desks, countertops, doors, armchairs and faucet handles and printers.
All Members must do their part to ensure that the offices, workstations, touchdown areas, hallways, and rooms that they use are kept clean and neat. This includes:
Wipe down your desk before you begin work and before you leave the coworking space
Placing all trash and recyclables into the appropriate containers
Ensuring that trash and recycling containers do not obstruct walkways
Cleaning up all spills immediately
When something needs special janitorial attention, notify the Co-Operate@Black Fire’s Community Manager.
3. Design of Co-Operate@Black Fire Coworking Space
Working from home all the time may not be practical. At Co-Operate@Black Fire our office space is a safe and healthy environment.
3.1 Reception Area
Just inside the door to Suite 300 is a reception area containing upholstered chairs and a coffee
table. This area is available to Co-Operate@Black Fire members for brief conversations with incoming and outgoing guests. This area is considered a high-traffic area and will be cleaned and wiped down multiple times during the day.
3.2 Kitchen/Lunchroom Area
Co-Operate@Black Fire offers a kitchen that’s not only full of wonderful amenities but is continuously cleaned and stocked. While Staff monitors and tidies up continuously, we ask that members assist by marking and tossing their own food from the fridge and feeling a sense of ownership in the space.
An office kitchen needs to be effectively managed, just like every other communal space. The overarching guideline for kitchen etiquette is to be respectful of the kitchen and other’s belongings.
• Recyclable disposal plates, cups, napkins, utensils are available and located in the cabinet above the microwave.
• Please don’t eat or drink other people’s food or beverages. Items to be shared are left on the kitchen table or marked as shared in the freezer/fridge.
• When heating any food or beverage in the microwave oven, ALWAYS cover it with a lid or a paper towel. If you’ve still managed to splatter food or liquid, please wipe it immediately.
• Never leave your dirty dishes or silverware in the sink. Wash them right away or rinse them well and pack them in a bag so they’re ready to go home with you for a proper cleaning.
• If your food is spoiled in the fridge, throw it away. If spoiled food is accompanied by an offensive odor, do not dispose of it in the lunchroom waste. Please take it to an outdoor dumpster.
• Cleaning of the fridge and microwave is not included in our nightly cleaning – Please clean up spills.
• Refrigerator will be cleaned out every Friday at the end of business. Please remove any of your items that you don’t want thrown away.
• Keep your items neatly organized in the cupboard/fridge and use a reasonable amount of
space.
• Recycling:
o Everything should be rinsed and clean-ish. There is a garbage disposal in our kitchen, rinse your plastic containers and run garbage disposal if any food went down the sink (switch above the sink).
o If plastic item is recyclable, please look for a labeled 1-7 in a small triangle.
o Nevada states no food/oil-soaked items and specifically says no: paper plates, napkins, greasy pizza boxes
3.3 Conference Room and Classroom Areas
Conference Rooms will hold a smaller capacity to adapt physical distancing measures.
• Executive Boardroom will hold a total of 8 people, maximum
• Smaller conference room will hold a total of 5 people, maximum
• UNLV Classroom will hold a total of 40 people, maximum
We ask that Members assist by using disinfectant wipes after using the conference room(s) and/or classroom. An emphasis will be placed on cleaning armchairs and tabletops.
For all meetings in our flex space, please greet your guests at the entrance and clean up/reset the room when you have completed your meeting. Please ensure that the door is closed during your meetings and be aware of your noise level. Respect a closed door and do not enter unless invited in. When your meeting is complete, please remove all waste to its proper receptacles and place all food and beverages in the kitchen area.
If you find any deficiencies in equipment, please report it to the Co-Operate@Black Fire’s Community Manager as soon as possible.
3.4 Offices, Workstations and Open Desk Areas
All Members are requested to keep their desks neat, and free of garbage. At the end of the night, place all waste in the appropriate receptacles. Disinfectant cleaners are available. Please wipe down your desks, armchairs and door handles before going home.
4. Safety
Like any coworking space, we are not immune to natural and man-made disasters. Staff, Members and Visitors must collaborate to plan and prepare for these types of emergencies.
Your responsibilities as a Co-Operate@Black Fire member include the following:
Knowing and adhering to the information about the health and safety provided in this guide.
Safeguarding your building key fobs to prevent their loss or unauthorized use.
Turning off any lights or other electrical devices in your workstation(s) when leaving Co-Operate@Black Fire suite.
4.1 Security
There are four types of security that all Members are responsible for:
Internet and data safety
Physical security
The safety of our Members
Protecting your property
4.1.a Internet and Data Safety
Co-Operate@Black Fire has a variety of different mobile workers, consultants, freelance artists, entrepreneurs and small businesses, working in a shared environment sharing a Wi-Fi connection. Please be mindful and exercise good judgement while using the internet. Please refer to our “Wi-Fi Connection” section in this manual.
4.1.b Physical Security
All exits are clearly marked and in working condition. Our Co-Operate@Black Fire suite is open 8am through 5pm, Monday through Friday with an on-site Community Manager who is there to assist. If you require to be in the flex space after hours, please use your assigned key fob. Please ensure that when entering and/or exiting the suite after hours, that all doors remained locked. Please make sure you always protect your key fob and that you never lend it to someone else.
4.1.c The Safety of our Members
In the Co-Operate@Black Fire suite, members are encouraged to lookout for one another. We want to make sure that each Staff, Member, and Guest in our flex space is safe and secure. If you see damage, malfunctions, faulty equipment and/or utilities, or any unusual, questionable, dangerous or suspicious activities anywhere in the flex space please report it immediately to the Co-Operate@Black Fire’s Community Manager.
4.1.d Protecting Your Property
The essential structure of a flex space lends itself to the sharing of information: open plan, flexible use and contact with other like-minded businesses. Members are encouraged to take some practical steps to ensure that they protect their property:
If you intend to discuss confidential topics, book a private conference room in the flex space if one is available
Don’t discuss confidential topics in the open
Don’t leave confidential information – either about your business or other parties – lying around in the flex space
4.2 Harassment
Co-Operate@Black Fire is dedicated to providing a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age or religion. Co-Operate@Black Fire is committed to ensuring that the flex space environment is free from discrimination and harassment, and that any discrimination and harassment will not be tolerated under any circumstances.
If a Member engages in harassing behavior, the Co-Operate@Black Fire’s Community Manager may take any action they deem appropriate, including warning the offender or expulsion from the space with no refund. If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns; please immediately contact the Co-Operate@Black Fire’s Community Manager and write a detailed account of the situation.
4.3 Unlawful or Prohibited Activities
Members are not allowed to participate in any unlawful or prohibited ways while inside Co-Operate@Black flex space. You may not conduct yourself in a manner that would damage, disable, impair, overburden or cause harm to Co-Operate@Black Fire’s ability to deliver services. The following are prohibited activities that may not happen inside the space, in conjunction with our services or on the property:
Smoking or vaping
Illegal drug use
Intoxicated state
Flammable or hazards materials
4.4 Alcoholic Beverages
Co-Operate@Black Fire does not permit consumption of Alcoholic Beverages in the flex space. Independent consumption of alcohol is not allowed, and in a case, a member is found to be consuming alcohol or in an inebriated stage, Co-Operate@Black Fire will remove the member from the premises and can in desperate circumstances even cancel membership.
While at a mixer, party and/or event that is organized, there may be alcoholic beverages served. Before a mixer, party, and/or event is organized or planned, a request needs to be submitted through the Co-Operate@Black Fire’s Community Manager for approval and to ensure there are no scheduling conflicts. A list will be provided with approved caterers and bartending services for the Member to select from.
4.5 Dangerous Weapons
Dangerous weapons will not be permitted in the Co-Operate@Black Fire flex space as well as Firearms are not allowed on property including the parking lot. This applies to staff, Members and guests that enter the Co-Operate@Black Fire’s suite except for law-enforcement officers in the performance of their duties.
Dangerous weapons include, but are not limited to, all weapons named in Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS) 202.350. For purposes of this manual, facsimile weapons are also banned.
Any Member found carrying such weapons will be asked to remove the weapon from the flex space or law enforcement will be contacted.
4.6 Emergencies and After-Hours Care
In the event of an emergency after-hours which entails the safety and well-being of a Member, please contact 911. For all other non-emergencies and after-hours care, can be reported to the Co-Operate@Black Fire’s Community Manager through either a text and/or email using the Quick Contact Info, located on page 4 of this manual.
Co-Operate@Black Fire’s Community Manager will assess the reported problem and determine a reasonable resolution plan based upon the severity of the problem and resources required. Co-Operate@Black Fire will work to resolve the problem as quickly as possible.
