Austria's market-leading shopping center operator, SES Spar European Shopping Centers, and 15 of its shopping locations in Austria have been recently certified by TÜV AUSTRIA for their excellent hygiene concepts, thereby making the company the first in the retail sector to receive such certification. The certification standard provides confirmation that a center's operation is both safe and clean and helps to minimize the effects of the current pandemic.

Hygiene and safety have long been top priorities at all shopping centers managed by SES. The outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic has resulted in the permanent and extensive reinforcement of hygiene concepts. The exemplary measures implemented by SES Spar European Shopping Centers have now been certified in accordance with the new TÜV AUSTRIA hygiene management standard, with special consideration of the current COVID-19 pandemic taken into account. That applies to all common mall areas, including the sanitary facilities of the 15 shopping locations in Austria, the OVAL art and cultural stage at EUROPARK Salzburg, as well as the SES headquarters in Salzburg.

SES Shopping Centers: High Standards of Hygiene
"We are extremely pleased that our strong hygiene measures, which have been further strengthened since the pandemic, have been certified by Austria's leading testing and inspection company, TÜV AUSTRIA. Since the onset of the pandemic, our goal has been to provide our visitors with the best possible protection during their stays at our shopping malls. We have also noticed that our customers and employees have consistently adhered to all rules relating to the wearing of masks, social distancing, and disinfection. In addition to the fact that we have quickly and consistently implemented all necessary measures, such behavior has played a very important role in our success," said Marcus Wild, CEO of SES Spar European Shopping Centers.

Successful Completion of the TÜV Certification Process
The 2-stage audit conducted by TÜV AUSTRIA included a review of the management system documentation and an on-site assessment at the centers, during which compliance with the documented hygiene measures was also confirmed to be effectively put into practice. "Even though pandemics and their effects cannot be prevented by certification, the TÜV AUSTRIA hygiene management standard has gained widespread national and international acceptance, especially as an independent procedure and problem-solving guideline during economically challenging times," explains Klaus Mlekus, Sales Manager of the TÜV AUSTRIA certification body, and he adds, "The comprehensive hygiene and safety standards implemented at the SES shopping centers, which we were able to verify for ourselves on site, are excellent examples of how to offer customers the highest possible level of safety."

Hygiene Measures at SES
The implementation of hygiene standards at all SES centers has been further strengthened by means of additional staff. The supply of fresh air inside each mall has been permanently increased to up to 100 percent. All touch points, such as fittings, railing and escalator handles, ATM keyboards, and elevator buttons, as well as all restroom facilities, are cleaned and disinfected even more frequently than before. The required observance of measures, such as the maintenance of a minimum distance of one meter, the wearing of a protective mask, and hand disinfection is visibly and audibly communicated throughout the centers via various communication channels. Sufficient disinfectant dispensers have been made available to customers.

Hygiene measures have also been implemented inside the center management rooms and at the SES headquarters. In addition, teleworking access was established for employees as early as mid-March in order to enable them to work in split teams. To the extent possible, meetings are held online or via telephone, and many administrative processes have been digitalized. Contact lists have been introduced to ensure that contact tracing can be carried out quickly in the event of an emergency. A specially developed app is also due to be launched within the company in a few days.

Certified SES Centers by Region

Vienna:

• HUMA ELEVEN, Vienna
• Q19, Vienna
• GERNGROSS Vienna

Lower Austria:

• MARIANDL, Krems
• FISCHAPARK, Wiener Neustadt
  
  

 Upper Austria:

• VARENA, Vöcklabruck
• WEBERZEILE, Ried
• MAX.CENTER, Wels
  
  

 Salzburg:

• EUROPARK, Salzburg + the OVAL art and cultural stage
• FORUM 1, Salzburg

 
Styria:

• MURPARK, Graz
• CITYPARK, Graz

 Carinthia: ATRIO, Villach

 Tyrol: SILLPARK, Innsbruck

 Vorarlberg: ZIMBAPARK, Bludenz-Bürs

About the TÜV AUSTRIA Hygiene Management Standard
The management system certification for the area of hygiene, which was specifically developed by TÜV AUSTRIA and which, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, has increasingly addressed the issue, ensures the highest level of safety. Austria's largest testing, inspection, and certification company relies on its many years of expertise in the areas of hygiene and management systems and, building upon that knowledge, has developed a standard that takes into account national conditions and normative specifications. In particular, the standard offers industries with numerous customer contacts the opportunity to have specifically created hygiene concepts aimed at preventing the spread of viral diseases assessed by an independent authority. Certification confirms that comprehensive hygiene and safety standards have been implemented, are continuously evaluated, and, if necessary, further strengthened. 

Additional information can be found at: www.tuvaustria.com/covidshieldDE