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APRIL 2020 21
FMJ.CO.UK
OPERATIONAL FM’S VIEW
LUCY HIND, HEAD OF PROPERTY,
BARNSLEY COUNCIL
As if FM has not got
enough challenges
on a day-to-day basis;
from ensuring quality
of delivery, meeting
changing needs, and
responding to di ering
service requirements - a
Global crisis emerges
that knocks everything
o kilter. FMs see
managing a crisis as
an inevitable part of their role but the challenges are
immense. Business Continuity Plans (BCP) may have
been enacted but what are the real challenges in some
of our critical buildings and do we truly understand the
implications of a crisis of a Global magnitude?
The FM sector was changing prior to the virus outbreak
and organisations were starting to consider di erent ways
to work and operate. Now in this fast-changing context
COVID-19 is testing many businesses and their FMs to the
limit.
Here are some of my top tips to help get through the crisis:
- Review workforce locations and travel on an ongoing
basis to help determine where key operatives live and
that you have a backup plan for critical roles;
- Monitor the supply chain and understand what you are
buying and why, look at opportunities for a secondary
supplier and continuity supplies where appropriate,
and ensure you have access to a critical number of
weeks supply of goods either on or o -site;
- Identify any key areas of failure, from supply of goods
to sta ing, ensure that communication is clear and
concise and put plans in place, while remembering
that every scenario is di erent.
- Plans must be adaptable and tested to ensure that
critical infrastructure can stay operational, to support
key workers and maintain the buildings, including
cleaning, IT needs, utilities requirements and backup
systems - all of which are key and critical at all times.
Priorities will change in these demanding circumstances
but we must also remember our remote sta – with
wellbeing and inclusion considered to ensure their
positive mental health is maintained and that their
home set ups are acceptable from a working practice
perspective. Remember the di erent personalities of the
people we work with, those that like isolation and those
that do not for example. Looking to the future, if we can
change our models and how we operate some of our
businesses to ensure we survive such a seismic shi - will
a new way of working and managing remote sta become
the norm? This crisis could mean we begin to forge a new
identity for FM that can operate within vastly di erent
settings.
FM SERVICES PROVIDER’S VIEW
CHRIS ASH, MANAGING DIRECTOR, ISS HEALTHCARE
Standards of cleanliness and hygiene have always been at
their highest in healthcare environments simply because
of the need to protect the sick and vulnerable found in
these establishments. The National Cleaning Standards
within the NHS are currently under review but the 2010
version ‘Guidance on setting and measuring cleanliness
outcomes in primary care medical and dental premises
issued by the National
Patient Safety Agency
could still stand as a
useful starting point
for anyone wanting to
mirror these levels of
performance.
Facilities managers
play a critical role
in maintaining high
standards, not just in
healthcare but in any
built environment. FM
teams are essential in
maintaining the e iciency and safety of everyone within
the building.
Across our FM business, the company has developed
a method called Touchpoints@ISS, which looks at an
individual’s journey from the time they arrive to the time
they leave. This method can be adopted for any building
to ensure they can be kept operational, even during these
testing times.
Using the Touchpoints@ISS principal, simple checklists
are drawn up to highlight the events noted across the day,
and e ective measures put in place to help reduce the
level of cross contamination. Public Health England has
also provided some useful publications such as ‘Cleaning
of non-healthcare settings ’. Consideration should be
given to increasing cleaning frequency, particularly in
areas of high footfall and all restrooms. Special attention
should be paid to touchpoints such as door handles,
telephones and keyboards.
We also provide guidelines for those who will be
working from home such as keeping to your daily
work routine. For employees used to being in an o ice
environment, they may get ‘regular walks’ in the course
of the day when walking to a meeting. Virtual meetings
change this, so it’s important to remind people to get
up and stretch; take a break from the screen and remain
properly hydrated.
The FM can implement as many checklists and
procedures they can think of, but the biggest contribution
we can make at this time is ensuring that all our
employees are well trained and equipped with the correct
personal protective equipment (PPE). Regular briefings
will also help ensure that everyone is fully aware of the
importance of their roles. It is times like these where
everyone suddenly realises just how vital the FM team is
to the wellbeing of the entire business.
FM CLINIC
Lucy Hind
Chris Ash
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