MAY 2021 21
FMJ.CO.UK
providers will quickly need to answer is whether the
maintainable assets have seen any deterioration in their
condition and operation as a result of being partially or
not used at all in recent months and what is needed to
get them back running at their pre-lockdown levels.
Another important consideration for the maintenance
provider will be to understand from their client if
there has been a shi‰ in the criticality or operational
requirements of their assets since the pandemic? Will
some customers place an increased importance on
their indoor air quality and natural ventilation, for
example? Some may decide to increase the monitoring
and maintenance scope of their air handling/extraction
systems, in order to provide reassurance to their
employees of the circulation of ‘clean air’ within their
workplace.
Some form of hybrid working, at least in the short
term, seems to be the most likely trend as people slowly
return to their workplace. However, each organisation
and their people will be very di„ erent in their
requirements and as an industry, it is important that we
don’t make sweeping generalisations in our suggested
approach. I suspect some organisations will decide to
close or partially
close some of
their properties
and inevitably
the commercial
arrangements with
their maintenance
contractor will
need to be
revisited.
Lower occupancy
levels may
potentially lead
to reduced repairs
and planned
maintenance activity. Those contracts which have
an element of semi or fully comprehensive reactive
risk built into them are the obvious commercial
arrangement which may need renegotiating. From a
client organisation point of view, if they are occupying
less space than previously, they will inevitably be
looking at reducing their repairs and maintenance
spend and from a maintenance contractor’s viewpoint,
would they still be happy to be underwriting the
reactive exposure on an asset which has not been
operated or e„ ectively maintained on a building which
has been closed over the last few months?
Organisations do not currently know what the level
of hybrid working will be over the coming weeks and
months. One prediction could be home working will
inevitably continue to be popular in the short term,
but the question will be if we then see a gradual and
accelerated return to the workplace, once we eventually
come out of this awful pandemic. In view of this,
maintenance providers will be asked to be agile in also
reacting to these trends and in developing adaptable
service delivery models which meet their clients’ fast
evolving needs.
THE FM PROVIDER’S VIEW
BRUCE MCDONNELL, MANAGING DIRECTOR AT
INCENTIVE FACILITIES MANAGEMENT
The requirement
to be compliant
with statutory
requirements did
not go on furlough.
We have used
the time where
buildings have
lower occupation
levels to actually
enhance regimes.
However, in
most cases we
have been able
to do this more e„ iciently, with reduced consumption
demand and less restrictions on access. For us it
was key to ensure that the buildings were and are
maintained to a very high standard. Compliance is one
thing but considering lifecycle is also critical, as well
utilised and maintained assets are more e„ icient and
last longer.
We would hope that all professionals in the
marketplace have followed similar strategies and
therefore the focus turns to the reoccupation and new
ways of working. With the imminent reoccupation of
buildings, it is vital that we ensure that the working
environment is safe and comfortable for the wellbeing
of building users. Healthy buildings are the big thing
at the moment with many realising its importance for
many factors, not just COVID-related, but also with
the wellness of the building community, morale and
productivity.
The indoor environment should be designed and
controlled so that occupants’ comfort and health
are assured. Environmental factors include thermal,
visual and acoustic conditions, air and water quality,
electromagnetic fields and static electricity. The
government guidance reminds employers of their
legal responsibility for the safety of all those entering
workplaces. To help businesses decide which actions
to take, they need to carry out an appropriate COVID-19
risk assessment, just as you would for other health and
safety related hazards.
Bodies such as CIBSE and BSRIA provide lots of
guidance and support to assist with this process and
it goes without saying that key areas of focus should
include HVAC, water systems as well as life safety
systems. For those that don’t already have a plan, they
should and really do need to carry out maintenance
as early as possible. This should include a health
check of systems to identify any potential problems,
also factoring in the stress in demand for specialist
FM CLINIC
Br uce McDonnell
Mark Whittaker
ADVICE & OPINION
link
/www.fsifm.com
