In FMJ's regular monthly column, our team of FM experts answer your
questions about the world of facilities management
THE PROPERTY
& ESTATES
PROFESSIONAL’S VIEW
LUCY HIND, HIND
CONSULTANCY SERVICES
It has always been a challenge
for FMs to ensure compliance,
given the changing demands of
the property sector. Now with the
huge disruption to the landscape
of the built environment due to
COVID, the new challenges we all
face makes this even more diƒ icult.
Discussions are being undertaken at many organisations
around home and agile working that helps to ensure safe
working and the continuity of the workplace.
So when we ask, ‘what do we mean by compliance?’
in very legal terms, statutory means that it is
something written in law which says that you
have to do something and a failure to carry it
out becomes an oƒ ence against the state.
For us as employers we have to ensure that
the working environment is safe, to ensure
that all assets have been identified,
maintained and regularly inspected in
accordance with Legislation and the
corresponding Approved Codes of Practice
(ACoP’s), British Standards and Guidance.
If something did go wrong and someone
was injured in the workplace, as FMs we have
to prove that all the assets were compliant.
There is also the need to evidence this by way
of a certificate or maintenance record provided by a
competent person or organisation. As FMs and individuals
working in the FM & property sector we are all aware that if we
20 SEPTEMBER 2021
do not have such evidence,
it is very diƒ icult to defend
against prosecution in a court
of law.
Given the changing nature
of the workplace, questions are
currently being asked around
the responsibilities that we in the
sector continue to hold concerning
new ways of working, from those
based at home to those adopting a hybrid
home/oƒ ice work pattern. Do we become
responsible for a wider portfolio of compliance
and buildings; one that encompassed the home workspace
along with the traditional and, if this is the case what do
we need to consider? Do we undertake boiler checks, PAT,
electrical inspections in the home environment along with
H&S elements such as DDE (Display Screen Equipment) and
what are the implications of doing this from a financial to a
personal aspect?
We must remember that compliance does not just apply to
HVAC services, there are everincreasing
compliance demands
and as these mandates become more comprehensive, the
risks are growing. A key number of areas should be considered
that today make up an allround
approach to workplace
compliance: ethics, Health & Safety, vendor and financial
management, labour management, information security, data
governance, contractual risks. Does this mean that as FMs our
roles will grow? What is clear is that compliance is essential
to ensure that our workplace works eƒ ectively, eƒ iciently and
safely and to ensure this facilities management teams must
standardise the data related to compliance and ensure
that it is accurate, consistent, timely, complete,
and secured. We need to consider the risks
of noncompliance
and what this means
to the organisations in which we work.
And we must remember that even a
minor infraction can have serious
repercussions. All of these things
take an enormous amount of
time and energy. However,
with the development of digital
technologies there are solutions
that can help FMs increase
eƒ iciency, and ensure compliance
with policies and procedures.
One thing is sure; compliance
is growing in importance and as it
becomes more and more top of mind
in the workplace, compliance must and
will continue to be one of the key areas of expertise
for all FMs.
FM CLINIC
As organisations prepare
to welcome their people
back to the workplace,
they must meet compliance
standards in order to be
able to reopen their facilities
safely. Staying on top of
the usual legal and statutory
compliance at the best of times
can be easily overlooked – but
during the pandemic with so many
new issues that to be navigated, has
this slipped even further down the list?
Can FMs be confident they’ve kept on top of
compliance issues and what practical steps are necessary
to ensure compliance policies are up to date?
Lucy Hind
ADVICE & OPINION
However, with the
development of digital
technologies there are solutions
that can help FMs increase
efficiency, and ensure compliance
with policies and procedures.”
Lucy Hind