BFM June/July 2017

JUNE/JULY 2017 www.bfmmagazine.co.uk building & facilities facilities management management

CLEANING & HYGIENE | HEALTH & SAFETY | HVAC

Modular building cuts rail construction costs See page 14

INSIDE:

PLAYING WITH RISK – THE CASE FOR DIGITAL MOBILE RADIO – PAGE 12

Healthcare Estates Conference. Exhibition. Dinner. Awards.

10-11 October 2017 Manchester Central

200+ 3,849 No.1 Official 2016 Total attendance including visitors, delegates, speakers & dinner guests

Companies exhibit their latest products & services

Event in the UK for health estates, engineering, and facilities professionals

Call: 01892 518877 for stand availability or for more information visit www.healthcare-estates.com

Book your stand today... @HCEstates

Space Only

Meet specifiers and decisionmakers responsible for controlling NHS budgets

£350 +VAT per M

2

Contact the team for further availability and prices.

Call: 01892 518877 email: healthcare@stepex.com

Event Partner Event Sponsor Principal Media Partner

Present and demonstrate your expertise to a highly targeted and motivated audience

Gain valuable feedback and insights that can feed into your new product and business development processes

VIP Sponsor

Healthcare Estates is a truly unique event in the UK market – the only national conference and exhibition to bring together those who fund, design, build, manage, and maintain the UK’s healthcare facilities.

Raise your profile in the healthcare sector, and gain a genuine competitive advantage

Talk directly to ‘front line’ staff about the challenges they face and how your products and service can help them to address them

Shell Scheme £385 +VAT per M2

Contact the team for further availability and prices.

Call: 01892 518877 email: healthcare@stepex.com

Supporters

On the cover: Modular building cuts rail construction costs See page 14 for more details. www.actavo.com/buildings.

June/July 2017

BFM Team Business Development Director

James Scrivens james@abbeypublishing.co.uk

Contents News

Lighting

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21

Cloudfm continues strategic expansion with Newark hub

Production

Sarah Daviner

Jane Embury at rightstyle, looks at light in the UK workplace, and why we should all be aware of eyesight issues.

Cleaning & Hygiene

sarah@abbeypublishing.co.uk

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Accounts Manager

Katie Brehm accounts@abbeypublishing.co.uk

5 People to Help Rescue Communal Bin Areas

Health & Safety BFM is published digitally 10 times a year ­by Abbey Publishing Ltd. To receive a copy free of charge, contact our offices.

12

Playing with Risk – The Case for Digital Mobile Radio

HVAC

30

Tel: 01933 316931 Email: bfm@abbeypublishing.co.uk www.bfmmagazine.co.uk www.abbeypublishing.co.uk

Innovative In-Situ Office Server Cooling Solution from British engineers

www.twitter.com/ BFM_Magazine

Subscriptions are available via www.bfmmagazine.co.uk/subscribe No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means without prior permission from the publishers. The publishers do not accept any responsibility for, or necessarily agree with, any views expressed in articles, letters or supplied advertisements.

Some manufacturers and suppliers have made a contribution toward the cost of reproducing some photographs in this magazine.

All contents © Abbey Publishing Ltd 2017 ISSN: 1470-5281

Portable & Modular Buildings

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Matthew Goff, director of UK operations at Actavo | Building Solutions, explains how rail can cut construction costs:

Building & Refurbishment

16

Roof warranties: Seeing the big picture in the small print

Building & Facilities Management – June/July 2017

Washroom

34

The air that I breathe

Security & Access Control

36

New Control Centre helps Sheffield City Council lead fight against congestion

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Cloudfm continues strategic expansion with Newark hub

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omprising offices for account and supply chain management, help desk, and compliance functions, as well as space for training and a base for service delivery, Cloudfm’s site at Newark will accommodate a proportion of the company’s planned growth. Around 40 jobs will be created at this location, likely to include Apprenticeships in administration and engineering.

“We see our new Newark site as an important step in our expansion, giving us a strategic hub that is also in the right place to give us access to talent pools in all our required skills,” said Jeff Dewing, CEO at Cloudfm Group. “It’s an exciting time for the company, with so many opportunities for our employees to further their careers, and for new staff to join us and discover their potential. It’s also a move that will enable us to raise our service delivery standards even further, so it’s a development that our clients will benefit from, too.”

Located close to the A1, which gives the advantage of excellent transport links for efficient UK-wide coverage, the Newark site also boasts 4

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Cloudfm, one of the UK’s fastest-growing facilities management companies, has opened a new 9,000 sq ft hub in Newark-on-Trent as part of its strategy for growth and excellence. This new site brings Cloudfm’s current portfolio of buildings to five – with both a head office and operational premises in Colchester, and a soon-to-be-launched facility in Harlow, as well as offices in London. a critical spares facility to augment the delivery of Cloudfm’s market-leading reactive maintenance services.

This rapid-response spares facility operates 24/7, 365 days a year, ensuring that the procurement of parts isn’t subject to delays in the evenings and at weekends, enabling engineers to effect the quickest turnaround on repairs, minimizing business downtime and the resulting lost revenue for Cloudfm’s clients.

The parts available for immediate delivery are always the right ones, since data from clients’ reactive maintenance records is used to highlight the spares most likely to be required, and informs procurement.

This helps ensure both Cloudfm’s

service delivery division and supply chain partners can offer a fast-fix solution every time.

“By using our own dedicated staff and our own network of vehicles – rather than relying upon a number of third parties to work together effectively – we’re able to control and streamline the process of critical spares delivery for optimum speed and efficiency,” explains John Cotton, Operations Director at Cloudfm Group. “This, combined with our data-driven stock list, means we can offer our clients the very best service, ensuring they can get back to trading as soon as possible after a reactive maintenance callout.” www.cloudfmgroup.com

Building & Facilities Management – June/July 2017

Whenever your people wear PPE you could be at risk too.

It’s two years since we alerted the safety industry to non-compliant CE marked PPE on the market. Yet our industry accredited safety lab is still uncovering failing products. A CE mark is no guarantee of ongoing product compliance. And it certainly can’t protect you from a prison sentence. But staying better informed just might.

WHEN YOU’RE SPECIFYING SAFETY EQUIPMENT

THERE’S NO ROOM FOR DOUBT Demand more of your safety equipment partner.

Visit our website to arm yourself with the critical questions you need to ask them.

arco.co.uk/BeSure

News

HWM wins Queen’s Award for Enterprise 2017

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ermaNET+ water network monitoring system recognised in Innovation category Utility monitoring specialist HWM has won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise 2017.

The Innovation award recognises HWM’s PermaNET+ system, which constantly monitors water networks to detect signs of leakage. Able to detect a problem as soon as it occurs, the system significantly reduces both the size and impact of leaks, reducing damage to the network and saving water.

PermaNET+ was chosen for the largest ever deployment of leak noise detection equipment by Affinity Water. 20,000 units were installed to cover a water network serving over 3.6 million people.

Now in their 51st year, the Queen’s Awards are the UK’s most prestigious industry accolade, celebrating and encouraging business excellence in the UK. The Innovation award is given to companies that have shown outstanding commercial success due to innovation over two years, or continuous commercial success over five years.

Winning the Queen’s Award for Enterprise means HWM can now use the official emblem on all publications for five years, showcasing the best of British business.

Tel: +44 (0)1633 489 479 Fax: +44 (0)1633 877 857 Email: marketing@hwm-water.com www.hwmglobal.com

More than ever raised at CHSA Gala Ball!

Almost £10,000 raised for RNIB by generous CHSA members and guests

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embers and sponsors of the Cleaning & Hygiene Suppliers Association (CHSA) together with their guests raised £9,950 at its Annual Gala Ball for the Chairman’s Charity, this year being The Royal National Institute for Blind People.

The Annual Gala Ball, held again this year at Heythrop Park, Oxfordshire, is a wonderful way for members to come together.

Alongside the sumptuous dinner, the evening was packed with entertainment including a comedian/ compere, silhouette artist, close-up magicians, live band and dancing.

David Garcia, Treasurer of the CHSA and the driving force behind the Gala Ball, explained: “The Gala Ball is a wonderful event, bringing together our members for a very special evening. My special thanks to Linda Belcher who did such an amazing job as usual.”

“Putting something back is at the heart of our ethos and so we always take the opportunity to raise funds for charity at the Gala Ball. This year we are celebrating raising over £9,950 for the Royal National Institute of Blind People. A huge thank you to all our 6

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members and guests who contributed on the night and to our sponsors who made the whole event possible!”

The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) is the Chairman’s Charity for 2017. The RNIB offers practical and emotional support to people who are losing their sight or are blind or partially sighted, helping them face the future with confidence. www.chsa.co.uk

Building & Facilities Management – June/July 2017

News

Saniflo keeps pace with climate change

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s Britain basks in the hottest June in 40 years, the heat is on to keep the nation cool.

The sale of air conditioning units in the UK has been growing steadily the past few years, particularly in the commercial sector, and now more house builders include air conditioning as standard and a growing number of private households are turning to air conditioning to stay cool. With temperatures set to continue to rise as scientists predict extreme temperatures as a result of climate change, Saniflo – the UK’s leading designer and manufacturer of macerators, pumps and shower cubicles – is predicting a continued upturn in the air conditioning market for commercial and domestic markets, and advises people to ensure efficient condensate removal.

Gravity drain units can be problematic because they must be installed on the nearest outside wall, they require space and they can cause potential water damage to a building’s façade resulting in expensive repairs.

In addition, stagnant water can pose a health and safety risk due to potential bacterial and fungal growth.

The Saniflo range of air conditioning pumps comprising the Sanicondens®

Clim Pack, the Sanicondens® Clim Mini and the Sanicondens® Clim Deco are specifically designed to expel the condensate from air conditioning units in a quiet and efficient manner without any dripping and with trimmable trunking for a neat finish you’re guaranteed a stylish looking unit every time.

Ann Boardman, Saniflo UK Head of Marketing & Product Management, says: “We encourage industry professionals involved in specifying and fitting commercial and domestic air conditioning units as part of new builds and retrofit projects to not be limited by issues of gravity drainage units. The Saniflo Sanicondens range offers a simple and safe option for air conditioning, whilst increasing the options for unit installation. With Sanicondens you can put the units exactly where you want them without being restricted to outside walls. I would suggest that Sanicondens

Susan Harris to join Anthesis Group as Technical Director

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he Anthesis Group, a leading global sustainability services and solutions provider, has today announced the appointment of Susan Harris as Technical Director, based in their London office.

Susan has over fifteen years’ experience in helping organizations manage sustainability risk and maximize opportunities. She is the Chair of the prestigious RSA1 Sustainability Network, which brings together 400 fellows from across sectors to collaborate and share best practice. Harris also sits on the Advisory Board for The Alliance for Sustainable Building Products, which works with industry and legislators to support development www.twitter.com/BFM_Magazine

and use of more sustainable building products. Previously, she has also authored the ‘CIRIA Fit-out and Interiors Environmental Good Practice Site Guide’, an industryleading environmental management guide for interiors contractors.

Susan will be focussing specifically on bringing together the group’s services and capabilities in relation to the built environment sector. Her vast project experiences to date include London Underground’s proof of concept for lower carbon, lower cost on their Camden Town Station improvement program providing assessment and gap analysis around sustainable procurement criteria; delivering sustainability training to

units are absolutely essential for any type of timber-framed building.” www.saniflo.co.uk 020 8842 0033 construction industry giants such as Wates, Skanska, Kier, Balfour Beatty, and Carillion; and advising the Natural History Museum on how to incorporate sustainability into procurement of construction and refurbishment works.

With a focus on resource efficiency, supply chain sustainability and engagement, she has a wealth of experience in successfully helping organizations embed sustainability within their systems and processes to deliver real change.

Anthesis has a strong track record of delivering innovative projects for clients in the built environment sector, including SIG Building Products (Division: A Steadman and Son), AkzoNobel, HOLCIM, Bovis Lend Lease, Balfour Beatty, Kingfisher, and Network Rail. www.anthesisgroup.com News

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Armstrong and Nevill Long team up to celebrate 55 years The ceiling systems manufacturer and distributor mark their 55th anniversary

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ver half a century ago Nevill Long took delivery of its first shipment from America of mineral tiles from the Armstrong Cork Company (now Armstrong Ceiling Solutions). They were transported on barges from docks on the Thames to the interior systems specialist’s warehouse in Southall.

The anniversary has sparked a trip down memory lane for the “distributor of choice”, Armstrong’s very first distributor, and its counterparts within the leading ceiling systems manufacturer.

Nevill Long managing director Dave Bonner particularly remembers Armstrong’s launch of the MicroLook concept to the UK in 1984.

“Everyone thought the tiles would fall out,” he said. “It was visually stunning at the time and transformed the appearance of a lay-in grid ceiling.

It has also stood the test of time.”

He also remembers one project in particular that involved both companies.

“Memorable to me for personal reasons was the De Vere Hotel in Daventry. This was one of the first projects to use the then new Armstrong Galaxy tile, supplied by us. It won me a trip to the States!”

He added: “Over this period, Nevill Long has been under four different owners and all have presented challenges and opportunities.

Throughout these changes (and Armstrong had some as well) the partnership has remained strong and demonstrated mutual respect.

Both companies have also been able to adapt to change.

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“From a personal perspective, long-term partnerships are key to success and have to be sustainable.

There should always be an opportunity to discuss and resolve an issue.

If we are not able to do this, the partnership is worthless.”

And the future for the ceilings industry? “Design fashions change but there will always be a requirement for parts of the building element to provide acoustic, thermal and performance criteria,” he said. “My view is that ceilings are best placed to meet the performance criteria that is required. I still think that in the future there should be more scope for ceilings to offer more solutions in this digital age.”

Armstrong sales director Graham Taylor sees many similarities between the two companies.

“Respect, integrity and doing things the right way are our values too. A strong similarity is how we treat our respective employees. I can think of several instances where Nevill Long has acted in a way I would expect our company to - fairly, and with compassion when necessary.”

He added: “Business in general has of course changed over all those years.

Our partnership has been tested for sure in recent times but the foundation of our partnership has remained strong.

I would say getting through the last economic recession was, in part, due to this long-standing partnership.

“It is a perfect time to be celebrating the past because the future for our partnership looks stronger today than it has done for several years, in my opinion.”

The 1960s were memorable for both companies. The panel side of

the Nevill Long business, originally one of the largest softwood importers in the UK, had been purchased, on the retirement of the Nevill Long family, by the manager of the fibre boards division, Hedley J Meek. By 1962 he had divested some of the smaller subsidiaries to concentrate on Nevill Long & Co (Boards) in Southall and imported his first ceiling tile from Armstrong in America.

Just four years later Armstrong opened its first manufacturing unit in Europe, in the UK. In the early part of the millennium Nevill Long was sold to Wolseley Plc in 2006 who integrated it as a division of Encon Insulation Ltd which had been acquired by Wolseley a year earlier. Armstrong Metal Ceilings, a leading metal ceiling manufacturer in Europe, had already been acquired

by Armstrong in 2000, enhancing the manufacturer’s offering to include custom solutions in metal, and then in 2003 Armstrong pioneered its recycling programme in the UK. Most recently, Nevill Long returned to its independent roots following a management buyout of the Encon Group led by CEO Stuart Moore in 2011.

To mark their long-standing relationship Nevill Long is inviting ceiling contractors to a 55th anniversary celebration on a boat on the Thames, not far from North Hyde Wharf (then Nevill Long’s Southall branch) where those first ceiling tiles were offloaded.

The afternoon event on July 19th is destined to evoke a multitude of memories from staff from both companies. www.armstrongceilings.co.uk

Building & Facilities Management – June/July 2017

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Cloudfm wins Queensway contract

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eal estate investment specialists Queensway Group have appointed Cloudfm to manage all planned and reactive maintenance at their KFC restaurants.

Alongside their commercial and residential property, coffee house and hotel interests – with their estate numbering more than 100 assets across the UK in total – Queensway have been operating KFC restaurants under a franchise model since 2009.

They currently serve over 3,000,000 customers a year across their 20 KFC sites in the Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester areas.

The new contract, worth around £5m over five years, will add to Cloudfm’s impressive portfolio of restaurant clients, which includes KFC’s own estate of 230 restaurants as well as Prezzo, Zizzi, ASK and PizzaExpress.

“We’re delighted to have won the contract with Queensway, and look forward to supporting their business

objectives with our innovative approach to FM provision – centering on an optimal, intelligent interface between technology and human resource – and our commitment to delivering improved quality and value through our rigorous processes,” said Jeff Dewing, CEO of Cloudfm. “Having already looked after the KFC equity estate of 230 restaurants for a couple of years we’re able to mobilise quickly and provide the very best service to meet their specific needs.”

“The Cloudfm philosophy has a great synergy with the sustainable, pragmatic approach we take to all aspects of our business,” said Karen Parr, Operations Director at Queensway. “We’re looking

forward to working in partnership with an FM provider who not only understands the particular needs of KFC right from the start, but also shares the same emphasis on true value, which will enable our operations team to focus more productively on their core day job.”

To find out more about Cloudfm’s innovative approach to FM delivery to optimise quality while lowering costs, visit www.cloudfmgroup.com.

Core products combine with new innovations at FIT Show

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RL made the most of its 88 square metre stand at the FIT Show, with visitors keen to learn more about its range of glass balustrade systems, door hardware, shower door hardware, architectural tools and glazier accessories.

The stand showcased a total of 23 displays, with new innovations sitting alongside the company’s core products and grabbing the attention of installers and fabricators. An area of particular interest was the CRL Juliette Balcony System, with its ease of installation and sleek, clean design making it popular among the show’s visitors.

The system comprises a 48.3mm diameter cap rail to secure the glass in position (12mm to 25.52mm thick) and four Balcony Connectors.

Manufactured from 316 Grade www.twitter.com/BFM_Magazine

Stainless Steel, the Juliette Balcony System is available in a choice of a Brushed or Polished Stainless Steel finish, with a modern design and sleek, clean lines.

A further highlight of the stand was the company’s array of shower hinges, now available in a wide choice of finishes, including matt black.

This is the latest finish to be added to the range, introduced in response to trends in interior design. A full range of shower hardware is available in this finish, for a co-ordinated look throughout the bathroom.

Live demonstrations of the company’s glass detectors also took place throughout the show, with a

special offer running for all orders placed until 31st August. CRL’s large selection of glass detectors includes 13 models ranging from a conductive coating detector and metric scale glass thickness laser, through to the “Glass Chek Elite” with an array of features such as easy identification of glass, spacer and thickness of laminate inner-layer and up to quad pane windows.

For more details call CRL on 01706 863600 or visit www.crlaurence.co.uk News

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Instant win for installers with new ADEY promotion

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aving won a Queen’s Award for its innovative range of high performance chemicals, ADEY is having a right royal celebration with the launch of a new promotion in major merchants.

From 1 June to 30 September, installers who purchase a 500ml bottle of ADEY’s MC1+ Protector, MC3+ Cleaner or any of the RAPIDE range, could instantly win one of more than 1,500 prizes and be entered into a monthly prize draw to win a £2,000 holiday.

Instant prizes include vouchers for Cineworld, Starbucks, Pizza Express, Halfords, GasAppUK memberships as well as ADEY Water Test Kits and discounts on parts and spares orders.

All installers need to do to find out if

they’re a winner is enter the serial number from the bottle on www. adey.com/checkmychemicals Every entry received will also be put into a free monthly prize draw to win a holiday worth up to £2,000.

“It was a great achievement to see our chemicals recognised with a Queen’s Award this year so we’ve launched this promotion to invite our customers to celebrate with us and win some fantastic prizes. It’s also a brilliant way of encouraging installers to ensure they’re using the most effective chemicals available, paying dividends for them and the systems they maintain,” says ADEY CEO, John Vaughan.

Look out for posters in all participating major merchants or

for more information visit www. adey.com/checkmychemicals

The Smarter Choice for Businesses

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hen we stereotype ‘the professional business’ in an idyllic sense, many of us would associate them with the utmost of efficiency, perceiving them to pay attention to every ounce of detail that could possibly effect the brand and its balance sheet.

However, it seems we’re being deceived. Although commercially minded by nature, there are many operations that aren’t functioning in such a manner, which is significantly hindering their profitability.

Regardless of the sector from which a company operates, there are numerous undistinguishable variables that need appropriately managing in order for proficiency to be achieved, allowing them to perform the services in which they specialise to the highest of standards.

One of the most vital components where financial leakages exist, is the ‘fixed premises’ asset, such as an office, warehouse or retail environment. Regardless of which category, they each have the same dependencies, but equally face similar disruptive and inconvenient dilemmas that interrupt the day-to-day running of a business and ultimately effects sales and profitability.

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Looking to rectify such challenges is Mick George Ltd. Already providing a multitude of service provisions across varied disciplines, the business has spotted a gap in the market, and has decided to bundle its offerings together, producing an all-encompassing ‘Facility Management’ package.

The concept is not to dissimilar to that provided in isolation by other firms, but the huge benefit here is the ability to amalgamate multiple services, that wouldn’t be conceived possible anywhere else. From waste management, building and grounds maintenance, electrical or plumbing installations, right through too regulatory asbestos surveys, they’ve got it covered and can provide a bespoke package just for you.

Recognising that each commercial outfit will require differing levels of service, Mick George Ltd has cleverly devised three separate annual contracts types, which correspond to the degree of interaction that the company has with its clients. Irrespective of which agreement is reserved, the new 24hr response service is sure to be a major advantage.

Many high profile organisations

are already using the service, they consist of large multinational chains such as Subway, to regional football clubs like Cambridge United FC, right through to independent parties like Huntingdon Racecourse.

Abigail Johnson, Commercial Manager at Mick George Ltd commented: ‘’As a business we possess a wealth of skillsets, so the ‘Facility Management’ provision was a natural progression. We established quickly that there was an opportunity to offer a collective ‘suite’ of services that would prove beneficial for many commercial clients, preventing them to seek remote assistance for issues related to the workplace.’’

Johnson continued: ‘’Clients can have complete peace of mind that their works are being completed by a reputable brand, but more importantly the appreciation that they no longer have the time and cost inconvenience of trawling for several resources to resolve any issues.’’ www.mickgeorge.co.uk

Building & Facilities Management – June/July 2017

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Imtech and Harrogate District NHS Foundation Trust Collaborate to Successfully Deliver Energy Savings

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mtech and Harrogate District Hospital have recently unveiled a new Energy Centre, following a programme of improvements to the mechanical and electrical infrastructure. The enhanced systems will deliver guaranteed savings of over £15m in the next 25 years (approx. £635,000 per annum) directly benefitting frontline care for the hospital.

Over the last 18 months Harrogate’s Estates Team and Imtech’s engineering teams have been working within the Carbon Energy Fund (CEF) framework to identify, design, specify and install numerous improvements to the mechanical and electrical systems across the hospital, with the guaranteed savings providing not only financial and carbon benefits to the Trust but also a significant reduction in the Trust backlog. These initiatives include: • Installing a new electrical infrastructure consisting of High Voltage substation and generator network. This has improved the resilience of the electrical systems on site and created more capacity.

• Replacing expired boilers with new high efficiency dual fuel steam boilers combined with a CHP and waste heat composite boiler. With the introduction of a new absorption chiller, the heat can be used during the summer months when less is required, thereby improving the system’s energy efficiency. The CHP system also provides the ability to export electricity back into the Electrical Distribution Network at peak times to maximise savings.

• Replacement of old light fittings for energy efficient LED lighting throughout the site. This provides annual electricity cost savings and patients have benefitted from a more natural, stable light.

Also, through taking time to discuss requirements in various locations, the team were able www.twitter.com/BFM_Magazine

to make 20% of light fittings redundant, as some wards were deemed to be too bright. This project is maintenance free for the next five years due to the lifecycle of approximately 9,000 LED light fittings.

• Imtech’s innovative approach was realised in a solution to utilise waste heat, created by the main system. Usually lost into the atmosphere, this heat is rerouted to the top deck of the hospital car park and reused within the underfloor heating system to de-ice the surface, eliminating gritting costs.

Ensuring the new infrastructure successfully delivers on its guarantees for the next 25 years is the responsibility of Imtech Inviron, the technical facilities management arm of Imtech. Imtech Inviron’s experienced engineers will ensure the continual optimisation of the systems through the implementation of a planned preventative and reactive maintenance regime across the Harrogate Hospital site.

The savings will be monitored constantly over the 25 year period to prove that the savings have been achieved, with continual independent monitoring and verification by the CEF all for the Trust’s benefit.

Phil Sturdy, Deputy Director of

Estates, Harrogate & District NHS Foundation Trust commented: “This scheme will support the Trust in continuing to deliver high quality patient care supported by robust engineering infrastructure, capacity to support future clinical developments, reduced backlog maintenance obligations and reduction in energy costs and emissions in line with its Carbon Management Plan.”

Noel Clancy, Managing Director, Imtech Inviron said: “It is extremely rewarding to be involved in this project that will make such a difference to NHS funds for frontline care. Low carbon solutions are a key sector for us and following the successful installation of the new infrastructure services at Harrogate, we look forward to delivering the maintenance regime for the next 25 years. I am confident our specialist team will continue to innovate and ensure the systems are fully optimised to deliver the guaranteed savings.”

Peter Fairclough Director of CEF said “We are also delighted with the success of this scheme, which we see as a template for how significant backlog issues can be addressed by using the CEF financial model and contract, and we look forward to proving the savings work throughout the term of the contract.”

For more information please visit www.imtech.co.uk.

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Health & Safety

Playing with Risk – The Case for Digital Mobile Radio Research reveals just one-in-five FM managers have ‘full confidence’ in their communication systems when it comes to keeping workers and visitors safe.

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rom ensuring day-to-day operations run like clockwork to making certain that the safety staff and facility visitors are not compromised in the event of an emergency, the strategic priorities that face today’s facility professionals are many and varied.

Top of the list of responsibilities is an ever present need to put in place systems and processes to ensure workers stay safe at all times. And that means being able to depend on reliable two-way communications that make it possible to monitor employee wellbeing as they go about daily tasks - or respond fast to incidents and emergencies.

But, as the findings of a recent survey by innovative two-way radio manufacturer Hytera show, 12

Health & Safety

many UK businesses admit to struggling with inadequate systems that make it difficult to guarantee instant communication at all times.

Even more worryingly, one-in-four employees lacked any safety-critical communications at all, while 54% of employees were left working alone in hazardous conditions or remote locations without Lone Worker support.

Mobile phones prove unreliable and costly Nearly 82% of survey participants confirmed that

workers in their organisation were heavily reliant on mobile phones as their primary communication system in the field. Yet many acknowledged this dependency was not best suited to ensuring worker safety.

Poor or unreliable mobile coverage was identified as a primary issue.

In the event of an outage, 28% of respondents either had no contingency plan or were reliant on workers somehow finding an alternative signal in order to resume communications.

Little wonder that just 21% of all respondents had full confidence in their communications system when it came to assuring worker safety.

Alongside poor mobile coverage, concerns were also raised that mobile phones acted as a potential distraction for workers and also represented an unnecessary additional cost burden to the business.

Building & Facilities Management – June/July 2017

Health & Safety Worker safety at risk of compromise The survey findings also highlight how many UK organisations put workers at risk of being unable to instantly alert colleagues should an incident arise.

In the event of an emergency, less than onethird (31%) offered workers Lone Worker alert technology, either within a two-way radio or a separate device. And while under half (42%) of the organisations surveyed had provided workers with analogue or digital twoway radio handsets, in the majority of instances these were primarily being used in a traditional radio-to-radio manner for simple voice communications.

Of those organisations using twoway radios, less than half (43%) said workers were able to take advantage of a dedicated Emergency Button or Priority Communication Channel in the event of an incident, while just 25% were protected by automatic ‘Man Down’ features. Just 22% were using GPS tracking to monitor the movements of personnel to protect them whilst in the field.

These findings indicate that organisations either don’t have the appropriate advanced worker safety functionality within their two-way radios, or are failing to take advantage of the full capabilities on offer.

This was despite the fact that 60% of organisations said that radio users were operating hazardous machinery, 53% were working at height, and 40% were public-facing.

The case for next-generation digital mobile radio (DMR) Survey participants had workforces that operate in a diverse variety of environments, including remote, noisy or inherently hazardous locations. For some workers, lone working was a standard feature of their day-to-day activities; for others, interaction with members of the public was a regular requirement.

www.twitter.com/BFM_Magazine

Protecting employees at work was a priority for the organisations surveyed. Yet many appear to be struggling with the challenge of providing staff with reliable coverage across sites or to maintain the continuous information flows required to keep people both productive and safe.

Despite the plethora of communication tools in use, organisations admitted to being fearful they can’t guarantee employees would be able to communicate fast in the event of an incident or emergency. Indeed, only one-in-five businesses claimed to have ‘full confidence’ in their communication systems, and less than a third offer employees dedicated Lone Worker communication features – Man Down, Group Call and Emergency buttons

– that would inform colleagues where they are, when they are alone or when they are in trouble.

Today’s advanced DMR radio systems can significantly improve an organisation’s communications capability and responsiveness, delivering real-time location awareness of all users, emergency prioritisation and pre-determined alerts and all important Lone Worker or Man Down functionality that deliver a user’s location with pinpoint GPS accuracy via their handsets. All of which would enable senior facilities professionals to gain greater oversight over health and safety responsibilities.

To view the full research and to find out how Hytera can help you develop a communications system to fulfill your requirements visit hytera.co.uk/potential-of-dmr Health & Safety

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Portable & Modular Buildings Modular office accommodation provided by Actavo Building Solutions at Bristol Temple Meads Railway station, for Signalling Solutions (market leader in train-controlled solutions).

Within five years, over half of all construction projects will be built offsite1.

Far from being a lesser alternative to traditional methods, the high-quality of modular construction is now so integrated into UK construction that it is difficult to single out which buildings have been built using traditional or modular methods.

At UK rail stations, modules are the new ‘bricks and mortar’, with Oxford Railway Station being just one example.

Matthew Goff, director of UK operations at Actavo | Building Solutions, explains how rail can cut construction costs: 14

Portable & Modular Buildings

Modular building cuts rail construction costs Great British rail in the 21st century

The £56bn, High Speed 2 (HS2) puts UK construction well on our way to becoming the global leader in the rail sector.

By 2025, the global construction market is predicted to grow by over 70% and the UK needs to fight for its fair share of that growth.

When the government launched Construction 2025 – a joint strategy which sets out how the construction industry and government will work together to put the UK at the forefront of global construction – it did so with ambitious targets.

Stating that by 2025, the construction industry needs to cut both its initial and whole-life costs of built assets by 33%, it also says construction needs to be 50% faster, deliver 50% lower carbon emissions and reduce the trade gap between total exports and imports by 50%.

Offsite building methods fits well with rail construction Manufacturers’ investments in the research and development of modular buildings started to pay back some years ago. They have brought world-class buildings to the UK’s rail industry which are not only higher in their environmental performance than a traditional build, but can also be as aesthetically pleasing.

Offsite construction offers numerous benefits to the rail sector; new stations, trackside and non-trackside, can all be delivered in short time-frames and with financial

1 https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/analysis/expert-opinion/ modular-construction-cast-in-leading-2017-role/10015841.article

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Portable & Modular Buildings

savings – that’s the difference modular methods make. Modular is also built to the same, if not higher, sustainability standards as traditional methods, including BREEAM. If you couple all these benefits with modular’s more nimble approach which means it adapts to changes in specification more quickly than traditional bricks and mortar, the rail sector is set to win all round.

Complete turnkey solutions delivered using offsite construction methods could be the rail sector’s answer to reducing its costs and construction programmes.

World-class health and safety benefits HS2 is one of the world’s largest construction projects, and health and safety is one its core values.

As HS2 is working with a broad group of contractors, suppliers and manufacturers, it has established a unique, belief-based health and safety brand – Safe At Heart. This culture puts safety at the heart of building the railway and reflects that the health www.twitter.com/BFM_Magazine

Trackside, two-storey modular office accommodation in Wolverhampton by Actavo Building Solutions (for Alstom Transport, a global leader in rail systems, equipment and services).

and wellbeing of the collective is at the heart of everything they do.

There are many health and safety benefits associated with modular building due to the controlled, factory environment in which they are manufactured. The factory-based setting provides cleaner, safer working conditions and safety requirements can be easily met and policed.

There is also a reduced risk of trips, slips and falls, particularly as work at height is reduced and manual handling and lifting of goods is limited.

Actavo is leading the construction revolution from the front In 2016, Plimsoll Analysis named Actavo | Building Solutions as the UK’s fastest-growing modular building company for the past three years running (2014-2017). Additionally, Actavo was one of the first modular

building companies to fully implement BIM Level 2 into its business.

Actavo | Building Solutions brings a wealth of experience and expertise to help the rail sector capitalise on the benefits of offsite construction methods and has been operating in the UK since 2009. In that time, Actavo has worked with Alstom, Signalling Solutions and Network Rail to deliver both trackside and non-trackside offsite solutions.

Most recently, Actavo was appointed to design and build Oxford Railway Station’s new train operating company (TOC) building. A twophase, 18-week project, the building forms part of the proposed £75m Oxford Railway Station upgrade.

Now viewed as the modern, innovative, construction method of choice in the rail sector, modular building offers both robust quality and speed of build with minimal disruption.

For more information, please visit: www.actavo.com/buildings.

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Roof warranties: Seeing the big picture in the small print John Hynes, Head of Safe Access at Fixfast, considers how taking a closer look at roof system warranties could unlock more value for building owners and managers.

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n average, a commercial roof lasts 20 to 30 years and typically accounts for 5% of initial build cost.

For building owners, the return on investment from this important long-term asset can vary significantly depending on how it is managed over its lifetime.

The total ROI from a roof is determined by a number of factors.

Of course, the quality of the design and construction of the roof itself is key. But life-cycle costs like its energy performance, durability, maintenance and repair requirements can account for five times the upfront capital expenditure. So, building owners and managers should be including the roof in any ongoing strategies for minimising the total cost of ownership of the building.

But that’s not always the case.

It seems, when it comes to roofs, out of sight often means out of mind. Aided, in no small part, by the warranties given by roof system manufacturers and installers. Just as they’re intended to, these warranties are giving peace of mind to owners in terms of the upkeep required to the roof.

This means too many building owners, and the managers they employ, are underestimating their responsibilities for maintaining and repairing their roofs. There is a common misconception that long-term warranties, while potentially very valuable, are insurance policies that cover virtually any roofing problem, regardless of 16

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cause or circumstance. But the small print on the vast majority of these guarantees tells a different story.

Once signed, warranties actually commit owners to carry out regular inspections and maintenance to their roofs. Not doing so invalidates these agreements and exposes the owner to potentially much higher costs in the event of failure of the roof system.

So what should facilities executives be doing to preserve the cover within their warranties and prolong the useful life of their roof?

Firstly, the detailed specifications of any warranties held should be checked. Most stipulate, as a minimum; annual inspections, prompt repairs if defects are found, that debris is removed on a regular basis, any coatings are periodically maintained – and that good records of all this are kept. If there’s no hard

evidence that the roof has been maintained, making an irrefutable case when claiming against the warranty becomes very difficult.

A preventive and routine maintenance programme should be designed around these specifications.

As well as meeting the obligations within warranties, preventative maintenance enables owners to identify and remedy problems before they escalate in severity and cost.

In fact, implementing a proactive maintenance programme should be seen as an opportunity to unlock the roof’s full value. Studies have shown that by carrying out planned repairs as opposed to emergency repairs, the expected life of the roof nearly doubles and maintenance costs can be halved over its lifetime.

Any roof inspection should look at the roof, of course, but also the associated fixings and fabrications.

Weaknesses in the integrity of the overall roof structure are usually found at junctions, joins and where equipment has been installed. So the facilities manager should also consider developing a roof plan

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that maps all this equipment, and the locations of any prior leaks or repairs, to aid inspection.

Lastly, carrying out these inspections and any resulting maintenance should be made as easy and cost effective as possible. The facilities manager’s aim should be to encourage adherence to warranty conditions by removing any barriers to frequent inspection. Installing permanent height safety and safe access equipment is a good way to do this, as they allow in-house maintenance personnel to carry out inspections. Modular access ladders and rooftop guardrails minimise the need for temporary access systems like cherry pickers, and the use of specialist contractors – both of which require more involved planning and greater cost. So it makes sense to consider permanent safe access provision as part of the design brief for a new building or extension, or when refurbishments of older buildings are being scoped. In either of these instances, specialist fall protection suppliers can offer facilities managers useful guidance on the specific access and safety requirements of their building.

While easier access has been found to promote more frequent rooftop maintenance, there is another very good reason for building managers to take a considered approach to maintenance and access; preserving the safety of the employees, site visitors and contractors working at height. Indeed, statistics from the Health & Safety Executive show that, in 2015/2016, there were over 37,000 falls from height in the UK, resulting in 6,500 injuries – 37 of these were fatal.

So, as the expression goes; ‘a stitch in time saves nine’. For building owners and managers looking to maximise ROI, protect valuable warranties and minimise lifetime costs, it is wise to take a well-planned approach to managing their roof that works over the long term. www.fixfast.com www.twitter.com/BFM_Magazine

Safeguard’s Drybase Flex provides sheet barrier to damp

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rybase Flex Membrane from Safeguard – the UK’s leading specialist in damp-proofing and waterproofing technology – is the latest product in the company’s Drybase Damp-Proof Coatings range and is designed for direct application to floors and walls that have been affected by dampness and salt contamination; and when it is not possible to stop the damp at its source.

Safeguard’s Drybase Damp-Proof Coatings range offers a wide range of practical solutions and applications when it is difficult to create or reinstate damp-proof courses or tackle penetrating damp because of, for example, access issues.

A watertight, low-profile sheet membrane solution to the problem of persistent damp, Drybase Flex Membrane is a highly durable and flexible means of protection against moisture ingress which can be quickly and easily applied to walls using specially-formulated Drybase Flex Adhesive.

One considerable advantage of this installation technique to the contractor, compared to the manual fixing of pegged membranes, is that it removes the need for power tools and the health and safety concerns of noise, dust and vibration associated with them.

The membrane is a 1.5mm thick flexible polypropylene sheet with a fleeced surface on both sides and can be plastered or tiled onto directly. The two fleeces ensure good adhesion to the wall through the adhesive, as well as the direct application of plaster. Drybase Flex Adhesive is a polymer modified cement-based

product supplied in powder form ready to be mixed with water, and applied using a suitable trowel.

The flexibility of the product allows for building movement without its integrity being compromised; while its being applied straight the substrate obviates the need for plugs and reduces reliance on power tools, with all the noise and vibration they entail.

The Drybase Damp-Proof Coatings range from Safeguard Europe is designed for use when it is not possible to protect building materials and interior surfaces from the sources of dampness, like rain penetration or rising damp. A collection of damp-proof coverings, coatings and membranes; the range aims to provide solutions to a wide range of dampness issues, whether in small residential properties through to larger industrial facilities.

Safeguard Europe’s range of market-leading, proven dampproofing solutions is supported by the company’s own highly qualified and experienced staff. The support and know-how they offer is extended to contractors, specifiers and property owners and includes technical advice, specification help, research and even in-house laboratory analysis of plaster and masonry.

Email: info@safeguardeurope.com www.safeguardeurope.com Building & Refurbishment

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Building & Refurbishment

Surge in electro-mechanical hardware makes ongoing FM training more important than ever Allegion UK Commercial Leader Pete Hancox suggests that facilities management training needs to keep pace with rapidly developing building technologies for building and occupant wellbeing.

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n the UK, the staff who manage our facilities can come from all walks of life. Ask any facilities manager about how they got into the trade, and then go and ask another, and you will more than likely get two different answers.

Why is this? Traditionally, people in the Facilities Management sector have often ‘fallen into’ the industry, explained the FMJ (Facilities Management Journal) in their ‘From the tools: The Making of the Manager?’ feature (March 2017). Our facilities managers could have worked their way up from frontline positions such as cleaning, catering, engineering or security. Increasingly, we can also see academic graduates choosing facilities management roles, too.

To become a facilities manager, the UK’s National Careers Service website simply states that “there are no set requirements, but you’ll usually need a qualification in facilities management.”

Once you become a facilities manager, bodies like the British Institute of Facilities Management and Royal Institute of British Architects can provide training and CPD courses, but it is all optional to development – there is no legal requirement to train.

This is in stark contrast to other professions where wellbeing is concerned. Take gas engineers, for instance. Gas engineers in the UK, according to a leading jobs website, 18

Building & Refurbishment

reed.co.uk, must have relevant qualifications, usually an NVQ Level 3 in Gas Installation, and also be Gas Safe registered. Apprenticeship is a common route for attaining a gas engineer position, too.

Of course, diversity in our industry is welcome, and diversity is known to bring outside-of-the-box solutions. However when we start comparing the two professions, we can start to see how gas engineers will be ‘singing from the same hymn sheet,’ whereas our facilities managers could be working from all manner of different pages.

For the future of facilities management, this very diversity could potentially be harming our buildings, and our occupants’ wellbeing, as opposed to aiding them. We could be creating an environment where knowledge levels, procedures, best practices and the way building hardware solutions are selected is all different and varied.

While it could be years before we reach a standardised route similar to that of gas engineers, we should at least be encouraging our facilities managers to complete ongoing training, particularly to keep pace with daily developments.

The Electro-Mechanical Game Changer We are now coming to a stage in the door hardware industry where development is rapidly overtaking existing knowledge. Electromechanical ‘smart’ hardware means the ability to unlock doors from phones, control access to secure areas and remotely lockdown, these are all functions that would be greatly beneficial in any facility manager’s life.

Fully integrated building solutions and biometrics are also becoming more readily available and affordable, so that we can give our facilities managers greater

control over their buildings, as well as scalability for the future.

Choosing the right solution is a lot more difficult though, one which requires a comprehensive analysis of the building, the users, the ongoing maintenance and the ability to upscale or upgrade in future.

Ongoing training is crucial in this respect. Without a proper understanding of the technology, it can be quite easy to make a decision that is not beneficial to the long term sustainability of the building.

For the facilities management team, it can eventually lead back to compromising health and safety.

A case in point happened as recently as 2016, when a fire door in a hospital that was fitted with a self-closing device shut on an elderly patient, causing injury.

Unfortunately, this injury contributed to that patient’s death. Intended to be an aid for the door, it has instead caused accident and a tragedy.

After the case, the Department of Health suggested that risk assessments should be carried out on all fire door closing devices to assess appropriate closing times, taking into account the occupancy of the building. For facilities managers who are ‘self-taught’ and have little knowledge in these electro-magnetic devices and risk assessments, we can immediately see how ongoing training in this area will benefit them.

The impact on health and safety compliance Without question, the role of the facilities manager is to guarantee the health and safety of occupants, and there are strict guidelines and classifications to door hardware that must be met.

However, the varying level and difference in understanding of door hardware leads to different

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ideas between the supply chain.

Architects strive for the aesthetic; facilities managers must comply with health and safety regulations but also meet budgets; installers and contractors look for products that are retrofit, or quick and easy to install, and choice of hardware becomes based on those factors.

As a result, while compliance standards can be met, these competing forces mean the solution or hardware that is chosen may not be best for the users.

Fire doors are another area that require debate and thought. Heavy in nature, but a necessity to fire safety, they can become dangerous when the hardware used with them does not facilitate easy passage or use. Primary school children may not have the strength to push open doors, while www.twitter.com/BFM_Magazine

in care homes, mobility and escape in a fire situation becomes an issue.

The easy, perhaps even costeffective, option would be to select a manual fire door closer, compliant to the weight of the fire door. However, we would advise in these situations to help those building occupants by choosing an electromagnetic door closer instead that is linked to the fire alarm system. In this way, you can legally hold open fire doors, aid daily passage and use, reduce wear and tear and still stay within compliance.

Another case where an electromechanical device could potentially have prevented injury occurred in 2015, where a mother claims her five-year-old daughter lost part of her finger in a fire door at school after being left unsupervised.

Margaret Chan’s daughter got her finger caught in the heavy fire door at Cuddington Croft Primary School in Cheam, Surrey. The incident is claimed to have occurred after the child was left unattended after being “sent back into the school building toilet alone unsupervised via a classroom where there are two fire doors”, said Margaret. The school could not tell the mother what had happened, as the incident was ‘unwitnessed’ (Daily Mail, 2015).

Short-term costs, long-term gains As with all training, there is an associated cost. It can be hard to see past this cost if benefits are viewed as minimal or not even applicable to current situations. In facilities management, it is even harder to see why we need training in disciplines such as biometrics or computeraided systems, when traditionally these applications have only been used in select, sensitive buildings.

However, we as manufacturers are constantly exploring technology that can enhance door hardware capabilities and the customer experience, simply because it is our duty to continue innovating for the better. Technologically enhanced door hardware will soon be more accepted as the norm as we become accustomed to the benefits it offers, as well as if costs on such hardware continues to fall.

Therefore, if we do not encourage our facilities managers to train, in the end we are ultimately costing more to our buildings, and to the welfare of our occupants, than the initial outlay of training may be suggesting.

For more, visit www.allegion.com.

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Building & Refurbishment

Dura Cladding Helps New Landmark Development at Rushden Lakes Achieve its Sustainability Goals

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omposite Timber Dura Cladding has been chosen for an exciting new retail, leisure and tourism destination in the Nene Valley. The Rushden Lakes site near Northampton is due to open in Summer 2017 and is the largest out-of-town scheme of its kind in a decade.

HPW Architecture led the design and development of the masterplan for the project, which is set in an area of outstanding natural beauty and centres around restoring public access to a network of lakes, as well as offering unrivalled shopping and leisure facilities.

As the development is situated adjacent to a Site of Special Scientific Interest and is a designated nature reserve, it was critical that both the design and construction processes embraced the challenges and opportunities provided by the unique setting. In consultation with the Wildlife Trust and Natural England, HPW designed three net-zero energy buildings (NZEBs), which are clad in Dura Cladding from Dura Composites.

Dura Cladding is made from high performance composite timber and is a sustainable alternative to traditional timber made from recycled materials. Dura Cladding is also 100% Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) Certified and offers superb low maintenance properties as well as an attractive finish that looks just like natural wood but doesn’t ever require treating, painting or staining.

The net-zero energy buildings comprise of the Boathouse, Wildlife Trust Visitors Centre and the Management Office which are distinguished from other buildings in the development through the use of Dura Cladding Type 150 Flush in Cedar colour. All three buildings are superinsulated with all required energy for operation generated on-site to keep running costs to a minimum.

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The anchor retail buildings on the terraces including House of Fraser have been part clad in Dura Cladding Type 150 Flush in Grey to provide a contrasting finish whilst retaining the aesthetic look, durability, UV performance and sustainable credentials that the developers were looking for.

Commenting on the project, Gary Wilburn, director of design and sustainability for HPW said;. “This is a unique project and one which we have been delighted to have been involved in right from the concept stage 8 years ago. At HPW we specialise in projects like this where wildlife and the natural surroundings are a key part of the design, and we’re really pleased with the role that the Dura Cladding in both Cedar and Grey have played in helping us maintain that ethos. With a project on this scale it’s important to ensure that the resulting development delivers on all of its promises and the recycled properties of Dura Cladding, together with its FSC® status have helped us to meet our overall sustainability goals. The lowmaintenance benefits of a composite timber cladding combined with the peace of mind provided by the product warranty have contributed towards a genuine legacy for future generations of which we are very proud.”

The first phase of the Rushden Lakes development is due to open in July and will be followed by phase two of the scheme, which includes additional shops,

restaurants and a 14-screen cinema.

Dura Cladding is available to purchase now through International Timber and selected Jewson branches. The products come in 3 widths and 5 attractive colours and appeals to architects, builders, contractors and commercial property developers looking for an aesthetically pleasing, hard-wearing and low maintenance way to finish the exterior of both new and refurbished buildings.

For more information about Dura Composites, visit the website at www. duracomposites.com/cladding For more information on HPW Architecture, please visit the website at www.hpw.co.uk and to view the latest video of the development visit https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=1GFxF5AQClQ

Building & Facilities Management – June/July 2017

The light fantastic

Lighting

Earlier this year, the USA marked Workplace Eye Wellness Month. Jane Embury, marketing director at advanced glazing system supplier Wrightstyle, looks at light in the UK workplace, and why we should all be aware of eyesight issues.

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n the creation, it’s what God made first. You can see it but can’t feel or touch it. Prosaically, it’s electromagnetic radiation within a certain portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Us humans, and most living creatures, see it through our eyes, which are clever photon detectors tuned to observe the visible spectrum.

As we inch closer to fully understanding light, we are already investigating its quirky properties to develop new kinds of encryption codes and next-generation computers – part of the reason why the United Nations designated 2015 as the International Year of Light.

In a building, light has both form and function – from the intimate restaurant to the intensity of a hospital theatre; from the serenity of a cathedral to the floodlit arena of a football stadium. Light possesses absolute functionality with the power to change ambience and transform mood.

However, although we receive the majority of information through our eyes, we can still take light for granted. Too often, particularly in the workplace, its primary importance is still undervalued both in new build and renovation projects.

It’s why in March the USA marks Workplace Eye Wellness Month, to raise awareness of eye strain in the workplace, what can be done by employers and individuals, and how good building design has a fundamental role to play.

Good building design balances form and function in a finished article that looks good from the outside and performs well on the inside.

However, having excellence in both the exterior envelope and the interior lay-out doesn’t necessarily mean that the building will work to optimal effect for its human inhabitants. It www.twitter.com/BFM_Magazine

needs light to function – both natural and artificial – and it needs the right kind of light to function properly.

One reason is that the nature of work has changed in recent years.

We no longer just go to an office to move paper from one horizontal in-tray to another horizontal out-tray.

The laptop and desk-top computer, with their horizontal keyboards and vertical screens, have seen to that.

Building design has certainly evolved to take the computer into consideration with, for example, raised floors and large open-plan spaces. However, what is still not fully recognised in many older buildings – and some new ones – is that the lighting requirements of the computer operator have also changed.

A computer terminal, apart from being vertical, is glossy and luminous.

Studies show that many office workers say that eyestrain is still a serious health hazard in the office.

Not surprising as many workplaces still incorporate lighting systems that were designed for the paperbased office. Simply, poor lighting coming from overhead sources are reflected off computer screens and into the operator’s eyes.

Modern regulations say that the employer has a responsibility to provide “satisfactory light conditions and an appropriate contrast between the screen and background, taking into account the type of work and the vision requirements of the user. Furthermore, possible glare and reflection on the screen shall be prevented by coordinating workplace and workstation layout with the positioning of the artificial light sources.”

It’s all part of what has become known as sick building syndrome (SBS), a catch-all phrase to describe illness, or illnesses, brought on by the buildings we work in. The National Health Service says: “Anyone can be

affected by SBS, but office workers in modern buildings without opening windows and with mechanical ventilation or air conditioning systems are most at risk. The likelihood of experiencing SBS symptoms can be higher if you’re employed in routine work that involves using display screen equipment.”

Importantly, there is a correlation between light and Sick Building Syndrome, because a lack of daylight is regarded as one of the most important contributors to it.

Making better use of daylight is the obvious solution, particularly when it comes to designing new buildings or refurbishment projects, because daylighting is dynamic and changes throughout the day, providing natural variation and connecting us to the outside world.

Most building designers now understand the properties of light, and how a well-designed working environment can boost productivity and morale. But the advantages of using glass in the building environment go further: from reducing heating costs to solar control and, using photovoltaic (PV) cells, converting photons into electrons and, therefore, generating electricity.

Modern glazing systems, with their optical brilliance and safety characteristics, have become as fundamental to good building design as light has always been fundamental to life. After all, it’s why God created it first.

A Health and Safety guide to Display Screen Equipment (DSE) can be found at http://www.hse. gov.uk/pubns/indg36.pdf.

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Lighting

Rugby High School enjoys ‘significantly improved’ illumination from energy saving LED upgrade

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ncreasing instances of lamp failure, a recognition that the quality of the illumination could be better, and a desire to take advantage of energy savings accruing from the latest LED technology informed a recent upgrade at Rugby High School in Warwickshire. The major, sitewide overhaul was undertaken by Energys Group and funded by Utility Rentals’ operational lease scheme.

As the school’s Business Manager, Allan Kerr, explains, “it had been clear for a while that the old lighting was nearing the end of its useful life. Lamps were beginning to fail on a more regular basis, meaning that we were spending more money on replacements and maintenance.

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The comprehensive LED-based lighting upgrade is expected to deliver annual savings of £12.5K and a return on investment of only 4.5 years.

In addition, we were working on plans for a new sports hall, and if we had kept with the existing lighting we would have had to increase our electricity supply.”

Having engaged the services of energy efficiency technology specialist Energys Group to advise on the project, it quickly became clear that a comprehensive LED lighting upgrade would both reduce demand on supply and enable substantial energy savings. Consequently, the two parties began work on a lighting overhaul to encompass the main

hall, music theatre, classrooms, science labs, gym, sports hall, corridors, staircases, communal areas and the languages block.

‘Dramatic improvement’ The resulting installation draws on LED products from across the Energys Group range, and includes tubes, panels, down-lighters, spotlights, wall-lights, outdoor fittings and flood-lights. Mere weeks after the project was completed – with a

Building & Facilities Management – June/July 2017

Lighting minimum of disruption to the operational practices of the school – it was evident to school management and personnel quite how much of an improvement the new systems had delivered.

“For the first few weeks after the deployment staff kept coming up to me to remark upon the new lighting. In particular, the increased standard of illumination in the main hall, gym and science labs was singled out for specific praise,” recalls Kerr.

Whilst the quality of the lighting was immediately apparent, its benefits in terms of energy savings will become more evident over the medium to longterm. As a result of the massive upgrade – which ran to 712 new LED lamps and 575 LED fittings – Energys predicts a return on investment of just 4.5 years. Annual energy savings are expected to total £12.5K and approximately 104,985 kWh’s, with a reduction in CO2 emissions of 55.84 tonnes per year.

Raj Gunasekaran, Business Development Manager at Energys Group, says that “the improvement in lighting conditions across the entire site is very discernible, and of course the energy savings are also going to be very welcome – particularly in the current challenging economic climate for the education sector. But it’s also important to highlight that improved lighting often translates to happier pupils and staff, meaning increased productivity and quality of work.”

‘Brilliant scheme’ However, there is another important element in the mix here and that is the funding provided by Utility Rentals. Having investigated some other schemes but concluded that they were unlikely to deliver the finance in the necessary time-frame,

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Kerr instead applied to the Utility Rentals operational lease initiative, with Energys Group providing guidance and assistance throughout the process.

As Utility Rentals director Steve Mattey explains, the scheme is fast, guaranteed and “available for any school in the country – no matter what size or establishment type. The rental scheme is cash-positive from day one, with repayments covered by the energy costs saved. The repayments are also fixed and won’t go up year on year, and can even be deferred until 12 months after the lighting has been installed.”

The Rugby High School application was successful, and Kerr reports that he was struck by “how straightforward the process proved to be. I am also pleased with the fact that if any failures occur, replacements will be provided at no cost. It really

does take the risk element out of what has been a substantial undertaking.”

Reflecting on the completion of another comprehensive lighting upgrade in the education sector, Gunasekaran says that “the benefits Rugby High School is now experiencing as a result of implementing the latest LED lighting technology are now increasingly commonplace throughout this market.

At Energys we are able to support this transition with a comprehensive range of LED solutions, so it’s no surprise that we have many comparable projects on the agenda for the rest of 2017.” www.energysgroup.com www.utility-rentals.co.uk Lighting

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Bright Future

Zumtobel Global Services research study reveals over £6 billion in energy savings through digital transformation of in-store lighting systems

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new research report – ‘Bright Future’ – from lighting solutions expert Zumtobel Group Services (ZGS), has identified £billions of savings that UK Retail could be making from digital transformation of their lighting systems through to 2025.

Retailers are looking to digitally transform their in-store lighting systems, first and foremost in order to save energy and reduce maintenance costs. However, digital transformation of the lighting system also provides a ready-made network on which to mount sensor-based and data-based technologies that are fundamental to creating the smart store of the future, where the retail environment ‘talks back’ to retail managers, where many tasks can be automated, and where the customer experience can be enhanced and personalised.

The new ZGS report estimates that UK Retail could be saving almost £6.3 billion through to the middle of the next decade, as a result of digitalised lighting systems. The report was compiled by modelling a series of real-life examples across the whole of the UK Retail sector, taking into account existing market penetration of digital lighting transformation.

Previous estimates of savings from digital lighting transformation have simply looked at the value of energy savings from conversion to LED. The ZGS report, importantly, sizes the net savings that a retailer can achieve, after including the cost of technology transformation. In other words, the report estimates real benefit to a retailer’s bottom line.

An increasing number of pioneering retailers are achieving 24

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this transformation through solutions known as lighting-as-a-service. In these arrangements, the lighting solutions provider bundles the cost of digital lighting solutions into a single, all-embracing monthly fee, across an agreed contractual period. This means that digital lighting technology, installation, maintenance and service are all delivered for a capped monthly cost which cannot escalate, and where expert technicians do not have to be recruited in-house.

Equally, because the solution delivers energy and maintenance savings in excess of the monthly fee, the digital transformation is achieved without the retailer having to commit a penny of capital – a critically important factor in a sector typified by slim margins.

As new innovations come on to the market, the solutions provider will incorporate them into the lightingas-a-service arrangements, so that the retailer does not get left with obsolete or out-of-date technology, and can rapidly develop its lighting network into the sensor-based digital infrastructure that is the foundation of smart stores of the future.

Darren Riva, Sales Director at ZGS, comments, “Even the conservative estimates used in our research report produce a figure that is extremely eye-catching for the CFO. This is one of those rare opportunities where upgrading to a new digital generation of technology can pay for itself through the savings that technology generates. The ability of the ‘as-aservice’ model to remove any need for capital expenditure is something that a body of retail pioneers have already latched onto, in order to deliver technical improvement and immediate contribution to the bottom line.” www.zumtobelgroup.com Darren Riva

Building & Facilities Management – June/July 2017

Cleaning & Hygiene

5 People to Help Rescue Communal Bin Areas

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e see time and time again the problem of communal refuse areas within shared developments being misused. This is usually within residential apartment blocks, although just as possible within business premises as well; it’s an issue that can suddenly escalate to critical and end up creating complications for those involved.

Take a recent example of an outside bin store area at a newbuild residential development with apartment blocks. Within a week over a busy holiday period rubbish piled up so high that not only was it causing health and hygiene issues, but the usual bin collection by the local authority had stopped because they simply could not access the area.

So nothing else is being removed, more rubbish continues to pile up (and in actual fact can attract more when left untidy), and various residents and related contractors becoming concerned about how to find the culprit and quickly deal with the issue.

To effectively resolve, it’s often a team effort and in particular 5 different interests: 1. Cleaners We appreciate the role of cleaners, and the reality that they’re often the supplier attending site most frequently, and needing to provide a service that clearly has visible results.

Although the general clear and upkeep of such refuse areas is often not within their usual remit, they can at least visually check and immediately report any emerging issues.

This can even include details of individuals seen causing the rubbish or contact details left on any packaging, all within effective data protection procedures, and they can help with any easy-wins such as moving large items away or simple collection of items in bin bags. www.twitter.com/BFM_Magazine

2. Landscapers Whoever is maintaining outside areas, usually a form of gardener or landscaper, is often the best supplier to maintain and clean the communal bin store areas, even if within internal areas like basement car parks. They’re used to getting their hands dirty so to speak, and can usually arrange suitable removal of rubbish through authorised means.

Therefore make sure they’re regularly checking as well as reacting to issues within these areas, can help report any potential culprits, and arrange any additional measures such as skips and drain clears.

3. Refuse Collectors This is often the local authority with residential properties, or private suppliers for commercial premises. Unfortunately they often only literally clear what bins they can easily access, excluding any piled-up rubbish, and needing room to move any bins on wheels to their vehicles.

In addition to making sure this can happen on set collection days, be ready for those times when they can’t, and any additional call-out clears needed by them or other suppliers, and any basis of amended charges to reflect a reduced service.

4. Handymen They’re worth their weight in gold to help problem solve, whether it’s quickly fixing a lock and hinge on a gate, installing signs and notices, or simply checking and helping co-ordinate matters.

Sometimes other contractors will try and muscle in on these roles for an additional source of business, but always make sure they have the correct skill set, response time, and fair rates before going ahead.

5. Property & Facilities Managers They’re the glue to effectively running a property, and where the buck often stops. They ideally should have good communication lines to each contractor, and clearly state where contractors need to work and communicate directly together, and being clear with Purchase Orders and requirements.

Little things like contractors helping to take photos on site of the messed-up area in question, and being easily able to update concerned residents and occupiers is key, often all within a tight timescale and budget.

The ideal situation for a nice clear bin store area is therefore to be ahead of the game and pro-active, and reduce the likelihood of rubbish even piling up in the first place. Effective communication to all occupiers and parties, regular checks, and a good team on standby to nip in the bud early on can work a treat.

However, when you’re left to react to a messy communal bin store area, maybe after a holiday period where residents are home with visitors and leaving more rubbish, then don’t panic. Deal quickly and effectively through a combined approach, and make sure it doesn’t escalate further, with the root cause then being identified and dealt with.

Easy Cleaners are local cleaners with an active blog of tips and tricks for commercial and domestic cleaning. www.easycleanersbirmingham. co.uk/blog Cleaning & Hygiene

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Cleaning & Hygiene

Venue hygiene Cleanline is an exclusive brand of professional cleaning products and systems from Bunzl Catering Supplies, manufactured in the UK and designed specifically for the catering and hospitality industry.

We interviewed Rod Hale, National Account Manager Exclusive Brands, Bunzl Catering Supplies:

Q. What does a venue’s hygiene say about it to customers?

People often judge the quality of an establishment by its cleanliness, and no more so than in the washroom area.

Toilets and urinals should be spotless and fresh. For toilets we recommend Cleanline acid lime scale remover as it can be used in hard water areas. All urinals need urinal blocks because they act continuously to clean and fragrance.

Q. Which are the most important parts of a venue to be kept clean – bedrooms, toilets, kitchen, etc.?

It’s a fact that commercial kitchens can get very dirty. Surfaces need to be regularly cleaned and sanitised, equipment needs to be washed so it’s free from contamination and floors need to be clean and dry to prevent slippages. Throughout the shift, after the shift, end of the day, weekly, monthly and annual cleaning tasks should be structured and highlighted to your staff, so they are aware of their responsibilities and when tasks need completing. Some cleaning jobs should be done several times a day, while others need to only be done weekly or monthly. Regular cleaning of your kitchen is essential for food safety and can help reduce food waste, lowering overall menu costs.

The new Cleanline colour-coded professional kitchen kit makes two-stage cleaning in the kitchen simpler and more cost-effective for catering and hospitality businesses of all sizes.

Q. How important is staff training when it comes to hygiene? Is it worth hiring professional cleaners to do the work?

Good practical training is a major factor in getting the best out of cleaning products. If new starters are not shown exactly what to do as soon as they start, then they will simply do what they think is best and quickly establish a routine of bad practices. On the first day, new employees would benefit from a visit to the cleaning store with an explanation of what each product is for, followed by an overview of the daily cleaning regime.

Q. What technological advances have been made in the hygiene world in recent months?

What effect have they had?

The Cleanline COSHH training and product resource e-learning website is available to help employees use cleaning products safely, and in a manner compliant with Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH).

It does this by providing free COSHH awareness training through a selection of videos and multiplechoice questions, and can be completed online in under 15 minutes. Successful completion of the training is automatically flagged to a customer administrator, who can access and download user reports via the Admin

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Building & Facilities Management – June/July 2017

Cleaning & Hygiene

tab. Perfect for regular COSHH awareness training or completed as part of an induction; new starters can be COSHH aware even before stepping on site.

Q. What advice would you offer to operators looking to keep their venues clean?

• Choose your chemical supplier carefully Many chemical suppliers include a comprehensive support package in the price of their products.

This can be made up of practical training, COSHH training, maintenance visits, emergency call outs, wall charts and dispensing equipment. Make sure you’re getting the best value for money.

• Safety Data Sheets Make sure you have one for every cleaning product in use and that everybody knows where they are kept in case there’s an emergency.

• Use colour coded cleaning products With over one hundred languages spoken in the British workplace today, it is impossible to have so many written instructions for using cleaning products. Liquid cleaning products that are the same colour as their labels, dispensers and wall chart references are universally understood.

• Use concentrated products Mixing concentrated products with water on site with a chemical dispenser is not only the most cost effective way of cleaning, it is also greener than using domestic type ready-to-use products. Constant re-use of trigger sprays means less plastic for landfill, less transportation, fewer fossil fuels used and a smaller carbon footprint.

Super concentrated cleaning products in the Cleanline Super range are diluted through wallmounted dosing systems for ultimate control and measurable cost in use. Diluted at point of use, super concentrate products use reduced packaging waste, take up less space on a vehicle, reducing the impact on the environment.

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• Make sure your products are at the correct strength It’s a common myth that a stronger product does a better job, but with an alkali based floor cleaner for example, too strong a solution will leave an unsightly white deposit. Use the right items to apply the products with; if you use a damp cloth to apply glass polish it will result in visible smudges – clean, dry disposable paper is best.

• Ensure that the FSA’s Two Stage Clean advice is understood and enacted The Food Standards Agency’s Two Stage Clean guidelines are clear: Stage 1 is cleaning food preparation surfaces. Stage 2 is sanitising those surfaces. Train your staff to carry out two distinct and separate jobs.

• Water Softener It easy to forget to maintain this vital piece of equipment. Make sure that replenishing it with salt is part of the routine and get it serviced regularly. Hard water leads to tannin staining, poor results and wrecks expensive dishwashers.

• Allocate routine cleaning tasks to individuals If individuals have ownership of specific tasks, personal pride and accountability increase the likelihood of a good job being completed. www.bunzlcatering.co.uk

Cleaning & Hygiene

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What students should do right now to get their deposit back

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ith the academic year drawing to a close, Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) is beginning to see the annual movement of students from their rented properties. Starting in late May, the high point of deposits tenancies coming to an end is late September/early October.

40% of students who lease their accommodation don’t get their full deposit back1, but as Rebecca Johnston from TDS (the UK’s leading deposit protection and dispute resolution scheme) explains, there are some simple steps that students can take right now to help avoid deductions.

She said: “The number one contributing factor behind disputes over the return of deposits is cleaning, accounting for 57% of all dispute cases.

“We regularly see disputes arising over the cleanliness of properties at the end of leases, particularly in student accommodation. For many people, cleaning is an after-thought with exams and summer excitement often taking precedence, but leaving a property either untidy or dirty can incur heavy deposit deductions.

“The easiest way to avoid losing out is to maintain your accommodation throughout the year, perhaps by establishing a cleaning rota, or doing monthly deep cleans with your flatmates. If, however, you leave it to the last minute, you should do a full, deep clean before you leave, and don’t forget to tidy the garden if you have one.”

51% of all disputes also cite damage caused to the property.

Johnston, who is also Managing Director of TDS Custodial, said: “When you take on a lease, you should do your own inspection, documenting any evidence of existing damage and report it to your lettings agent or landlord.

“However, accidents do happen, so if the property has become damaged during your lease, you should report it in writing to your landlord. If you haven’t kept on top of it throughout your tenancy, consider gathering quotes from reputable tradespeople to repair any damage. It may be cheaper to organise this yourself than the deposit deduction at the end of your lease.”

Despite landlords’ expectations of the property being returned in a similar condition to when it was leased, 32% of all disputes include claims for redecoration.

Johnston, explained: “If you want to redecorate the house or flat you’re renting, you should always get the landlord’s permission first. However, if you have already made changes, you can either return the property to its previous state, or ask the owner’s permission retrospectively.

“When removing pictures or posters, take care not to remove layers of paint and plaster, or leave holes and stains on walls that

landlords will have to redecorate over.”

Almost a fifth of disputes (19%) include rent arrears issues. Johnston said: “It’s important to stay on top of your rent payments, but if you’re struggling to make them, seek advice from friends, family or your university’s support services.

“If you think your landlord/letting agent has made unfair or unjustified deductions from your deposit, you can raise it with TDS, who will act as independent adjudicators to try find an amicable resolution.”

Tenants should make sure their landlord is registered with a government-backed tenancy deposit scheme. Letting agents and landlords are legally obliged to do so, to protect tenants from rogue property-owners absconding with or unnecessarily withholding deposits.

To find out more about how t enancy deposit schemes work, or further advice on reclaiming your deposit, please visit www.tenancydepositscheme.com.

1 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/consumer-affairs/how-to-get-the-deposit-back-from-your-student-house/

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Building & Facilities Management – June/July 2017

Cleaning & Hygiene

Flexible workplaces need consistent hygiene

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acilities management increasingly needs to accommodate new workplace practices such as flexible working while still providing a business with a high-quality service. Cleaning procedures also have to adapt to work in tandem with these shifting working patterns, to maximise efficiency and create a working environment with hygiene at its heart.

An increase in people working from home or visiting from other offices means businesses are adapting the way their space is used to take into account fluctuating numbers of people in one building. For example, many have created shared spaces through collaborative working hubs and hot desking policies.

Hygiene standards can become diluted as a result with more people sharing office spaces and transmitting bacteria. People’s attitudes and vigilance towards cleanliness often differs greatly and bad practices can encourage the spread of germs. This can seriously impact productivity in

Steve Nurdin, marketing manager at Cannon Hygiene, discusses how changing workplace expectations are demanding more from facilities management’s role in hygiene. a business, especially during peak seasons for illnesses which can spread rapidly around an office and severely deplete a workforce.

To tackle this problem, there’s been a shift towards hygiene systems that work in the background to ensure levels of cleanliness are being automatically maintained, especially in shared spaces. For example, filters are now available that actively clean and fragrance the air, killing airborne bacteria and stopping illnesses from spreading. Shared surfaces such as door handles are another germ hotspot, but solutions are available that spray an antibacterial mist on washroom door handles to prevent germs from entering the wider office.

Automated solutions can provide peace of mind that effective hygiene is remaining consistent at a time when flexible working is on the rise.

Gemini Commercial Cleaning expand

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lackburn’s largest commercial cleaning company have taken their next leap in growth with the addition of Lancashire Cleaning Services in a bid to expand the company’s market share.

Gemini Commercial Cleaning have described their acquisition of rival company Lancashire Cleaning Services as an ‘integral part’ of their business growth

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strategy, as they look to embrace the company’s 25 year heritage.

The premium cleaning specialists already possess a wide range of successful commercial and industrial cleaning contracts as part of long-standing client relationships with local businesses in the form of schools, hospitals, healthcare and government bodies.

With over 10 years of experience under their belt, Gemini Commercial Cleaning currently employ more than 240 local people from their Blackburn base. Following the acquisition of Lancashire Cleaning Services, the company predicts that their workforce is set to grow even further. www.gemini-grp.co.uk

Appearance and functionality People are generally more aware than ever of the impact of germs, driving hygiene to the forefront of facilities management. Washrooms, for example, are one of the most visited places in an organisation – people may share a desk with two or three, but a washroom with 50 others. As such, hygiene has to work much harder to match a business’ needs and expectations, demanding solutions that offer a top-class service. A washroom can not only affect employees’ opinions of their workplace but also a visitor’s impression of the business, so care should be taken to fit a suite that reinforces a positive company image.

As more businesses up their investment in facilities, it becomes more noticeable when a company hasn’t made the same commitment to their hygiene procedures.

People expect the same levels of cleanliness in the workplace as they would at home or in a restaurant, and want to see a consistent and high quality hygiene policy being visibly practiced. From installing hand sanitisers across the office to actively promote good hand hygiene, to ensuring that doormats are kept well laundered and attractive, many businesses are now going above and beyond on their hygiene commitments to meet expectations.

Flexibility looks set to continue shaping workplace practices and maintaining a hygiene approach that reflects this should always be of high priority. By implementing a hygiene strategy that suits shifts in demand while staying consistent in its levels of service, facilities managers can be sure that their business continues to provide a quality environment for staff and visitors alike. www.cannonhygiene.com/ Cleaning & Hygiene

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Innovative In-Situ Office Server Cooling Solution from British engineers Without air-conditioned rooms, keeping servers cool on-site in office and business environments is a challenge. Now a British engineering company has developed an innovative energy-efficient temperature control solution called Maxi-Cool for office-based servers. The compact Maxi-Cool system comprises an attractive floor-standing rack cabinet featuring an integrated intelligent refrigeration module to provide highly effective thermal management for servers mounted within.

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he Maxi-Cool product is available in a variety of sizes to accommodate single or small numbers of servers in its rack-mount form factor. Maxi-Cool cabinets can be supplied colour-coded to match an organisation’s corporate branding or office décor. One key advantage on offer to businesses looking to cool their servers to safeguard company data is the ease of installation. MaxiCool cabinets are simply wheeled into place, the servers installed in the rack space as usual, and the unit plugged into a 13-amp mains socket.

Such cost-effective server cooling, typically delivering temperature reductions of up to 20°C with a thermal power capacity of 4kW, is unachievable in any other way.

“Local server installations are popular among small and medium sized firms, where on-site information storage and direct access is preferred for reasons of data sensitivity and security,” explains Maxi-Cool MD and Chief Designer James Garson. “Even where server performance is missioncritical, few businesses can justify the cost and disruption of building a dedicated air-conditioned server room. That’s why we designed MaxiCool – to deliver a straightforward solution to a widespread problem.”

Maxi-Cool units are also finding favour in shared office facilities and among professional firms like lawyers and banks who often occupy listed or 30

HVAC

heritage buildings. “In such sensitive premises, air conditioning plant cannot be installed,” Garson explains. “MaxiCool cabinets can provide these businesses with an immediate and effective thermal management option at a fraction of the cost,” he adds.

Aside from the simplicity of installation and low cost, Maxi-Cool cabinets offer distinct commercial advantages over dedicated server rooms. The low-power units operate from a single 230V mains supply, can be easily repositioned on castors if required, are whisper-quiet at just 65db, take up just one square metre of floorspace – and require no structural changes to walls or buildings. In addition, expansion

is simply a case of adding another Maxi-Cool cabinet. Smaller Maxi-Cool cabinet configurations are designed expressly to fit in confined spaces.

Maxi-Cool cabinets meet the technical specifications and thermal gradient guidelines issued by global trade body ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers) for server cooling applications.

Maxi-Cool® is a product brand of Maximise Engineering Services Ltd, based in South Leicestershire.

Maxi-Cool products are designed and manufactured in the UK. More information available at www.maxi-cool.co.uk

Building & Facilities Management – June/July 2017

HVAC

Tansun infrared heaters maximise outside dining at The Lighterman

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he Lighterman at Granary Square, Kings Cross is a new contemporary design of public house and a landmark site in the new Kings Cross development.

And Tansun infrared heaters are playing their part by enhancing the exterior space for the warmth and comfort of customers.

This new project by Open House Projects, has seen The Lighterman join the group’s two others in London’s Fitzrovia and follows the theme of a modern interpretation of the traditional pub with casual dining, drinking and socialising using modern British menus with European influences.

Inspired by the Victorian Lightermen who worked on the flat bottom barges, known as ‘Lighters,’ The Lighterman has a contemporary design over three floors with stunning views across Granary Square and Regents Canal.

Tansun infrared heaters were selected by Open House Projects for the outside terrace where Tansun’s Bahama single 1.5kW heaters are discreetly integrated under seven parosols with four heaters per parasol.

Hannah Burke, Project Manager for Open House Projects is delighted with the result commenting, “The Tansun heaters really do allow us to take the inside out, making our terrace functional over the cooler months and evenings so generating increased revenue from customers’ outdoor use”. She continued, “We were delighted to find the Tansun heaters as they are very sleek looking units and can be specified in any RAL colour. We chose graphite grey to complement the masts of the parasols and so they are not at all intrusive, and at the same time have low glare and look warm. The heaters have been very successful and we hope to use them on other projects in the future.”

The Bahama infrared heaters from Tansun are a flexible design easily fitted onto awnings and parasols to www.twitter.com/BFM_Magazine

become part of their structure and are IP rated.

Available in single 1.5kW or double 3kW appliances, the stylish heaters can cover an area of up to 22 sq.metres and their glarereducing gold reflectors have a smooth, parabolic finish for powerful heat dispersion. The Bahama heater provides customers with low glare heaters that fit discreetly into many environments in the standard colours of white, grey or black. The design is also available in any RAL colour with Tansun’s bespoke colour service which allows heaters to be powder coated in a wide range of colours with additional corporate branding if required. The Bahama heaters can be made to fit awning or parasol profiles or indoor / outdoor venue colour schemes to suit customers’ needs. The heaters come with a full two year Tansun warranty.

All of Tansun’s products are manufactured in the UK and designed using premium components. Tansun has been established for thirty-five years and pioneered the concept of infrared electric heaters in collaboration with Philips technology.

The company offers the largest range of domestic, commercial and industrial infrared heaters in the world, providing maintenance-free, safe and healthy heating appliances.

Further information is available from Tansun on 0121 580 6200, by emailing sales@tansun.com or by visiting the company’s website at www.tansun.com.

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HVAC

New RABScreen website shows energy saving benefits of external filters

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nder the banner of ‘Protecting all air movement equipment’ and with a newly developed logostyle, RABScreen has just launched a brand new website www.RABScreen.com Using full screen images, the new website is very user friendly and easy to navigate illustrating how companies can save energy, time and money through the simple installation of RABScreen external filter screens to all air movement equipment.

There are dedicated sections on chillers, air handling units and cooling towers which allow users to see which RABScreen versions to use and the mounting options available for each of these applications. The benefits are enormous as a 1mm layer of dirt insulating coil fins can reduce efficiency by 21% and increase energy use by as much as 30%.

There are several sections on

the new website providing useful resources to users and specifiers.

The ‘Knowledge Base’ tab allows users to access frequently asked questions within which are some excellent technical data about not only the benefits of RABScreen external filters but also the effect on airflow, as well as the different types, sizes and shapes of RABScreen available together with useful information on how easily these screens are cleaned during general maintenance.

The ‘Resource’ section on the website is devoted to the range of mounting options developed for RABScreen to make life simple for installers whatever the application.

There are a variety of practical and clever RABScreen mounting methods ranging from stainless steel grommets and magnetic mounting clips, to Velcro fastenings and bungee cords

for wrapping the external screens around external condensers. There are also a variety of rigid frames that can be used in conjunction with a galvanised slide bed for easy removal and maintenance, and the rigid frames can also be fitted with magnetic strip for fast fitting and removal.

Further information on the RABScreen filters is available from RABScreen on 01635 248633 by emailing info@RABScreen.com or by visiting the new website at www.RABScreen.com

Oldham Council improves heating efficiency with Remeha boilers

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ldham Council has installed five Remeha boilers as part of a major refurbishment of the heating plant serving its Civic Centre complex. Initial indications from the Council are of energy savings in the region of 20 to 25%.

The key requirements for Oldham Council, when replacing the 43-yearold failing boilers, were to improve the reliability of the heating service and reduce operating costs.

The original low temperature hot water (LTHW) heat generating

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boiler plant was located in the Tower basement plant room. An in-depth survey revealed that the mild steel flues that had been built into the building during construction had deteriorated to the point of becoming dangerous. Due to structural, planning and financial constraints, the decision was taken to decentralise the boiler plant.

The location of the new plant rooms in two internal car parks – one on the ground floor, the other in the basement – presented a number of challenges for specifiers Unity Partnership.

Five Remeha boilers in total were specified to meet the logistical and efficiency requirements, as John explained: “Size, ease of installation and manoeuvrability were important considerations in specifying the boilers. Added to this was the need for improved efficiency and reliability.

We specified Remeha Gas 310/610 Eco Pro condensing boilers as they meet all of these requirements.”

Four Gas 310-10 section Eco Pro boilers were installed in the plant room serving the Civic Centre with one Gas 610-10 section Eco Pro boiler installed in the second plant room serving the Queen Elizabeth Hall.

The efficiency of the new Remeha boilers has impressed Oldham Council, achieving the required high performance and considerable energy savings.

Additionally, the small footprint of the boilers and the neat plant room design has released a large area of usable space for other projects, further benefitting the Council.

Rapid energy savings, improved reliability of heating, valuable extra space – the Remeha replacement boilers are delivering on every level for Oldham Council. www.remeha.co.uk

Building & Facilities Management – June/July 2017

HVAC

Ethos Performance Optimisation and Energy Management saves refrigeration users thousands of pounds

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new performance optimisation and energy management service developed by consultants Star Technical Solutions for refrigeration equipment is helping big energy users to reduce their energy bill and stay compliant.

A scheme by consultants Star Technical Solutions, part of the Star Refrigeration group of companies has delivered proven savings of thousands of pounds to customers by making their cooling systems more efficient. The performance optimisation and energy management system called Ethos uses a data-led approach to monitor performance and identify solutions to keep energy consumption at a minimum.

Cooling and heating costs are often hidden within an electricity bill, but remote monitoring techniques from Star’s Technical team can help owners of industrial plants understand consumption. The energy management service has already saved one of the UK’s largest retailers £100,000 annually at one site, and a Brewery in Glasgow has also managed to slash its electricity bill by £50,000 a year.

Malcolm Dufton, Property and Energy Manager at The Ice Co & Logistics said, “Energy consumption is a large operating expense for us. Add on charges increasingly diminish the control we have on our electricity costs. Therefore we focus on reducing energy usage and already the improvements identified on one system will reduce its energy cost by 10%, encouraging us to roll out the service to our other systems and sites.”

“A key feature for us is the online monitoring dashboard, it gives our managers and engineers clear realtime visibility of all our connected systems’ health and performance and allows them to drive energy savings and preventative maintenance.” www.twitter.com/BFM_Magazine

Remote monitoring is the key to the STS approach. The refrigeration experts install a number of sensors and an Ethos panel to the customer’s system.

These remotely send information to a web portal via the built in 4G mobile connection. Live data can be accessed by both STS refrigeration consultants and customers via an online dashboard which gives details about performance and facilitates communication between the parties.

By monitoring performance and energy consumption, owners of refrigeration plants can then take corrective action to make operations more efficient. The data relayed by the system is examined first with complex software and then by the refrigeration experts, who decode and interpret the information to provide the customer with insight and practical advice through the online interface. The information is laid out in a simple way with suggested actions for improvement or to advice on targeted maintenance. The reports also include estimates of potential savings if corrective action is taken which helps to justify investment decisions as well as raising the visibility of the cost to the business of not correcting inefficient operation.

John Clark – Refrigeration Consultant Engineer of Star Technical Solutions said, “Ethos remotely monitors and analyses data as well as identifying corrective actions which will save electricity – typical savings are between 10 and 30%.

It also provides data on available plant behaviour and capacity which facilitates future investment planning such as equipment replacement or upgrade.”

The reports can also help companies benchmark their success before and after implementing changes, such as after maintenance or replacing a piece of equipment.

Reports on a frequent basis from our industry experts will give companies peace of mind that they are doing everything they can to be efficient and keep costs down.

John Clark added, “If a large portion of your power consumption and energy costs are accounted for by your refrigeration plant, it then makes sense that your sources of energy waste are controlled by refrigeration experts. The majority of businesses which require cooling can often spend over 50% of their electricity bill on cooling, with figures in the cold store sector shooting up to 90%, so it is an area where efficiency is vitally important.”

“Receiving advice on cooling capacity, energy consumption, cooling efficiency and recommended actions on a frequent basis and without the jargon, ensures customers have the information they need to quickly make informed decisions. This allows them to maximise energy savings, justify capital expenditure and have the evidence they require for future investments.”

Star Refrigeration can also support customers with the implementation of Frequency Response (FR). FR is where an annual payment is given to be available to offline the refrigeration equipment during periods of peak load on the national grid.

Star Refrigeration has experience working with demand management companies and the end user to minimise risk, and potential unplanned downtime. www.star-ts.co.uk HVAC

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Washroom

The air that I breathe Dave Carson from P-Wave says that although washrooms play an essential part in our health, comfort and wellbeing, all too often they fail to reach the required standards; but it doesn’t have to be that way.

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he Hollies, and later Simply Red – though we won’t talk about that – had a hit containing the lyric “Sometimes, all I need is the air that I breathe...”. I’ll be honest and admit I’m pretty sure they weren’t talking to about washrooms, but you could be forgiven for thinking they may have been given the unpleasant aromas that envelop all too many of these facilities. Sometimes visitors really are left gasping for breath after taking a ‘comfort’ break.

A facility’s washroom is rarely neglected – and often there will be inspection records or even customer feedback buttons to prove it – but unfortunately they often look and smell like they are a low priority to the buildings management. Even with high specification fixtures and fittings and regular cleaning, the overriding impression can be of an unpleasant pong, making a visit a less than favourable experience.

The power of smell It is a very subjective topic, but many believe smell to be the most powerful of our senses. Whether that’s true is for better minds than mine to decide, but smell certainly plays an important part in our lives, whether evoking memories or warning of danger. When you are exposed to a bad smell you certainly know about it. This makes getting the washroom experience right vital to the overall impression of your building. Even if facilities are cleaned regularly, a bad smell will give the opposite 34

Washroom

impression, so the last thing you want to leave people with is a lasting memory of an unpleasant smell.

Given the disproportionate amount of a facilities manager’s time and effort washrooms involve, it’s no wonder that there are many hundreds of products on the market looking to resolve the issue. However, unfortunately many air freshening options just don’t live up to their inventively scented names or last the distance. The right products can beat the smell over a sustained period of time, tackle odour causing bacteria and reduce maintenance issues, such as blocked drains.

Five hints to help tackle nuisance odours 1. Air fresheners. Perhaps an obvious option when taking on bad smells, but get the right one and it really will improve the atmosphere in your washrooms.

Look for products containing

strong, pleasant fragrances that can effectively mask bad odours. These can make an immediate and long-lasting improvement. Users should feel welcomed by the scent rather than repelled by an unpleasant stench. As well as whole room air fresheners, look for washroom specific products like toilet bowl clips and urinal fresheners.

2. Everything in its place. The main cause of bad smells in the washroom is bacteria from urine in drains or splashback on the floor. Once the only way to tackle this was to drop a scented blue block into urinals and hope for the best. However, with new products 95% of splash back can be prevented thanks to new protrusions on urinal and trough screens.

This keeps urine off the floor and grouting where it would soak in and cause a bad smell, even with regular cleaning.

Building & Facilities Management – June/July 2017

Washroom

3. Keep the pipes clear. Debris such as discarded bits of chewing gum or tissue can cause blockages in pipes resulting in slow flowing water or worse blockages and overflows. These can be minimised by choosing urinal or trough screens which can trap this sort of material and stop it getting into the drains.

4. Get additional help. It’s not just the cleaners who help reduce the smells in washrooms, products which include the right enzymes – or odour controlling ‘good’ bacteria – can help eliminate malodourous ‘bad’ bacteria which feeds on urine. Cutting out the smell at source in this way is far more effective and environmentally friendly using an array of harsh chemicals.

Reduced chemical use has many advantages, not least from a health and safety point of view as there is less danger of spillage

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5. You get what you pay for. It’s easy to think all products are the same, or that it’s not worth investing in washroom products.

I think it’s worth paying that bit extra for quality as it can soon bring its rewards.

For example, the best urinal screens will combine a strong air freshener, with splash back control and odour tackling enzymes; removing the need to buy separate products.

Top quality products can last a month resulting in cost savings in the longer term and reducing the time spent cleaning the washroom and purchasing products.

…And to love you Washrooms are crucial in maintaining building users’ health and wellbeing, especially through hand washing.

However, a bad smell can put people off using them, or staying long enough to wash their hands properly – with the result that germs are more likely to be spread throughout a facility, with a likely impact on sickness and absenteeism.

The second part of the song lyric mentioned earlier is, of course, ‘…and to love you’. Now I’m not saying a better smelling washroom will make your visitors and staff fall in love with you, but by providing hygienic and lasting solutions, you and your building could certainly go up in their estimation! www.p-wave.co.uk Washroom

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Security & Access Control

New Control Centre helps Sheffield City Council lead fight against congestion A new Urban Traffic Control Centre containing the latest video wall technology has helped Sheffield City Council monitor millions of journeys and fight congestion in its first 12 months of operation.

I

n the last year the system has aided the smooth running of 200 major events as well as the management of 1,000 road incidents such as accidents and breakdowns and 100 road closures, lane restrictions, diversions, demonstrations and marches. eyevis UK installed eight 55-inch extremely narrow bezel EYE-LCD5500-XSN-LD-FX displays in the 24/7 control centre when it relocated to Sheffield Town Hall from Carbrook, where it had operated since 2008.

It also installed a Netpix 4900 video wall controller configured for multiple analogue video feeds, IP video feeds, graphic PC data and web browser feeds.

Sheffield City Council had identified and specified eyevis UK as their display wall solution.

In its first 12 months operation the control centre has: • Facilitating the smooth running of around 200 events per year • Monitored approximately 50 football matches at Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United with in excess of one million spectators.

• Overseen around 90 Sheffield Arena events with in excess of 720,000 visitors.

• Helped manage large city-wide events such as the Yorkshire Half 36

Security & Access Control

Marathon, Sheffield 10k Run, Tramlines, Sky Ride, City Centre Grand Prix Cycling, After Dark, Mosborough Music Festival • Had an operational input at around 100 planned roadworks (road closures, lane restrictions, diversions, etc,), demonstrations, marches, etc.

• Helped manage 1,000 incidents such as road traffic collisions and breakdowns eyevis is a leading global manufacturer of intelligent control room video wall solutions.

These include industrial modular displays, LED illuminated rear projection and the narrowest bezel industrial LCDs; video wall controllers and video wall control software.

A Sheffield City Council spokesperson said: “Sheffield City Council has been pleased with the new video installation and has been using it to great effect to manage traffic flow across the city.” eyevis UK managing director Steve Murphy said: “As well as the challenge of carrying out work in a listed building, the project needed to be completed within tight timescales and whilst the

building was operational.

“Our installation has offered an uninterrupted 24/7 service, which is key to the successful operation of such an important control centre.” eyevis UK provides video display solutions and audio visual solutions to a range of clients.

Its equipment is installed across the UK in CCTV control rooms for local authorities, banks, road traffic monitoring, emergency services, blue chip retailers, security services, prisons and other Government buildings.

EYE-LCD-5500-XSN-LD-FX displays are 55-inch seamless LCD monitors for video wall installations.

The displays offer full HD resolution with 1920 × 1080 pixels, directLED backlight technology and a mechanical bezel width of only 3.5mm between two displays.

The Netpix 4900 video wall controller is a network based graphic controller for the management of video wall systems, single displays or projectors. The controller creates a big joined desktop for networkapplications, video and graphic sources. www.eyevis.co.uk

Building & Facilities Management – June/July 2017

Security & Access Control

New Abloy SMARTair™ standalone escutcheon offers keypad activation

S

ecurity expert Abloy UK has launched an updated version of its SMARTair™ standalone intelligent access control system with the addition of keypad functionality, allowing users to quickly and easily program an individual keycode or card on the unit itself.

Featuring a simple user interface, the SMARTair keypad controls mean that the unit can be programmed with an additional code or card in less than one minute.

Like its predecessor, the new SMARTair escutcheon can be incorporated into existing systems, with the adaptable design making it suitable for a range of installations.

The new keypad gives an additional method of entry for users so it’s ideal for use in a range of organisations including hospitals or small offices.

The standard package will be made up of three main components – an Abloy EL160 Lock case, an Abloy

SMARTair Escutcheon with Keypad Unit, and an ABLOY NOVEL patented cylinder.

Every time the door locks, the EL160 will re-deadlock keeping the door secure, while the SMARTair handle will allow egress from the inside with the outside handle remaining disabled until a valid code or entry credential is presented. The patented cylinder maintains a secure mechanical form of entry at all times.

The units will also work with standard MiFare technology, meaning they can be easily integrated into a PROTEC2 CLIQ system.

Stuart Courcoux, Product

Manager at Abloy UK, said: “Our SMARTair access control system is already a popular choice for many organisations, but the addition of the keypad activation takes its versatility to the next level. This system is ideal for a number of sectors, including commercial office spaces, healthcare and education facilities.”

For further information on any of the products and services available from Abloy UK, please call 01902 364 500 or email marketing@abloy.co.uk

Chubb wins Tesco fire and security contract

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hubb Fire & Security Limited has secured a new contract with retail giant, Tesco, to service and maintain fire extinguishers and security systems in United Kingdom stores and Tesco’s head office, as well as the fire extinguishers in the business’ distribution centres.

Chubb, a leading provider of security and fire-safety solutions, is a part of UTC Climate, Controls & Security, a unit of United Technologies Corp.

(NYSE: UTX).

Tesco, the UK’s largest retailer with over 2,600 stores, has worked with Chubb for a number of years, using its Chubb® FX range of fire extinguishers. With this new contract, Chubb will also provide intruder alarm maintenance services for half of Tesco’s estate.

John Simons, the property procurement manager at Tesco, www.twitter.com/BFM_Magazine

said it was logical to explore the advantages of a combined fire and security contract: “In choosing a service provider, we look for three things: technical ability, sufficient infrastructure and support to deliver a nationwide contract, and value for money.”

Chubb complies with strict Service Level Agreements that ensure maintenance is carried out and calls are responded to within a specified period of time. In addition, engineers sign in and out of all site visits electronically, giving Tesco real-time visibility of engineer attendance as well as reassurance that systems are fully maintained.

“With the number of sites involved in this contract, good communication, collaboration and thorough organisation are essential, as well as a willingness to adopt our own

procedures such as our electronic sign-in system,” added Simons. “We have worked with Chubb for a number of years and value the collaborative approach they take to our business.” www.chubbfiresecurity.com Security & Access Control

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Security & Access Control

Installer selects INTRATONE systems for entire client portfolio

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specialist security installer, Green Gate Access Systems, is rolling out Radio Frequency (RF) receiver equipment manufactured by INTRATONE, one of Europe’s largest access control businesses, across its entire portfolio of 400 clients with secured doors and gates.

As well as this, Green Gate Access Systems is also installing Intratone’s audio and video intercom equipment at many sites, and in particular its INTRABOX access control range.

The technology comes with a monthly subscription contract (without binding duration) or with a 15-year pre-paid GSM SIM card. All of this and is managed remotely by INTRATONE’s management platform.

Neil Sampson, Managing Director at Green Gate Access Systems, says that these features offer significant benefits: “With previous GSMoperated access control systems, the SIM card often proved to cause major problems,” he says. “However with a pre-paid system, the question 38

Security & Access Control

of where the card comes from and any issues over payment are removed, and what was a major barrier is no longer a consideration.

“Likewise, we are able to operate, monitor and update every access control system from one platform, which saves time and money and removes the logistical challenge of visiting each site on a regular basis to carry out simple works,” he continues.

The systems are operated by proximity reading key fobs, which are also remotely managed. If a user loses their fob, the operator is able to immediately establish its identity and disable it for future use. A new fob is subsequently activated and then despatched. Every time a fob is used the data is sent back to the remote operating platform, giving operators an overview of that particular gate or secured door’s activity.

Any unusual activity is therefore easily identified and monitored.

Green Gate Access Systems was introduced to INTRATONE by Cardin, which is one of its key distributors, as its Sales Director, Jason Gregg

explains: “We have built an excellent relationship with the manufacturer which understands the needs of end-users and removes much of the complexities,” he says.

“INTRATONE’s back-end operating system is easy to use, and therefore its equipment is quickly becoming a product of choice for many end users.”

Nicolas Gaine, International Sales Manager at INTRATONE, says this is a good example of the partnership network that it has built with distributors: “Excellent relationships are a must in our industry and we have successfully maintained them to a level that our volume of work is increasing steadily via this route,” he says.

“With pre-paid GSM systems, product reliability and our operating platform we are reaching out to a broad range of suppliers with end users in a multitude of industries,” he concludes. http://www.intratone.com

Building & Facilities Management – June/July 2017

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