BFM October 2016 by Abbey Publishing

OCTOBER 2016 www.bfmmagazine.co.uk building & facilities facilities management management

INSIDE:

ENERGY MANAGEMENT | HEALTH & SAFETY | INTELLIGENT BUILDINGS

THE STILTZ HOME LIFT: THE SENSIBLE ALTERNATIVE TO A STAIRLIFT â&#x20AC;&#x201C; PAGE 27

On the cover: Virtue: Harnessing the benefits of stored energy October 2016

BFM Team Business Development Director

James Scrivens james@abbeypublishing.co.uk

See page 16 for more details. http://powerstar.com/virtu

Contents

Creative Director

Sarah Daviner sarah@abbeypublishing.co.uk Accounts Manager

Katie Brehm accounts@abbeypublishing.co.uk

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Lifts & High Access

Intertek speeds up testing for Legionnaire’s Disease

Energy Management

Storage is a smart energy solution

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The Stiltz Home Lift: The sensible alternative to a stairlift

Danesholme Junior Academy: New lighting for an improved learning environment

Health & Safety

HVAC

Safety and training: take it to the top

Support employee productivity with a comfortable workplace temperature this winter

Intelligent Buildings

Sink or Swim: How to manage the Big Data Flood

Special Feature

What can building and facility managers learn from the success of Pokemon Go?

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Building & Facilities Management – October 2016

News

Intertek speeds up testing for Legionnaire’s Disease

ntertek, a leading Total Quality Assurance provider, is supporting both the UK public and private sectors with a faster and more specific test for Legionella, the water-borne bacterium that may cause Legionnaire’s Disease in humans. The test provides results in 24 hours, rather than the standard 10 days. Legionella bacteria is a common environmental bacterium which naturally inhabits fresh water at low levels. If not properly maintained, modern built water systems provide favourable conditions for Legionella colonization at high levels and this can quickly spread through complex water supply and storage systems. Potential human infection by Legionella bacteria can cause Legionnaire’s disease, a form of pneumonia which can be fatal in vulnerable groups and, even when treated effectively, can lead to potential life-altering health effects. Legionella bacteria is transmitted by aerosols and minute water droplets, so gives rise to potential infection routes from taps, showers, spa pools and cooling towers making it a major bacterium of concern in buildings such as hospitals, care homes and cooling towers.

To support recent progress in the analysis of Legionella in water, Intertek’s water testing laboratory has expanded its capabilities to include qPCR for Legionella. This gives Intertek the ability to support its clients with 24 hour results for Legionella in water, as opposed to the standard 10day turnaround time, thereby allowing a rapid reaction to potential outbreaks and to monitor the effectiveness of system cleaning following positive detection. Dominic Holloway, Intertek UK Water Laboratory Manager said: “An outbreak of Legionnaire’s disease can result in the closing of all or part of a hospital, hotel, office block, leisure centre or oil rig as examples, which is not only very disruptive, causing financial and reputational damage to these centres, but more importantly it can also affect human lives. By decreasing our turnaround

times, outbreaks can be identified and treated far quicker than before, lessening disruption and reducing risk to life.” Intertek is a leading Total Quality Assurance provider to industries worldwide. Our network of more than 1,000 laboratories and offices and over 40,000 people in more than 100 countries, delivers innovative and bespoke Assurance, Testing, Inspection and Certification solutions for our customers’ operations and supply chains. www.intertek.com

Harrow Green features in The Parliamentary Review

arrow Green has been selected to appear in the 2016 edition of The Parliamentary Review. The Parliamentary Review’s September release is a key fixture in the political calendar. Harrow Green features alongside The Chancellor of the Exchequer, The Rt Hon Philip Hammond, and a few other outstanding organisations to showcase best practice in their sector. The objective of The Parliamentary Review is to highlight and discuss good practice and act as a learning tool for both the public and private sectors. Nigel Dews, Managing Director of Harrow Green said “We welcome this opportunity to demonstrate our achievements and ambitious plans for the future for Harrow Green and our sector. We always aim to be at the cutting edge of service delivery and work as innovatively as we can. The Parliamentary Review has given us a chance to showcase leadership in our sector.” 4

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The Parliamentary Review is sent out to many thousands of leading policymakers and the articles in The Review act as a plan for success and a prototype for reform so our inclusion is recognition of success. Daniel Yossman, Director of The Parliamentary Review said: “It’s been an utter privilege to work with a range of organisations from across the country in this year’s Review. Without their input, our aims of spreading expert knowledge and raising standards simply would not be achievable. They’ll be a hard act to follow and next year’s organisations will have to be on the top of their game to meet the challenge.” The Rt Hon David Curry, Editor of The Parliamentary Review said: “Each of the representatives brings something very different to the table, while at the same time capitalising on the collective wisdom of their industry. There may be choppy waters ahead but organisations across the country would be well-advised

to keep an eye on the representatives in this year’s Review when deciding how to set their sails.” The Parliamentary Review is a key document on how businesses Nigel Dews, Managing Director. in the public, private and voluntary sectors respond to the economic environment and political developments. For further information visit: www.harrowgreen.com For a full copy of The Parliamentary Review Transport edition: http:// theparliamentaryreview.co.uk/ editions/pdfs/TPR2016-Transport.pdf Building & Facilities Management – October 2016

News

NIC awarded circa £50m contract with Morrisons

IC Services Group is delighted to announce they have been awarded a circa £50m contract with Yorkshire based supermarket chain Morrisons. The contract will see NIC delivering services across the North of the England and Scotland. NIC is one of the pioneering contractors who have worked closely with Morrisons to see them outsourcing their services for the first time in over 100 years of trading. Morrisons is a Yorkshire based food retailer serving customers across the UK at more than 500 stores with 117,000 colleagues working in the business every day. NIC were awarded the contract following a successful pilot scheme

which was completed earlier this year. NIC’s innovative approach to cleaning and their extensive knowledge of the retail sector ensured they were selected as one of Morrisons supplier partners. John Spencer, Group Chairman for NIC said “We are extremely proud to be partnering with Morrisons. This award is particularly significant given that Morrisons have never outsourced their services before. I am sure our extensive experience in this sector will ensure the highest standards of service delivery

for Morrisons and their customers and colleagues.” www.nicgroup.co.uk/

New workplace catering business launches in the City

razing Catering, a flexible workplace and venue food company, was launched recently, aiming to offer customers a new and unconventional foodservice offer. The company, focussed solely on the business and industry sector, will provide contract options ranging from traditional fixed-term agreements, right the way through to a new ‘pay as you go’ model. The new model, aimed at small and large businesses, will enable clients to partner with the company without being tied into long-term contracts. Services will range from full in-house workplace restaurants, hospitality and directors dining, to regular or ad-hoc breakfast and lunch deliveries prepared off-site at the company’s new kitchens on the edge of the City. The purpose-built kitchens, costing around £400,000 to construct, will provide Grazing Catering with the ability to prepare a broad range of fresh food services for companies without their own on-site facilities. The business is being launched by Sam Hurst, founder of Grazing Food, which currently operates an event catering and food delivery company to clients across London and the South East. 6

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Hurst said: “The traditional contract catering landscape is changing dramatically. We’ve seen dilution of boundaries between high street and workplace catering, with the former increasingly offering direct to office services. The flexibility these businesses provide means traditional caterers need to be more nimble with their approach. That’s why we’ve introduced our ‘pay as you go’ contracts. “Whilst our new business will offer traditional contracted services, including investment where required, we will also offer quality food on a daily rolling basis. No contracts or longterm commitments are required.” He adds: “We appreciate that space is at a premium in the City and there are many businesses looking to maximise every square foot possible, that’s why our offsite kitchen gives them that additional flexibility.” Grazing Catering already has business and industry clients in the City, operating in the tech, insurance and media sectors.

Hurst explains: “We’ve been providing events and food delivery services for some time to a wider array of corporate clients. Many of these have asked us to provide a broader range of services to them so, whilst we are formally launching this dedicated new business today, we have been providing these services informally for some time. He added: “The B&I market is consolidating daily and we feel we can offer something a little bit different to the market. We have the infrastructure to challenge some of these players and are excited to see what the future holds.” For more information on Grazing Catering, please visit www.grazingcatering.com Building & Facilities Management – October 2016

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Listening to customers proven to pay off!

ornwall Services has seen visitor numbers increase since it opened its Changing Places toilet for disabled visitors at the end of June. It had the facility installed, by Clos-o-Mat, after the need for the assisted, wheelchairaccessible toilet with additional fixtures of a changing bench and hoist was highlighted, by customer Rachel George, who has a 10 years old disabled son. “We’ve had a fantastic response!” enthuses Site Manager Alex Lawson. “It is being used on a daily basis, with customers returning time and time again, and planning trips with a stop scheduled here, knowing they can safely use the toilets with dignity, from 6.00am - 11.00pm seven days a week! “We have worked hard to let people know about it, with a media campaign for the unveiling, detailing it on our website, and very obvious signage on our roadside totem pole. We believe in doing a ‘proper job’ as we say down here: reaction to the toilet demonstrates we’ve certainly done that as far as disabled people and their families are concerned!”

Adds Kelvin Grimes, Clos-o-Mat away from home project manager, “The Changing Places toilet is designed for people who need help, or extra space, to go to the loo, so most will be stopping with at least one carer, maybe a whole family. Therefore, the availability of the facility is bringing not only users but at least double, and potentially up to four times as many customers to Cornwall Services!” Cornwall Services is the only non motorway service station in the UK to offer a Changing Places facility. Visitors who need to use it just ask a member of staff. The wheelchairaccessible room is 7.5m2, with an adult-sized, height adjustable changing bench and ceiling track hoist.

Clos-o-Mat is the leading player in the supply and installation of the away from home assisted accessible toilet facilities, including Changing Places toilets. Its ability to deliver design advice, project management, supply, installation, commissioning and maintenance across the ambit of accessible toileting equipment means it is uniquely provide a reliable, single source for the whole process. Further, its website www.closo-mat.com, is an essential reference point for anyone considering installing a Changing Places toilet, offering white paper, 2D and 3D CAD drawings, standard layouts, and video. Tel: 0161 969 1199; www.clos-o-mat.com; Email: info@clos-o-mat.com

Jangro raises over £45,000 for Macmillan

he UK’s largest network of janitorial supply companies, Jangro, has raised £48,223.03 for its nominated charity Macmillan Cancer Support. Jangro and its national network of 43 distribution sites have been supporting the charity, which helps those affected by cancer, since 2013. Auctions, raffles, collection tubs, ‘Mankini’ events, sponsored swims and ‘Movember’ challenges all have contributed to the running total. Funds have also been raised through Jangro donating a percentage of sales for every single unit sold from its top 5 best-selling chemical products. Joanne Gilliard, Operations Director at Jangro, said: “It really is a pleasure to 8

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give this fantastic amount of money to such a deserving charity, which works tirelessly to support those affected by this awful illness. “Cancer touches everyone at some point in their life, either personally or through a friend or family member, and I am so glad we are able to support Macmillan through our members based across the country. “Everyone from our suppliers through to our end users can congratulate themselves for contributing to such a fantastic total.

“Our work doesn’t stop here though, we have plenty of fundraising activities in the pipeline as we continue to work towards our fundraising target of £100,000!” To donate to Jangro’s JustGiving page please visit: www.justgiving.com/ fundraising/jangro For more information about Jangro you can visit: www.jangro.net or call 01204 795 955. Building & Facilities Management – October 2016

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First fully interactive 3D digital model of London, VUCITY, to be showcased at MIPIM UK

he first fully interactive 3D digital model of London, VUCITY, will be showcased at MIPIM UK with a virtual reality Top Gear-style challenge. VUCITY is a joint venture between Wagstaffs, GIA and 3D modellers Vertex Modelling. The model visualises more than 200sq/km of London in 3D, more than double the size from when it debuted at MIPIM UK last year. It is expanding at a rate of five to eight square kilometres a month. VUCITY gives anyone involved in the built environment of London a new view of the city and a revolutionary tool that can transform the planning and communications process around proposed development and infrastructure projects. It is accurate to within 15cm. Visitors to MIPIM UK will be able to see VUCITY in action and race around a virtual reality model of central London,

while strapped into a bucket seat. Using cutting edge VR headset Oculus Rift, they will journey from London Bridge, along Liverpool Street, past St Paul’s Cathedral, Blackfriars and the Shard, finally finishing back at the start at London Bridge. There will even be a leader board with a prize for the fastest lap. Live demonstrations of VUCITY will be available on a 55-inch touch table, which will also be displayed on a giant wall of screens measuring 5m by 2.5m. VUCITY offers London’s planners, architects and councils, a new level of future proofing in property and land development. Within the city model, it is possible to overlay GIS data, sightlines, LVMFs, transport and sunlight paths, to help developers understand plans in context. Other data overlays also

include demographics, traffic and pedestrian modelling. The model is updated every six months. Users can switch proposed, existing and consented buildings on and off, zooming from a macro overview of the city, right down to the micro detail of one building. VUCITY can be used during the scoping stage to determine which verified views to assess. All LVMF viewing corridors and points are pre-plotted, allowing users to interactively establish if a scheme is visible from a certain point. VUCITY offers a more informed scoping process with a local authority, reduces the time and costs for scoping and the production of AVRs. For further information, visit www.vucity.co.uk

Outstanding leadership at ADEY

ioneering Cheltenham-based manufacturer, ADEY Professional Heating Systems is celebrating the achievements of Kelvin Stevens and his work as both Managing Director and Chairman of the company, after he received the award for Outstanding Leadership at the Cotswold Engineering, Manufacturing, Innovation (EMI) Awards. The second annual Cotswold EMI Awards event was held at Cheltenham Racecourse on Thursday 22 September to celebrate and showcase the diversity of manufacturing excellence that exists within the Cotswolds area. One of 12 awards presented on the night, the Outstanding Leadership category was highly contested. The judges believed Kelvin was a very worthy winner, commenting: “Exceptional business leaders can drive a business to greater heights. Kelvin Stevens of ADEY Professional Heating Solutions has raised his own game for the greater good of the business. He is a strategic thinker with ambition for his business and a clear commitment to all of those working within it – a truly inspirational leader.” John Vaughan, ADEY’s Chief Executive agrees: “Kelvin is one of the true characters of the plumbing and heating industry. Not only does he 10

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have vast experience of the sector and extraordinary commercial acumen, his bold strategic thinking sets him apart. Since joining ADEY as Managing Director in 2011, he has been instrumental in bringing together a highly motivated and talented senior management team. In the space of just four years, he has helped transform the business, turning it into one the fastest growing and strongest brands in the UK heating industry, and also leading its expansion into international markets. “Crucially, rather than relying solely on a filter product strategy to solve a problem and remove central heating system debris, Kelvin expanded the offering to one of a total system maintenance solution introducing a portfolio of chemicals, ancillary products and water testing. An intensive education programme built around the addition of premium quality chemicals and a programme of best practice heating

system maintenance was introduced and has since been embraced by the industry. “This innovative approach has been recognised by one of the industry’s most prestigious service and maintenance awards and continues to be adopted on a widespread basis both in the UK and abroad contributing to a three-fold increase in turnover to more than £40 million per annum – not bad for a business that started in a garden shed little more than a decade ago.” www.adey.com

Building & Facilities Management – October 2016

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Idox supports the delivering of eBuilding Standards service for applicants and Scottish local authorities

ollowing a commercial tender, Idox were selected by the Scottish Government to provide the connector facility for Scotland’s eBuilding Standards service. This will transfer data into Scottish Local Authorities back office systems and contributes to the modern public services envisaged in the Scottish Government’s digital strategy. Following the successful launch of the new eBuilding Standards service on 24 August, Idox are delighted to announce that since going live, the service has processed over 2100 applications and that 1445 new accounts have been setup. Idox developed the connector on a new digital platform. This service allows the authority to receive applications for building warrants, completion certificates and other related forms on both individual home improvement projects and for larger commercial developments more quickly and easily.

The eBuilding Standards service enables: • The electronic submission to local authorities of building warrant applications and completion certificates • Electronic payment of associated fees directly to the local authority • Submission of digital copies of supporting documentation, eliminating the need to print and post. Operations Director Paul Beaney, commented: “Idox is proud to have worked alongside both central and local Scottish Government to deliver the connector for this exciting new service which hasn’t just simplified the submission process but changed the way applicants and councils interact.” The eBuilding Standards service streamlines the application process and provides significant user benefits as it

is simple to use, saves applicants time and money and improves the efficiency of the process enabling councils to start considering application sooner. From the initial uptake it appears that over 50% of Building Standards applications across Scotland will now be submitted online. www.idoxgroup.com

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BAL team up with Yorkshire Tile Company to support worldwide literacy charity BAL – market-leaders in full tiling solutions – have provided a range of products to support the development of a new facility in Rotherham for Grimm & Co, a worldwide charity which aims to get children excited about literacy.

he Rotherham outlet is the first for the charity in the UK outside London. Each store boasts a different concept to inspire the imagination of children, which they then take back with them into school. The theme for the Rotherham facility focuses around “Master Graham Grimm”, a straight talking Yorkshireman who runs a thriving apothecary, supplying unnatural products and sought after services to magical beings. Jeremy Dyson, a writer and director best known as the non performing member of comedy group The League of Gentlemen is one of the charity ambassadors and has helped write the concept story. Grimm & Co can be visited by children throughout South Yorkshire, with school classes able to take a workshop where they enter a magical apothecary, learn all about Master Grimm and are then encouraged to write about what they discover. The charity is reliant upon donations but is also supplemented by an in house

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apothecary which not only makes a great background to the story but is somewhere you can buy bath salts but not as you know them, they may be called “pinch of happiness” for instance or “made from unicorns”. The Yorkshire Tile Company, which has branches in Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle and Doncaster, supplied tiles for the potting shed (girls toilets), the tool shed (boys toilets) and also for the large writers room. The concept here is that people do their best thinking on the toilet so the writing room has been given a toilet theme, complete with graffiti toilet doors made into desks, seating made out of toilet seats and completed with other quirky styling to finish the look. Yorkshire Tile have donated more than 40m2 of tiles, with BAL supplying BAL Supercover Rapidset and BAL Green Star tile adhesive, BAL Micromax2 Smoke grout, and BAL Rapid-Mat uncoupling mat. Hannah Wild, Brand Manager from The Yorkshire Tile Company said:

“We’re thrilled to have collaborated with Grimm & Co a charity which truly makes a difference to local children. The completed rooms look truly enchanting with our tiles proudly on display and we’ve absolutely no doubt that children will enjoy using the newly revamped facilities for years to come.” Alex Underwood, Head of Marketing at BAL, said: “We were delighted to be able to support this fantastic charity by donating all the adhesive, grout and our uncoupling mat system for this new venture. “All the rooms look absolutely stunning and I’m sure they’ll capture the imagination of school children from across the region and inspire them to go on their own literary journeys.” www.bal-adhesives.com www.ytc-tiles.com Building & Facilities Management – October 2016

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New UK construction industry mascot launched by Considerate Constructors Scheme

he UK construction industry now has a female mascot called Honor Goodsite – created by the Considerate Constructors Scheme – the national organisation established to improve the image of the industry. Honor Goodsite will promote all that is great about the industry, helping to raise awareness and inspire young children to consider a career in construction when they grow up, as well as delivering important messages about children’s safety around construction sites. Honor Goodsite is a structural engineer – a key profession within construction – but one which is still very much underrepresented by women. Only six percent of parents surveyed by the Institution of Engineering and Technology said an engineering career would be attractive to their daughters; the challenge is to help change these perceptions among parents as well as children. She joins the hugely successful industry mascot Ivor Goodsite, a site manager who was introduced by the Scheme in 2003 and has since then visited hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren across the UK.

Honor Goodsite’s first outing was at the Victoria Station Upgrade project – a £700 million project transforming one of the capital’s busiest stations. The Taylor Woodrow BAM Nuttall Joint Venture delivering this project hosted the launch of Honor Goodsite, with the help of 19 children. Considerate Constructors Scheme Chief Executive Edward Hardy said: “The Scheme is delighted to be launching the UK construction industry’s new mascot, Honor Goodsite. Honor has a hugely important role to improve the construction industry’s image with future generations. As a role model for promoting gender diversity and equality in construction, Honor will encourage schoolchildren to understand the wide range of careers available, while helping to change perceptions of the sector as male-orientated.” Considerate Constructors Scheme Director Caroline Barker added: “I am delighted that the industry now has

Honor Goodsite’s first visit took place at the Victoria Station Upgrade, London. The Taylor Woodrow BAM Nuttall Joint Venture hosted the visit.

a female mascot. As the first female engineer to be recruited at a leading construction organisation in the 1980’s, I know first-hand how exciting an industry it is for everyone”. All Scheme-registered sites, companies, suppliers and clients are eligible to hire Honor Goodsite for any community, school related, or other educational/charitable events. For further information, please visit: www.ccscheme.org.uk www.ccsbestpracticehub.org.uk www.ivorgoodsite.org.uk

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew appoints Ampersand as new catering partner

oyal Botanic Gardens, Kew has appointed Ampersand, CH&Co Group’s specialist venue and visitor attraction catering business, to drive forward its vision of creating the very best catering offer for visitors and customers at the world’s most famous botanic garden. The five-year contract, which commences on 1 November, is worth approximately £28 million in turnover over the duration of the contract. Ampersand will provide all catering services at venues across the stunning Kew Gardens estate including: the White Peaks café (a family food hall and ice-creamery); Victoria Plaza café (an artisan coffee shop and bakery); the beautiful Orangery restaurant (offering all-day seasonal dishes); and the Pavilion restaurant that provides alfresco dining in the warmer months. A new café restaurant to be called The Botanical is also scheduled to open later this year to Building & Facilities Management – October 2016

add further diversity of food experiences for Kew’s 1.5 million annual visitors. Ampersand was selected following a rigorous competitive tender process where its proposition was critically assessed against Kew Garden’s strict criteria that included: alignment with Kew’s mission and purpose; provision of high quality and differentiated food offers at each venue; match of food offers to Kew’s different visitor segments; support for Kew’s environmental sustainability objectives; and operational capabilities and commercial strength. Jill McLaughlin, director of corporate services at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew led the tender process and said: “Appointing a new catering partner is one of the most important changes we’re making this year and we’re delighted to be working with Ampersand. Providing excellent, inspirational, good value-for-

money food, with friendly, superior service in attractive surroundings is essential for us to succeed as a world-class visitor destination. We’re very impressed with Ampersand’s professional and creative approach, and it’s clear that they understand our vision and needs and share our values.” www.ampersandcatering.co.uk www.kew.org news

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Lusso appoints Sharon Linney as new Operations Director

usso, the specialist City caterer and part of CH&Co Group, has appointed Sharon Linney as operations director in a move that reflects the business’ period of significant growth. Sharon will be responsible for a portfolio of Lusso’s clients in the City and central London, overseeing a team of three operations managers. She brings to the business extensive operations experience, a fine reputation for effectively creating and maintaining strong, long-term client relationships, and an impressive track record of business retention. She is also passionate about team development and nurturing future talent. Sharon joins Lusso from The Brookwood Partnership, where she was operations director. Prior to this she held operations director roles at bartlett mitchell and a social enterprise company, and enjoyed a 20-year career of progression through the ranks at Aramark. www.chandco.net

Dodds Brown appoints new Facilities Manager

odds Brown, the largest independent commercial property consultancy headquartered on Teesside, has appointed a new Facilities Manager. Andrew Carr, 43, joins Dodds Brown with more than 20 years’ experience as a Facilities Manager with the British Army, UK Government and a large education centre. Mr Carr will work closely with Richard Wilson, Dodds Brown’s Senior Associate Partner and Head of Property Management on all the maintenance aspects of the £70 million property portfolio which Dodds Brown presently has under management. The Middlesbrough-based chartered surveyor is the only property management team based on Teesside which combines asset management, facilities management, property maintenance and accounts specialists in one client focused team in-house. From its offices (L-R) Stephen Brown, Andrew Carr, Richard Wilson in Middlesbrough, Dodds Brown LLP is the largest independent commercial property surveying practice headquartered on Teesside which offers a comprehensive commercial property service and unrivalled local market knowledge across Teesside and throughout the Tees Valley. Dodds Brown has been trading for more than 125 years and its senior management team has in excess of 100 years combined experience. It can be contacted by telephone on 01642 244130 or by email: prop@doddsbrown.co.uk or via the firm’s website www.doddsbrown.co.uk 14

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New Global Export Sales Manager Set to Transform International Sales

remier Tech Aqua UK, based in County Durham, has appointed its former Proposals Engineer – Sebastian Hunter – as its new Export Sales Manager, who will now be responsible for driving the company’s global sales and forging new relationships in different markets. Sebastian will now be based in Sweden with a focus on delivering PTA’s world leading wastewater and water treatment solutions to initially Cyprus, Nigeria and continental Europe with plans to move into other major markets. Speaking about his new appointment, Sebastian said: “Having worked at PTA for almost ten years’ I am delighted to have been appointed into this position. PTA are world leaders in onsite and decentralized waste water treatment systems, water storage and rainwater harvesting solutions and I am honoured to be able to introduce such innovative and robust technology into new countries and markets. “I intend to continue to work closely with all new and existing customers to find the best solutions that meet their exacting needs in protecting the environment and potentially saving lives in many different places.” Joining PTA in 2007 Sebastian has proven his worth in the UK market for engineered solutions for their clients and has opened and developed several key accounts across the UK. This experience and his interaction with some existing global clients has placed Sebastian in the right position to take up this role. Steve Joyce, Managing Director at Premier Tech Aqua said: “Sebastian has been an asset to PTA over the past decade and has already proven his capabilities. With this relocation, we are extremely confident that with his expertise and PTA’s extensive world leading products – that are adaptable in different markets – we will see the company’s global sales increase at a rapid rate.” “Sebastian has already formed a lot of well established relationships and now he is based in Sweden – a central global location – our new and existing customers will significantly benefit from this strategic move.” Based in Peterlee, Premier Tech Aqua is and industry leader in packaged water and wastewater solutions across the UK and Ireland. It specialises in the design and manufacture of innovative products for the residential, commercial, municipal and industrial markets. www.premiertechaqua.co.uk Building & Facilities Management – October 2016

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AQS Environmental Solutions wins Fleet Transport Award

QS Environmental Solutions has won a Fleet Transport Award for its work to develop sustainable systems for transporting and managing waste. It was named the winner in the Environment category, which recognises companies that show excellence in developing responsible and innovative strategies and processes in fleet transport management. AQS Environmental Solutions, one of Ireland’s leading drainage and wastewater utility specialists, has its headquarters in Thurles, Tipperary, with bases also in Limerick and Cork. Its services are used extensively in the agriculture, food and drink, manufacturing, facilities management, construction and utilities industries. Stan O’Reilly, Commercial Director for AQS Environmental Solutions, said: “This is a great moment for us. We are very pleased to be recognised for our continuing efforts to develop environmentally-sustainable services. “A lot of credit must go to our

transport manager, John Fahey, and the rest of the operational team, who have been at the forefront of developing Left to right: Jarlath Sweeney, Group Editor, Fleet Transport business processes Publications; Dan FitzPatrick, Commercialisation Manager, Gas that allow us to save Networks Ireland; John Fahey, Transport Manager, AQS Environmental energy, minimise vehicle Solutions; Stan O’Reilly, Commercial Director, AQS Environmental emissions and reduce our Solutions; Marty Whelan, RTE radio and TV presenter carbon footprint to zero.” The annual Fleet which diverts 40,000 tonnes of waste a Transport Awards, celebrating their year away from landfill, turning it, instead, 10th anniversary, are organised by into compost that is used by farmers Fleet Transport Magazine, Ireland’s within a 20km radius of Thurles. leading commercial vehicle fleet The composting plant offsets the management magazine. carbon emissions of our transport fleet RTE radio & TV personality Marty and processes the waste locally, which Whelan presented the awards, reduces fuel consumption still further. while Verona Murphy, President of It contributes to reducing emissions the Irish Road Haulage Association, of landfill methane, and creates a was guest speaker at the event useful by-product for the local farming attended by 850 representatives community. This, in turn, reduces their from the transport industry. need to bring in fertilising products AQS Environmental Solutions from out-of-area, creating a second delivers a range of services for industrial, cycle of environmental benefits. commercial and domestic customers. It www.aqsenvironmentalsolutions.ie also operates a waste processing plant

Facilities management company expands

Glyn Ingram joins CH&Co Group

ee Thomas has joined Swanseabased DRS Facilities Management as operations director. Thomas has worked within the built environment since leaving education and has worked in various management roles with companies including SSE Contracting and Imtech Meica. He has also worked on numerous projects on a selfemployed basis for MDT Electrical, Cardiff University, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Newport and Principality Building Society. DRS has made the new appointment to take the company to its next level of development and to continue with the ever increasing demand for its exemplary services. Having Thomas on board will allow the company to expand its operation with its existing clients, as well as open up new markets and client opportunities. A crucial component of Thomas’ role will be to assist clients with the growing need for commercial

H&Co Group has appointed Glyn Ingram as regional managing director as the business continues to grow apace. Glyn will oversee operations throughout the North of England and Scotland, a region that includes over 100 units and a strong team of operations directors and managers, and unit managers. He is responsible for driving the continued growth of the business in the area through new business and contract retention. Glyn joins CH&Co Group from Northumbria University where he was assistant director, campus services (commercial services), with a £20million budget and responsibilities including multi-site catering operations and a 5000-student-accommodation portfolio. www.chandco.net

Building & Facilities Management – October 2016

C landlords and owner occupiers to meet stringent legislative requirements. DRS Facilities Management has been developed to deliver specialist engineering solutions to the everexpanding facilities management sector. Its services include: electrical service & maintenance, mechanical service & maintenance, air-conditioning service & maintenance, refrigeration service & maintenance, fire/security/access control service & maintenance, emergency lighting testing & certification, building fabric/decoration maintenance, energy & sustainability consultation. www.drsfmservices.co.uk

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On the Cover

Harnessing the benefits of stored energy Dr. Alex Mardapittas, Managing Director of Powerstar and inventor of the Virtue energy storage system discusses how, by utilising energy storage technology, businesses can save money on electricity bills, generate additional income and also prepare for future advancements in energy distribution.

n an attempt to manage peak demand, the Government recently gave the all clear for construction to begin at Hinkley Point nuclear power station. However, from present until completion, there are simply not enough energy resources to control the forecasted six-fold growth by 2050, and it is not assured that Hinkley Point will be able to satisfy the huge level of consumption. Currently, to control demand and prevent over use on the grid, there are significant charges placed on users for consuming energy at certain times of the day, which are in addition to electricity fees. Distribution Use of Systems (DUoS) and Triad tariffs are two examples, together the two charges represent 24% of a facility’s average electricity bills, and the amount continues to rise year on year.

Distribution Use of Systems Charges Distribution Use of Systems Charges (DUoS) are controlled by the UK’s Distribution Network Operators (DNO), with the majority of the fee going towards the continued operation, maintenance and development of the country’s electricity distribution network. The charge is split into four subheadings; fixed, capacity, reactive power and unit. It is specifically the unit charge, which is placed on how many kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity has been consumed during a specific period in the day, that impacts companies the most. The tariffs usually account for between 15-19% of a typical non-domestic electricity bill and vary throughout the country (fig 1.). For consumers, the cost of DUoS is increasing year by year and it is predicted that by 2020 the price of electricity will increase to such an extent that network charges will

represent 40% of an electricity bill. Even with an increasing proportion of a company’s electricity bill going towards DUoS charges, it is not possible to ‘shop around’ for the cheapest DUoS tariffs as each Distribution Network Operator has a local monopoly on the supply of electricity. It is evident that for most companies it is financially beneficially to avoid DUoS tariffs, if possible, and the most popular method is to limit or reduce electricity consumption at peak times, usually Monday – Friday between 16:00 – 19:00 hours. However, as DUoS charges are published in advance, the charge can be avoided by using the correct load management systems, such as energy storage technology. The solution works by capturing the electricity produced during low tariff periods, and stores it for later use, giving businesses the capability to negate additional grid costs. Storage solutions harness energy from both renewable and non-renewable resources,

allowing users to come off the National Grid and switch to stored electricity, when required, giving greater flexibility and control of electrical usage. The flexibility allows facilities to store the cheaper electricity, produced at off peak times, usually from 00:00 – 07:30, 21:00 – 24:00 and across the weekend. The stored electricity will then be discharged from the battery at a DUoS period, giving businesses the ability to save as much as 10% on energy costs.

Triads A further charge that significantly impacts on a company’s energy bill is Triads, three half-hour periods with the highest system demand between November and February. Triads are notoriously difficult to predict, however, most electricity suppliers will attempt to warn users when they believe a Triad period might be coming, in order to allow facilities to reduce the amount of electricity consumed. Similar to DUoS, a Triad is also

Figure 1. DUos charges

on the cover

Building & Facilities Management – October 2016

On the Cover

Figure 2. Triad charges.

affected by the geographical location of a business (fig 2.) and most will attempt to shut down procedures when a Triad period is occurring, as they are extremely expensive, resulting in excessive energy costs. However, operating a shutting down process can damage a company’s operations and potentially lead to missed revenue opportunities. The only way to keep costs down, whilst ensuring full operation through a Triad tariff period is for businesses to come off the National Grid and use electricity through energy storage technology. The Carbon Trust has already given its backing to the solution, with a recent report stating that Triad avoidance is a key benefit for customer focussed services.1

National Grid incentives Not only does energy storage allow companies to make savings, it allows companies to redirect electricity back to the National Grid, in order to access additional Demand Side Response (DSR) incentives. DSR can be any method of assisting reserve, frequency response, peak avoidance and capacity on the electricity network. DSR incentives are broken up into three categories: Demand Side Balancing Reserve (DSBR), Firm Frequency Response (FFR) and Enhanced Frequency Response (EFR). DSBR is given to large energy users that reduce electrical requirement during high periods of demand, such a weekdays between 16:00 – 20:00. During the timeframe, companies can choose between switching off non-essential equipment, which may come at a cost, or investing in off-grid electricity sources, such as energy storage and operate as normal. By reducing overall carbon emissions and improving energy security within the local community, energy storage solutions allow businesses to showcase their green credentials through the DSBR scheme. 1

http://www.low-carbonscotland.scot/wp-content/ uploads/2016/03/energy-storage-report.pdf

Building & Facilities Management – October 2016

FFR payments are provided to companies if they assist in maintaining frequency on the National Grid in a time period from up to a few seconds all the way to 30 minutes. Usually, FFR is required if the National Grid service deviates below a certain level through a large loss of generation. In order to access its entire benefits users should be able to supply frequency response when the low frequency trigger point is activated. As energy storage systems are permanently connected to the National Grid, the solution will discharge its electricity almost instantly, unlike diesel generators and CHP units. The technology therefore ensures all businesses will successfully respond to at least 95% of all FFR demands from the grid. Currently, the most financially beneficial National Grid incentive is EFR, which is defined as a frequency source that achieves 100% active power output at one second, or less, of registering a frequency deviation. With EFR being a new scheme developed to improve the management of system frequency, the information surround EFR services and the payment options is limited. However, what is known is that energy storage technology is expected to be one of the only mediums that will be able to apply for EFR benefits, as it can to respond to changes in grid frequency within an 11 millisecond timeframe.

Towards a smarter future Not only are energy storage solutions beneficial for companies looking to access instant energy savings and financial incentives, the technology also has a large role to play in the future development of the energy network, in a Smart City infrastructure.

Although there is no clear definition for a Smart City, a background paper published by the Government Department for Business Innovation & Skills suggests that, “It brings together hard infrastructure, social capital including local skills and community institutions, and (digital) technologies to fuel sustainable economic development and provide an attractive environment for all.” The importance of hard infrastructure is crucial to a Smart City and it is critical that any system includes; controlled street lighting, road signals, water flow and crucially, the supply of energy to homes and businesses within an ‘Internet of Energy’ framework.

The microgrid As the name suggest, a microgrid is a scaled down version of current national electricity grids, the main difference being that the microgrid is powered by energy sources, including renewables that matches electricity supply with local demand rather than national demand. Within a Smart City, the microgrid system will offer users greater control and flexibility in electrical supply Within this landscape, energy storage systems are emerging as an enabling technology that will allow microgrids to deliver energy effectively and efficiently at a ‘micro’ level. Connected users can switch to the supply at any time they wish, giving a constant and reliable supply of electricity. Even though consumer focussed energy storage technology is in its infancy, the solution is emerging as the answer to avoiding DUoS and Triad charges, alongside accessing National Grid incentives. Also, by increasing energy security on a local level, the technology is one of the best solutions to address the growing concern that national energy grids are struggling to cope with the surge in demand for electricity, which continues to accelerate. Powerstar will soon be adding Virtue EV (electric vehicle) to its product range, which will see the company’s energy storage technology integrated with an Electrical Vehicle Rapid charger. To register interest in the solution, and to receive further information on events and activities in relation to the product launch visit, http://powerstar.com/virtue-ev/. For more information on Virtue, please visit http://powerstar.com/virtue/ on the cover

Energy Management

Storage is a smart energy solution John Hudson, Managing Director, Boston Renewables

any experts agree that the solution to the future of Britain’s energy supply is not just the development of more generation, but the intelligent use of existing generation capacity to balance the peaks and troughs of supply and demand. A correctly balanced National Grid will work better and help to control electricity price inflation. Through its Power Responsive initiative, the National Grid is actively promoting grid balancing, otherwise known as demand side response (DSR), to organisations of all sizes in the public and private sectors. There are opportunities for all to engage in and benefit from grid balancing. Battery storage is emerging as the key enabler. Not only does battery storage help the grid manage electricity in a smart way, but it can also deliver a valuable income stream for the organisations that participate in the grid balancing schemes. Facilities managers are at the heart of these new developments. An on-site energy storage system comprises lithium ion batteries with inverters and switchgear often housed in a metal shipping type container and installed on the organisation’s site. The system typically works by storing cheap night-time electricity or surplus generation from on-site renewables. Users can switch to the stored power on a daily basis to avoid peak time electricity pricing and, therefore, reduce their energy costs. Failsafe Triad management and on-site UPS are additional benefits to battery storage schemes.

Generating income Energy efficiency has long been the buzz phrase for facilities managers, with many organisations just focusing on energy cost savings. Battery storage, however, provides the additional dimension required to move beyond cost saving and actually generate valuable income from providing balancing services to the National Grid. By bringing organisations into grid balancing schemes, two things happen. First they are financially incentivised to take less electricity from the grid when demand overall is too high. Second, when there is a surplus of electricity on the grid, for instance during the 18

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night, their on-site batteries become stand-by assets that the grid can call on to store the excess electricity so it is not wasted. The organisation is paid by the grid for use of these assets. The requests and payments for all this are done through the “internet of energy”. Sometimes large organisations contract directly with National Grid, but most will work through aggregators that have direct links to the battery storage developers. There are many and varied contracts and models for battery storage and DSR. The key for the end user is to engage with a developer that offers a bespoke and complete solution.

Who can participate? If an organisation has half-hourly metering installed and spends more than £50,000 annually on electricity, it is likely to benefit from an integrated storage and DSR scheme. It is particularly suitable for organisations with processes that operate beyond normal office hours. Organisations with multiple sites also benefit, as unlike the feed-in tariff system, there are no restrictions on the number of storage assets and DSR contracts a company can own or participate in. Facilities managers usually start the process by making the business case for the initial investment in storage systems and renewables that will become an income stream for their organisation. Energy storage can be enhanced if it is

integrated with onsite renewables, like a wind turbine or solar PV array, but it also works as a stand-alone system.

Return on investment Typically, the financial returns on capital employed are at least 11% and sometimes over 20% using the internal rate of return (IRR) metric for capital investment. Flexible finance options are offered by some storage developers to offset the initial investment in the battery system.

The future It is likely that more organisations will participate in and benefit from grid balancing schemes as DSR becomes better known and early entrants are seen to reap the benefits of these schemes; electricity storage systems and smart metering will be key enablers. The risks are not as high as many suppose. Facilities managers will always stay in control of their assets, they can set the parameters within which they will respond to grid balancing requests and their on-site operations will not be compromised. This is all part of a wider trend to use energy in a smarter way. In June 2016, the National Infrastructure Commission noted that Britain needs to solve its energy challenges not just through more generation but also by increasing flexibility in its electricity system. www.boston-renewables.co.uk Building & Facilities Management – January October 2014 2016

Energy Management

Perfect Clarity provide guidance and tips on energy reduction As energy brokers, Perfect Clarity can provide guidance on managing gas and electricity prices for businesses, and tips on energy reduction, to get to grips with these overheads. Below is a brief appraisal of how they have helped a delicatessen in the south west of England for a number of years.

benefit from a day and night meter. This ensures the electricity used overnight to keep the refrigeration units running, costs a lot less than during the day.

“Ashburton is a very foodie place – we have a butcher, fish delicatessen, an artisan bakers and ourselves all on the local high street which is lovely. Since opening the Deli, we have been really busy and our produce is proving very popular locally.”

Kevan suggests the following points that all business owners like Sue, can look at. They shouldn’t cost you a penny to implement, and will go a long way to managing your energy use:

ue Hudson from Devon runs Ashburton Delicatessen which is situated on the High Street in the pretty town of Ashburton. She started her premises nearly four years ago and supplies fine foods including cheese, charcuterie and specialist ingredients to local customers.

Sue opens the shop six days a week from 9-5pm and cooks bread, pasties and sausage rolls on the premises. She says; “In my business one of my largest expenses is my refrigeration costs. I run 5 fridges, 4 large freezers and a very large chiller counter. In 2013, I paid electricity costs of £4,610 for the year to British Gas and they wanted to increase that for the next 12 months. “I was recommended to Perfect Clarity who are independent energy brokers. They were able to find me a new energy contract which saved me £600 a year (13%) for the next 2 years. “As agreed, Kevan contacted me again at the opportune time to lock in prices for our next electricity contract in 2016, when he felt the wholesale price had bottomed out for the year. As a result, we are now paying another £700 less (17%) in 2016 than last year. “As a small business, saving money on overheads is so important and using an energy broker was the best decision I have made for my business so far.” Perfect Clarity also checked on the type of electricity meter installed at the delicatessen. Businesses like Sue’s that have large refrigeration units will often

Building & Facilities Management – October 2016

Kevan Enticott

But there is more to this than price alone. Businesses need to assess how much energy they use, and how they can reduce their consumption. This in turn, will reduce their overheads even further.

Make your staff energy champions Unfortunately your staff don’t pay the bills! Cutting back on energy use may not be their top priority, so encourage them to turn off lights, ovens and equipment when not in use. Ensure that heating and hot water are set at the correct temperature and you are not heating water wastefully. Don’t just switch everything on when you arrive, only the equipment you need. Even turning down the thermostat by a degree or two can make a huge difference. Educate your staff on the benefits of conserving energy and the effect it can have on the annual bills.

Install a smart meter Smart meters are a fantastic way to measure how much energy you are using. They can be fitted by your electricity or gas supplier, and they replace your existing meter, and will send regular readings to the supplier. There are two types of smart meter. Standard smart meters will send monthly readings to your supplier so you are billed accurately, but the more advance versions will do this at 30

minute intervals for electricity. Your supplier can give you access to this data online, so you can monitor electricity use, and highlight the times of day you are using more energy than you need. A great way to analyse your energy use and cut back where necessary.

Submit regular meter readings If you don’t have a smart meter, get into the habit of proving regular meter readings to your energy company. You can easily do this over the phone or via their website – you just need your account number. If you leave your energy supplier to estimate how much you are using, you have no method of analysing energy use, even on a monthly basis. Plus, bills produced to accurate readings will mean no nasty surprises when you open your invoices. There are also other avenues you can explore, such as switching to energy-saving LED lighting. This will require an investment up front, but you will save money in the long run. Kevan Enticott is a Director at Perfect Clarity, energy brokers who save businesses money and provide clarity on gas and electricity contracts, www.perfect-clarity.com

energy management

Energy Management

Minimum Energy Efficiency Performance Standards

Tim Hipperson, Director of Consultancy at Utilitywise PLC, one of the UK’s largest and leading independent utility cost management companies comments on Minimum Energy Efficiency Performance Standards (MEEPS) and the effects on landlords.

he new regulations, which relates to new leases, state that landlords with buildings that hold an F or G rating will not be able to rent their property are set to have a dramatic impact on landlord owned properties in the UK from April 2018. The landmark database shows 18% of buildings are affected and there are 78,441 nondomestic EPC F&G rated properties (in England & Wales, as at Sept 2013). Likely to affect a fifth of the UK building stock the immediate ban on non-compliant landlords will be a hard pill to swallow. With less than two years to go for landlords to get their ducks in a row, the time is now to act smart and save in the long term. The legislation, which is intended to encourage landlords to undertake energy efficiency improvements to their properties states that they could face a fine of £150,000 if they let a non-compliant building post April 2018. Failure to comply with the regulations will result in landlords facing a financial penalty or a publication penalty, or both. However, faith in the EPC system is often low and as research from the Carbon Trust Advisory Service found, major businesses are wasting at least £1.6bn annually because they continue to undervalue the financial returns gained from investing in energy efficiency. Finance directors typically estimate the average internal rate of return from energy efficiency projects to be less than 20%, when in fact it is closer to 48%. What businesses need now is advice on how they can take control today to ensure they meet the deadline and start saving money. We also want to help businesses understand the financial and ‘rentable’ benefit of having a higher 20

energy management

EPC rating, a good EPC rating makes properties more attractive to let. At Utilitywise we have created a guide to attaining a higher EPC rating: 1. Switching off: In its most simplistic form load shedding and shifting ‘could’ be switching off a piece of electrical HVAC equipment during peak periods and switched back on afterwards. In reality doing this would affect the building performance and comfort levels would be adversely affected. By controlling the HVAC equipment in a more sophisticated way, such as pre-cooling a building, the electrical load can be shifted affectively without disrupting the comfort levels in the building. 2. Savings: IoT enabled BeMS complete with DUoS load shedding and shifting capabilities can deliver up to 30% off a businesses utilities bill. 3. Behavioural change: By demonstrating and educating your building occupiers, businesses can achieve additional savings in both consumption and cost. Influencing and changing the demands they have on the internal environment by educating on proper use of heating and cooling controls, as well as encouraging good ‘housekeeping’ such as turning items off when they’re not required all add to the savings. 4. Energy bureaus: Traditionally energy bureaus were purely for bill validation and reporting on energy consumption. Today’s energy bureau is much more interactive and forward thinking, using cutting-edge technology to

provide previously unattainable levels of intelligence and insights. Gone are the days of merely reporting on data the modern intelligent bureau will help businesses actively reduce energy consumption and cost as well as meeting legislative requirements and even manipulating the shape of the energy bill for the future. By monitoring and reporting on consumption patterns and overlaying this information with control strategies, the intelligent bureau can actively manage energy consumption for the end user. Bringing a building up to higher EPC standards is not impossible but it is a job for dedicated professionals, at Utilitywise we can fully manage the process, saving landlords valuable time and hassle. Our large team of accredited Energy Assessors can help landlords with a tailored phased approach. Starting with analysis of existing EPC portfolio and calculation of costs and requirements to assess the remainder of the portfolio and update where required. An EPC assessment of an entire property portfolio and production of report detailing buildings at risk can also be collated. Our team can also provide a detailed and fully costed report of asset improvements and changes required to improve buildings at risk rating to E or above. We can follow this through right up to implementation of a full solution architecture and provision of measures to improve building EPC ratings and remove from ‘at risk’ status. At Utilitywise we undertake a fourphase approach to analyse, assess risks, mitigate risks and implement full solution architecture to improve EPC ratings and remove from the ‘at risk’ status. www.utilitywise.com Building & Facilities Management – January October 2014 2016

Energy Management

Priva’s BI Metrics is First Service to Deliver Cost-Efficient Building Performance Insight The cloud-based service is designed to ensure optimal use of the installations in buildings, and can be used in conjunction with most existing building management systems.

limate control and building automation specialist Priva is delighted to announce the launch of its brand new cloud service, BI Metrics. The groundbreaking solution is designed to help organisations achieve a better-performing HVAC installation with lower energy usage – and then maintain optimum performance throughout the entire life of the building. Already nominated for a prestigious VSK Award in the Netherlands, Priva BI Metrics analyses a large amount of data so that organisations can undertake preventive maintenance in the exact areas where it is required. Devised to increase installation efficiency, lower energy consumption and enhance comfort levels, BI Metrics is offered as a cloud service for two specific time periods: a 13-month timeframe during the commissioning process; and an annual subscription during the operational phase. Most significantly, BI Metrics has no need of additional sensors because the data from an existing Building Management System (BMS) is sufficient to generate the analysis. By delivering an embedded approach to building performance analysis, BI Metrics guarantees minimal installation costs as well as suitability for a wide range of facility types and applications. BI Metrics can be used in conjunction with a wide variety of BMS, including Priva and any other system capable of exporting data points via BACnet, Modbus or comparable communication protocols. With an increasing emphasis being placed on the security of all building-related systems, potential customers will be assured by the service’s reliance on the acclaimed Microsoft Azure platform. A Dutch pilot project involving deployment of BI Metrics in a 60,000sqm Building & Facilities Management – October 2016

building was shown to have resulted in savings of €125,000 between June 2014 and June 2015. The limited setup costs led to a near-instantaneous return on investment, while underperforming areas were pinpointed quickly once the system was operational. Anders Norén – Managing Director of Priva UK – is excited that a solution he describes as “a genuine gamechanger” is now ready to be introduced to organisations, service companies and installers worldwide. “We firmly believe that the building services market has been waiting for a cloud solution that is as powerful and

flexible as BI Metrics,” he says. “The fact is that up to 70% of all buildings do not perform to their design standards – a very concerning figure when you consider the overall global drive to improve building efficiency and minimise the carbon footprint of businesses. Priva BI Metrics is going to be a big part of the solution as it helps users to visualise the problem areas and achieve service efforts or investments that can result not only in large energy savings – but also boost the comfort and well-being of personnel.” For more information, please visit http://www.priva.co.uk/.

energy management

HVAC

Support employee productivity with a comfortable workplace temperature this winter Carl Webb, Sales Director at Andrews Sykes.

recent survey conducted on behalf of Andrews Air Conditioning Hire revealed that four in five people are discontent with their office temperature. In winter, 52% of offices are considered too cold and in order to keep warm, 56% of staff put on extra clothing, whilst 8.3% reported bringing in a hot water bottle. The Approved Code of Practice suggests that the minimum temperature in a workplace should normally be at least 16°C, but there is some debate over the optimum temperature for worker productivity.

An ideal temperature Research shows that up to 8.5 minutes per day are spent adjusting to the workplace temperature. Unsurprisingly, if staff feel uncomfortable then productivity is likely to fall. In fact, accidents, mistakes, low morale and increased absenteeism all occur more frequently in extremes of temperature, with most people feeling comfortable in a temperature of 18-21°C and a relative humidity of 40-60%. In the UK, the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers recommends an office temperature of 20°C, whilst Helsinki University of Technology found that performance peaked in an office heated to around 22°C. Following a month-long study by Cornell University in New York, an ideal office temperature was found to be 25°C. This conclusion was reached due to the study’s findings highlighting that those working in a temperature of 25°C typed 100% of the time and had a 10% error rate, whilst those working in 20°C only typed 54% of the time and had a 25% error rate. However, contradicting all of these studies is Facebook, a company which maintains its offices at a chilly 15°C to keep staff alert.

Preparing for winter Testing central heating systems with plenty of time to spare before the cold weather arrives is a common oversight made by facilities teams. It is often assumed that as the domestic hot water supply is operating efficiently, so is the 22

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central heating. However, this isn’t always the case and tests should be carried out ahead of time. In the unfortunate event of a boiler failure, there are a number of steps which can be taken to maintain the temperature until the boiler is repaired or replaced. Oil filled radiators or electric heaters can be a good solution if temporary boilers can’t be immediately connected. Whilst oil filled radiators are ideal for smaller areas, electric fan heaters are capable of heating large areas up to 500 cubic metres due to their in-built fan. Although electric heaters can heat a larger area, they do tend to emit more noise than oil filled radiators. When installing a temporary solution, it’s important to ensure that you have an adequate power supply and enough amps available on your circuit. If you overload the circuit with electric heaters, this can result in operational issues such as computer spikes.

Key considerations for FMs To ensure that the office environment is kept at a comfortable temperature, it’s important to check that your heating system is working effectively ahead of winter. • When was your boiler and heating solution last serviced? Regular servicing can reduce your heating costs by ensuring your system is running smoothly and at maximum capacity. A full service would inspect all major boiler components including the pump, filter, pipes and the pressure of your system. • Do you have a contingency plan in place? In the event of boiler or heating failure, to avoid downtime, a comprehensive contingency plan will ensure that a comfortable temperature can be restored as soon as possible. Temporary boilers aren’t as expensive as you might think and are available in a variety of sizes and capacities, ranging from minor hot water systems to all-encompassing heating and

hot water arrangements which can service an entire building. • If you are in need of a temporary boiler solution, consider the boiler’s capabilities along with its fuel requirements as each fuel type has its benefits and challenges. Diesel is one of the most common types of fuel and is used to operate many boilers. Delivered by fuel tankers, the diesel is also safely locked away in a fully bunded fuel tank to minimise the risk of theft. Other fuel available includes natural gas, often chosen when delivering diesel to a site is difficult or if the location has a supply of natural gas readily available. Electric boilers are also an option, tending to be more lightweight and ideal for heating hot water in confined spaces Preparing your facility for winter will ensure that you are ready for any situation, allowing your staff to work productively irrelevant of the temperature outside. For more information, visit: www.andrews-sykes.com Building & Facilities Management – October 2016

HVAC

Ground Source Heat Pump Case study: Wanstead, Eco Home This eco project proves that even in the city you can have your own green haven.

rchitect Jason Harris was looking for a renewable heating system to complement an innovative eco home he was building in East London. Land area was restricted due to the urban nature of the site, but thanks to a unique borehole drilling method used by Ground Sun, a Kensa ground source heat pump was successfully installed. In 2015 Jason Harris, Director of East London based architectural practice, T-Space, designed and built an ultramodern, eco-friendly home. He wanted the 550m² house to be as self-sufficient as possible and was keen to install a renewable heating system rather than using the gas network. He approached Kensa partner installer Ground Sun who suggested that a ground source heat pump would provide a sustainable and efficient source of heating and hot water. Ground Sun also advised that the ground source heat pump installation would be eligible for the Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), earning regular quarterly payments from the Government for seven years to more than offset the cost of the initial investment. Ground Sun specified a 20kW Kensa Twin Compact ground source heat pump. Brian Connell, Director of Ground Sun said: “Kensa manufactures the highest output single phase ground source heat pumps on the market, which is really useful for large domestic jobs such as this one. Also, Ground Sun enjoys a good working relationship with Kensa and appreciate the support offered during the installation process.” The heat pump is installed in a basement plant room. Smart energy meters complement the system and controls are kept to a minimum, consisting of a time clock and just four thermostat zones. It was felt preferable that the heat pump be allowed to run for longer periods at a lower level to achieve optimal efficiency, instead of cycling on and off with the demands of multiple controls. The fine tuning and long term balancing for each room is done by hand at the manifold. Building & Facilities Management – October 2016

Jason Harris commented: “This project centred more on achieving the optimal outcome than a fast completion.” As the house is located in an urban part of East London land area was limited, and so it was determined that boreholes would be the most effective form of ground array. However, as the site was accessible only via a very narrow lane, impassable by standard drilling rigs, Ground Sun utilised a radial drilling rig which could comfortably cope with the restricted access. The radial rig is a three tonne drilling rig and has the added advantage that the hydraulic/engine section can be separated from the drilling mat and sited away from the drilling operation thereby keeping noise and disruption away from neighbours. The innovative radial drilling method is adapted from techniques used to create utility networks for powerlines and gas mains. A main drill chamber acted as an access point from which separate boreholes were drilled. By drilling out at 65° and 45° angles, eight 50m long radial boreholes were able to be installed on site. This reduced the amount of excavation that was required and meant that the installation caused a minimum amount of disruption. The house has a unique design which grew out of the planning constraints of the site; the planted green walls are intended to blend into the surrounding tree cover, alongside large glazed windows which encase a central internal courtyard. As the project was a new build, Ground Sun was able to liaise closely with the architect and ensure that the installation fitted in conveniently with the build programme. Despite its size, the house was designed with as small a carbon footprint

as possible, being highly insulated and predominantly of timber construction. The property has underfloor heating installed throughout, laid under polished concrete floors to provide thermal mass and an efficient way of emitting heat which works very well with the ground source heat pump. Solar thermal technology will provide additional hot water capacity; a heat recovery unit provides a wholehouse ventilation system and low energy consumption LED lighting and appliances combine to give this stunning property maximum energy efficiency. The heat pump has been running for a year so far and the owners are very happy with how it is performing. Established in 1999, Kensa Heat Pumps Limited is the UK’s dedicated manufacturer of ground source heat pumps. The Kensa Group Limited wholly owns Kensa Heat Pumps Limited and Kensa Contracting Limited. For the fourth year running Kensa has been confirmed as the largest supplier of ground source heat pumps to the UK market (Source: BSRIA 2016). Kensa supplies the UK’s widest product range of ground source heat pumps to satisfy all residential and commercial applications. The entire Kensa product range is manufactured from their UK premises at the former tin mine site, Mount Wellington Mine, in Cornwall. Kensa uniquely exploits the heat stored in the water within the old mine shafts at Mount Wellington Mine to provide heat to its buildings, using a Kensa heat pump. Kensa is an active member of the GSHPA Council and MCS Technical Working Group, and is a DECC Top Tier Stakeholder. The company continues to be a major contributor to wider industry initiatives. www.kensaheatpumps.com hvac

Intelligent Buildings

Sink or Swim: How to manage the Big Data Flood Rachel Cooper, category marketing manager – field services with Schneider Electric

he Internet of Things (IoT) is constantly in the news. That’s understandable since forecasts anticipate that there will soon be tens of billions of connected devices, helping the IoT sector to generate more than £7.5 trillion worth of economic activity worldwide. In fact, according to McKinsey Global, the IoT economic impact on factories, retail settings, work sites, offices and homes could total as much as £3.55 trillion by 2025. One area where the IoT is driving development is in smart buildings. Today’s more complex buildings are generating vast quantities of data, but building management systems (BMS) are not leveraging that data as much as they could, and are not always capturing the right data to make useful decisions. With 42 per cent of the world’s energy consumed by buildings, facility managers face escalating demand for environmentally friendly, highperformance buildings that are efficient and sustainable. The data collected can help them to achieve this. However, many facility managers lack the time and resources to investigate the convenient methods that can help them to turn the flood of IoT and other sensor data they’re exposed to, into actionable insights.

Forced to do more with less Reduced budgets force building owners to manage sophisticated building systems with fewer resources. This issue is further aggravated by older systems becoming inefficient over time. Even when there is sufficient budget, it is increasingly difficult and timeconsuming to hire, develop, and retain staff with the skills and knowledge to take advantage of BMS capabilities. Facility managers also face challenges maintaining existing equipment performance. Components can break or fall out of calibration, and general wear and tear often leads to a marked decline in a building’s operational efficiency. Changes in building use and occupancy can contribute to indoor air-quality problems, uncomfortable environments, 24

intelligent buildings

and higher overall energy costs. These changes begin immediately after construction is complete. Owners often undertake recommissioning projects to fine-tune their buildings. Such work is intended to bring the facility back to its best possible operation level. However, recommissioning is often done as a reactive measure, and traditional maintenance may not identify all areas of energy waste. Operational inefficiencies that are not obvious, or that do not result in occupant discomfort, may go undetected.

Upskilling the current workforce Many tools have come onto the market over the past decade to help employees get a better understanding of their facilities and assist them in their day-to-day operations and long-term planning. This can include anything from dashboards and automated analytics platforms to machine-learning optimisation engines. However, much like the sophisticated BMS platforms available today, for each tool you deploy, more investment is needed in time for training. In fact, research shows that lacking training is evident with roughly only 20 per cent of facility managers using 80 per cent of capabilities available to them within their BMS. The remaining 80 per cent use a very limited amount (20 per cent) of the potential functionality in their system. With personnel turnover and competing facility-management responsibilities, many facilities are

left without staff who have the time to learn the full capabilities of these tools. Of course, outsourcing different functions is one way to overcome these issues. However, vendors must be managed closely to ensure efficacy, and to ensure that outsourcing costs do not accrue significantly as third parties spend more time on-site.

In tech we trust Technology has become an important part of building management, as BMS play an ever bigger role in how facility managers perform their jobs and operate buildings. Newer technologies like data visualisation dashboards let facility managers view building performance metrics in a single window, helping them to spot trends and gather insights. By visualising data in terms of graphs, charts, and conversion to different equivalents – for example, kWh to pound cost or kWh to carbon footprint, an experienced building operator can manually identify areas of concern for closer inspection. Yet, while dashboards can be helpful in determining building behaviour, the data is often complex and challenging to interpret. In fact, even if building staff have the time and skills to review and understand the data, dashboard information alone tells only part of the building performance story. Facility managers can identify where inefficiencies exist but usually not why. This requires additional troubleshooting and investigation. Therefore, dashboards are most effective for simple monitoring in environments where there are plenty Building & Facilities Management – October 2016

Intelligent Buildings of trained staff to perform troubleshooting and identify the root causes of issues.

Analytics is the answer To gain more from a BMS deployment, many facility managers are turning to data analytics software to interpret large volumes of BMS data. Best-inclass software automatically trends energy and equipment use, identifies faults, provides root-cause analysis, and prioritises opportunities for improvement based on cost, comfort and maintenance impact. This software complements BMS dashboards because it takes the additional step of interpreting the data – showing not just where but why inefficiencies occur. Engineers can then convert this intelligence into “actionable information” for troubleshooting and preventative maintenance, as well as for solving more complicated operational challenges. Using this software, facility managers can proactively optimise and commission building operations more effectively than with a BMS alone. It enables them to understand why a building is or isn’t operating efficiently so that they can introduce permanent solutions rather than temporary fixes. For instance, with data analytics, facility managers can proactively identify operational problems

such as equipment that needs to be repaired or replaced. Moreover, it can do this before critical failure and before it has an impact on the building occupants. Repairs can be scheduled before an emergency arises, eliminating costly short-notice or out-of-hours replacement and avoiding failure and downtime. With this proactive approach, equipment becomes more reliable, the cost of replacement and repair can be much lower, and occupants are assured of optimal comfort. In fact, by following best practice, they can even reduce HVAC energy costs by up to 30%.

The Future Smart, connected technology has taken us beyond the human ability to manage what can amount to hundreds of thousands of data points in large buildings. Efficient operations require a proactive response. Analytics solutions effectively manage the new state of information overload created by a digital world and filter out what’s not valuable to you. For example, they can provide insight on how to fix problems when they are first observed, before total failure.

This predictive maintenance approach means capital assets can be preserved and significant energy savings can be made. The advent of IoT means that we must shift our approach to facility management in order to deliver against the financial, wellbeing and sustainability targets of today’s facilities. By investing in a sophisticated BMS, users can uncover which data to ignore and which to act upon. After all, data for data’s sake is useless. Being able to use a building’s performance data to augment operational efficiency, increase occupant comfort, and improve overall energy consumption so that the financial wellbeing of buildings can be sustained, is of paramount importance. www.schneider-electric.co.uk

EVC System BIM Objects announced by UK manufacturer

aldwin Boxall has announced the availability of BIM objects for their two Emergency Voice Communication (EVC) systems – Omnicare and CARE2. The drawings are freely available from the company to anyone upon request. BIM (Building Information Modelling) increases efficiency, reduces costs and saves time for building and infrastructure projects. There are

Building & Facilities Management – October 2016

many benefits to this type of approach for the construction industry and because of this, it is being increasingly adopted by companies worldwide. Baldwin Boxall’s EVC systems (encompassing disabled refuge, fire telephones and disabled toilet alarms) have been well-proven and are the systems of choice for many. The company builds on its reputation for offering a complete service and will always go that extra mile for their customers. This has been proven to be the case by a recent customer survey undertaken, the results of which can be found on the company’s website www. baldwinboxall. co.uk/customersurvey/. Typical comments

include “As good as it gets” and “Always consistently good.” Commenting on the release of the drawings, Nick Baldwin, Sales & Marketing Director, said “It became quite clear that BIM drawings were soon going to become a necessary requirement. We are sure that the investment will be a good one – we have already received a good response for the drawings for both systems. Any effort we can make to help our customers can only be for the good.” More information can be found on the company’s EVC systems can be found on their website: www.baldwinboxall.co.uk/ emergency-voice-communication/ or by contacting the marketing team marketing@baldwinboxall.co.uk. Baldwin Boxall is based in Sussex in England and all its products are designed and manufactured in the UK to a very high standard. The company has a very clear mission statement (which can easily be found on the website – www.baldwinboxall.co.uk – and is proud of its position in the industry. intelligent buildings

Intelligent Buildings

CAFM system for new university building Matthias Mosig, Real Estate Consulting & Advisory, TÜV SÜD Advimo GmbH

ata on energy consumption and area occupation, information on maintenance and warranties, booking of rooms and equipment: management of major facilities is highly complex. A computer aided facility management (CAFM) system is to centrally comprise all important building data. The example of a European elite university shows why profound preparation and integration in the overall IT structure is important. Six buildings on one campus of a size of approx. 100,000 sqm – lecture halls, seminar rooms, canteen, computer centre, library, and gymnasium: the university planned an extraordinarily complex project with several new buildings. A total of 40,000 sqm were to be managed and operated, and this as sustainably and efficient as possible. Thus, a CAFM system was planned right from the start, which – according to the owner’s requirements – had to be created parallel to planning, construction and relocation and which was meant to support the elite university’s comprehensive claim to be a flagship project. The target of the implementation of the CAFM system: all users – from facility management, to employees, students up to the president’s office – were meant to have access to such data that is relevant to them: e.g. for booking lecture halls, inquiry of important key figures or distribution of inventory such as smartboards and video beamers. Also external service providers were to be involved in parts of the system, if needed. A CAFM system of this dimension needs to be precisely designed and introduced in detailed coordination with both experts and users. The owners of the new university buildings, therefore, decided quite early to cooperate with the TÜV SÜD Advimo, a former cgmunich GmbH. The experts’ primary task was initially to define the basic requirements for the new CAFM system and to draw up specifications in order to subsequently support the university during tendering and implementation. In a first step, the existing data was analysed, structured and merged. For many years, information and key figures related to the university were collected and documented in various systems. For example, Excel tables, e-mail inboxes and company-developed applications were used in parallel and managed by different employees. Such grown heterogeneous 26

intelligent buildings

structures lead to the situation that the manual effort for data maintenance and updating increased continuously. Both duplications as well as gaps in the data structure were the result. Thus, TÜV SÜD Advimo’s task was initially to standardise this data structure as well as the business processes and the SAP, MS Office, Access and CAD applications. Due to the project’s complexity, it became clear quite quickly that these requirements could only be realised based on a central IT system architecture. Therefore, the experts developed additional interfaces that e.g. allowed the connection of the CAFM system and the CAD application to SAP and other special systems that were still needed for the operation of the university. Not only recording and integration of all existing data was necessary for the implementation, but also of all specific workflows. Only if such system matches the involved parties’ practice, such a system will be used successfully and, most importantly, accepted. In fact, low acceptance seems to be the main problem when a CAFM system is introduced; some projects even fail due to the lack of acceptance. This is why it was important for TÜV SÜD Advimo to involve all concerned in the planning quite early. Above all, it was crucial to understand the workflows of all future users in every detail. It is only when the basics and facts are clear that a process can be revised appropriately and with practical orientation. To record the workflows, the experts developed checklists and carried out detailed interviews, thus all relevant data was detected. Furthermore, responsibilities were clarified and so called process owners defined in order to keep responsibilities transparent and depictable. According to all specifications, the CAFM system was finally introduced at the university. Since then, the benefits of the intensive preparatory work become apparent. As desired, all relevant users can now access important data quickly and flexibly, which is now of even higher quality thanks to more systematic collection. Duplications and data gaps have been very unlikely since the introduction of the central data pool. Another benefit is that knowledge and data are no longer owned by individual persons, but can be accessed very quickly also e.g. in case of sick leave. For facility management, the CAFM system means considerable work facilitation since all data can be accessed

quickly and precisely but can also be accessed and updated via mobile devices. Now, it is a lot easier to identify cost drivers, follow-up warranty defects and to transparently compare prices. Furthermore, the system supports safety and quality management – among others, automatic reminders help to keep the overview on warranty and inspection deadlines for e.g. lifts, refrigeration and air conditioning technology. Also external FM service providers have access on relevant data and can save their documentation directly in the system. The efforts for the introduction of the CAFM system pay off during operation not only in form of increased transparency and faster access to data, but most of all in form of less effort. The necessity of manual data maintenance was reduced to a minimum, time needed for searching data is drastically reduced. The advantages are visible for everyone: Controlling executives and employees can access data and reports quickly and round the clock, and also for presentations relevant information can be retrieved in a very uncomplicated way. The offsetting of room and media bookings is carried out directly via the system. If requirements change in one department, the CAFM can be easily extended and modified by the administrators thanks to the unified structure. All these advantages are, finally, very convincing for investors, who now know that the university is working according to the latest standards and is operated in resource and energy-efficiently. The introduction of the new IT system is a success for the university: The targets – among others with regard to transparency and work facilitation – have been met and the potential of the spatial new beginning could be fully used for the project that was carried out parallel to planning, construction and relocation. The CAFM system was introduced during the relocation so that there were no delays; the chosen software can be flexibly extended or modified at any time. Thus, the embedded CAFM system will ensure efficiency and sustainability also in future. www.tuev-sued.de/advimo Building & Facilities Management – October 2016

Lifts & High Access

The Stiltz Home Lift: The sensible alternative to a stairlift A nationwide home lift company offers a range of unique domestic lifts which have been designed specifically for residential use and provide an alternative solution to the more mundane stairlift.

tiltz Lifts manufacture, design and install the Stiltz Home Lift – a one-of-a-kind domestic lift which can be installed almost anywhere in the home thanks to its innovative design and hi-tech features. It offers healthcare professionals who are looking for an alternative to a stairlift, a perfect solution. With a small footprint of less than one square metre, the stylish Stiltz Duo Lift is compact but spacious, and unlike a stairlift, can comfortably carry two passengers up to one floor in less than 30 seconds. The range also includes the wheelchairfriendly Stiltz Trio Lift. All are available in the Classic, the Thru-Car and the contemporary, clear-sided Vista models. By installing a Stiltz Home Lift, it gives the user the freedom and independence to move around their entire home without the need for assistance. This is unlike a stairlift, where the user may require help getting on and off the device. Stiltz domestic lifts include a number of unique features which set them apart from other home lift manufacturers and make them ideal for domestic applications especially as no pit or lift shaft are required. It has its own quiet self-contained drive system which means no noisy hydraulic equipment is needed. The Stiltz Home Lift simply plugs straight into a standard domestic 13 amp power socket, just like any other household appliance. It travels between floors on self-supporting stilts using discreet wire rope hoists that guide the lift safely and quietly. Stiltz Lifts deliver their products in modular sections so fast installation is possible with a typical retrofit application Building & Facilities Management – October 2016

being installed in just one day. The lifts are fully compliant with the European Machinery Directive 2006 / 42 / EC. Typically, clients decide to have the lift fitted in a hallway or living room with it travelling upstairs to a main bedroom or landing area. They can also choose to display their lift prominently (indeed some customers have planned entire room designs around their lift), or conceal it within a cupboard so it blends more readily with their décor. The Stiltz Lift does not spoil the aesthetics of the home or take up a valuable stair space like a stairlift. It is also surprisingly affordable with Disabled Facilities Grant also available. The home lift is loaded with safety features as standard including a battery back-up to lower the lift in the event of a power cut (optional UPS is also available), a full height light curtain which stops the lift car when breached, top and bottom obstruction sensors and a key lock to stop unauthorised use. Standard features also include two remote controls to call the lift from either floor, internal LED downlights and half-height door. Optional extras include a fold down seat, interior grab rail, full height door and interior telephone. Clients can customise their lift by choosing their own bespoke lift colour, rails and interior finish to ensure it compliments their home’s interior. www.stiltz.co.uk/home-lifts/ lifts & high access

Building & Refurbishment

Portakabin buildings for easyJet’s flagship modular hangar facility Portakabin, the UK’s leading modular building specialist, has provided multiple buildings for a new flagship aircraft maintenance hangar at Gatwick Airport for Europe’s leading airline, easyJet.

ortakabin worked in partnership with easyJet and alongside Rubb Buildings who designed and installed the 5,490m2 twin span hangar, which has a modular steel frame fitted with 8,700m2 of insulated PVC membrane. The facility can accommodate up to two aircraft for light-base overnight maintenance. Around 1,000m2 of accommodation were provided by Portakabin for 30 onsite staff to facilitate the maintenance of easyJet’s fleet of aircraft, which is carried out overnight, seven days a week. Six Portakabin buildings were installed inside the hangar structure for two maintenance control stations, an additional office area, a locker room, toilets, showers and changing facilities, and a workshop. A larger modular building is located externally, immediately adjacent to the hangar, for the storage of parts and tooling on the ground floor with offices, a canteen and a meeting room above. It features large picture windows overlooking the airfield and a vinyl wrap with easyJet and Lufthansa corporate branding. Both the hangar and the Portakabin buildings were designed and constructed to give easyJet a fast, flexible and cost-effective solution for at least five years. All the buildings can then easily be dismantled and re-purposed if required. This approach will allow easyJet to respond to potential future developments and uses for the site at Gatwick Airport. Commenting on the project, Tim 28

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Coles, Project Manager at easyJet said, “Our experience with Portakabin has been excellent. This latest project at Gatwick Airport was managed really well, which is critical when working on an airport with very limited timescales.” “The Portakabin team was professional and highly organised. We are very impressed with their buildings, which have created an excellent base for our maintenance team. The approach of using Portakabin buildings also gives us the flexibility to relocate the facilities, as and when required.” Portakabin reduced work on site to around four weeks and installed the buildings in a challenging working environment on a highly secure and constrained site. The team collaborated with multiple contractors and the whole maintenance facility had to be erected and ready for use as quickly as possible. The Portakabin buildings will be on hire for at least five years and were supplied complete with staircases, air conditioning, fire alarm system,

emergency lighting, and entrance canopy. Portakabin has undertaken more than 10 interim modular building projects for easyJet including at its head office in Luton, at Gatwick Airport and Liverpool John Lennon Airport. For further information about modular buildings for commercial applications, visit www.portakabin.co.uk, email information@portakabin.co.uk or call 0845 401 0010. Building & Facilities Management – October 2016

Building & Refurbishment

Gradus supplies wall protection to Nottingham Free School Contract interiors specialist Gradus has supplied Nottingham Free School with a range of wall protection products.

ottingham Free School, based in the Sherwood area, opened in 2014 in a building which was formerly a factory used by Courtaulds, a textiles and clothing firm. This is the first free school in Nottingham and currently has approximately 300 students and staff. The school underwent a complete refurbishment in September 2015 and chose a very pale blue paint scheme. By December 2015 the areas within the school that see heavy traffic, including corridors and the canteen area had begun to show signs of scuffing and wear, due to the pupils knocking against the walls with their bags. The site manager at the school was shocked by the damage and began to consider wall protection products to combat the problem. Gradus supplied and fitted the school with wall protection solutions to prevent further damage from wheeled and pedestrian traffic. The products included Gradus’ InPro Sanparrel PVC-u sheet and surface mount Standard PVC-u tape on corner guards, both in Dolphin (grey). Joshua Beeson, Site Manager at Nottingham Free School, said: “After months of looking into different options, Gradus provided us with the products we wanted at a price far cheaper than their competitors. Gradus’ Sanparrel sheets come in a range of colours, so we were able blend the protection in with our school’s colour scheme. “Gradus’ Sanparrel protective sheet has cut decorating maintenance costs by over 50%! Our painted areas are now at higher levels, therefore scuff marks are not an issue like before. Some walls in the school will need to be painted far less regularly, freeing more hours over busy periods for my maintenance team.” Anna Conrad-Smith, Marketing Product Manager for Gradus, said: “Busy school environments are routinely exposed to high levels of foot traffic, causing regular impact and ongoing scuffs and abrasion. We were pleased to be able to help Nottingham Free School create a more fit for purpose environment through supplying our tried and tested wall protection products.” Gradus provides free consultation and practical recommendations for facilities, Building & Facilities Management – October 2016

offering a single point of contact for a range of products, including wall protection, carpets, barrier matting, LED lighting and flooring accessories. Sanparrel sheet creates a durable barrier that is both through-coloured and textured to conceal the effects of impact and abrasion, therefore reducing the need to repair and repaint wall surfaces. Gradus’ InPro Standard corner guards offer cost effective medium duty protection against damage caused by pedestrian and wheeled traffic. Surface mounted, the corner guards are available with factory applied tape for quick and easy installation or without, for installation with a suitable adhesive. Manufactured from scratch and stain resistant PVC-u, they are through-coloured and textured to conceal the effects of impact

and abrasion, making them ideal for reducing maintenance costs and maintaining the buildings’ appearance. For further information contact the Gradus technical support team on 01625 428922 or visit www.gradusworld.com.

TFR Group and the University of St Andrews Bed in Circular Economy Initiative

he Furniture Recycling Group (TFR Group) has partnered with the world-renowned University of St Andrews to transform textile recycling processes in its student accommodation and introduce a circular economy system. Since partnering with TFR Group over 2000 mattresses, duvets and pillows have been donated for recycling and reuse by the University of St Andrews’ student body. Each of the university’s halls of residence converted student games rooms into a donation point at the end of term and encouraged students to drop off their unwanted bedding for reuse. This bedding was then recycled by

TFR Group and passed to sister company R&R Beds which uses the materials to manufacture and fill new mattresses. The University of St Andrews is also keen to explore the option of building on its work with TFR Group by leasing mattresses from its sister company, R&R Beds. Nick Oettinger, managing director at TFR Group, said: “Working with the University of St Andrews on the new circular economy initiative has been a great success, and we are proud to have been able to enhance its sustainability results while meeting the needs of its environmentally-conscious student body.” www.tfrgroup.co.uk building & refurbishment

Building & Refurbishment

A small item of safety

Richard Rands, UK Product Manager for Fastenings and Fixings at HellermannTyton

n July of last year, the third amendment to the IET Wiring Regulations Seventeenth Edition (BS 7671:2008) came into force. The amendment refers to items such as plastic cable clips – small items, but in terms of fire safety, potentially critical, but easy to overlook. The amendment to the regulations tackled the issue of plastic fastenings and fixings, outlawing them for use with any cabling near or on escape routes. Essentially, it means that plastic cable clips, non-metallic cable ties and plastic trunking to support wiring systems are unlikely to comply with the current rules. For anyone working on, or responsible for, any building with public access, this calls for a key change in specification and working practice. In particular, it is an important consideration in multi-occupational dwellings or work places which have corridors, stairwells and escape routes. It’s worth a reminder as to why the regulations were changed in the first place. They came about because of a series of fires which highlighted the dangers and implications of unsafe wiring, including a tragedy in 2005 in which two firefighters lost their lives tackling a fire in a block of flats in Stevenage. While there were a number of factors contributing to the deaths, it was found that one of the firefighters became entangled in electrical cabling that had fallen as a result of the melting of plastic cable trunking in which it was contained. It was this, and subsequent investigations into other situations where loose cabling has posed a hazard to life in escape routes, that BS7671 was made to cover all types of wiring systems in a building, including those of distribution circuits and final circuits, safety services and data and communication services. It means that the sole use of plastic fixings and non-metallic cable ties are no longer compliant. The purpose of the regulation is to eliminate the risk of loose cabling hindering people using escape routes due to the fixings holding the cables melting. For the specifier or installer, it is a relatively simple change. It doesn’t involve the use of new techniques or alter the way that cabling has to be routed – it just means a basic 30

building & refurbishment

change of working practice. The simple solution is to ensure that the correct fixings and fastenings have a permanent home in the toolbox. Using the wrong type may come as a result of simple error or, if the correct fastenings aren’t to hand, thinking that using what you have always used in the past “won’t matter this time”. It will matter in the event of a fire and could have major implications both in terms of public safety and liability. While the regulations apply specifically to new buildings and new electrical installations, the discipline of using only products that comply with BS7671 on any installation that is on or near a fire escape route should be regarded as best practice. To take it a step further, when carrying out safety or maintenance inspections, it could prove to be a life-saving measure to routinely replace plastic fixings. Choosing the right product is easy. Stainless steel products are ideal for applications that require high strength, reliability and fire resistance. Compliant with the regulations, stainless steel cable ties and mounts can withstand temperatures of over 500°C and their use can significantly reduce the risk of loose wiring and cable clips and fixings melting. Another aspect of installation that needs to be addressed is the fixing that is embedded into the structure, so as well as the actual fastening, the installation of cable mounts and supportive elements needs also to be addressed. There are a range of options and a good rule of thumb is to specify products that have a recognised industry approval for fire safety, such as London Underground (LUL) approved. The Metal Ball Locking Tie (MBT-Series) from HellermannTyton is an LUL-approved solution that offers a self-locking mechanism with low

insertion and high tensile strength. Metal Fold Locking Ties (MLT-Series) and Metal Punch Lock Ties (MST-Series) also offer extremely high resistance to vibration and can provide a reusable solution while Metal Banding can be used for heavy-duty applications. Working to ensure that installers have a choice of products designed specifically to meet the IET Wiring Regulations, HellermannTyton has recently designed a new range of coated stainless steel cable clips which provide a quick and easy way of securing cables to meet the requirements of BS7671. They are designed to secure cables in high temperature environments and their unique design grips the cables holding them securely into position, even in the event of a fire. They provide both time and cost savings when compared to trunking clips or metal cable ties and mounting bases and, pre-fitted, they can be simply hammered into position. Ensuring that a product like this is an everyday item that an installer routinely carries is a simple measure, but one that will ensure that legal obligations are met and that the fire safety of escape routes is protected from the risk of hanging wires. For more information visit www.hellermanntyton.co.uk Building & Facilities Management – October 2016

Lighting

Danesholme Junior Academy: New lighting for an improved learning environment Chalmor has provided new suspended ceilings, LED lighting and automatic lighting controls for Danesholme Junior Academy, part of the Greenwood Dale Foundation Trust.

riginally Chalmor was recommended to identify energy saving opportunities for upgrading the school lighting, to be funded by a SALIX interest free loan available to the public sector. Since being granted Academy status in September 2015, Salix funding could no longer be used. Some of the old lighting was dingy with unsightly surface wiring systems in many classrooms, and vaulted ceilings in other areas. Budgets to improve the learning environment were invested in the latest technology LED lighting for prioritised areas, with replacement suspended ceilings to brighten up the site. The Chalmor solution provided a single contract for all works. Procurement was simplified as Chalmor obtained Building & Facilities Management â&#x20AC;&#x201C; October 2016

3 alike system quotes to ensure the school achieved best value. The improved areas included 8 classrooms and 3 corridors often used as additional teaching areas. Modern high efficiency LED lighting was installed with flush lighting panels within the new suspended ceilings to provide a clean and fresh appearance. The vaulted classrooms had new surface LED fittings with additional emergency lighting systems in all the areas. Store rooms have LED fittings with built in sensors to prevent lights being left on needlessly. In

classrooms, the automatic lighting controls prevent any energy waste, and manual switching is provided allowing staff to select the lighting if needed when using interactive white boards. Chalmor took responsibility for environmentally friendly disposal of the fluorescent lamps and the old lighting equipment which resulted in 1.1 tons of metal being recycled. During the summer installation works, Joanne Mcclure, Business Manager praised the work, stating â&#x20AC;&#x153;Everything is going fine and lights in year 3 look great.â&#x20AC;? www.chalmor.co.uk lighting

Lighting

Plessey launches Beam Forming Module using Stellar™ Optical technology

lessey has announced the first standard LED module based on its award winning Stellar™ beam forming technology. The new standard module opens opportunities for creativity in industrial and architectural lighting design. The Plessey Orion PLWS3000 series is an LED Array Module delivering over 3000 lumens, integrating LED and optics into a tiny module just 5.6mm thick and 82mm in diameter. Alternative solutions typically require optics that are usually 100mm deep and 111mm in diameter for a comparable light output and beam. Plessey has achieved this size and performance breakthrough by combining its ground breaking Stellar™ beam forming optics and GaN on Si LED technology. Plessey is anticipating applications for the module in the design of track, retail, architectural, high intensity, spot and directional lighting and the slim line module will be particularly attractive for architectural applications. Dr. Keith Strickland, Plessey CTO, said, “The reduced form factor of the Orion™ is a major move forward in the market

by eliminating design constraints and allowing more design freedom for lighting designers. Typically using COB type LEDs or modules makes it difficult to control colour over angle, forcing designers to make fixtures much larger in size. The Orion™, with Stellar™ beam forming technology represents the next phase in LED lighting with low cost, high efficiency and greater control of light. Greater control over the direction and quality of light is a crucial element in retail, industrial, hospitality and outdoor lighting, this combined with the slim line design and impressive thermal characteristics mean we provide lighting designers and architects far more design freedom.” Paul Drosihn, Plessey’s Head of Modular Products, said, “The Orion™ focuses on replacing design limitations with opportunities thus providing lighting designers with a new level of design freedom. The size / performance envelope we have achieved allows industrial high bay and architectural luminaires used in high end offices,

homes and retail outlets to be created in a new way. With a particular emphasis on improving the thermal characteristics, the heat sink can also be reduced in size allowing the end fixture to be less obtrusive. The Orion™ will revolutionise the expectations in the lighting market.” The Orion™ module uses GaN on Si technology in conjunction with its Stellar™ beam forming technology to provide a slim line module that can be used in a variety of directional lighting applications. For further information, please visit www.plesseysemiconductors.com or email sales@plesseysemi.com

New Venture website offers smart lighting design tool

ED and HID lighting specialists, Venture Lighting Europe, has recently unveiled a new and refreshed website, www.venturelightingeurope.com, to display its range of new products and technologies. The company has upgraded the design of the website to match new branding developed alongside the launch of a new product catalogue, and has added its new range of products, which includes a range of LED Edge Lit Panels, Glass Tubes, LED Midibays and Highbays and IDT Streetlights. The website also features a new Lighting Design Tool, which allows customers and lighting designers to select their chosen luminaires and calculate, design and build the right lighting scheme for their projects. The new Lighting Design Tool is a significant and exciting new concept for Venture as it helps to improve the product selection process and overall 32

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customer experience of the website. The intelligent system requires users to select a product from the website that is compatible with the programme and gives them ability to adjust the room measurements, the reflectance and lux levels and lighting layout until they find the solution that is right for the scheme. The Lighting Design Tool is displayed alongside the technical data for each product to give customers easy access to all information they might need. Venture has also incorporated a Product Builder into the structure of the website to enhance the new product selection process. With this, customers can select additional drivers, sensors and emergency modules for their chosen luminaire and download a product datasheet with the complete information. The new website design makes browsing and finding the right product easier for customers, as it categorises Venture’s full range into applications,

including commercial, industrial floodlighting, street lighting, emergency, domestic and retrofit lamps. These categories have been updated to include Venture’s new products, including its new VLUMA and Emerg-EVAC brands. Visitors to the new Venture website can continue to read the latest company news and case studies, as well as access technical data and information. Tel: 01923-692600, Email: info@venturelighting.co.uk www.venturelightingeurope.com Building & Facilities Management – October 2016

Lighting

Coordinate your lighting scheme with new reflector options

amma’s product families are now available in a choice of three reflectors, satin, specular and multi-faceted, allowing you to easily create a coordinated lighting scheme across entire projects. The new reflector options are available across our comprehensive range of downlights, surface mounted and pendant luminaires and include IP65, plaster-in, wall wash and minimal bezel options. Once selected, the luminaires can be customised with a range of decorative accessories to suit the application, helping you achieve the desired ambience. To find out more please visit our website www.gamma-uk.com or if you would like to discuss a project, then call Gamma on 01924 482777.

Coordinate your lighting scheme with new reflector options Aura Light extends lighting rental scheme to seven years to aid cash flow

ince its launch earlier this year, Aura Light’s lighting rental scheme has seen a significant take-up by large companies wanting to spread the cost of their investment. Aura is able to spread this investment over seven years so significantly reducing monthly and annual payments. The benefits of the scheme are enormous. Under the banner ‘Lighting as a Managed Service’ (LaaMS), Aura Light provides lighting design, lighting installation, full maintenance cover and on-going lighting consultation throughout the length of the scheme. By upgrading to a sustainable energy efficient lighting scheme using LED technology coupled with lighting management systems can save some 70% in energy savings, these savings paying for the systems and installation. With LaaMS there is no need for capital expenditure and no financial outlay as the lighting project sits off balance sheet and also takes advantage of tax benefits. Simon Taylor, Aura Light UK’s managing director comments, “We are currently working with some major organisations such as warehousing, Building & Facilities Management – October 2016

steel, recycling and local authorities which are utilising the LaaMS scheme. Energy costs are reduced from day one and monthly payments are adjusted according to projected energy savings, making the projects cash positive right from the start”. Aura Light’s LaaMS scheme provides a full performance guarantee over the contract period and the new lighting installation will continue to provide large energy savings into the future. The scheme is ideal for all types of applications including offices, retail, hotels, education, factories, warehouses and for exterior lighting. Under the scheme, Aura Light visits the company to conduct a survey of the existing lighting installation and energy consumption by a technical expert. This is then followed with the provision of a new lighting plan with a full financial calculation, together with energy saving

and CO2 saving documentation. Once the project is agreed, it is entirely managed by Aura Light from start to finish including using its national base of installation teams to fit the lighting, and providing the financing and a performance guarantee during the full contract period. There are no maintenance costs as full maintenance cover is included as well as ongoing lighting consultation. Further information on the LaaMS scheme is available from Aura Light on 01952 250800 by emailing: simon.taylor@aura-light.co.uk or by visiting the company’s website at www.aura-light.co.uk lighting

Lighting

Green Tourism gets behind LED in light of Halogen ban

n light of the recent EU halogen bulb ban, Green Tourism are backing LED lighting as a sustainable and cost effective alternative as they report businesses could be saving a massive 90% on costs with the one simple switch. Jon Proctor CEO of Green Tourism, the world’s largest sustainable certification programme of its kind, explains more about why switching from halogen to LED makes business sense. “By replacing halogen bulbs with new LED alternatives, businesses will not only become more ecofriendly but will also save money on energy bills and bulb costs. “Once the fashionable lighting choice, halogens were a ‘must have’ in the 90s and early 00s. At this time alternative low energy products were shunned because they poked out of fittings, were slow to light up and gave a hospital style illumination that was not suitable for the hospitality industry. “This is no longer the case, however, as technology advancements have meant there is no need for high energy consuming Halogens, which were typically between 25-50watts. Over the last 3 years LEDs have really taken over. They are high-powered units that have great illumination and can now beat

halogens for quality, performance, life span, eco-friendly disposal and cost. “LEDs and halogens can be used in all the same ways, the biggest difference is cost and maintenance. A halogen will require 25-50watts to illuminate where an LED will require 3-5watts, a huge 90% saving in running cost. “Using experience from working with top hotels around the UK it is estimated the restaurant will run a light for over 5000 hours per year. It is likely halogens would need replaced at least once and maybe 2-5 times during this time, while the LED alternative should have only used half of its life with some units rated at 50,000 hours or 10 years in this case. “The table below highlights the cost in energy and bills of the two lighting options over a ten year period.

Jon Proctor, Green Tourism chief executive

”Switching from halogen to LED makes total business sense, not only does it help towards the Government target of an 80% reduction in carbon by 2050, it will reduce energy bills, lighting costs and go towards a more sustainably run organisation.” www.green-tourism.com

Halogen

LED

50,000hrs / 10 years

10-50 bulbs

1 bulb

Watts

25-50w

3-5w

Energy Consumption

2500kWh

250kWh

Cost (15p/kWh)

£375

£37.50

Carbon footprint over period

900kg CO2*

90kg CO2*

*CO2 calculated using average CO2 emission per kWh for electricity generated in the UK in 2015 (Source DEFRA)

LG Downlights

he LG Downlights, distributed by NET LED through electrical wholesalers, are IP rated, wirelessly controlled, smart units that deliver up to 1050lm from only 12W. Available with a ZigBee® wireless Multi-Sensor, which incorporates programmable PIR motion and daylight harvesting controls, providing appropriate lighting levels and reduced energy usage. Motion sensors detect when a space is being used and adjusts the light level accordingly. Daylight harvesting uses photo sensors to detect levels of natural light and automatically dims lights when they are not required, providing consistent lighting levels as well as reducing energy usage by up to 50%. These features can be configured through the use of the LG app, dongle and tablet, giving you the option to control, schedule and automate the delivery of the correct 34

lighting

amount of light – where you want it, when you want it. Lights can be automatically turned on/off or dimmed at set times, under certain conditions. Being wireless eliminates the need for dedicated control wiring, reducing installation costs and removing the rewiring requirements that come with layout changes. With a life expectancy of 50,000 hours and no maintenance required, LG Downlights offer convenience and reliability and make lighting in offices, corridors and retail applications fully controllable via a tablet as well as more energy efficient. Full product specifications for the wirelessly controllable LG product range and other products distributed by NET LED Lighting can be found in their 2016/17 Catalogue. NET LED Lighting’s

dedicated Sales Engineers are pleased to help you design a configuration for your specific application. Please contact the Internal Sales Support Team to order your Catalogue and discuss your requirements on 01223 851505 or sales@netled.co.uk Building & Facilities Management – October 2016

Health & Safety

Safety and training: take it to the top Recent legislative changes have made many companies operating workplace transport, access equipment and mobile plant in the UK more vulnerable than ever before. But leading operator training provider, Mentor Training, suggest that this exposure provides the ideal environment to influence culture at the highest level.

ith more emphasis on regulation than ever before, new sentencing guidelines and tougher penalties are a very real concern for those responsible for the safety of FM operations. Fines have increased – in some cases ten-fold – with more clear cut guidelines allocating fines in line with a company’s turnover, actual and potential harm caused and culpability for the incident.

Start the conversation With the revised criteria now in place, clearly, managers, supervisors and their employers are vulnerable. Not to mention the significant rise in the number of prosecutions targeting individuals rather than just companies in recent years. But rather than dwelling on this “perfect storm” of risk, and attempting to fight against it, it’s important for businesses to invest as much as they can into protecting against it. A successful safety culture encompasses an entire company’s structure but it is essential that there is complete buy in in the boardroom, where, often, purse strings – particularly in relation to training budgets – are held very tightly. With so many significant changes afoot, managers have the perfect opportunity to transform boardroom views of operational activities and training: taking it from a purely functional ‘out cost’ to a sound strategic investment. Operator training is about much more than legal compliance: although it might

Building & Facilities Management – October 2016

sound a strong statement, this conversation really could save lives, as well as a lot of money.

Get the benefits of best practice Contrary to common perception, operating safely does not mean sacrificing productivity. You can be both safe and productive. In fact, they are often the same thing. Study after study proves that the safest workforces are the most efficient ones. And for good reason. When you allow bad practice to occur, your site’s accident risk increases…and when accidents occur, there’s always a price to pay. In a worst case scenario, it’s an injury to a colleague and there are very few accidents involving workplace transport, access or mobile plant equipment that result in only minor injuries. Not to mention the fines, compensation and sick pay to consider. It all costs time and money… even a seemingly insignificant incident can incur substantial costs once you consider the lost time, repair bills and clean up involved. Across businesses of all shapes and sizes, damage is viewed as an acceptable norm. But the ‘it’s just a bump’ mentality is a costly one to possess…much of this damage could be avoided simply by ensuring that your workforce are equipped with the skills and the know-how to work safely.

Train to gain Achieving this often requires a fundamental change in how training is viewed in the boardroom. Too frequently, it’s perceived as an outgoing cost that simply ensures legal compliance. However, by adopting a proactive approach to training, a site’s safety and efficiency can be transformed; not only safeguarding your workforce and your bottom line today, but also serving as a catalyst for future gains. To discover what training can do for your workforce and your bottom line, call 01246 386900 or visit www.mentortraining.co.uk. health & safety

Health & Safety

Wash your hands of the bugs this winter Dr Peter Barratt, Technical Manager, Initial Washroom Hygiene

s the colder months draw near, so does the risk of catching flu, norovirus, and other nasty bugs. Viruses are more easily spread in the colder months as we tend to have the heating on and windows closed, providing the perfect conditions for them to thrive indoors. This increased spread is caused by cross contamination. As people move around the workplace, germs can pass from person to person through indirect contact with contaminated surfaces they are regularly touching, such as: shared stationery, door handles and communal kitchen facilities. Any object that multiple employees touch with their hands can potentially provide a hot-spot for germ accumulation and distribution, with office keyboards alone hosting thousands of microorganisms per square centimetre. By encouraging employees to make simple changes to their personal hygiene habits, businesses can hugely improve their chances of staying healthy and bugfree during the colder months. In addition to helping to limit the spread of infection across their premises and improving employee morale, they could also improve the company’s productivity as a whole.1 This article explores how this can be achieved in the context of employees’ changing office habits – which are creating new ways for germs to travel around buildings – and how facilities managers can adapt their practices to create a healthy working environment.

Changing office habits As companies adapt to the digital world, the habits of employees are changing in offices across the UK. Nationally, almost a quarter (22%) of office workers now hot desk, and over half of those hot desking consume lunch at their desk. With this increased scope for cross contamination in mind, it’s hardly surprising that offices and other multi-purpose buildings provide a welcoming home to bacteria and viruses and the nasty illnesses they can lead to. Office workers’ use of smartphones has also come under the microscope. Using them to navigate social media has become a ‘favourite’ toilet activity, and in a recent survey of 1,000 UK office workers, a third admitted they take their phone into the office toilet with them to spend quality time on Facebook and Twitter.2 While 1. http://www.fmj.co.uk/new-study-reveals-thebusiness-case-for-better-hygiene-in-the-workplace/ Rentokil Initial’s Bathroom Behaviours Survey 2. Rentokil Initial’s Bathroom Behaviours Survey 3. Rentokil Initial’s Bathroom Behaviours Survey 4. http://www.newsmax.com/Health/Health-News/ infections-hand-fist-bump/2014/01/09/id/546258/ 5. http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/how-long-do-

health & safety

83% of office workers claim to always wash their hands after a visit to the loo, it’s pretty safe to say they aren’t washing their phones.3 This creates substantial concern, given that 80% of viruses can be transmitted through physical contact,4 and the dreaded flu virus lives on hard surfaces like phones for up to 24 hours.5.

That’s handy On average, office workers’ hands come into contact with more than 10 million bacteria on a typical day,6 many of which can stay alive on hands for up to three hours.7 In the context of desk lunches and hot-desking, and the number of objects any one office worker could touch on an average day, it’s really quite alarming how easily germs move around the workplace. The power of thorough handwashing as a weapon against sickness should not be underestimated. It is a simple yet fundamental measure, particularly in workplace environments, and goes a long way to improving overall hygiene levels. Businesses actually have a statutory duty to promote good hand hygiene, according to the Workplace Regulations Act,8 which dictates that soap provision is essential in office washrooms. Despite this, 20% of office workers who don’t always wash their hands blame a lack of soap and/or towels as the root cause.9

Handwashing as a vaccine Frequent hand washing can easily decrease the bacteria present on hands by 80%, and reduce the risk of illness by up to 50%, particularly common illnesses like diarrhoea and colds.10 Needless to say this will help to reduce the resulting sick leave rate for businesses. In other words, it makes perfect ‘business’ sense to promote good hand hygiene amongst your workforce. Here are six simple and effective steps to ensure proper hand washing: 1. Wet your hands using clean, running water – preferably warm water – and apply soap, if possible using a no-touch dispenser to avoid washroom cross contamination 2. Rub soap all over your hands: take care to cover the front, back, fingers, thumbs and nails 3. Scrub your hands together, all over, for roughly 30 seconds. If you’re a bacteria-and-viruses-live-outside-the-body.aspx 6. C. Gerber, Germs in the Workplace Study, University of Arizona (2004) 7. Figures from Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS, cited here: www.nht.nhs.uk/mediaFiles/ downloads/90863363/Infection%20Control.pdf 8. Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992

fan of singing, belting out ‘happy birthday’ twice from beginning to end is a good time guide 4. Rinse your hands again with clean running water, until the soap has disappeared 5. Dry your hands. Drying your hands thoroughly is the final important step in the handwashing process, but it often gets ignored or overshadowed by a rushed departure from the washroom. Damp hands spread 1000 times more bacteria than dry hands, so the door handle of the washroom is likely to become filthy if hand drying is missed11 6. Sanitise. Employees should be encouraged to take a proactive approach to hand hygiene at all times, even when not in the washroom, and this can be helped by making sure hand sanitisers are always available. Hand sanitisers are best used after thorough hand washing and drying. Staff should be instructed to always wash their hands and use sanitiser in the following situations: • Before and after eating/ preparing food, especially in shared kitchen facilities • After using the washroom • After sneezing or blowing their nose • When treating any cut or graze • When caring for an ill person • After changing nappies • After touching animals or pet food • After handling any refuse or rubbish. Taking into account the sheer number of surfaces and objects vulnerable to cross contamination in the workplace, it’s absolutely critical that facilities managers/ care home managers promote good hand hygiene amongst their employees, both through hand washing and the use of hand sanitising gels placed throughout the office. By enforcing these hygiene practices and taking a little extra care in hand and surface hygiene, businesses can go a long way to protecting their workforce and their business this winter. www.initial.co.uk 9. Rentokil Initial’s Bathroom Behaviours Survey 10. C. Gerber, Germs in the Workplace Study 11. D. Patrick, G. Findon, & T. Miller, Residual moisture determines the level of touch-contact associated bacterial transfer following hand washing in Epidemiology & Infection, 119, (3), pp. 319-325 (1997)

Building & Facilities Management – October 2016

Health & Safety

New Mobile Health Screening Unit draws the crowds at the Construction Expo

ll Health Matters, the occupational health provider based in Canterbury, received an overwhelming reaction to their new Mobile Health Screening Unit at the Construction Expo, held at the Kent Event Centre, Detling, Kent. Visitors from a wide range of industry sectors, were interested to take a closer look inside. One visitor commented “My goodness this is like a tardis!” All Health matters have invested in the new unit in order to increase their support to the construction industry. The vehicle is fully equipped to carry out ‘Construction Industry Medicals’ on site to industry standards. This includes hearing tests in acoustic booth, lung function tests, vision, drug & alcohol testing, vaccinations etc. – in fact all types of medicals. Visitors were interested to see

how having this mobile service visit construction sites could majorly lessen the impact of downtime on any project. Gill Monk, Managing Director says: “Selecting the right occupational health provider for your company should not be a decision taken lightly. Apart from cost, it is essential to understand the different service models offered, the standard of reports produced and the timescales from service request to report. Here at All Health Matters, we pride ourselves in our ability to adapt our service to meet your requirements, and we recognised that developing this new service for the construction industry

would add value to our customers. We are thrilled at the level of interest we received at the Expo and look forward to rolling out the service across Kent and beyond.” www.allhealthmatters.co.uk

London City Airport is the first UK airport to introduce state-of-the-art full-body scanner for passengers

he airport has completed the first UK trial of the Quick Personnel Security scanner R&S QPS200 from Rohde & Schwarz. Passengers stand with their arms slightly away from their body and the cutting-edge equipment completes a full body scan in seconds. The technology quickly detects the location of potentially dangerous objects, with its open plan design ensuring speedy and thorough security screening. London City Airport (LCY) has successfully introduced a state-of-the-art millimetre-wave full-body scanner which will help further increase the speed of security screening and detection at the airport. The Quick Personnel Security scanner R&S QPS200 from Rohde & Schwarz completes a scan in just a few seconds and automatically detects potentially dangerous items. The open plan design of the equipment means passengers simply stand in front of the scanner with their arms held slightly away from the body. If the scanner reports an alarm, the location of the object is marked on a graphic of Building & Facilities Management – October 2016

the human body, with a neutral display preserving the privacy of passengers. The introduction of the new scanner will help ensure the airport experience for passengers is quick and efficient, whilst maintaining the airport’s customer proposition of 20 minutes from the front door to departure lounge, as part of a £2 million security investment. Melanie Burnley, Director of Customer Experience at London City Airport, said: “Each day approximately 10,000 departing passengers pass through our central security search area and we constantly look at ways to improve the screening experience, including the use of new technology. “The Rohde & Schwarz body scanner is one of the best in the industry and is easy for passengers to use, meaning we can keep their time in security to a minimum and also quickly detect any prohibited objects.”

The security scanners have been certified by the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC), and are already the preferred choice for security checks based on millimetre-wave technology within German federal facilities. R&S QPS millimetre-wave technology operates in the frequency range between 70 GHz and 80 GHz and there is no health hazard associated with the R&S QPS transmitter, which is hundreds or even thousands of times lower than that of a mobile phone. www.rohde-schwarz.com/uk/ health & safety

Special Feature

What can building and facility managers learn from the success of Pokemon Go?

ver since its launch, Pokemon Go has proved problematic for many facility and building managers. The smartphone game based on the 90s phenomenon took the world by storm when it debuted early in July. With millions more people wandering around with heads stooped and fingers primed, some are paying even less attention to the world than usual. Pokemon Go’s 1-1 map of the real world is leading intrepid explorers through buildings and onto private property in search of the perfect Pokemon, including any number of inappropriate locations. While the game might have interesting applications for some businesses, the only impact for many businesses will be employees sneaking off in their lunch breaks. But from the view of a facility or systems manager, the success of this app tells us a remarkable amount about how people use mobile devices, and reflects on the considerations we need to have when applying concepts of big data and networked devices to the modern workplace. The trend away from desktop and laptop PCs towards mobile devices has shown no signs of stopping. According to market analysts Deloitte’s Mobile Consumer 2015 report, 76% of adults in the UK now own a ‘smartphone’: one which combines the features of a traditional phone with a computer. A quarter of respondents do not even make a phone call in a given week and mobile phones are increasingly becoming people’s primary or only means of digital engagement. But what does this have to do with smart buildings and the Internet of Things? Well, it’s a sure sign that phones are more than platforms for watching Netflix on the bus. When the vast majority of the population are carrying powerful computers in their pockets, it makes sense to factor those capabilities into the workplace. Replacing cumbersome PC interfaces with the familiarity of touchscreen mobile UIs could be a huge boon to productivity, reducing the usual frustration with slow, underpowered desktop hardware. Where most businesses have been afraid of the disruptive potential of personal devices, there might be a new way to 38

special feature

look at phones in the workplace: as a seamless integration of work and personal lives. You might come to work and sign in, open doors and access your workstation by using your phone as a keycard. The game’s GPs tracking and forthcoming Bluetooth accessory, a badge with a button and vibration feedback, suggest even greater advancements in the simplicity and autonomy of services. Constant wireless connections to a local network and the use of wearable technology could cut down on the need for such vast arrays of IoT sensors, tracking individuals as they move around a building. Wireless casting and screen sharing, projecting the view from your phone to a local display, could also be a simpler means to increase mobility and workflow. More devices means more data, and here too Pokemon shows us the pitfalls of such digital integration. The game’s ‘Pokestops’, local landmarks that provide players with items, can have ‘lures’ attached to them that draw people to the real world location. A few reports allege that this has been used by criminals to ambush unsuspecting players. Like the Pokestops, a network with lots of devices can be a big flashing beacon to canny cyber criminals. Large networks mean more potential points of access for those seeking to enter your network illegally, while wireless networks can easily leak out of buildings and present people outside with access, particularly with the long-range protocols utilised in big buildings. Indeed the ubiquity of mobiles and the escalating

speeds of mobile networks means hackers or attackers looking to overwhelm a network can do it from almost anywhere. Successful hacks however have been limited to very large corporations with very poor security protocols. Take the example of US retailer Target, whose customer databases were compromised because of lax security in their heating system. Smart buildings can create more doors onto a network for people to gain access, but the process of locking them is still the same. They don’t even have to lead anywhere – the most effective deterrent can be isolating different systems on different servers. If your heating management system doesn’t need to be linked to the rest of your IT systems, don’t link it. The bulk of cybersecurity is common sense, but it has to be part of a coherent and comprehensive strategy. As people become used to controlling everything else from their phones, it makes good sense for this to apply to the workplace. While business should scale up their IT capabilities sensibly in order to keep pace with security and ensure a capable network infrastructure, so much data already exists, and is just waiting to be utilised. An employee’s phone could become the skeleton key to all of their digital services, and the key to untold levels of commercial efficiency. MCS delivers integrated real estate, facility and workplace management software solutions for large private or public sector organisations, helping to improve real estate performance in terms of total cost, risk reduction, employee satisfaction, brand perception and sustainability. www.mcssolutions.com

Building & Facilities Management – October 2016

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