The Hotel Engineer Volume 20 Number 4

THE

HOTEL ENGINEER OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF HOTEL ENGINEERING

PP 319986/101

Volume 20 Number 4 January 2016

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The Hotel Engineer The Official Publication of the Australian Institute of Hotel Engineering

PUBLISHER’S

MESSAGE

W

elcome to our final issue of Hotel Engineer for 2015 – even though this one’s landing on your desk in midJanuary. But at the time of writing, we’re winding things up for the Christmas break, which will feel like a lifetime ago by the time you’re skimming over this! Hope everyone is well in this new year.

First things first, the AIHE update conference has been announced for 4th to 5th of August at QT on the Gold Coast. Be sure to put it in your diary, as it’s always an important industry event. We’ll give you the full run down in our next edition, but if you want to get in early or grab the best sponsorship packages, please phone AIHE Queensland secretary Bev Allen on 0409 899 390 or email admin@aihe.com.au.

As we head back to our desks in the new year, we will have said farewell to an industry stalwart who retired in December. Some will remember Frank Beeson as part of the founding members of the AIHE. Others will remember his humble way of going about things and unwavering friendliness to everyone he met. Flick to the profile section to have a read about his story, plus his reflections on why hotel engineers are still relevant in the modern workplace.

ADBOURNE PUBLISHING 18/69 Acacia Road Ferntree Gully, VIC 3156 PO Box 735, Belgrave, VIC 3160 www.adbourne.com SUBSCRIPTIONS Enquiries: (03) 9758 1431 Fax: (03) 9758 1432 Email: admin@adbourne.com

ADVERTISING Melbourne: Neil Muir T: (03) 9758 1433 F: (03) 9758 1432 E: neil@adbourne.com Adelaide: Robert Spowart T: 0488 390 039 E: robert@adbourne.com

Our contributor Ted Horner might not have a crystal ball, but he’s got some educated guesses on where technology is heading for the year ahead. Brendon Granger then looks in-depth at smart watches and other wearable technology in hotels to see whether they’ll be a hit in 2016.

We have a couple of case studies, we take you through our feature story the Sheraton Mirage (as you’ve no doubt seen on the front cover) to find out what goes on inside one of the country’s most exclusive beachside hotels.

For something different we have a look at BIM Trends, thank you to Don Hitchcock who shows us this exciting technology.

I will take this chance to thank all our contributors for the work they do and the broad range of subjects they cover. There is a breadth of knowledge between these pages in each and every issue.

Thank you to everyone who shares their piece of expertise.

Enjoy the read and all the best for the year ahead.

Regards, Neil Muir Publisher

PRODUCTION Emily Wallis T: (03) 9758 1436 E: production@adbourne.com ADMINISTRATION Tarnia Hiosan T: (03) 9758 1431 E: admin@adbourne.com MARKETING Susan Moore E: susanmoore@y7mail.com

AIHE STATE PRESIDENTS Paul Truman, QLD (Interim) E: pault@watermarkhotelgc.com.au Anura Yapa, NSW E: Anura.Yapa@shangri-la.com David Zammit,VIC E: david.zammit@hyatt.com Tony Fioraso, WA E: tony.fioraso@burswood.com.au

Adbourne Publishing cannot ensure that the advertisers appearing in The Hotel Engineer comply absolutely with the Trades Practices Act and other consumer legislation.

The responsibility is therefore on the person, company or advertising agency submitting the advertisement(s) for publication.

Adbourne Publishing reserves the right to refuse any advertisement without stating the reason. No responsibility is accepted for incorrect information contained in advertisements or editorial.The editor reserves the right to edit, abridge or otherwise alter articles for publication.

All original material produced in this magazine remains the property of the publisher and cannot be reproduced without authority. The views of the contributors and all submitted editorial are the author’s views and are not necessarily those of the publisher.

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CONTENTS 10

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AIHE State news

10 What is the future of wearable technology 12 Global hotel technology trends An industry stalwart hangs up the boots, but leaves a 15 legacy 18 Alert but not alarmed 21 Free cooling is no mirage 29 Intercontinental Hotel Sanctuary Cove 32 The hidden costs of air conditioning 36 Maintenance of vertical transport systems 39 Cladding audits 44 Around the bend 47 BIM Trends – A new way for existing buildings 50 Legionella & water quality Refrigeration, air con and GHG emissions reduction 53 The phase down of HFCs has begun 56 58 Safety of contractors and visitors 60 How to manage change 64 Selecting coatings for stone and tile surfaces

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67 Condensing boilers 70 Flooded flooring: Dealing with the aftermath 73 Peppers Ruffles Lodge & Spa 78 Back of house 80 News

THE

HOTEL ENGINEER

56

Front cover shows: The Sheraton Mirage Resort and Spa, Gold Coast, Queensland.

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF HOTEL ENGINEERING

PP 319986/101

Volume 20 Number 4 January 2016

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AIHE STATE

NEWS NEW SOUTH WALES Greetings from the NSW Chapter.

It’s hard to believe that a year has passed and another year has started.

Overall 2015 was a good year with the support of all members who contributed their valuable time despite their busy work schedules.

Looking back at the last quarter, the NSW chapter AGM was held at Shangri-La Sydney Hotel and the meeting was a success. We had a few special guests addressing the gathering. Mr. Michael Cottan Vice President/GM of Shangri-La Hotel opened the meeting with a great encouraging speech. An impressive presentation was also delivered by Ms. Carol Giuseppi, national CEO of TAA. Her willingness to support the Hotel Engineering industry for its betterment was remarkable. Her speech was followed by Mr. Neil Weenink, founder of the AIHE, who shared his journey in engineering industry with our members.

The State President’s meeting was held on the 4th of December at the Grand Hyatt in Melbourne. Our main discussion focused on the proposed Annual Conference in 2016.

We had our chapter Christmas party on Saturday the 12th of December, at The Art House Hotel. The evening was fantastic with a lot of fun, laughter and food. Special thanks to Jason and Brendon who were involved with finding venues etc., specially Brendon for negotiating financial arrangements for the evening. Of course our success wouldn’t have been possible without all members and their partners who attended the function.

The AIHE NSW Chapter has been working hard and is looking forward to another successful year. I would like to take the opportunity to thank every member for their contributions.

Lastly, I hope you have all had a happy holiday season and sincere thanks for your goodwill and loyalty throughout the past year.

Look forward to meeting you this year.

Best Wishes.

Anura Yapa JP President – AIHE NSW chapter

A committee decision to make a donation towards late Carl Van Den Heever’s two young children’s education was fulfilled during the AGM. The Trust Account Certificates were presented to Carl’s children. Accor Hotels together with AIHE NSW chapter and its members contributed $10k for the trust fund. It was a very emotional moment to be with Carl’s family members and again reminded us that his efforts and contributions towards to the institution which will never be forgotten.

Election of office bearers took place with all positions declared vacant. Thanks to the help of Pro-term Chairperson Benjamin Gray on behalf of Andy Goonesekera as he was unable to attend the meeting. Nominations were announced and members then voted.

Carol at the AIHE AGM

Vice President/GM Shangri-la Sydney addressing the gathering

Newly elected committee members are as follows: President: Anura Yapa Vice President: Trevor McCarren Secretary: Benjamin Gray Treasurer: Brendon Granger Event Coordinator: Troy Croft Committee Members: Scott O’Brien and Cyril Uboldi Congratulations to all new committee members and huge thanks to the outgoing committee members.

Trust Account Certificates were presented to Carl’s children by Anura and Trevor

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Neil Weenink the founder of AIHE addressing the AGM

WESTERN AUSTRALIA Greetings from Western Australia, Our Monthly meeting in October was held at the premises of Lazco Refrigeration.

Able Products conducted a brief presentation on the AFINOX range of quality commercial refrigeration imported from Italy.

Lazco Refrigeration then presented a brief presentation on their Custom Fabrication capabilities and their Service & Maintenance Department.

Refreshments and a question and answer session was held after the presentation which was attended by over 30 members.

Many thanks to Darren and Eryl.

Our meeting in November took us to the Comfort Inn Wentworth Plaza.

We had two presenters on the night: • Plasma Solutions will present the new BIOZONE equipment which is a Permanent, chemical-free solution for odour, bacteria, mould and virus control.

• Reece plumbing will launch the new Reece Commercial/Care range from Armitage Shanks.

Followed by food and drinks in the Moon and Sixpence.

QUEENSLAND Greetings from Queensland.

To begin with, the Queensland Committee hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and this will be a prosperous and Happy New Year.

I would also like to take the opportunity to openly thank all our Corporate and Affiliated Members plus all who contribute to the AIHE Magazine and the team.

How the year has rolled on by, we seem to have survived (hopefully) another tumultuous period in our Industry.

As for what is happening in our corner, our last presentation was in October in Brisbane, and was a follow on from a previous presentation (same topic), “Critical Incident Information Session”.

Presented by Scott Harris of Work Force Resilience applicable to these current times.

Our Chapter Christmas get together was held early in December and well attended. It was arranged as a Lunch affair at the Gold Coast Turf Club, coincided with the December Race meeting.

Once again a great turnout of over 30 members.

Many thanks to John Rodden for hosting the event.

In December the quarterly Presidents meeting was held at the Grand Hyatt with the main discussion point the conference at the Gold Coast in August 2016.

We are all excited about this conference which promises to be bigger and better than in 2014.

John Rodden (left), Neil Macaulay (centre), Lee Binsted (right)

More information on the conference will be sent out early next year.

Our Christmas Party was held on Friday 11th at the Garden which was well received with over 40 members in attendance.

On behalf of the AIHE Western Australian Chapter I hope everyone and their families had a very Happy Christmas and wish you a safe and prosperous New Year.

For those who are not members of the institute we look forward to you joining and contributing to our success and for our members we look forward to working with you in 2016.

Tony Fioraso President – AIHE Western Australia

A scheduled meeting between all Chapter presidents, held the 4th of December in Melbourne, was very productive and we all had the chance to discuss various agenda items plus focus on the 2016 Conference on the Gold Coast. We were able to discuss to a point, strategies other Chapters have in place to further bolster membership.

Thank you also to Neil Muir, of Adbourne Publishing, who attended our Presidents meeting and partaked in our discussions of how to encapture more of the Industry interest in the AIHE and Magazine content.

We are now progressing on the Conference for 2016 and we will be able to lock in the final draft for Presenters and Exhibitors shortly. We have discussed the need to push forward by enticing exhibitors to take up the offer of Booths/displays as there is so much delegate interest.

From Queensland, hope you’ve all had a safe Festive season.

Paul Truman Queensland Chapter President

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AIHE STATE

NEWS VICTORIA As we get on with our busy lives and welcome in a new year, I hope that you all enjoyed the festive season, taking some time out with those who are close to you.

Our chapter was privileged to host an amazing year of events, forging new par tnerships with many of our corporates, and great comradery between all of our members. Hopefully we have all gained some benefit from what our institute has been able to offer during the course of 2015.

As the year drew to a close, our October meeting was held at the Sofitel Melbourne, hosted by Anton Van den Brink. We were grateful to have Mr. Neil Weenink join us that evening as our guest presenter. Neil charismatically delivered a presentation focused on the past and present dilemma’s faced by the hotel engineer. His insight into our industry, along with Neil’s passion for what we do as hotel engineers, left us all that little wiser. We gathered around after the presentation, over a few beers to fur ther discuss matters of interest.

Thank you Neil, it was an obsolete pleasure to have you present to us on the night. An honour for those who attended, to meet the founder of our institute, which today, remains a relevant and impor tant par t of our hospitality industry.

We did not host a meeting in November, as our AGM & Christmas cocktails took place early in December. This event was again held at Grand Hyatt Melbourne, funded by the institute. It was pleasing to see so many of our members attend, quite a few bringing along their par tners, to join in the festive cheer of the evening.

Yet again, many of our corporates generously donated prizes that were drawn during the course of the night, providing our lucky members with an additional gift to share & enjoy.

The formalities of our AGM determined the following committee structure for 2016.

Committee Members: Soudi Noori, Ian Charman, Ponce Casass, Andrew Eldred, John Appleyard & David Jones.

Meeting Coordinator: Not appointed.

Secretary: Anton Van den Brink.

Vice President: Stephen Docher ty.

Don Robinson who had been an active committee since 2010 stood down his position. I thank Don for his contribution over the past years, besides his dedication and knowledge of our industry, Don has always been a great suppor t to his fellow committee members and the institute.

Additionally, I thank all of our committee in delivering on the success of the past year. A special thank you to Anton who has done an amazing job in his role as secretary, after taking on this position in 2015. Likewise, Stephen Docher ty who committed to co coordinating our meetings and keeping the surprises coming, well done team.

Also my gratitude extends to all of our Hotel engineers that assisted our chapter in hosting each of our monthly meetings throughout the year. This effor t is truly appreciated; as it allows the committee to forward plan our meetings with peace of mind.

In closing, I take this oppor tunity to wish all our members, readers and their families, a safe & healthy 2016. I am grateful for your ongoing suppor t of our chapter.

Regards David Zammit President AIHE Victoria Chapter

President: David Zammit.

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WHAT IS THE FUTURE

OF WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY

IN HOTELS BRENDON GRANGER

If you’re at all interested in technology – whether it is for work or just for fun – you’ll know the future that all the big tech companies are working towards is wearable technology. The release of the Apple Watch earlier this year just goes to show that users are still looking for the next new and exciting piece of tech to own... and now wear.

I

n retrospect, wearable technology is not a new idea. How long have you been wearing a digital watch or used a Bluetooth headset? And while these are examples of technology that you wear, they are distinctly different from what we now

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know as ‘wearable tech.’ The distinction being that wearable tech interacts with you and your surroundings; from measuring your heart rate to opening your hotel room door.

WHY INTRODUCE WEARABLE TECH INTO HOTELS? Like the introduction of any new technology, a large part of it could well just be a trend.

The excitement around the release of this new technology could lessen in the coming years – although many said the same about tablets.

In order for new technology to be introduced effectively and adopted throughout brands, it needs to add real value to the guest experience. And wearable technology is slowly showing signs of being able to do so. Wearable technology is a new way to interact and engage with guests and provide them with a new and valued service. It also has the potential to allow staff to provide a more efficient and personalised service to guests.

WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY ALREADY IN HOTELS Ever since the boom of mobile technology, travellers and guests have been turning to their hand-held devices for more and more things. Everything from booking rooms, to ordering room service to, more recently, unlocking their hotel room doors. Starwood Hotels developed a hotel app that uses Bluetooth technology to allow guests to unlock 30,000 of their recently upgraded rooms, across 150 of their hotels – including Starwood’s Aloft, Element and W brands.

The Starwood app has since been adapted for smartwatches, offering preferred guests many of the same advantages – such as notifications, ordering items and loyalty programmes. The convenience afforded to guests by having access to hotel services right there on their wrists, can help brands such as Starwood to improve both their guest satisfaction and boost their RevPAR (revenue per available room) through technology.

Other hotel brands such as Westin Hotels & Resorts and Walt Disney World Resort have taken a slightly different approach in offering their own specialised devices to guests as they arrive. Westin has been known to lend out sleep-sensing wristbands to aid guests’ well-being, and Walt Disney World Resort now offers guests the ‘MagicBand’ which grants guests access to the theme park and hotel as well as a way to make purchases. Disney can then use the aggregate data from the bands to create a better, more “magical” experience for their guests.

APPLICATIONS OF WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY FOR HOTEL STAFF

WEARABLE TECH TO CREATE THE ULTIMATE GUEST EXPERIENCE

Many of the benefits of wearable technology have been guest-focused, offering them easier access to apps and information. However some of the real potential value of wearable technology would come when it can be applied to hotel staff – which in turn would enhance the guest experience.

Staff-focused wearable technology has as yet not been developed within the hotel industry. However, wearable technology has been experimented with by other travel and tourism industries – most notably with Virgin Atlantic. During a pilot scheme launched last year, concierge staff in Virgin Atlantic’s Upper Class Wing used Google Glass and other wearable tech to assess the improvement to customer service that technology could provide.The results of which led the airline to announce a new partnership with Sony earlier this year to bring its Smartwatch wearable tech to airline staff in an effort to further improve customer service; suggesting that we could see staff-focused wearable tech in the hotel industry sooner than we think.

Mobile technology – while definitely useful and efficient – is not always practical for every member of the hotel staff.

MAINTENANCE The reliance of many maintenance and engineering staff on out-dated two-way radios is, in large part, due to the fact that a mobile phone or tablet is just not practical in their work environment. Many a mobile will have been dropped, smashed or stepped on by a maintenance staff member when working on a physically demanding job. Therefore, for staff in those roles the benefits of a hands-free system that they can glance at could be endless. They could receive messages and updates about new and outstanding jobs, update their work orders and even keep a record of time spent on each individual task.

HOUSEKEEPING This is another role in which it is not that practical for hotel staff to carry around mobile devices. With wearable technology, housekeeping staff could receive guest requests, track orders and send updates all from their smartwatch.

WAIT STAFF Tablet technology has been fairly universally adopted in the hospitality industry, with reservations and guest lists often created and accessed on a tablet. This is a less practical option for wait staff, especially in high-profile or high-volume outlets, where their role is centred on receiving and delivering orders. A smartwatch could easily display orders and notifications that busy wait staff and bartenders could look at and respond to without being encumbered with a tablet or mobile phone.

Whether wearable tech is just a trend or becomes the industry norm, it is another way that technology can add to the ultimate guest experience. Guests are looking for ways in which a hotel or hospitality outlet makes them feel unique and special, and increasing the ways in which guests can communicate with a hotel brand is a key way to do that.

AUTHOR/BIO – BRENDON GRANGER With a great passion for all things hotels, but in particular technology and a desire to help others his role as director at Technology4Hotels allows him to do both.

Brendon has worked with hundreds of hotels to help them with their in-room technology. In the last few years he has helped them to increase guest satisfaction, strengthen guest loyalty and encourage repeat bookings as well as win awards such as the best business hotel, best city hotel, best upscale hotel and best luxury hotel in Australasia.

Always going the extra mile, Brendon began his hospitality career over twenty five years ago working in 5 star hotels whilst completing his Bachelor of Business in Hotel Management. He has held various management positions within 5 star hotels, worked as a consultant in both hotel feasibility and technology and has an extensive background in hotel technology.

Those of you that have meet Brendon know that he has had a smartwatch for the past two years. He has found it invaluable in staying up-to-date with what is going on in his business. It was his passion for both his smartwatch and hotel technology that was the stimulus for this article. Based on his experience he can foresee the value of wearable technology once it is applied to hotel staff.

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GLOBAL

HOTEL TECHNOLOGY TRENDS TED HORNER I E HORNER & ASSOCIATES

1. CABLING TOPOLOGY

F

or new hotels making sure that the cabling infrastructure is designed in such a way that the hotel is future proofed. For me as a consultant this means being able to peer review electrical drawings done by specialist consultants who are not necessarily up to date with the latest cabling technology

such as Fibre to the room and GPON as opposed to traditional design using co-axial cable or multiple Cat 6 cables to each room. If hotels want to run converged networks running Wi-Fi, IPTV, Voice services, CCTV, on line door locking systems etc. on a single network then the choice of cabling used is critical.

2. GUESTS VIEWING HABITS ARE RAPIDLY CHANGING With the global growth of Netflix and the launch of other subscription based streaming services the need for hotels to allow guests to access their own content either on their smart phone or tablet in the guestroom (and if possible share the content on the TV in room) has increased dramatically. As these services need greater bandwidth hotels have to increase the size of the pipe and also invest in better networks to meet this requirement and the first question is how do we pay for this? The hotel industry has to a large extent moved to offering a free basic internet service but to accommodate guests who wish to download content many hotels are now offering a tiered service where the guest has to pay for the higher speed internet access. This is still proving problematical because guests still do not want to pay for this service either.

3. MOBILITY According to recent research the following trends are apparent: • On an Average, people check their smart phone every 6 minutes.

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• People use mobile Apps 6 times more than the websites.

• 79% smart-phones users use their mobile to make purchasing decisions.

• 50% users make purchase on Mobile within 1 hour as compared to 1 month on desktops.

• 73% of Business Owners use Mobile Apps daily.

To accommodate the increasing use of mobile devices by guests hotel companies are being forced to grow and enhance their mobile websites and apps at a rapidly increasing pace, tweaking designs to mirror not just specific types of devices, but different kinds of users, The idea is to ensure that whether guests are scrolling through their smartphones or tablets — or even their watches — what those guests see will look great on the screen and engage them.

According to the VP of Brand and Marketing at Scandic Hotels they are developing new platforms with the objective of “To engage and create relevant content requires a new way of working, focusing on relationship marketing, understanding the customer and their needs.”

Scandic is also placing extra focus on developing content and services linked to the actual stay at the hotel with relevant pre-arrival information and the ability to select rooms and check in as well as inhotel services before arrival. To drive loyalty, some services will only be available to customers booking through Scandic’s direct channels.

Starwood is also focusing on the mobile traveller with its new range of smartphone apps.

4. CLOUD BASED TECHNOLOGY While this has been an emerging trend I am now aware that most if not all of the PMS vendors ( both new and existing ) have released their cloud based systems that are hosted offsite and with a monthly Software as a service (SaaS) pricing model.

In the first instance strong interest is being shown by many of the smaller independent hotels who are now seriously looking at this technology as it offers a number of advantages over the traditional premise based systems. As more hotels adopt this technology I believe it will become mainstream over the next few years provided the internet in the particular region or country will support it We are now also seeing the arrival of hosted PBX systems with some major hotel chains adopting this technology as the commercial model is attractive compared to the premise based systems.

In several of my new small boutique hotel clients I am mandating that the majority of the systems be hosted in the cloud following the path that Citizen M has been doing in Europe for several years now and in my opinion has been very successful in its innovative use of this technology.

5. KEYLESS ENTRY USING GUESTS OWN SMARTPHONE This technology is getting a lot of press globally with both Starwood and Hilton adopting aggressive rollouts of the technology in the US and then globally. As both of these chains do so everyone else is now looking at this technology that allows guests to use their smart phone to bypass front desk and go directly to the room.

Initially the focus is on their loyalty members with many signing up for the technology.

It is my considered opinion (not shared by all my colleagues) that this technology is a game changer for those guests who want to avoid check in queues at the front desk

and in time all the major hotel chains (if they are not already) will be adopting this technology in one form or another.

The world is experiencing tremendous growth in new hotels with Asia Pacific having the largest hotel pipeline of hotel developments in the world. This development creates tremendous opportunities for the adoption of exciting new technologies but in my opinion we must get the fundamentals correct from the outset and ensure that owners are willing to make the necessary investment in ITC to keep pace with the ever increasing changes in consumer technology. This is a great challenge as the lifecycle of technology is diminishing rapidly however with the arrival of cloud based technology built around a SaaS model instead of large up front capital expenditure as in the past the ability of owners/operators to keep up to date with the latest technology will in my opinion become easier provided they are properly educated on the benefits of these investments.

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AN INDUSTRY STALWART

HANGS UP THE BOOTS,

BUT LEAVES A LEGACY TOM JOHNSON

Each generation of workers face new problems. But each generation also takes for granted the solutions to problems achieved by previous generations. In the eighties, hotel engineers in Australia had problems.

More hotels were going up, and there was more pressure on engineers to work within a budget.

Despite this, there were few networking opportunities and communication between hotels was sparse.

A NEW FORUM

T

his is where Frank Beeson helped to be a part of a legacy: the Australian Institute of Hotel Engineering. The current Chief Engineer of the Runaway Bay Sports Super Centre was part of the original team in getting the Institute off the ground.

Not only did the AIHE solve the problems of the day, it helps to give this generation of hotel engineers a head start on networking and education in the industry.

out what they thought was a bad design (blunder) or wrongly installed. For example, door knobs too close to a door jamb which

“In those days, amongst the ever-increasing growth of hotels and their departments, there was a lack of networking and communication between the new hotels and the demands on their departments,” Frank says. “I can remember sitting in the beer garden with that group of engineers mapping out what we would need to do to create an institute for the benefit of those who made hotels safe, cost-effective, well-maintained and a place where the GM was proud of.”

The original idea for the AIHE came from the ANA Hotel Chief Engineer, Neil Weenink, in 1988.

“Neil rang around and rounded up the few hotel engineers from these early hotels for a round table meeting,” Frank says. “It started off in his office, then in any spare room that could be used, and then a trip to the Beenleigh Hotel half way to Brisbane, so we could get together engineers from the Gold Coast and Brisbane.”

Frank, being part of the steering committee for the precursor of the AIHE – the Institute of Hotel Engineering (Queensland). Alongside a couple of beers, the team tackled their first task: the ‘LORB’ list, or ‘List of Repetitive Blunders’.

“There are still copies,” Frank says. “The idea was that all the hotel engineers walked the floor of their respective hotels and picked

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caused skin damage to the hand. Believe it or not, we compiled a large book of blunders which was intended to be passed on to the architects that designed hotels or large high rise building for their input into their designs.”

Frank says he’s seen a lot of changes in his time in the AIHE. He says one of the best parts has been the good friends he’s made, and how it has become a forum for the people looking after hotels. Looking to the future, Frank hopes new engineers will join the Institute.

TEN POUND POM But Frank’s story began much earlier than the AIHE. Born in Walthamstow in London, Frank left England in 1957 as a Ten Pound Pom. His family set up at Cronulla, where he attended Jannali Boys High School and achieved his Intermediate certificate. His passions in those days were art and music.

“This didn’t sit well with my father,” Frank says. “He put me into a factory and I was signed up as an apprentice Fitter & Turner/ Toolmaker. I had no choice, but luckily it turned out that was a hidden talent I didn’t know was there.”

But meeting his future wife-to-be put an end to Frank’s time in the factory. Her father ran a successful plumbing business. But after he became unwell, he asked Frank to lend a hand.

“After much coaching, I reluctantly did,” Frank says. “Sadly, he passed away. And with my wife being an only child – you guessed it – I was to become a plumber. I went back to college and got my Plumber, Drainers, Gasfitters and LPG Licenses. I went on to get my Electricians License and did a short course in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning. This was over some years.”

Frank and his family moved to the Gold Coast and bought a plumbing supply and hardware company. But Frank was now competing against multinational companies, which ate away at his business, so he took his first position in the hotel industry working as an engineer at Jupiters Casino.

LIFELONG FRIENDSHIPS Frank met a lifelong mate while working at Jupiters – Dennis Fountain. Frank was member number thirteen at the AIHE, Dennis was number eight.

“Something which consolidated our friendship was sailing on the same yacht in the second running of the Sydney to Gold Coast,” Dennis says. “That was thirty years ago. Now we’re more into power boats.”

Dennis says he regularly sees Frank at AIHE meetings and looks forward to a beer with his old mate.

“He’s a great, easy-going guy. He always wants to help out doing the odd jobs. I guess he’s known for ‘being there’ at the AIHE. He never wanted to be any position other than a committee member – he just wanted to be there helping out.”

A LIFE IN HOTELS After two years working at Jupiters Casino, Frank moved to the Sheraton Group. He started working on the opening of the

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Sheraton Mirage in the engineering department. He was promoted to Assistant Chief Engineer and sent to open the Sheraton Noosa.

His next step saw him work throughout Asia.

“While at Sheraton we attended many training courses,” Frank says.

“One being a Diploma in Business Management, which moving around was hard to complete, so from here I was seconded on to Indonesia, the Sheraton Lagoona Resort at Nusa Dua, with some stints in Lombok and then back to Bali.”

Frank transferred from Bali to Sydney Sheraton Airport Hotel (later Stanford Hotel) as Chief Engineer, while in Sydney he was also part of the Sydney AIHE Chapter and enjoyed this journey with the local engineers and some great friendships were made over a period of 8 years. He finally moved back home to the Gold Coast to work a short stint at Couran Cove Island Resort on Stradbroke Island.

He got his current job when asked by the resort’s sister company Runaway Bay Sports Super Centre to be the Centres Chief Engineer and then, back with the Queensland AIHE.

FINAL DAYS IN THE JOB Frank says leaving the industry was bittersweet. He will retire at the end of 2015 with a lifetime of achievements and stories. However, he has concerns for the future of hotel engineering.

“Sadly, or luckily, we are moving into a new area of innovation and a hazy future,” Frank says. “I doubt the original engineers would envisage where we would be today, as before, the hotel engineer was the professional within his skilled trade and in most cases a marine engineer, as ships engineering and hotels are very similar in lots of ways and areas. Now, we have to deal with many new dilemmas in keeping costs down, when equipment is ageing and failing and needs replacing, staff numbers are being cut in most departments to keep salaries low & multi-skilling staff.”

Frank even asks, today it seems, do we still need a Chief Engineer.

We have supervisors without a trade certification, who can simply outsource all the skills as required. The internet has also vastly improved communication and knowledge-sharing without the need for face-to-face interaction.

“Today, the hotel maintenance man can look to the internet to find out how the air conditioner works, what makes the lifts go up and down, and just about anything else he needs to know. This makes it hard for the AIHE to get engineers and members interested in talking to their counterparts.”

Frank says his personal future lies in travel and leisure – an overdue reward for decades of service to the industry but, still with the Qld AIHE Chapter.

“I am looking forward to a new future: Not collecting butterflies, stamp collecting, or knitting the odd jumper? No, I have worked all my life and now is the real time to travel, play some golf and boating to catch up on. And I’ll enjoy not doing that Profit & Lost Statement, the Capital Plan, next year’s Budget, an Energy Savings Plan and putting up with that angry employee, that unhappy guest that is always right, and the bully upstairs that has no idea what’s going on down stairs, but, the ship keeps running! All good.”

The service, advice and delivery were all handled with 100% satisfaction. The performance of the machinery is excellent.

It is well made, easy to handle and even easier to train others. You have got it all up to a high standard.

KYM MATHESON | MIDWAY APARTMENTS

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ALERT BUT NOT ALARMED THE CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGE FOR HOTEL AND RESORT FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

SCOTT HARRIS

P

rior to reading this article, it is worth taking the time to consider the following series of questions within the context to your own hotel, resort or workplace environment.

• Have you recently assessed your facilities security, physical building and precinct vulnerabilities in context to the current security and terrorism environment existing in Australia and more widely, within a global context?

• Is your workforce adequately prepared for an armed person, active shooter or terrorism incident?

• Does your workforce know how to respond to ensure that they, your guests, clients, and stakeholders remain safe within your facilities or go home safely at the end of the day?

• Will your leadership team be in a position to confidently respond to questions from authorities, insurance, media and families of people who may be at risk in a critical incident?

If you can confidently answer YES to these questions, your organisation is leading the way in this space. However, if these questions leave you with more questions and unsure about your organisations direction in this critical area of safety and security, then it is time to start a conversation with the key stakeholders in your workplace.

It is highly likely that up until the recent tragic events that unfolded in retail and entertainment precincts in Paris, at a workplace function in San Bernardino and most recently at a train station in London, that most employers have been reluctant to raise the topic of active shooter, armed persons and terrorism in the workplace simply because it is unnerving and can create an environment of fear.

No one wants to openly admit that there is a real potential for an active shooter or lone actor incident to occur in their workplace or precinct and clearly past experience suggests that we are effective at putting off something important until there is a catalyst that forces a specific response and subsequent implementation of new procedures.

The Federal Government recently revealed that our law enforcement and intelligence agencies are currently overviewing

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in excess of 400 terrorism related investigations within Australia alone and that a number of those investigations relate to suspects who are immediately capable of undertaking an attack.

Clearly this is concerning but perhaps more concerning are the ones that we don’t know about. How many ‘lone actors’ or terrorist cells are ‘flying under the radar’ in our cities or communities similar to the Paris terrorist cells or closer to home, the young radicalised teenager who took an innocent life in front of Parramatta Police Headquarters.

The Director of The Federal Bureau of Investigation recently admitted that he doesn’t lose sleep over the five thousand plus active terrorism investigations in the United States however he does lose sleep over the ones that his organisation doesn’t know about…

The National Terrorism Threat Advisory System was recently altered to ensure that Australians and key stakeholders are provided with a clearer and more comprehensive picture as to what the current likelihood is of an act of terrorism occurring in Australia. In line with this revised system, the National Terrorism Threat level is PROBABLE implying that there is credible intelligence indicating an intention and capability to conduct an attack in Australia.

Currently, it is considered that the most likely incident that will occur in Australia will be perpetrated by a ‘lone actor’ or small group, will be quickly activated with a low budget and will use low cost weapons including knives, firearms and explosives, (Attorney generals department website). However this does not the rule out the potential of a more organised attack occurring similar to Paris when you consider that the terrorist cells have changed and adapted their method of operation, shying away from the use of contemporary communication methods to attempt to avoid detection by intelligence agencies.

Whilst symbols of government continue to remain likely terrorist targets, there is an increasing likelihood of incidents occurring at facilities and precincts that are considered to be soft targets, for example, commercial, retail and entertainment precincts, hotel

and resorts, and any public place where there is limited security and high pedestrian congestion (as was the case in Paris).

So where does this leave you, as leaders, decision makers and agitators for safety within your hotel or resort facility. What is it that you should be considering that will assist in protecting your guests, stakeholders and workforce in the changing environment that we find ourselves in?

Your business will already have well socialised evacuation procedures in place because this component of emergency management is legislated in Australia. You may even have basic duress alarm procedures. Whilst duress alarm and evacuation procedures will play a part in your overall response to an active shooter, lone actor terrorism incident, they do not provide your staff, guests or stakeholders with sufficient information to make informed choices that are likely to save lives and restrict an offender’s access to victims.

The primary objectives for any organisation in the context of active shooter and lone actor terrorism incidents should initially be consideration of potential vulnerabilities and their implementation of preventative measures. Deterrence, detection and delaying measures are essential components in prevention.

Utilising elements such as physical and human security activations, CCTV and alarms, and crime prevention through environmental design concepts can send a message to potential offenders that your facility or precinct is a secure place.

The tragic Lindt Café siege was an example of how a facilities activation of deterrence capabilities can potentially demotivate an offender or send them to an alternate location. The offender’s motivation in this instance was to gain access to a studio in Channel 7 but when he was confronted by some simple yet effective security measures in the foyer of his intended target, he avoided that location (even though he was armed with a shotgun) and moved to an alternate location possessing minimal security.

Incidents cannot always be prevented and detection of offenders before an incident is not always possible so it is essential in the current environment that you have a planned response capability including active shooter procedures which have been developed in conjunction with your key stakeholders and socialised widely to your workforce.

It is likely to be your employees who will be the first responders during an incident prior to the arrival of police and emergency services. Hotel and resort guests will naturally look to staff members for assistance and advice so it is essential that they are equipped with the necessary skills and information to assist in ensuring that guests remain safe through adopting the main components of a typical active shooter procedure which include the activities of evacuating, hiding or acting.

An added benefit of developing and implementing active shooter procedures is that they will assist in the management of other typical incidents that are equally likely to occur in your workplace including criminal offences, disgruntled clients/customers, co-worker disputes, fixated persons and the growing incidence of domestic violence.

Activities that you can consider implementing immediately: 1. Commence a conversation with your key stakeholders about this serious topic.

2. Assess your facilities risks and vulnerabilities in the current National and Global context.

3. Implement preventative measures to increase the impression that your hotel or resort is a safe place to visit and not a ‘soft target’.

4. Develop an Executive Leadership Program to enhance leadership resilience in your organisation.

5. Consider your recruitment process to ensure that you have the right staff in your forward facing customer service roles.

6. Commence development of active shooter procedures and establish a process for socialising them to your workforce.

7. Create and maintain partnerships with your local law enforcement and emergency service agencies.

BY FAILING TO PREPARE, YOU ARE PREPARING TO FAIL… Principal Consultant, Scott Harris has 25 years in law enforcement and considerable experience in developing and delivering information sessions/briefings and assisting organisations and individuals build workforce resilience. Scott recently successfully led the Business and Critical Infrastructure Engagement portfolio for the Queensland Police Service G20 Group where he forged lasting relationships/partnerships and delivered informative and engaging resilience presentations/briefings to more than 20,000 business people across South East Queensland.

Scott’s education qualifications include a BA, Justice Administration (Intelligence and Security) QUT; Advanced Certificate in Policing (Griffith); in addition to leadership, critical incident/command and management qualifications from the QPS Management Development Program.

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FREE COOLING IS NO MIRAGE

CASE STUDY I SHERATON MIRAGE, QUEENSLAND

The Sheraton Mirage Resort and Spa is an icon of Queensland’s Gold Coast, built during the region’s 1980s development boom.

A recent multi-million-dollar refurbishment has not only returned the resort to its former glory, but has drastically improved energy efficiency too.

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uilt in 1987 as the jewel in the infamous Christopher Skase empire, the Sheraton Mirage Resort and Spa remains the Gold Coast’s only five-star beachfront resort.

Fronting the Pacific Ocean on the naturally occurring Southport Spit, the resort continues to operate under the management of Starwood Hotels and Resorts, the parent company of the Sheraton brand.

After being purchased outright by Pearls Australasia in 2010, the property has undergone a stunning multi-million dollar refurbishment that has returned its 295 guest rooms, lobby, reception, porte cochere, bars and restaurant to their former glory.

Outside, the resort is equally spectacular with over three hectares of manicured tropical gardens surrounding a 5,000m² system of lagoons and the magnificent 750m² lagoon-style swimming pool that fronts the famous Gold Coast beach.

REFURBISHMENT Built over 30 years ago, the Sheraton Mirage Resort had lost its five-star edge and become an expensive and inefficient hotel to operate by 2011.

Recognising the need for refurbishment, the resort’s new ownership approved a $26 million refurbishment program to take in all public spaces as well as guest rooms, bars and restaurant.

But to deliver a five star guest experience in today’s market, the delivery of high levels of comfort and amenity also come with the expectation that the resort is fulfilling its environmental responsibilities.

environment,” said Sheraton Mirage Resort’s General Manager, Mark Sexton.

Sexton says Starwood’s overarching objective with sustainability is to reduce energy and water usage. The “30/20 by 20” initiative has set a target of reducing energy use by 30 per cent and water use by 20 percent by the year 2020 (from a 2008 baseline).

Starwood’s “30/20 by 20” initiative has set a target of reducing energy use by 30 per cent and water use by 20 percent by the year 2020.

“At the end of the day, you like to think the majority of people want us to be green, and want us to do the right thing by the

To ensure the resort meets these targets, a range of works were conducted that not only improved the resort’s aesthetics and

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guest amenity, but also addressed energy efficiency.

These included the installation of new LED lighting, sensors and controls; the replacement of guest room air conditioning controls and installation of movement sensors and window switches.

The resort’s ageing mechanical services plant was not included in the original scope of works, nor was the building management system (BMS) – an old, proprietary system that had received limited upgrades over the years and progressed to obsolescence.

But following a BMS failure prior to the busy Christmas period in 2012, these issues were quickly brought to a head.

The failure resulted in the resort having to be manually operated until the problems were able to be rectified three weeks later.

Not only did this place undue pressure on the management and maintenance team during a peak occupancy period, but it also resulted in a hefty repair bill.

“It was then that we realised we were sitting on a time bomb,” said Sexton.

Having recently won the resort’s mechanical services maintenance contract, Airmaster was called on by Sexton to conduct a Level 3 Energy Audit.

Among the problems identified were a failing BMS and an existing chiller plant that was inefficient, prone to issues and had reached the end of its useful life. The chillers were also operating on obsolete, ozonedepleting refrigerants R11 (phased out in 1996 under the Montreal Protocol) and R22 (currently being phased out).

“The audit painted a fairly bleak picture of the way things were,” said Noel Courtney, Chief Executive Officer for Airmaster Australia, who has been intimately involved in the project from the beginning.

“If the resort had experienced a catastrophic failure or a big leak in their chillers, it was doubtful we could have kept them going. So there was a risk to the business.”

In all, 30 energy savings measures were identified. At the top of the list were the chillers and building automation.

Recognising the urgency, and with the resort well into its refurbishment program, Airmaster was asked to submit a proposal and budget.

“At that time, we were looking at like-forlike replacement based on using higher efficiency chillers,” said Courtney. “But once we established a budget, and funding approval was obtained, we went back with the intention of firming up our design.

A LIGHT-BULB MOMENT Although a like-for-like replacement promised an immediate performance improvement, Airmaster identified opportunities to deliver further savings through the installation of two water-cooled chillers combined with an air-cooled Climaveneta ERACS chiller.

Despite limited exposure in Australia, Airmaster had gained confidence in the Italian-made chillers across a number of installations where its ability to produce simultaneous heating and cooling had been proven.

“What we liked is that they build a lot of the ERACS heat recovery units, they’ve been manufacturing these units for a long time, and they use common component brands that we are familiar with.”

“But most importantly perhaps, every machine is run and tested before it leaves the factory, so when we turn them on we know they start every time.”

Following an examination of potential installation sites and the related costs of installing the air-cooled chiller, Airmaster moved to an alternative design featuring a water-cooled model that could be more easily retrofitted into the existing plant room.

If the resort had experienced a catastrophic failure or a big leak in their chillers, it was doubtful we could have kept them going.

So there was a risk to the business.

– Noel Courtney

“Climaveneta build some clever equipment,” explained Wayne van Aken, Airmaster’s Branch Manager for Queensland.

Commonly used in Europe where wellwater is used as a heat sink, the Climaveneta Integra ERACS water-cooled chiller also offered some significant advantages,

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including the ability to produce free heating or cooling.

This is achieved by a clever three-vessel design and advanced control logic that ensures cooling and heating loads are perfectly met. When these are simultaneous, the unit exchanges evaporation and condensation heat with the system cooling and heating circuits respectively.

Where the cooling or heating load is constant, the result is either free heating or chilled water. When the load is not balanced, or when one of the two demands is missing, the chiller automatically switches to a third heat rejection source.

It was this last point that led Courtney to consider the use of the resort’s lagoon system as an integral part of what promised to be a highly efficient solution.

PEOPLE Property Owner: Pearls Australasia

“One day it just dawned on me that we had a huge heat sink available to us,” said Courtney of his light-bulb moment.

Property Manager: Starwood Hotels & Resorts (Sheraton) Mechanical Services Design: Airmaster Australia

A further benefit was that the water-cooled chiller simplified installation.

Consulting Engineer: Norman Disney & Young

“It was still a three chiller installation, in identical positions within the plant room, so it kept the installation cost down and made all the connections relatively simple,” said Courtney.

Controls: Airmaster Australia

EQUIPMENT Chillers: Climaveneta TECS2-W 1220kW (x2) ERACS Chiller: Climaveneta Integra ERACS-WQ 640kW Pumps: Wilo Australia Heat Exchangers: Alfa Lavel

FOOT OFF THE GAS The audit also identified the method used to heat the resort’s pool as being highly inefficient.

Required to be maintained at a constant 27.5°C year-round (as per Sheraton’s worldwide brand standard), the resort pool was heated by an ageing 400kW gas-fired boiler.

One of five boilers servicing the site, the pool boiler operated around the clock to maintain temperature, and was responsible Plant Controls: for up to 75 per cent of the resort’s total PlantPRO by ConserveIt annual gas consumption – a cost the hotel’s BMS: management was keen to be rid of.

Tridium

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The production of this hot water would in turn provide free cooling – and with a cooling load of around 400kW during winter and up to 2000kW during summer months, promised to deliver significant electricity savings to the resort.

To optimise energy efficiency, Airmaster’s design shifted the balance between high load and part load among the three chillers.

Where the cooling or heating load is constant, the result is either free heating or chilled water.

“So I did a calculation on it and found there were over three million litres of water available in the lagoon. Three million litres holds a lot of heat.”

Mechanical Services: Airmaster Australia

The pool’s heating demand was quickly recognised by Airmaster as an obvious target for the 55°C hot water produced by the ERACS chiller and regulated via a control valve and heat exchanger.

The two incumbent high-load 1290kW chillers were replaced with two 1220kW TECS water-cooled main chillers, while the incumbent low-load 580kW chiller was replaced with the slightly larger 640kW ERACS unit.

To ensure optimum performance, a brand new, open-source system was also proposed to replace the obsolete BMS, as were new plant controls specifically designed to operate with the Climaveneta chillers.

At the property owner’s request, Airmaster’s design was reviewed by engineering consultancy Norman Disney & Young, who “rubber stamped” it.

“It was important to the owners that the design was independently assessed,” said Sexton. “It was a lot of money so was just due diligence. The solution we have here today is what was put up by Airmaster, and what was approved and vetted by NDY.”

THEORY TO REALITY With the entire retrofit scheduled to be completed within four months, so as to keep interruption to the resort to a minimum, the team completed all preparation work in advance.

This included the installation of new pipework, heat exchangers and pumps.

PlantPro’s advanced optimisation capabilities use sophisticated sequencing and load control, along with free cooling or heating production from the ERACS unit, to drive lowest cost of production of both the hot and cold water systems. the hot and cold water systems. In-built measurement and verification of the chillers and the complete plant allow for real-time continuous optimisation as well as fault detection and diagnostic capabilities.

“This meant that when the new chillers arrived on site, we could get the energy savings immediately,” said van Aken.

The installation of each chiller was conducted within a five day cutover period whereby one chiller was replaced at a time, with the other two providing chilled water and redundancy to the site.

“We had to be prepared to move the schedule around to work odd hours, particularly when the resort was fully occupied or had conventions on,” said Airmaster’s Project Supervisor, Dominic Mazzoleni.

“It’s not like a commercial building where you’ve got a weekend and where you can start at Friday 5 pm and have a chiller up and running by 8 am Monday. Here, we had to do things one at a time, and keep chilled water to the facility every day of the week.”

Disruptive or noisy work was scheduled around the hotel’s occupancy levels, and often performed after hours or on weekends. Weekly project management meetings kept all stakeholders informed of the project’s progress and helped address any issues or concerns.

“Because of the way we went about it, it was pretty seamless to be honest,” said Greg Langley, Chief Engineer at the Sheraton Mirage Resort.

“And because we were installing three units, and none of them served the whole

complex, it was able to be managed well. Aside from a few nervous moments, there were no real hiccups during the change-over, and certainly none that affected guests.”

PLANTPRO According to Lucas Robinson, Project Manager of Building Automation for Airmaster Queensland, the biggest challenge in upgrading the obsolete BMS and plant control system was ensuring no interruption to the resort’s services was experienced.

For this reason, the project was split into two distinct parts – the BMS and the chiller plant management system – allowing the team to take advantage of advanced chiller optimisation and control using PlantPRO.

By combining variable primary flow control, smart sequencing and lift management optimisation, it has been able to drastically reduce energy consumption at the resort.

Furthermore, all existing Johnson BMS controllers have been replaced with Tridium I/O controllers. Robinson says the Tridium Niagara framework is used at the management layer to oversee all of the systems in one seamless network.

“Breaking it down, the BMS here doesn’t need to be over complicated in any way – it’s all about matching what the resort’s requirements are,” he said.

“The resort’s management team is now able to track energy consumption, see that conditions have been maintained, see where there are issues or opportunities for improvement, and manage all this through the BMS front end.”

Based on the Niagara framework, the PlantPRO chiller plant management system will manage the complex cold and hot water conditions used throughout the resort for air conditioning, hot water production and the heating of the resort pool.

FREE COOLING

Developed in Australia, PlantPRO has recently been licensed by Climaveneta to provide its chiller plant management requirements worldwide.

The efficiency of the ERACS system has also easily met the resort’s pool heating demand, but in doing so created the problem of not achieving enough free cooling at the start of the day to meet resort demand. This resulted in the need for one of the main chillers to operate.

Its advanced optimisation capabilities use sophisticated sequencing and load control, along with free cooling or heating production from the ERACS unit, to drive lowest cost of production of both

Six months since the installation of the new chiller set, and Airmaster’s design has already exceeded expectations. Ongoing commissioning and fine-tuning through the defects period will continue to improve the performance of the entire site.

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“Given the size of the pool boiler that we took offline, we assumed that the ERACS unit would have to run longer in the mornings to heat the pool, which would give us more free cooling,” van Aken said.

“But what we have found is that because we installed new heat exchangers and new pumps, and the plant is working to its optimum, we are heating the pool in just two to three hours.”

In response, Airmaster reconfigured the system to pre-heat the site’s 40,000 litre make-up water wells that supply domestic

and heating hot water across the resort.

By pre-heating the incoming town water in the make-up wells to 50°C, the resort’s boilers are now operating at a significantly reduced load to achieve the 55°C domestic hot water required.

As soon as the boiler was turned off, the gas man must have thought we needed a new meter!

– Mark Sexton

This opportunity has also created more free cooling from the ERACS unit, which Mazzoleni says was always part of the longterm plan.

“We were just looking to use the extra heat to condition the guest rooms, but now we’re using it to pre-heat the whole hot water system,” he said.

Whilst it is still early days, and commissioning continues, the energy savings delivered by the new chiller set and controls is proving significant.

For instance, gas consumption across the site has fallen by a staggering 60 per cent compared to the previous year.

“It’s a lot of money that just came out straight away,” said Sexton of the significant gas savings. “As soon as the boiler was turned off, the gas man must have thought we needed a new meter!”

Additionally, electricity consumption has fallen.

SITE INFORMATION Location: Sheraton Mirage Resort, Gold Coast Year Built: 1987 Number of Guest Rooms: 295 Meeting/Conference Space: 2000m² Land Area: 5 hectares Pool Size: 750m² Lagoon Size: 5,000m²

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According to ongoing energy analysis being conducted by Bueno Systems, a 13 per cent reduction was experienced in 2014 compared to the same period in 2013.

This represents a monthly electrical energy saving of 93,255kWhe. These energy savings have also been delivered in the face of increased cooling load, with higher resort occupancy levels and above-average temperatures experienced on the Gold Coast with a higher number of cooling degree days.

Overall, the project’s payback period of 3.8 years looks like being readily achieved.

“So far, we’ve realised all of the gas consumption savings we projected – and then some,” said Courtney.

“We’ve also had a significant reduction in electrical energy consumption, despite an 8 per cent increase in occupancy and an 18 per cent increase in thermal conditions measured through cooling degree day data.”

“But we are five months into commissioning and the major savings are expected in the peak and shoulder periods. So we believe we’re completely on track to deliver everything we said we would, and more.”

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“Being a manager of a Holiday building I see every day the unnecessary electricity usage from the air conditioners, Some guests set the temperature as low as possible on the control and leave it on 24/7 thinking nothing if they leave it on all day if they are out, or at Night time they put blankets on the bed as the rooms are so cold.The Ultima remote allows me to take some control over this, by setting the minimum Temperature at the recommended 24deg.This allows the air conditioner to quickly cool the apartment to be at a comfortable temp, Once there the compressor shuts down.Temperature settings lower than this create the compressor to work 24/7 to get the apartment at a lower temperature that it struggles to get to, or can never achieve. Some modern Inverter machines have features in them that shut down when they sense no movement in the rooms, (energy saving features) I can program the machine with the manufactures remote, then replace it with the Ultima remote, this gives me the control over the features so they can’t be de-programmed.Yes I am sold on the Ultima Remote as a great energy saving device”

Jack – Santa Anna by the Sea (Gold Coast)

INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL SANCTUARY COVE

CASE STUDY I NATIONAL WIRELESS

Intercontinental Hotel Sanctuary Cove situated at the northern end of the Gold Coast, is a five-star resort hotel with a 1940’s inspired grand homestead design. It is set amidst lush, tropical gardens and is surrounded by championship golf courses and 300 berth marina; it is colonial in design and offers a unique blend of Australian hospitality and sophistication.

BACKGROUND

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s it had become critical for Intercontinental Sanctuary Cove to replace their aging two-way radio system, they embarked on a process of sourcing and evaluating a reliable, rugged, group orientated communications system that also provided telephone and paging functionality.

After looking at available technologies the management team at Intercontinental Sanctuary Cove selected Tetra as the most appropriate technology to meet their requirements.

CUSTOMER NEEDS

Subscriber unit functionality was also required to incorporate;

The communication solution had to offer complete 2 way radio coverage of all buildings and surrounds, in order to obtain a high level of service and security for Intercontinental Sanctuary Cove’s guests and staff.

• Text messaging – radio to radio, PC to radio, Radio to PC.

A key criterion for staff and management was to have the ability to passively monitor specific work groups to enable greater awareness of each department’s workflow. Another of Intercontinental Sanctuary Cove’s key requirements was to have the ability to have one-to-one contact with any individual whether by means of radio-toradio or phone-to-radio communications.

NATIONAL WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS SOLUTION

• Alarm monitoring • Data transmission • Network expansion

With 16 years of experience and a successful track record in major radio system implementation, National Wireless is a specialist in providing wireless communication solutions for our campus based customers.

Following a thorough analysis of the Intercontinental Sanctuary Cove’s needs including an extensive radio coverage survey, the team at National Wireless established that implementation of a tailored TETRA trunked radio system would be the ideal solution to meet Intercontinental Sanctuary Cove’s campus based information communication needs.

TETRA technology is the smart choice in digital radio communication; whether it is required for a single site system like Intercontinental Sanctuary Cove, or multiple sites for area wide coverage. The system is based on IP technology that connects the system site controller to the base station, as well as to dispatchers, local area networks, PABX systems, network management facilities and external gateways. This level

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of integration and functionality means that Tetra is one state-of-the-art infrastructure.

Put simply Intercontinental Sanctuary Cove’s TETRA radio system provided the degree of functionality that they sought whilst providing an expansion pathway for growth in functionality and RF footprint.

Further to this, the TETRA technology is an international open architecture standard that allows a future proof technology foundation.

BENEFITS TO INTERCONTINENTAL SANCTUARY COVE Intercontinental Sanctuary Cove’s management required a communications system that was robust and future proof which also had the ability to seamless integrate into existing organisational systems and procedures allowing for improved guest services. The TETRA digital system offered not only that, but also additional benefits including; • Extensive radio coverage as required

• Zero radio interference from other departments

• Flexibility with expansion capabilities

• Zero noisy corridors

• Radios and software interfaces that were easy to use.

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• Ability to divert PABX phone calls to roaming on-duty staff during the evenings or busy periods • Ability to call any one person or a group of people from any telephone

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After the successful installation of the TETRA digital system, Intercontinental Sanctuary Cove management team now achieves a significantly greater level of efficiency and effectiveness with their on-site communications.

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JOHN CLIFFORD MANAGING DIRECTOR I AIRCON OFF

One of the most significant operating costs for the hospitality industry is electricity. For hotel rooms, industry studies show that more than 50% of the total power bill can be attributed to the cost of heating and cooling.

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ut the cost of running air conditioning and heaters are largely hidden. Power can’t be seen, so how much has been used isn’t known until the bill arrives. And you don’t see how guests consume power during their stay: poor energy conservation habits like leaving windows and doors open while the air conditioning is on, or running the temperature of heating too high and cooling too low all contribute to unnecessary electricity usage.

So, what are the common but hidden costs of air conditioning in your hotel?

WASTAGE Most guests like the idea of being environmentally friendly and choosing to stay at “green” accommodation. But the reality is, when it comes to practising good energy-conservation behaviour, many guests make poor choices in the way they use the heating and cooling in their room.

During the course of their stay, guests often waste more than 50% of the power they consume through air conditioning usage.

The benefits of air conditioning escape through open doors and windows and in holiday accommodation, up to 80% of air conditioning energy can be wasted due to units being left to run while there is nobody in the room.

POOR TEMPERATURE MANAGEMENT The first thing most guests do when they enter a hotel room is turn on the heating to the highest setting or the cooling to the lowest setting.

This is because a lot of us believe that turning the air conditioning to it’s lowest temperature will cool the room down faster. That’s not the case, and as a result, air conditioning becomes set at much lower temperatures than necessary for guests to be comfortable.

Poor temperature management can have a significant impact on the bottom line. A one-degree decrease in the temperature of air conditioning will increase energy usage by 5 to 10%.

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HARDWARE BREAKDOWN Overuse due to wastage along with the effects of poor temperature management both contribute to a reduction in the lifespan of air conditioning units. If the unit is made to work harder than necessary, you can expect to have to replace it more frequently than you would under normal usage.

POWER COST INCREASES It happens every year, but how often do we really consider the impact of electricity price rises?

Increasing power costs are hidden in the bill and there isn’t much that can be done about them. The best way to make savings on the power bill is to focus on initiatives that reduce energy consumption and wastage.

CARBON EMISSIONS The other hidden cost of air conditioning is the impact on the environment. According to Sustainability Victoria, an average 2.5-kilowatt air conditioning unit produces carbon emissions of approximately 1.5kg per hour. So when air conditioning is misused, the planet bears an unnecessary burden.

SO WHAT’S THE SOLUTION? The solution lies in the implementation of smart technology. By installing devices that automatically control AC setpoints and turn off air conditioning when there’s nobody in the room, you remove the human error that leads to wastage and inefficient energy consumption.

You can find out more about the automated devices that can save your hotel money by visiting www.airconoff.com.au

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: John Clifford is the Managing Director of Aircon Off, developers of a range of products that help hotels, schools and health care providers optimise air conditioning usage to eliminate wastage, save money and conserve energy. Find out how we can help your business become more energy efficient at www.airconoff.com.au.

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aving a clean and hygienic environment for guests is paramount for a successful hotel.

You can clean all you like, but it can be difficult to get rid of those bad smells coming from floor drains and the last thing you want is the smell being what your guests remember about their stay.

Using harsh and nasty chemicals is a short term and costly solution. The simple, easy, cost effective and environmentally friendly solution is Drain Mate®.

Designed, invented and made in Australia, Drain Mate® is also watermark certified and easily installed, no plumber required.

Drain Mate® has been installed in hundreds of hotel and motel rooms throughout Australia. Here’s how David Thomson, Maintenance Manger, at the Crowne Plaza Newcastle solved their smelly drain problem with Drain Mate®.

HOW IT WORKS Drain Mate® is a one way floor drain that fits easily into your existing standard 100 mm floor drain. Drain Mate’s unique self-closing trap door lets waste and water through but keeps smells, pests, noise and overflow out.

“The Hotel had an issue with guest feed back about smelly drains in the bathrooms for many years.The chemical cleaners were doing nothing to solve this issue, wasting the time of maintenance staff and not helping with the guest experience. I came across Drain Mate® and we trialled a few units for 3 months with no reports of smelly drains from guests in the test rooms. After all rooms had Drain Mate installed we found we had gone from the report of a smelly drain at least every second, if not every day, to just the occasional report.

We have had them installed now for approx 12 months and continue to have the same results. Based on this experience I would have no hesitation in recommending this product to anyone who has a smelly drain issue.”

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MAINTENANCE OF VERTICAL TRANSPORT SYSTEMS – PAIN POINTS

ANDREW PACKNESS I GENERAL MANAGER, NORTHERN REGION, WHITFIELD ROSE PTY LTD

Vertical Transport (VT) equipment has become the “Front Door” of the many Hotels and Resorts across Australia and their reliable, safe and efficient operation is essential not only for the smooth running of the Hotel, but also they are a major influencer on guest satisfaction, considering that every guest will use an elevator at least 6 times per day during their stay.

E

ach State and Territory recognise vertical transport as high risk plant and requires a certified and competent contractor to service, maintain, repair and upgrade installed elevators, escalators and moving walks as prescribed by the applicable Work Health and Safety Act.

AGREEMENT TYPES Maintenance of vertical transport should be supplied by specialist Maintenance Contractors generally under two types of contractual agreements; Comprehensive and Do & Charge. By far the majority of VT equipment in Australia is maintained under a Comprehensive Maintenance Agreement.

This is where the Contractor supplies all parts and labour and attends to the equipment with a prescribed maintenance schedule. Additional costs should only apply due to external influences such as, water ingress, power surges, vandalism, etc.

The structure of this type of comprehensive agreement includes, initial tenure and ongoing roll over periods, legal terms and conditions, scope of works, maintenance schedule and plan, key performance indicators, testing and inspections, reporting.

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Always confirm that the VT maintenance agreement has at least the following inclusions; start and end dates, nominated roll over period, normally only monthly or 12 month periods. Minimum number of site visits and individual equipment visits, scope of preventative maintenance, annual compliance testing and reporting.

Please read and understand the details of the agreement and look for the following exclusions as in many cases additional charges may apply in times of equipment failure; obsolescence, electrical fusion, afterhour call backs, nominated items such as DC hoist motors, gearboxes, hoist ropes, control modules, escalator chains and handrails.

SELECTING A MAINTENANCE CONTRACTOR With the goal of maximum in-service time, reliable operation and quality lift performance what are the key points to consider when selecting a specialised Maintenance Contractor for your site?

You firstly need to assess the technical skill and support for your particular type of VT equipment, local work force availability, spare parts availability, local presence and response times especially in cases where you have a trapped passenger situation, and accessibility to local and senior management.

Once the agreement is settled then establish a regular monthly meeting with your Maintenance Contractor to discuss the maintenance delivery, guest complaints, safety testing regime, maintenance records and call backs.

If you have any doubt regarding the maintenance agreement then seek independent advice and always remember if you have any concerns with the operation of your VT equipment isolate the equipment first and then contact your Maintenance Contractor.

DUTY OF CARE Do not allow unaccompanied children to use elevators, and in particular escalators.

Always ensure your escalators have the appropriate Statutory safety signs in place.

In the event of equipment malfunction record as much information as possible; names and contact details, injuries sustained, type of incident, time of incident, equipment number, floor/location where problem was encountered, any other information to assist the Maintenance Contractor in their identification and rectification process.

REGULAR INSPECTIONS The best defence with regards to ensuring safe and reliable operation of your VT equipment is to conduct regular inspections that include the following proactive measures; ride in each elevator check door operation, door protection and floor levelling, check emergency communication systems, check internal lighting is fully operational, elevator ride is smooth.

Escalator comb and tread plates, skirting and balustrade are in place, handrails are synchronised with steps – not stalling, escalator skirt, comb plate and under-step lighting is operational.

The above may sound like a lot but these type of inspections can be completed within minutes per item of equipment and will not only assist in protecting your guests and staff, but help in preventing major equipment failure and subsequent repair, thus avoiding extended downtime and disruption to the hotel operations and guest experience.

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CLADDING AUDITS

BUILDING SURVEYORS IN THE SPOTLIGHT DEREK HENDRY I THE HENDRY GROUP

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UST- Various government agencies across Australia are continuing their ‘auditing’ of existing buildings and building under construction following a fire in the Lacrosse Tower in Docklands, Melbourne. A Metropolitan Fire Brigade report found that the fire once started spread quickly due to non-compliant use of aluminium composite panelling on the external walls of the building. A number of councils have and are lining up to embark on enforcement action.

fire stairs can be locked from the inside in buildings that have an effective height of less than 25 metres. Once the building exceeds 25 metres in effective height, however, fire stair re-entry onto an occupied floor is required throughout the whole stairway. This means that locking doors from within the stairs is prohibited.

Other options are available, however, to improve security that complies with the BCA, these are:

This is a timely reminder for hotel owners and hotel engineers to ensure before commissioning a building surveyor/building certifier to perform future tasks on your building that the building surveyor provides adequate assurance that they (or you) will not be affected on your proposed project because of the legal fall out that will follow this above mentioned auditing process by government agencies.

The doors of the fire stair, other than those on every fourth floor, can be locked, but the locked doors must automatically unlock via a fail-safe device on a fire alarm. Signage must be installed on the doors that are not locked on every fourth storey stating that reentry is available.

FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEM AUST-Standards Australia has released a draft Standard relating to maintenance of fire protection systems for public comment, known as AS1851-2012 Routine service of fire protection systems and equipment, Amendment 1.

The current published edition of this Standard is not referenced in the National Construction Code (Building Code of Australia).

This standard can be used by the building surveyor/certifier for determining the maintenance requirements relating to Essential Safety Measures for the safety of persons in the event of a fire in those states requiring maintenance standards to be issued with the occupancy permit or building certificate.

Interested parties are invited to provide feedback regarding this draft Standard to the Standards Australia Technical Committee.

The initial purpose for the revision of AS1831-2012 was to review minor text amendments. There was however an unforeseen and immediate need to resolve issues with interpretations and inconsistencies of base line data to be provided on the building in the industry.

SECURING FIRE STAIRS AUST-Some hotel engineers of multi storey buildings are often breaching the egress provisions of the Building Code of Australia in their attempts to improve security in the fire stairs. Doors in

Option 1

Option 2 An intercommunication system operated from within the stairwell is located at each door in addition to the doors that are locked, must automatically unlock via a fail-safe device on a fire alarm. A sign must be fixed adjacent to the doors explaining its purpose and method of operation.

Option 3 An audible alarm system or visual alarm system operated from within the stairwell and located at each door can be provided instead of the intercommunication system and the doors must again automatically unlock on a fire alarm. Signs must explain the purpose and operation of each system.

Also, for all options, the exit door that opens to the street or open space at the discharge level from the building must not be locked from within. The relevant authority will need to approve the detail and operation of the options noted.

SAFETY MEASURE INSPECTIONS AND ANNUAL FIRE STANDARDS AUST-Hotel engineers must become aware of the latest developments in the presentation of fee quotations for essential safety measure inspections. Hendry is noticing that a number of providers of these services are reducing fees significantly for major hotels by the insertion of a couple of words in the quote/quote acceptance form.

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Building legislation across Australia is specific for existing buildings relative to the required maintenance and inspection process for essential safety measures. Statutorily they obligate the owner (and occupier in the some states) to ensure full compliance with the regulations as well as the requirement for signing an ‘Annual Fire Safety Statement’.

A number of providers in this area are nominating and performing random inspections only, i.e. every 3, 4 or 5th floor and only doing part of the floor.The defects list received by the hotel engineer is significantly reduced, thus less work for the engineer to follow up on defects.

If this type of services is condoned by the hotel owner then it can have significant implications if a major incident occurs in the building relative to insurance payouts and subsequent authority investigations. Especially by accepting this offer the owner has agreed not to comply with the minimum standards specified in the regulations and statutory documents issued by a building surveyor.

hotel, a department store and apartment building as a result of minor fires that caused undue fire/smoke penetration through the buildings. Although there were no major personal injuries there was however considerable disruption to businesses, loss of revenue and some minor personal injuries. In Queensland fines may well be issued to the owners of these buildings if their mandatory inspection records of the passive fire safety installations were found not to be up to date or there were breaches of the fire and smoke compartmentation in a building.

The implications of these fires could have potentially been much worse.

ABOUT THE HENDRY GROUP

AUST-Hotel engineers (and building owners) must be aware of their and the facility owners obligations under AS3745-2010, Planning for emergencies in facilities. This standard nominates the building owner as the facility owner and includes managers, occupiers and employers in 12 separate parts within the body of the standard.

Derek Hendry is the Founder of the HENDRY Group, a multi-disciplinary consultancy whose services include building surveying, disability access, essential safety measures, emergency planning and work health and safety.

HENDRY pioneered the private certification system of building approvals in Australia and operates nationally in all facets of building control. HENDRY publications include an e-newsletter entitled ‘Essential Matters’, blog sites and BCA Illustrated to assist property practitioners. For more information, please visit www.hendry.com.au

Building owners and their agents (maybe hotel engineers being the occupier via lease agreements) should not ignore their responsibilities under AS3745-2010. The standard is very specific regarding the owners/managers obligations.

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Building owners under this standard will be called to account after an emergency to provide details of their compliance.

SEALING SERVICE PENETRATION IS CRITICAL AUST-Building owners, managers and hotel engineers who manage buildings with fire and smoke resistant structures must recognise that they play a critical part in building occupant fire safety. Essential safety measures regulations have recognised this fact by continuing to prescribe ongoing inspection and maintenance requirements.

Pursuant to NCC (Building Code of Australia) hotels mainly rely on fire and smoke resistant structures (along with active fire systems) to safeguard sleeping occupants and avoid the spread of fire through the building.

Substantial statutory penalties under most state regulations apply to building owners and occupiers that knowingly allow any inadequately sealed services penetrations or breaches in fire and smoke resisting structures to exist. Equally severe penalties exist for simply chocking open fire and smoke resisting doors in a fire isolated stairwell or passageway. To comply with the provision of the Regulations and AS1851-2005-Part 17, AS1851-2012 Part 12, all building service penetrations through fire and smoke resisting structures should be inspected regularly depending on the state.

Where inadequately sealed services penetrations or breaches are found, they must be rectified in a prescribed time frame.

Over the years, thousands of people have had to be evacuated from buildings, one in Melbourne and two in Queensland – a large

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ADVERTORIAL

INTER-CHILLERS PROJECT TEAM LEADERS IN INSTALLATION OF ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY

DARREN PERRY I GENERAL MANAGER

With an enviable track record of over 200 new chiller and cooling tower installations over recent years Inter-Chillers enjoys continued invitations from most leading mechanical consulting companies, building owners and property management professionals.

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e enjoy the reputation of successfully delivering and installing equipment into the most challenging and difficult to access plant rooms. This means thinking “outside the square� as testified by the collaborative efforts of Inter-Chillers and Smardt Chillers Pty Ltd in the development, manufacture and installation of the first PowerPax Split Vessel Chiller in Australia.

Inter-Chillers specialist projects team conducts turn-key capital equipment replacements and upgrades incorporating new chillers, D/X plants, cooling towers, pumps, boilers and other mechanical equipment.

Installation of BMCS and VSD drives including final balancing, commissioning and verification completes the package of quality services that we consistently deliver to our clients time after time.

Inter-Chillers is an authorised repairer for most OEMs for in-house disassembly and reassembly of new equipment utilising our own refrigeration specialists without the risk of voiding warranty to assist in equipment manoeuvrability.

Our experienced team is committed to providing in-house training for supervisors and technicians on subjects including engineering design, planning, logistics and contingency back up, always with a focus on energy efficient operation and reliability.

Completed projects are handed over to owners with the assurance of high quality service from Inter-Chillers provided by our factory trained and accredited service and maintenance technicians continuing throughout the warranty period and beyond.

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AROUND THE BEND

PAUL ANGUS

Paul Angus, Hydraulic Engineering Discipline Leader at Erbas & Associates in Sydney, discusses the importance of water conservation, as well as selecting the most effective design strategy to ensure future upgrades to the plumbing system in your building don’t prove to be a costly mistake.

W

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e’ve all been there. In unfamiliar surroundings within a building or facility and the necessity to pay a visit to the amenities unexpectantly rears its head.

For me, this is exactly how it occurred one evening last week, whilst attending a CPD seminar in a well-established high rise building in Sydney. As soon as I opened the door to the men’s toilets, I was immediately subjected to an eye watering pungent odour, which, upon striking the back of my throat, caused me to struggle to breathe any last remaining gasps of fresh air available into my already struggling lungs. This smell is not what you were immediately thinking, this was the unmistakable stench caused from Struvite (magnesium ammonium phosphate), caused by a build-up of scale from urine. After washing my hands and wiping away the tears from my eyes, I struggled to find any indication of how the facilities were automatically maintained, only before realising these were no ordinary urinals, these were waterless urinals.

to the facilities management team was a mystery in itself. Does this sound like a similar scenario, are we only scratching the surface of future plumbing problems that may already exist in your building?

In new buildings, waterless urinals provide a successful method of assisting in the overall reduction of water usage. Even in existing buildings, retrofitting waterless urinals can be installed quite successfully. However, an easy decision to install waterless or low-flow systems to the existing sanitary pipework requires to be carefully considered to ensure the drainage pipework gradient can effectively convey low-flow rates from water efficient sanitary fixtures and fittings. In this case, the building was approximately 25-30 years old and would have undergone a refurbishment in the last 2-3 years. How this odour could not have possibly have gone unnoticed or not have been reported

Facilities Management teams are continually implementing innovative and cost saving methods to improve existing plumbing infrastructure. In order to instil confidence with tenants and investors alike, it is paramount to ensure the operation, maintenance and inevitable replacement strategy is in place. Regular preventative maintenance can greatly assist in extending the life expectancy of hydraulic related plant, pipework and sanitary fixtures, however upon failure these can often very quickly escalate to become a major issue resulting in immediate action be under taken. When carrying out these upgrades, it is recommended that reactive or quick fix practises should be avoided, as they will inevitably cause more financial

The buildings plumbing infrastructure would not be considered as being at the most critical or even a high business risk by most, however a significant risk lies in the operation of the hydraulic system, as well as more impor tantly where public health can potentially be compromised, which is paramount to the continuity of any business. For example, should the water supply not be available for a significant period of time the building will effectively become uninhabitable, unproductive and, as such, a loss of earnings will be incurred, whatever the nature of the business. Could the existing plumbing system or retrofit recently installed potentially impact your tenant’s productivity and profitability? What’s around the bend and how can it impact you?

budget, as well as causing frustrations for building operations staff and tenants alike.

burden fur ther down the track than relief. Taking a proactive and preventative approach to upgrades is extremely beneficial.

Consider replacing out of date, inefficient plumbing fixtures with low-flow outlets, or alternatively providing fixtures with aerators to reduce water consumption are effective methods of addressing water efficiency issues that can provide significant savings, associated within a complex building with multiple fixtures and fittings.

However, the full extent of other consequences should be considered. For example, as previously demonstrated installing low-flow fixtures or waterless fixtures and in conjunction within existing sanitary drainage pipework configurations can inadver tently cause significant blockages. Retrofitting waterless urinals may seem an effective solution; however the existing waste pipework and sanitary fixtures and fittings configuration requires to be fully assessed, as the pH content of urine can very quickly corrode existing copper waste pipework, making a quick solution an expensive high priority issue to replace the pipework.

New tenant fit outs may also require the necessity for trade waste drainage, which requires significant plant area designated for grease arrestors, as well as require the implementation of pumps, plus mechanical ventilation, which requires substantial sized risers to the roof and to atmosphere. Retrofitting trade waste pipework (HDPE) in these scenarios can of course be overcome by careful coordination in the design phase at an early stage of the project.

Concerns associated with hot water plant, pipework, as well as pumps that have exceeded their working life often escalate and more often than not require immediate action. Taking a proactive approach to upgrades is beneficial. Sustainable hot water systems, such as ground or air source heat pumps, plus solar hot water systems can be easily implemented on new buildings at the design stage, however retrofitting can be somewhat troublesome, due to lack of plant room space or the orientation of the building’s roof.

Any hot and cold water replacement strategy requires to mitigate any risks, as well as fully exploit oppor tunities. Such oppor tunities may include a review of the payback and lifecycle analysis of system upgrades, whilst in parallel an assessment of water reuse, recycling opportunities and legionella risk assessments should be fully evaluated. Unfortunately, these situations are rarely budgeted for, straining an already inadequate

Erbas and Associates are currently providing an environmentally sustainable hydraulic design on the refurbishment of the University of Technology Sydney | Central Campus. This development aims to be on the forefront of environmental sustainability initiatives, not only within the campus, but as well as within Australia by seeking both a six star energy and water rating, which the University takes extremely seriously in all their projects. At a very early stage, following an audit of the hydraulic system, a matrix was introduced scoring each system to evaluate the most effective solution to suit the buildings needs and requirements. The water usage overall, as well as an ageing hot water plant, were recognised early in the project as a primary consuming element, which will be minimised and replaced with recycled water, as well as plate heat exchangers integrated with the new mechanical heating and cooling system, an oppor tunity that will assist in reducing energy consumption, as a result. Other sustainable measures include green roof technology, as well as irrigation water being provided from rainwater harvesting from the main roof area, effectively reducing potable demand by up to 50 per cent.

The robust water strategy should focus on operational measures, as well as engineering solutions. It needs to avoid reactive measures, identifying both shor t and long term solutions that can be staged. It must also be integrated with other strategies, for example energy management, for a building is a complex web of interconnected systems that cannot operate in isolation of one another.

A strategy can be aligned with a range of industry benchmarking tools such as LEED, Green Star and NABERS. These tools can help a building’s performance to be publicly recognised and as such, increase its overall asset value. A forward thinking water strategy is an impor tant aspect to a building to not only mitigate the risk of business continuity, but also take advantage of oppor tunities, be they environmental, cost or reputation related oppor tunities.

Paul Angus is a leader in hydraulic engineering field, he is the Associate Director of the Hydraulic and Fire team at Erbas & Associates with extensive experience of plumbing systems in the UK, Europe and the Middle East. Paul has strong commercial and technical capability in developing and delivering hydraulic design strategies and solutions. He specialises in providing a sustainable approach to system design, including water conservation, recycling and generating innovative engineering solutions. As well as the aforementioned UTS Central project, Erbas were recently involved in a number of high profile university and college refurbishment, with a key emphasis on reducing water consumption in Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales.

For more information contact: www.erbas.com.au This article first appeared in FM Magazine.

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CELEBRATING OVER

2015

Air Conditioning Range

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46

IN AUS TRAL

IA

BIM TRENDS – A NEW WAY FOR EXISTING BUILDINGS SCAN TO BIM PROJECT FOR CURTIN UNIVERSITY

DON HITCHCOCK I DIRECTOR, AST

In today’s world of Web, Mobile and cloud based technology, building information models are now required for design, construct and operations. Buildings are now being manufactured not built and the sophistication carries through to the operations phase where more information, and better technology tools are required. The question becomes ‘What if we don’t have BIM’.

J

ust like in the Design’ and Construct phase, BIM will provide more accurate information, functionally rich, and easier and cost effective ways to manage facilities.

When Bi-directionally linked with the Facilities management system, BIM provides a more powerful tool for building lifecycle management.

Building engineers and facilities managers often ask, how do I get my BIM? and how can I use the building model for my daily work of managing building assets and space.

In many cases they already have the building model provided from consultants, but are still using the 2D drawings and can’t easily access the information in the BIM. Most existing buildings have been documented in the old-school 2D format,

whereas most new buildings are already available as building models (BIM). How many times have you heard ‘Where is the latest drawing or do we have a drawing for that area’. ASt set about to find a better solution to produce accurate, cost effective building models (BIM) of existing buildings, for owners to better manage their entire buildings portfolios?

ASt worked with Curtin’s Properties Facilities and Development department (PF&D) to convert 83 existing buildings to high quality building models in a short time frame. The project included 28 walkways, connecting bridges and an accurate surveyed site model.

Curtin University PF&D’s business plan is to replace their existing 2D drawings – which have grown over time to be inaccurate (up to 1.5-2M in error) and lacking: elevations, sections, details and information such as building materials and fixed assets – with accurate and complete 3D models to become the source of truth of building information for ongoing lifecycle management.

”The most accurate, and cost effective way, to bring our existing facilities into the realm of 3D models, was modelling from 3D laser scanned point clouds...”, said Alan West of Curtin Properties Facilities and Development (PF&D). Point cloud files would provide the accuracy to develop new accurate building models and drawings.

Curtin’s 4 stage plan for their Bentley campus started with the building externals.

The completed ‘Revit’ models of the external building envelopes were accurate to 5mm, had correct materials, and provided outputs immediately useful to the organisation and the many users on the site. Apart from the ‘Revit’ models,

47

Building Information Models were constructed by a skilled team lead by the Master modeller and Project Manager The ‘Master modeller’ constructed the basic accurate geometry of the building with ‘Revit’ ensuring floor levels, external walls, building elements and faces were accurately selected from the point clouds. The Building Models were placed in the correct and position and angle on the site, and checked for accurate alignment, then handed over to the BIM production team for completion of the Models. Final QA checking by the Master Building Modeller ensured correctness and accuracy to 5mm.

ASt used standard Autodesk Revit tools and no third party software was required to build the models. The process also discovered many inaccuracies of the existing buildings and 2D Drawings, validating Curtin PF&D’s business plan.

ASt also delivered Navisworks models, AutoCAD based building elevations, sections, and a composite site model, with the buildings accurately positioned and geo-referenced to Perth Coastal Grid. 3D laser scanning was also checked against the site survey; a valuable resource to the master planning and development team.

Curtins business case included a 4 stage process to a complete BIM inventory. Each stage of the project towards BIM development would provide increased benefits and use over the old existing 2D drawings to satisfy the business case. Beyond stage 1 of building externals include the building internal structure, fit-out, services and the integration of the models with other technologies, such as the facilities management and site infrastructure systems.

Curtin’s facilities team also used this project to align with the current industry practice, methods and technologies around using BIM. Design and Construct industries are using BIM, and Facilities Management systems now use BIM. There are Multiple Uses of BIM at each stage, and there are Multiple Users of BIM. Early results delivered the availability of BIM data across the university organisation including to Planners, AEC designers and Constructors, Facilities and Operations Managers and for the R&D Center (The Hive).

ASt provided the scanning and modelling resources and expertise to deliver 85 accurate building models for Stage 1 in the short time frame of 90 days.

The project required rigorous project management and coordination through an established workflow for the scanning and the building modelling of 85 buildings. Work was done in batches which overlapped in the project plan and coordinated with the scanning team and the modellers. Compliance with Universities site, security and safety rules, daily events, construction sites, roof top access, and child care centre and required any OHS reporting.

There was no allowance for bad weather in the project timeframe, and each batch of buildings allowed for the program to be continuously fine-tuned with process improvement. (Timing was critical) 3D colour Scans were carried out daily to the program and Point cloud files were stitched together, and cropped and processed for each building ready in advance of the modelling process in Revit.

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New web based A360 viewing technology from Autodesk now allows users to view and use building modelling information within the FM Systems without the need for the high level of skill required to create and modify the building model in Revit. ”The project delivered by ASt, has now greatly assisted Curtin PF&D in providing accurate 3D model data to our varied AEC industry consultants and partners, opening the ability to track our asset data ‘within the model’. Additionally, it provides marked improvements in our existing building data, far surpassing our 2D drawing accuracy.” said Alan West of Curtin University.

The future of ‘Construction’ is manufacturing buildings and will require BIM! Your next building won’t be built – it will be manufactured (Phil Bernstein – Autodesk). The future of ‘Managing Buildings’ will use BIM, Mobility and Cloud Services.

The continued trends of building design, construct, mobility, and cloud based FM systems, will demand using BIM, as the use of 2D CAD falls further away, and will be essential in the new world to deal with complex facilities.

Building engineers and Facilities managers from all different industries including corporate real-estate, Education, Health and the hotels industry will take advantage of BIM with the correct method, cost and technology, and will require BIM’s of existing buildings.

Understanding the impact of BIM4FM will be essential for Building Engineers, Facilities and Real estate Management professionals for the ongoing management of their buildings.

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AIHE 49

LEGIONELLA

& WATER QUALITY JOSIAH PADGET I MOHS&ENVMGT, BAPPSC, MEIANZ DR VYT GARNYS I PHD, ARACI, AUSIMM, FMA, M.ACA, ISIAQ, M.AIRAH

WHAT IS LEGIONELLA?

L

egionella bacteria including Legionella pneumophila (the cause of Legionnaires’ disease) are naturally present in the environment and can be found in both water and soil. Cooling towers and hotel warm water systems (water is between 20°C and 50°C) provide ideal conditions for Legionella bacteria to multiply to significant numbers.

When cooling towers and water systems generate aerosols (i.e. showers and spa pools), people can be exposed to the Legionella bacteria containing aerosols via inhalation. This exposure may lead to an infection known as Pontiac Fever or a more severe disease called Legionnaires’ disease. Elderly individuals and people who are in poor health are more susceptible to contracting legionellosis than the average person.

The first ever properly recorded outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease occurred at Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia in 1976 where 221 people became sick in which 34 died. Since then there has been a number of outbreaks in Australia linked to hotels and holiday apartments.

Controlling and managing the Legionella risk in your hotel’s water systems is an essential duty of care requirement.

Fur thermore, the negative publicity arising from a Legionella-infected hotel guest exposed during a visit could be catastrophic for your hotel’s reputation.

REGULATIONS Health regulations in Australia regarding Legionella control in water piping differ from state-to-state. In all states however,

50

hotel owners and operators must provide a safe environment for guests, visitors and staff.

The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) is currently undertaking preliminary research in a number of plumbing areas. One such research focus is on warm water systems. A review of draft material for the design, installation and maintenance of warm water systems has been issued for stakeholder comment on their website. In the research draft they discuss branch lengths from the warm water system and thermostatic mixing valves, which is useful for designers and plumbers to consider. They also discuss “monthly” pasteurisation where warm water systems are heated to above 70°C for a minimum of one hour.

In theory this is fine, however, the code does not address issues of some larger systems that are not capable of flushing each outlet for a minimum of five minutes, whilst maintaining the pasteurisation temperature. It is important to note that pasteurisation is only a very shor t term measure if the system is infected. We strongly encourage industry stakeholders to read this ABCB released draft and provide their personal experience feedback and recommended strategies to the board.

THE RISK OF POOR PLUMBING DESIGN When a hotel’s plumbing system has a poor design – which is often the case following a major renovation or hotel conversion, there can be devastating water quality legacy issues.

Firstly, following a plumbing system change or period of inadequate water flow, flushing and disinfection of plumbing infrastructure needs to be conducted.

If this is not correctly conducted, there can be long lasting effects on the water quality within the hotel. It is vital that professionals constructing or redesigning potable water systems are clear on what process need to be conducted and the reasoning behind it, since Australian standards are lacking on this subject.

The use of materials that degrade when exposed to disinfection chemicals must be avoided. Also the design of plumbing fittings must not allow for substantial microbial growth. Water saving devices need to be checked for their potential to allow for microbial colonisation and including low flow stagnation.

Warm water systems that cannot be effectively pasteurised on a regular basis are common in many older hotels across Australia. As Legionella proliferates in warm water in the temperature range of 20°C to 50°C, these systems can quickly become colonised by Legionella.

Once widespread contamination occurs more extensive remediation strategies must be introduced to keep the hotel fit for functional occupation. Hotels using warm water systems need to conduct a comprehensive system review and implement correct control measures.

Eliminating the hazard that warm water system pose by simply upgrading to a hot water circulation design will not, in most cases, be possible due to budgetary restraints. Experienced professionals should be engaged to assess what

very conception of a hotel design or upgrade to its development, construction and operation. Water microbial risk management needs to be integrated into management procedures and operation.

Some hotel operators are striving to achieve best practice principles for their potable water management, while most are still unclear on how to achieve optimal risk minimisation. Guidelines and standards need to be either introduced or updated to assist with this process and correctly manage Legionella risk.

Debris found in tap strainer is an ideal breeding ground for bacteria and Legionella

options are suitable and practical for each individual site.

Designers and engineers should be aware of water microbial risks from the

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Josiah Padget, Consultant and Dr Vyt Garnys, Managing Director at CETEC Pty Ltd. The CETEC team have been assessing water quality risk and managing outbreaks in water delivery systems since 1987. This includes the investigation of causes, audits, disinfections, water quality monitoring, identification of dead-legs and risk management, plus outrage management and communication to stakeholders. The team can be contacted on 07 3808 8948 | 02 9966 9211 | 03 9544 9111 or at www.cetec.com.au

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REFRIGERATION,

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GHG EMISSIONS REDUCTION

TIM EDWARDS

Despite the fact that air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) is an important contributor to economic performance and the quality of life, its contribution to energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) is broadly misunderstood and understated.

T

he industry makes a central contribution to fundamental industries including the built environment, food and pharmaceutical production and distribution, healthcare and hospitality and virtually all other human activities; effectively everyone, everywhere.

The importance of the HVAC&R industry in Australia is demonstrated by the following statistics1:

• 45 million individual installations • Two per cent of GDP, $26 billion spent annually, $6 billion in capital investment per annum, and perhaps $100 billion installed HVAC&R infrastructure at current dollar value

• 22 per cent of electricity consumption • 12 to 14 per cent of national CO2e emissions (GHG emissions)2 • 20,000 firms, 170,000 direct employees, of whom about 70,000 are licensed to handle fluorocarbon refrigerants The industry offers major sources of energy efficiency and the resulting cost savings. The ARA believes Australia has the opportunity to reduce the energy cost of HVAC&R infrastructure by 60 to 70 per cent over the next 15 years, a saving of $8/10 Billion PA.

THE ROLE OF INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS ON REFRIGERANTS A central determinant of HVAC&R technology is refrigerant selection and the impact of international agreements to phase down the use of ozone depleting (OD) and high-GWP synthetic refrigerants. The Montreal Protocol calls for the elimination of OD refrigerants that are also high-GWP refrigerants (CFC, HCFC) by 2020 in the industrialised world, in Australia by 2015.

The EU has passed legislation that calls for the phase down of high-GWP synthetic refrigerants (HFC) by 2030 to 21 per

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cent of current use. This same policy has been adopted by the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) led by UNEP, US and China. Australia supports this policy.

The Montreal Protocol is seen as the best vehicle for the phase down of HFCs, having proven highly successful in the reduction of CFCs and HCFCs. The implication is that the use of high-GWP synthetic refrigerants will be dramatically reduced over the next 15 years. This will require replacement of a large proportion of HVAC&R infrastructure because lowGWP refrigerant-based technology requires new HVAC&R equipment. As a result, original equipment manufactures (OEMs) worldwide are transitioning to low-GWP refrigerant equipment development and production, and they are doing so now.

Low-GWP refrigerants include the natural refrigerants (ammonia, carbon dioxide and hydrocarbon refrigerants) and lowGWP synthetic refrigerants (HFOs). Both natural refrigerants and low-GWP synthetic refrigerants are more energy efficient than high-GWP synthetic refrigerants.

Natural refrigerant-based technologies have been embraced in every sector of the HVAC&R industry to the extent that major multinational suppliers, end user organisations and governments now promote their use. For instance, the Consumer Goods Forum representing over 400 of the world’s leading multinational food retailers and food suppliers are now calling for all HVAC&R applications to use natural refrigerants.

HVAC&R ENERGY EFFICIENCY The transition to high HVAC&R energy efficiency offers major cost savings subject to HVAC&R engineers and contractors appreciating the full range of considerations and innovation. Whilst it is inappropriate to generalise about the degree of energy efficiency made possible by low-GWP refrigerant technology because there are many factors to consider, it is a fact that the thermal absorption of the natural refrigerants is far greater than that of high-GWP synthetic refrigerants. For instance, the thermal absorption of a typical hydrocarbon refrigerant is 496 kj/kg compared to 256 kj/kg for R410A –

an improvement of 48 per cent. The same pattern applies across the range of natural refrigerants as compared to high-GWP synthetic refrigerants.

Whilst the capital cost of low-GWP refrigerant technology will tend to be higher in the short term it is the energy efficiency of this technology that will deliver major cost savings over the life of the equipment.

Whilst the transition to low-GWP refrigerant technology is commercially warranted it requires HVAC&R specifiers to be aware of the sources and management disciplines required.

The use of life cycle costing and increased life cycle management of HVAC&R equipment is fundamental to enabling HVAC&R energy efficiency to be fully realised. Only through the use of life cycle costing will the cost savings of energy efficient low-GWP refrigerant technology be fully appreciated. Only through the use of life cycle management systems will the energy efficiency of low-GWP refrigerant technology deliver the optimal degree of energy efficiency of HVAC&R equipment.

The sources of HVAC&R energy efficiency include both the mechanical devices that use low-GWP refrigerants and the use of integrated heat load management systems spanning the full range of methods for reducing the energy demand for heating and cooling. These include the many ways to reduce the temperature change required of HVAC&R equipment like control systems, greater use of insulation systems like double glazed windows, reflective paints and low heat lighting. It is fundamental that HVAC&R specifiers recognise and deliver integrated energy efficiency solutions that optimise HVAC&R energy efficiency.

reflecting the many operating systems and their continuous use. It is direct emissions that are little understood and pervasively misrepresented. The Australian National Accounts report refrigerant emissions to be about one per cent of national emissions. This understates the volume of direct emissions for a series of reasons that defy logic and give rise to a great deal of misunderstanding; principally the failure to include high-GWP ozone depleting refrigerant emissions in Kyoto accounting.

The real impact of the HVAC&R industry in Australia is in the order of 14 per cent of national emissions. This is comprised of 10 per cent of national emissions due to energy consumption and four per cent due to unintentional and intentional high-GWP synthetic refrigerant emissions.

This understatement matters a great deal.

It has the effect of failing to recognise HVAC&R as a primary potential source of emissions reduction. It has the effect of failing to recognise that there are solutions available in natural refrigerants for which direct emissions would be minimal because their GWP is negligible compared to high-GWP synthetic refrigerants. Because the natural refrigerants are highly energy efficient their use will contribute to reduced indirect emissions. The use of natural refrigerants will eliminate direct GHG emissions and reduce indirect emissions by up to 50 per cent, a potential total reduction in national emissions of seven per cent.

The use of integrated energy efficiency solutions in association with high efficiency HVAC&R equipment has the potential to further reduce total energy consumption and indirect emissions.

HVAC&R GHG EMISSIONS

REFERENCES

The contribution of HVAC&R to greenhouse gas emissions also tends to be misunderstood and understated. HVAC&R is seldom recognised individually as a source of GHG emissions despite the fact that it is in fact a major source: 12 to 14 per cent of national emissions.

1. C old Hard Facts 2, Dept of the Environment, 2013 (A taxonomy of the HVAC&R industry)

The energy consumption of the HVAC&R industry (indirect emissions) is extremely high (22.3 per cent of electricity use, about 10 per cent of national emissions)

2. This is the ARA’s estimate. Cold Hard Facts 2 says this is 11.7%. Contact ARA for explanation.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tim Edwards was born in Canada but is a member of Team Australia since 1989.Tim has worked in number of industries including: consumer packaged goods with General Foods and Pepsico, transport with DHL, Qantas and now HVACR with the Australian Refrigeration Association.

55

THE PHASE DOWN OF HFCS HAS BEGUN

TIM EDWARDS

It is official. The Federal Government has formally announced that it intends to phase down the use of hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants. The reason is that these substances contribute significantly to global warming due to their very high global warming potential (GWP).

56

T

he alternatives to HFC’s are natural refrigerants and low global warming synthetic refrigerants also known as 4th generation or hydrofluoroolefin (HFO) refrigerants.

The HFC phase-down will have a profound effect on all users of refrigeration and air conditioning systems. As the HFC phasedown progresses, there are likely to be refrigerant price rises as availability of HFC’s becomes scarce.

Refrigeration plant users who are expanding existing facilities and/or are building new facilities must focus on future proofing. Failure to future proof will result in unnecessary system conversion/replacement costs.

Future proofing requires selection of a refrigerant that will not be subject to a future phase-down. The best candidates are natural refrigerants (ammonia, carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons, air and water). These also offer superior energy efficiencies when combined with a state of the art refrigeration system design.

The 2036 time frame may seem long.

However, the phase-down pace is unlikely to be linear. The free trade agreement negotiations due to commence with the EU in 2016 are likely to force a closer alignment between EU and Australian HFC phase-down scenarios. The EU F-gas regulation legislated late 2014 provides for approximately 35% HFC phase-down (CO2e based) in 2017 alone.

There are several practical examples in Australia of modern low charge ammonia refrigeration systems delivering energy performances two to three times better than industry standard air cooled HFC based systems.

Future proofing your refrigeration system therefore also offers benefits in the form of significant reductions in energy consumption costs.

The announced HFC phase-down brings Australia into line with international developments. It is widely anticipated that a global HFC phase-down will be agreed at the Conference of the Parties (COP 21) in Paris during December 2015 and initiated in 2016.

The HFC phase-down announcement may be found in a document titled “Options Paper – Review of the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Programme”.This was published by the Department of Environment in October 2015.

The pre-amble by the Hon. Greg Hunt states that “Australia will fast track work to reduce domestic HFC emissions by 85% by 2036”.

An Australian 85% phase-down target by 2036 is therefore likely to be viewed by the EU as lacking ambition. Australia will (again) be under pressure to match its international counterparts.

There is no doubt that the HFC phasedown will be a reality in Australia. It will commence in 2016. The only unknowns are methodologies to be employed and how the phase-down will be structured as a function of time.

To see the ARA’s recommendations at http://new-ausref. org.au.s166536.gridserver.com/submission-2-on-theoptions-for-amendment-of-the-opsgg-ma/

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SAFETY OF CONTRACTORS AND VISITORS

SOUDI NOORI I DIRECTOR OF SAFETY AND RISK ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS1 CHARTERED PROFESSIONAL MEMBER OF SAFETY INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA

As a facility/hotel manager, you are responsible for the safety of everyone at your facility/hotel, such as contractors and the self-employed, guest, visitors…etc. Everyone has a duty to work safely and report hazards, but you still need to manage and coordinate the overall health and safety programme.

Remember that contracting out work is not the easy option when it comes to health and safety.

It doesn’t remove your overall health and safety responsibilities.

V

isitors to your work site need to be kept safe too. You need to consider how hazards could affect customers, guests, an employee’s friend or family member, or passers-by, and take steps to eliminate, isolate or minimise those hazards.

What you must do • You must take all practicable steps to ensure that no contractor, subcontractor or employee of a contractor is harmed while doing any work for you.

• Check that contractors or self-employed workers have systems in place to manage their own health and safety at work. For example, using PPE appropriately or using scaffolding instead of ladders when the work requires this.

• Ensure only authorised people can access the workplace, that they are made aware of hazards, or provided with appropriate supervision.

• Make sure all parties take responsibility for reporting any hazards they become aware of and know how to do this in your business.

What you could do • Check in/out all contractor and visitors entering the facility or hotel • Clearly outline in writing what you expect on your work sites by including your

58

health and safety expectations in any agreements with contractors.

• Develop a Health and safety checklist for contractors. Get all new contractors coming in to your work sites to read, sign and date it before starting any work for you.

• Get a written overview from contractors and others of their health and safety systems. The responsibility is on all parties involved to take care.

• Review any health and safety issues after a contractor’s work is completed. What improvements can you make?

• Make it clear to your staff that they share responsibility for the safety of friends or family visiting them.

• Signs can be useful to help visitors understand the risks they may face but don’t rely on them too much. It’s more important for you to manage the hazards and work activities to prevent harm to visitors.

VISITOR AND CONTRACTOR MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS (CHECK-IN & CHECK-OUT) Visitor and Contractor Management Software (VCMS) has been created by Safety and Risk Engineering Solutions (SRES) and K.S.F Melbourne is an easy

to use tool for facility managers to control check-in and check-out of visitor and contractors.

Regardless of the size of the facility, VCMS will provide you a better security and control over all aspects of whose coming and going in the hotel or facility.

VCMS will assist you to easily stay in control of all elements of Visitor Registrations, Badge Printing, Contractor Induction, WHS Evacuation and Emergency Reporting.

You can not only track of daily visitors, contractors, staff and couriers but also check their passed WHS induction or site roles and in case of emergency such as fire, terrorist attack... etc print out a list of people in the facility. See Figure 1.

Figure1– Visitor Contractor Management system

CONTRACTOR WHS MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS The WHS/OHS management system of the Contractor must as a minimum requirement demonstrate compliance with all duties of an employer specified in the Health and Safety Act and regulations.

• Working days lost due to injury • Current status of any injured personnel, damaged property or environmental damage or pollution • Status of the implementation and outcomes of corrective actions undertaken as a result of safety inspections and risk assessments

The WHS management system documentation which must include as a minimum requirement:

• Status of WHS management system audits undertaken

(a) policy and objectives

RISK ASSESSMENT

(b) Organisation structure & responsibilities

The Contractor shall prepare and submit a Risk Assessment prior to commencing the works under the contract. The completed Risk Assessment shall be submitted to The Engineering/Maintenance Office for review and approval prior to commencement of works under the contract. The primary objectives of the Risk Assessment are to:

(c) Safe work practices and procedures (d) training and induction (e) auditing & inspection procedures (f) consultation procedures (g) performance monitoring The Contractor must provide evidence of certification of their WHS management system. The minimum level of certification is SafetyMAP Initial Level Achievement or equivalent established by independent audit by the Victorian WorkCover Authority or other recognised certifying body.

Certification must be achieved within 12 months of the commencement of the contract

HEALTH AND SAFETY PLAN Prior to commencing the works under the contract the contractor shall submit to the Engineering/Maintenance Office a Health and Safety Plan specific to the contract and works.

The Health and Safety Plan shall consider and respond to the specific WHS hazards and issues relevant to the contract works and shall document the systems and methods to be implemented for the term of the contract.

WHS PERFORMANCE REPORTING The Contractor must when requested by the Engineering/Maintenance Office provide evidence of ongoing performance of the contractor’s WHS management system.

Without limiting the requirements of this obligation, the Contractor shall provide the following information on a quarterly basis in the form of a Contractor WHS Performance Report: • Number of lost time injuries

• identify hazards associated with contract tasks and activities • determine the level of risk • establish appropriate risk control measures Each major or significant task or activity associated with the contract shall be assessed in terms of the associated hazards.

When all hazards have been identified the most likely outcome as a result of an incident shall be determined.

control each Class 1 and Class 2 risk identified in the risk assessment.

The Risk Assessment requires the Contractor to complete the following: (i) Specific Task/Activity The Contractor should document each major task associated with the contract.

This should consider the sequential aspects of the work to be performed from contract commencement to finalisation of the contract. (ii) Potential Hazards The Contractor should identify the particular hazards associated with each activity or task to be carried out. (iii) Class of Risk Each hazard should be evaluated as a level of risk, described as Risk Class 1, 2 or 3 defined above. Classification in this way provides an indication of priority in terms of determining risk control measures. (iv) Control Measure The Contractor should identify and document what actions are necessary to eliminate or minimise the hazards that could lead to accident, injury or occupational illness.

Table 1– The hierarchy of controls

Risks shall be classified according to the following schedule: Class 1: potential to cause death or permanent injury to one or more people.

Class 2: potential to cause one or more lost time injuries.

Class 3: potential to cause an injury treatable with first aid.

A primary goal shall be to eliminate Class 1 and 2 risks associated with the contract and should be a major focus of the Risk Assessment. Contractors should detail risk control measures which adequately address all identified Class 1 and 2 risks.

When determining risk control strategies, the hierarchy of controls summarised below should be considered: Where safe work procedures or instructions are developed they must clearly spell out the work sequence, highlighting the procedures required to adequately

Safety and Risk Engineering Solutions (SRES) can assist you with development of visitor/contractor management plan.

– Please contact us if you are interested to know more about the Visitor and Contractor Management System (VCMS) device or software to control check in/out of visitor and contractors in your facilities.

REFERENCES 1. www.sres-australia.com.au,Tel: 1300 721 348

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HOW TO MANAGE CHANGE

KRISTIANA GREENWOOD DIRECTOR, FM INNOVATIONS CHAIRMAN, FACILITIES MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION (FMA)

Many hotels go through periods of change which are driven by either internal or external influences or both. Change is signalled by the appearance of words like innovation, redundancy, growth, outsourcing, diversification, relocation and competition. The key for organisations is to make changes before they are forced upon them. Planning and preparedness can minimise the impact that change can have on profitability, stability and employee satisfaction. Employees

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in particular are not fond of change because it interrupts routines and exposes them to the unknown. Developing a business case to identify and describe your organisational changes will help you explain changes to your staff and keep your planning on track. A clear and well-reasoned business case for change can help you steer your way through your change process and will save time and effor t once the process is underway. Keep these important planning steps in mind when preparing your business case.

THINK ABOUT YOUR REASONS FOR CHANGE Write down why you believe your business needs change and what you need to change. List the problems, risks, weaknesses or inefficiencies that you have identified as being threats to business growth.

TEST YOUR ARGUMENT FOR CHANGE Measure your reasons for change against your business and market knowledge to ensure the argument for change is strong.

Consider the list of problems you have identified and review your market research, business strategy and business records to revisit and refine your argument for change. Consider whether your information source is reliable.

LIST THE STEPS YOU NEED TO TAKE Describe the actions required to make changes that will last – and that will address the problems you have identified.

Consider whether there are any other options that can help you overcome the problems and achieve the gains you need.

STATE YOUR CASE Under take a cost-benefit analysis and write out your argument for change. This will help you show your staff that you have considered all other options, and secure their trust and confidence in your change decision.

SET YOUR TARGETS Your targets should define what you want to achieve and when you want to achieve it. Establish a series of targets that help you realise each of your goals.

ESTABLISH CHANGE MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES Your objectives should focus on the kind of change environment you want to create for your staff. Your objectives might define the level of commitment, involvement and motivation you want to secure from your staff.

IDENTIFY CRITICAL STAGES OR MILESTONES Define the stages of your change process. These stage descriptions will help you identify the steps you need to take to reach each of your goals and targets. From here, you can develop an action plan that helps you bring your change process to life.

TYPES OF CHANGE There are many issues to consider in managing business change – whether the changes you’re planning are minor or major. The first step in managing your people through change is identifying the type of changes you are making to your business. This step will help you decide how to plan your change process and support your people effectively. There are 3 major types of change.

DEVELOPMENTAL CHANGE Developmental changes are those you make to improve current business procedures. As long as you keep your staff well informed of changes, and give them the training they need to implement process improvements, they should experience little stress from development change.

Examples of developmental change include: • improving existing billing and reporting methods • updating payroll procedures • re-focusing marketing strategies and advertising processes.

Developmental change may be your first step to making further changes to your business that will help you meet the demands of your market. Managing these small steps well demonstrates to your team that you are taking a sensible, measured approach to change.

When making developmental changes, it’s important for you to: • explain to staff your rationale for the changes

SET AND CLARIFY PROJECT GOALS

• skill your staff to use new processes and technology

Consider the outcomes you want to achieve through your change process and define a clear set of goals. These goals should describe how you want your business to look, operate, behave and position itself in the market. For example, your goals might identify the market share you want to achieve, the kind of operating environment you want to create, or the reputation and relationship you want with your customers.

• show your staff your commitment to minimising the impacts of change on your business.

TRANSITIONAL CHANGE Transitional changes are those you make to replace existing processes with new processes. Transitional change is more challenging to implement and can increase your employees’ discomfort.

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• making significant operating changes to meet new supply and demand

Examples of transitional change include: • experiencing corporate restructures, mergers or acquisitions

• reforming product and service offerings to meet unexpected competition and dramatic reductions in revenue.

• creating new products or services • implementing new technology.

The ‘transitional’ phase of dismantling old systems and processes and implementing new ones can be unsettling for staff. When making transitional changes, you need to: clearly communicate the impacts and benefits you foresee as a result of your change • reinforce to staff that their jobs are secure • capture the views and contributions of your staff in making your changes • regularly update your staff on the steps you are taking to support them through the change and train them in new systems.

TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE Transformational changes are those you make to completely reshape your business strategy and processes, often resulting in a shift in work culture. These changes may be a response to extreme or unexpected market changes. Transformational change can produce fear, doubt and insecurity in staff, and needs to be very well managed.

Examples of transformational change include: • implementing major strategic and cultural changes • adopting radically different technologies

Transformational changes will usually involve both transitional and developmental change – where businesses recognise that they need to overhaul the way they do business. When making transitional changes, it’s crucial that you: • develop and communicate a well-defined strategy that explains the approaches you are taking to change and the goals you are setting • continually reinforce your rationale for the changes • plan and methodically implement new business systems and approaches • involve your staff in all phases of change discussions and planning and communicate regularly throughout the process.

MANAGING THE IMPACT Change can be confronting, intimidating, exciting or rewarding for staff. The way you manage the process will heavily determine the impact of change on your staff. You can help create a positive environment for change by ensuring your team understands the reasons for change. Communicating the reasons and benefits, describing the process and providing regular updates on the change process will help you cultivate a team that thrives on change.

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Kitchen Exhaust Systems When is Cleaning Required?

Background The Australian Standard for Maintenance of Fire Protection Systems and Equipment (AS 1851:2012) requires certain components of Kitchen Exhaust systems (hoods and filters) to be periodically inspected and cleaned (refer table 18.4.1.11 in AS 1851:2012).

The Standard also requires that the associated ducts, plenums and fans to be inspected annually by competent persons for excessive grease accumulation and is to be cleaned as required. As the standard does not define what constitutes “excessive”, the application of this standard relies on the competency of the inspector to make a professional evaluation. In order to overcome the lack guidance around “excessive” it is necessary to reference international best practice standards such as the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 96:2014.

Depth Gauge Comb Overview

Reading Depth Gauge

As identified by the NFPA 96:2014 the most comprehensive way to identify if there is a build-up of grease is to measure the grease throughout an extraction system to determine if cleaning is required.

As per the internal best practice this is done by way of a depth gauge comb. A depth gauge comb is used to measure the grease deposit from within the exhaust system as shown below.

The depth gauge has three depth measurements which are highlighted on the gauge in three colours, which identify different depth measurements as per the NFPA 96:2014. After the depth comb is scaped across the surface the comb is reviewed to confirm the level of grease build-up on the surface.

maximum duct deposition - clean measurement acceptable cleaned surface

DEPTH GAUGE COMB

GREEN Verify cleanliness .05mm

ORANGE Cleaning required 2mm

RED Critical depth 3.174mm

location or point measurement: maximum deposit - cleaning required

The green section is to be used to verify that the system has been cleaned to an acceptable level. After cleaning the surface should not contain any grease that would mark the green section of the depth gauge when scraped across the surface.

If grease marks the orange section of the depth gauge then this confirms that cleaning is required. Schedule cleaning to be done as soon as practicable.

Overview for Use of a Depth Gauge Comb: 1. Access exhaust system in areas that require inspection; canopy gutters (external edges of canopy), internals of hood (area before filters), exhaust plenum (area located behind filters), ductwork (horizontal and vertical) and exhaust fan.

2. Select areas that appear to have a visual build-up.

Place depth gauge on surface of the canopy/duct ensuring that gauge is held in an upright position.

3. Scrape the depth gauge over the surface in one motion 20cm to 30cm (preferred measurement but not always practicable) 4. Review reading on depth gauge.

5. Clean depth gauge and repeat process to other areas throughout the extraction system.

Please contact TVH to purchase your set of grease gauge combs or to organise a dedicate information session about how to maintain your kitchen exhaust systems to comply with the applicable Australian Standards.

If grease marks the red section of the depth gauge then this confirms that urgent cleaning is required. Cleaning of the area to be undertaken as soon as possible.

1300 557 999 www.tvhs.com.au

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SELECTING COATINGS

FOR STONE AND TILE SURFACES GARRY PHILLIPS I MANAGING DIRECTOR OF SLIQUE, AUSTRALASIA’S STONE-AND TILE-CARE EXPERTS, AND INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT THE TILE EXPERT

In the tile industry, the terms ‘coating’ and ‘sealer’ are often used interchangeably, but they refer to quite different products. A ‘sealer’ refers to a penetrating sealer that sits below the surface of the stone or tile, giving an invisible finish; while a ‘coating’ sits on top of the surface to provide a sacrificial barrier and often to provide some level of gloss or shine.

WHEN SHOULD A COATING BE USED RATHER THAN A SEALER? 1. Where protection is critical

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he main benefit of coatings versus sealers is the higher level of protection. By adding a sacrificial layer of coating, it completely isolates and protects the underlying surface. No stains, spills or light scratches are physically able to reach the surface below the coating. For this reason, coatings are often applied to more expensive stone types that can easily be damaged in the environment they’re installed in (such as soft, acid-sensitive marble floors in a high-traffic lobby area).

2. Where gloss is important An increased level of gloss is also a great reason to apply a coating rather than a sealer. Coatings are available in anything from a satin finish to a high gloss shine. However the full spectrum of finishes will not be available for all surfaces, as the nature of the surface will dictate the aesthetic options available. For example, an existing matt surface will hold less of a shine than an existing polished finish surface.

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Virtually all coatings are currently designed to increase the level of gloss, but there is an increasing demand for matt (low-gloss) protective coatings. Very few are currently available, but the benefit of a matt coating is to keep the natural look of the stone and provide a high level of protection at the same time.

3. Where maintenance is available Coatings are more commonly used in commercial environments than domestic, and that’s quite simply due to maintenance requirements. Commercial environments have trained cleaning staff on site every day or night that are able to correctly maintain the applied coatings. Skilled maintenance by trained staff using the right machinery will remove build up and restore minor damage in order to maintain the coating (and therefore the surface) in a pristine condition at all times.

Commercial environments often have hightraffic ‘lanes’ that show wear more quickly than the rest of the surface. A maintainable coating can be maintained and reapplied in traffic areas without the need to restore the whole surface.

4. Where slip is an issue If chosen correctly, coatings can improve the slip co-efficient on slippery floors and improve safety.

CHOOSING A COATING SYSTEM There are different coating systems for natural stone, ceramic and porcelain tiles, terracotta, and engineered stone. Different types of surfaces will allow adherence of coatings in different ways, so the selection of the coating has to be matched to the type of surface. Failure to do so may result in a poor-looking finish, and lead to the coating peeling.

Each coating product should clearly define the surface it can be used on – if it doesn’t say, always test first.

There are two types of coating system: maintainable and resilient.

MAINTAINABLE COATINGS are the most common, as a maintainable sacrificial coating system can be machine buffed or polished, it can be lightly scrubbed to remove surface residues, it can be recoated as part of regular maintenance, and most surface marks such as scuffs can be

removed through the daily maintenance process.

RESILIENT COATINGS such as epoxies and urethanes are harder to maintain, but they also provide a much more resilient surface. These are used in very hard-use areas, or areas that can’t be accessed very often. Maintenance is required less frequently but it requires a much higher skill level and more specialised machinery, as the process involves cutting back the surface and reapplying the coating.

APPLYING A COATING SYSTEM Prior to applying a coating, check the quality of the tile laying. Any circumstance where the floor is uneven and the tiles are lipping can impact on the overall finish, and also the ability of the cleaners to maintain it.

Coatings may not be feasible to apply to an uneven floor, and in these cases a sealer becomes the only real option.

Assuming the floor is smooth and well-laid, the next point is checking the porosity of the surface. A porous stone (such as bluestone) may need some protective penetrating sealers applied prior to the coating system. This helps the coating sit on the top of the surface instead of soaking in.

Any sealer-coating combination should be chosen as an integral unit – the penetrating sealer should be matched with the coating system to ensure a good adhesion to the surface and that the coating doesn’t peel.

AN example of a maintainable natural finish coating on marble.

It’s a good idea to always test your selected coating system on a small area first, as the time and cost involved in stripping it back should it be wrong is prohibitive.

And finally, confirm how many coats will be required. More coats will give a higher level of gloss, but it also gives a more ‘plastic’ artificial look. The thinner the coating, the less plastic the look.

If a very high-gloss finish is required, the underlying stone should be brought to a high natural finish before coatings are applied. In this way less coats will be required, and the coating system becomes translucent, bringing through the stone’s natural shine and giving a more naturallooking finish. www.slique.com.au www.thetileexpert.com

An example of a maintainable high-gloss finish coating on terrazzo.

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Every great innovation starts with a story

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Our story began in 1974, when news that singer Connie Francis had been attacked by an intruder in her hotel room reached Norwegian lock engineer Tor Sørnes. He resolved there and then to invent a door opening system that would provide a unique key for every hotel guest.

His invention was VingCard and it changed the whole lock industry.

VingCard Elsafe has been an industry pioneer and world-leading brand for forty years. We now serve over five million hotel guests every day.

The world is changing rapidly and we are evolving with it. As our brand transitions to ASSA ABLOY we will continue to build on our legacy, serving our industry partners and making people feel safe wherever they are.

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CONDENSING BOILERS

TIPS FOR TROUBLE-FREE OPERATION AND LONG SERVICE LIFE IAN STEWART I A.G. COOMBS ADVISORY PTY LTD

Condensing water heaters or boilers are now commonly specified for their higher efficiency, both for new installations and as plant replacements. However, their design, installation and operation need to be carefully considered for trouble-free operation and to ensure the expected service life.

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ondensing boilers achieve higher efficiency by using the waste heat in flue gases to pre-heat the water entering the boiler. In doing this they also emit significantly less Carbon Monoxide and Sulphur Dioxide than comparable atmospheric boilers. Typical efficiencies of 90%+ are achieved compared with 70 – 80% for conventional heaters. Heat is recovered using extra large heat exchangers within the boiler; these maximise heat transfer from the burner and recover useful heat which would normally be lost with the flue gases. Gas usage reductions of 15 – 30% are possible compared to standard type water heaters.

The following tips have been compiled based on experience in selecting, installing and maintaining condensing water heaters.

Design and Unit Selection: Heat exchangers are a critical component of a condensing heater. Aluminium is a common

choice of material, however, care should be taken to ensure that the heating hot water treatment regimen is compatible. Stainless steel heat exchangers should be specified where possible.

Some heaters feature multiple burners and multiple heat exchangers. Whilst this provides redundancy, it should be noted that if any part of the interconnected heat exchanger assembly fails, the entire heater is inoperable. Also the additional cost involved in maintaining a multi-burner heater should be taken into consideration at selection stage.

Heating hot water system temperatures are frequently lowered in an attempt to lower energy consumption. Existing systems are often not designed to operate at lower temperatures and care must be taken with this initiative to avoid unwanted outcomes.

It is important to check that the proposed

heater is capable of operating properly at the lower condition.

Installation: Condensing heater flue gases are acidic with a typical pH range between 3.5 and 6. They are also relatively low temperature (30-50ºC) and, as such, pluming can be a problem as the gases do not have the natural buoyancy of higher temperature flue emissions. This creates a corrosion concern, and so flue construction and location are particularly important.

Flues should be constructed from stainless steel, aluminium or plastic, ideally using a kit provided by the heater manufacturer.

These should be designed and located to minimise corrosion risk from pluming e.g. extended to free air and away from potential cool condensing surfaces. Ideally flue joints should be male/female, with the male component downward to facilitate condensate drain down inside the flue to the heater catchment and then to drain

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cleaned away. If this is not regularly carried out, deposits will block the neutralising trap and cause condensate build up in the heater.

This will ultimately result in ignition failure (nuisance tripping) and corrosion of the unit. rather than leaking. Standard jointed spiral duct should not be used. Conventional gas flue terminal ends, even in stainless steel, are not suitable for condensing units, as condensation tends to occur on the outer ring which drips off causing corrosion.

Open ended (reverse cone) or manufacturer terminal units should be used; manufacturer units normally direct condensate into the flue.

A drain line is required for condensate produced during operation. A condensate neutralising trap should be installed in this line to treat the corrosive condensate

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before discharge to drain. Preferred units are plastic enclosures with a medium of marble or limestone granules. Ideally, there should be a downstream sampling point for testing the pH of the discharge and the unit needs to be accessible for servicing.

Drains should be in plastic to the point of connection of the neutralising unit. Leakage should be avoided as corrosive damage to metal roofs and concrete floors can occur quickly.

Maintenance: The ‘dry’ combustion side of the heat exchanger requires oxidised deposits to be brushed off and then

On the ‘water side’ of the heat exchanger, the water treatment regime should comply with the manufacturer’s specification and typically result in the maintenance of a neutral pH. Excessive alkalinity is a threat to aluminium heat exchangers and will result in pin-hole failures that will render the heater inoperable.

In general, the heater manufacturer’s installation, maintenance and operating instructions should be closely adhered to and all relevant regulatory requirements complied with.

A comprehensive restoration service provided in the event of a Storm, Flood or Fire.

The latest state-of-the-art equipment, inclusive of but not limited to: Dessicant Dehumidification Structural Drying (using foil board chambers for faster structural drying).

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AFD Air Filtration Devices.

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Top of the range Moisture Meters.

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FLOODED FLOORING

DEALING WITH THE AFTERMATH JENNY BOYMAL I JENA DYCO INTERNATIONAL

A flood in a commercial facility – no matter how small – is a nightmare. Not only are you faced with the immediate occupational health and safety (OH&S) concerns in terms of slippage, there are also the added concerns of commercial disruption and the external contractors and equipment required to deal with the aftermath.

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he biggest problem associated with flooded floors is the potential for the job to be done incorrectly, which can result in future problems, for instance: • wet conditions beneath the floor can lead to the structure of the floor weakening and worsening over time

Different floors react to water in different ways. Some are easily salvageable, while it is impossible to save others due to their natural characteristics when they take on moisture.There is no quick fix to restore flood-damaged floors and no two jobs can be treated the same way.

• water trapped in enclosed subfloor spaces can result in mould growth, and

STEP-BY-STEP RESTORATION

• moisture that remains in floors can spread to other areas, such as walls and carpet areas nearby, and affect a facility’s structural integrity.

When you are dealing with the restoration of flooring in a flooded facility there are a number of factors at play, including: • what the flooring is made of • what’s underneath the flooring • when did the flood occur and how long has the floor been wet, and • what category of water are you dealing with?

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Regardless of what type of floors you are dealing with, the first step is always to remove the standing water. Extraction of standing water will help arrest further absorption of moisture into the material and, thus, help to minimise the drying time.This will also reduce liability in terms of OH&S and slippage.

Importantly, removal of excess water will also reduce the chance of seepage or saturation of other building materials that were not initially affected by the flood. For example, if a flood occurs on a timber floor on a Friday night and the excess moisture is not removed until Monday morning when the flood is discovered, there is a high chance that water

will seep through the skirting boards or furniture in the area, thereby increasing the cost of damage and the amount of drying time it will take to restore the property.

The key thing to remember when dealing with flooded floors is that immediacy is critical.

The longer the floor is left untreated, the worse the long-term damage. Knowing who to contact in the instance of a flood is half the work. But, how do you know who to contact and how to react? Let’s take a look at some of the more common types of flooring in commercial facilities and explore the issues regarding the flooding of each and what type of expertise you will need on hand.

CARPET A carpet may be dry to the touch, but this does not mean that there is no moisture in it.

What many people fail to realise is that the surface of a carpet (in other words, the part that you feel when you run your hands over it) will only give you a superficial indication of the carpet’s moisture content.

Water will remain at the base of the fibre and seep through the backing to settle in the subfloor.There it will remain and, if it is not dried properly, it will continue to cause more extensive damage in terms of mould growth.

And, mould can lead to much larger problems in terms of structural damage and poor indoor air quality.

Carpeted floors that have been flooded are commonly restorable provided the services of a trained and certified water damage restoration company are employed.

In order to restore carpets to their pre-loss condition, restorers will need to undertake regular moisture readings, install air movers and dehumidifiers, and monitor the drying procedure until the carpet is completely dry.

VINYL The installation of vinyl flooring is a good preventative technique that can be adopted if a facility is at risk of regular flooding, for instance, in the northern parts of the country, or facilities close to riverbanks.

Due to its resilient nature, vinyl flooring that has been flooded is generally salvageable dependent on its previous levels of maintenance. Gas polished vinyl will continue to harden. A regular maintenance program for vinyl floors will make them less permeable and less likely to absorb water.This, in turn, will

reduce the drying process and the potential for extensive damage.

Provided that the floor is commercial grade seamless vinyl and the seal is okay, the restoration process should be as simple as bringing in air movers and monitoring the moisture content and drying process until the floors are dry.

The only instance in which flooding of a vinyl floor may prove problematic is when the vinyl covering has come loose or is compromised.

In this case, water may seep underneath the vinyl or wall frame and damage unaffected non-primary areas, such as the carpeted office next door. When water seeps underneath vinyl flooring, there is also the possibility that the glue in the seams will let go and the vinyl will become brittle and crack. When flooding occurs on compromised vinyl flooring, it is important to treat the flooding immediately, and inspect and take moisture readings of nearby unaffected areas.

In a non-flood situation, vinyl lifting at the seam may be a potential sign of water seepage from the subfloor from an unknown water source.

If you notice vinyl seams lifting, contact a vinyl expert who is also trained in water damage restoration to come and inspect the floor.

TIMBER The effects and best-restoration procedures for flooded timber floors differ depending on the timber species and the subfloor. In the instance of flooding, it is likely that the floor will become cupped (higher board edges); however, the expansion will be dependent on the species and the board width.The extent of moisture will also be dependent on the species. High density woods are less likely to absorb moisture and are, therefore, more likely to be salvageable.

Timber drying expert, Garry Carroll from All Aces Services states that a serious issue when it comes to flooded timber floors is that a builder is the first point of call. “A builder will come in and say, ‘Yes, it’s wet – we need to pull up the floor and replace it.’

However, whether a floor needs to be replaced or whether it is restorable should be determined by a specialised restorer, with the assistance of a member from the Australian Timber Flooring Association (ATFA),” he states.

In this instance, the restorer will work to the restoration specifications of the timber

flooring expert from the ATFA. After the cupping and crowning have been repaired, the ATFA representative will return for a final inspection and declare the floor dry.The restorer will then do up to three inspections over a six-week period to ensure that the floor has equalised and acclimatised . Only after this procedure has been followed should the floor be sanded and sealed.

HAVE A PLAN AND ACT QUICKLY Ultimately, the best way to minimise the damage that flooding can cause to floors is to have an action plan in place. A flood doesn’t need to bring business to a halt.Take the time to meet with expert drying specialists and discuss an emergency plan now it will save a lot of money and stress when catastrophe hits.

In addition, only engage with professionals who are qualified to undertake water damage restoration work. Even if you don’t understand the answers, asking questions such as ’how will you assess the damage?’ and ‘what qualifications do you have?’ will help to identify if you arc dealing with a professional firm that understands commercial drying properties.

The primary responsibilities of trained water damage restoration experts are to prevent further damage, determine the source of damage, speed up the time of recovery, eliminate harmful contamination and restore the surface to its pre-damage condition.

When speaking with flood restoration technicians, ask them about their responsibilities and how they will make your life, as the facilities manager, easier. Also ask them to outline how their drying processes will minimise any interruption flood damage may cause to the tenant’s business.

Restorers who are certified with the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) in water damage mitigation, carpet and hard floor care, and commercial drying strategies will be able to restore floors to pre-loss condition while also minimising on-site risk and business interruption.

Jenny Boymal is the managing director of Jena Dyco International, a training provider for the restoration industry offering specialised courses in water damage restoration, mould remediation and hardfloor care.

This article first featured in FM magazine.

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NEW features make the very good now AWESOME: Mobile WaterLink Spin®

Mobile pool service technicians can now work even better with the NEW features of Mobile WaterLink Spin®. l Apple connectivity l Cloud-based platform l Job Scheduling

Not only do you get your poolside water testing done quickly and accurately, you now get your test results into a cloud-based platform. This means that the test results not only get into a central database, but you are also now able to get your work orders from the pool shop.

And, now with Apple connectivity, you can easily work on a smartphone or tablet of your choice— Android or Apple iOS. Remember, you get to test eight different parameters of pool water quality in just 60 seconds.

All done, without the hassle of crushing tables, washing test tubes, or other boring chores. A small pool sample is all you need. The laboratory-grade photometer does the rest.

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PEPPERS RUFFLES LODGE & SPA AN AMAZING RETREAT WITH A SUPERIOR WI-FI SOLUTION

CASE STUDY

Peppers Ruffles Lodge & Spa can be found near sleepy suburb Willow Vale as you travel past the scenic ridge through the Gold Coast Hinterland. The prime location showcases amazing views of the coastal flats punctuated by the Gold Coast skyline. Reviews on Trip Advisor rightly use words like “tranquil” and “magical” in describing this retreat and very little could detract from the luxury and relaxed ambiance.

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ut General Manager Kevin Gong has a business to run and whilst 5 star rated, the remote location, the large number of individual villas and the 50 acre size of the property caused problems for staff, guests and conference delegates wishing to access a 5 star Wi-Fi connection.

BUSINESS NEEDS The office internet was supplied via ADSL, but the speed was poor (max 1Mbps download and 150Kbps upload) as the business is at the limit of the exchange resulting in slow internet speed. The property consists of two main building separated by 250 metres with no connectivity between except for telephone extensions.

Guests had limited or no access to Wi-Fi at all.

General Manager Kevin wanted to improve connectivity for staff plus connect the two buildings and provide guests with various options for Wi-Fi connectivity depending on their use of the property – whether day spa guests, or short or long stay guests of the retreat.

points we achieved complete coverage throughout the resort and surrounding pathways.

The C1n can be configured as a Wi-Fi access point for local coverage, a repeater for extending Wi-Fi coverage from an AP or Station mode, similar to a small bridge. With a range of up to 600 metres these access points are premium products. Five of these weatherproof units were situated throughout the retreat creating a seamless network.

The Netcomm HS1200 provided the web portal for Peppers Ruffles Lodge & Spa to cater for the differing guest Wi-Fi offerings from 1 hour free to all spa guests, to free service for longer term guests with the inclusion of their email address. The web portal is also able to be customised by the business to reflect their

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THE SOLUTION The Altai Super Wifi C1n was selected as it was able to provide coverage and penetration through the villas from the outside. With the furthest villas at around 150metres line of sight from the access

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   

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ADVERTORIAL

Does Your Hotel Need Better Mobile Coverage?

branding and is flexible enough to update with offers and information to guests.

Cel-Fi PRO Smart Repeater An indoor mobile coverage solution guaranteed to fix poor coverage areas like basement car parks.

100% legal and carrier approved.

The VSDL modems allow up to 100Mbps Ethernet to travel across 1 pair of plain old telephone cable up to 1.6 kilometres in distance.

These work similarly to ADSL and have a filter that separates the analogue phone and data. This allowed us to connect the buildings with Ethernet using an existing analogue phone extension off the customers PBX in place of a wireless link.

PRODUCT/S USED 5 x Altai Super Wifi C1n 1 x Netcomm HS1200 hotspot/billing system/ticket printer 2 x Ethernet over VDSL modems

BUSINESS BENEFITS The final solution resulted in a robust network across the retreat for management, staff and guests. The retreat can now offer free limited or paid premium Wi-Fi access to guests and promote its conference facilities. New POS terminals, extended CCTV and a new Wi-Fi based Push to talk 2 way radio system can be implemented allowing efficient cost effective communications between management and staff.

TESTIMONIAL/COMMENTARY General Manager Kevin said “I was impressed by the quick and professional response of Powertec and am delighted with the end result of full Wi-Fi access for our staff, valued guests and conference delegates.”

Powertec have trained installers Australia-wide and can also service New Zealand, Fiji and the South Pacific.

Contact us for details of an experienced installer in your area.

www.cel-fi.com.au 1300 769 378

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As part of the process to improve venue Wi-Fi, Ruffles also needed to upgrade their internet service.

For more information on mobile and wi-fi solutions, please contact us at: sales@powertec.com.au www.powertec.com.au

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MEMBERSHIP FORM PLEASE CHOOSE THE STATE: NSW 

QLD 

VIC 

WA 

I WISH TO APPLY FOR: Renewal of my Membership 

Membership Number (if known):

I WISH TO BECOME A NEW MEMBER VIA: (a) Fellow – a member of at least 10 years standing who has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of hotel engineering (as determined by the management committee) or this association may be advanced by the management committee to the grade of Fellow.

This membership class is a life membership of the institute. (b) Honorary Fellow – any person who has rendered conspicuous service to the hotel industry (as determined by the management committee), or any person prominently connected with but not necessarily in the hotel industry who may be approved by the management committee, shall be eligible as an Honorary Fellow.

This membership class is a life membership of the institute. (c) Member – a person shall be eligible as a Member if the applicant holds a certificate, degree or diploma or such other qualification in engineering approved by the management committee, and has at least 5 years experience in a head of engineering position and shall be directly engaged in hotel engineering. (d) Associate Member – a person shall be eligible as an Associate Member if the applicant holds a qualification in engineering approved by the management committee and is directly engaged in hotel engineering and his/her qualifications and/or experience do not in the opinion of the management committee entitle him/her to admission as a Member. (e) Student Member – a person who is attending an appropriate course of instruction at an Institution approved by the management committee shall be eligible as a Student Member (f) Affiliate Member – shall be a person of 21 or more of age who is associated with the Hotel Industry and whose, qualification or experience do not in the opinion of Council entitle them to admission as a Member or Associate member. (f) Corporate Member – entitles applicants endorsed by the Council to be eligible for Corporate Membership, which will carry those rights and entitlements of an Affiliate Members, with a maximum of (5) members of the corporation being eligible to attend monthly meetings. In addition, this membership will entitle the Corporation to receive all specialised material sourced and published by the Institute for overall benefit of the Hotel Industry.

All applicants’ membership classification shall be determined by Council in accordance with the above guidelines.

Membership  Corporate Membership  Associate Membership  Student Membership  Affiliate Membership  Honorary Fellow Membership (no fee)  Fellow Membership (no fee)  SURNAME: GIVEN NAME(S): COMPANY NAME: POSITION: POSTAL WORK ADDRESS: WORK TELEPHONE: WORK FAX: WORK EMAIL: WORK MOBILE: HOME POSTAL ADDRESS: HOME TELEPHONE: HOME FAX: HOME EMAIL: PERSONAL MOBILE: Please send all my correspondence to my:

Work Email 

Please send me an Invoice (if required) for payment by:

Email  Mail (a receipt will be sent by mail) 

Please send me newsletter by:

Email  Mail 

Please send ‘Hotel Engineer’ to my:

Work address 

Home Email 

Home address 

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QUALIFICATIONS/EMPLOYMENT HISTORY:

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FEES: Membership/Associate Membership:

New Member AUD$130

Yearly Renewal AUD$100

Student Membership:

New Member AUD$90

Yearly Renewal AUD$60

Corporate Fees: New Member AUD$550

Yearly Renewal AUD$550

PAYMENT CAN BE MADE BY: NSW Chapter: Cheque payable to:

Australian Institute of Hotel Engineering (NSW) Chapter

EFT Transfer/Direct Deposit to:

BSB: 062 014 Account Number: 0090 2426 Commonwealth Bank of Australia

(Please use surname/company name as reference)

QLD Chapter: Cheque payable to:

Australian Institute of Hotel Engineering (QLD) Chapter

EFT Transfer/Direct Deposit to:

BSB: 084 462 Account Number: 205126424 National Australia Bank

(Please use surname/company name as reference)

VIC Chapter: Cheque payable to:

Australian Institute of Hotel Engineering (VIC) Chapter

EFT Transfer/Direct Deposit to:

BSB: 013 403 Account Number: 4988 69693 ANZ Ringwood Nth

(Please use surname/company name as reference)

WA Chapter: Cheque payable to:

Australian Institute of Hotel Engineering (WA) Chapter

EFT Transfer/Direct Deposit to:

BSB: 086 006 Account Number: 518 190 216 National Australia Bank

(Please use surname/company name as reference)

MAIL COMPLETED FORMS TO: NSW Chapter: The Secretary, AIHE NSW Chapter, PO Box H263, Australia Square NSW 1215 QLD Chapter: The Secretary, AIHE QLD Chapter, PO Box 5118, Gold Coast Mail Centre 9726 VIC Chapter: The Secretary, AIHE VIC Chapter, PO Box 2136, Caulfield Junction VIC 3161 WA Chapter: The Secretary, AIHE WA Chapter, PO Box 6191, East Perth WA 6892 Your membership application will be processed, which includes the following:: o Certificate of membership

o Membership number

o Member name badge

o Official AIHE receipt

* Note: Allow up to four weeks for processing.

I have read, understood and agreed to conform to the Institute’s Code of Ethics as set out, conditional upon acceptance of my application for membership.

Note: your membership includes receiving ‘Hotel Engineer’ quarterly. As the AIHE is a non-profit organisation, GST is not applicable.

Signed: Date:

FOR INSTITUTE USE ONLY Date received: Fee received: Grading: Cheque #: Entered:

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Registration for the Ideaction.2016 conference opens on 25 January 2016. To register go to:

For a sponsorship prospectus contact Jodie Pryor - jodie@alignmentevents.com.au For more information about the Ideaction.2016 conference contact Alignment Event Solutions via email at: info@alignmentevents.com.au or phone on: 02 4267 2225 THE NATIONAL FACILITIES MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION PRESENTED BY

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BACK OF HOUSE DECEMBER 2015 Letter from the Office. Laos.

T

his is ridiculous. I was sitting on the balcony of room 135 of the only hotel within hundreds of miles, maybe thousands. At five thirty in the morning. The only sound is that of the occasional bellow from an elephant down in the valley, a farmer calling to his animals, and a boat chugging up the river. And what a river this is. Home of the world’s largest catfish, scene of bloody fighting in recent years, and passing through the centre of the Golden Triangle. I am on a hotel balcony in Thailand looking across the Mekong River into Laos, with Burma just over there at that tributary of the river. And where I look towards the nor th, is China. There is the classic silk painting effect as the orange-red sun just hints at rising above the hills, but over everything is a smoke haze. The lazy smoke from burning off young bamboo and opium shoots. For this is the time when the farmers prepare the ear th for another cycle of planting and harvesting, and yes-the principal crop is opium. Has been since the seventeenth century, and the local community is preparing for yet another thanksgiving to their gods for rains and an abundant harvest.

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NEIL WEENINK So the ‘office’ is where the lap-top is, or Power Book as Apple call this amazing portable computer. But I have to tell you: never, but never take your lap-top in the same bag as a bottle of red wine-turn your back and have the bag loaded on top of the porters’ trolley and... you guessed correctly, have it fall to the ground and end up with a drunken and very quiet computer.

With fast use of the Chief Engineer’s anti acid spray and the Manager’s wife making a dash for Singapore and the Apple Centre, the damage is relatively minor, except that I cannot but feel the acid is slowly eating its way fur ther into chip country. Do you remember the story of the pregnant ant that got itself into a human brain?

If any of you speak both Thai and English, there are several good jobs in this par t of the world. ‘Good’ may be stretching it, and the pay is not princely, but if life is about experience and sharing knowledge, go and join me as I slowly went crazy. Like the day before. It took all day to get at the facts behind the story behind the myth behind the dream that it was in fact the effluent from the treatment plant that was analysed monthly and not the hotel

17-18 AUGUST 2016 Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, Australia

drinking water, and that it is indeed tricky to dust those ‘temple like’ insulators on the 1000 KVA transformer. True. These guys get up on a stool and dust WITH the ergs on. And that using the fire main for staff housing washing just may be the reason there was no water to fight the fire the other night when a clutch of joss sticks got into the bush. [I just went to see the Engineer for why the BBC was not on the telly. But he was fast asleep, and I thought well I really am not all that interested in the darn box these days, so I left him to slumber.]

In Jakar ta there are three air-cooled chillers pulling air in through the plant room roof and venting air just 2m above. And I was called to that hotel because it has the highest electricity cost of any in Jakar ta. The laundry controls are all computer related and originate in France. And this is in a city where the average hotel Technician does not know how a wheel barrow works never mind why it works. This morning we are going to run the Diesel and then plug in the fire pump. There is a bet that either nothing will happen, or that the engine will stall when the massive pump turns over. It’s all fun The radiator is away under the hotel somewhere.

I have not been very technical in this letter because somehow it is difficult to snap the old brain into gear, when there is an elephant bellowing near by, and you are as close to the Mekong that you can almost see yourself pecking at a drunken laptop.

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NEWS Heavy-Duty, Professional Robotic Pool Cleaners for Hotel Pools Dolphin Commercial Robotic Pool Cleaners from Maytronics are a proven, professional solution for all types of commercial pools. From small hotel pools through to large and unconventionally shaped pools, let a Dolphin save you time and enjoy a sparkling clean swimming with very little effort.

• User friendly plug and play operation means all staff can easily learn to use the cleaner.

• Suitable for all pool types ranging from 10m up to 60m in length.

Let your staff can focus on other important tasks while your hotel pool water is left sparkling clear and hygienic for patrons after every cleaning cycle. Dolphin commercial pool cleaners save time, reduce chemical usage, reduce backwashing requirements and reduce energy consumption.

Maytronics Commercial Master Dealers are available to demonstrate a commercial Dolphin robotic pool cleaner at your convenience.

Advanced technologies ensure comprehensive and automated cleaning of the entire pool with highly effective brushing and filtering throughout.

Benefits include: eliable automated performance with precise •R scanning and total cleaning efficiency in minimal time.

• E ffective surface scrubbing that cleans floors, walls and the waterline.

•G yroscopic navigation system ensures maximum coverage and cleaning efficiency.

• Remote control enables automatic and manual operation with a range of cleaning programmes to suit.

Visit our website www.maytronics.com.au to arrange a demo or to find out more information.

UNIQUE FLOORING “Committed to service and quality” Flooring demands innovative designs that are welcoming and unique for the discerning traveller seeking luxury, style and comfort.

A highly competitive industry, hotels demand contemporary flooring that creates ambience yet offers cost effective solutions that address practical, environmental and safety issues, understands the importance of design, function, planning and implementation for the ultimate in hotel flooring.

Visit our website at www.uniqueflooring.com.au or please call Mark Gannon on (02) 9838 7011 to find out how we can customise your hotel.

www.uniqueflooring.com.au 80

The reasons why you Need a Verdé in your business!!

There are many reasons why Australian businesses are so eager to use Verdé Solutions hand dryers in their washrooms.

7. All of Verdé Solutions hand dryers are fully tested and certified in Australia to surpass all Electrical Safety Standards.

1. The cost saving over paper towel is enormous, they save up to 95% over the cost of using paper towel. There is a further cost saving in the reduction of mess to be cleaned up from paper towel use.

8. With up to 3 years warranty on our products, Verdé Solutions can offer you a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee.

2. The cost saving to the environment over paper towel use is immeasurable.

3. Probably the biggest advantage Verdé hand dryers have over some of their competitors is the fact that they Collect the water spray from wet hands. Our competitor’s dryers actually create water slip hazards in bathrooms, and blow water over patrons clothing.

Combine all of the above with our Friendly, Informative and Prompt service and you now know why Verdé Solutions is fast becoming Australia’s first choice in Hand dryers!

For more information visit www.verdesolutions.com.au

4. Verdé hand dryers are the quietest in their class.

5. With a drying time of approx. 10 seconds, Verdé hand dryers save you on electricity costs.

6. Verdé hand dryers can be customised to replicate your corporate colours. We can even include Your logo!

Leading Facilities Management Conference and Exhibition “Ideaction.2016” announced for Melbourne in June Melbourne will this year host the facilities management industry’s leading conference and exhibition “Ideaction.2016” at the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre in June.

Hosted by the Facility Management Association of Australia, and as part of their annual Ideaction series, the theme for the 2016 conference is “Leading the Change”. This clearly articulates the constant need for the industry to proactively approach the many challenges faced from both within and without the industry, including advances in technology, changes to legislation, and shifts in community expectations.

The three days of Ideaction.2016 will bring together learnings from the past year on a range of key areas that continue to affect and influence the industry.These include research papers, strategic and technological innovation, public policy and education related topics.These will be addressed

through a lively mix of individual presenters, panel discussions, debates, workshops and site tours.

CEO of FMA, Nicholas Burt, said “I am delighted that the conference is back in Melbourne for the first time since 2009. Melbourne is a city that in every way is leading the change with some of the most interesting and diverse facilities in the country.

The Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre has itself become a leading landmark in the amazing transformation of the Yarra over the past few years”.

Attracting delegates and sponsors nationally and abroad, this conference is a must for anyone working in the facilities management industry.

Conference Organiser Contact: Alignment Event Solutions Jodie Pryor – 0422 87 87 47 E: jodie@alignment.com.au

About FMA The Facility Management Association of Australia (FMA) is the peak national industry body for facilities management, serving and promoting the interests of those who create, operate and maintain Australia’s built environment. A primary focus of FMA is to ensure that the needs of facilities managers (FMs) are understood and considered in government and business policy formulation and decision making.Visit the FMA Website at:

www.fma.com.au

Registrations for the conference open on 25th January, 2016.To register go to: www.ideaction2016.com.au

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Productivity and perfect results Hotels, motels and resorts need to ensure that their floors are clean and pristine in order to enhance the experience of guests and visitors.

John Parker, director of sales & marketing for Alphaclean, gives some useful advice on the best machinery and methods to clean hard floors in these facilities.

First impressions count – especially in the hospitality sector. Paying guests rightly expect the hotels, motels and resorts they visit to be perfect in every way, and the cleanliness of the facilities is a crucial element. Dirty floors not only look bad, they represent a hazard to health and safety, not something that will attract repeat business, or encourage positive publicity.

Hard flooring surfaces vary greatly within and around facilities, including concrete, terrazzo, marble, slate, stone and vinyl. These all have different properties and cleaning needs, but thankfully technology has allowed floor cleaning machinery and equipment to evolve so that every possible requirement is covered.

Outdoor issues The exterior spaces surrounding venues need specific maintenance, as these are the first things that visitors will see. Pavements and parking areas that tend to be concrete need to be kept free from debris to ensure the safety of pedestrians, and to provide a welcoming environment.

Facilities managers should look for lightweight machines that are easy to manoeuvre, but also robust enough to cope with an outdoor environment. Any machine should also have the capacity to pick up a variety of debris from hard floors. This could include polystyrene, leaves, cigarette ends, crisps and other foodstuffs. Models that incorporate adjustable side brushes will also allow for up to the edge sweeping, which is useful for cleaning right up to the kerbside.

It is also wise to invest in machines that allow you to adjust the main brush pressure, enabling you to deal with different floor conditions and types of debris. Some models even incorporate ‘anti-wrap’ technology, which prevents threads, wires and any other long, thin materials from getting wound up on the brush shaft and causing damage.

Scrubber dryers – the adaptable option Multi-purpose scrubber dryers that wash, mop, scrub and dry on both hard and soft floor coverings in one single pass are perfect for hospitality settings. Managers are rightly attracted by their adaptability, because any floor surfacing material can be cleaned. Models featuring optional side brushes are also available, enabling cleaning to ‘skirting board’ level, which is especially important with safety flooring, which tends to curve up the

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wall before it finishes, and in places like wet rooms and gym areas.

Productivity is a very important issue for facility managers as cleaning needs to be as quick and efficient as possible. A machine that gets a job done in half the time taken by another model allows cleaning operatives to move on to other tasks more quickly, using their time more efficiently and delivering an enhanced service to clients. A scrubber dryer that can do its work speedily and effectively thanks to ergonomic design, innovative technology and easily accessible on-board batteries is an attractive proposition for managers working in the hospitality sector.

Factors such as the amount of liquid used and the speed of drying also make a big difference to overall productivity. By using less water and drying the area more quickly, time efficiencies – in terms of how long it takes the operative to the do the job, and how quickly staff can return to work because the floor is safe and ready to walk on – can be achieved. Models that use less water and chemicals to clean will also contribute to productivity thanks to a ‘greener’ way of working – saving money and energy. But quality of results should not be sacrificed just for speed. If a floor has to be cleaned again because standards are not up to scratch, the time ‘saved’ on the initial clean would be lost – and customer satisfaction rates could fall as a result.

When choosing a scrubber dryer there are a number of factors to consider that will have an effect on productivity including the length of battery run time, ease of use, and comfort for the operator. Other points to consider are: •C ost of consumables – this might sound obvious, but it can sometimes be forgotten.

Always check the cost of replacement pads, brushes, etc., plus how widely available they are and how quickly they will be delivered from the time of ordering.

•R eliability – always check the guarantee terms and speak to colleagues and contacts about their experiences with particular machines. A machine that’s out of action for just one day can be costly in terms of time and money, so this is very important. Also speak to the manufacturer/distributor about the repair services they offer.

• Training – Using a scrubber dryer correctly will ensure you achieve optimum cleaning results, so ask whether suppliers will carry out on-site demonstrations for your cleaning staff.

A polished performance Rotary polishers and burnishers are more versatile than many people think, as they are able to tackle a number of cleaning tasks very effectively, as well as producing a high shine on hard floors. In order to tackle different cleaning tasks, the right speed and pad or brush must be selected correctly. To maximise investment dual speed machines can offer a flexible solution.

A variable speed rotary can be used to scrub any water-resistant hard floor, such as concrete, tile, stone or slate, and it can also strip existing polish off a surface. Spray cleaning and buffing to erase scuff marks and dirt is possible, as is the task they are most commonly known for – imparting a high gloss to any smooth surface that should be glossy, be it marble, terrazzo or oak parquet which would be carried out by a machine that is capable of at least 1000 rpm.

All the different tasks that a rotary burnisher can, in theory, be used for should be carried out with the correct colour-coded pad for the job, and at the correct rotational speed. The main guide is, the lighter the colour of the pad, the softer it is. Light coloured pads are for polishing and scrubbing; medium for daily scrubbing and light stripping; and dark for heavy duty stripping. It is vitally important that you get this right, because using the wrong combination of pad and speed will not get the results your customer wants. In extreme circumstances you could actually damage the floor surface, a result that is unlikely to generate repeat business.

There’s no doubt that flooring in hotels, motels and resorts have to stand up to a lot of harsh treatment, so cleaning has to be thorough and regular in order to maintain the high standards that guests expect. However, with such a wide range of cleaning equipment available, catering for every need and specialist surface, this is perfectly achievable, ensuring that everyone who uses your facilities will want to return for another stay.

For further information, contact Alphaclean on 1300 655 598

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SUPPLY SOLUTIONS TO THE HOTEL INDUSTRY • • • • •

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Fridges Televisions Air Conditioners Washing Machine Dryers

• • • • •

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