Hotel Engineer Volume 22 No. 4 by Adbourne Publishing

PP 319986/101

HOTEL ENGINEER

Volume 22, Number 4

Official Publication of the Australian Institute of Hotel Engineering

Cut from Valdama is founded on the concept of reduction and is enriched by new colours, inspired by nature.

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CONTENTS 24 65

Regulars 5

Publishers letter

AIHE State news

15 Mould remediation

Front cover shows: InterContinental Perth City Centre

60 Flammable refrigerants: A safe transition

65 How the hospitality industry can promote a sustainable economy and new business by buying recycled

21 The rise of on-demand streaming services and how hotels can profit

Back of house December 2017

Membership form

24 Managing resilient buildings – Preparing for heat waves

Product news

26 Using BMS maintenance contracts to achieve plant optimisation

InterContinental Feature 10

Perth first at new InterContinental

32 Due diligence & risk management of contractors

HOTEL ENGINEER

PP 319986/101

36 Bim and Security 41 Industry Q+A – Specification writing for hotel architects and engineers 44 How IP security cameras have changed the CCTV game 48

EC fans – Why the hype?

51 Facilities Management Accreditation – The Future? 54 The networked hotel room – Energy efficient, reliable, connected, integrated

Volume 22, Number 4

Official Publication of the Australian Institute of Hotel Engineering

57 Are you making the most of your sustainability opportunities?

eco series 4

THE HOTEL ENGINEER The Official Publication of the Australian Institute of Hotel Engineering

AIHE STATE PRESIDENTS Anura Yapa, NSW E: Anura.Yapa@shangri-la.com David Zammit, VIC E: david.zammit@hyatt.com Tony Fioraso, WA E: Tony.Fioraso@crownperth.com.au QLD President Position to be announced

PUBLISHERS letter

elcome to the first edition of The Hotel Engineer for 2018.

This year is set to bring more competition and change for hotels. As always, our aim is to keep you up to date with the latest trends and ideas in the industry. We begin by looking at Perth’s newest five-star offering – InterContinental Perth City Centre. The building has been revolutionised with technology not seen before in WA, such as vacuum water drainage. We chat with Chief Engineer Bernd Schwinghammer about the $70 million development, which has taken place over three years. The hotel includes several initiatives reducing waste and power consumption. We would like the thank Bernd for discussing the project. Brad Prezant lends his expertise to a common problem – mould. In this issue, we look at the ways of handling mould in your hotel. Vince Simpson of IBMS discusses how to use building management system maintenance contracts to optimise operations. Simpson says many BMS and direct digital control systems have not kept pace with changing technology, posing problems for hotels over thirty years old. The article discusses which tasks should be removed from maintenance contracts, and how to get bang for your buck from a technician.

ADBOURNE PUBLISHING 18/69 Acacia Road Ferntree Gully, VIC 3156 PO Box 735, Belgrave, VIC 3160 www.adbourne.com ADVERTISING Melbourne: Neil Muir T: (03) 9758 1433 F: (03) 9758 1432 E: neil@adbourne.com

From our last issue, The Hotel Engineer began offering an online edition. The response has been very pleasing. Once again, thank you to our loyal readers. I would also like to give special thanks to the founder of the AIHE, Neil Weenink. Although long retired, his continued support of this journal, and his column Back of House, is much appreciated by our readers and myself. Onwards and upwards in 2018. Regards Neil Muir

Adelaide: Robert Spowart T: 0488 390 039 E: robert@adbourne.com PRODUCTION Emily Wallis T: (03) 9758 1436 E: production@adbourne.com ADMINISTRATION Tarnia Hiosan T: (03) 9758 1436 E: admin@adbourne.com SUBSCRIPTIONS Enquiries: (03) 9758 1436 Fax: (03) 9758 1432 Email: admin@adbourne.com

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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VICTORIA

s we wrapped up 2017, I do hope that you all enjoyed some time out with your families and close friends, taking advantage to recharge for the New Year ahead. We ended the year with our AGM and Xmas cocktails at The Residence @ Grand Hyatt Melbourne, on December 11th. This annual AIHE hosted event was a wonderful opportunity for our members to bring along their partners, enjoy each other’s company, make a few new friends, whilst enjoying the hospitality of the events team. Our corporates, as usual, were very generous in offering prizes on the night, which were well received and appreciated by all who walked away with a gift. Stephen in his usual manner did not disappoint, arranging a talented young pianist Lea, to gracefully perform for us during the course of the evening. Lea’s presence certainly added a touch of class to our event. The formalities of the evening resulted in the following committee being elected to head up the chapter in 2018.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

hristmas and Happy New Greetings from Western Australia.

Well what a year, so many things happening and so little time. It seems like we were just saying Merry Christmas and Happy New Year not so long ago! By now I hope you have received this magazine online which we hope makes it easier for the institute to reach out and attract new members. We appreciate any feedback as we are always looking to improve our communication to our members.

Committee Members: John Appleyard, Brendin Trudgett, Ian Charman, Soudi Nori, Gabrielle Chamberlain, Victor Herrera and Peter Nesbit Secretary: Paul Jefferies Vice President: Stephen Docherty President: David Zammit A warm welcome to our new committee members, Brendin and Victor, we appreciate your support and look forward to what I am sure will be valued contributions. Additionally, we thank both Ponce and David Jones for their support on the committee over the past years, both stepping down at the end of 2017. Similarly with Anton Van Der Brink, although working in Sydney now, Anton has been instrumental in carrying on the co-ordination and responsibility of the role of secretary. We could not have seamlessly continued on this year without your support, Anton this has been greatly appreciated. As we kick off the New Year, I wish all of our members and their families the very best of health and happiness. Our chapter in some ways is an extension of our own families; I suppose this happens when you have like-minded people to work and associate with during the course of business, whilst forging great friendships along the way. I truly appreciate what we all have, and I am sure most of you feel the same way. So let’s bring on 2018, make it great, and we will look forward to welcoming you to our first meeting in February. Regards David Zammit President AIHE Victoria Chapter On its completion, it will have capacity for over 60,000 people, making it the third-largest stadium in Australia. Many thanks to David Gardner and the BGIS team for a fantastic tour of a world class stadium. After the tour we came back to Crown to have a quiet drink and some dude food at The Merrywell. In December we had our end of year Christmas party at The Royal – we had over 40 people attend and had a great time. In closing we hope everyone had a Happy Christmas and safe New Year and we look forward to seeing you throughout the year. Regards Tony Fioraso President AIHE Western Australia

In November the WA Chapter visited the new Optus Stadium. The Perth Stadium is a multi-purpose one, which opened on 13th December 2017, in the Perth suburb of Burswood.

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NEW SOUTH WALES

reetings from the AIHE NSW Chapter.

As we welcome the New Year I would like to look back into 2017. The NSW chapter continued its exciting momentum with new events and opportunities for all members of the chapter. We had the pleasure of meeting both new and familiar faces of the hotel engineering industry and share our knowledge with each other. We started the last quarter with our October monthly meeting at the Sydney Harbour Marriott. Greg Webster from Konig was the presenter for the night and his presentation was an overview on the ‘Repair of all types of materials/surfaces which are hard to replace, such as marble, stone, laminates, etc and why to consider it as a solution’. We were amazed by the simplicity of the repair solution. Big thanks to Cyrus Tolentino and his GM, Jennifer Brown for hosting the meeting at their hotel. The AIHE NSW chapter AGM was held at the Shangri-la Hotel on the 22nd of November. General Manager of Shangri-la Sydney, Craig Hooley’s opening speech for the evening was encouraging, appreciating the value of the Hotel Engineers. Thanks to Superintendent Warwick Isemonger of Regional Compliance Fire Safety Branch of F & R NSW, for his presentation on ‘The external cladding used on buildings and the potential problems’

Secretary: Ben Gray Treasurer: Brendon Granger Events Coordinator: Cyril Uboldi Committee Members: Andrew Yap & Scott O’Brien Again, big thanks to the EXCOM team of Shangri-la Hotel for their support especially Hemant Dadlani, the Executive Chef’s mouth-watering delicious food. For the AIHE NSW chapter Christmas Party, we enjoyed the sights and wonders of the harbour with a Christmas Dinner Cruise. The evening included great food, drinks and amazing views while catching the sunset. All the members had a great time catching up with each other. Thank you to every member and those involved with AIHE for their gratitude and contributions, thank you for your goodwill and dedication to the institution. I look forward to another successful year 2018. Best wishes, Anura Yapa JP President – AIHE NSW chapter

Craig Hooley the Genral Manager of Shangri-la hotel addressing the gathering.

The AGM concluded with the nominations and election for the 2018 committee structure lead by our pro tempore, Andy Goonesekera. Overall the meeting was a success and a great start to the year 2018. Congratulations to the newly elected committee. President: Anura Yapa Vice President: Trevor McCarren

Perth first at new

INTERCONTINENTAL

“A single toilet flush would normally use 3.5 litres of water, but this reduces it to 0.8 litres.”

ENGINEERING SUCCESS

Bernd says the installation of the toilet vacuum system required engineers to follow certain rules and physics.

The opening of the InterContinental Perth City Centre was a landmark for two reasons. For guests, this addition to Hay Street offered a five star experience showcasing Western Australia through its design and artwork. The second reason was a ground-breaking feat of engineering never seen in the state.

“If human error is removed, the system is bulletproof,” he says. “The pipes in the wall cavities are reduced to around 80mm, instead of 150mm in other systems.”

he heart of Perth has a new heartbeat. A head-to-toe makeover by one of the globe’s most luxurious hotel brands, on real estate parked in the middle of the city’s shopping and entertainment precinct. The InterContinental Perth City Centre, which opened in October, offers service and style from the moment a visitor walks through the door. Huge windows in the guest rooms offer unprecedented views of Perth’s inner-city beauty.

The installation of a vacuum drainage system is regarded as the capstone of the overhaul of the premises. The system came together through a partnership between Johnson & Co Plumbing and Gas, Vacuum Toilets Australia, and head contractor Built. “The system significantly reduces power and water consumption,” says Chief Engineer Bernd Schwinghammer.

Built has overseen the hotel’s makeover, which was first announced by owner UNIR Australia in December 2014. The refurbishment of the hotel’s 16 floors and penthouse saw InterContinental hailed as Perth’s first new five-star hotel in decades.

It is just one of many resource efficiency measures in the building. Lighting and air conditioning is fully automated under a system delivered by Lynx Integrated Systems. The program uses KNX control and sensors to deliver information to engineers. “Each room is like an individual project,” Bernd says. “At the click of a button, I can remotely change lights and room temperature, and see if a guest is in or out of a room.”

In line with many new hotels, LED lighting is used extensively on the premises. These use roughly 85 per cent less energy than halogen or incandescent lighting. Another initiative of the hotel is its advanced recycling systems. A glass crusher and cardboard compressor open up the potential for rebates when these machines are used. When it comes to disposing organic waste, InterContinental Perth uses a Gaia recycling system. The technology dehydrates organic waste into a brown powder, concentrated fertiliser, which significantly reduces landfill. “Our machine has a 100kg capacity, and can reduce waste product by 85 per cent,” Bernd says. The technology is extremely valuable when considered the increasing cost of dumping landfill. In Western Australia, the landfill levy rate has increased from $12 to $90 per cubic metre in the space of three years, and will rise to $105 per cubic metre in July. In addition, each pump in the hotel has a VSD, which saves an enormous amount of power. The security of the hotel is enhanced by the use of VingCard RFID locking system for guest rooms, and Gallagher security for the back of house.

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Samsung televisions are installed in all guest rooms. Caterlink and Comcater supply kitchen equipment, while Ferguson is responsible for the hotel’s carpentry. Four KONE lifts are installed on the premises.

MECHANICAL SERVICES InterContinental Perth City Centre selected local firm Envar to deliver mechanical services. Envar designed and constructed the hotel’s central plant. This included water-cooled chillers (specially mounted on anti-vibration airbags), a heat rejection system (comprising a cooling tower, pumps and a condenser water loop), and natural gas-fired hot water boilers. Air handling units form part of the hotel’s HVAC. AHU’s serve the guest floor lobby areas, corporate lounge and meeting area floors. Chilled and heating water fan coil units supply the guest rooms, gymnasium, main entrance lobby, office and admin floor, and two of the restaurants. A fully integrated Building Management System gives engineers visual control of the HVAC systems.

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ARCHITECTURE Architecture firm Woods Bagot is responsible for much of the hotel’s interior and exterior design. The ‘look and feel’ of the hotel revolves around Western Australia’s geology. More than 300 pieces of locally commissioned art adorn the building, with the intention of creating a sense of place. The entrance uses locally sourced timbers and stones to invoke the beach, bush and mining of the state. A gold ribbon façade on the hotel’s exterior reflects the changing lights of the day and night.

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“The environment played a huge part in the inspiration behind (the hotel) and activation of the streetscape,” says Woods Bagot Associate Principal Eva Sue. “The hotel is situated on a prominent corner of the Perth CBD, which intersects the exclusive King Street precinct with its luxury high-end brands and the historic His Majesty’s Theatre. Woods Bagot’s urban design response revitalises the precinct by opening up the ground plane and podium terrace levels and blurring the interface between the hotel, two levels of unique international bar and restaurant offerings and the street. By offering a layering experience of public realm connections, it creates a new cultural destination in the heart of the CBD enriching the streetscape and pedestrian experience throughout the day and night.”

GUEST EXPERIENCES Guests are treated to a high standard of service from the moment of arrival, with a door ambassador on hand to greet visitors. Sitting on the 16th floor is Club InterContinental. Considered the crowning glory of the hotel, guests overlook King Street, Kings Park War Memorial and the city skyline. Guests have à la carte breakfast and all-day refreshments on offer.

The hotel features four restaurant and bar venues. One of these is ‘Ascua’ – a refined dining restaurant featuring Spanishinspired cuisine created with West Australian produce from the Great South West. The venue has a ‘barbacoa’ (Spanish woodfire grill) on display near the open-theatre kitchen. There is a strong focus on dry-aged beef and natural bio-dynamic wines in the restaurant. ECN : 000 940

The Gallery Meeting Suites are available for meetings and events, with WiFi and audio/visual options on hand.

YEARS

LOOKING AHEAD The 240-room hotel comes on the back of a boom in hospitality in Perth. With the InterContinental Perth City Centre completion, more than 1800 hotel rooms have been built in the city since 2012. This latest addition has been an instant hit with the travelling public, boasting overwhelmingly positive reviews on TripAdvisor. InterContinental Perth City Centre trusts its state-of-the-art engineering, personalised service and beautiful architecture will see it stand out among its peers. We would like to thank the following advertisers for their contribution to the InterContinental Perth City Centre: Caterlink – Kitchen Equipment Comcater – Kitchen equipment Parisi – Tap wear NRP Electrical – Building management system Automatic Heating – Supplied Meridian condensing hot water heaters

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MOULD REMEDIATION

BRAD PREZANT I CONSULTING – CHIEF SCIENTIFIC OFFICER, VA SCIENCES

When water enters the built environment, inevitably, problems arise. There is the catastrophic such as cyclones, and then, there is the hidden, long-term, drip… drip… drip...

e all saw many examples of catastrophic water damage as a result of cyclone Debbie in 2016 in northern Queensland.

Wind damage to roofing and wind-borne rain entering vulnerable building assemblies such as sliding doors resulted in many hotels experiencing large quantities of water entering the building envelope. The nature of hotels dictates that there are many small spaces, guest rooms with exterior access via balconies or patios that make this type of construction particularly vulnerable to adverse weather events. A rapid response involving collection of that water and drying of the building material with minimal disruption of services is the best scenario possible. The worst scenario? – The response takes several days or possibly weeks. And the water soaks into porous building materials. If those materials are organic and vulnerable, as time passes, inevitably, mould (a fungi) will grow. When those materials are concrete, besser block, or gypsum, they will retain and release that moisture as high humidity over many weeks or even months, and permit adjacent vulnerable building materials to become mouldy. At that point, the remediation work required becomes extensive and expensive, and typically involves taking guest rooms and public access areas out of service for a significant amount of time. The first principle of mould remediation therefor is this – don’t let the moisture remain around long enough for mould growth to occur: Prevent the problem before it even starts. One dollar invested in collecting the moisture is worth ten dollars in mould remediation so the first and foremost, dry out the building. Also, while the water entering during and after a catastrophic event may seem to “disappear” into the building, don’t be fooled.

Fungal growth is present on back side of cove base and plasterboard behind cove base.

ALL the water that entered needs to be collected, not just the stuff that’s easy to vacuum with a wet vac. That means going after the water that has accumulated in cavities, chases, soaked insulation, between floor layers, and/or been absorbed into concrete or other building materials. Getting moisture out of cavities, wall or floor assemblies, or when it is absorbed into porous concrete is accomplished in a slow and deliberate fashion. Those materials need to be surrounded by dry air such that the moisture is transferred to the air, and then removed from that air via refrigerant-based dehumidification. It can take days or weeks to collect all the moisture, and it can be challenging to get the warm dry air into the locations where it is needed to remove moisture, but that is the only way to get the job done. The remediation and restoration industry has developed specialty tools to accomplish this – high efficiency vacuums that

Swelling and cracking at the interface of the cove base and plasterboard suggest elevated moisture – the wood and plasterboard should be checked for moisture content.

Elevated moisture levels remained in the composite wood wardrobe for an extended period following flooding.

apply pressure to carpeted surfaces to maximise extraction, vacuum mats to place over flooring to move air through and between the layers of flooring, and industrial-sized dehumidification equipment that can operate in all kinds of environmental conditions, even in the cold climate regions of Australia in the winter.

Chronic water damage results in mould growth, and when small leaks occur inside of walls or in other hidden locations, one might not become aware of them until significant moisture has been released. It is usually only when the mould bleeds through to the visible side of the plasterboard that the leak is discovered.

There are no short cuts here – the right equipment and trained personnel who understand how to use that equipment appropriately and efficiently are essential. Following a major catastrophic event, there will never be enough trained professionals or equipment to go around. So which will you be? The farsighted thinker who contracted for guaranteed response with a local company capable of performing this work long before a catastrophe occurred, or are you going to get in line, like everyone else, and wait so long that everything becomes mouldy before the remediators can fit you in? Now let’s change our focus to the drip… drip… drip… Plumbing lines erode or break. Shower pans corrode and leak. Roofing deteriorates. Landscaping changes over time and begins to direct water towards the building rather than away.

Moisture can accumulate in the ceiling plasterboard in low areas and flow out through light fixtures.

The source of moisture needs to be identified, remediated, and the pathway of that moisture through the building must be understood in order to identify all the wet materials requiring drying, and to look for possible mould (fungal) growth. Moisture testing using hand-held moisture meters, and sometimes, thermal imaging cameras are essential tools to identify locations where mould growth could occur. Also, physical inspection can verify whether areas that are wet are supporting mould growth: Sometimes that means opening the wall cavities to inspect, or using an existing opening through an access door or electrical outlet to shine a flashlight and look at the cavity side of the plasterboard with a mechanic’s mirror, or these days, simply stick your phone in and take a flash picture. Whatever means is used, the absence of visible fungal growth must be verified. If visible fungal growth is identified, the important thing to consider is how much surface area, in square meters, is involved.

Distortion of ceiling plasterboard may be the result of water entry, moisture levels need to be checked, and the cavity side of the plasterboard inspected for visible mould growth.

Cloth materials will absorb humidity from the air and support fungal growth. Testing of surfaces can be done with â&#x20AC;&#x153;sticky tapeâ&#x20AC;? samples, analysed microscopically for the type and extent of fungal particulate. Fungal growth was determined to be present on this fabric.

The greater the area of fungal growth present, the more the indoor dust will have become contaminated with fungal particulate. All filamentous fungi, commonly thought as moulds, shed massive quantities of invisible fungal particulate (billions per square meters!), as a consequence of their reproductive strategy. These billions of mold particulates, termed spores, propagate the species when they land in a hospitable

Distortion of flooring from residual moisture retained in subfloor and between finish flooring and subfloor. Rapid removal of water can often restore finish flooring to original condition and prevent the need for replacement.

environment, but also float in the air and can be inhaled by building occupants. For normal healthy individuals, they might cause allergy and irritation. For some very sensitive individuals they might cause more problems, and immune-compromised persons are particularly vulnerable. If the fungal growth is active and ongoing, the familiar musty odour will be present and easily recognised.

Moisture testing of materials (in this case gypsum wallboard) is necessary to identify materials with the potential to become mouldy. Drying techniques, when rapidly executed can extract moisture and prevent fungal growth.

Underside of carpeting showing water staining and fungal growth.

However, if the moisture is no longer present, the odour may dissipate, but the dead, crumbling fungi will still be present and will continue to release spores in the accumulated dusts in the indoor environment, and every time one walk around or vacuum, those particles will become airborne and be inhaled.

locations during cleaning, or becoming contaminated from adjacent areas after cleaning, and work from the top down to collect all the fungal particulate.

As we emphasised before, the first principle of mould remediation is dry the building.

If the supporting material is porous and organic (e.g., plasterboard), it will likely have to be removed and replaced. If fungal growth is on a hard surface, for example, on solid wood joists, it often can simply be removed and cleaned.

Occupational Hygienists, sometimes called Indoor Environmental Professionals (IEPs), have experience conducting a comprehensive assessment. At times, this type of investigation can be extensive, as the dispersion of fungal particulates, as a result of mould growth, may require their expertise to be properly mapped and ultimately remediated, so that a hotel can be assured it provides its guests (and employees) with a healthful environment.

The third principle of mould remediation is to identify and collect the fungal particulates (spores) that have spread throughout the building.

In addition to conducting the assessment, the IEP may also prepare a scope of work for a remediation contractor to execute for the mould remediation, and provide oversight of their work.

Whether the spores are viable or dead is actually irrelevant – they contain chemicals that are biologically active when inhaled. So killing them, for example by fogging, doesn’t address the problem. It will still leave dead fungal spores that will continue to be biologically active and a health hazard.

At the conclusion of contractor (remediator) work activities, the Occupational Hygienist described above, as an independent third party, will typically provide a quality assurance measure termed post-remediation verification (PRV) by conducting air monitoring and surface sampling to verify the absence of that the species of mould and mould spores typically associated with fungal growth on wet building materials. If the laboratory findings are not satisfactory, the contractor must re-clean the area.

The second principle is to remove all visible and identifiable fungal growth.

Beware of remediators that offer these services! There is no quick fix in mold remediation: Strategies that do not involve the boring, tedious cleaning necessary to collect all the particulates are ineffective. All the spores that have spread throughout the building must be collected. For the elimination of mold spores to be complete, the particulate is collected with a “HEPA sandwich” approach: Thorough vacuuming with a HEPA vacuum, followed by wet wiping with a detergent-amended cloth, frequently changed, followed by a second HEPA vacuuming. The contractor, often with training from the IICRC (International Institute of Cleaning & Restoration Certification) must isolate the impacted area with negative pressure to contain and protect the work area from either contaminating adjacent

HEPA filtration devices are often run inside the contained area to clean the air while remediators work and as well as prior to post-remediation verification (PRV).

Most insurance policies cover the costs associated with remediation of water damage and fungal growth, including the costs of independent assessment and remediation. However it rarely sufficiently covers the greatest cost: the lost revenue because the facility is not available for normal business activity. Mould remediation is a costly and time-consuming process and best avoided altogether. The faster the response, the earlier the intervention, the smaller the costs associated with water entry and its consequences. An once of foresight will avoid much more than a pound of cure.

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The rise of

ON-DEMAND STREAMING SERVICES

and how hotels can profit

BRENDON GRANGER I DIRECTOR, TECHNOLOGY4HOTELS

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no secret that scheduled TV programming is in sharp decline. Viewers no longer want to wait a week to catch their favourite TV show. They want to watch it at a time and place that suits them.

he rise of streaming services such as Netflix and Stan highlight just how fast this shift is happening. Despite only launching in March 2015, over 1 in 3 Australians now has a Netflix subscription, which includes a huge surge in subscriptions during the first quarter of this year.

being used by some hotels already looks like it could soon be replaced.

This change in viewing consumption is reflected in the typical hotel guest who frequently arrives with their own entertainment on personal devices. Rather than relying on whatever in-room content happens to be available, they want the flexibility to watch their own movies and TV shows.

Back in 2015, Marriott lead the way by becoming the first hotel to introduce Netflix into their hotel rooms, allowing guests to access their own Netflix accounts on the in-room TV. Guests were also able to access other services including Stan and Pandora.

To cater to this trend, a growing number of hotels are offering streaming services to enable guests to watch their own content on the in-room TV. But not all streaming services are made equal. While still in its infancy, the current technology

This move represented an important shift away from offering increasingly less popular pay-per-view content. Yet despite the demand for more personalised in-room entertainment options, this particular form of streaming comes with some drawbacks.

THE CHANGING FACE OF HOTEL STREAMING SERVICES

For instance, guests must either have a pre-existing Netflix account or set up a new trial. They also need to enter their personal Netflix account details using the TV remote and on-screen keyboard. Not only is this a cumbersome process, it involves sharing personal data in a public environment — something that many guests are likely to feel quite uncomfortable with. However, a new form of streaming technology known as “casting” eliminates these issues, and arguably represents the way in which all hotel streaming services will go.

CASTING TECHNOLOGY: THE FUTURE OF HOTEL STREAMING In contrast to traditional streaming, casting provides a simplified and secure alternative. Users can stream content by accessing the cast-enabled apps already on their own devices. Not only does this eliminate the clunky user interface of inputting details into the hotel TV, it resolves potential concerns over data protection. In terms of an industry standard, services such as RoomCast (powered by Google’s Chromecast) represent a likely contender. To date Chromecast supports over 1,000 apps, 200,000 TV shows and movies, and 30 million songs — so the breadth of content guests can stream is already pretty vast. In addition, RoomCast enables users to carry on using their phone for other tasks without interrupting the content happening on the big screen.

HOTELS EMBRACING CASTING Last year, Aloft was the first hotel to trial RoomCast at its 188-room New Orleans Downtown property. As an industry innovator, this move by Aloft represented an awareness that the nature of in-room entertainment could soon be entering a new era. Just recently, Hyatt became the latest hotel brand to offer in-room casting. Hyatt has begun working with Sonifi Solutions to utilise its Staycast technology – another Google Chromecastpowered platform for the hospitality industry. The service is currently available in 14 Hyatt properties and integrates with the World of Hyatt mobile app.

Wingate by Wyndham has also begun running a pilot with Sonifi. This followed a test that showed on average, Wingate by Wyndham’s guests cast 12 times from their devices to the inroom TV over an average two-night stay. According to Sonifi CEO Ahmad Ouri, one of the other major benefits of this form of streaming is data collection: hotels can look at streaming habits across the board to help them better identify how guests are using the technology. From the guest perspective, the beauty of casting compared to earlier streaming services is about simplicity and security. They aren’t required to input a code or hand over personal details through the hotel TV. Instead, everything can be done through their own mobile devices using the apps they already have.

THE FUTURE OF IN-ROOM ENTERTAINMENT We live in an era defined by instant access. Services such as Netflix, Amazon and Uber have habituated consumers into expecting immediacy and flexibility. In terms of in-room hotel entertainment, this is redefining the behaviour and preferences of the modern day hotel guest. As streaming gains popularity in the home, guests will increasingly want and expect to access their accounts from the comfort of their hotel room. Moving forward, casting will become integral to this process, representing the ultimate way for guests to enjoy their favourite content through a simplified, secure and seamless form of connectivity.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 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.

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MANAGING RESILIENT BUILDINGS –

Preparing for heat waves ANDREW ANDREW SMITH SMITH I LEADER – BUILDING TECHNOLOGIES A.G. A.G. COOMBS COOMBS ADVISORY ADVISORY

Heat waves are a regular extreme weather event in Australia. With respect to building air conditioning systems this is commonly thought of as two or more days when the ambient temperature exceeds the maximum temperature that the building and its systems were designed for.

uring a heat wave, buildings rely on any excess capability in the air conditioning system to provide acceptable internal temperatures. When the demand for cooling surpasses this capability, internal temperatures can rise beyond comfortable levels. Although tenancy leases may not require the maintenance of specific internal temperatures, this is usually expected, misunderstandings arise and importantly tenants become dissatisfied with the building’s performance. This is sometimes more of an issue in higher quality grade buildings where there is a raised expectation around Indoor Environmental Quality standards. Older buildings tend to have greater spare air conditioning capability ‘designed in’ compared to new buildings. The closely designed air-conditioning systems in newer buildings generally cope less well with heat wave conditions although this can be offset by better building ‘insulation’ standards. The extra load placed on air conditioning systems during extreme heat events results in increased energy consumption and may cause the contracted maximum electrical supply demand level to be exceeded, triggering ongoing electricity supply charge penalties. Often the worst of these events follow a very warm weekend when the building’s air-conditioning hasn’t been running. Internal air temperatures and the temperature of the building’s internal ‘fabric’ are elevated before the Monday morning start. With recent improvements in weather forecasting, heat waves can now usually be reliably anticipated 4-5 days in advance. Modern Building Management and Control Systems (BMCS) can be pre-programmed with control strategies to pre-empt heat wave conditions. These can manage the operation of air conditioning plant to achieve improved internal conditions whilst reducing the effect on energy consumption and avoiding potential maximum demand penalties.

Heat wave BMCS strategies can be activated either automatically by the presence of pre-established conditions (e.g. time-temperature profiles and internal conditions) or manually by the Facility Management team in line with a pre-determined activation plan (e.g. based on weather forecast information and internal conditions). Air-conditioning control strategies to pre-empt heat wave events can include combinations of the following: • Adjusting internal set point temperatures • Manipulating fan speeds • Manipulating chilled water system and condenser water system operation • Overriding lighting controls • Operation of night purge or building pre-cooling methodologies • Altering plant start and stop times – optimal start and stop The particular strategies and their combination depend upon the thermal performance characteristics of the subject building and its air conditioning systems – the combination of the building physics and the building systems. The understanding of this interrelationship is the key to achieving optimal performance during heatwave conditions. Developing successful strategies is an iterative exercise with an initial approach optimised based on the review of performance data. These strategies can result in significant improvements in internal conditions during heatwave events and substantial avoided energy costs. Extreme weather events have become more common and severe. For more information on preparing buildings for a changing climate please also read the Advisory Note ‘Managing Resilient Buildings for a Changing Climate’.

USING BMS MAINTENANCE CONTRACTS

to achieve plant optimisation VINCE SIMPSON, MBA, APP.AIRAH, GAICD I DIRECTOR, IBMS

INTRODUCTION

1. Clean and check computer systems.

MS systems have long been an integral part of the commercial building environment. The 1980s started the migration away from pneumatic control systems with the major players, (Honeywell, Tour and Andersson, Siemens and Johnson Controls), being the early adopters. As the industry developed in line with the explosive growth in electronics and small processors, there were a myriad of new companies bringing products to market. These early products (controller hardware, field devices, computer hardware and software) were expensive, prone to failure and required a steep learning curve to understand the engineering limitations applicable to the HVAC controls industry.

2. Back up data base and save relevant files.

The products provided by all manufacturers today benefit from the advances in microelectronics in that they are much lower cost, very reliable and feature rich. The HVAC controls industry, however, remains focused on simple labour intensive tasks that evolved in an era when the hardware was high cost. This paper sets out an alternative approach, exploring the benefits of abandoning these traditional tasks and focusing on tasks that aim to provide improved outcomes.

BMS MAINTENANCE CONTRACTS TODAY Typical BMS contracts have many similarities irrespective of which company is proposing them. Underpinning all of these offerings is a range of labour intensive tasks based on simplistic inspections and relatively low skilled fault rectification. The better quality services offer some type of building tuning or optimisation service. A typical maintenance contract will include tasks similar to the following:

3. Review field controllers panels (clean, dust, check terminals and inspect for heat damage). 4. Checking and calibrating, where necessary, the following items: • a selection of field sensors; • VAV controllers; • Valves and dampers; and • Point to point checks. These checks are based on choosing a selection of devices each visit with a goal of reviewing every device in a 12-month period. Plant optimisation will typically be offered only as a premium option. These tasks have formed the basis of BMS and DDC maintenance contracts for the past 25 years. Their origins stem from the tasks carried out on older pneumatic and electric controls. These tasks were relevant as the early DDC controls suffered from similar problems to these earlier control technologies, namely: • High cost and limited availability of hardware. • Early DDC control hardware was prone to failure. • Early sensors were suffered from stability and accuracy drift. The past 25 years have seen dramatic improvement in the design and manufacturing of microelectronics with mass produced surface mount boards becoming commonplace. This has led to a dramatic lowering of costs and reductions

in the failure rate of controls hardware. The improvement in integrated circuit quality can be seen below.

Fig. 2 Typical Controller Packaging (Courtesy Schneider Electric)

Fig 1. Data Sourced from: Integrated Circuit Quality and Reliability, Second Edition, By Eugene R. Hnatek

As a result, the majority of the tasks historically carried out by maintenance providers are no longer required. Many of these historical tasks provided by the controls venders either: a. Add no value.

Field checking and/or calibration of VAV controller operation. This is a labour-intensive task that should be carried out simply with a desktop review with a simple diagnostic graphic that displays the key control elements (in summary form) of all VAVs on a floor/area. These diagnostic graphics present the relationship/status between: • VAV temperature and Setpoint • VAV airflow and setpoint

b. Can not be measured.

• VAV damper position and airflow

c. Can introduce errors because of poor skills in calibrating sensors or the use of low quality test equipment.

A typical VAV field review will require a minimum of 15 minutes (per VAV box) to verify damper operation, heater operation and airflow measurement. Using a diagnostic or summary graphic a floor of VAVs can be reviewed using a diagnostic graphic to identify possible errors in less than five minutes.

In many cases, there are superior, lower cost ways of achieving the same outcome. Typically, owners, consultants and end users, have accepted these traditional practices and have not questioned the value in carrying out these tasks.

TASKS THAT SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM MAINTENANCE CONTRACTS Point-to-point checking of field points is a labour-intensive task that can be either be replaced with smart logic (i.e. programming of inbuilt point health checks and or analytics) or, due to the reliability of hardware, be completely ignored. Some exceptions to this might include: • Security points associated with life safety (panic buttons). • High temperature alarms associated with plant that cannot shut down without significant risk, for example: i. Fridges contain research samples; and ii. Positive containment rooms. Field checking/cleaning of controller panels for heat buildup or terminal screw tightness. The majority of controller hardware today is encapsulated within plastic housings with terminals for field wiring either completely hidden or unknown to randomly experience loose connections. This is a labour-intensive task that is unnecessary.

Fig. 3 Desktop Review Used to Highlight Problems

Calibration of thermistor based temperature sensors used for general monitoring or field space temperature control. The BMS controls industry has adopted the use of 10K Ohm thermistors as standard across most suppliers. These sensors should only be calibrated on initial installation to cater for resistance/length of cable from sensor to controller only. Assuming the sensor is calibrated on installation and there are no external factors impacting its ability to measure temperature, in the location it is installed, there should be no further requirement to calibrate. Most narrow band thermistors used in HVAC controls industry (temperatures between 0-50C) have extremely low drift thresholds and high stability. Typical stability ratios of .003C to .02C (bead in glass) are noted on manufacturers technical data sheets (http://www.nist.gov/pml/ mercury_thermistor.cfm).

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Sensor Description

should be checked annually for both normal operation (at setpoint) and at plant shutdown (zero Pa condition).

Annual Calibration Check Recommended

Comments

VAV/Space temperature sensors

Labour intensive, use diagnostic graphics to identify problem areas

Typical operations where these type of sensors are used include:

Ambient Temperature sensors

Yes

Key plant variable directly controlling economy cycle

• Chilled and condenser water systems;

Any temperature sensor close to or outside the stability temperature range of 0-50C

Yes

Typically associated with central plant control. Examples include chilled water and hot water insertion sensors

• Secondary/decoupled water systems.

Wet static pressure sensors

Table 1 Calibration of Sensors

TASKS THAT ARE WORTH DOING Calibration checks of key sensors. Whilst the majority of sensors used in the commercial HVAC controls sector have become low-cost commodity-based devices that are factory calibrated and cannot be adjusted in the field (low-cost throw away items) there are a number of these sensors that are worthwhile checking the calibration status on an annual basis. Some of these include the following. Ambient temperature and humidity sensors Ambient sensors are key to the operation of a number of algorithms including: • Economy cycle mode; • Night purge mode; • Warm up mode; and • Ambient override setpoint These sensors are typically exposed to environments where contaminates can affect the long-term stability and therefore should be reviewed at least biannually. If these sensors drift or become faulty they can have a significant impact on plant efficiency and building conditions. Commercial (low-cost) humidity sensors located in outside air environments historically have short-term life (less than 24 months) and it is worthwhile installing sensor types that enable replacement of sensor element (heads) independent of transmitter body. Air static pressure sensors Typical operations where these type of sensors are used include: • Air handling units (VAVs, active chilled beams and demandbased systems); • Supply and exhaust risers; • Pressure controlled rooms in labs and hospitals; and • Staircase pressurisation systems. Whilst static pressure sensors historically do not drift, their impact on energy efficiency can be significant. These devices

• Hot water systems; and

Whilst wet static pressure sensors historically do not drift, their impact on energy efficiency can be significant. These devices should be checked annually for both normal operations (at setpoint) and at plant shutdown (zero KPa condition). Carbon monoxide (CO) Used for carpark ventilation control and should be calibrated annually using trace gas. These devices should be calibrated to ensure efficient operation of carpark supply and exhaust fans as well as to ensure provide safety alarming of CO build-up in the relevant spaces. Carbon dioxide (CO2) sensors Typical operations where these type of sensors are used include: • VAV AHUs; • Demand based ventilation systems; and • Fresh air volume control. Faulty sensors can lead to excessive amounts of outside air being drawn into building thereby reducing plant efficiency. Alternatively faulty sensors could lead to insufficient quantities of fresh air in contradiction to the required standard AS1668

LABOUR AGREEMENTS – A BETTER WAY Facility managers, owners and operators of BMS systems understand that their systems need to be maintained to: 1. Ensure the essential level of operation is maintained and that the intended design conditions are met. 2. Improve plant efficiency. 3. Reduce risk and tenant complaints. 4. Extend plant and control system useful life. With average labour rates for BMS/DDC control technicians around Australia exceeding $150 p/hr the challenge becomes how to capitalise on the technician’s time to achieve the above aims. As discussed earlier in this paper, carrying out labourintensive tasks that are unnecessary will not achieve the desired goals, whilst being charged labour rates in this range. In order to achieve the desired goals, maintenance contracts need to: 1. Identify tasks that provide a measurable return on investment. 2. Identify the correct methodology to carry out each task. 3. Ensure each task is clearly measurable with regular reporting.

IBMS believe the best way to achieve these goals is through the use of labour agreements rather than the traditional maintenance agreements. Labour agreements are common in the IT industry and typically detail:

4. Align the system’s operation to the attributes of the built space it serves.

1. When should a task be carried out?

The process offers a prime opportunity to monitor the energy performance of the building and to tune the building services to achieve improved performance and reliability. Labour agreements should aim to capture the major plant required to be reviewed as part of the monthly performance tracking. A typical example is shown below.

2. How should a task be carried out? 3. How to report or prove the task has been carried out. 4. The total time the task is allocated. Some of the typical tasks that should be included under a BMS labour agreement include:

5. Verify all defined trends and monthly data required to prove efficient operation

1. Key algorithm loop optimisation and checking. Typical examples of this include: • Supply air pressure control • Supply air temperature control • Economy cycle control • Chiller flow control • Cooling tower control 2. Run hours tracking of all plant to remove unnecessary running. 3. Key application metric reporting: • Modifications of Set points • Number of alarms in period • Identification of field points left in override • Software changes carried out 4. Key IT and operating software parameter reporting. Typical examples of this include: • Version control (operating system and application) • Resource utilisation • Software updates 5. Key sensor calibration checks (as described earlier in this paper) The intention of using a labour agreement instead of typical BMS maintenance agreements is so the service provider can provide a higher level of expertise specifically oriented to analysing plant performance. The tasks identified in these types of agreements require a level of expertise that is directed to the physics of the plant in terms of optimisation for minimising energy usage as well as the key components of the BMS system that should be reviewed and reported. The technicians providing this type of system reviews need to have a good understanding of HVAC plant. The objectives of the process are: 1. Verify that systems are performing at their optimum efficiency during all climatic variations for the occupied building. 2. Opportunity for the systems to be tuned to optimise start/ stop time schedules to best match occupant needs and system performance. 3. Ensure all set points and other control parameters are optimised.

CONCLUSION BMS and DDC control products have evolved in the last 25 years to be low cost, reliable, high feature, complex systems that require a new approach to maintenance to achieve the most efficient outcomes. It is time to abandon the labour intensive tasks that add no value, and develop labour agreements better suited to modern equipment.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Vince Simpson has been involved in the design, construction, service and sales components of the commercial controls industry since 1986. This included time spent at senior management levels with major BMS contractors and 10 years as one of the founding directors of IBMS, “A specialist consultancy focused on providing high level expertise and innovative solutions to make buildings more efficient”. The views expressed in this paper are solely those of the author and IBMS as a specialist consultancy focussed in this sector.

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DUE DILIGENCE

& risk management of contractors Outsourcing work to contractors does not remove an organisation’s obligation to ensure the health and safety of the contractors.

ssurance, including verification, of contractors can mean different things depending on whether you are an Officer or a person conducting a business or an undertaking (PCBU).

• Having processes for escalation of risks including those handled by contractors

Although Australian businesses have a mature understanding of this, it is important to refresh our understanding of these concepts before considering if you have adequate risk management and require ongoing veriﬁcation of contractors. This is increasingly important as Australian business’ shift to a service-based market with complex, outsourced or contracted supply chains being used to maintain competitive advantage.

• Ensuring signiﬁcant incidents are reported to the Board, including contractor incidents

This short discussion introduces the basic principles of Due Diligence and Risk Management that underpin eﬀective contractor management.

• Reviewing prosecutions and asking how the contributing factors are handled within your own organisation

• Communicating safety standards to contractors

Examples of seeking assurance (i.e. the act of governance otherwise commonly known as undertaking due diligence), such as: • Requesting a review of any of the above

• Reviewing audit program results (including contractors)

OFFICER DUE DILIGENCE

• Reviewing controls to ensure they are eﬀective and are maintained.

The concept of due diligence in work health and safety (WHS) is now well established in Australian jurisdictions that have adopted the Work Health and Safety Model legislation1.

RISK MANAGEMENT AND CONTRACTORS

The Model WHS Act imposes duties on Officers of an organisation to undertake due diligence, which requires officers to take reasonable steps to address each of the definition elements outlined in Section 27 of the WHS Act (see insert). Officers determine how the business or undertaking will operate and how they make, or participate in making decisions on allocating resources which affect health and safety2. So what does this actually mean?

What is a PCBU? A PBCU controls the operation of the organisation and has a duty under s19 of the WHS Model Act to ensure the safety of its workers. Outsourcing work to contractors does not remove an organisation’s obligation to ensure the health and safety of the contractor, their employees, or other sub-contractors. Eﬀectively an organisation has the same responsibilities to contractors as to their own workers.

Ultimately, an Oﬃcer is someone who directs the resources of the organisation and therefore should ensure that there are adequate resources and these are appropriately directed towards health and safety.

This is reﬂected in the WHS Model Act, 2011 which states that a person is a worker if the person carries out work in any capacity for a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU), including work as a principal contractor or subcontractor3.

Examples of due diligence activities are:

Section 19, in particular, requires that PCBUs establish and maintain a safe system of work s19 (3)(c) and provide information, instruction, information and training s19 (3)(f).

• Maintaining knowledge of contemporary contractor safety management, including prosecutions

• Implementing an audit program that includes contractors

The means by which an organisation satisfies these requirements generally differs between employers and contractors. Employers: Commonly through the development of a safety management system to which managers and employees must comply. Contractors: Predominantly through the establishment of a contractor safety management process that is aligned with your SMS and procurement process. This should identify, communicate and confirm safety requirements throughout the procurement and operational lifecycle. Most mature organisations already have a contractor management system employing four key stages: 1) Defining WHS obligations in contract specifications; 2) Assessing contractor WHS suitability in a pre-qualification process;

WHS MODEL ACT S27 DUTY OF OFFICERS (1) If a person conducting a business or undertaking has a duty or obligation under this Act, an oﬃcer of the person conducting the business or undertaking must exercise due diligence to ensure that the person conducting the business or undertaking complies with that duty or obligation. (5) "due diligence" includes taking reasonable steps: (a) to acquire and keep up-to-date knowledge of work health and safety matters, and (b) to gain an understanding of the nature of the operations of the business or undertaking of the person conducting the business or undertaking and generally of the hazards and risks associated with those operations, and (c) to ensure that the person conducting the business or undertaking has available for use, and uses, appropriate resources and processes to eliminate or minimise risks to health and safety from work carried out as part of the conduct of the business or undertaking, and (d) to ensure that the person conducting the business or undertaking has appropriate processes for receiving and considering information regarding incidents, hazards and risks and responding in a timely way to that information, and (e) to ensure that the person conducting the business or undertaking has, and implements, processes for complying with any duty or obligation of the person conducting the business or undertaking under this Act, and [shortened] (f) to verify the provision and use of the resources and processes referred to in paragraphs (c)-(e).

An Oﬃcer is someone who directs the resources of the organisation and therefore should ensure that these are adequate and appropriately directed towards health and safety.

3) Prior to allowing work to go ahead, ensuring all contractor WHS documentation is in place; and 4) Contractor monitoring and verification processes How in depth or complex does the contractor management system need to be? This will depend on the employer's risk profile and the risk profile of the contractor. The contractor management system has to be appropriate for the type of contractors being engaged and for the resources the company has to manage the system. Routine work such as office cleaning may require less scrutiny versus window cleaners that have to abseil down the outside of a building. The appropriate contractor management system will be risk driven and identify the correct processes to implement. But is having a contractor safety management system enough to satisfy the risk management requirement of the model WHS Act? In support of the Act, the Model WHS Regulation places specific obligations on PCBUs to verify the effectiveness of risk controls (Reg 37). Where an organisation has established a contractor safety management system, it is not sufficient to simply approve a contractor’s safety management system. The organisation should consider verifying that the contractor’s system is being used and is effective in managing the risks to health and safety. Even if you have a robust contractor management system which ensures that WHS documents are in place before allowing the

A PBCU controls the operation of the organisation and has a duty under s19 of the WHS Model Act to ensure the safety of its workers.

RELEVANT CASE LAW PRECEDENTS There are a number of case law precedents to assist illustrate the complexity of contractor management and, in particular, its relevance to s19 of the Model Act4. Two such cases of note are:

Window glass company ﬁned $1 million for WHS breach The decision relates to an incident on 19 June 2014, in which a contractor sustained an electric shock while working on a window ledge at a residential-apartment construction site. SafeWork NSW v Ceerose Pty Ltd [2016] NSWDC 1845 reinforces that “special vigilance is (required) to ensure compliance with statutory obligations is called for. Those operating in the industry must understand this...”

Skylight frame should have been bolted down The descision established that the risk had been foreseeable and that Ceerose as the principal contractor had the overriding responsibility for safety at the site. Safe Work (NSW) V WGA Pty Ltd (2017) NSWDC926 emphasises the "critical importance of safe systems of work."

contractor to conduct the work, verifying that the contractor is performing the work as per their initial ‘sales pitch’ and associated pre-qualiﬁcation documentation is still a vital part of the risk management process. Limited supervision and monitoring of contractor operations with respect to health and safety aspects can lead to a breakdown in WHS management and potentially leave your organisation exposed to legal prosecution.

WHS MODEL REGULATION 37 MAINTENANCE OF CONTROL MEASURES A duty holder who implements a control measure to eliminate or minimise risks to health and safety must ensure that the control measure is, and is maintained so that it remains, eﬀective, including by ensuring that the control measure is and remains: (a) ﬁt for purpose, and (b) suitable for the nature and duration of the work, and (c)installed, set up and used correctly.

VERIFICATION OF CONTRACTOR PERFORMANCE

Regardless of the complexity of an organisation's supply chain, appropriate records of activities related to monitoring and supervision of contractor operations, clearly demonstrate the organisation's commitment to meeting its due diligence obligations. For further information, please visit: greencap.com.au Level 1/677 High Street, Kew East VIC 3102 T: +61 3 9896 8600 Greencap have developed a simple Self-Assessment Checklist for contractor safety management and this can be found on the Greencap website http://bit.ly/2z4Ix29

REFERENCES 1. As an example in the Commonwealth jurisdiction Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth) Section 27. 2. Commonwealth of Australia, Comcare, 2016, Guidance for Oﬃcers in Exercising Due Diligence, Canberra, viewed 16 November 2017, https://www.comcare.gov.au/Forms_ and_Publications/publications/services/safety_and_prevention/safety_and_prevention/ due_diligience

The monitoring step is to ensure contractors WHS systems are current and relevant for the work they are conducting.

3. Safe Work Australia, 2011, Interpretive Guideline – Model Work Health and Safety Act, The Meaning of ‘Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking’, viewed 16 November 2017, https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/system/ﬁles/documents/1702/ interpretive_guideline_-_pcbu.pdf

To start with, requirements of the contractor and the engaging organisation should be clearly identiﬁed in the contract documentation.

4. Further inquiries on these cases may be directed to the Registry of the Court or Tribunal in which it was generated.

The purpose of monitoring contractors, post-engagement, is to ensure they are conducting work safely by implementing the processes they have described in their WHS systems and processes; that they remain current and relevant for the work they are actually conducting. It is important to consider a systematic approach such as independent inspections and audit when monitoring and supervising contractors, especially where high-risk activities are being conducted. The organisation should consider verifying that the contractor’s system is being used and is effective in managing the risks to health and safety. Improvements, non-conformances and corrective actions should be documented, managed and tracked centrally so that the organisation has clear visibility of its contractor risk profile. For more complex organisations such as multi-site, multijurisdictional or construction project-based organisations, this can translate into significant administrative burden and a loss of visibility as to how risks are adequately identified and proactively managed.

Consideration should be given for integrating procurement and pre-qualiﬁcation platforms, safety management systems and closing the loop with on-site contractor veriﬁcations including corrective actions and incident reporting processes. These records are important documents and can be relied upon when a non-compliance or serious WHS incident occurs.

5 District Court New South Wales, 2016, Caselaw, Safework (NSW) v Ceerose Pty Ltd, viewed 4th December 2017. 6 District Court New South Wales, 2017, Caselaw, Safework (NSW) v WGA Pty Ltd, viewed 4th December 2017

DISCLAIMER The information in this material is not intended to provide, and should not be relied upon, for legal or professional advice and is subject to change. This material provides general information only and does not take into account your particular needs or circumstances. Before making any decisions, you should assess whether this material is appropriate for you and obtain legal advice tailored to you having regard to your particular needs and circumstances. Greencap Pty Ltd (Greencap), its oﬃcers, employees and agents believe that the information in this material and the sources on which the information is based (which may be sourced from third parties) are correct as at the date of publication. While every care has been taken in the preparation of this material, no warranty of accuracy or reliability is given and no responsibility for this information is accepted by Greencap, its oﬃcers, employees or agents. Except where contrary to law, Greencap excludes all liability for this information. If this material contains links to third party websites, Greencap does not control and is not responsible for the information contained within these websites. None of these links imply Greencap’s support, endorsement or recommendation of any other company, product or service.

BIM AND SECURITY SIMON HENSWORTH I SENIOR SECURITY PROFESSIONAL, ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY CONSULTANTS – ETC

Imagine if you knew all the security issues a building would suffer during its entire lifespan before you even start to build. You could design these issues out before they ever became issues. Well, the ability to do this is now closer than ever. Building Information Modelling (BIM) which uses a 3D format to design buildings is becoming more widely used as designers and engineers recognise the advantages and efficiencies it produces. With this wider use comes new advantages for Security design.

BIM

ADVANTAGES

IM stands for Building Information Modelling. It generally uses software such as Revit to produce a 3D virtual model of a building in place of the typical 2D plans used in conventional building Architectural and Building Services design.

ETC recently used BIM to design and document many multipleoccupant buildings. ETC noted that the use of the 3D modelling assisted in meeting a number of challenges including spatial constraints for services, and early assessment of security considerations, which are directly transferable to the hotel and short-stay apartment industry.

Whilst the actual virtual building model is designed in 3D, BIM is often described as being a 6D system, where the fourth dimension represents time, the fifth dimension being cost and sixth dimension being lifecycle. This enables efficiencies in the planning of the facility in terms of its overall design staging and associated costing. Whilst it has been suggested that the concept of BIM has been around as early as the 1970’s, the first implementation of BIM (in its infant stages) was not pioneered until the late 1980’s. It is not until recently, due to advances in IT and new software available that BIM has recently escalated into a new boom period. Constructing a 3D virtual model of a building generally follows the same construction process as constructing the actual 3D building in real life. Initially, pads and footings are designed and modelled, followed by walls, roofs, infrastructure, services, right down to the final fittings and furnishings. 3D representations of building infrastructure, services, furnishings and fittings are all modelled using accurate real life dimensions and can even include manufacturers’ details for specific equipment and technologies.

One of the greatest advantages of BIM is the enhanced ability to visualise the finished building. This allows the building owner to see an almost perfect representation of the finished product at the design stage. This is very useful for security design as it provides the ability to select optimum locations for CCTV, and select specific fields of view (FOV) for each camera at the design stage. This also allows security inspections and CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) reviews at the design stage using the model, so that design elements that may offer opportunities for crime or unwanted behaviour can be identified and mitigated early in the design process. The enhanced visualisation of a 3D model also assists in communication of potential security issues to the building owner. For example, climb points and natural ladders that may allow intruders to climb the building or access points that may be used which could put people in danger are easier to visualise and demonstrate on a 3D model than they are on a 2D plan.

This provides a realistic preview of the building process and potential issues that may arise.

The 3D model allows more advanced consideration and assessment of the spatial relationships in and around the building and analysis of lighting for sustainable design purposes.

The outcome is a perfect 3D virtual model representing the final finished building.

The 3D model can be designed concurrently by all disciplines which assists in the early identification of clashes in services.

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All information making up the model is a structured database. Information can be scheduled to enable the extraction of quantities, and materials/equipment can be easily extracted from the model for pricing purposes. Builders are provided with far more detailed and specific information that provides efficiencies in construction. For example, a builder can have building elements manufactured to the exact dimensions required to save work on site. The 3D design assists in maximising the transfer of information from the design team to the construction team and on to the end user. The BIM could be used downstream by an end user to go back and reference elements of the building throughout its design lifecycle. For example, if extensions are required to security systems, rather than a building operator search through documentation, or have technicians inspect conduit runs through the building, the BIM will show specific details of what exists and where it is located.

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Future advantages of BIM are its potential to be used for 3D printing of buildings.

END NOTE Designing in 3D has already started to supersede traditional 2D design methods, and the efficiencies and advantages it offers is sure to accelerate it as a preferred design method. BIM’s early advantages have already started to include enhancements for Security design and as BIM evolves and becomes the design standard, it is sure to offer even greater potential to safety and crime prevention.

Space Management

Asset Management

NOTE Before undertaking any activity related to this article, it is recommended you consult a Security Professional licensed in your State. Some information from this article has been referenced from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Building_Information_Modeling

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Simon is a Senior Security Professional with Engineering Technology Consultants – ETC. Simon has over 14 years’ experience in providing security advice, design and consultancy services for a range of clients with major assets in Western Australia. He is a registered Security Professional on the Australasian Security Professionals Registry and one of 10 CPTED practitioners certified by the International Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design Association (ICA), worldwide. Simon is involved in all aspects of Security Management, security design and documentation, CPTED and promoting Security Awareness.

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INDUSTRY Q+A

Specification writing for hotel architects and engineers MARK THOMSON

Hotel Engineer regular writer Mark Thomson recently caught up with master specification writer Greg Blain. Greg is the author of Archiassist an industry specification master system.

ark: Contract documentation usually comprises drawings, specifications and contract conditions. In these days of reduced project timeframes, can documents be simplified and specifications generalised to deliver best practice projects? GREG: Certainly, but there comes a point where being more general can have negative results.

The designer needs to really think their processes through, to identify time savings for many different things, including design approach, client contact, drawing practice and more. Then the designer requires the discipline to apply the time savers day after day. This is a big subject and I recommend the designer develops the habit of continual learning and searching.

Mark: There is a recent trend to provide only trade packages for tender. What do you see as the benefits of such practice and are there any pitfalls for engineers and architects?

GREG: Manufacturers specifications are critical and designers should take advantage of the expertise available here. It just needs to be managed well during construction.

GREG: I am yet to see evidence of the advantage of this form of procurement. Based on my experience and opinion, nothing beats the traditional design and full documentation by the designer followed by the tender process.

Overseas procurement complicates things greatly. Language and ethnic differences can cause problems, and checking and compliance can be difficult. Also, if something goes wrong after the product is delivered, rectification can be harder, than it should.

I think one of the main reasons for having alternative forms of procurement is that cost overruns were common, which can be a straightforward thing to correct. To me, trade package arrangements speaks of contractor laziness, wanting it done for them. From the documentation standpoint, it is a very difficult and risky way to go as everything needs to be assembled from scratch and it is easy to miss something. Also the designer is continually under time pressure and the design can suffer. Good design takes time and evolves. Mark: Manufacturers specifications form an important ingredient to the building process, with many products being manufactured overseas. What consequence does/will this have on Australian buildings?

I’m amazed at the choice to make significant customized building components overseas. The huge amount of extra organisational and compliance work and travel involved is extraordinary, then you have the cost and environmental impact of shipping the things to Australia. MARK: Ibrahim Koura an experienced ITT Sheraton Rezidoe Almullah Group Hotel consultant identified the third most common mistake he'd come across from hotel engineers was the failure to plan for the BOTH (back of the house) facilities in relation to space and equipment selection. Can you advise if and how performance specifications can overcome such situations? GREG: Back of house issues are as important as any in the design process. However, I think it is not so much of a matter of specifications, but more a design issue.

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The designer needs to be committed to the needs of the occupants including maintenance personnel. It is ultimately the designer who should be professional about every part of a building, including designing spaces for equipment and showing leadership with consultants and clients in equipment selection. Mark: When refurbishing hotels what specification clauses would you recommend to assist in determining Australian standards and NCC conformance? GREG: I think refurbishment and new construction needs to be treated all the same. This question of regulatory conformance is a big one and I can’t give specific clauses here. I can however talk about this subject in the sense of how to approach it. Regards Australian Standards, architectural designers refer to these very little. The main one they refer to in detail is the AS1428 Design for Access and Mobility. The rest largely are simply referenced in their specifications, for the contractor and subcontractors to conform to. Engineers likely would design to the Australian standards in a more detailed way. The NCC is used by designers in more detail to develop the design and complete the documentation. The degree to which they comply depends on the designer. One extreme is the designer who carefully assess the NCC and designs to it diligently and then documents thoroughly the micro-detail of it so the contractor can just build off the documents. The other extreme is the designer who makes the overall design comply with the NCC and documents that design in

a basic way which includes multiple references to NCC clauses, putting the micro-design responsibility on the builder. I favour the former method which sees the designer with more work but has more control of the outcome, and the builder does what they are good at, and that is building. Mark: What specification advice can you offer engineers when working on design and construct projects in relation to their documentation and scheduling for hotels? GREG: Work to the commitment demanded of traditional procurement and don’t reduce your standards because others want to rush, which is a primary characteristic of alternative procurement. Sort out your master specification to contain the universal construction detail that occurs on every job across Australia, the sort of stuff you don’t want to think twice about. Once that is done, don’t touch the master spec unless you are upgrading it. Put all your project specific detail on your drawings and schedules, as these are the documents that get changed regularly and these are the documents that are first referred to by the contractor. You want to produce your Specs quickly and by having the universal detail only in it, you can just employ the ‘read and delete’ editing method which is simply: read through and delete what is not in the job and what remains is your spec. Don’t add to the spec, as that takes a lot of time to write and then proof read. Put project specific detail in the schedules or on the drawings and don’t bury it in the spec. For more information check out www.archiassist.com.au

How IP security cameras have changed

THE CCTV GAME SURECOM

When most of us think of CCTV footage, a very specific image comes to mind. This image is grainy, it’s dark, the colours are off, and lines are struck through it. This image, if we’re being blunt, is terrible.

hile this style of CCTV footage may still dominate real crime TV shows, over the years technology has (thankfully) moved forward. The world is going digital and ultra-connected, and surveillance tech is

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doing the same. This advancement is best embodied by IP security cameras. IP stands for Internet Protocol, an anagram which hints at just a few of the major differences that these modern surveillance solutions offer when compared to those of the past. So how have IP cameras changed the CCTV game? Let’s look at the main differences between the cameras of old and the cameras of new.

IMAGE QUALITY How many pieces of modern day technology can you name that have been unchanged since the 50s? Presumably not many. Analogue CCTV cameras, as it happens, are one. No matter what the manufacturer may state, these cameras by definition use the NTSC video standard, a standard introduced in the 50s. That means modern day cameras are no better on resolution than those built almost 7 decades ago. By contrast, IP security cameras are available in a range of different resolutions, all of which are far greater than those available from analogue cameras. In fact, the lowest quality IP camera – usually 1.3 Megapixels – is 4x the resolution of an analogue camera. There are cameras on the market that stretch all the way up to 30MP, allowing you to get an crystal clear view of your property, and use far less cameras in doing so. Faces become more recognisable, licence plates more readable, and intruders more catchable.

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When people think modern day tech they might think of complicated equipment that requires complicated installation and even more complicated upkeep. But the truth is quite the opposite. Analogue cameras require a separate cable to transmit video signal back to a recording device. That means that you’ll

automatically need to install two cables – one for the video and another to power the unit. For PTZ cameras (those that are able to pan, tilt and zoom), yet another cable is required in order to control this function.

above the casing of the cable, your CCTV footage is ripe to be stolen should someone have the want to steal it. The only way to sidestep this flaw is to install fibre optic cable – an incredibly expensive exercise.

Most IP cameras these days are simple plug-and-play units. One cable is capable of transmitting video signal, power and PTZ functionality, and because the camera can connect to your network, you only have to link this cable to the nearest network switch rather than directly to a recording device. And with less connections to go wrong, the upkeep is also simpler.

IP cameras, on the other hand, will almost always feature encryption technology that guarantees your privacy. The signal is encrypted by the camera before being sent back to the database where it is subsequently decrypted – if the signal happens to be intercepted on the way it will be entirely unintelligible to anyone outside the system.

EASE OF USE

SCALABILITY

This simplicity extends to the user experience. With more and more organisations switching to IP security camera systems there has been a strong focus on making IP software as simple and user friendly as possible.

Analogue systems will generally make use of a coax cable in order to transmit video from a camera to a recording device. This recording device will either take the form of a VHS recorder or a DVR (Digital Video Recorder) which converts the analogue signal into a digital file. The issue with this is the recorders will always have a finite amount of ports to plug into, limiting the amount of cameras you can utilise on your property. In order to add more you need to buy another recorder.

Intuitive menus, minimalist layouts and an incredible range of functionality; if you are tech-savvy enough to use a computer or smartphone, you’ve got all the skill set required to control an IP security camera system.

INFORMATION SECURITY

IP security camera systems, by contrast, offer the ultimate in scalability.

For those with the right skill set, analogue transmissions are a cinch to intercept. Without any form of security over and

• An infinite amount of cameras can be added, as they connect to the network rather than a physical recorder.

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• Recordings are sent to NVRs (Network Video Recorders) which save recordings on multiple disparate hard drives and will usually automatically backup all data. • There’s no need to run cable back to a central recorder, just to the nearest network switch. • Multiple sites, even in different countries, can use the same NVR, saving your organisation setting up a new system on every single property. Whatever your scaling needs, an IP security camera system will be able to handle it. The same cannot be said for analogue.

INTELLIGENT ANALYTICS Proactivity or reactivity. When it comes to security, the former is far more desirable than the latter. Unfortunately analogue CCTV systems only give you the opportunity to react – a person is required to sit down and watch the footage, whether it be in real time or after the fact, and deconstruct exactly what is happening. It’s time consuming, labour intensive and inefficient. As humans we are fallible, and it only takes one slip of concentration to have an intruder slip through the net. IP security camera systems change all that. Video Management Systems (VMS) now come with intelligent software that automatically monitors all video feeds simultaneously. The software analyses the video looking for anything

dangerous or out of the ordinary. An alarm is triggered if the VMS picks up on anything, be it a dangerous area being entered, a person loitering, an object being taken or an unauthorised person being present in an area.

LOWER COST Let’s face it, in the world of business it always comes to cost. Do the chips stack up? When everything is taken into account – purchasing the tech, installing it, maintaining it and using it – the total cost of ownership for an IP security camera system can be a fraction of what an analogue option can cost. Less equipment, more automation, greater functionality and higher levels of security combine to make an IP system a simple choice for modern day property owners. When compared to the standard analogue offering, IP security cameras are nothing less than game-changing. The value, flexibility and effectiveness of IP offerings are streets ahead of anything that analogue is capable of; it’s like pitting a horse-and-cart against a modern day Mercedes Benz. If you’re a property owner who takes security seriously, the choice is simple. It’s IP or it’s nothing.

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EC FANS – Why the hype?

JAMIE PARK I PROJECT ENGINEER, A.G. COOMBS ADVISORY

EC fans are a hot topic in energy efficient air movement technology, with options available for almost every application in a HVAC system. These ‘new technology’ fans use significantly less energy compared to conventional fan designs and in existing commercial buildings their retrofitting could result in reductions of up to 10% in overall building energy consumption. As with all promising new technologies there are a range of factors that should be considered to help ensure that the potential benefits are achieved.

WHAT IS AN EC FAN AND WHERE CAN THEY BE USED?

n simple terms Electronically Commutated (EC) fans consist of a brushless DC motor with on-board electronics used to drive and control a fan rotor; compared to traditional AC induction motor technology. EC fans are powered by 240 or 415 Volt AC electricity supply, which is converted to DC power by the motor’s electronics. DC motors are around 30% more efficient than AC motors because the secondary magnetic field comes from permanent magnets rather than copper windings. The external-rotor arrangement for these motors also makes for a very compact fan design, and the use of electronics to convert and control the power supply offers up other power saving opportunities.

EC fans are now used extensively in various applications, both for newly manufactured equipment and for retrofit into existing plant such as computer room AC units, refrigeration condensers and general HVAC systems. An increasingly common application is their use as replacement ‘plug fans’ as a significantly more efficient Air Handler Unit (AHU) retrofit option over traditional scroll fans.

BENEFITS OF EC FANS OVER TRADITIONAL FAN AND MOTOR TECHNOLOGY • Reduced energy consumption. • Integrated variable speed control capabilities to allow fan performance to accurately match varying air flow requirements without energy wasteful damping.

and addressed prior to delivery to site, reducing the work required on site and saving time.

• EC motors maintain a high efficiency level at part speeds. • Lower motor noise, particularly under speed control. • On-board motor-electrical protection, no need for external line devices. • Remote monitoring enabled via digital and analogue communication ports. • Compact motors making them readily interchangeable for retrofits. • Run cooler than AC induction motors, reducing heat put into air flow and leads to longer component life

RETROFITTING EC FANS INTO AHU UNITS

• When retrofitting AHU’s with EC plug fans, the pressure inside the supply air plenum may change from negative to positive; the pressure integrity of the AHU must be assessed and consideration given to the swing direction and locking mechanisms of AHU supply air plenum doors. • If using EC fans for fire mode operation, the ability to override all internal controls must be considered. EC fans are a viable and attractive solution for many HVAC applications, offering a number of advantages over traditional AC motors, particularly for AHU fan upgrades.

In commercial buildings AHU fans can be responsible for up to 30% of the total building energy consumption. An EC plug fan retrofit has the potential to reduce AHU fan energy in the order of 10-30%, resulting in potential reductions of up to 10% in a building’s overall energy consumption. Energy savings of this scale will contribute to a marked improvement in a building’s NABERS energy rating. EC plug fan retrofit option should be considered for end-of-life AHU fan replacement, or as part of a broader building systems energy reduction initiative. Innovative modular design options for these fans may also offer other advantages along with energy cost savings. Replacement of large traditional centrifugal fans in AHU’s is often logistically challenging because of access and space constraints leading to additional installation costs and inconvenience. The ability to replace with number of smaller compact plug fans may favourably address these issues. Simple payback of the new plant through energy cost savings and simpler logistics can be in the order of 3-5 years, with additional ongoing benefits including; reduced maintenance requirements, lower fan noise and improved plant redundancy with multiple fans operating.

INSTALLATION CONSIDERATIONS • EC motors require a software setup to enable operation under specified parameters, they can be programmed

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Facilities Management Accreditation

THE FUTURE?

NICHOLAS BURT I FACILITY MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA (FMA)

The facilities management industry is evolutionary and continues to develop and adapt to meet the growing needs of technical changes in the industry, growing expectations of clients (in terms of service) and pressure to improve the cost structure – which underpins that service delivery. As such the role of a facilities management professional has continued to evolve. The question is – can an FM accreditation deliver an outcome.

IMPACTING FACTORS

he industry has struggled for more than two decades to establish a key role that truly represents and recognises the impact this profession has on a client organisation. It can’t be an accident that other professions – usually support professions – have been able to articulate a clear value proposition which has seen their profession rise to the highest strategic positions within an organisation. Is human resources any more, or any less, important than facilities management? The ability to have productive people in a workspace is ultimately a multifaceted proposition, but the space in which people operate in commercial organisations would have to be a significant factor. Unlike human resources, facilities management moves beyond the commercial to include other facility types like recreation, residential and retail, just to name a few. It is arguably more important than some other enabling professions that only impact workspace because facilities management is not only concerned with productivity, but also health, safety, and well-being. If the industry was not important then there would not have been a significant growth. According to 2006 sizing study, the industry was in the order of $20 billion, little more than a decade later that number has grown to $32 billion. This is over 50% growth in a decade. The industry continues to grow in both size and breadth. How do we turn the tide on how the profession is viewed? I think a key area is the development of the international standard and using it as a catalyst to drive a recognition of professionalism.

INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS The development of the ISO is a significant step towards a level of accreditation previously unattainable in facilities

management. To date, 32 countries have been involved in the development and review of an international standard, once initially implemented it will achieve 3 key outcomes. The first is to establish the terms and definitions for the industry. This is important to ensure a common understanding, and if nothing else were achieved, this would provide a significant step forward from the current position of the industry. Consistent terms and definitions for the key concepts set the base level understanding of definitions that impact the industry. The second part of the standard is the guidance on the development of service agreements. In an industry which in Australia is close to 60% outsourced, and relies very much on the sub-contracting of technical and specialist services, the common platform for engaging services (whether in-house or external) will be a positive step towards building industry consistency. The third part of the standard is probably the part which will have the potential to maximise future impact on the industry: A management system standard (MSS) which will provide a framework for accreditation of organisations operating within the industry. The MSS will aim to distinguish the key areas of structural performance (including policies and strategies), which need to be present in an organisation and its operational and strategic systems for that organisation to meet a specific threshold to allow accreditation.

MOVE TO FORMAL ACCREDITATION One key opportunity is through broad based industry accreditation. An accreditation program ideally provides an opportunity to demonstrate the competency. An industry

based accreditation program is shaped by the industry, for the industry, providing a minimum requirement of a professional level of competence. A formal accreditation process has been developed previously for facilities management. There is, of course, a number of specialist accreditations and general credentials available, but nothing that can potentially be aligned to an applicable international standard, and the relevant Australian industry competencies matrix for facilities management professionals. The MSS sets out a consistent approach to terms and definitions and provides a clear framework for ensuring the competency matrix is aligned to the internationally accepted terms and definitions. The development of the standard will provide clear parameters for the accreditation of organisations, ensuring that a certain level is required to be met to achieve an accreditation of a facilities management organisation. How does this translate to an accreditation applicable to demonstrating competencies in individuals? An accreditation for individuals will be linked to a number of researched sources. The role of the standard is to outline the organisational requirements for accreditation of facilities management organisations. In order to meet these requirements, facilities management individuals must be able to deliver or produce such requirements. This is a translation exercise, a simple example might include the needs for a

facilities management plan, this then dictates that if you have a plan, a facilities manager should be able to draft a plan, this then becomes a competency required in the accrediting of individuals. The other sources of guidance is the breadth of work already completed through education. Because of the development of the Diploma of Facilities Management, a full competency assessment driven by an industry reference group has been achieved. This too becomes a source for accreditation requirement, depending on the level needed. The result: an accreditation system which is developed by the industry to meet the needs of the needs of the industry.

CHANGE PROCESS Is accreditation of an industry a simple proposition? I think not! The need to balance legacy competencies and skills with the future direction is never an easy road to navigate. However, putting it off only makes the future more difficult and results in one of two outcomes – the industry continues to be formally unrecognised at a strategic level and/or the industry will result in gaps of knowledge in regards to things like technological advances. In the most recent skills matrix developed by the association, 60% of the competencies required by a facilities manager were management competencies, this was not the case a decade ago.

OTHER FACTORS In some respects the evolution of facilities management has moved to draw a number of specialisations to a set of generalist competencies. Is this the right direction? Perhaps, but will it deliver the most technically robust outcome for building occupants? This all depends.

1-2 AUGUST 2018

I think there is a clear need for specialisations, as hotels are not the same as retail or the same as commercial. Sure there are some core skills which apply to all, but the importance of specialist knowledge can’t be overlooked, because the needs of facilities users should not be unnoticed. The analogy is simple – would you want a lawyer who specialised in criminal law acting on behalf of a client in family law? Or would you trust your brand new Mercedes with a mechanic who has only trained in repairing a Kia? In both cases specialisation is a positive aspect delivering better outcomes. Facilities management is no different.

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CONCLUSION Does facilities management benefit from accreditation? I think the logical answer is yes – clarity in a role, understood purpose and defined levels of competency. These are all aspects of a professional that can strengthen the ability to articulate a value proposition to a client, to an organisation’s executive, but also to an apartment owner, a shopper or a sports fan. Accreditation has been tried previously and has had limited traction. I believe the industry is now at a point where it supports this as the next logical step.

THE NETWORKED HOTEL ROOM – Energy efficient, reliable, connected, integrated VINTECH SYSTEMS

Everything in the networked hotel room of the future needs to fall within these simple principles: proven energy efficiency, full connectivity, fully integrated and 100% reliable at all times. Everyone wants to make sure they have made the best buying decisions, but it’s confusing. Where there used to be silos of expertise based around 1) The lock, 2) The Hvac control, 3) The lighting control, 4) The BMS.

en Y will be the guests of the future and they will demand top quality Guest Room Management Systems. Maintenance staff of the future will demand technologies that are seamlessly integrated with a single control solution. Hotel owners and Managers will demand the energy efficiency to conquer rising running costs. But how simple is it to achieve? This single system • must act as the hub for all other room devices associated with the key principles • must be able to communicate with all Hvac systems, even split systems and VRF • must be one system that can offer “out of the box” control lighting circuits and also offer dimming and high level lighting control interfaces • must be only one system that talks to the door lock allowing full online functionality and information pass through and lastly, • one system that over and above all the other features listed, can control additional features, including blinds, drapes and minibar use and operation. The demand for intelligent building automation systems in the hospitality industry is growing in conjunction with the demand for simple, scalable, and open system standards that can easily integrate with a large number of existing services to enhance the end user experience. Systems such as the INTEREL Guest Room Management System by Vintech Systems, provides an integrated solution that

includes lighting control, dimming, thermoregulation, presence detection and room service controls in one system. The core of the system, the Room Control Unit, provides centralised override control over all room functions. With its integrated components (HVAC and Lighting, Dimming, Presence detection and Room service controls) its an online system through the hotelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s converged TCP/IP network, via LAN or WiFi. The system brings the TCP/IP to the room level enabling real-time integration with third party IP systems including but not limited to VoIP, HITV, smartphones and tablets (e.g. iPhone, iPad, Android). A standard guest room will have a Room Control Unit which connects to the room devices (including corridor panels, thermostats, glass switches, wired bedside panels.) through RS485 bus line in a daisy chain or star configuration, rendering considerable savings on the structured cabling infrastructure. The RCU is embedded with a compatible ZigBee antenna to receive above all events from an integrated door lock in real-time allowing Welcome an Exit scenes to be configured and introduced. These scenes consist of preset lighting scenes and temperature settings for different roles (Guest vs Staff). 3rd party door locks will go online through the existing TCP/IP infrastructure provided for INTEREL System without the need for a separate network normally required by the locking vendor.

Energy saving is achieved using motion sensor modules that sense the occupancy of a guest in the room. When the room is unoccupied and the door closed after a period of time, the GRMS can control the room load and switch off non-essential demand. The thermoregulation control includes 5 temperature presets that can be determined by the operator, including short term and long-term room vacancy. Welcome temperature which includes fast cooling in summer when guest checks in, Comfort temperature allowing the guest to specify the settings on the thermostat and non-occupancy temperature for when the room is vacant. Our intelligent thermostats also have the ECO comfort functions, which combine the comfort of the guest with the ecological use of the room loads by implementing an energy saving algorithm on thermoregulation control and lighting dimming when the guest is in the room. The systemâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s server application does not require client software to be installed as the hotel staff can access through web browsers the server application and retrieve the real-time logs of events happening in guest rooms. From a lighting control view, the system is capable of supporting switching and dimming (optional) of various lighting types including halogen, incandescent, florescent, and compact florescent, and LEDs. INTEREL further supports DMX and DALI lighting protocol options. This ensures the capability to support hotels on various requests and options available.

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Sustainability is an increasingly important part of doing business in the hospitality industry, particularly since 21% of global carbon dioxide emissions from the tourism sector can be attributed solely to accommodation. Thankfully, many hotels are embracing opportunities to incorporate initiatives ranging from using sustainable products to obtaining third-party green certification across their operations.

ecent research by Deloitte (“Hospitality 2015: Game changers or spectators?”) has shown there is a growing customer preference for green hotels, with 95% of business travellers surveyed for the research indicating that they believe the hotel industry should be undertaking green initiatives. There has also been a general increase in consumer preference for sustainable products across multiple industries. The demand for sustainable products and services is there – and hotels are adopting “green” practices in response. However, are these efforts effective? Are hotel owners taking full advantage of the opportunities available to them to ensure that their approach to sustainability will benefit their business, as well as the environment? Although sustainability is seen as an important factor in decision-making processes for hotel owners and managers, it’s not yet fully entrenched in business thinking. Sustainability must be addressed from a holistic perspective, encompassing technology, people, business models, physical assets, operational practices, and financial efficiency. It needs to be embraced across all levels of the organisation and throughout the entire life of the building, from the beginning of construction and interior fit-outs to the ongoing operational procedures.

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This presents a challenge to hotel owners and managers who want to do the right thing, but may not know where to start, particularly as more green regulations are introduced into the industry and achieving operational efficiency becomes more difficult. EarthCheck’s General Manager for Sustainability, Marco Sepulveda, claims that hotel energy and water consumption are the two key areas where efficiency can be improved. Steps to reduce consumption include metering the largest consumers of energy (usually HVAC systems, which can typically account for 40-55% of a hotel’s energy consumption); automated lighting, temperature and irrigation controls; choosing energy-efficient and water-efficient appliances; and education of staff and guests. Producing and implementing a sustainable procurement policy is perhaps one of the best ways to ensure all procurement decisions are made with care. A robust policy covers all purchasing and services provision from a sustainable perspective, while maintaining cost-effective business practices as well. The recently-published ISO20400 Sustainable Procurement Guidance standard is a great place to start, outlining the factors that must be taken into account when drafting a procurement policy in the first place. The standard emphasises and defines the principles of sustainable procurement, including transparency, accountability, and ethical behaviour. It also suggests practical strategies for determining whether a purchase is truly sustainable, such as preferencing products and services with third-party sustainability certification, for example. Clear communication – to customers, stakeholders, and employees – is also key for a successful sustainability strategy. Hotel owners are increasingly working with independent organisations to validate and communicate their sustainability credentials, such as obtaining EarthCheck certification, or TripAdvisor’s Green Leaders program. As competition grows in the green hotels sector, owners will need to look for new, novel ways of publicly communicating their sustainability efforts, such as engaging with green marketing campaigns run by trusted sustainability organisations. Improving sustainability practices in the hospitality sector is essential, but not difficult to achieve. A solid sustainable procurement policy, maximising efficient use of energy and water, and clear communication strategies will go a long way towards running a cost-effective and environmentallyaware business.

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FLAMMABLE REFRIGERANTS: A safe transition

BARRY ABBOUD I JILL WOLTKAMP

The national sales manager at Johnson Controls, Barry Abboud, and the company's market analyst for chiller solutions, Jill Woltkamp, share insights on how to make a safe transition to next generation refrigerants.

rior to the 1930’s, inventors used a variety of available chemicals to develop their ice machines and refrigerators. Some of these refrigerants found in nature, were readily available, and are still used in the refrigeration industry today. Several, however, were highly volatile and were discontinued when synthetic chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were invented—R11 being one of the earliest and most successful. With CFCs, refrigerant was considerably safer and was more efficient than most refrigerants that had been used to that time. Growth in the use of CFCs in both the air conditioning and refrigeration industry continued until the 1970’s when scientists connected the deterioration of the ozone layer above the Antarctic with their use. By 1988, the Vienna Convention was entered into force, and the Montreal Protocol followed one year later defining the actions to be taken by both developed and developing nations to address ozone depletion. After the Montreal Protocol began the phase-out of CFCs, the HVAC industry has accelerated refrigerant development and testing in the search for more environmentally benign compounds, and, since the chemistry

developments of the 1930s, the HVAC industry's primary concern has always been that of life safety. Refrigerants are combinations of a limited number of elements with varying characteristics. Use of chlorine or bromine increase ozone depletion potential, while adding fluorine increases global warming potential. Adding hydrogen increases flammability but lowers atmospheric lifetime. The challenge to chemists is to create a workable balance between a multitude of considerations, including environmental impact and efficiency, while not compromising on safety. Currently, the global HVACR industry is tackling the third paradigm shift in synthetic refrigerant chemistry – the first went from CFCs to HCFCs, the second, from HCFCs to HFCs, and now the third, from HFCs to HFOs, HFO blends, and other low-GWP options, such as natural refrigerants. Each transition has reduced the atmospheric lifetime of the refrigerant molecule in question by an order of magnitude. For example, the atmospheric lifetime for CFC-12 is 100 years, HFC134a is just over 10 years, while HFO-1234yf is only 10 days.

ISO Standard 817 and ASHRAE Standard 34 classify both refrigerant flammability and toxicity. Letters A and B designate lower and higher toxicity. A number system denotes the level of flammability, with A1 for non-flammable, A2 for flammable, and A3 for higher flammability. In practice, the flammability and toxicity classifications are combined to indicate the general safety of the refrigerant. For example, HFC-134a is classified A1.

Refrigerant molecules that rapidly degrade can have less impact on the environment. But rapid decomposition in the atmosphere is another way of saying that these refrigerant molecules are less stable, and potentially can be flammable under certain conditions. More reactive chemicals can also be more toxic. As a result, the industry is committed to thoroughly investigating the safety of today's fourthgeneration refrigerants, and making this transition is not without challenges.

Recently, the new classification of 2L was created to indicate Mildly Flammable, which is defined as having a burning velocity (BV) of less than 10 cm/s. Compared to Class 2, Class 2L substances do not propagate readily a horizontal flame, only an upwards flame. Thus, a Class 2L refrigerant is effectively non-explosive if ignited, as the flame predominantly propagates in an upward direction and not rapidly outwards in many directions. The current body of research has been largely influenced by refrigerant and some equipment manufacturers with a stake in greater adoption of these fluids. It is important that the continued work of third party independent research organisations validate this information and work across geographic borders to leverage the work done in different regions of the world.

SAFETY Research, certifications, regulation and implementation take time. It is important to be thorough, not expedient, to ensure that this transition to lower GWP refrigerants is made without compromise. While some sectors of the refrigeration industry have utilised flammable refrigerants for some time, HVAC systems used for human comfort applications since the 1930's have traditionally used the safest Class A1 refrigerants, with the exception of HCFC-123, designated Class B1, under ASHRAE 34. Flammable refrigerants are uncommon in the HVAC industry. The potential use of mildly flammable A2L refrigerant in HVAC applications affects equipment designs and standards, building and fire codes, construction practices, manufacturing processes, material handling and life safety procedures. All of which must be updated to ensure refrigerants can be utilised safely. Manufacturers, aware of this transition process, are evaluating new refrigerants and other technologies to advance performance, cost and safety of their products. Most manufacturers have been monitoring, testing and prototyping many of these refrigerant alternatives for many years. For today’s R-134a based centrifugal and screw chiller platforms for example, medium pressure HFO-513A refrigerant blend, serves as a good option in terms of safety, capacity and efficiency for future applications, as it is also Class A1 refrigerant, with similar thermodynamic properties and with 56 per cent lower GWP. For scroll chiller platforms, several potential alternatives have been identified that look attractive due to their performance. For outdoor chillers, A2L flammability risks can be more readily addressed. However, flammability presents a greater challenge for indoor equipment and for direct systems like rooftops, split systems, VRF and unitary equipment. These new HFO refrigerants, currently limited in their availability, generally come with price premiums when compared to today’s HFCs. However, this will change over time. As the newer generation HFO refrigerants are introduced to the market, their adoption rate will be a function of available equipment, distribution, local inventory, local pricing, service infrastructure, industry training and building code revisions commensurate with the new, updated AS/NZ Standards 817 and 5149. A HFC phase-down was agreed under the Montreal Protocol in Kigali, Rwanda, in October 2016. Developed countries, such as Australia, will phase‐down their production and imports of HFCs by 85 per cent between 2019 and 2036. Developing countries will also phase-down HFCs over a more extended time schedule. The HFC phase-down is importantly and deliberately not a phase out. HFCs will incur a gradual reduction in the maximum amount permitted to be imported into Australia, beginning

from January 1, 2018. The end point is an 85 per cent reduction by December 31, 2035, which equates to 1.607 Mt CO2‐e annually from 2036 onwards.

EFFICIENCY When we talk about the total environmental warming impact from an electric chiller (TEWI), we have to consider the sum of both the direct and indirect effects. The indirect effect is influenced significantly by the energy source mix of power generation and equipment efficiency. To specifically calculate the indirect impact, energy consumption per year is multiplied by the indirect emission factor which is multiplied by the system operating life. The direct impact is calculated by multiplying the refrigerant GWP times the refrigerant charge (amount of refrigerant in the unit) times the leakage rate times the system operating life. Manufacturers have made significant progress in recent years addressing the direct effect by reducing unit charge volumes through new heat exchanger technologies. Leakage rates have also been significantly reduced through improved equipment designs. Hypothetically, if we could completely eliminate the refrigerant charge impact of a chiller, so we remove the direct effect component of the global warming potential entirely, we are only left with the indirect effect to consider. In this case, how much of the carbon footprint remains? Surprisingly around 95 per cent of the total global warming impact remains due to indirect emissions from predominantly fossil fuel generated electric power. The important message here is that as we embrace a low GWP refrigerant future, we must not compromise and must continue to strive for higher levels of equipment efficiency. HFCs are a type of synthetic greenhouse gases (SGGs) that contribute to climate change. As of 2013, synthetic greenhouse gases represented 1.8 per cent of Australia’s carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2‐e) emissions. The sequential reduction in import of HFC refrigerants permitted by the Australian Government under the Kigali phase-down agreement, is to ensure that this percentage does not continue to grow. As the industry embraces the responsible transition to lower GWP natural and next-generation synthetic refrigerants, safety will always remain the primary consideration. Adoption of lower carbon intensity power will make a major contribution to reducing the significant indirect global warming effect of large electric HVAC chillers. Notwithstanding, both today and in the future, it is paramount to ensure high levels of product, system and building efficiency, which provide the greatest potential to reduce our overall carbon footprint. Article courtesy of Yaffa. First published in Climate Control News Nov 2017. www.yaffa.com.au.

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How the hospitality industry can promote a sustainable economy and new business by

BUYING RECYCLED PLANET ARK

Our ambassador James Treble showing off some recycled products.

Consumers are looking for points of difference in every product and service, including accommodation and event management, and sustainability is a great way to set a venue apart and run an ethical business. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why Planet Ark has launched an online directory of recycled products, ranging from toilet paper to furniture, which can be used by building managers and procurement staff to identify potential purchases.

Planet Ark staff engaging in a Friday File Fling (our business initiative during NRW where we encourage businesses to go through old paperwork and files and recycled what they don't need anymore).

lanet Ark’s National Recycling Week wrapped up last month (November 13-19) but its message, that buying recycled products matters, goes on. Its 2017 research report What Goes Around: Why Buying Recycled Matters found a surprising amount of Australians’ purchasing decisions are influenced by sustainability. Cost pressures and existing contracts may limit purchasing decisions, but Planet Ark’s 2017 research has found an overwhelming majority of Australians (88%) say they already purchase products that contain recycled materials. Most Australians (70%) also say they would be more likely to purchase a product and/or packaging if they contained recycled materials. This comes off the back off research earlier this year that found employees felt better working for organisations that made tangible efforts to be environmentally responsible. More than nine out of ten Australian households recycle and employees are increasingly expecting recycling facilities in the workplace. Statistics indicate that Australia-wide, 80% of employees would like more recycling in the workplace and that having recycling facilities make them feel like they work for a responsible employer. These benefits to consumer and employee sentiment come with tangible benefits, including better online ratings and higher staff retention. Venues angling for event hire may also find that their environmental credentials get them over the line with prospective guests. Recycling Programs Manager Ryan Collins says that the economy as a whole stands to benefit when consumers and business opt for sustainable purchases. “When consumers and businesses purchase products that are made from recycled materials, they create a demand for recycling, which supports Australian industry, allows new

recycled manufacturing opportunities to flourish and creates jobs. As well as being good for the environment, the financial benefits of this closed loop cycle are significant. It’s estimated that by 2025 the circular economy in Australia could be worth $26 billion.” Examples of recycled products that hotels/motels could use include: • In rooms: Naturale Toilet Paper, Seljak 100% recycled merino wool blankets • In the kitchen: Naturale Paper Towels • In offices: Planet Ark, Reflex or Australian 100% recycled paper Construction and renovation waste can also be disposed of using a construction and demolition waste disposal company such as Bingo Bins, a proud partner of Planet Ark has reported being able to recover up to 79% of materials from its skips. Facility and building managers should also keep an eye on NABERS Waste (https://www.nabers.gov.au), an initiative by the Office of Environment and Heritage. They are currently trialling a Waste Manager Platform and Rating tool that allows business owners and key staff to see trends in waste generation and identify what types of waste are costing them the most to handle. The tool is part of NABERS’ efforts to revamp their waste scoring system and make it easier for building managers to both apply for and comply with the ratings, and is expected to be released in March 2018. To view Planet Ark’s directory of recycled products and for more information on how to live and work sustainably visit recyclingnearyou.com.au. Tips on business waste disposal, recycling and the benefits of recycling in the workplace can be found at businessrecycling.com.au.

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BACK OF HOUSE

December 2017

The following was written way back whilst in Singapore but in the light of recent events this past year in Australia, there are still pertinent points to consider...

NEIL WEENINK

he power came back to Singapore some 13 hours later. The upright fan in our office suddenly got busy again, papers blew every which way, and I thought good, we’re back in business. But that was not the end of the saga. The Malay Times informed its readers next day that Malaysia too had experienced a drop of supply “Because we were helping Singapore during their crisis, and over taxed our system.” Of course this was hotly denied by Singapore, and for a few days we had a media ping pong match. This situation is not uncommon, as there is only a narrow causeway between the two nations, and Singapore purchases most of its water and gas from Malaysia and sometimes things get a little strained. With the dust settled and full power restored, the principal lesson to be learned is: – Transformers and switchgear installations should be ‘suitably separated’ from each other and from the power generation source in order to minimise the possibility of flash fire carry-over. In fact there has been a series of maintenance related emergencies in the region recently. Singapore this week had a Russian passenger ship roll through an 80-degree angle when a floating dock sprang a leak, and Malaysia has had two major fires in air terminal facilities. There has also been the odd oil refinery and gas mains explosion up north. The cause behind each of these incidents has been traced to either unacceptable maintenance practices or to lack of specified maintenance programmers. As I see it, sophisticated technical systems and control applications are of doubtful value if the humans responsible for plant design, operation and maintenance are not fully compos mentis with the if, how, why, and when. And one other point. Regulations. These too are only as good as the system of inspections, and the penalties as implemented. We have just completed a report on a hotel in a country where there is little training, few or no regulations and minimal technical [trade] certification. The end result is very disturbing, with all manner of potential disasters throughout the property, and an awesome responsibility for the European operator. Recently I spent ten hours with the General Manager in his office, doors shut, phone off the hook – as we went word by word, picture by picture and chart by chart through the 80page Technical Report on his hotel.

Think about that. About the language we use, the CFCs, LPGs, RPMs, COPs, KWs and kWhs. The Pascals, W/m, tons refrig., m/s, L/s, lub oil, fuel oil, beer hall, and so ad infinitum. Then try the systems, and try out the loops: the gases or liquids that starts at some point and travel full circle. This language has to be translated into interesting words and numbers for those whom it is important to have on ‘your side’.

Many executives have a problem understanding how the wheelbarrow works, so a chat over lunch can be of great value. [“What do you mean, who invented the wheel...?” ] The Malaysian PM made a strong statement regarding recent emergencies. A local fire works factory had also blown up, and he was understandably vexed. He said, “What levels of maintenance are you people using? Do you know what you are doing, and do you understand the results of what you are doing?” Now these are very interesting questions, because they shoot straight to the heart of any maintenance system or department responsible for asset maintenance, and I was planning to develop this theme at the First Hotel Engineering Conference in November. Unfortunately the people organising the conference have backed out of their intent to have me involved; which situation I will not burden you with, but my feelings you may well imagine. Spare a thought for the maintenance people at one of the larger hotels here. With a change of Management, the broom inevitably worked its way down to the basement where the Engineering Department had efficiently operated for 8-years. The result being that the entire workshop area is to be relocated to a car park, and the original area converted into Admin. Office space... On the lighter side, there is a property in Bangkok where the boiler attendants have their own weight lifting gym in the plant room, complete with a wall mirror. Alongside this apparatus they have a shoe repair facility to which the female staff come when they have shoe problems, or wish to view the muscle men. There is another property where the senior electrician has a little dispense facility fitted to his desk and from which he provides cigarettes, and other needs for the crew... It is a beautiful early morning here in Singapore, and the lights are still brightly shining. It is truly a sober reflection on our way of life that without electricity we are very small ants indeed. As tourism is continuing to outstrip all others, and is now the largest single industry in the world, the responsibilities of hotel infrastructure are also increasing. There have been cases where hotels were sued for not providing continuous electrical supply, potable

water, and acceptable means for the removal of storm and sewerage waters. We can no longer blame The Authorities and get away with it. In today’s world we all share these responsibilities. Living in Singapore you cannot even find a few sticks in a park to boil the Billy when they pull the plug.. Aye, it will be good to be home again. Good night and good luck, and happy Christmas to all, Neil & Madeleine Weenink

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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) A ssociate 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.

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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:

PRODUCT news

Weatherdon whiffs the new Thanks to breakthrough innovation, Nero Ozone Machines kills over 99.5* per cent of air-borne bacteria and viruses. Lightening-fresh ozone can now be reproduced to kill air-borne and surface bacteria, neutralise bad smells and destroy viruses and pollen. Ozone gas is a variant of oxygen, produced when lightening discharges energy into the air. There is no reason for rooms to smell tennis-shoe musty or for guests to cop a whiff of that recalcitrant smoker and petfriendly hotels can prevent damp-pooch syndrome.

A family-owned and operated business established in 1975, R.Weatherdon & Co is the preferred supplier to over 1,500 hotels in Australia and New Zealand. *ppm – parts per million volume air concentration *see independent laboratory report for the Ozone generator

For more information please visit www.weatherdon.com.au

The process of oxidation breaks down the structure of malodour molecules with which ozone comes into contact producing a mild fresh smell – a whiff of the new. Any ozone not used reverts back to oxygen leaving no residue or chemicals. Both the 5G and 7G has a 2-hour timer so you can set and forget while the generator works its magic. The 7G machine has a high/low switch giving even more control over Ozone output. Nero Ozone Machines can be used in conjunction with conventional air freshener systems and indeed very much improves their performance by enabling them to add fragrance to a neutral starting point. Just as Jaguar has a ‘smell team’ to ensure the interior of its cars gives confidence to new car buyers, accommodation industry supplier Weatherdon sniffed and introduced Nero ozone generators. “Smell is critical to the accommodation industry which it’s focused on catering to the senses. Understanding that people unconsciously respond to odour and smell is a valuable marketing tool,” added Weatherdon’s Managing Director, Robert Weatherdon. • Large ceramic generating plate • Minimal maintenance • Compact powder-coated or stainless casing • Environmentally friendly Weatherdon’s team of designers and manufacturers are also able to specify standards to meet the unique demands of the hospitality sector.

TELECHNICS Telechnics has grown to become one of Australia’s primary two-way radio specialists. Our experienced technical team and multi-vendor partnerships enable us to offer a wider variety than most two-way radio suppliers. We are able to provide the best solutions rather than just the best option in a narrow field. Telechnics specialises in integrating two-way radio product into third part software applications and other communication and building systems. With campus-based and in-building

solutions ranging from task management to incident management and asset tracking, the Telechnics team have the design and implementation experience to develop integrated solutions.

accessed. Integration into hospitalityaligned packages like HotSOS is also possible.

As technology improves so too must the 2-way radio/communications system within your building or campus. 2-way radios have evolved to do much more now than even 2 years ago. In-building locating, software enhanced messaging, job ticketing and voice recording and even radio on your smartphone are all features/capabilities that can be Telechnics

Phone (02) 9644-3422 I Email: sales@telechnics.com.au

Philips Hospitality TV Hotels are looking to deploy Netflix and YouTube options so guests can easily procure their own in-room content. But mostly no one has thought through the security and privacy issues. The Philips hospitality TV provides the flexible integration piece you need to meet those challenges. For example, having the TV automatically reset to its factory configuration when a guest checks out, meaning the next guest can enter details without fear of their private information being retained or their browsing history shared. The Philips hospitality TV also allow us to design a system where guests can securely stream content from their device. It’s not news to be able to stream content to a TV, but as an integrator you need to ensure the Wi-Fi access point knows to only stream content from the Mac address of the guest’s device and not the device in a room next door.

ANDROID COMES TO LIFE The power of Philips hospitality TVs is in its Android operating system that runs natively on the display. Unlike traditional display networks where the operating system sits on a media server in a rack, running the Android OS in the display means apps can be pushed to the hotel TV. For more information visit www.westan.com.au or call 1300 963 963

Pure-V: Improved metal framed V-form panel offers longer filter life The Airepure Pure-V is a durable, metal framed, extended surface V-form air filter for commercial HVAC systems. G4 rated to EN779, Pure-V filters were designed and developed to provide superior filtration efficiency, resistance, durability and strength compared to conventional metal V-form panel filters - making them perfect for outdoor air intakes – especially within humid or tropical environments. The Pure-V extended surface panel filters feature a secure structural binding of the filter media to the solid aluminium frame, which makes them the most reliable, durable and strongest V-Form filter in the market today, and fit for any demanding application. Unlike conventional wire supported V-form media, the Pure-V media is rigid, self-supporting and 100% sealed into the outer frame (fully potted).

This secure structural bonding of the filter media to the frame ensures a consistent pleat arrangement and eliminates the potential for air and contaminant bypass. With over 40% more pleats per filter compared to standard V-form panel filters, the Pure-V filter offers greater surface area over pressure drop, greater dust and contaminant holding capacity and a longer filter life. Furthermore, the absence of wire support eliminates the potential formation of rust and means safer handling for the installer.

For more information on the Airepure Pure-V filter, please visit www.airepure.com.au or call 1300 886 353

Port Douglas

CAIRNS MACKAY

BRISBANE

South Pacific Laundry specialises in the provision of quality linen and supplies for hospitality facilities.

Armidale Coffs Harbour

PERTH

PORT MACQUARIE Newcastle

ADELAIDE

SYDNEY

ALBURY Colac

Sale

Warrnambool Geelong

MELBOURNE

South Pacific Laundry (SPL) has been a provider of commercial laundry and linen services to the hospitality industry in Melbourne for the last 20 years. Currently, the South Pacific Group is establishing a strong network of modern laundry across Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia with plans for several more facilities up the East Coast of Australia in 2017. The relocation of our Sydney operations to a new larger facility in Bankstown together with the relocation of our Brunswick plant to Broadmeadows will establish South Pacific Laundry as the single largest privately owned laundry in Australia and in the Southern Hemisphere.

Contact Robert Teoh National PR & Marketing P: (03) 9388 5300 M: 0421 716 888 Coverage Australia wide

Pricing Information Contact supplier direct Delivery Free daily delivery within 25km city metropolitan areas Minimum Order Contact supplier direct

SPL provides: • A 365 day service to all its clientele with a 24 hour turnaround. • A leading edge technology in RFID to assist housekeeping and managerial staff in time reduction and efficiency. • Dedicated account managers and experienced support staff who are available 7 days a week. • A dedicated software design package and centralised billing system enables seamless transactions, paperless and customised reports. • Delivery rationalisation systems, providing and streamlining efficient delivery routes which will reduce the company’s carbon footprint. • Building of partnerships and sharing benefits with the customers from savings made through its constant laundry process innovations and group purchasing power of linen products. • Dry cleaning, Uniform cleaning services, Housekeeping services, Dust mat hire and Cleaning services. • Provision and supplying of Corporate uniforms/work wears and customised hotel room Amenities.

Full Contact Information South Pacific Laundry 9-23 King William St Broadmeadows VIC 3047 P: (03) 9388 5300 F: (03) 9387 2399

*Albury and Melbourne only

E: customerservice@southpacificlaundry.com.au robert.teoh@southpacificlaundry.com.au