Franchising Magazine USA

Page 48

HAVE YOUR SAY: Edward Pim | Senior Vice President of Operations & Experience | OpenWorks

Winter Wise:

Top Tips Facilities Managers Need to Know to Create Safe and Secure Buildings Edward Pim is Senior Vice President of Operations & Experience of OpenWorks, a national leader in facilities management, providing unparalleled quality and customer service through robust technology solutions and a proven network of elite service providers. OpenWorks’ facilities maintenance services include cleaning and disinfecting, landscaping, supply replenishment, HVAC service and more.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The old adage has never been truer, especially when it comes to preparing a building, as well as employees and visitors, for winter. Whether in the snow belt or rainy regions, getting ready for one of the most unforgiving seasons on the calendar is vital to ensuring the preservation of facilities and safety in and around them. But often times, with limited staffing and sometimes unfamiliarity with best practices, efforts can be piecemeal at best, which can open companies up to a range of risks from accidents and injuries to costly facility repairs or even business stoppage. Depending on the property size, use and a host of other variables, the cost of properly winterizing a property is a fraction of the maintenance budget, which pales in comparison to the cost of repairing flooring, fixing burst pipes and even worstcases roof failure. In addition to thousands of dollars spent repairing various damage, there could be weeks, or even months, of non-quantifiable work interruption, inconvenience and risk. While winter weather oversights can happen in the world of facilities

48 Franchising MAGAZINE USA


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