May 2023
Catherine Griffin
Application of FM practices to manage real estate
Ahmed Malik
Ethical business approach supports expansion
Rob Legge
Rapid growth of OCS Group leads to more opportunities
Alicia Fieldhouse
Learning about the importance of coffee in FM
Use of psychological practices encourages more to return to the workplace
Having worked in a number of sectors over the years, one of the common denominators is that each one will have its own list of trends and topics that are ever-present, with waxing and waning levels of interest due to various factors.
While some of these will be shared with other industries, others will be unique to a particular sector, but still subject to varying interest levels depending on events within the industry or the world at large, with the coronavirus pandemic and the events that have followed providing one of the most relevant examples.
Within our wide-ranging industry, one of the common topics of discussion has been its ever-closer links with commercial real estate. It was among the first I was made aware of when joining FM seven years ago, which I’ve always taken to indicate that it’s been a topic of debate for many years.
Having broached this with client-side FMs and their service provider partners, the topic has also been confirmed as being highly relevant by real estate professionals, and seems to be receiving increased amounts of attention in the drive to address a number of issues that are both continuing and emerging in the drive to establish ways and means to raise footfall numbers in the workplace.
Our interview with Marsh and McLennan’s Cath Griffin provides further evidence of the long list of benefits and advantages of forging a close association between FM and real estate, with the usual preprequisites of ensuring that the customer is placed at the heart of all operations and that these activities are conducted in the most sustainable fashion.
The new MMC FM team, led by Ms Griffin, provides one of the most encouraging examples of how everyone can apply FM best practice to support real estate clients, leading to increased value for both sectors.
Perhaps we should include more explanation of the term ‘value’ in this context, as it’s too easy to regard this as another word for ‘profit’, which runs the risk of returning to the race to the bottom and awarding of short-term contracts to the service provider submitting the lowest bid.
The FM sector is continuing to increase its focus on value, as evidenced by numerous factors such as growing support for the National Living Wage, diversity in the workplace, mental and general health and wellbeing and all the areas within environmental and social governance (ESG).
Taking the best elements from both real estate and FM can only be a positive development for both sectors and provides yet more evidence of the strength and dynamic nature of our industry and the potential for ever-closer links and support for others.
Taking the best elements from both real estate and FM can only be a positive development for both potential for ever-closer links and support for others.
Taking the best elements from both real estate and FM can only be a positive development for both sectors
DENNIS FLOWER MANAGING EDITOR
Cath Griffin and her recently-established team explain how their work is further complementing the services provided to real estate clients by their company
With ESG becoming increasingly important for businesses around the world, it is particularly pertinent for all areas of FM, as emphasised in our first webinar
Rob Legge is enjoying his new role as OCS Group chief executive officer following the merger with Atalian Servest earlier this year
With statistics showing more people are living alone in the UK, more employees are designated as working alone when not in the office
Ahmed Malik explains how an ethical approach and strong business culture are at the centre of all operations for his company and colleagues
Continuing to expand the long list of benefits emerging from the partnership between the DIO and Landmarc Support Services is likely to keep both sides occupied for many years to come
Alicia Fieldhouse shares her thoughts on all things coffee-related as she continues to learn about the FM industry and its love affair with its most essential hot beverage
PTSG Fire Solutions Ltd – now providing an even greater level of safety and compliance
One of the key differentiators for businesses is the quality and style of their in-house food and drink provision, say industry experts in our latest feature
46 Career resumption includes workplace as a destination focus
Jackie Furey has enjoyed a long and varied FM career and continues to relish her latest role and its focus on creating the best workplace experience
52 YorPower takes a progressive approach to business YorPower, the Yorkshire-headquartered provider of complete back-up power solutions, recently restructured and rebranded, with all constituent companies now operating as part of the YorPower Group
Tamsin Dewhurst is the founder of the Uptree free career assistance platform, which matches schools and students with potential employers
Innovation of materials and creativity remain at the forefront of British design as 30 outstanding submissions from three categories are to be awarded the coveted Design Guild Mark in 2023
Tony Smith, Major Accounts and Marketing Manager at UK manufacturer of entrance control solutions, Integrated Design Limited looks at how entrance control, especially when integrated with other security technologies, can go a long way towards intruder-proofing your building
Insight from Sophie Thorogood, technical training manager at Pelsis Group
Wayne Rose, Secretariat of the Europump Marketing Commission, and newly appointed CEO of the BPMA, offers insight into the pump sector’s position in relation to the restrictions on using per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances
66 Movers and Shakers
0800 046 7320 fmdirector@fmbusinessdaily.com
Managing Editor Dennis Flower dennis@fmbusinessdaily.com
Designer/Production Manager Chris Cassidy Production Editor James Jackaman
Managing Director Cheryl Ellerington
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Cath Griffin and her recently-established team explain how their work is further complementing the services provided to real estate clients by their company
There has been a long-running discussion on the benefits of closer alignment between the real estate and FM sectors, which is accelerating in the drive to increase attendance and raise footfall numbers in facilities in all areas.
While many industry experts state that the hybrid working model is here to stay, others report that their clients are mandating a return to office working to ensure that staff are communicating with their colleagues and working as efficiently as possible.
One of the most recent and most impressive examples of the above is provided by Marsh McLennan (MMC), which has implemented numerous adjustments to its business model over the last few years. In addition to the services and support provided to its clients, the company has also looked at its own operations and facilities, resulting in a renovation of its Tower Place main office.
Catherine Griffin has been recruited as head of UK operations within the company’s Real Estate Services division to lead the MMC drive to improve its FM services management and delivery.
The team now includes six colleagues who are continuing to closely align their specialist skills and knowledge and add further value to the running of facilities.
With members of the team based in locations around the UK, the challenge of meeting in person is seeing colleagues travelling to central locations, the most recent of which was The Workplace Event at Birmingham’s NEC, where the meeting with FM Director took place.
“We’re the new Marsh McLennan FM and projects team, founded on the new way of working and the new delivery model,” Ms Griffin explains.
“We have a few strategic partners that help to
deliver our services based on the more traditional delivery models, which works really well, but FM is now more about relationships, the workplace, the business, and the environment.” Ms Griffin and her team are more involved in implementing change and influencing developments in offices and workplaces to help them reaffirm their reasons for existence.
“So, in addition to refurbishing workplaces and putting everything into place, while continuing to do the usual things FMs are tasked with in their facilities, we’re now actually here to make everything work from every aspect - health and safety to ESG, clientbased meeting environments and accommodating workplace environments,” she says.
MMC regional FM North and South Carl Wilby further explains that there is now much more requirement to liaise with all stakeholders to ensure that the solutions implemented within the workplace are as effective and efficient as possible.
“Working closely with our stakeholders, we’ve created a new workplace environment at MMC since the pandemic. It’s now about how we sustain that change and encourage the conversation with all colleagues about making their facilities work better for them,” he says.
MMC has reduced its floorspace and redesigned its offices, reducing the number of desks and creating more open spaces for informal meetings for clients and colleagues, with the interior design focused on increasing levels of collaboration. The team finds that its efforts are now seeing more colleagues suggest additional features that can be included and regards this as a positive sign.
“One of the challenges for us as a team is to change our own ways of working,” says Ms Griffin. In addition to being knowledgeable about the technology implemented, data capture and analysis, it is now essential to consider other improvements that can be made to manage facilities more efficiently and effectively.
It’s no longer about fixing things and making sure jobs are completed on time, it’s more communicating with all stakeholders and helping them to be more efficient and productive
This will require the learning of new skills in many cases, she continues, in order to ensure that the best levels of insight are shared with management teams.
Further to data capture and analysis, the ability to take a much wider view is another essential aspect of the MMC FM team.
Mrs Griffin states that one of the strengths of the new team includes the extensive list of experience and skills that each member brings. She is very much enjoying her new role and how quickly everyone has bonded.
Projects and administration manager Sandie Mitchell states that some of the considerations now brought into the mix include making the workspace more accommodating for people across all differences.
“This could include neurodiverse people, for example, and other considerations include ESG, energy efficiency and waste, all of which can be factored in to using the workspace in the best way,” she says.
“It’s then a case of educating everyone about how to use their space and why we’re putting solutions in.”
This leads to technologies and AV services manager James Storey to explain his role in the
team: “Within hybrid working, it’s a case of getting the audio-visual technology into the office, so we’ve developed global standards around meeting spaces and the state of the art technology that goes in them,” he continues.
This is designed to ensure that each member of staff has a familiar experience in the level of support they receive from the company’s AV and technology, regardless of which area, office, or facility they attend within its estate. This includes allowing everyone – including clients - to have a good meeting experience, regardless of where they are accessing the event from.
Mr Wilby further explains he has worked for MMC for four years: “We’ve run the full FM service over this period, but it’s now going through a complete transition into a completely new way of working under Cath’s direction.
“You can see the changes happening, giving us more engagement with the business and more in-depth knowledge and justify everything we’re doing, rather than just doing what’s usually expected in typical FM work.”
The team is evolving and will continue to grow, which will see more possibilities emerge, although our existing list of projects is already quite lengthy
Facilities co-ordinator South West, Midlands and Ireland Roxanne Haines states that her work with the team has allowed her to revisit many of the facilities in her region after they were refurbished: “You can see what colleagues thought was originally going to work for them in their refurbishment project hasn’t worked out, with some spaces not being used as they thought they would be. So, we’re now looking at all these spaces and thinking how we can make them work better.
“Every office has a different team with many different requirements, some have lots of open space, but actually need more quiet areas and the opposite is true for others, so it’s constantly changing and we’re using the new method to keep up to date with everything,” she says.
‘;loiuytre
Regional FM London and South East Oona Hempenstall is another recently recruited member of the team and says she is enjoying the collaborative nature of her work and the way MMC is supporting it. “We’re starting from the base level and getting all the information and working in a very structured way, with the collective aim of creating an exemplary FM team.
“We’ve got so much experience and knowledge, and under Cath’s direction we’re investing a lot of time to set ourselves up in the right way.”
Ms Hempenstall is based at the London headquarters, which is now on phase two of the project that began with its refurbishment and
has progressed to the in-depth analysis of all the data. This is assisting the team to consider further adaptions of the space to ensure it meets the needs of all colleagues and allows them to work as effectively and efficiently as possible. “It’s exciting times for all of us,” she states.
Speaking to FM Director as the team completed its second month of working together, Ms Griffin explains that several members had worked with or knew others prior to this.
“Some of us have worked for service providers while others were directly employed by MMC, and it seemed like a great opportunity to [visit The Workplace Event] and continue working closer together as a team.”
The collective efforts of the seven colleagues involved is assisting greater understanding and the establishment of team principles, with the aim of updating the initial, three-month roadmap used to define roles and initial objectives. The team plans to create its new roadmap at the end of this month for use as a reference to ensure all objectives are progressing in the correct way and delivering the desired results.
“It’s so easy to get side-tracked or lost in the day-to-day business of toilets and boilers and all the other tasks included in the FM role. What’s also important is that we all individually assess what we expect to achieve from this, as well,” says Ms Griffin.
Within hybrid working, it’s a case of getting the audio-visual technology into the office, so we’ve developed some global standards around meeting spaces and the technology that goes in them
“It’s really exciting to work with such an amazing team. It feels like we’re just on the cusp of getting to know each other, build more rapport and establish that new way of working.
“Together, we’re focussed on assisting our Real Estate team to build greater efficiency, enhance the colleague and client experience, and deliver the direction on the office strategy in the future,” she says.
The new MMC Projects team has been carefully
and thoughtfully established, bringing together talented individuals from all areas of its business and the people it has come to know, with the aim of improving its service delivery and support for both clients and colleagues alike. It is the most clearly defined example to date of how the combined efforts of real estate and FM can meet all the requirements of the new way of working and answer the many questions being posted to companies in all areas of the world in the post-pandemic era.
With ESG becoming increasingly important for businesses around the world, it is particularly pertinent for all areas of FM, as emphasised in our first webinar
With ESG becoming increasingly important for businesses around the world, it is particularly pertinent for all areas of FM, as emphasised in our first webinar
Many FM professionals have stated their appreciation for the increasing prevalence of all things included within the extensive list of topics within the environmental and social governance (ESG) movement.
Several of the more favourable comments have compared the wide-ranging initiative as being entirely suited to the FM sector and its inclusion of a seemingly ever-increasing list of divisions and subject matter. Given the rapidly expanding levels of important attached to ESG, FM Business Daily organised a webinar presentation to educate and inform attendees about the movement, which was sponsored by Achilles Information.
The company’s head of compliance and ESG Adam Whitfield explained the reasons for its interest in the ESG topic and support for the event. His introduction complemented the presentation by CBRE GWS global ESG director Amy Brogan, with both presenters providing a wealth of insight into the subject matter and its broad reach.
Mr Whitfield emphasised the need for companies to establish effective ESG strategies in order to achieve the best results from the combined efforts of all stakeholders. His opening remarks left no doubt that each business has a moral duty to increase its efforts.
FM Director has continued to engage with Achilles Information and discussed the ESG topic in more detail, leading to further explanation of its importance. Included within this was a statement by one of Mr Whitfield’s colleagues that an increasing number of the topics included within ESG are providing numerous benefits to the businesses that have shown to have incorporated them, leading to the winning of contracts or the offer of more favourable financial support arrangements as they reduce their level of risk following compliance successes.
From an environmental perspective, it is becoming increasingly apparent that the effects of climate change will affect every country around the world. It is no longer acceptable to ignore these issues in the hope they will go away, leading to the statement that it is now imperative that every company joins with all those involved in mitigating risk and reducing their impact on the environment.
Similar emphasis was given to both the social and governance elements within ESG, as Mr Whitfield continued to explain their growing importance and his company’s ability to assist its clients in improving their operations in all areas.
Ms Brogan followed Mr Whitfield and began her presentation by explaining it was designed to provide an explanation of the topic for those attendees who were in the early stages of their ESG journey.
The move to incorporate ESG criteria into real estate investment strategies provides further proof of the need for FM companies and their clients to ensure they are up to speed with all developments
She also referred to her recent collaboration with the Business Services Authority (BSA) and the creation of a toolkit for FM companies to apply with the intention of reducing the risk of modern slavery with any aspects of their business.
Following the considerable change experienced in all areas of the FM sector in recent years, it is understandable that a lack of consistency can become apparent for the ESG topic. Ms Brogan’s company was one of the first to embrace all aspects of it, as evidenced by its ESG Roadshow last year that began at its two London offices, before touring the UK.
Team leader
Her own role with the company has continued to develop and she now leads a global team of colleagues to the needs of her company and its clients in the creation and implementation of sustainable ESG FM strategies.
The move to incorporate ESG criteria into real estate investment strategies provides further proof of the need for FM companies and their clients to ensure they are up to speed with all developments. Industry experts are becoming increasingly vocal
in their statements that the businesses not joining the movement run the risk of being left behind and missing out on the opportunities that will align ever more closely with these aspects in future.
Ms Brogan’s assured presentation delivered further support and evidence of the growing importance of ESG for all areas of business and FM in particular, referring to her company’s studies and its findings to support her message. In addition to her opening comments on modern slavery, she explained several other topics that fall within the social area.
High levels of support for colleagues, clients and local communities are used by industry experts to explain the main elements of social activities, including voluntary work and additionally including a wide range of others. Many of these are longrunning initiatives, such as diversity and inclusion and workplace wellbeing, both of which have been recognised and embraced by some businesses for many years.
Fair treatment of all staff, supply chain members, clients and local community members is another area of concentration that can be used to affirm each company’s ethical activities.
High levels of support for colleagues, clients and local communities are used by industry experts to explain the main elements of social activities
The large majority of social activities should result in boosting or further confirming an organisation’s reputation, which may be regarded as an intangible element by some, while others will state that this aspect is an essential part of any company’s journey and long-term future.
Further support for Ms Brogan’s overview of the wide-ranging ESG topic was provided with the sharing of a video, showing the CBRE commitment to this and the embracing of all its elements and additionally explaining the importance of each one.
As the focus of her presentation moved to the environmental part, the inclusion of her company’s drive to achieve net zero carbon emissions status by 2040 provided more valuable explanation of the comprehensive nature of the movement. With many businesses regarding ESG as providing more strategic business aims, the provision of assistance for the UK in achieving its legally-binding net zero target by 2050 clearly demonstrates the more practical elements.
Similar to the social side, the environmental heading within ESG includes another long list of relevant subjects. These range from waste management strategies to the completion of projects to encourage biodiversity and support for projects to improve all environments, from local to global, on land or within water or air.
Moving to the governance aspect of ESG, this has long been a focus for many of the larger companies and especially for those operating on an international basis. This is another area of increasing interest to investors and particularly those seeking to confirm their ethical trading reputations.
Organisations with the ability to prove that their business complies with all relevant legislation while clearly displaying diversity and inclusion throughout their companies, from the most junior to board level engagement, will be those most likely to reap numerous benefits.
The extensive and wide-ranging nature of ESG means that it is often seen as something that is hard to quantify but Ms Brogan managed to easily address this and cover the main angles within the 20 minutes of her presentation. As the event progressed to the question and answer session, responses from both Ms Brogan and Mr Whitfield added more value to attendees.
Continuing the overall aim of providing an introductory overview of the topic, both presenters advised on the essential nature of communication with all colleagues to ensure everyone understands and works towards achieving the various goals within company strategies. It is imperative that the participation of senior directors and managers is clearly seen by all colleagues and customers and includes regular updates and reports on progress, they agreed.
Responding to the question of how companies should begin their ESG journey, it was also advised that these efforts should focus on achieving small gains initially, which would avoid confusion and potential disappointment if initial ambitious targets were not met. The setting of more realistic aims would then be far more likely to provide encouragement for more successes in future.
There are considerable numbers of opportunities for the FM industry to continue to investigate, which are likely to adapt to the individual needs of each business as these move forward. As companies continue on their ESG journey, another consideration is for the inclusion of their supply chain and industry partners within these, adding yet more positivity to all efforts.
FM Business Daily is pleased to report that it is receiving increasing numbers of enquiries for live events of all types. With discussions ongoing for the staging a number of round table discussions, potential sponsors have also asked about other events such as breakfast briefings and more informal meetings.
Reports on the events held to date can be seen on the www.fmdirector.com website and sponsorship enquiries should be directed to FM Business Daily managing director Cheryl Ellerington in the first instance at cheryl@fmbusinessdaily.com
The extensive and wide-ranging nature of ESG means that it is often seen as something that is hard to quantify
Rob Legge is enjoying his new role as OCS Group chief executive officer following the merger with Atalian Servest earlier this year
Rob Legge is enjoying his new role as OCS Group chief
officer following the merger with Atalian Servest earlier this year
One of the most notable trends in the FM sector is that of merger and acquisition (M&A) announcements made at regular interviews and typically involving the purchase of SME businesses by larger organisations.
Mergers between larger businesses are less common and typically involve considerable time, effort and commitment by all stakeholders. One of the most recent examples of this has been the merger of Atalian Servest and OCS, resulting in the creation of the new OCS Group, led by chief executive officer Rob Legge.
Speaking exclusively to FM Director, Mr Legge explains how he is relishing his new role and the successes already enjoyed, while sharing his ambitions and expectations for the future. The creation of the £2bn turnover business is providing considerable numbers of opportunities, he states, which are expected to continue to expand in the months and years ahead.
“I’m really enjoying the new challenges in leading the new OCS Group,” he confirms, “and it’s a great industry to be part of, which means we have lots of opportunities to make more gains in the future.”
Having led the former Servest Group for nearly 25 years and played a central role in its development to become a major FM service provider, Mr Legge
is one of the few people in the sector to have experience in large company mergers. Setting up the UK operations in the mid-90s, Mr Legge was able to create a business with revenues of in excess of £800m, before the company was sold in 2018, to Atalian Global Services.
“When Servest was sold to Atalian in 2018, I ended up staying with the group for a further five years and I’ve always said how much I’ve enjoyed working in FM,” he continues.
“With the impact of COVID making itself felt in 2020, we made the decision to carry out a corporate overview, with the aim of confirming all the various elements of our business strategy,” he continues. Whilst this process was continuing, the company was approached by private investment business Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, which became the owner of OCS last year.
“Atalian Servest has really good clients operating in a range of sectors from retail and leisure, distribution, public sector, corporate and transportation, with a great set up. It has brought many great assets to the new business and employs a lot of really good people, with an excellent business model,” Mr Legge continues.
While explaining that the events of the last three years, ranging from the pandemic to high inflation, staff shortages and global security developments had impacted profit margins – which has affected the majority of businesses around the world – he further states that the merger with OCS and new investment levels has allowed the company to put these issues behind it.
We will continue to engage with all our existing and new customers to discuss where we can add value
“We now have a business with more than 130,000 colleagues and everyone is very much looking forward to the future,” he continues. “The new OCS Group has included the joining together of 36 companies in total, following all the developments over the years, so we’re now fully focused on embedding the new culture of the business to help everyone work even more closely with each other.”
Mr Legge further explains that the new culture includes many of the best values already in place throughout both Atalian Servest and OCS prior to the merger, including high levels of support and care of all colleagues, encouraging personal development and the delivery of exemplary levels of customer service.
“There were already a lot of areas of synergy between the two businesses before the merger and that’s a major bonus that is helping us to establish and confirm the new culture. This includes some industryleading practices around health and wellbeing, too, including working with veterans, etc, so there are lots of options and opportunities where we can expand and continue these,” he says.
“That also means we have plenty of areas where we can continue to grow the business, as we follow our ambitions to become the FM service provider of choice. We don’t want to be the biggest, but we’re certainly aiming to be the best and we’re well on the way to achieving that already,” Mr Legge continues.
“The new OCS Group is a disrupter within the FM industry and we find that this allows us to compete with the biggest service providers. A lot of this comes from our TRUE philosophy, which standsards for trust, respect, unity and empowerment.
“TRUE is providing us with a new branded vision and culture that is proving very attractive to all our clients and potential customers in all sectors,” says Mr Legge.
The company operates in both the public and private sectors and its wide range of services allows it to offer solutions relevant to most business segments. These are further complemented through its focus on environmental and social governance (ESG), net zero carbon emissions and other areas of national importance.
“Our overall aim in all this is to help our customers through working with us as closely as possible in all the main areas. This can be through the alignment of business cultures, creation of technical innovations and doing things differently to achieve the best outcomes and add value,” he continues.
“There’s also a great deal more potential to add further to this through the application of developments including robotics, the internet of things (IoT) and other sector-relevant innovations such as access controls and building management software to track and improve the management of assets,” says Mr Legge.
“We all know how difficult it is to recruit people, at present, but a lot of the technological developments we’re seeing are allowing us to reduce the number of people required to run facilities.
“We’re also discussing the adjustment of service delivery with clients to help manage their buildings in the most cost-effective way, using data capture
and high levels of analysis to reduce cost wherever we can,” he says.
There is considerable confidence within the business that the means and efforts described above will continue to deliver sustained organic growth over the years ahead, says Mr Legge. “We’re also looking at the provision of new services and engaging with the sectors where we have the potential to grow,” he continues.
Yet more options for growth are provided in the potential for the business to continue its M&A activities and continue to make the best use of the investment opportunities provided by its new owner. This is most likely to occur in either the UK or the Asia Pacific region, says Mr Legge.
“We will continue to engage with all our existing and new customers to discuss where we can add value, with the aim of growing our business and theirs. This will see us move further up the food chain of the industry as we become a must-have service provider and work in ever-closer partnerships.
“In the meantime, it will be business as usual for us, as we implement and further extend the vision of the company to embed its values and strategy. We’re committed to helping all our colleagues to enjoy their role and achieve their ambitions where possible and become the employer of choice,” says Mr Legge.
“Both companies had good business reputations before the merger and we’re now building further on this to increase our market share. We have the chance to do things differently and we’re making the most of that and enjoying all the private investment support,” he says.
Investment in the new business includes ensuring that it has the best infrastructure and IT systems in place so that it is in the best position to deliver on its promises to both its clients and shareholders.
“The business has to be run in the right way to reassure everyone, including our colleagues and clients,” Mr Legge continues. “We explain to everyone that it’s a two-way street and make it clear that we have to make a profit to keep us in a sustainable position.
“This has to be fair for everyone and we all have to deliver on our promises while exercising the correct disciplines around cash. That’s a culture thing, in many ways, and we make sure that all our colleagues behave responsibly,” he continues. “This helps everyone to sleep at night and also gives everyone a reason for getting up in the morning.”
With 75% of the company’s revenue emerging from its UK activities, Mr Legge states that this is expected to expand beyond the £1.5bn level in the future. His experience within the M&A market leads him to state that only businesses of the correct size and synergies will be considered.
“There should always be a lot of steps and considerations before committing to M&A deals to make sure that these work out well for everyone and achieve their aims. The large majority of these go really well and completing all the due diligence tasks is essential within this, but there’s a big advantage in having private investment available,” Mr Legge concludes.
We don’t want to be the biggest, but we’re certainly aiming to be the best and we’re well on the way to achieving that already
With statistics showing more people are living alone in the UK, more employees are designated as lone workers when not in the office
With statistics showing more people are living alone in the UK, more employees are designated as working alone when not in the office.
Among the many new developments within the FM industry in recent years is the higher number of people being identified as working alone.
Our sector has long recognised that engineers, security staff and cleaners are frequently required to work alone, typically at the site of the client which they may be required to attend outside normal office hours or work in areas away from other staff members. Before the introduction of technology to support them, employers would fulfil their duty of care requirements by requiring remote workers to make regular contact with colleagues or appropriate service providers.
This would usually include signing on at the start of their shift, followed by calls at set times throughout their working hours, then a final call to sign off at the end of their working day. While these practices continue in many areas today, employers are increasingly using different means to ensure that their staff members are safe and well throughout their work hours.
Before exploring the various options to complete the above, it should also be understood that the number of lone workers has increased following the widespread implementation of hybrid working practices. Although exact figures are difficult to obtain, it has long been accepted that more people are living alone in the UK.
This means that more attention needs to be paid by employers to ensure that all members of staff are sufficiently supported regardless of where they work.
The effect of feelings of isolation resulting from lack of contact with others has been discussed as another negative element emerging from the coronavirus pandemic, which has affected those living alone in particular.
Another requirement within this is for employers not to place all staff members who live alone as being automatically designated as suffering from poor mental health.
As with all staff engagement processes, the correct balance needs to be established to provide support and assistance to employees based on their needs and regardless of their domestic living arrangements.
More positive news within this topic is that recent years have seen a significant rise in the number of companies increasing their efforts to assist their workers in achieving better work/life balance, including the recognition to address mental and general health issues to raise wellbeing levels.
With businesses continuing to report difficulties in employing and retaining staff over the last 18 months, increased levels of support for workers has become an accepted part of efforts to increase retention levels and this includes lone workers in many instances.
More attention needs to be paid by employers to ensure that all members of staff are sufficiently supported regardless of where they work
Having explored the changing nature of lone worker status within the UK, more opinion on this topic is provided by Sentinel Technologies sales and marketing executive Karen Younes, who examines the previously mentioned increased number of options for support for lone workers through the application of modern technology.
“Today, the safety of lone workers can be monitored easily through a mobile app. At its most basic functionality, the app will ask the worker to check in on a regular basis, and their response is linked to the employer’s control centre. If there’s no response to the call, the situation is escalated through a line manager, and all the way up to blue light services if necessary. It’s GPS tracked, so it’s much quicker and easier to locate a lone worker in trouble,” she continues.
Under-reporting has long since been a problem in lone working. She further states that many lone workers ignore their instincts for danger and wait too long to raise an alarm for an evolving situation.
“But the app has a function for emerging problems, so the worker feels justified in notifying the control centre. They are reassured that reporting is expected in these situations,” Ms Younes continues.
In those industries where lone working has been the norm for many years (cleaning, security, engineering), most workers understand why there are special measures in place.
They know that it is for their own safety, and they feel supported when they know that their employer takes their safety seriously.
“However, switching to a new system may feel like a compromise to their safety. Providing comprehensive training before you roll out a new system is paramount to it being applied correctly, and keeping your workers happy and protected,” she says.
For other industries, a lone-working employee base is a new concept, with the introduction of hybrid and homeworking.
Home workers may not feel unsafe in their own home. Instead, it may feel like an intrusion on their privacy if the employer introduces lone working measures.
“That could lead to pushback from employees. But training will placate any workers that feel like they are being ‘checked up on’.
“While the nature of lone working is changing, the regulations to keep employees safe is not. One of the most effective ways to comply with the duty of care is to invest in an app for lone working that all your employees can download and use when they are working alone,” Ms Younes concludes.
The safety of lone workers can be monitored easily through a mobile app
The points raised above provide more food for thought, particularly within the need to deliver the best levels of training prior to the introduction of any new systems, which can make an important distinction in how these are accepted and used. While it is impossible to plan for all eventualities, the implications within the support of those working alone include consideration for as many reactions as possible from users.
Before moving to the official designation and requirements for recognising and supporting lone workers as provided by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), one final point should be included to avoid any misunderstanding. This is that all companies are legally required to provide the same levels of support within their duty of care regardless of where their staff members work.
Many FMs and their service providers reported on the large amount of office equipment that was transported from their facilities to the homes of colleagues during the pandemic, with the aim of supporting them in remaining as productive as possible. Whether this included more recognition of lone working status is not entirely clear, but the duty of care requirement may well prove to be another factor in encouraging more colleagues to return to office working on a regular basis.
Employers are provided with detailed information
to ensure that they meet their legal requirements in their duty of care for lone workers. Businesses requiring more assistance have the additional option of employing the services of specialist service providers and consultants.
The official advice from the HSE is that employers must manage any health and safety risks before people can work alone. This applies to anyone contracted to work for them, including self-employed people.
It further explains that lone workers are those who work by themselves without close or direct supervision, for example:
as delivery drivers, health workers or engineers; as security staff or cleaners; in warehouses or petrol stations; at home.
There will always be greater risks for lone workers without direct supervision or anyone to help them if things go wrong, says the HSE. Many of them will be exposed to work-related road risks, for example, and it provides more focused advice on this aspect.
Lone working legislation is included within the Health and Safety at Work Regulations and the HSE states that employers need to consider which of their staff work alone and the hazards that this could involve.
There will always be greater risks for lone workers without direct supervision or anyone to help them if things go wrong
In addition to training, supervising and monitoring lone workers, companies are required to keep in contact with them and respond to any incident.
When a lone worker attends the workplace of another business, their employer must ask that company about any risks and control measures to ensure they are protected.
Particular attention should be given to risks such as violence in the workplace, stress and mental health or wellbeing, and each person’s medical suitability to work alone, while also considering hazards within the workplace. These may be in rural or isolated areas, for example. Further to the general considerations above, the HSE advises of more highrisk activities, which should include the presence of at least one other person:
In a confined space, where a supervisor may need to be there, along with someone in a rescue role; near exposed live electricity conductors; in diving operations;
in vehicles carrying explosives; with fumigation.
As previously stated, companies have the same health and safety responsibilities for homeworkers and the same liability for accident or injury as for any other workers. This means they must provide supervision, education and training, as well as implementing enough control measures to protect the homeworker.
The completion of risk assessments for home workers should be the starting point for all considerations, including the management of stress and mental health levels. In addition to ensuring that computers and laptops are used correctly and safely, employers should also make sure that home working environments are suitable to be used for work purposes, says the HSE. It further states that risk assessments showing high levels of risk for individual lone workers will also require them to be given more supervision, depending on their ability to identify and deal with health and safety issues.
In providing specific guidance on the possibility of lone workers experiencing violence, the HSE says that this is not always the case and further explains that employers should be aware that their staff are more vulnerable when working alone. It also provides a definition of violence, describing it as: any incident in which a person is abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work, including verbal threats.
Some of the key workplace violence risks include:
late evening or early morning work, when fewer workers are around;
lone workers, such as security staff, who have authority over customers and are enforcing rules; people affected by alcohol or drugs; carrying money or valuable equipment.
Measures should be implemented to support any employee who experiences violence and companies can also ensure workers play their part by identifying and reporting incidents, says the HSE. It also advises that training in personal safety or violence prevention will help workers to recognise situations in which they may be at risk. It will also help them to apply conflict resolution techniques or to recognise when they should leave the area.
Additional emphasis is placed on the need to address and prevent work-related stress, including the application of HSE stress management standards that include the importance of relationships and support from colleagues. Included within this is direct contact with lone workers and training of managers to recognise signs of stress as early as possible.
Extra consideration needs to be given to workers with medical conditions, with employers advised to establish emergency procedures and train their workers in their use.
More advice on a number of areas of lone working includes appreciation for those whose first language is not English. The website also provides detailed advice for lone workers themselves. Those wishing to view the full list of advice from the HSE can do so by clicking on https://tinyurl.com/yebk7nzj
Particular attention should be given to risks such as violence in the workplace, stress and mental health or wellbeing, and each person’s medical suitability to work alone
Ahmed Malik explains how an ethical approach and strong business culture are at the centre of all operations for his company and colleagues of
licking on the About tab of the enlightgroup.co.uk website provides an instant insight into the company and the ethical approach of its founder and chief executive Ahmed Malik, beginning with the statement “We’re a bit different…”.
Speaking to FM Director after his company had celebrated its fifth anniversary, Mr Malik describes how his upbringing and life experiences have continued to affirm his belief in human nature and how everyone has the opportunity to help others in a number of ways. Proof of this is provided by his recognition of those who have provided the most relevant examples of this throughout his studies and career.
“My journey into the FM industry has not been the same as a lot of others, but I’ve found that taking the time and effort to get to know people and understand how they work has helped me in a lot of ways and particularly within business,” says Mr Malik.
Having played cricket at a high level throughout his mid-teenage years and into his early 20s, he returned to full-time education at the age of 21. “I hadn’t done very well at school for a number of reasons, but was told that the best course to follow was getting an apprenticeship and returning to education,” he explains.
He had secured work with Interserve as a cleaner prior to this, which he continued as he resumed his studies. One of the results of this was the realisation that he is dyslexic.
“My psychology lecturer at college was Gloria Burns and she quickly spotted this and encouraged me to get the diagnosis and she was then very supportive throughout my time at college. After being diagnosed she also made sure I was supported
and given more time with exams, etc, and this really helped me in my studies,” Mr Malik continues.
Having succeeded in gaining the necessary qualifications, he was then accepted by the University of Hertfordshire to begin to study for his degree in business and finance. “Before I graduated, I decided I wanted to get into banking, mainly to prove to my parents that I’m capable of doing something,” he continues.
Mr Malik describes the finance sector as “attractive and sexy”, but found that job applicants from Oxford and Cambridge universities were more likely to receive offers of employment than others. His work with Interserve had included working within helpdesk support and this had helped to develop his telephone communication skills, which he then applied when calling potential employers in the finance industry.
“I started to call people direct and I think I had between 30 and 40 rejections, with some people just slamming the phone down, but then one person thanked me for my call and said: ‘I haven’t experienced this for a very long time, so why don’t you come in?’,” he says.
Mr Malik states that this was Wayne Preston and uses this to explain that he always remembers those that help him on his journey. “Even thought we may not be in touch now, or if we lose contact in the future, I will never forget them because they were there for me and created the opportunity that helped me to progress,” he says.
“Wayne got me the opportunity and I was offered my first role in finance. After I joined, I made myself promise: ‘At the end of this month, everyone in this bank will know who I am’. And within a month I’d formed so many good relationships with so many people,” he continues.
Before I graduated, I decided I wanted to get into banking, mainly to prove to my parents that I’m capable of doing something
With his career in finance continuing to develop, Mr Malik began working for Investec Wealth and Investment UK as a research assistant, then felt the need to follow a different career direction. “I decided that finance wasn’t working for me, and I still don’t understand exactly why to this day, but I then came across Sarah Barnard who was instructing on the use of Excel Spreadsheets,” says Mr Malik.
He credits Ms Barnard with both encouraging him to start his own business and supporting him through the launch of Enlight Group. “She helped me to set up the company but before this, she advised that it would be best to focus on creating a business that was based on what I understand.
“We discussed what I’d done before I joined the finance industry and then looked at what I’d done with Interserve and opportunities within the cleaning sector. She then spent a few months helping me to get Enlight off the ground as well as convincing me that I can do this,” he continues.
Having launched the business in April 2018, Mr Malik had to overcome initial issues around submitting tenders without a portfolio of clients to support these. His solution involved approaching companies around East London and engaging them in discussions about their cleaning requirements.
“After six months we won a small contract to provide cleaning services to a small nursery and then started to develop the business further over the next 12 months or so. I started walking around London and looking for other companies to work with, and found ???????, which had recently opened,” he says.
After receiving a favourable response to the initial contact, Mr Malik stayed in touch with the business, and this led to his company being awarded the cleaning contract for a co-working space.
“This led to us starting to work for Knight Frank, which is now our biggest client, and I’m very pleased that we’ve been able to expand our work with them over the last few years.”
He returns to the topic of people who have helped him over the years, particularly with the development of Enlight Group. “Whenever I find really good people, I try to keep them with me on my journey. A great example of this is our first cleaning supervisor, Jade Kanga, who helped with the cleaning of the co-worker space and set up our first contracts with Nazreen Akhtar, and that led to the company working with more clients and continuing to grow.”
He provides additional credit for the support received from Mark Douglas, who employed Mr Malik to work on the FX sales desk, and Simple Health Kitchen chief executive officer Bradley Hill, who has continued to mentor him from the age of 19 to the present day.
As the conversation with Mr Malik progresses, he further explains how his work ethic, appreciation of others and sense of loyalty originated and continues to influence his work within the FM sector and the running of his business. “Technically I’m an outsider and I didn’t have many contacts within the FM industry when I started the business and didn’t know where to begin, at first. I’ve always been really grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given, and I know that there are always other people who are more deserving,” he says.
“I’m from a different ethnic background to a lot of people in the industry and grew up in an East London council estate, but a lot of people have liked my attitude, appreciate my story and have been really supportive, which has been really helpful to developing the business,” he continues.
In addition to his many personal attributes, Mr Malik has found that an ability to multi-task has been another important factor, particularly in the early years of founding a business. “There’s no one else to turn to, so you have to handle the marketing, HR, IT and administration.
I’m from a different ethnic background to a lot of people in the industry and grew up in an East London council estate, but a lot of people have liked my attitude, appreciate my story and have been really supportive
“I got to know Malcolm Thompson, who is a very well-known health and safety consultant. He came to see me and liked my story and created all our health and safety policy documents for free and Malcolm, Kate and many other people have been central to all our success.”
“It’s been a very emotional journey, in many ways, and I’m very grateful to everyone that has supported me and provided all the opportunities that have helped the business to expand to its current position, and from where we hope to grow it further in the years ahead,” he says.
Further evidence of Mr Malik’s gratitude for his personal and business success has included support for charitable causes and voluntary work by himself and his colleagues. He states that he is particularly keen to assist young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, which has led to his company sponsoring the Wapping Youth and Football Club team for boys and girls aged from seven to 14 years.
“We really need to support young people and help them to develop interests that will keep them off the streets and out of trouble to give them a good start in life that will help them with achieving more in the future. I’m really keen to give back wherever I can,” he says.
Having begun with small cleaning contracts, Enlight Group initially increased the numbers of these, then began to win work on a larger scale and this aspect of the business is expected to provide further growth in future. While much of the new business is expected to include elements of cleaning, the company has developed into all other areas of FM service delivery, which is providing ever-increasing numbers of additional opportunities.
There are now three main divisions, including Workplace, Facility Infrastructure and Service Hub, all of which include multiple options that can be selected on an individual basis or bundled together.
“We began to increase our work with our cleaning clients, which has proved to be a great way to expand the company,” Mr Malik continues. “A lot of our additional work is around statutory compliance, as well as maintenance and repairs.
“Our clients told us we were doing a great job of cleaning the building and were happy for us to help to maintain the building and complete general repairs. This often results from our cleaners seeing something that needs mending, such as a broken towel rail or something similar, taking a picture on their phone and sharing with their colleagues and the client.
“Then there are more services such as emergency light testing and electrical appliance testing, as we continue to add value and cement our position in the supply chain,” he continues. “We’ve always continued to strengthen our own supply chain, too, and this has led to conversations with clients about managing the entire running of facilities.
“We now find that cleaning accounts for around 75% of our business, with the compliancy and other services accounting for the remaining 25%. This balance is likely to move more towards the 50-50 level in a few years.”
More recently, Mr Malik has started working with ActionCoach UK’s Darien Jay to create a sharper focus for his long-term goals and vision for the company. As a result, he now sees Enlight Group as the tool for helping him achieve his wider ambitions in life and, given his plans for the company over the next 12 months and beyond, states that having a trusted advisor in his corner can only be a benefit as he looks to take the business to the next level.
Having established a strong ethical business culture, Mr Malik is keen to ensure that this remains in place and is very much aware of the need to protect this as the company expands. With many FM businesses achieving their growth ambitions through mergers and acquisitions, he states that any deals of this nature will only include those that provide a close match with his company.
Core values such as sustainability, high levels of customer service, support for colleagues and clients through trust, honesty and loyalty have continued to be the central theme and it seems Mr Malik and the Enlight Group will continue to enjoy success in finding increasing numbers of like-minded clients and industry partners in the years ahead.
It’s been a very emotional journey, in many ways, and I’m very grateful to everyone that has supported me and provided all the opportunities that have helped the business to expand to its current position
Continuing to expand the long list of benefits emerging from the partnership between the DIO and Landmarc Support Services is likely to keep both sides occupied for many years to come
Regardless of the area of operations concerned, the extensive selection of advantages resulting from close collaboration between clients and their service provider partners delivers high levels of value for both sides and all stakeholders.
While evidence of the above can be seen in the many case study articles published within this magazine to date, the example provided by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) and Landmarc Support Services is arguably among the best of these. FM Director enjoyed an exclusive site visit to the army’s Salisbury Plain training facility, meeting DIO overseas and training region head Brigadier ‘Barty’ Bartholomew OBE and Landmarc managing director Mark Neill.
The importance of the close working relationship between the two sides is emphasised by Brigadier Bartholomew from the outset of the meeting, and he compares it with the FM team of the Twickenham Stadium in West London (see FM Director March case study). “If they do a good job with getting the stadium ready and supporting all the team and everyone, then it’s far more likely that the England rugby side will have a great game. It’s exactly the same for us and we’ve found that working in close partnership with Landmarc results in very few errors occurring and we’ve received a lot of appreciation and plaudits as a result of this,” he says.
Following the initial contract award in 2003, the partners have worked together on a continuous improvement basis to achieve the aims of the Defence Training Estate (DTE). One of the many statistics provided to explain the extent and scope of this is that the DTE accounts for 1% of the entire UK land area.
Mr Neill provides another statistic to explain the specialist nature of the partnership and the work involved: “Just 30% of the work involved in the partnership between DIO and Landmarc is
accounted for by traditional FM working practices,” he continues.
“The remaining 70% is accounted for by a long list of other delivery requirements that allow the DIO to adapt and adjust the delivery of training and management of its estate to meet all its requirements. A close working relationship is essential to deliver everything and it would be impossible to achieve all the requirements without it.”
Given the extensive geographic area and the wide variety of types of facilities and different operational requirements involved, the role of Landmarc exceeds that of many total FM contracts. These currently include: consultancy, design; management and operation of training areas and ranges; explosives safety; built and rural estate management, including environmental and conservation support; accommodation services; catering; information management and administration; project management and commercial property management.
“We still see people that believe the DTE is all about tanks, guns and making lots of loud noises, but that’s only a very small part of what we’re about. Of course we have to arrange weapon handling, battle inoculation and the physical reproduction of war, including battle conditions and treating of casualties, etc, but there’s far more involved in the running of the estate,” Brigadier Bartholomew continues.
In addition to military personnel, DTE facilities are also used for the training of the police, secret service, army reservists and civilians and will play host to a variety of alternative activities, such as the rehearsal for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II last year. These frequently require rapid reaction to manage the reorganisation and adaptation of the estate to provide the necessary level of support for the project in question.
We still see people that believe the DTE is all about tanks, guns and making lots of loud noises, but that’s only a very small part of what we’re about
“Then, in addition to the many requirements of delivering training regimes, we have a wide range of additional areas of interest,” Brigadier Bartholomew continues. “Much of the estate is used to provide a buffer zone between training activities and civilian areas, which requires us to manage biodiversity and includes a number of protected species of flora and fauna, as well as wildlife.
“Some of these will be in coastal areas, which requires us to manage a fleet of boats in addition to our other vehicles, to patrol and deliver the necessary level of safeguarding and maintenance of assets, and we also use drones to monitor some sites. Then on Dartmoor, we can only access some areas on horseback.”
Mr Neill describes the management of the most active areas of the estate as “security on steroids”, due to the wide range of requirements involved to deliver the correct levels of safety for all stakeholders. “So you’ll see uniformed staff working with others who will be more public-facing and liaise with local communities, authorities and relevant organisations.
“There are 36 local authorities just around Salisbury Plain, so it’s a huge task to liaise with everyone and keep track of all the areas of interest, which can range from historical and archaeological societies to environmental and social organisations,” he says.
With tenant farmers also present in many areas of the estate, the DTE needs to appreciate the resulting requirements, such as recognising the need to avoid major levels of activity during the
lambing season. In addition to this, the estate includes 22m trees, resulting in the DTE working closely with the forestry industry to deliver best practice in all areas, a recent example of which has been that of ash dieback.
“It’s often the case that no funding is available for these projects, so it’s a case of finding how to deliver them. It’s essential you’re working with partners that you trust in these cases, with everyone working together to create the best outcome.
“For example, we found that harvesting the timber in the ash dieback programme provided enough income to manage the rest of our ash stock and that method has since been adopted by the UK forestry industry,” says Brigadier Bartholomew.
Following the launch of the Climate Change and Sustainability Strategic Approach by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), which includes a focus on woodland creation and projects to support carbon sequestration, 72 Integrated Rural Management Plans and additional Long Term Forest Management Plans have been jointly developed. These are now firmly embedded into the management of the rural areas of the estate and play a major role in influencing future sustainable land management initiatives.
Landmarc has also introduced its Sustainability Strategy, which is aligned with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals and further supports the DTE’s aims and ambitions, providing further evidence of the close alignment of the two partners.
There are 36 local authorities just around Salisbury Plain, so it’s a huge task to liaise with everyone and keep track of all the areas of interest
One of the constant challenges encountered is that of recruitment, which can be more demanding due to the rural locations of many of the DTE sites. “We’re often the largest employer of people in the area,” Mr Neill continues, “which is another reasons we have to be seen as an employer of choice that looks after its people.”
All colleagues are encouraged to provide suggestions for improvements within the Bright Ideas initiative, with any leading to significant financial savings receiving 10% of the value of these. Further to this, Brigadier Bartholomew carries a number of ‘brigadier coins’ that he presents to staff members seen to be going above and beyond the call of duty.
Another element to appreciate is that of the potential for any member of staff to highlight any areas of concern within day-to-day operations. These are contributed on a confidential basis with the aim of encouraging openness, in order to allow issues to be identified and dealt with as early as possible to avoid the negative outcomes that may emerge in future.
Further to the support of all staff members, the partnership additionally engages with many other areas of UK society and numerous charitable organisations. Included within this is encouragement for military veterans to help them transition to civilian life and this has provided yet more benefits to the DTE.
“Our wifi is provided by UK Connect and the business was created by a military veteran who saw the gap in the market,” says Brigadier Bartholomew.
With training facilities frequently required to host large numbers of people for several weeks to achieve the required levels of competency, Brigadier Bartholomew states that “wifi is now more important than water and food”. This can be another challenging element to deliver, particularly in the more remote areas of the estate, and serves to illustrate the need to implement effective technological solutions.
The COVID pandemic provided more opportunities for the benefits of collaborative working to be made even more visible, with the DTE used to provide quarantine areas for military personnel before they travelled to overseas postings. The estate has also been used to train thousands of Ukrainian civilians in the use of weapons and other activities before they return to their country.
“Everyone who uses our sites will expect to be able to have access to wifi and that’s another aspect that we’ve had to adapt to,” he says.
With provision of free access to wifi emerging as an essential element, Mr Neil explains that this is playing an essential role in energy management and the move toward net zero carbon emissions. “We’ve set limits on energy use for some facilities and all the time these levels are met, we continue to provide free wifi. But if these levels are exceeded, we then turn the wifi off and that’s proving to be a very effective means to manage energy,” he continues.
We’ve set limits on energy use for some facilities and all the time these levels are met, we continue to provide free wifi
This leads to further discussion on the potential for the estate to be used for energy generation and storage, with increasing interest in renewable methods ranging from solar and wind to anaerobic digestion and the increasing use of batteries. Further to this, Landmarc has created a highly energy-efficient method of replacing the large number of timber and Nissen style buildings around the estate, many of which were built before 1940.
Using off-site construction methods, the company has created a modular accommodation block design that can be delivered on site and be fully operational within a few days of its arrival. Each block can provide up to 46 bed spaces and includes shower, drying and conveniently-located power points.
The units can be divided to allow for male/female or adult/juvenile segregation, making them much more adaptable than the buildings they replace.
“We’ve continued to adapt and update the design of these blocks, with the result that they’ve not only become more suitable for use by the DTE but have also become an important element of the DIO’s Net Zero Carbon Accommodation Programme (netCAP),” Mr Neill explains. “We initially achieved energy performance certificate (EPC) ratings of 12, which has since been improved to a rating of -10 – a shift of 22 points – and we’re continuing to look at the use of modern methods of construction (MMC) to make more improvements in the future.”
His thoughts on further development within the partnership include considerations for improved data capture and analysis. Considerations for the most
appropriate technology and means to deliver this continue to be examined, with the aim of determining the best solutions for both partners.
“In order to make intelligent decisions, you need to have accurate data,” Brigadier Bartholomew says. “That’s as true for the DTE as it is for all areas of military operations.”
Both partners agree that the highly effective partnership established over the last 20 years is the most important element, while also appreciating the need to have the necessary contractual requirements in place and including the acknowledgment that Landmarc needs to operate on a sustainable commercial basis.
“You also need to make sure you have open and honest discussions – and that means have difficult conversations at times – but as long as everyone realises the importance of working as closely as possible together, all of this is achievable,” says Mr Neill. “This allows us all to focus on the quality of the services we deliver and avoid the race to the bottom, which leads to reduced service delivery and unhappy customers.”
Although the partnership between DIO and Landmarc includes a number of highly specific challenges and solutions, the close collaboration between the two provides an excellent example of how the application of best-practice principles is the best method of delivering the most effective outcomes and long-term value.
In order to make intelligent decisions, you need to have accurate data
Speaking to FM Director prior to her first six-month anniversary after joining Selecta last year, client solution specialist Alicia Fieldhouse continues to apply her eight years of experience in the coffee industry.
Her role is bringing her into contact with FMs and service providers in our industry for the first time and she has been quick to appreciate the importance of providing facilities users with the best coffee. “I’ve learned so much since joining Selecta and I’m looking forward to speaking to more of our clients about their needs for their facilities,” she says.
“It’s very obvious how important coffee is to the industry, which is not surprising as globally it’s the second most important drink after water and it’s a huge opportunity for any business to consider,” she continues.
In the current climate, with the FM sector continuing to adjust to the requirements of hybrid working, coffee is continuing to play an important role in tempting staff to return to the workplace. Ms Fieldhouse explains that the days of instant coffee in plastic cups are largely in the past, with expectations now focused on the quality end of the market.
Building owners and FMs now have a wealth of choice at their disposal from Selecta, providing them with more than sufficient scope to adjust the selection of hot beverages to meet the expectations of colleagues and facilities users. These include free or paid-for options, along with the most relevant types of coffee as an essential aspect of the on-site catering offer.
“There’s been a huge boom in the numbers of coffee suppliers to the market over the last few years,” she continues, “which has happened as a result of the increase in interest from consumers. We’re also finding that this is leading to clients becoming even more knowledgeable and raising expectations around service delivery, etc.
“There are now around 350 roasters in England and consumers are very interested in where it comes from and what suppliers are doing in terms of sustainability. In addition to all the aspects around supply and roasting, the service side adds a number of other areas of interest.”
Her comments about the rise in interest in all aspects of coffee are supported by the popularity of The London Coffee Festival, which provided a noisy background to the meeting with FM Director. This has had a major impact on the Selecta brand, which has adjusted its service offering considerably over the last three years.
Alicia
her thoughts on all things coffee-related as she continues to learn about the FM industry and its love affair with its most essential hot beverage
“We’ve seen a real uplift in the quality of the services we offer to our clients and what we’re able to offer,” she continues. “There’s been a fundamental change within Pelican Rouge over the last 12 months with a range of new blends. Several of these are specific to the UK market, with the taste profile developed to match these and akin to market preferences.”
The Pelican Rouge selection now includes a range of 20 blends relevant to the European market, nine of which will be available to UK clients, Ms Fieldhouse continues. “The range of blends for the UK market are likely to be whittled down to five or six, depending on their popularity with clients,” she says.
There is a considerable difference in taste and methods of drinking coffee around the world, with consumers in Scandinavia preferring black coffee, with the grounds of lighter roasts and acidic, fruity flavours included in the cup, Ms Fieldhouse explains. Further differences are evident in Spain and Italy, where darker roasts are preferred.
“For the UK, we don’t really like bitter drinks, but quite like fairly sweet, milky beverages and you need to be able to taste the coffee with very little bitterness. You’re unlikely to see dark roasts that are more typically seen in other areas,” she says.
Ms Fieldhouse states that coffee beans are grown in locations within 1,000 miles either side of the equator, requiring unique combinations of sunshine, water, acidic soil and high altitudes, typically located on the sides of mountains. “You find some coffee is grown more than 2,000m above sea level but they’ll still need lots of labour intensive practices, attention and care from the farmers.”
Espresso is the basis on which all bean-to-cup coffee drinks are founded, Ms Fieldhouse continues, further explaining that drink recipes and machine configurations play an important part in providing the best results. The most popular species are Arabica and Robusta, she explains, and the majority of the blends in the UK are created from these.
One of the more recent areas of development has been that of automated vending dispensers, which is partly attributed to the issues seen in workplaces after the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 and the resulting increase in hybrid working arrangements.
“These have proved to be ideal in the supply of drinks of consistent quality and we can set them to give the best doses, recipes and drink preferences and even tailor the blend according to the client’s preferences, as well,” she says.
Blends will typically include a mixture of Arabica and Robusta and can be adjusted to provide bespoke options.
“You wouldn’t think that adjusting the blends by a few percentage points would make any difference, but the reality is that adding or increasing Robusta will cut through the milkiness. So just adding 10% Robusta makes a real difference,” she continues.
“The machines can be adjusted to include any drinks from a black Americano to a double-shot, skinny mocha. We’ve also made a few changes since COVID and it’s now possible to order and pay for drinks without having to touch anything, apart from picking up the cup.”
The impact of the coronavirus pandemic has contributed to the rise in popularity of the automatic vending machines themselves, Ms Fieldhouse continues, with a number of clients reducing their use of contract caterers due to lower footfall within their offices and facilities. The use of dispensing machines also means that drinks can be provided at any time of the day or night, which is adding to their popularity, particularly where facilities users are on site outside normal office hours.
“There’s a maintenance package included for the machines and that means we can quickly fix any faults and get them running again,” she continues. “There’s also a smart fridge option for clients, where all the products are weighed and programmed in.”
With the benefits of smart fridges matching those of drinks vending machines, Ms Fieldhouse states that these require users to present their payment method, which will release the door lock and allow product to be taken. The fridge will then feed the details of the items taken back to the company, resulting in replacement products automatically ordered and arriving on site at agreed times.
“There are definite pros and cons to both using dispensing machines or employing baristas. The machines are available any time and always provide the same quality of drink, but then with a barista you can have personal interaction and even showmanship, and baristas will also be capable of creating drinks to each person’s personal preference,” she says.
“We also have a licence for Starbucks and some clients choose to have that set-up included in their workspace,” Ms Fieldhouse continues. “We have the ability to adapt our service to meet everyone’s requirements and Selecta is really keen to share that message with everyone.”
Sustainability is another important aspect of the company’s business model and culture, from the sourcing and packaging of its products to all elements of its operations. These efforts include high levels of support for farmers at the beginning of the supply chain.
Those involved in the growing of produce are exposed to the increasing impact of climate change and the company has seen its support assist its farmers, with high levels of success in reducing the impact of drought and other environmental issues. Further sustainable investment has included the installation of more than three thousand solar panels on the roof of the company’s Dordrecht facility.
She further explains that the company is in “a great
position” to meet all the requirements of its clients, with an established supply chain, its main roasting facility in Dordrecht, the Netherlands, and its highly adaptable service offering, and states that this is continuing to see positive results in its drive to expand further into the UK market.
Explaining more details about the company’s operation, she states that coffee is grown as a fruit similar to a cherry, with an edible flesh that can be made into jam, although this will contain caffeine, she states. Selecta works with farmers and distributors to bring the beans to their roastery in the best condition.
The company’s extensive experience within the industry has seen it continue to refine all elements of its business operations, including that of its roasting of coffee beans. “We prefer to roast for between 12 and 18 minutes,” Ms Fieldhouse continues. “We find that this gives the best flavour, depending on the darkness, but we tend to avoid flash roasting which typically involves roasting at high temperature for around three minutes.”
“It’s all about the time-to-temperature ratio and it’s quite an art to achieve the best outcome, which is another strength of Pelican Rouge. We still prefer to use the more traditional method of drum roasting, while some suppliers are moving to the fluid bed roasting method.”
Having relaunched the Pelican Rouge product selection, Selecta is continuing to support its clients in the UK and around Europe to ensure that they are provided with the best solutions to meet the coffee expectations of their staff and all users of their facilities.
It’s very obvious how important coffee is to the industry, which is not surprising as globally it’s the second most important drink after water and it’s a huge opportunity for any business to consider
On 1st February 2023, PTSG was delighted to announce the acquisition of Indepth Hygiene Services Ltd (Indepth) – one of the UK’s leading specialist fire safety companies. Indepth’s core service offering includes fire damper maintenance and grease extract ductwork cleaning.
The acquisition has extended the Group’s Fire Solutions offering and is highly complementary to the other services within this division. PTSG Fire Solutions Ltd now includes a mechanical fire business comprising: UK Dry Riser Maintenance, UK Dry Riser Installations, UK Sprinklers, MP Fire Protection and Pure Power. Trinity Fire and Security Systems delivers the Group’s electrical fire and security services. Neo Property Solutions Ltd and now Indepth give PTSG a comprehensive portfolio of passive fire services for customers in a wide range of industry sectors.
As stated on PTSG’s website, fire safety must be the foundation upon which all buildings are constructed. Fire safety assets should be part of every building’s design and these assets must then receive rigorous regular testing and maintenance, ensuring compliance with the latest industry regulations.
PTSG works with building owners and managers to reduce their risk by providing specialist fire safety equipment and services.
The Group’s services help them to meet their compliance obligations, supported by industryleading reporting, delivered to the latest UK standards. This is complemented by first-class fire suppression equipment and services to ensure that in the unlikely event of a fire, there is the best possible chance of keeping damage to an absolute minimum and protecting lives.
Two of the most significant new services that Indepth has brought to PTSG are Fire and Smoke Damper Inspection and Testing and Grease Extract Ventilation Cleaning:
Regular fire damper testing delivers peace of mind that if the worst were to happen and a fire were to break out, there is less chance of it spreading throughout the building. Fire dampers should be tested upon installation and then once every year.
Fire and smoke dampers are located in a building’s ductwork system at any point where the ductwork breaches the fire compartment. Dampers are essential in preventing the spread of fire and smoke, and the law sets out clear rules and guidance for their inspection, testing and maintenance.
A building is made up of several fire compartments to prevent the spread of smoke and fire. Each is designed to contain smoke and fire for a period of time; this is referred to as the fire rating. Compartments are typically entire floors of buildings, but in larger buildings and purpose-built structures, such as hotels, a compartment can also be a single room.
See ‘Fire Compartmentation’ later on in this article.
Ductwork runs throughout your entire building, providing fresh air and heat. Where it is necessary for ductwork to breach the fire compartment a fire damper is installed. There are several types of damper, but the principle of how they work is the same. In the event of a fire, a fire damper closes to maintain the fire barrier, bridging the gap in the fire compartment, whereas smoke dampers open or close to control the pathway of smoke.
Typically, in a space of 1,000 square metres you would expect to find between 40 and 80 dampers. This can be significantly higher depending on the layout or design of the building and the compartmentation.
The legal requirements for fire and smoke damper inspection and testing are clear. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 clearly sets out that it is the employer’s responsibility to maintain their fire safety systems. Their dampers are a key part of their fire safety system.
A visual inspection of your dampers will identify surface damage or anomalies in the installation. Many contractors simply don’t understand the function of smoke and fire dampers and can inadvertently impair their operation.
Once identified, each damper is then tested. A drop test checks that the damper will operate should a fire break out. The mechanism which releases the damper, usually a fusible link or thermal spring, is manually activated and we check that the damper closes completely. We then reset the damper to ensure it is ready for operation.
A visual inspection and complete testing are the only way to achieve compliance.
Following an inspection, PTSG provides customers with comprehensive details of all dampers tested, including photographic evidence of the damper before, during, and after testing. If any issues are identified, PTSG’s team provides further photographs and advice on remedial steps, including detailed costings.
Building regulations require that commercial kitchens have suitable extraction to reduce heat and remove smells. Eliminating the risk of fire is also of paramount importance. The system itself will comprise a canopy and a fan, required for the extraction of air and particles and ductwork that leads to an external vent.
Building owners and managers have both a
‘duty of care’ and legal obligations to ensure that ventilation systems are kept clean by the most efficient ductwork and duct cleaning methods.
Grease Extract Ventilation Cleaning is an important service provided by technicians in PTSG Fire Solutions Ltd. In addition to this service, PTSG delivers:
Ductwork Cleaning
Indoor Air Quality Testing
Hospital Ventilation Cleaning
Local Exhaust Ventilation Testing
The acquisition of InDepth has cemented PTSG’s position as a leader in both fire compartmentation and fire stopping.
Fire compartmentation inhibits the spread of fire and smoke in a building.
Fire-resistant compartments are part of a building’s life safety structural design. Their critical function is to slow the spread of fire and smoke and assist occupants’ safe egress should a fire break out. Compartmentation also assists property preservation, as fire is more effectively contained supporting the efforts of emergency services.
Compartmentation is used to:
Divide or sub-divide escape routes in a building, such as stairwells and corridors
Decrease the risk for emergency services
Contain fire in smaller areas, such as a single residence in a high rise block, alleviating the urgency of the complete evacuation of a building
Provide multiple options for the safe evacuation in more significant buildings, preventing bottlenecks in escape routes. For example, hospitals can move patients ‘across’ a building before proceeding to lower floors.
Fire stopping is critical to maintaining a building’s fire compartmentation as part of its overall passive fire protection system.
Where utilities or other services are forced to breach a fire compartment, the compartment’s integrity must be maintained or restored where breached. This is achieved by repairing holes, defects or damage with suitably rated fire-resistant materials to re-seal the compartments.
Likewise, where damage is identified through a compartmentation survey, repairs must be carried out to reinstate the integrity of the compartment using appropriately rated materials.
A ‘permit to work’ system for all contractors operating in and around fire compartments would be an ideal solution to ensure your fire safety rating is retained during works. However, until this is introduced and made mandatory, it should be expected that damage to your fire compartment is inevitable, as buildings are undergoing continual modifications with the installation of new services and renovations by inexperienced contractors.
Above: Grease extract ventilation cleaning
Below: Fire and smoke damper and testing
As stated on PTSG’s website, fire safety must be the foundation upon which all buildings are constructed
One of the key differentiators for businesses is the quality and style of their in-house food and drink provision, say industry experts in our latest feature
Dating back to the time of Napoleon Bonaparte, the saying “An army marches on its stomach” has received universal recognition in supporting the need for troops to be supported with sufficient levels of nutrition.
The saying also has connotations for the importance of meeting the expectations of company workers in contemporary society, with many companies using its their catering service as part of its their efforts to encourage more employees to remain in their jobs for longer periods of time. In addition to the quality and variety of options available, this has included more focus on healthy eating in recent years.
With companies currently increasing their efforts to encourage staff to return to the office, or use company facilities more regularly, their catering services have been a central element in their efforts. With the quality of coffee available at each facility considered to be one of the most important aspects for every FM, this has been extended to include the entire catering service.
Providing staff with in-house access to good quality food and drink options has been used both to encourage more employees to return to their workplace and also as a supportive measure to maintain or improve the productivity levels of staff. The latter is often the case for large businesses in their efforts to allow their workers to remain at their office and avoid the lost time in leaving to find catering options in the local area.
We asked industry experts whether attitudes toward in-house catering options were changing, with Lexington managing director Matt Wood among the first to respond. He says: “Great food and service is increasingly recognised as an important part of the post-pandemic office revolution, and I’m certain that in-house dining isn’t considered to be a luxury.
“It’s seen as an enabler, a differentiator, and a people-centric benefit which helps to entice people back and to perform at their best,” he continues.
Whilst most of the clients his company works with actively empower employees to include a level of flexibility within their activities, there is so much that cannot be completed by using online communication portals such as Teams or Zoom. Attending the office is now seen as an opportunity to engage with colleagues, to share ideas and to collaborate, according to Mr Wood.
“The provision of great food and service has never been more important in the eyes of our clients, and the in-house restaurant is increasingly recognised as the beating heart of the building.
“It’s important that we remove all preconceptions of traditional restaurants, however. In-house restaurants in the 2020s are much more than locations for lunch at midday; they are spaces to catch up with colleagues, spaces to entertain, spaces to think, spaces to learn and spaces to engage,” Mr Wood concludes.
Great food and service is increasingly recognised as an important part of the postpandemic office revolution
With catering providers expected to be experts in the creation and delivery of awardwinning restaurants, special events, and memorable experiences, the option of accessing high-quality food and drink menus is increasing for client-side FMs with the budgets to afford them.
One of the main selling points for catering service providers is that the in-house restaurant is increasingly seen as a necessity for forward-thinking businesses, rather than a luxury addition, according to industry commentators.
Additional opinion on this topic is shared by Sodexo UK and Ireland chief executive officer corporate services Julie Ennis: “Following the pandemic, food is such a key motivator for enticing your employees back into the office, and one of the top reasons staff give for wanting to brave the commute and not work from home.
Not only does great food help to entice people back into the workplace, but it also fuels productivity.
“Therefore, a strong catering option is vital from an engagement point of view, and I’d argue that this isn’t a luxury, but a necessity, given the current climate we are in with the ongoing war for talent. Furthermore, consumers are so food and health conscious these days and an enriching food offering not only helps draw people back into work, but also ensures they are nourished, which has a wealth of health and productivity benefits.
“Within our Corporate Services division, we are seeing more and more clients put their emphasis on food, as they see the value this brings to them and their workforce. We also believe food fuels our health, wellness and happiness at work, and we are seeing both caterers and high street chains enticing people back with exciting food and drink offers.
“Delicious and nutritious food doesn’t have to be expensive either. Through our Vital Spaces proposition, which empowers businesses to optimise the workplace to boost the employee experience, we have a range of food offerings and brands that cater to all different tastes and budgets. This ensures our clients can pick what is going to have the most benefit to their staff, which in turn is a benefit to their business,” Ms Ennis concludes.
Her reference to “the ongoing war for talent” being experienced by employers in the current climate matches perfectly with the opening sentences of this article, while underpinning the statement that wholesome food and drink options can be an essential element in attracting new staff members and encouraging them to remain with the business for longer.
Statements from companies operating in all areas of the UK frequently include details of their struggles to recruit sufficiently skilled employees and this is resulting in more businesses raising the levels of support provided to their workforce.
Following the pandemic, food is such a key motivator for enticing your employees back into the office
Regardless of whether their main place of work is located within a city centre or the heart of the countryside, the large majority of employees will appreciate being able to access good quality food without the inconvenience of leaving the building.
Further emphasis on the need to attract and retain new employees is provided by the statements from companies in all areas of the FM industry confirming that lack of staff is often the main requirement in the gaining of new business.
In addition to the recruitment difficulties experienced by many cleaning companies – some of which have seen millions of pounds of potential new business lost or put on hold due to the lack of staff –many service providers in other areas of FM have reported similar issues.
The hospitality sector has additionally reported that the post-pandemic era has seen significantly fewer numbers of job candidates, with the potential to impact on the provision of catering services. Industry experts believe that this is one of the reasons for the rise in popularity of automatic vending services and machines.
Further thoughts on this particular aspect of catering services are provided within the FM Director interview with Alicia Fieldhouse (turn to page 36 of this issue) and provide ‘food for thought’ – pun intended – about the use of other types of technology, such as online and app-based ordering services.
On a final note, another area of importance within the general topic of in-house catering options is that of the subsidised staff restaurant. Further exploring the statement from Ms Ennis that nutritious food does not have to be expensive, many businesses have continued to provide staff with a variety of different options within this description.
Many of these are subsidised to varying degrees with the result that employees are able to enjoy freshly-prepared food and drink that is considerably less expensive than dining in a restaurant and often cheaper than high street retail prices. This is frequently used as another powerful means to support the recruitment of new members of staff, along with raising and maintaining the reputation of the business as an employer of choice.
Regardless of whether companies consider in-house catering services to be essential or expensive luxuries, their potential value remains unchanged by the numerous challenges that have emerged in recent years.
With the cost of supportive measures frequently proving to be the deciding factor in the provision, continuation or removal of these services, those regarding the expense of in-house catering as an investment in their staff and the future of their companies are more likely to gain the most benefits These benefits should be appreciated on a number of levels to justify efforts to improve and develop catering offerings further.
A strong catering option is vital from an engagement point of view, and I’d argue that this isn’t a luxury, but a necessity
Jackie Furey has enjoyed a long and varied FM career and continues to relish her latest role and its focus on creating the best workplace experience
ackie Furey has enjoyed a long and varied FM career and continues to relish her latest role and its focus on creating the best workplace experience
Regular readers of the rapidly-increasing number of personal interviews with senior industry personnel published in each issue of the FM Director published since last September will be keenly aware that every individual has come to the industry via a different route.
Crown Workplace head of move and change management Jackie Furey provides another fascinating example of this, having started work as a sales ledger accountant for relocation service provider Harrow Green in November 1999.
“I’ve always had quite an outgoing personality,” she explains, a statement with which many FM industry contacts are likely to agree, “and accountancy can be a little dull, so I took the opportunity to move to a sales role with Harrow Green, and was appointed as business development and sales executive with the Blueprint section of the business.”
This new role, with the relocation project management division, proved to be more to her liking as well as more suited to her aspirations and personality, and Ms Furey found that her successful efforts to establish a new sales structure and identify potential clients, resulted in her spending more time on site. Although this was another enjoyable aspect, the presentations to clients, combined with continued communications with business contacts and support for the company’s marketing team, saw her role expanding considerably.
“We have to realise this was 25 years ago and the industry has moved on a lot since then,” she says. Ms Furey’s next career move came in 2002 when she was appointed to the position of senior sales consultant with General Motors. I’ve always been interested in cars and that went very well until the bottom dropped out of the market in 2005, and I then moved to interior design consultancy, Inside Job. They had some great clients, including KPMG and others, and after starting as operations manager, I was then invited to join the board as director of operations,” she continues.
Her time with the company provided Ms Furey with her first major focus on the workplace, in addition to her initial experience as a company director. Although her journey within the FM sector has been different to many, she shares a number of common positive attributes, such as applying her life and work experiences to support her ever-increasing skills.
Ms Furey’s work experience over the next 11 years brought more valuable skills and an increasing focus on FM services, consultancy and workplace development, leading to the point where she launched her own business in 2016. “That went really well, and I was so pleased to see it more than meet my expectations with the way we were accepted by the industry and the amount of work we completed.
“I think the highlight of this was the winning of an IWFM award in 2019, which showed how well we were doing at that point, when we beat several of the larger FM companies in our category.
With all the lockdowns and other effects of the pandemic continuing, we had no choice but to close the business
“Our business employed just four staff at the time, so we were a fraction of the size of others competing for the award, so to say we were delighted is an understatement,” she says.
The following year saw the coronavirus pandemic impact the UK – along with the rest of the world, of course – and Ms Furey describes her feelings on the effect this had on her business: “It was heartbreaking to see nearly all our work disappear virtually overnight and both Graham, my partner, and I took other jobs in the end.
“With all the lockdowns and other effects of the pandemic continuing, we had no choice but to close the business. But then I updated my LinkedIn profile last year and luckily I received lots of very nice job offers,” she continues.
“I thought I’d struggle to come back into the industry after a couple of years away, but was very pleased with the welcome I received. It’s been a funny old time over the last few years but I’m very happy to be working in FM again,” she states.
This is how Jackie found her new role as head of move and change management at Crown Workspace, where she started earlier this year. Within this role, Ms Furey is able to utilise her extensive experience and interest in the psychological aspect of workplace management. This is particularly relevant in the current climate, as companies continue to discuss the best hybrid working model to adopt for their business and staff.
“I’m now heading up the Crown Workspace change management division, with a view to introduce workplace consultancy. Throughout my career, I’ve progressed from my previous project management roles into more senior management, and I’m now really interested in the psychology aspect within workplace and change management,” Ms Furey continues.
Another element of Ms Furey’s industry involvement has been her long-standing commitment to working with IWFM, which she plans to continue. From initial membership of the institute’s special interest groups (SIGs), she progressed to the position of chair of its Workspace SIG in 2020.
“That community has been amazing, all the networking and the support you get from every event and the people you get to know,” she says.
Having re-joined the industry, Ms Furey states that she has made considerable effort to attend all industry events relevant to the workplace. She has found her initial concerns about “being behind the curve” of current industry thinking to be unfounded.
“There’s no doubt that hybrid working is here to stay, but it’s equally clear to see that a lot of companies are hesitating about how to engage with it from the business side whilst meeting the needs of employees and the expectations of their clients, too. There’s no single answer and it’s really key for every company to look at what they need to achieve from it,” she continues.
While some businesses are best served by having the majority of staff attending the same workplace, others will find that their employees can work effectively from home or other remote locations without a reduction in productivity.
“Everybody has a different need from the workplace and when you’re looking to change, the drivers can be very different depending on what the company is trying to achieve,” she continues.
“They may be trying to change the way they work, or aiming to attract and retain new talent, or they may be looking to reinvent their business. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all and it has to be a bespoke solution for everybody’s needs.”
She provides the example of the two sides of the Google business, comparing the public-facing “monster of a marketing machine”, with the daily tasks of staff and completion of work-based projects.
These two aspects have widely different requirements, which is similar to many other companies and their set-ups and Ms Furey uses this to emphasise the need to adapt each workplace to suit the particular needs of the company and staff.
Whether companies consider the needs of each member of staff largely depends on the size of the business and number of employees, she continues. Large organisations with thousands of people involved are unlikely to be able to consider the requirements and expectations of everyone, while smaller operations of 20 or 30 staff are more likely to be able to do this.
“It’s up to each company to train their managers to support their staff in the best way. Another consideration is trust and if you can establish this and support everyone in delivering the job they’ve been recruited to do, there are lots of benefits from within that,” she says.
There’s no doubt that hybrid working is here to stay, but it’s equally clear to see that a lot of companies are hesitating about how to engage with it
“Trust is something that develops from regular contact with other colleagues as we meet in both formal and informal settings, but once it’s lost it’s very difficult to get it back. It’s also noticeable that companies are now much more open and inclusive than they’ve ever been.”
An example of the more forward-thinking approach of businesses can be seen in considerations for moving to a four-day working week, Ms Furey continues. “I’ve seen a few people do this and it really works,” she states. “It’s not about cramming five working days into four, but more about being more efficient with the use of time and resources and cutting out the things you don’t need to do.
“It’s also a good way to build trust and reduce burnout because people are getting an extra day added to their weekend, how fabulous is that?” she asks. “It also adds to the loyalty people feel for the business. Of course, you have to make sure that the system isn’t abused in any way, but it’s been proved to be really effective when it’s done properly.”
Ms Furey plans to focus on the gathering and in-depth analysis of data emerging from each workplace in her new role, which will be used to determine and justify any changes. “It’s essential we see the reasons why a workplace needs to change and what the process has been to agree the changes.
“And if you’re looking to make wholesale change in a business, it’s essential that you take the staff on a journey with you. You won’t add value without engaging with your staff, liaising with them, gathering their feedback and building the case for change.”
Once the new direction of the business has been agreed, it is essential that all staff members are given permission to work in different ways that are best suited to the updated working model, she continues.
“If you don’t let everyone know that it’s completely acceptable for them to use their workspace differently, then you run the risk of making all the effort and investment lose its value, and you also need to make sure your managers are managing staff differently, too.”
She now feels the time is right to take risks and encourage more people to work outside their comfort zone in all areas of FM, which will support the industry to continue the progress made in recent years.
“We have a great opportunity to change the way people use their workspace and I think in a few years’ time, the head office will be used more to meet and interact with colleagues and clients, almost like a social club in some ways.
“The intention behind this will be to increase the sense of connectedness to the business. That will require more innovation, but the end result will be to take us all to another level and I think now is the right time to do that,” she says.
Achieving new ways of working, and making sure they deliver the expected results, requires the application of change management practices. Workplace psychology is a central element with this, Ms Furey emphasises.
In many ways, her new role is a culmination of her professional experiences and personal interest in the management of facilities and their use, which is continuing to develop into new areas.
If you’re looking to make wholesale change in a business, it’s essential that you take the staff on a journey with you
Must provide a resilient two-way emergency communication connection to their lifts.
Fibre landlines will fail in the event of a mains power failure!
PRO ACTIVE MANAGEMENT SIMPLE RESILIENT
It’s the most exciting time in the company’s history as it looks to consolidate its position as the UK’s trusted provider of back-up power equipment and maintenance solutions. We take a look at how YorPower, led by Group Managing Director Stephen Peal, takes a progressive approach to business and stay at the forefront of the industry.
Throughout YorPower’s 57-year history, the company’s leadership team has always striven to create a workforce for the future. This means investing in apprentices to learn their trade alongside some of the most experienced engineers in the business. As members of the 5% Club, 5% of YorPower’s employees are apprentices. This applies to the wider team, including office staff, developing young people into well-rounded professionals who will grow with the company.
Additionally, around 10% of YorPower’s workforce are ex-forces, including Stephen Peal. The company has signed the Armed Forces Covenant, continuing to welcome talent from those who have left (or are leaving) the armed forces.
YorPower builds and creates talents through experience and its workforce is central to why its customers place their complete trust in the company.
Annmarie Wakefield, UPS Technical Manager and NICEIC Qualified Supervisor at YorPower, is one of the company’s leading engineers in her field. Having been with the company since 2009, she is widely respected for her experience and technical knowledge of UPS and power supply equipment.
Annmarie is currently leading a project at Leeds Railway Station for YorPower – Phase I is now complete, which involved the decommissioning of an existing back-up power solution and the installation of a 30kVA Riello UPS (uninterruptible power supply) unit and battery. The previous Emerson UPS lasted for a three-year lifespan due to its location and the conditions in which it was housed. The new Riello UPS is a more robust industrial unit.
The decommissioning and installation took two
and a half days. The team of four engineers from YorPower returned for a two-hour evening shift to commission the new unit while the station was running a reduced service.
The only challenge the team encountered during the project was from the human traffic within the station. YorPower’s engineers had a lot of hardware to get up to the first floor of the station; as this had to be done while trains were operating, it meant negotiating through the crowds of people, which was difficult but was completed safely and successfully.
YorPower has since set up a maintenance contract which will see their engineers make two visits per year to service this UPS and all other units on site (nine in total).
What will Phase 2 involve?
Phase 2 will see the replacement of another 30kVA UPS on site at the station. This UPS provides back-up power for all the screens throughout the station. The client has requested that this is done during two night shifts when the reduced service is running due to the installation being on a main
platform, with limited room for both members of the public and Yorpower staff. Safety is paramount.
Another area in which YorPower is leading the way is by delivering back-up power solutions that are sustainable. As reported in April’s issue of FM Director, YorPower recently achieved a Silver Accreditation from Neutral Carbon Zone, which specialises in helping organisations of all kinds to make the transition to a carbon neutral business and beyond.
The accreditation means that all organisational emissions at YorPower have been calculated in accordance with ISO 14064 and the GHG protocol corporate standard, and ensures that its currently unavoidable emissions have been balanced.
The company’s aim is to achieve complete carbon neutrality for all business and service emissions. While many organisations have made a pledge to become carbon neutral, few are taking this level of action and YorPower looks forward to becoming a net zero company well in advance of the government’s mandate of 2050.
Tamsin Dewhurst is the founder of the Uptree free career assistance platform, which matches schools and students with potential employers
One of the most notable developments over the last two or three years has been the significant rise in appreciation levels of the many and varied benefits provided by the FM industry, which is providing more impetus for calls to work with education providers to attract young talent. Schools, colleges and universities have all been identified as offering opportunities for increased levels of interaction to inform everyone about the numerous career options within FM. However, very little focus has been devoted to the use of platforms such as Uptree to assist with linking students with work experience providers and potential employers in the sector.
Uptree was launched by Tamsin Dewhurst eight years ago, following her experiences in her previous career within the education sector. “I worked as a geography teacher and one of my main frustrations was the lack of time I had to support my students in finding career opportunities after they finished their education. There is so much to do within the day job in preparing for and teaching classes, then you spend a lot more time out of hours reading and marking coursework. I always felt there was a need for students to be provided with much more support and be better informed about their career options,” she continues.
“For a long time, it’s been the case that young people have been offered work and have been successful in their careers because of their connections to gain work experience, or those of their families giving them know-how and social capital to ace an interview, especially in the UK, which has some of the worst social mobility in Europe. That’s really unfair for those who don’t have those networks or the support of their close relatives, so Uptree was launched to provide free career education and enable all students to engage and connect with companies that provide some really valuable work experience,” Ms Dewhurst explains.
Prior to launching Uptree, she discussed these challenges for young people with some graduates from her own university cohort, then working in leading professional firms, and as a result received positive responses and introductions to HR or CSR departments. She heard directly from professionals about the challenges they face in trying to access and connect with schools and raise awareness of their apprenticeships and early career roles to diverse audiences.
This resulted in five founding partnerships for Uptree with global employers, such as IBM, KPMG and Google, and the number of partners has continued to expand and led to Uptree currently working with over 40 global businesses today.
Further success has additionally been achieved in forging close contact with education providers and the platform currently partners with 650 schools across the UK. “We’re launching in Northern Ireland in the near future, and Uptree is continuing to grow and expand in more local areas across the UK. There are so many benefits to the businesses involved, particularly in the current climate as they struggle to recruit and retain staff. We’ve also noticed that working with a wider network of potential employees has significantly helped with employers’ diversity and inclusion (D&I) agendas,” Ms Dewhurst continues.
“It’s also a great way to improve social mobility and that’s a benefit to young people and their families and local communities, as well as to the businesses that employ them. We’ve reached around 250,000 young people through our school partnerships and connected over 12,000 to work experience opportunities since 2018,” she says.
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With many of those using the platform designated as being from the poorer communities of UK society, Uptree is helping increasingly more young people to develop their potential and enjoy more fulfilment in their working lives, says Ms Dewhurst.
“Our aim is to create a more level playing field, where work opportunities can be enjoyed by everyone and not just those with the best connections. Schools don’t have the resources to support their students with careers education and matching with preemployment opportunities to build their confidence and skills, but we can do that for them and help young people succeed with their next steps from education to employment”. ”
Before founding Uptree, Ms Dewhurst joined the Teach First Programme in 2009, where she trained as a teacher, with the company also providing support in developing the idea behind Uptree.
Uptree was launched to provide free career education and enable all students to engage and connect with companies that provide some really valuable work experience
The efforts of Ms Dewhurst and her colleagues have proved highly successful and she further states that the last eight years have provided a “very rewarding journey”, continuing to offer an increasing number of opportunities that will include more developments in the future. Uptree has already established over 100 live work experience days per year for young people to attend to learn more about a company and take part in activities to develop their skills as well as receive more information about future work opportunities.
Four events have been staged this month alone, including three in London with J P Morgan, Schroders and the Hire Association, additionally including an event in partnership with Arm in Manchester. With most events taking place in London, Manchester and Scotland, Ms Dewhurst states that Uptree is receiving enquiries from other areas around the UK and is currently exploring the opportunities emerging to work on a more regional basis.
“Work experience events are a great way to provide young people with all the information they need about the potential for them to get that valuable first experience and a taste of what’s available in the job market,” she says.
The increasing success of Uptree in engaging with more young people, educational providers and potential employers has led to recognition, most notably within the Institute for Student Employers (ISE) Awards. Having been included as a runner-up last year, the organisation has additionally been confirmed as a finalist for the 2023 event, with the winners due to be announced on 13 June.
“We’re seeing ever higher levels of engagement from both students and companies, and this is very encouraging to us and everyone involved,” Ms Dewhurst continues. “Our social media channels are helping with this and we’re seeing students from year 12 getting involved, which is very young, but shows how seriously they are taking their work opportunities and their determination to enjoy rewarding careers.”
In addition to the continuing success of its live work experience events, the platform has established online learning courses to support young people develop skills. Uptree has also established an ambassador group and the enthusiastic response to this is providing further evidence of the high levels of engagement it is achieving at all levels.
“There’s a lot of passion from the young people we engage with who want to see what’s available in the world of work and this is also true for the companies we work with. That’s included people working as mentors with schools and young people and the list of benefits continues to grow.
“In addition to boosting D&I in the workplace, companies are reporting improved retention rates as part of their efforts to increase the levels of voluntary working support. We’re also seeing very positive responses from teachers, as well as young people, who appreciate the extra levels of assistance we provide in helping them with their students’ career options,” says Ms Dewhurst.
She further explains that Uptree continues to focus on increasing its coverage of regions outside London and states the importance of recognising that “all areas are different”, which is requiring the platform to adapt its services accordingly.
This expansion is additionally requiring it to seek partnerships with more employers in all business sectors, providing yet more opportunities for FM companies.
“We are looking to increase the number of employers we partner with in real estate management and construction. Any of these companies operating their own careers outreach programmes, or those aiming to establish them, will be able to benefit from working with Uptree.
“We’re already connected with hundreds of thousands of young people and can help to make outreach programmes far more effective, while reducing cost and significantly improving D&I levels,” Ms Dewhurst concludes.
Real estate, FM and construction companies have all reported to FM Director of the difficulties they face in recruiting enough young talent and frequently cite the lack of contact with educational providers as a major issue within this. Partnering with Uptree has provided a valuable solution to this for its existing industry partners and therefore presents numerous opportunities for the FM sector to enjoy these and more in the future.
Work experience events are a great way to provide young people with all the information they need
Innovation of materials and creativity remain at the forefront of British design as 30 outstanding submissions from three categories are to be awarded the coveted Design Guild Mark in 2023
The Design Guild Mark (DGM) is awarded by The Furniture Makers’ Company, the City of London livery company and charity for the furnishing industry, to drive excellence and raise the profile of British industrial design.
The DGM is unique in that the programme is not a competition with a ranking of entries and a winner; instead, the award is given to all designs that demonstrate to the jury that they represent the highest standards of originality and innovation in industrial design. The DGM is awarded across three categories: Furniture, Interior Design Elements, and Lighting Design.
The award is open to designers working in Britain or British designers working abroad and entries for all categories can be for designs intended for domestic, office, hospitality, educational or corporate use, and for both interior and exterior environments.
Each category has its own jury of design experts who assess the submissions against a series of criteria, including: Does the design demonstrate new and original thinking and problem-solving? Is the design fit for purpose? Does it incorporate innovative manufacturing materials and processes? Does the design develop a brand’s position? Does the design demonstrate a commitment to sustainable consumerism?
The winning designers will be celebrated at a special awards ceremony on 23 May. The awarded designs will benefit from increased industry and consumer awareness, and press and social media coverage, with the designers and companies behind them also receiving enhanced brand recognition.
In addition to honouring the winners, the ceremony will include the announcement of winners of the Jonathan Hindle Prize.
This additional award is selected by the judges and is presented to the most outstanding of the year’s Design Guild Mark awarded pieces and each recipient will receive a stunning trophy and a cash prize.
DGM chairman Rodney McMahon said: “Meeting the applicants, hearing their design journey, and witnessing the friendly but insightful and probing questions of the judges is an enjoyable design master class. Designers should apply for the Design Guild Mark just for the experience of meeting the judges.”
The Brutalist Collection DGM 284
Designed by Claire Canning & Lindsey Hesketh for Granite + Smoke
Main Line Twist DGM 285
Designed by Hayley Barrett & Jane Marks-Yewdall for Camira
Oslin Collection DGM 286
Designed by David Irwin for Luum
The Muse Solid Brass DGM 287
Designed by Tala for Tala
Solid Rechargeable Light DGM 288
Designed by Terence Woodgate for Case Furniture
Metro
DGM 289
Designed by Alex Blondek and Rodney Kinsman for OMK Design
Bilbao DGM 290
Designed by Tim Rundle for Morgan Furniture
Utility Shelf
DGM 291
Designed by Rachael Heritage for WOUD A/S
Edge Free DGM 292
Designed by Luke Pearson & Tom Lloyd for Modus
Furniture
Omada
Designed by Mark Gabbertas for Gloster
DGM 293
Metis DGM 294
Designed by Gabbertas Studio for TrabA
Jump DGM 295
Designed by Gabbertas Studio for TrabA
GEMLA OPEN DGM 296
Designed by Samuel Wilkinson for GEMLA
Ooty
DGM 297
Designed by Jack Smith & Gemma Matthias for Allermuir
Bastille DGM 298
Designed by Patrick Norguet for Allermuir
Plum DGM 299
Designed by Mark Gabbertas for Allermuir
Hideaway Wall Desk DGM 300
Designed by Chris Fowler for Bisley
Hideaway Swing Desk DGM 301
Designed by Chris Fowler for Bisley
Amity Seat DGM 302
Designed by the Gaze Burvill Design Team for Gaze Burvill
Uniun Bench & Planter DGM 303
Designed by Furnitubes for Furnitubes
SYD DGM 304
Designed by Aaron Probyn for Another Country
Tarn DGM 305
Designed by Gemma Matthias for Hitch Mylius
Domus Desk DGM 306
Designed by Matthew Hilton for The Conran Shop
Iris Lounge Chair DGM 307
Designed by Huw Evans for The Conran Shop
Mag Table Collection DGM 308
Designed by Daniel Schofield for The Conran Shop
AD11 Lounge Chair DGM 309
Designed by Huw Evans and Campbell Thompson for The Conran Shop
Cross Task Chair DGM 310
Designed by Pearson Lloyd for TAKT
Marlow Table DGM 311
Designed by Matthew Hilton for Case Furniture
Slot Shelving DGM 312
Designed by Terence Woodgate for Case Furniture
The Design Guild Mark is judged by a panel of leading industry professionals. Each member of the panel is from the furniture, lighting, hospitality, commercial, retail, textiles or academic industry. Judges ensure that each submission meets the criteria of excellence in design, materials, manufacture, and function.
Chaired by Rodney McMahon, this year’s judging panel were:
FURNITURE
Joanna Biggs
Hospitality Interior Design Consultant at Sherliker Biggs
Sarah Bryan
Associate Partner at ID:SR, Sheppard Robson’s Interior Design Group
Sheridan Coakley
Founder of SCP Limited
Elliott Koehler
Creative Director at JPA Design
Tom Pearce
Co-founder of Farrah & Pearce
Terence Woodgate
Industrial Designer at Studio Woodgate
Daniel Hopwood
Director at Studio Hopwood
Clare Johnston
Emeritus Professor at the Royal College of Art and Textile Designer for Fashion and Interiors at Royal College of Art
Natasha Marshall Designer and Founder of Natasha Marshall Limited
Corinne Pringle Director at tp bennett
Emma Sewell
Textile Designer at Wallace Sewell
Peter Thwaites
Design Director at Rapture and Wright
LIGHTING
Simon Alderson Co-founder of twentytwentyone
Simon Terry
Owner and Joint Managing Director at Anglepoise
John Tree Designer at Jasper Morrison
Sebastian Wrong
Design Director at Established & Sons
All judges with a declared interest in an entry stood aside when that entry was being considered.
Comments from the judging panel:
Joanna Biggs, Sherliker Biggs:
“Some extremely worthy winners of the award this year, with well thought-out pieces covering various design genres from Hospitality, Outdoor, Office and Residential markets. Interwoven with great design features, we were pleased to see a large focus towards the considered use of natural materials with sustainability brought to the forefront.”
Sarah Bryan, ID:SR:
“It’s been a joy to collaborate with the fellow judges to review the latest design talent, all looking to achieve a Design Guild Mark award. As always, the furniture put forward represents the industry’s forward-thinking and creativity, with sustainability demonstrated as a common thread throughout.”
Elliott Koehler, JPA Design:
“What an exciting and inspiring year all the applicants of 2023 have demonstrated. To see many of the projects that were developed over the pandemic come to production has shown true adaptability, and is a true tribute to how our design community remains innovative and thoughtful. As expectations continue to rapidly change, the designs that stood out tackled the complex issues with holistic thinking from pre-production to decades of use. It was a privilege to see so many design entries and all of us as judges look forward to what we see each year as this British award strengthens and celebrates our design community.”
Tom Pearce, Farrah & Pearce:
“It was a real pleasure to be in a room surrounded by so many well-considered pieces, both aesthetically and in relation to their environmental impact. The furniture industry is really putting future use at the front of mind. Innovation using natural fibres, clever design for disassembly, conscious material sourcing and ultimately pieces designed to last are what seems to differentiate good design with award-winning design.”
Luke Pearson, PearsonLloyd:
“It was a pleasure to take part in the judging on what was a very diverse range of products. It’s essential we recognise the quality of the British design industry and its contribution to the wider markets.”
Terence Woodgate, Studio Woodgate:
“I had the privilege to take part in the 2023 Design Guild Marks judging, which was intense, as always, with considerable debate around design, innovation, materials and processes and the various benefits of the work presented. We had a particularly strong field of submissions this year, which was wonderful to see but made it challenging for us to choose the winners! The Design Guild Mark grows in stature each year.”
Clare Johnston, Royal College of Art:
“The Design Guild Mark awards are an important opportunity to give recognition for the achievement of best Design Practises and production standards.
“The judging event is a great chance to view submitted products, meet the Designers/Producers and discuss the merits of the work with fellow judges.
“This year I found that the most exciting work combined good design with material innovation.”
Natasha Marshall, Natasha Marshall Interiors Ltd:
“It is such an honour being one of the judges for the Design Guild Mark Awards. We get to see and hear about so many amazing products. It is vital that Designers are put forward for these awards to celebrate & showcase their work. As by being part of the awards it brings to the forefront the incredible collaboration work required between designer, brands and volume manufacturing to create truly great products.”
Corinne Pringle, tpbennett:
“It is always a privilege to join the team of judges and hear first-hand from the candidates how their original ideas and design thinking is being developed within industry. This often invites lively debate between the judges! The Design Guild Mark is awarded to those who have been able to maintain the quality of their original design idea, through development to create a considered and quality product.”
Emma Sewell, Wallace Sewell:
“It was great to be part of the judging panel for the DMG awards, which is so valuable in promoting considered and strong design for the professional arena. As before, it was a stimulating and interesting morning, with a broad range of applications and work, provoking lively discussion from the judging panel.”
Peter Thwaites, Rapture & Wright:
“I always look forward to the Design Guild Mark judging day. With a panel of judges from across the 2D design industry, there is inevitably lively debate. Crucial to us, is the story behind the design, hence our insistence that we talk to the designers involved in the development of each piece.”
Simon Alderson, twentytwentyone:
“This year’s DGM Lighting award offered a diversity in approach, in materials and applications. The designers presented their work extremely well, and it is this distinct component of the Design Guild Mark that makes the review of British-based creativity so special. The award acknowledges many criteria, though functionality, sustainability, price and personality are celebrated as key components in this year’s winning designs.”
John Tree, Jasper Morrison:
“Judging for the DGM is an important moment to both engage and recognise new designs while also providing a moment for the judges to dig into what good design really is and how it should be recognised and supported. I sometimes enjoy the judges’ discussions as much as seeing the submissions.”
When it comes to securing your building, you can never be too careful. You wouldn’t leave your laptop bag on the front seat of your car with your valuables exposed, waiting for an opportunistic passer-by to steal them. So, why would you leave your building exposed to unnecessary risk?
Any obvious weaknesses in your security will make your building and its contents vulnerable to criminals, and may threaten your insurance if you haven’t implemented adequate security measures.
There are four major areas where you might be leaving your building unnecessarily exposed:
The appearance of inadequate security
Actual inadequate security
Unsecured internal doors
Dishonest or tricked employees
Let’s look at these in more detail and consider ways to prevent them.
When scoping a potential target, the first thing to be scrutinised by a criminal will likely be the entrance points, especially if your building is busy with deliveries, staff and visitors all coming and going. They will consider how difficult it would be to enter the facility undetected, looking at whether you have security guards, a manned reception desk or an entrance control system, for example.
It’s important for you to consider what assessment someone looking in from the outside would make about your building at present. If you do not want your building to be open to the public, and potentially criminals with harmful intentions, you need to take steps to ensure that it doesn’t look like it is, with adequate visible security in place to dissuade any potential unauthorised entry attempts.
Of course, you don’t want your entranceways to appear unwelcoming to authorised users.
Aesthetics and user experience need not be compromised in order to provide the required level of security – you can achieve high levels of security without your users feeling like they’re entering Alcatraz!
We’ve seen a number of our customers, especially those working in high profile public sectors, seeking a highly visible yet still attractive entrance security system.
More and more customers are upgrading to fullheight barriers, which serve as a strong physical and psychological deterrent, as well as offering reassurance to those working within or visiting buildings.
Security for security’s sake isn’t what I’m suggesting, and nor should it just be a vanity thing with you opting for the most impressive-looking solution. It’s no good having security measures which look impenetrable, if they don’t actually do the job they are intended for.
If you are designing a new security system for your building, you have the opportunity to create something which perfectly suits your requirements. There are many considerations, including the kind of environment you need to protect, the required level of security, the number of people – employees, visitors, temporary contractors – passing through on an average day, whether you want the turnstiles to be manned or not, integrations with other access control and security technologies, available space, design style, budget…the list is long.
Often, however, organisations don’t have the opportunity to design their own, instead inheriting a legacy security system when they move into a building. If the system wasn’t specifically designed with your requirements in mind, this can quickly lead to frustration, which often results in users and operators of the system purposefully bypassing it by manually opening a lane to allow multiple users to pass through at peak times to avoid delays to their working day. The risk in this scenario is clear.
When designing an entrance control system, the focus is often only on securing the main entry points, such as the lobby, reception areas, staff entrances etc.
Whilst securing these points is vital, you also need to consider adequate protection for your internal spaces, such as your data centre or HR office, which may be critical to the functioning of your organisation or house sensitive data which you wouldn’t want falling into the wrong hands.”
Having a bank of security turnstiles at the front door will prevent unknown individuals from entering the building beyond reception, but won’t prevent authorised individuals within your organisation –or approved external contractors such as service engineers or cleaners – from being able to access more sensitive areas of the facility.
No matter how rigorous your background checks, a belt and braces approach is the most effective way to minimise opportunistic crime.
You might have a robust, fit-for-purpose security system installed but, if your employees don’t understand its importance and aren’t clear on your security protocols, they could leave your building exposed unknowingly.
Traditionally, one major danger is ‘tailgating’ – the act of following someone through an open door or turnstile unauthorised. The follower is the one at fault, even if there is no intent to deceive or cause harm, and the person being followed may not even be aware of the act.
In contrast to innocent tailgating, ‘collusion’ is when individuals purposefully act to let someone in through a secured point who otherwise wouldn’t gain access.
With collusion between those entering, the one with the approved credentials is at fault, as the intention is to bypass the security system to allow unauthorised access.
The threat that arises through collusion involving staff should not be underestimated, including unintentional collusion, such as ‘being kind’ and letting someone they believe is harmless through a controlled access point because they “forgot their key card”.
These are just four of the most common factors which may be putting your building at risk from opportunistic passers-by.
how entrance control, especially when integrated with other security technologies, can go a long way towards intruder-proofi
Insect Light Traps (ILTs) are fundamental for the management of flying insects in pest control. They are used in a variety of different environments including warehouses and food manufacturing facilities, and their purpose is twofold:
To attract insects away from food and food preparation surfaces. This protects the food from contamination of insect fragments and bodies but also a number of harmful pathogens that flying insects are known to vector.
To monitor pest infestations for increasing pest numbers and different species to highlight where better pest management needs to be implemented.
ILTs use long wave Ultra Violet light (UV-A) which flying insects find highly attractive. Traditionally, this is produced by fluorescent lamps but within the last six years there has been extensive ILT research and development to introduce LEDs as a UV-A light source.
ILTs using LEDs have started to become readily accessible but their implementation into different sites has had slow uptake, due to many having a preference for fluorescent lamps. This is for a variety of reasons such as fluorescent lamps producing more visible light, so they shine brighter to humans so seem more effective at attracting insects.
Yet, humans cannot use UV light and so the more an ILT shines out in the environment, it is actually all the wasted visible light and not the attractive UV light.
The use of LEDs as a light source has many benefits long term even if their initial cost currently may be more expensive, such benefits include:
Significantly reduced running costs – across the course of a year, by switching to LEDs a business is estimated to save around £81 per unit¹. This could lead to substantial savings if a site contains tens of units.
Improved sustainability – LEDs don’t use hazardous materials such as mercury which is essential in the chemical reaction for fluorescent lamps to produce UV light. Additionally, LEDs have a three-year life span, whereas a fluorescent lamp needs to be replaced annually to produce the required amount of light to attract insects. This leads to less waste being produced which then reduces the carbon footprint of a company and less hazardous materials such as mercury being used.
Fly catch efficacy – In both laboratory and field trials LEDs have been shown to be as effective as fluorescent lamps, in both the number of flying insects they catch but also the range of flying insects they catch. LEDs also allow for continual fly attraction over three years, whereas a fluorescent lamp rapidly degrades in the amount of light output and will not offer the same continual attraction.
Legislation – Across the UK and EU, general purpose fluorescent lamps will be restricted from use in September 2023, however, specialist UV fluorescent lamps will remain available through to February 2027. During this time there is an expectant increase in cost to continue using fluorescent lamp ILTs.
For instance, as the lamps are being removed from general sale, manufacturers of the lamps will reduce production of other essential electrical parts of the unit.
Therefore, it will become more costly and difficult to service the unit and there has already been a notable increase in the cost of the lamps over the past year. This is set to continue as many manufacturers decrease production if not discontinue the production completely.
There are numerous models of ILT’s using LED technology now available on the market to suit different environments and purposes, however many also come with differences in their effectiveness to catch flying insects.
This primarily comes down the research into using LEDs as a light source. Whilst they are doing the same job as a fluorescent lamp, they have different qualities that need to be understood to successfully develop a well-designed ILT.
Some ILT models that are currently available have directly substituted a fluorescent for an LED lamp and this has impacted the ILT’s fundamental ability to attract the insect to the unit and trap them on a glue surface.
Without containing the insect in the ILT, contamination of the environment and a continuation of the insects’ life cycle is possible.
Therefore, a well-designed ILT that has best employed LED technology through thorough research must be used for successful pest management strategy.
¹Based on Infiniti 2 (16 LEDs) which uses £47 per annum based and on a 44W fluorescent lamp which uses £128 per annum (0.28KWH average energy cost UK)
Insight from Sophie Thorogood, technical training manager at Pelsis GroupBy switching to LEDs a business is estimated to save around £81 per unit
Wayne Rose, secretariat of the Europump Marketing Commission, and newly appointed CEO of the BPMA, offers insight into the pump sector’s position in relation to the restrictions on using per- and polyfl uoroalkyl substances
For many years, Europump, the Association of European Pump Manufacturers has been at the forefront of the health & safety, environmental and sustainability agenda, advising and lobbying Governments as they look to update and improve the legislative landscape for industry.
It is commonly recognised that pumps and their related equipment are essential for many applications affecting daily life. From the central heating and water supply in our homes, sewage and wastewater treatment in our cities, through to the extraction and processing of raw materials to manufacture finished products, pumps and pumping systems play a fundamental role. Industrial applications can range from water treatment, food processing, chemicals, oil & gas, mining, paper mills, firefighting, dredging, waste removal and many more. Future applications linked to the all-important green transition would include the transportation and storage of hydrogen, geo-thermal, and other green gases.
Due to their unmatched thermal and chemical resistance, unique tribological properties, and any combination of these characteristics, PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance) containing materials are used in virtually all of these applications, as sealings, bearings, cable sheaths, coatings, pump inserts and membranes. However, given that PFAS materials, are up to one hundred times more expensive than any of the natural or synthetic elastomers, they are only used in those cases where absolutely no alternative is available; and currently no alternative material guarantees the same levels of performance, safety, and/or working lifetime.
Therefore, any substitution with other less suitable materials would lead to rapid failures, and leakages, which could result in the release of aggressive media, harmful gases, or steam, which could in turn cause serious injury to both humans and the environment.
Furthermore, the challenge faced by the lack of PFAS-free alternatives for essential use is not limited to pump applications and applies equally to other key pieces of equipment such as valves and compressors in downstream industries like pharma, chemicals, petrochemicals, and aerospace.
Additionally, some electronic components which are critical for the safe and efficient operation of these applications also require the use of PFAS based materials.
So, although Europump, representing Europe’s pump manufacturers, fully supports any regulation aimed at preventing PFAS substances from entering the environment, it must be stated that in certain pump (and other related product) applications the use of PFAS remains essential, due to safety, efficiency, and functionality concerns. And given that no suitable substitutes for these specific applications are currently available, the use of PFAS materials should remain possible, so that pollution of the environment by other acutely hazardous substances can be prevented, and any harm to humans avoided.
Europump’s full position statement on the restriction of PFAS materials can be found on both the Europump and BPMA websites, or you can request a copy by contacting s.smith@bpma.org.uk
It is commonly recognised that pumps and their related equipment are essential for many applications affecting daily life
FM Director will publish an overview of the industry’s latest senior new starters and details of their roles in each of its monthly publications
FM services provider Avrenim has announced it has created 50 jobs since it began operations in 2018.
To help navigate this growth, the firm has recruited engineers, designers and project managers, and made additions to its senior leadership team. Jan Hazelkamp recently joined as head of engineering and design, Lee Rowlinson as head of renewables and Vicky Willis as head of finance.
Chief executive officer Simon Harris said: “Avrenim’s success has been a result of our teams’ hard work, dedication and commitment to driving quality standards, and being solution-focussed and agile to the needs of our clients and stakeholders.
“We are encouraged by the outcomes of quarter one – it is a great start to the year and a real testimony to the team. It further demonstrates our ambitions to expand our services and customer base in the market with a solid foundation in healthcare and renewable energy sectors over the next two years.”
CBRE has appointed life sciences expert, Emma Stratton as a director in its Life Sciences transactions team.
She will focus on landlord agency, covering the London and Cambridge markets, and will be responsible for driving transactional growth and market presence for CBRE in the UK Life Sciences market.
Ms Stratton will be working closely with Chris Williams, in the Life Sciences Occupier Advisory team, and Luke Hacking and Jeremy Rodale in London and South East Investor Leasing.
She joins from Cushman & Wakefield, where she was a partner in the Life Sciences and Specialist
Markets division for the UK & Ireland. She brings a wealth of leasing, pre-letting and development consultancy experience, having advised on some of the biggest projects in the UK as well as Central London developments.
Johnson Controls vice president and chief sustainability and external relations officer
Katie McGinty has been named within the 2023 Constellation Research ESG50.
The ESG50 lists the most influential global executives who are advancing sustainability in their fields through new business models, emerging technologies and ethical, humane leadership. This
award follows a year of sustainability milestones at the company as it focused on delivering net zero building technology to tackle the 40% of global emissions caused by buildings.
“Katie is a career climate champion who is driving accelerated climate progress for our company and our customers, with a rare combination of optimism, business prowess, and scientific rigour,” says chief executive officer and chairman George Oliver. “At this moment in history, when every action counts, we are fortunate to have a passionate and compassionate people leader who also knows how to put science, technology, financing, and partnership to work to build a sustainable future.”
UK building, infrastructure, engineering and fit-out company Tilbury Douglas has announced the appointment of Chris Edmonds as regional director for South Wales.
Having started his career at Tilbury Douglas in 2006, he progressed through a variety of senior roles, most recently as regional operations director for South Wales. He also spent five years leading the £130m refurbishment of Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil.
Mr Edmonds’ promotion follows the retirement of Carl Read, who worked at Tilbury Douglas for almost 40 years, having started his career as a general building operative in 1983.
Churchill Group has announced the appointment of Martin D’Mello to lead on its growth strategy in housing and healthcare.
He will also play a key role in enhancing the service offers in these sectors and building on the company’s existing key strategic relationships with some of the UK’s leading housing associations.
Mr D’Mello has extensive experience in housing, care and support sectors; working in local government, local authorities and housing associations. He recently left One Housing Group after 16 years, where he was the executive director for Care & Support, creating one of the largest and most successful housing, care, and support operations in the UK.
He brings a wealth of experience and an excellent reputation for relationship building, commercial performance and leadership.
Wates’ Annual General Meeting, held early last month, saw Tim Wates officially appointed as chairman of the group.
As he took the reins from his cousin Sir James, Mr Wates reflected on the company’s strong financial performance and the family values that continue to guide what the company does, enabling growth as a sustainable, entrepreneurial business and pushing us to make a positive difference to society.
He also celebrated the dedication and hard work of all the company’s people and their contribution to making the company “a bright and ambitious company that all can be proud of”.
Having joined Wates in 1993, Mr Wates served on the board from 2006 to 2008 and rejoined 2011. He was appointed deputy chairman in October 2022. He serves on the advisory board of the Cambridge Judge Business School and is a deputy lieutenant of Surrey.
The Door & Hardware Federation (DHF) has announced that current head of commercial operations Patricia Sowsbery-Stevens has been promoted to the position of commercial director.
The announcement was made by CEO Bob Perry in a statement that praised her “significant development and improvement of our commercial offering involving membership, marketing and training”.
Ms Sowerby-Stevens joined DHF in 2015, and over a seven-and-a-half-year period, transformed the Tamworth-based trade association into a modern and forward-looking organisation committed to maintaining and raising quality standards, and remaining the industry’s ‘go to expert’ on training and technical advice.
Savills has expanded its Engineering & Design Consultancy (EDC) team with the appointment of Martin McClafferty as associate director and William Johnston as associate in Glasgow.
Mr McClafferty is an experienced chartered engineer with 25 years’ experience operating in the construction industry across various sectors. He joins from HDR Consulting Engineers. He will focus on consultancy projects, electrical engineering, low energy and sustainability solutions, along with technical due diligence, dilapidation, condition and acquisition surveys.
Mr Johnson has joined as a chartered engineer specialising in HVAC and responsible for the delivery of mechanical services design. He was previously lead mechanical engineer at Kane Group and has 25 years’ experience in the sector working with leading global consultancies including Arup, Aecom and Rambollon projects over multiple sectors across the UK and overseas.
BM has announced that Mark Kempson, head chef of Michelin-starred Kitchen W8 in London, has joined the team to support the business in a consultant chef capacity.
He has been at the helm of the Kensington restaurant for 14 of his 26 years in the industry and will support the foodservice group with training, providing stages at the restaurant to its chefs, cooking for clients and fine dining events, judging competitions, and sharing competition guidance and supplier knowledge.
Mr Kempson was introduced to BM by the company’s other consultant chef, Adam Byatt, chef-patron of Michelin-starred Trinity restaurant in Clapham, who invited him to be a judge for BM’s internal Chef of the Year competition.
300 North is a team of Facilities Management (FM) recruitment experts who source permanent, temporary and fixed term contract solutions for the UK Facilities Management, Mechanical & Electrical and Construction sectors. Marketing@300nr.co.uk
https://www.300northrecruit.co.uk
0113 336 5161
360 Sport Finance and Mentoring is dedicated to helping professional and semi-professional sporting clubs and venues with sustainable financial growth, including non-event day business. help@360accountants.co.uk www.360accountants.co.uk
01482 427360
Specialist contractor Composites Construction UK operates throughout the UK and Europe. Using innovative methods, we carry out structural strengthening and repairs to concrete, timber, and masonry structures. contact@fibrwrap-ccuk.com
www.fibrwrap-ccuk.com
01482 425250
When it comes to pest control in London, Dyno-Pest understands how to handle your problems. We offer a simple solution, using the latest methods to deal with pests effectively and responsibly. info@dynopest.co.uk
www.dynopest.co.uk
0800 802 1246
FASET is the established trade association and training body for the safety netting and temporary safety systems industry. We support members with guidance, training, and exclusive benefit schemes. enquiries@faset.org.uk
www.faset.org.uk
01948 780652
GIND UK delivers ambitious projects in challenging environments. Our London-based engineering and design team specialises in bespoke access system maintenance for the world’s most iconic buildings.
info@gind.uk
www.gind.uk
0800 448 8884
A service provider for the future, Advance Facilities Solutions Ltd delivers complete building solutions to customers in the industrial, commercial, and domestic sectors.
helpdesk@advance.fm
www.advance.fm
01622 720 888
We create, maintain, and monitor healthy spaces –using pioneering online and apps-based technology. This includes working with suppliers and products in the marketplace to deliver long lasting and scientifically tested air and surface protection. info@envelo.solutions
https://envelo.solutions
020 7096 1941
Integral Cradles Ltd. delivers permanent façade access solutions across the UK, specialising in high buildings with unique specifications and demands. A whole life-cycle solution.
kevin@i-cradles.com
www.i-cradles.com
0845 074 2758
For almost 30 years Julius Rutherfoord has been passionate about providing professional cleaning services to some of the most prestigious organisations in the London area.
info@juliusrutherfoord.co.uk
https://www.juliusrutherfoord.co.uk/ 020 7819 6700
Launched in 2008 following the merger of two 50-year-old companies, Magicccote provides a range of expert commercial cleaning solutions to customers across the UK.
info@magiccoteuk.com
www.magiccoteuk.co.uk 01482 211033
PPSPower (PPS) is one of the industry’s largest and most respected providers of generator and UPS (uninterruptible power supplies) installation, maintenance and repair solutions. sales@ppspower.com
https://www.ppspower.com/ 0345 200 9888
Keytracker Ltd is the most prominent provider of both mechanical and electronic key and equipment control systems for the workplace. sales@keytracker.com
https://www.keytracker.com/ +44 (0)121 559 9000
Established over 70 years ago, KCS has rapidly grown from its roots as a respected local window cleaning business, to a nationwide commercial cleaning company.
info@kingstoncleaningservices.co.uk
www.kingstoncleaningservices.co.uk
01482 648 737
neutral carbon zone (NCZ) is a full-service platform that gives you the tools your company needs to make the transition to a carbon neutral business and beyond. gozero@neutralcarbonzone.com
www.neutralcarbonzone.com 0845 094 5976
Pace Security is a London-based privately owned company managed by some of the UK security industries’ most experienced and respected security industry professionals.
Lindsay@pacesecurity.co.uk
https://pacesecurity.co.uk/ 0208 529 3888
Premier Technical Services Group Ltd (PTSG) is the UK’s leading provider of specialist services to the construction and facilities management sectors.
info@ptsg.co.uk
https://www.ptsg.co.uk/ +44 (0) 1977 668 771
Working with globally recognised organisations, we are specialists in creating Online Induction Systems, Turnkey and Bespoke Software Solutions, Websites, Mobile Apps and a lot more.
hello@res.digital
https://res.digital 01724 376002
With over a decade of experience in safety solutions for working at height, we are the ideal partner for solving your roof safety problems, and we pride ourselves on having the highest level of commitment to ensuring safety at work.
info@roofsafetysupplies.co.uk
https://www.roofsafetysupplies.co.uk
07889 572315
SAEMA has a long history in delivering the best training and guidance in the temporary and permanent suspended access industry. We are committed to advancing safety through raising the standards in best practice. info@saema.org
https://www.saema.org/ 01948 838616
At Safety Inspection Solutions Ltd (SIS Ltd) we’ve been helping companies to stay legal for over ten years. Our qualified engineers provide fair, efficient, and flexible onsite inspection services, working closely with clients to understand their needs. enquiries@sis-ltd.org.uk
https://sis-ltd.org.uk/
0800 6696 018
Seddon Management Services strives to offer the best solutions for trade associations to keep their members safe and compliant. becky@managementandauditing.co.uk www.seddonmanagementservices.co.uk 07854 226251
Safe Electric is an NICEIC-approved Electrical Contractor, serving Peterborough, Milton Keynes, and Cambridge. With 48 years of industry experience, our electricians and compliance experts can undertake any project.
sales@safe-electric.com
https://www.safe-electric.com/ 01487 813 600
SLM can provide all types of waste management tailored to meet the customers’ requirements. We deal in all types of recycling; electrical, hazardous, clinical. Anything you need disposing of, SLM can help.
lucy@slm-waste.com
https://slm-waste.com/ 01304 775000
