FM World 26 February 2015

THE MAGAZINE FOR THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF FACILITIES MANAGEMENT | 26 FEBRUARY 2015

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How the disaster in Christchurch, New Zealand, brought FM to the fore

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VOL 12 ISSUE 4 26 FEBRUARY 2015

CONTENTS

11| Workplace trending

14| Richmond run for Babcock

20| Christchurch rises

NEWS

OPINION

FEATURES

06 Plan to abolish DECs ‘beggars belief’ 07 ‘Revolutionary’ public assets plan gets OK 08 Project of the fortnight: Air conditioning on the London Eye 09 Think Tank: Do FM providers face an existential threat from the construction giants?

10 News analysis: Social Value Act legislation yet to make its mark 14 Business news: Graeme Davies: Small FM firms still agile in land of the giants 15 Babcock’s support services arm reports solid growth 16 In Focus: Paul Goodridge, divisional director at Vinci Facilities

18 John Bowen on why FMs should have more of a say on specifications 19 Five minutes with Gerwyn Davies, labour market adviser, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development 46 No Two Days

MONITOR 33 Insight: Market intelligence 34 Legal update: Using servers/computers to heat offices 35 Best practice: Identifying and dealing with asbestos 36 How to: Implement an ergonomics strategy 37 Technical: R22 phaseout – replace or modify?

30| Sourcing apprenticeships

11

Workplace Futures: Positive economic news and pleas for a more comprehensive appreciation of FM’s role were the highlights of this annual event

20

A city of ruin: In 2011, an earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand claimed 185 lives. This is how FMs coped in the aftermath

24

See the light: The rules of the Energy Act 2011 kick in 2018, but FMs and commercial property landlords need to get their houses in order now

28

Natural light: When the office environment fails to offer enough natural light, or indeed any views of the outside world, what can be done?

30

Mastering apprenticeships: The FM sector’s apprenticeship structure is proving increasingly attractive – and those taking them are full of praise

REGULARS 38 41 42 43 44

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Redactive Publishing Ltd 17 Britton Street, London EC1M 5TP 020 7880 6200 www.fm-world.co.uk EDITORIAL Tel: 020 7880 6229 email: editorial@fm-world.co.uk editor: Martin Read ⁄ news editor: Herpreet Kaur Grewal ⁄ reporter: James Harris ⁄ sub editor: Deborah Shrewsbury ⁄ consultant art director: Mark Parry ⁄ art editor: Daniel Swainsbury

MARTIN READ EDITOR COMMENT

LEADER

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PRODUCTION production manager: Jane Easterman senior production executive: Aysha Miah PUBLISHING publishing director: Joanna Marsh Forward features lists and media pack available at www.fm-world.co.uk/about-us

onsultant Mike Cant struck a well-received chord at the recent Workplace Futures conference. His theme? What he perceives as a missed opportunity for FM providers to identify clients’ “point of expertise” - and to then provide the entire operational environment necessary to support it.

Cant appeared to be making a more clinical distinction between supporting a client’s core business and its core activity; between operational activities in general and the client’s single defining function. He used the example of an operating theatre, with the ‘point of expertise’ being literally that – a scalpel, and the surgeon wielding it. Everything else, moving outwards from that point of expertise, is where FM comes in: from the support personnel and equipment in the operating theatre, right through to the car park and calling at all points in between.

FM in this context is the provision of the entire operational environment around a client’s single, defining operational distinctiveness. Once that point of expertise is established, everything necessary to ensure its effective delivery can be codified.

Now, these sound like healthy conversations to be having with clients, both parties working to agree on what constitutes the operational ‘scalpel’ - but can existing FM providers offer this comprehensive blanket of operational support? At present, says Cant, the answer is no – but the industry should certainly be working towards it.

In fact, perhaps healthcare is where FM providers can make the breakthrough.

Cant spoke of one organisation in Toronto, Canada, that specialises in hernia operations. The medical environment surrounding this single-focus service is streamlined, as is its operational support. It’s highly efficient in terms of both cost and clinical outcomes.

This is what NHS consultant Roy Lilley was alluding to when he told last year’s ThinkFM conference how the future of the NHS lies in just this sort of facility – smaller units dedicated to single medical specialisms; units for geriatricians to support the ageing population, units to treat heart conditions, and so on.

Healthcare, perhaps, represents a golden opportunity for FM to get in at the ground level and define itself as the complete operational shell supporting specific forms of surgery. Not that Cant’s vision cannot be defined for other verticals, but it would be easier to start when defining a facility from the ground up.

Thinking of FM in this way has significant implications for how FM providers are structured, and for the discussions they have with clients. And as Cant also argued, getting FM’s ‘brand’ message across is important - what is it that FM does?

Not too long ago, one way of explaining the difference between hard and soft FM went thus: turn a building upside down and what falls out is soft FM (people and their services), while anything left is fixed to the building, requires maintenance, and is thus hard FM. In support of Cant’s vision, perhaps what we should be saying is that FM is everything in an organisation that moves - both people and equipment - in order to support an organisation’s point of expertise. It defines FM as being beyond property (which of course doesn’t move) and principally operational. Just a thought…

C

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EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Simon Ball, business development director, Mitie ⁄ Martin Bell, independent consultant / Lucy Jeynes, Larch Consulting / Nick Cook, managing director, Avison Young ⁄ Rob Greenfield, health & safety business unit director, myfm ⁄ Ian Jones, director of facilities, ITV ⁄ Liz Kentish, managing director, Kentish and Co. ⁄ Josh Kirk, facilities manager, JLL ⁄ Anne Lennox Martin, FM consultant ⁄ Peter McLennan, joint course director, MSc Facility Environment and Management, University College London ⁄ Geoff Prudence, chair, CIBSE FM Group ⁄ Jeremy Waud, chairman, Incentive FM group⁄ Jane Wiggins, FM tutor and author Average net circulation 12,744 (Jul 13 – Jun 14) FM World magazine is produced using paper derived from sustainable sources; the ink used is vegetable based; 85 per cent of other solvents used in the production process are recycled © FM World is published on behalf of the British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM)

by Redactive Publishing Ltd (RPL), 17 Britton St, London EC1M 5TP. This magazine aims to include a broad range of opinion about FM business and professional issues and articles do not necessarily reflect the views of the BIFM nor should such opinions be relied upon as statements of fact. All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced, transmitted or stored in any print or electronic format, including but not limited to any online service, any database or any part of the internet, or in any other format in whole or in part in any media whatsoever, without the prior written permission of the publisher. While all due care is taken in writing and producing this magazine, neither BIFM nor RPL accept any liability for the accuracy of the contents or any opinions expressed herein. Printed by Polestar Stones ISSN 1743 8845

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“Once the point of expertise is established, everything necessary to ensure its effective delivery can be codified”

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ENERGY EFFICIENCY

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Plan to abolish DECs ‘beggars belief’ The government has announced proposals that could see the abolition of Display Energy Certificates (DECs) for 54,000 public buildings in England and Wales.

In a consultation published recently the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) said it was considering “removing the legal requirement” for DECs in public buildings such as town halls, swimming pools and schools.

But John Alker, acting chief executive of the UK Green Building Council, said: “Any suggestion of scrapping DECs for public buildings simply beggars belief. Government time and again trots out the mantra of not ‘gold-plating’ EU requirements to minimise administrative costs, but completely misses the potential benefits that going further offers.

“There are clear examples – including the Department of Energy and Climate Change’s own headquarters – where DECs have helped public bodies to reduce their energy use and slash bills by an amount that hugely outweighs the administrative costs.

“Rather than rowing back on DECs, government needs to ensure that they are better enforced, with a view to extending them beyond public buildings.”

A DCLG spokesman said: “Reducing ‘gold-plating’ of EU laws is part of the coalition agreement, but one of the consultation’s objectives is equally to gather evidence on how effective the existing requirements for the issue and display of energy certificates in public buildings are. We encourage anyone who

has evidence to show that DECs have provided an effective tool to encourage public sector energy efficiency to share it with us as part of the consultation response.”

In 2011, then director of technical operations at CB Richard Ellis, Stephen Baxter, said making DECs mandatory would be “welcomed” by most of the FM industry.

Baxter claimed that making it compulsory for all commercial properties to show DECs would have its challenges, but could also have some benefits.

He told FM World: “The introduction of compulsory DECs for all commercial buildings… will have a huge impact on

DECs may soon no longer be displayed in public buildings

the property industry, and FM professionals specifically.”

“First… developers will come under pressure to ensure newbuild commercial buildings are designed to be as energyefficient as possible. There is a growing feeling in the industry that sustainable property

developments will be able to attract higher rents than poorly performing buildings.”

In 2011, Andy Ford, president of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers, said: “There is growing evidence that [DECS] are helping to reduce public spending on energy bills.”

SUSTAINABILITY

London is ‘2nd most sustainable city’ in the world London has been named the world’s second most sustainable major city in a report by consultant Arcadis.

It was beaten only by Frankfurt, which plans to achieve more sustainability credentials by increasing energy efficiency and decreasing the demand side by half in residential and office buildings, the transport sector, and in communications, says the report.

The Sustainable Cities Index assesses 50 urban areas from 31 countries across the world based on their economic (profit), social (people) and environmental (planet) characteristics.

The research ranks the cities across a range of indicators to estimate the sustainability of each.

It develops a composite index

TOP 10 SUSTAINABLE CITIES

of sustainability, created from combining many other input indices that each measure single aspects of urban performance.

The Sustainable Cities Index takes into account data on these criteria from “reputable sources such as the United Nations, the World Bank, the World Health Organization, the International Labor Organization and many others.”

FRANKFURT LONDON COPENHAGEN AMSTERDAM ROTTERDAM BERLIN SEOUL HONG KONG MADRID SINGAPORE SOURCE: CEBR ANALYSIS

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NEWS

BRIEFS Social Value ‘not extended’

ISTOCK

‘Revolutionary’ public assets plan gets OK The government has officially backed the UK’s first single-asset management company of its kind in the West Midlands.

The idea, known as the One Public Estate programme, has been designed “to maximise value from a range of public sector property and land assets in the West Midlands, driving economic growth, service integration and triggering millions of pounds in savings”.

The company will create economic benefits across the six member organisations by

offering more commercial ways of working and enhancing the range of public services through better management of a portfolio of assets, such as management of major outsourced services and energy management.

Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service, Redditch Borough Council, Warwickshire Police, West Mercia Police, Worcester City Council and Worcestershire County Council have all agreed to own part of the company and work together to enhance and integrate the

services they provide, optimising the efficiency of their assets.

Formation of the company brings the asset management functions together for the first time in UK public sector history. A spokesman for One Public Estate said the vehicle would create “significant efficiencies, improve operational services and initially employ around 200 staff”.

The company aims to deliver gross cost savings of about £58 million (excluding school savings) between 2015 and 2025.

BIFM and CIPD launch the ‘Workplace Conversation’ A three-month online project to explore “the evolution of the workplace” has been launched by the BIFM and HR body the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).

Named ‘the Workplace Conversation’, it will examine the evolution of the working environment, exploring topics such as the emergence of new technologies, economic forces and flexible working alternatives, and their impact on business performance and ways of working.

It seeks to engage in an online conversation to draw insights, ideas and solutions from people across a range of countries.

Participants will be set specific tasks during the project, including submitting ideas for creating better workplaces, one of which will be voted as the best.

FM and HR professionals, www.fm-world.co.uk

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Tancred: “This is a crowd-led initiative”

and anyone with an interest in the future of the workplace, can participate in the initiative, according to the BIFM. Gareth Tancred, CEO of BIFM, launching the project at the annual Workplace Futures Conference 2015, said: “We’ve spent a number of months working with the CIPD, planning and putting the framework in

place to deliver this ambitious initiative.”

He added: “Whilst there has been plenty written about the changing nature of the workplace, we’re keen to hear from those at the frontline of having to manage the types of changes we’re experiencing, in order to help shape the discussion... This is a crowd-led initiative and we look forward to seeing a host of great ideas and thoughts contributed from a wide range of FM and HR professionals.”

Peter Cheese, CIPD CEO, said: “Workplaces have incredible potential to both influence and reflect corporate cultures, behaviours and working styles.”

To register and post your ideas go to – www.workplaceconversation. com.

Follow on Twitter – #twpc

The Social Value Act will not be extended to goods and works until “issues of awareness, understanding, and measurement” are overcome, concludes a review led by the Prime Minister’s enterprise adviser, Lord Young of Graffham.

In the review, published recently, Lord Young says: “Despite its growing awareness amongst public bodies, the incorporation of social value in actual procurements appears to be relatively low when considered against the number and value of procurements across the whole public sector. This has made it difficult for the review to make a comprehensive assessment or a definitive recommendation about the grounds to extend the act at this stage.”

BIFM publishes ESOS guide BIFM has published a new guidance note, supported by the Energy Managers Association (EMA), which outlines the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS).

The guidance is the latest in a series of new guidance to support standards and professionalism in FM. The document explains the principles of ESOS and how to identify whether your business will be required to comply with these new regulations.

The guide is available at tinyurl. com/bifmesos

FM must bolster growth The FM market has exhibited good growth for the past 20 years, but maintaining a high standard of service will be key in continuing this.

The study by AMA Research states that in 2014, the market for outsourcing bundled and Total Facilities Management services was valued at almost £19.5 billion.

But the deterioration in the UK economy from mid to late 2008 had a bad effect on the development of the overall FM market.

The market is considered to be relatively mature across a wide range of sectors. But there are also newer forms of service that are far from mature – such as energy management, compliance services and workspace management – which, if approached professionally, will broaden the industry’s scope and client base, says the study.

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PROJECT OF THE

FORTNIGHT NEWS BULLETIN

London office rents surge to 15-year high The average office rent per square metre in the City of London has risen by 17 per cent from £560 to £655 throughout 2014, according to a report on the market.

Availability is a big factor in the rise in rents, with the amount of vacant office space in the West End expected to fall to an all-time low of 3.5 per cent.

The figures from developer BNP Paribas Real Estate also show that office space in the City of London financial district will drop to its lowest level since 2000.

Steven Skinner, head of West End investment at BNP Paribas Real Estate, said: “The London office market continues to go from strength to strength.

The combination of volatility in other asset classes and historically low yields in sovereign-bond markets should ensure that capital continues to flow into the London market.”

The total return for Central London offices was almost a quarter (23.5 per cent) of initial investments. Amazon, Google, and Twitter are three of the major players expanding their London footprints, according to news reports.

LONDON EYE PROJECT: Air conditioning refurbishment of the Coca-Cola London Eye CONTRACTOR: Sweet Group TEMPERATURE CONTROL: Dunham-Bush Ltd

Keeping a weather Eye open At 135 metres high, the Coca-Cola London Eye is the world’s largest cantilevered observation wheel. The 32 capsules offer visitors a panoramic view of London.

Working alongside contractor the Sweett Group, temperature control specialist Dunham-Bush Ltd has upgraded the capsules with a temperature control system. Dunham-Bush designed and manufactured a climate control system to be installed into each of them. This was developed to improve comfort and prevent condensation through temperature and humidity control, and fresh air introduction.

Mike Holding, managing director at Dunham-Bush Ltd, said: “Each 8-metre capsule fitted to the London Eye needs specific environmentcontrol requirements depending on time of day, number of passengers and prevailing weather as the London Eye rotates. The ride is about 30 minutes, which means comfortable conditions within the capsule need to be achieved as quickly as possible and then maintained for the remainder of the ride and… the glass in each capsule must remain free from condensation to ensure a clear view of the capital.”

Under the floor of each capsule is mounted a two-circuit 15kW air cooled chiller module, each equipped with four-scroll compressors, two plate heat exchangers and two air-cooled condensers fitted with EC fans.

Two Dunham-Bush type VBH 1200 Q air handling units (AHUs) each equipped with cooling coils, filters and electric heater elements are also used to pre-condition 280lt/second of fresh air before the introduction into the capsule. The modular arrangement, said Holding, allows a complete chiller to be lifted out of a capsule and replaced with minimum disruption to the operation of the attraction, should the need arise.

Two Dunham-Bush ‘Panther 7’ fan coil units (FCUs) were installed in the roof of each capsule to maintain comfort conditions in the space and to ensure the glass is clear. Engineers had to adapt the initial design for installation at an angle to fit the roof void with multiple air discharge paths to distribute the air along the length of the capsule.

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Hong Kong’s ICC lands CIBSE FM award The 2015 CIBSE Building Performance Awards winners have been announced.

The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE), announced the winners at its awards evening in London on Tuesday 10 February.

The Quadrant: MK in Milton Keynes landed the New Build Project of the Year category, while M&G Real Estate won the Carbon Champion award.

The International Commerce Centre (ICC) in Hong Kong (featured in ‘Project of the Fortnight’, FM World 20 November 2014) was the recipient of the facilities management operations category. The building is operated by Kai Shing Management Services.

The building is the tallest in Hong Kong, and the fifth-tallest building in the world. Designers implemented several energy-saving measures, including a reduction of excessive lighting and an optimisation of the air conditioning system’s operating hours. Finalists for this category included Broadgate Estates in London and MediaCityUK in Manchester.

The International Project of the Year saw four projects shortlisted in Australia, the US and New Zealand. The winner was engineering firm Beca for its artesian heating and cooling system installed at Christchurch International Airport. On the award win, CIBSE noted: “In the light of the 2011 earthquake which severely damaged New Zealand’s second-largest city, this project is a testament of a now greener city on its road to a full recovery four years on”.

See page 20 for more on the Christchurch earthquake.

BIFM creates new ‘director of education’ post BIFM has promoted Linda Hausmanis to the newly created role of director of education. The new position is a part of BIFM’s continuing commitment to raising professional standards in the facilities management industry as well as providing a strong framework of training and education for all practitioners.

In her new position, Hausmanis will continue to develop the institute’s education programme for the facilities management profession.

Hausmanis has more than 15 years’ experience in professional qualifications management. Before taking up the director of education position at BIFM, she was head of professional standards and education at BIFM and has been at the organisation for nearly eight years. She has been “pivotal to BIFM delivering on its education strategy which was ratified by the BIFM Board in September 2006”, according to the institute.

Hausmanis will now lead the creation of a new educational strategy taking the institute through to 2020.

Hausmanis said: “Education is a vital part of any profession and the facilities management industry is no different… Part of my role will be to gather insight from businesses and stakeholders to continually evolve BIFM’s educational proposition in response to changing industry requirements across a global landscape.” www.fm-world.co.uk

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FM NEWS SIGN UP FOR FM WORLD DAILY AT FM-WORLD.CO.UK 48% Yes – it’s inevitable in time

THINK TANK

OUR READERS SAID… We asked our LinkedIn and mailing list members do FM providers face an existential threat from the construction giants? And are the big CRE firms increasingly willing and able to outgun FM providers?

This year’s Workplace Futures conference included its fair share of calls to action, with BAM FM’s managing director Kath Fontana in particular warning that the outsourced FM sector could be “eaten up” by international construction firms.

Fontana cited the move by Brookfield Multiplex to end its joint venture agreements with Johnson Controls to launch its own FM offerings in the US and Europe.

“Construction businesses think they can do this FM stuff – and many of them can,” she told delegates. “You may think Carillon is primarily construction; in fact, two-thirds of Carillion’s business is FM, and that FM business is delivering them 6 per cent margin.”

We asked whether you thought

FM providers faced an existential threat from construction giants?

And as other Workplace Futures delegates hinted, are the big corporate real esate (CRE) firms increasingly willing and able to outgun FM providers?

A rather pessimistic 48 per cent said “yes, it’s inevitable in time”. But a more hopeful 52 per cent felt FM providers are adapting.

“The market has always included construction firms and all we are seeing is a move towards global delivery to meet client needs. Low entry costs will ensure that we keep seeing smaller companies,” said one respondent.

Another explained: “Commercial real estate firms with FM are more prevalent outside the UK such as the leading Colliers International,

52% No – FM providers will adapt / are adapting

CBRE, JLL and others. British FM history has generally been commercially separate from landlord owners and their estate managers.”

This means that “whilst it may seem a good idea to have one provider of property and maintenance, the advantages to an occupier can soon evaporate”.

Another respondent said: “A building owner seeks to maximise the rent or lease’s financial return and to minimise maintenance costs and there lies the rub. If you are the tenant company suffering from a landlord’s inadequate building related services you are ultimately left with little choice but to relocate.

There are, therefore, benefits to the tenant in having an FM provider on

their side whose role it is to ensure their services are up to standard.”

Also sometimes a construction company will build a property and manage all its related services thereafter for a client tenant. “The relationship tends to be closer and more considered from the start,” another respondent remarks. “The client knows what is expected and so does the construction provider.

But even then problems can arise when the construction part of the provider is separate from their FM part with commercial argument breaking out internally about who is responsible to fix what.”

Join the FM World Think Tank: www.tinyurl.com/fmwthinktank

GETTY

Waste sector generates £6.8bn for economy, says Defra A report published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has estimated that the waste sector in the UK generated £6.8 billion in value to the economy in 2013.

In Resource Management: A Catalyst For Growth And Productivity, Defra also estimates that the sector supported 103,000 jobs in the UK over the same period. Defra has calculated that the gross value added (GVA) per tonne of waste managed by the sector has risen in real terms by a third, from £32 a tonne in 2004 to £43 in 2012, after adjusting for inflation. This rate of growth, suggests Defra, is a faster rate than that of the wider economy.

Value is being generated www.fm-world.co.uk

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and ports sector and providing a source of revenue for vessels that might otherwise be leaving the UK empty”.

The report laid out a series of ‘next steps’ for the waste sector.

‘Significant’ opportunities’ remain for SMEs and the development of a circular economy.

primarily through recycling services, energy recovery, and efficiencies in waste processes.

Defra produced the report as part of the government’s research on ways to reduce the deficit, increase UK exports and drive economic growth.

The government department also said that the recovered

material has helped improve the UK trade balance through exports.

In 2013, the UK exported 13 million tonnes of key recovered materials (metals, paper, plastics, and textiles), which Defra valued at £4.35 billion. This accounted for 8 per cent (by weight) of all UK exports of goods, “supporting economic activity in the shipping

Further reading: Defra waste sector report tinyurl.com/defrawastesector Waste not, want not: tinyurl.com/fmwfeaturewaste In November 2014, the BIFM held a Leaders’ Forum event entitled ‘Exploring Zero Waste to Landfill’.

The report is available to members on the BIFM website at www.bifm.org.uk/fmlf FM WORLD | 26 FEBRUARY 2015 | 09

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of awareness, understanding, and measurement” are overcome.

Low take-up

THE SOCIAL VALUE ACT REVIEW

Legislation yet to make its mark

ISTOCK

HERPREET GREWAL newsdesk@fm-world.co.uk

The Social Value Act came into force two years ago. The legislation requires public bodies to take into account social and environmental benefits when awarding contracts, rather than focusing solely on costs.

Last year, Mat Roberts of Interserve told FM World that facilities managers were “potentially major players in embedding social value into core public services”.

But this will not happen if public bodies do not have social value strategies and commitments set out in their procurement procedures.

A survey last year by research social enterprise, Social Value Portal, showed that fewer than 30 per cent of public authorities had a social value strategy more than 18 months

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after the legislation came into force.

The survey also showed that business was “lagging behind” with 80 per cent of local authorities stating that business is unprepared.

Why is take-up so slow? Last September the government asked the Prime Minister’s enterprise adviser, Lord Young of Graffham to carry out a review (www.bit. ly/1zqccJA). He reported back two weeks ago, having found that there was little awareness of the act, varying understandings of how it should be applied in government procurement – and a lack of agreed standards for measuring social value.

As a result, Lord Young recommended that the Social Value Act should not be extended to goods and works until these “issues

By extending the act, the review states, it could: cover contracts for goods or works (or other types of contracts such as asset disposals or planning); cover contracts with a value below the OJEU threshold; mean that commissioners would have to consider it at later stages of the procurement process; mandate that commissioners would have to include social value.

Lord Young said: “Despite growing awareness amongst public bodies, the incorporation of social value in actual procurements appears to be relatively low when considered against the number and value of procurements across the whole public sector. This has made it difficult for the review to make a comprehensive assessment or a definitive recommendation about the grounds to extend the act at this stage.”

He adds: “Extending would not in itself address these issues, nor would it be helpful to move to legislation again before these issues are addressed.”

Lord Young also explained that an amendment would have to be made to the Social Value Act to reflect recent changes to European Union procurement laws and allow it to apply to the majority of public service contracts.

He is recommending that another review should be carried out in two years’ time, acknowledging the growing number of social enterprises being awarded contracts.

Some in the social enterprise sector were “disappointed” by the review.

Peter Holbrook CBE, chief executive at Social Enterprise UK (SEUK), said: “SEUK members and the wider movement are determined that the hard-fought recommendations made in the review benefit social enterprises in practice.

He said: “We are disappointed that there is no statutory guidance underpinning the act and seemingly little support to extend the act to goods and works.”

But Holbrook remains hopeful.

“There remain positive indicators for the country’s growing number of social enterprises in the recommendations,” he said. “We welcome the suggestion of another review in two years’ time to see how much progress has been made against these recommendations and what more should be done.

“After much campaigning we are optimistic that the government will show greater ownership of the act by embracing the recommendations in the report.

We are also buoyed that the rhetoric is moving to greater implementation of the act.”

Conflicting priorities?

The government’s goals could be construed to be at odds. On the one hand, the act is encouraging public bodies to commission services that bring social benefits – but on the other, cuts to spending have pushed the public sector to award contracts based principally on lower costs.

Earlier this month at the Social Value Summit organised by Interserve and Social Enterprise UK, Hazel Blears MP had also said that central government is “significantly” interested in pooling budgets in order to deliver services after the general election. (www.bit.ly/1EWRgxa) She said: “Whoever is the next government, money will be tight, that’s an economic reality. So we have to be creative [in how we spend].”

Blears revealed: “There is significant interest at the top of government to look at interdependent departmental budgets after the general election.”

She said this would “drive collaboration” and take budgets further. www.fm-world.co.uk

19/02/2015 16:34

FM EVENT

WORKPLACE FUTURES 2015

The annual Workplace Futures conference has become something of a ‘traditional curtain-raiser’ to the FM conference year. FM World was on hand at The Crystal in London to pick out the key quotes from an entertaining day

www.fm-world.co.uk

11-13 workplace futures.indd 011

“There’s a new level of FM, and that’s tactical,” said Leesman Index CEO TIM OLDMAN; “and at the moment, that’s the complete reserve of the international property consultancies.

As for discussing workplace priorities with clients, “the challenge is in moving away from pressing the cost reduction button – and to concentrate on productivity.”

What is it that workers are actually doing? “Only when you know that can you arrange to provide the optimal facilities.”

PROSPORTSIMAGES

2015: BACK TO WORKPLACE FUTURES FM WORLD | 26 FEBRUARY 2015 | 11

19/02/2015 18:15

FM EVENT WORKPLACE FUTURES 2015

HR consultant PERRY TIMMS, who is involved in the Workplace Conversation project (see p.7), said that those running the workplace in the future will need to “constantly learn, adapt and change; to become the HR futurologist and predict what the workforce and workplace needs to be like”.

“Those who design and manage buildings don’t talk enough to people in the workplace... it’s not about feng shui, but there needs to be a flow in the organisation; those who design and manage them need to be more adventurous. We could be more arty and less functional about the places we design for work.”

PROSPORTSIMAGES

Jones Lang Lasalle’s GARETH HOLLYMAN reported that he was seeing a ‘blurring of the lines’ between what was once the traditional building surveyor environment and the FM function.

“Communication with the client is key. Are they just running the lease out or planning for a more longterm commitment? Ten years ago we wouldn’t have known what the plans were for an individual property – today, these kind of conversations are happening more often.”

PAUL FOSTER, principal technology evangelist for Microsoft, opened the day by telling delegates that they needed to be aware of the impact that access to huge levels of performance data would bring, putting themselves in a position to better understand the building data and ensure facilities are more effectively run.

“We should not just look at the raw data but see how we can understand it better in the context of our environment,” he said.

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BAM FM’s MD KATH FONTANA pointed to a number of opportunities and threats. On the plus side, “we’re finally seeing integrated partnership contracts, with design & construction contracts integrating the maintenance requirement for the years ahead.” Pointing to the potential for market growth in the public sector, Fontana spoke of the impending 2016 deadline after which building information management (BIM) will become mandatory for central government new build projects. “Really we should be talking about DIM – digital information management – because for construction and FM firms, that’s what this issue is about.” Also, said Fontana, many construction businesses “think they can do this FM stuff – and many can. Two-thirds of Carillion’s business is FM, and it’s delivering 6 per cent margin for them.” www.fm-world.co.uk

19/02/2015 18:15

QUOTES

“TODAY OUR ASSETS TALK TO US LIKE TEENAGERS” Emcor’s CIO Jonathan Ivelaw-Chapman on how building assets now talk to us in a language of their own, and at all times of day and night.

Effective Facilities’ DAVE WILSON expressed concern that we in the UK were world leaders without question in everthing but tertiary education. “Why haven’t we exported all that expertise much more successfully than we have?” He also warned that supply chain managers were openly talking about the interface between customers and suppliers – “That’s our turf,” he suggested.

Larch Consulting’s MIKE CANT spoke of how people in the FM sector are “incredibly passionate, and incredibly overt about that passion”.

“We are starting to lose the simplicity of objective that our industry needs to have,” said Cant. “We need to look a little more carefully at how we’re structuring our sector – and I think that at present we are inadvertently going in the wrong direction.”

What FM operators needed to do, said Cant, was work back from a client’s core requirement and provide the total operational support that such an exercise would identify.

“Let us identify the point of expertise and provide the environment around that.”

However, doing this would involve different organisational structures and entirely new forms of conversations with clients.

For instance, said Cant: “Why are we restricting ourselves to talking about property? What we actually provide is behaviour-led management and support.”

“BOLTING ON FM CAPABILITY IS SO SIMPLE FOR THEM – AND IT ADDS VALUE IN A WAY THAT WOULD SCARE YOU” Tim Oldman on the potential for international CRE firms to out-compete FM providers.

“YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR FRIENDS LIKE TO DRINK – WHAT ABOUT YOUR CLIENTS?” Macro MD Debra Ward helps defines the emotional response separating customer satisfaction from customer delight.

“THERE SEEMS TO BE AN ANTIKPI THING GOING ON THESE DAYS. I’M A HUGE FAN OF THEM – BUT THEY HAVE TO BE THE RIGHT ONES” Martin Pickard, conference chair

“CULTURE WILL EAT STRATEGY FOR BREAKFAST EVERY DAY” Gary Kidd, COO of ISS Services

“THERE’S NOTHING MORE CONSTANT THAN CHANGE IN THE FM MARKET” Jones Lang Lasalle’s Gareth Hollyman

“CONSTRUCTION BUSINESSES NOW BELIEVE THEY CAN DO THIS FM STUFF – AND MANY OF THEM CAN.” BAM’s Kath Fontana identifies another threat to FM service providers.

“LET US IDENTIFY OUR CLIENT’S POINT OF EXPERTISE AND PROVIDE THE ENVIRONMENT AROUND THAT” Consultant Mike Cant attempts to paint a bigger picture for FM.

“DATA WITHOUT CONTEXT IS JUST NUMBERS” Microsoft’s Paul Foster asks – what are the datasets that we want to exist?

www.fm-world.co.uk

11-13 workplace futures.indd 013

FM WORLD | 26 FEBRUARY 2015 | 13

19/02/2015 18:15

FM BUSINESS SIGN UP FOR FM WORLD DAILY AT FM-WORLD.CO.UK

ANALYSIS

Small FM firms still agile in land of the giants GRAEME DAVIES newsdesk@fm-world.co.uk

The construction industry has yet to reclaim the heights it scaled before the financial crisis, and this is prompting companies to look at expanding into FM services to diversify their revenue streams and improve their margins.

Evidence of continuing consolidation in the sector is rife as construction companies greedily eye the chunkier margins enjoyed

by FM operators and wonder whether they can smooth out the cyclical nature of their businesses by providing FM services with construction contracts. It helps to win contracts when the contractor can also offer an in-house management service.

Indeed, consider many of the biggest FM providers in the UK market and their roots lie in plain vanilla construction. Companies like Carillion, Galliford Try, Kier,

Interserve and BAM all still have significant construction arms, but they also have FM operations to provide long-term revenues at predictable margins while construction waxes and wanes.

Carillion, primarily known for building roads, actually makes more than half of its revenues from FM services and manages more than 150,000 properties providing services as varied as hotel and housekeeping services to hospital maintenance.

And overseas companies are growing in this area. In January global real estate business Brookfield bought out joint venture partner Johnson Controls to push on with its plan to launch a full FM service in North America and Europe.

As more large multidisciplinary firms offer services from construction to long-term maintenance and management,

Contract wins

NEW BUSINESS The Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) estates division, the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), has awarded a £50 million grounds maintenance contract to ISS Facility Services Landscaping. The fiveyear contract covers sites such as Sandhurst, Horse Guards, RAF Lyneham and Britannia Naval College.

Babcock International Group has won a seven-year contract from the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames to deliver integrated property and estate management, combining strategic asset management, FM, estate rationalisation and project management services. Babcock aims to help Richmond “to optimise the use of its physical assets and guide its long14 | 26 FEBRUARY 2015 | FM WORLD

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term strategy for asset management”.

The deal covers 100 council properties from offices and libraries to museums.

Caterer Kudos has been awarded a five-year, £3.3 million retail and event catering contract at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford in Shropshire. Kudos will manage the museum’s Refuel Restaurant, as well as a ‘grab and go’ hot food van at the National Cold War exhibition, and a flexible event catering operation in the main auditorium, conference centre and plane hangars.

Baxter Storey has begun a three-year contract with the University of Stirling to provide catering and hospitality services to its 15,000 students, staff and visitors. The company has a £30 million turnover in Scotland.

The Port of Dover has awarded a large contract to Incentive FM to provide a range of services at the Port of Dover’s Cruise Terminals. It will handle all passengers along with their baggage and provide mooring of vessels, porterage, security, car park management, reception desk, waste handling, replenishment of vessels, and customer service.

Principle Cleaning Services has secured a cleaning contract with Paddington Central, an office space owned by Broadgate Estates. The company will provide daily office cleaning, window cleaning, periodic estate cleaning and washroom services to Paddington Central, near the Grand Union Canal in west London.

Axis Security has taken the manned guarding contract at Gallagher Retail Park, just outside Coventry. Axis will manage a team of employees covering 168 hours a week at the 180,000 sq ft retail park. Its main responsibilities will be supporting retailers, supervising the car park, and managing the ShopSafe radio scheme.

one would imagine that smaller independent specialist businesses might find themselves squeezed out as rivals with heftier firepower outgun them and either push them out of the sector or swallow them up. But there are signs from the stock markets in recent weeks that some small specialist firms are still thriving.

Premier Technical Services Group (PTSG) raised £5 million and floated on London’s Alternative Investment Market (AIM). The Yorkshire-based outfit is not specifically an FM company, but it supplies specialist services to FMs such as access and safety services, high-level cleaning and electrical services from various locations around the country. And Lakehouse, another potential London market entrant, says it intends to float on the main stock exchange. Lakehouse enjoyed turnover of £345 million in its last full financial year.

It specialises in regeneration, compliance, construction and energy services and sells almost exclusively into public sector and regulated markets serving local authorities, housing associations and utility companies. It has a strong presence in the SouthEast and London and, like PTSG, has grown through acquisition.

Achieving a market listing can often help acquisitive businesses twofold; it raises the profile of the business and its credibility in the rest of its sector and it also gives a company the option of either issuing shares in its own business to a company it wishes to buy, or to tap shareholders for more funds to make acquisitions.

For PTSG and Lakehouse, their growth journeys will not end with market listings – they have simply entered another phase.

Graeme Davies writes for Investors Chronicle

www.fm-world.co.uk

19/02/2015 14:13

BUSINESS Babcock and Skanska report solid BRIEFS market growth in 2014 Engineering support services company Babcock International Group saw strong performance in the second half of its 2014/15 financial year.

In an interim statement the group says its revenues and order book are in line with expectations set out in November 2014 at the time of its half-year results.

Babcock bought the Ministry of Defence agency the Defence Support Group in December 2014 for £140 million. The deal included a contract to provide services to the MoD for 10 years.

Earlier this month Babcock acquired McNeillie, a specialist vehicle converter working in the emergency services and military sectors, for £55 million.

Within the firm’s support services division, contracts across all business units are performing well and in line with expectations.

Earlier this week, Babcock

DTZ takes on London estate

London Borough of Richmond

won a £56 million deal with Richmond Council.

Separately, operating income for Skanska UK’s construction business remained strong at £40 million in 2014, with revenue of £1,340.5 million, equating to an operating margin of 3.0 per cent.

The results mean that Skanska has delivered operating margins of at least 3 per cent for the past five years. UK president and CEO Mike Putnam said: “Our financial results throughout the recession have remained consistent, stable and at a good level.”

New contracts such as Skanska’s £10 million-a-year FM deal with the Metropolitan Police helped this growth, said the firm.

It also reported good progress on Skanska’s first three commercial development projects in the UK under the Workplaces

by Skanska banner: 66 Queen Square in Bristol, The Monument Building in London and Bentley Works in South Yorkshire.

Putnam said the market was improving. “I am positive about … the range of exciting projects starting this year.”

CBRE poised to expand its FM reach in EMEA CBRE Group Inc. increased its area of managed facilities in the EMEA region by 17 million square feet in 2014.

The real estate group says that this growth is because it has attracted clients like Zoetis, a global animal health company.

CBRE says that its FM services saw strong growth in 2014, with 32 new or extended contracts.

CBRE has a client-base of more than 110 corporations, healthcare providers and government bodies in 105 nations. During the year, CBRE took on FM responsibilities for 140 million sq ft of properties.

Alex Darragh, global director of www.fm-world.co.uk

14-15_BusinessNews.indd 15

Alex Darragh, global director, CBRE FM

CBRE’s FM services, said: “CBRE is extremely pleased to see the continued momentum in our FM services worldwide. We have realised strong growth across

our Americas, APAC and EMEA regions, as an increasing number of multinational and regional companies are experiencing the benefits of facilities management outsourcing. Most notably, the acquisition of Norland Managed Services bolstered our service offering for our EMEA business, particularly with respect to critical environments services for specialty assets like data centres and trading floors.”

Ian Entwisle, CEO of EMEA Global Corporate Services for CBRE, said: “FM remains a very popular real estate function to outsource in EMEA.”

DTZ has been awarded a threeyear contract to provide a range of services, including FM, to a portfolio of Central London offices owned by TIAA Henderson Real Estate.

The 27 premises total 1.5 million sq ft. They include the £200 million Houndsditch estate near Liverpool Street station.

DTZ’s property management department will carry out estate, financial and FM services incorporating development consultancy, technical services management, energy and sustainability advice and customer engagement.

Lusso feeds Japanese firm Japanese shipping company Mitsui OSK Lines has appointed corporate hospitality firm Lusso to supply workplace and fine dining at its new Central London offices for three years.

Under the £650,000 contract Lusso will initially provide three services at Thomas More Square: dining at a ‘distinguished’ new restaurant overlooking an atrium on the building’s 10th floor; hospitality throughout the office; and serving in a fine dining suite.

Arthur McKay expands in UK Scottish building support services company Arthur McKay is rolling out its activities nationwide.

The company, which offers mechanical and electrical maintenance and FM services, works for the Scottish Court Service, among other bodies.

Michael Floyd, the firm’s director of facilities services, said: “We have increasingly received requests from new clients and now have the infrastructure to support these across the UK.” FM WORLD | 26 FEBRUARY 2015 | 15

19/02/2015 14:13

FM BUSINESS

IN FOCUS

The interviewee: Paul Goodridge, divisional director, Vinci Facilities UK The issue: Facilities management of stadiums

ISTOCK

Sustaining the Olympic legacy Earlier this month, the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, confirmed that Vinci Stadium – a subsidiary of Vinci Facilities Management and Vinci Concessions – had been appointed to run and manage all aspects of the former Olympic Stadium at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

The 25-year contract, initially valued at £100 million, includes catering and stadium operation throughout events. Vinci will also work with local community groups to improve social cohesion in the surrounding area by employing local people as well as other schemes.

Vinci will begin running the stadium this year ahead of the Rugby World Cup 2015. The stadium is to host five matches of the tournament before fully re-opening in 2016.

Designed for the London 2012 Olympics Games, the stadium is undergoing a transformation to become a 54,000-seat capacity, multi-purpose venue with retractable seating to accommodate athletics events.

Once this is complete it will be home to West Ham United FC and will also host the annual IAAF Diamond League competitions and UK Athletics Association (UKA) competitions every summer, the 2015 World

16 | 26 FEBRUARY 2015 | FM WORLD

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Rugby Cup, the 2017 World Athletics Championships and the 2017 World Paralympics Championships.

Vinci Stadium already operates a network of stadiums in France including the Stade de France in Paris, the Allianz Riviera in Nice, the New Bordeaux Stadium and the MMArena in Le Mans, making it apt for this role.

Paul Goodridge, divisional director at Vinci, said: “At Vinci we form a part of the consortium who are going to run the Olympic stadium for the next 25 years.”

Vinci will be working with caterers Delaware North and OCS, who do some of the crowd control. “We will work together as a consortium delivering all the services and asset management to that site.”

Nuts and bolts Vinci Facilities will provide daily maintenance, “the nuts and

bolts, planning maintenance and, reactive work”, says Goodridge.

“We want to maximise the assets so they perform to the optimum and maximum life of the building. So when tenants are in, like West Ham playing one of the 19 games of the year, the building performs as expected and they are able to undertake their sporting activities.“ He adds: “We will be the FM provider for their event days.

They are responsible for their event day organisation but they will liaise with us and we will provide all the basic services such as utilities, cleaning, washroom services, medical cover, pest control, waste removal and all the basic maintenance services and coordinate with West Ham – or whoever is the event day organiser.”

Goodridge says: “Our particular expertise comes in around the whole life costing and asset and

capital expenditure planning over next 25 years – and ensuring we maximise the asset to return best value to the London Legacy Development Corporation and Vinci group as well.”

“More importantly” Goodridge continues, “we want to make it into a social hub for that part of London and become a part of the ongoing economic and social development of East London.”

“We want to engage with local communities. That’s good for communities, but also for us as we want to get good staff… Bringing local people in and training them at all levels whether straight from school for apprenticeships, mentoring schemes and training we can provide to school-age students has been very beneficial. But this also includes taking mature people within the business and training them… that’s been very beneficial as well.”

Local employment Goodridge says the organisation goes into schools to teach CV writing, interview skills and carry out mentoring schemes.

“Part of our business model as Vinci Facilities is that we want to expand our services out into the Stratford area and pick up more work. So we view this as also being our foundation through which we can drive additional work at a local level for Vinci and provide local employment opportunities as well.”

He views this as being able to provide services to schools, public bodies, private bodies, schools, colleges, and universities based in the east end of London.

“We operate in the health, education and government sector, and we’ll be looking at those streams [that he is in charge of] and see how we can develop them on a local level.“ HERPREET GREWAL newsdesk@fm-world.co.uk

www.fm-world.co.uk

19/02/2015 16:32

TOMORROW’S PEOPLE Operating in a wide variety of sectors, Sodexo offers young people looking for apprenticeships a unique opportunity to develop their skills and careers.

Sodexo has committed to employ 500 apprentices across its business by the end of 2016.

Visit us online at www.uk.sodexo.com

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18/02/2015 16:29

FM OPINION

THE DIARY COLUMN JOHN BOWEN

“EACH DAY BRINGS A CHANGE AS IT COMES TOGETHER, AND THE OLD LINE ABOUT ‘IT’LL BE GOOD WHEN IT’S FINISHED’ IS OFTEN HEARD”

NHS Trust University Local Authority Estates

John Bowen is an FM consultant

THOU G HTS ON BUI L DI N G R EFUR BI S H M EN T

acilities managers should be adding their expertise and influence on specifications for the decor of the premises they manage

F

Refurbishment projects are food and drink to most FMs, and I’ve seen them from all angles. I’ve project managed them, been both client and supplier and, as I am now, been an end-user.

In project managing such schemes one of the challenges is getting the schedule right and finding the critical path through it so that people and things turn up in the right order and at the right time. Within that process you will decide on when you start to populate the area; do you

The following comments are taken from the BIFM and CIPD’s project: workplace conversation (see page 7 for details).

Join in the debate at workplaceconversation. com.

Neil Usher: The ‘Living Wage’ workplace.

Restating the case for the ‘living wage’ workplace – a great workplace is simple, the rest is window dressing. If you needed to create a decent workplace with a feral 18 | 26 FEBRUARY 2015 | FM WORLD

18_Opinion.indd 18

wait until it’s finished or move people in before everything is complete? You do what you must to keep things running.

Currently I spend a few hours once or twice a week in a newly refurbished area and it is interesting to see things develop.

The services, decor and desking were all done before occupation, but not all of the other furniture has arrived yet. Each day brings a change as it comes together, and the old line about “it’ll be good when it’s finished” is often heard.

pitbull between you and the budget, what would be the ‘must-haves’ – the basic elements that comprise the ‘living wage’ workplace? With an assumption (perhaps in itself dangerous) of the workplace meeting all legal compliance standards, here is the shortest list I could muster: daylight; temperature you can control; a choice of spaces; WiFi/network that works; food and drinks access; sanitary sanity;

New technology is welcome, but there is little information on how it works, so we have had a few interesting experiments and, so far, have not been thwarted, although early on some of the multi-function light switches were replaced by standard ones.

I’m just an interested observer, but while it is a bright working space and most of it works for those at the desks, much of what I see there seems to be a triumph of style over function. The floor coverings were put in before the partition walls for the meeting rooms and pods, but there are multiple types of coverings so the cleaners will meet them all in some areas and that makes

somewhere to put your stuff; colour; and the opportunity to have an influence over the space.

Andrew Mawson: Design for design’s sake? Too often designers and PMs don’t ask business leaders ‘what are we seeking to achieve here?’ before starting work.

Sandy Wilkie: I see too many buildings and workplaces designed ‘because they look good on paper’, maybe even

their life harder. Some of the meeting rooms where drinks are often spilt have coarsegrain vinyl surfaces and where the partition walls sit on the floors there is plenty of scope for dirt to build up.

The refurbishment, while well executed, looks like a product of the old landlord style of working rather than an FM-led business needs, driven approach. FMs need to extend their influence into the specification of the accommodation they manage so that we can have places that are not only fit for the users, but also easy to look after.

winning awards for their radical lines and the influences/metaphors.

Perhaps designers should begin with the end in mind and deliver the actual functionality required by the people who will occupy the space, albeit with a twist of quirkiness.

Mark Catchlove: Too many offices are designed to meet the needs of the organisation as a whole, rather then the needs of individuals. An organisation should start

from a human-centred perspective.

Stuart Snelling: The challenge of developing workplaces – of every type, shape and size – that enable people to thrive and give of their best. Many workplaces do not support the types of work that take place within and in a lot of cases they do not meet the needs of people, whether basic physiological or higher psychological and emotional. www.fm-world.co.uk

19/02/2015 14:13

You can follow us at twitter.com/FM_World facebook.com/FMWorldMagazine

BEST OF THE

FMWORLD BLOGS Not knowing construction’s carbon output is not OK Martin Brown, fairsnape.com Reducing carbon in construction has been a central plank of sustainability strategies for years. It is therefore embarrassing for the industry, as Construction Manager reports, that we still don’t have an industry handle on construction carbon figures.

A Sustainability Strategy for Construction set a 2012 target of 15 per cent reduction from the 2008 figure of 48 tonnes of CO2/£m spend, which should give us about 42 T/£m at 2012 with targets for further reductions by 2020 and 2050 in line with UK reduction targets. Despite nearly everybody in construction claiming to be sustainable, emissions rose by 13 per cent from 2008 to 2012.

The ConstructCO2 tool shows an average of 97.5 kg/£k based on all construction types. As we gain more data we can break this down into more meaningful targets, but since the first project on ConstructCO2 our benchmark has not fallen below 90 kg/£k.

(It should be below 40 kg/£k.) ConstructCO2 set out to keep it simple to record.

We now understand the causes of construction carbon and can take steps to reduce through planning. So why do we not understand or monitor construction CO2? ● BREEAM hasn’t followed through – with just the requirement to record travel, transport and energy use, but not to reduce, monitor over time or collate. ● Recording data at site level is deemed too time-consuming. ● Clients don’t require projects to record and act on carbon emissions as a KPI. ● Reducing carbon at site entails collaboration. We just don’t collaborate.

It’s not rocket science.

Read the full article at www.tinyurl.com/n695ep4

Hidden forces Workessence.com I hosted a seminar at Sheffield Hallam with the FM Masters group led by Ian Ellison to discuss ‘What of the forces arrayed are likely to be working for us and against us?’

Working for us: Googleisation: we have a greater awareness of workplace ‘possibility’ than at any time.

Technology: when used appropriately to make lives better, it holds a massive potential to improve our lives and set us free, much of which has yet to be realised.

Globalisation: we have greater access to, and insight of, differing ways and approaches across the geoid than ever before.

Design: design has a massive potential to create and shape culture – far more so than the other way around. Used carefully, design is on our side.

Evidence: the availability of knowledge, data and resources. There are no longer any excuses for not being able to easily source meaningful and practical inspiration.

People-centricity: the sector is now realising that people come before the asset.

Working against us: Pervading management culture: management-by-presence, line-management and management by instruction are embedded in culture, education and practice.

Gadgetisation: technology for its own ends just ‘because’.

Generationalism: Presuming what ‘younger people’ want. In addition, the focus on the emerging workforce is having a detrimental impact on the needs of older contributors.

Silos: vested interests wanting to do something different – or just not what you do.

Compromise: the chaos of competing interests. Cock-ups become ‘things we would have done differently’ – code for ‘I wouldn’t be as daft as to own up’.

Read the full article at www.tinyurl.com/lzlg83v

www.fm-world.co.uk

19_Opinion.indd 19

FIVE MINUTES WITH NAME: Gerwyn Davies JOB TITLE: Labour Market Adviser, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)

Employers’ appetite for taking on workers shows no sign of abating. This is reflected by labour market statistics published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) that show the record number of people aged 16-24 in work.

All employment indicators are moving in the same positive direction. It’s good to see that more people are getting into work but the focus must now shift to what is happening to those people once they are in work.

Skills shortages and utilisation is still a major problem in many businesses. If we are to improve UK productivity, we must lift up the bonnet on British businesses and take a look at what they are doing to develop and use their people’s skills.

Until this issue is tackled, performance and pay will continue to suffer.

As our Labour Market Outlook report indicates, a tale of two workforces is emerging. Earnings including bonuses may have risen, but this is largely due to the bonuses being more prevalent in sectors such as finance. Meanwhile, the basic pay measure has fallen modestly compared with last month.

Evidence in our report shows a clear correlation between employers adopting a high-value business strategy (as opposed to a low-cost strategy) and those able to afford to pay a pay increase of 2 per cent or more. The report implies that the difference within sectors between companies that can afford to pay a decent pay rise and those that are continuing to freeze pay lies partly in the quality of leadership and management, and level of workforce investment.

The Labour Market Outlook also suggests that private sector firms will continue to drive most jobs growth, and there was a particularly robust performance from the financial sector.

FM WORLD | 26 FEBRUARY 2015 | 19

19/02/2015 15:18

FM FEATURE

CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND

HERPREET KAUR GREWAL

A CITY OF RUIN

CORBIS/GILLIAN NEEDHAM

“B

y the time we got outside there was liquefaction – wet sediment that seeps to the surface through cracks – running down the street, and a huge plume of dust hanging over the city. People were starting to run back from Cashel Street covered in blood.”

This is Vivien Hardie’s description of what the centre of Christchurch looked like on the afternoon of 22 February 2011, after suffering what is now on record as the country’s secondworst natural disaster in terms of loss of life.

British-born Hardie is the facilities management team leader at Christchurch City Council. “We didn’t know how bad it was until we got outside… when it hit I remember hanging onto my desk, being thrown forward and my chair shooting out from under me.”

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As FM at the council’s primary Hereford Street offices, it was Hardie’s job to evacuate the building. “I switched into sergeant major mode in an instant,” she remembers. “I grabbed my fluro (fluorescent jacket) and my hard hat and started barking orders at people, saying ‘get out of the building’.

“As I was doing that, the fire alarms were going off, the sprinkler pipes had burst and there was water everywhere.

Being the building warden, I was the last person out. And when I met the mayor and CEO outside, I said ‘no way, we’re not going back in today’.”

One of the most immediate concerns in the days and weeks after the earthquake was temporary accommodation – and inevitably, the spotlight fell on facilities management departments to make this happen.

“FM is still a young profession

in New Zealand,” says Hardie.

“But the earthquake brought it to the fore because everyone was saying ‘what do we do now? We need temporary accommodation and facilities’. They turned around and looked at us and said ‘a-ha!

That’s what you people are for‘.”

What’s perhaps remarkable is that the 2011 quake was in fact the second suffered by the city in 12 months. In the previous September, an earthquake had struck the county of Canterbury in which Christchurch is situated.

Although of greater magnitude than the 2011 quake, its epicentre wasn’t central to the city and it happened during the night. A further aftershock occurred in December of that year.

Indeed, Christchurch residents have become accustomed to the possibility of earthquakes, as New Zealand is on a major fault line.

However, the 2011 quake – and its focus on central Christchurch –

was in another league.

After the quake, many employees worked from home where this was a possibility.

Otherwise, businesses started to share facilities – a process of pooling resources that helped feed a sense of community spirit that had emerged post-quake.

In one case, the council had earmarked a warehouse it already owned as a new municipal bus exchange. However, as conversion work had not started, the facility was turned into new office accommodation for employees. “We bought every trestle folding plastic table available in just about all of the South Island,” says Hardie, “and we set them up in rows.

We just heaped as many people as we were allowed to in there, and that became our temporary accommodation.”

Around 350 council employees were also housed in the art www.fm-world.co.uk

19/02/2015 17:51

This month four years ago, New Zealand’s third-largest city, Christchurch, suffered an earthquake that claimed the lives of 185 people from 17 different countries and forced the mammoth rebuilding of a broken city. Herpreet Kaur Grewal visited to see the results – and find out how the city’s FMs coped

gallery building, a space funded

by Christchurch City Council.

The building had been used as Christchurch’s Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) following the 2010 Canterbury earthquake, so was pressed into service again following the February 2011 quake.

Furthermore, two of Christchurch’s biggest libraries – in the suburbs of Fendalton and upper Riccarton – were cleared of books to allow for 100 council employees to be accommodated in each building.

“These buildings became the main sites for the council over the year,” says Hardie.

Opus, a property asset management company in New Zealand, had to relocate the Canterbury Catholic Diocese, which have approximately 37 schools and various parishes.

Anthony Van Meer, property services manager for Opus, says: www.fm-world.co.uk

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FM QUICK FACTS

350 Above: Hydrocarbon seepage triggered by the earthquake flowed through the city’s streets Top: the moments directly after the 2011 earthquake show the extent of the damage across the city

The number of council employees housed in the art gallery building, a space funded by Christchurch City Council

“We relocated a primary school and a secondary school. One primary school had to move four times because we had moved them in September but then had to move them again in February. We moved a 300-kid primary school four times in six months. It was pretty tough on the parents and the kids. We had to bus the kids to new locations.

We moved a secondary school - Marian College. Their site was too close to a small creek, there was a lateral spread and liquefaction issue there. They are never going back. We did a lot of panicked, quick work after the earthquake to find new homes for congregations, schools, clients’ offices and so on.”

The council also placed 3,000 portable toilets in Christchurch in the absence of sewage facilities.

However, Deon Swiggs, director of charity Rebuild Christchurch, says: “Whole streets were missed FM WORLD | 26 FEBRUARY 2015 | 21

19/02/2015 17:51

FM FEATURE

CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND

HERPREET KAUR GREWAL

The controversial ‘Cardboard Cathedral’ designed by Shigeru Ban

and there were arguments between different city councillors and government and the agencies. I remember those chaotic times. Everyone was then issued with a chemical toilet.

Then, dispensaries were put outside where you could empty your loo. Some people were using those for eight months after the earthquake.”

In the bunker The council’s main building on Hereford Street had remained sturdy after the quake, “like a nuclear bunker”, according to Hardie. However, “it had to be closed because the plasterboard lining the stairwell walls (called ‘Gib’, short for Gibraltar Board – a brand of plasterboard in New Zealand) was so badly damaged that it was falling in lumps. All of it had to be replaced.

“As soon as that cracks along the joins, you lose your 60-minute fire rating and you can’t occupy your building. You can have all the sprinklers and fire suppression systems in the world, but if your emergency staircases are not safe, that’s it – the building has to close.”

A lot of the concrete was cracked too and many metres of epoxy crack injections had to be administered across the building in the floors, columns and beams.

CHRISTCHURCH CATHEDRAL/GETTY

Cardboard creation Other buildings, however, were not designed to withstand an earthquake. Older buildings like the Catholic Cathedral were too severely damaged for quick repairs (see our front cover). Nicholas Dawe, work group manager for facilities management at Opus, says: “It’s pretty hard getting into the basilica…We couldn’t get anyone in for years and we ended up flying a drone into it because none of the engineers were prepared to go in...The building

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has been mothballed and made stable but is still not safe. It’s only 20 to 30 per cent of the new building standard.”

The Anglican cathedral in Cathedral Square in the centre of the city – described by some as the “jewel in the crown of Christchurch’s renowned Victorian Gothic architecture” – had its spire and part of its tower destroyed, with the remaining structure severely damaged.

A transitional cathedral built nearby by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban for $6 million has come to be known as an icon of Christchurch’s rebuild. It is made of cardboard, local wood, and steel, with a polished concrete floor (under which runs a heat piping system) and a polycarbonate roof. It is built to comfortably exceed the country’s building code stipulations on earthquake proofing, “making it very safe”. Designed to last for at least 50 years, it’s planned that the ’Cardboard Cathedral’ will eventually be renamed the parish church of St John in Latimer Square once the city’s permanent cathedral is built again in Cathedral Square.

Exposing divisions Due to what some thought a slow response to the disaster, many businesses started to locate themselves in the suburbs. “A lot of people have located there and won’t come back,” says Dawe of Opus. “It was a no-win situation; the companies couldn’t afford to wait and the government couldn’t make decisions. The central business district was in limbo while they came up with another central city plan.”

A new IT hub - the Enterprise Precinct and Innovation Campus (Epic) was set up in the centre of the city to house 17 companies displaced by the earthquake.

Tragically, the earthquake exposed some real design and

“You can have all the sprinklers and fire suppression systems in the world, but if your emergency staircases are not safe, that’s it – the building has to close” www.fm-world.co.uk

19/02/2015 17:52

CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND

Left: Much of Christchurch still resembles a building site Below, and bottom left: Shipping containers were pressed into service as building support and replacements for retail units

The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, known as the Christchurch Basilica, with its container support

engineering problems with some buildings in the city. The Canterbury Television (CTV) building showed this most starkly; it collapsed within minutes, killing 115 people inside.

Some died from the building rubble, others from the fire that started shortly afterwards. A government inquiry found that the building should not even have been issued a permit as it failed to meet the building code in force at the time. The inquiry concluded that there were inadequacies in the construction of the building and problems with its design. The site is now being considered as a memorial for earthquake victims.

All these stories have prompted academics, policy makers, planners, designers and architects to think hard about how the city should be rebuilt. A Christchurch Central Recovery Plan for the city www.fm-world.co.uk

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is also being enacted.

Hardie says: “Obviously an enormous amount of work has been done on foundation design (in the city), especially for multistorey buildings, raft foundations and base isolation. All these things are routinely being used now in Christchurch… to stop ground from moving around.”

Vacant sites While longer-term projects have been mulled over, the city council and community organisations are working to temporarily activate vacant sites within Christchurch through a variety of creative projects. One such example is Gap Filler, which was actually set up in response to the 2010 quakes. Coralie Winn, co-founder and director of Gap Filler, explains: “When we began, it was about tapping into this

sense among my peers that we didn’t want to rush the rebuilding of Christchurch. We wanted it to be thought through properly, and temporary use of some of these sites could buy time. We were concerned that there would be this haste to rebuild and we’d end up with a lot of crappy architecture; fast-forward 30 years, and a city with poor design and poor architecture is not one that people want to live in.”

Gap Filler has been responsible for many temporary facilities within the city. Many have been amenity-based projects such as a dance floor on the corner of Gloucester and Columbo Streets.

Winn says: “We lost a lot of dance studios and dance space in the earthquake so we created a dance floor with coin-operated lighting and sound… It was an experiment to see as to how people would use public space and it has been really well used and a success.”

An outdoor cinema powered by bicycles was also created, as was a ‘Pallet Pavilion’ – “a venue made from 3,000 pallets, a 20 by 25-metre structure with no roof, built by 250 volunteers taking six weeks”. Winn says: “It was here for two summers and used as a venue for events and music.”

After the earthquake, the use of shipping containers came to be seen in Christchurch as a new form of ‘architectural device’. The ubiquitous containers are being deployed in a number of ways, working as walls to stop rock falls; as small and temporary storage and accommodation; as a temporary inner city shopping district; as venues for arts and community events; and as bracing for damaged buildings. It’s going to be some years before the last container is driven away from Christchurch, its departure symbolising the end of a major rebuilding project – and a new awareness of FM borne out of a major catastrophe. FM FM WORLD | 26 FEBRUARY 2015 | 23

19/02/2015 17:52

FM FEATURE

SERVICE CHARGES

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THE ENERGY ACT

www.fm-world.co.uk

18/02/2015 16:31

THE ENERGY ACT

The stipulations of the Energy Act 2011 will come into effect in 2018, but it’s important that the implications for FMs and commercial property landlords are understood now. Here, Alan D White of Property Solutions outlines a plan of action

SEE THE LIGHT www.fm-world.co.uk

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FM WORLD | 26 FEBRUARY 2015 | 25

18/02/2015 16:31

FM FEATURE

THE ENERGY ACT

T

he government laid draft regulations for parliamentary approval on 4 February 2015 under the provisions of the Energy Act 2011, which is designed to improve the energy efficiency of privately rented, non-domestic commercial property in England and Wales.

The laws will apply from April 2018 on the granting of a lease to a new tenant or on a lease renewal. From April 2023 the regulations will apply to all privately rented commercial property where a lease is already in place and a tenant in occupation.

In circumstances where a tenancy is granted, for example by operation of law, the landlord will have six months to comply.

Similarly, when a non-compliant property is sold with a tenant in situ, the new landlord will have six months to improve the property or apply for an exemption.

SHUTTERSTOCK

Exemption parameters for commercial property The minimum energy efficiency standard will be set at an ‘E’ EPC rating and landlords must raise the energy efficiency of their properties to at least this level before letting on the open market. There will be safeguards to guarantee that only permissible, appropriate and cost-effective improvements will be made and landlords may apply for exemption allowing them to let properties below the ‘E’ EPC rating if they can prove the property falls within certain exemption parameters: The letting term is less than six months or longer than 99 years; or That the required measures are not cost-effective, either within a seven-year payback or under the ‘Green Deal’s Golden

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ALAN D WHITE

Rule’. This says the energy savings made at a property in a 25-year period (it is possible to choose a shorter timeframe, but return on investment must be paid for within the period) must be equal to, or more than, the cost of implementing the changes in the first place. In short, it is not worthwhile to install a measure with a negative payback; or Despite reasonable efforts, the landlord cannot obtain the necessary consents to install the energy efficiency improvements – including consents from tenants, lenders or superior landlords; or That a qualified expert has confirmed that the required measures would reduce the value of the property by 5 per cent or more or that wall insulation will damage the property; or That upgrade measures would require an unacceptable alteration to the character and look of a historic building. Special conditions apply to listed buildings that may be exempt from the provisions of the Energy Act. These need to be carefully considered.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change [DECC] will run a centralised register [the Private Rented Sector (PRS) Exemptions Register] to record landlords’ notifications of intention to seek an exemption and this will be made available to local authority trading standards officers, who will be responsible for enforcing the regulations. There are compliance notice, review, appeal and penalty procedures set down in the regulatory documents and continuing non-compliance with the regulations will incur fines.

In recognition of the legal and practical complexities of the sector, the government will review the operation and effect of the rules every five years – the first review is in 2020.

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18% DATA FROM THE EXISTING EPC NATIONAL REGISTER SHOWS THAT 18% OF COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES HAVE EPC RATINGS OF ‘F’ AND ‘G’

20% A FURTHER 20% ARE RATED AT ‘E’

43% 43% OF SHOPPING CENTRES HAVE AN EPC RATING OF’ E’ OR BELOW

The effect of these regulations will be increasingly felt across the sector, particularly when all leased property falls within the EPC ‘E’ rating requirement in April 2023. Data from the existing EPC national register shows that 18 per cent of commercial properties have EPC ratings of ‘F’ and ‘G’ and a further 20 per cent are rated at ‘E’. This means that as April 2018 approaches, owners and occupiers will need to consider their options and portfolio strategies to make sure that they do not fall foul of the regulations.

Indeed, evidence from the Service Charge Operating Report for Retail 2015, published by Property Solutions, notes that 43 per cent of shopping centres have an EPC rating of ‘E’ or below.

The role of FMs The Energy Act rules place a big responsibility on FMs to assess how the portfolios of properties they are managing will be affected. The first step is to arrange an energy performance survey on properties that do not already have an EPC. The properties being managed should then be graded in EPC order to assess those that may require energy-efficiency upgrades.

The properties that fall below the ‘E’ EPC rating then need to be considered in detail from operational, management, tenure and strategic viewpoints so that an assessment can be made about the viability and operational need to carry out upgrades.

The property-by-property assessments require input from property and facilities managers so that full visibility of the business requirements for those premises and their operational contribution can be seen. A property-by-property matrix is constructed to show the results of the investigations, enabling decisions to be taken about the www.fm-world.co.uk

18/02/2015 16:32

THE ENERGY ACT

3

If the answer to number 2 is ‘no’, consider selling/letting [or sub-letting/assigning if a tenant] before April 2018 so that the Energy Act regulations do not immediately apply. Act now.

If the answer to number 2 is ‘yes’, carry on through this checklist.

Weigh the potential cost of upgrade against the value diminution of doing nothing.

Check to see if any of the exemptions may apply.

Landlords should now be in a position to develop an energy efficiency plan for their portfolio that will be one of a number of ‘overlays’ in the development of an asset management plan. This will take account of lease ends or breaks up to April 2018 so that any retrofit or refurbishment works to improve the EPC rating can be carried out in good time, reducing occupation gaps to a minimum and readying the portfolio for postApril 2018.

For tenants, the operational needs of the occupying business may be to stop using the property before April 2018. Will there be a potential liability to the regulations or a problem with subletting if the lease ends beyond April 2018?

There is an alarming lack of awareness of the implications of the Energy Act regulations across the property sector and so those FMs and property managers who are ‘switched into’ the topic will be well placed to take strategic decisions about their portfolios.

By acting now, landlords and tenants will gain valuable time to assess and develop an optimum strategy. For landlords and tenants the complexities of the interaction between lease covenants, service charge management procedures and the energy regulations means that an early dialogue will be mutually beneficial. Doing nothing is not an option; acting quickly will bring business benefits. FM

4 5 6 7

operational imperative of each property.

A key element of this process is estimating the costs associated with raising the energy efficiency of the property and the effect of these works upon the value, ‘letability’ and practical use of the premises afterwards.

The costs need to be weighed against the savings in energy consumption over time and the effect this will have on rental and/or capital value.

There is also the important question of whether one of the exemptions applies to the deficient properties. Even if an exemption applies, would it be prudent to carry out energysaving works anyway to reduce overall running costs?

Landlords may find that some of their properties will become unmarketable after April 2018 if they are not upgraded. The value of their investment portfolio could be adversely affected, rental values at review may fall, and the viability of lease renewals could be put in doubt. www.fm-world.co.uk

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From the tenants’ perspective Tenants will need to review their portfolios of leased space taking a strategic view about those where EPC ratings are at ‘F’ and ‘G’ levels.

Will the landlord suggest carrying out works to improve the efficiency of these properties and will the tenant be asked to contribute to the costs? Are such costs recoverable by the landlord under the provisions of the lease? Will the landlord try to recover the costs of upgrade in a multi-let building through the service charge mechanism?

Many shopping centres will fail to meet the EPC ‘E’ rating, so what will happen in these cases?

It may be that even if tenants are not legally required to contribute to upgrade works, the reduction in running costs could make such a contribution a sensible business decision.

What is certain is that FMs acting for tenants in such developments must be aware of the Energy Act requirements and regulations as well as

the provisions of the leases under which the properties are occupied. This will help to inform decisions about what is best, operationally and financially, for the occupying businesses.

Tenants should note that if they are considering subletting part of their leased premises or assigning the whole property, they could well be required to carry out upgrading works to improve its energy efficiency if the transaction is to take place after April 2018. They should take legal advice about the implications for dilapidations assessments at lease end where they are occupying properties with EPC ratings below ‘E’.

A checklist for landlords and tenants So the ‘to do’ list for both landlords and tenants is: Grade your properties in EPC order from A to G. Look in detail at the properties that fall into ratings ‘F’ and ‘G’. Should you keep them in the portfolio?

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18/02/2015 16:32

FM FEATURE

LIGHTING TECHNOLOGY

PAUL REYNOLDS

Sky Factory’s panels mimic a sense of the outside world ast CERN

When the office environment fails to offer sufficient natural light, or indeed any views of the outside world, what can be done? Paul Reynolds of CCD Design reports

NATURAL SELECTION H

ow can technology be used to enhance users’ experience of a workspace? One study currently being conducted in a Swedish school is seeking to determine the effects of ‘full spectrum’ electric light on the experience of a dark Nordic winter as well as the hormone level changes caused by long nights and short, gloomy days.

The study has gathered evidence about the way in which artificial light can be used to counteract problems associated with living under such conditions. Its aim is to help people perform better at school and, by extension, the workplace.

Similar studies have been undertake in the past, but their relative scarcity underlines the fact that firm scientific evidence is thin on the ground. Although there is much anecdotal evidence, it’s often not enough to sway purchasers.

Sky windows Most workspaces include at least some windows, but technology such as Sky Factory’s 28 | 26 FEBRUARY 2015 | FM WORLD

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products can still prove valuable where natural light is weak.

There is evidence that these panels, which mimic the sky, can influence the way people experience a space by making it feel more spacious, inducing a physiological relaxation response and even contributing towards the easing of stress.

But these potential boosts to staff wellbeing and productivity are largely based on anecdotal data. The most subjective data currently available appears to come from studies in medical facilities, which have found that such products ‘can create a hyper-real illusion that has the power to elicit the same psycho-physiological relaxation response that occurs when we view real sky’.

If installing this technology can elicit such positive responses, organisations should at least consider how they might incorporate them into their spaces.

One area of a building where the sky simulation panels could be most valuable is the area around the architectural core.

Floor plans often feature open

spaces arranged around the perimeter of a building so that users who spend a lot of time in these spaces can make the most of views to the outside and capitalise on the benefits of natural light.

But this often results in a level of compromise for those meeting spaces that consequently end up near the core and which, while they may have some borrowed daylight, are generally devoid of outside views. In such cases, sky simulation panels could bring the meeting spaces a much-needed connection with the natural world while also making the room feel larger.

For people who spend a lot of time in meetings during the working day this could be

beneficial to maintaining their natural body clock or ‘circadian rhythm’. There are studies on the use of sky simulation panels in medical facilities that show the Luminous SkyCeiling product can help re-establish or maintain patient’s circadian rhythms while in intensive care units, which significantly contributes to the healing process. Medical facilities may be quite an extreme example, but it’s easy to extrapolate that similar benefits could be achieved in other environments.

Biodynamic lighting With our work often requiring us to consider the impact of shift work (especially in 24/7 control rooms and contact www.fm-world.co.uk

19/02/2015 14:14

LIGHTING TECHNOLOGY

“Biodynamic lighting can vary the quality and quantity of artificial light to mimic the rhythm of natural light, the theory being that this will have a positive impact on vision, the biological clock and overall worker wellbeing”

BRINGING OUTSIDE INSIDE

BLUE-SKY THINKING The European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) worked with CCD Design and Ergonomics to redesign the workspace for its design team. One meeting room now features illuminated ceiling panels that display a sky scene. These panels are slightly recessed into the ceiling grid to make them look as close to skylights as possible within the limitations of the space (see picture). Staff now using the meeting room get a sense of the outside world in a space that, because of building constraints, features nothing else that links them to the external world0.

centre environments), we are particularly interested in the prospect of using lighting products to explore how the natural body clock could be influenced to keep users alert at the right times. Coupling this with a (perceived) view to www.fm-world.co.uk

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the outside world could enable significant change in the way users experience this sort of shift work. The biggest challenges are to make the imagery convincing enough to fool the body clock of users and that the lighting changes are sufficient to improve

performance, without risking people ending their shifts at work insufficiently aligned with the time of day in the world outside.

Could light change people’s perceptions and bring about more positive physiological responses to spaces? Biodynamic lighting can vary the quality and quantity of artificial light to mimic the rhythm of natural light, the theory being that this will have a positive impact on vision, the biological clock and overall worker wellbeing.

It’s a technology often used for therapeutic reasons to treat existing conditions, but perhaps it’s time for biodynamic lighting to become more prevalent in this preventative role, reducing the chances of some conditions

developing in the first place.

Companies like Waldmann and PhotonStar are producing technology to control light in a more automated and dynamic way, supporting different ways of working and adapting to changing occupancy levels.

Luminous textiles Luminous textiles provide another technological opportunity and gradually accumulating evidence that the experience of a workspace can be improved through clever use of technology. The Philips luminous textile range includes options for a variety of fabrics, colours, dynamic content and sounds while bringing benefits that many other lighting products don’t (e.g. acoustic absorption).

Again, a substantial amount of the research related to these products originates from their use in medical facilities. One Danish case study explains how luminous textiles have been effective in improving the experience of women in labour. The gradual iterative improvement and tailoring process that has been followed to optimise the technology for that environment could be replicated for other environments. Maybe workspaces where stress levels can be very high at times (for example, emergency services control centres) could benefit most from this tailoring approach.

So what does all this tell us?

In workspaces with a scarcity of natural light or views to the outside world, some technological developments offer a range of interventions that could make a real difference. Evidence of the benefits of each is being compiled gradually, but they clearly point to a number of psychological and physiological benefits.

The greatest challenges ahead are in applying these in effective ways to support people at work and proving a genuine return on investment. FM FM WORLD | 26 FEBRUARY 2015 | 29

19/02/2015 14:14

APPRENTICESHIPS

ISTOCK

FM FEATURE

Now firmly established as an annual event, National Apprenticeship Week is running from 9th to 13th March. Increasingly, the FM sector’s apprenticeship structure is proving attractive – and those who take them are full of praise

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MASTERING APPRENTICESHIPS A

s we move into the third annual National Apprenticeship Week, it’s clear that political parties of all stripes appreciate the virtues of undertaking apprenticeships. The government recently welcomed figures showing how the number of people taking part in apprenticeships was continuing

to rise, its provisional figures showing that, despite being a relatively new development, the number of people participating in higher apprenticeships now stands at more than 15,000.

The Conservatives talk of putting three million people into apprenticeships – a huge boost in numbers. For the Opposition, Labour leader Ed Miliband

is talking of guaranteeing apprenticeships for every schoolleaver in England by 2020. This policy, in which school-leavers with the equivalent of two A-Levels would be ‘guaranteed’ an apprenticeship, would be paid for by private companies bidding for public sector contracts, who would be required to offer two-year apprenticeships to www.fm-world.co.uk

19/02/2015 17:02

APPRENTICESHIPS

FINANCE DIRECTOR

CASE STUDY 1 NAME: LEE MARTIN JOB TITLE: FINANCE DIRECTOR, LANDMARC SUPPORT SERVICES How did you become an apprentice?

I was 16 and had just finished taking my O-Levels at Bishops in Salisbury, Wiltshire. Many of my friends were older and most were already in full-time employment earning money.

At 16, I wanted money to go out with friends and the idea of heading down the academic route of university didn’t appeal to me at all. I didn’t know what I wanted to do and heard about an apprenticeship at Salisbury Technical College.

What was your experience as an apprentice like?

I undertook a three-year apprenticeship as an apprentice pattern maker. I really enjoyed everything I learnt and the best

thing was I was getting paid as well as being trained.

Looking back, what advantages do you think starting as an apprentice gave you?

It gave me a structure and a goal to focus on. Although at 16 I didn’t have a clue what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, I appreciated that learning a trade would always give me something to fall back on.

My personal experience was that I was employed as a carpenter for a short time and was then made redundant. This led to me joining the Civil Service on a temporary basis. While there I decided to study for my exams in accounting, a position which led to a permanent role with Interserve.

This led to my role as finance

manager with Landmarc Support Services and eventually my current position as finance director.

Do you think apprentices starting today will benefit from the same circumstances?

Undertaking an apprenticeship is good for any young person who isn’t sure what they want to do career-wise and doesn’t want to follow the academic route of achieving A-Levels and then going on to attend university. Whatever happens in life, once you have the experience of a trade it gives you something to fall back on, no matter what career path you take.

What kind of people would benefit from an apprenticeship in FM? Anyone with an interest in FM should consider an apprenticeship.

If you are someone who is more ‘hands on’ or practically minded, an apprenticeship might be the route for you.

DELIVERY MANAGER

CASE STUDY 2 NAME: PETE MYLES MCIOB JOB TITLE: AREA DELIVERY MANAGER, LANDMARC SUPPORT SERVICES How did you become an apprentice?

I wanted to be an architect, but in the late 1970s the idea of a comprehensive school producing one of them was pretty much unheard of, so my careers adviser suggested an apprenticeship with the view to becoming a draughtsman. I applied to a local engineering company to join its maintenance team as an apprentice carpenter and joiner.

Before I took my O-Levels I’d landed a four-year apprenticeship.

What was my experience of being an apprenticeship?

The company was part of a consortium of companies that would share apprentices to give

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them the best range of experience possible. So I not only worked within the maintenance team, I spent time in a joinery company, a housing developer and a company specialising in laminated heated and chilled food serveries.

I also received day release at Guildford College of Technology to undertake my City & Guilds.

manage. The apprenticeship helped me take more notice of what was going on around me.

While I learned I was being paid; not as much as schoolfriends who worked full-time, but I had cash in my pocket. And I knew better wages would be there at the end of the apprenticeship.

Do you think today’s apprentices get the same advantages?

An apprenticeship is an excellent opportunity, but the ambition to get stuck in and do well has to be there.

What advantages did doing an apprenticeship give me?

What kind of people would benefit from an apprenticeship?

I leant a trade that will be with me forever, and which has an impact on my day-to-day life, as part of my current role and also personally. I have a good awareness of how differing work places etc, can have an effect on output from the team I now

Anyone who is looking to gain a practical skill while earning. Not everybody comes out of university with high grades in the subjects the world is crying out for, so why not make a good living out of doing something that brings enjoyment and job satisfaction?

qualifying youngsters.

Whatever the political machinations, no one can say that the FM sector has any gaps in its apprenticeship offer. Over the past few years, pathways into FM have been rounded out with a Level 2 offer, so that people new to the sector can start with a level 2 apprenticeship and then progress through to a foundation degree at Level 5. Learners with previous FM experience can choose an apprenticeship combining BIFM qualifications at Levels 4 and 5.

Whatever you or your organisation’s choice, there’s a guide to the options on the BIFM’s website (link below).

Naturally, employers must be engaged in the apprenticeship process if they’re to work for both parties in the relationship.

“One of our fundamental responsibilities is to create sustainable employment opportunities,” says Frank Clayton, group head of learning & development, NG Bailey Group.

“And our apprenticeship programme is a key element of that.”

The group’s scheme has helped more than 5,500 young people into sustainable careers, and in recent years the programme has developed beyond traditional mechanical, electrical and plumbing skills.

“This year, we plan to increase our apprentice numbers and recruit across a much broader range of qualifications,” says Clayton.

“If we are to close the UK’s widening skills gaps, we need to help more young people get excited by science, technical or engineering careers.”

As these two case studies show, FMs who cut their teeth in an apprenticeship always confirm the value of the process. FM APPRENTICESHIP RESOURCES National Apprenticeship Week www.tinyurl.com/k8aylqw BIFM Pathways to Apprenticeships www.tinyurl.com/lcwwn6o

FM WORLD | 26 FEBRUARY 2015 | 31

19/02/2015 17:02

Selected forthcoming features in FM World:

26 March issue: Energy management - wind, solar 9 April issue: Workwear 23 April issue: Workplace interiors 7 May issue: Data security, Pest control - birds 21 May issue: PAT testing 4 June issue: Facilities Show 2015 edition, Innovations in cleaning 18 June issue: Innovations in catering, Health and safety equipment

Call us to advertise in our special feature issues and reach the largest targeted FM audience of over 24,000 readers. Contact Norbert Camenzuli on 020 7880 7551 For a full 2015 features list visit:

www.fm-world.co.uk/about-us

Features are subject to change - please contact the editor for further details. FM World welcomes contributions and ideas for articles.

Send a short synopsis to Martin Read at martin.read@fm-world.co.uk.

Please note that we reserve the right to edit copy submitted for publication in the magazine.

Future Features HPH 120215.indd 1 32 | 26 FEBRUARY 2015 | FM WORLD

p32_FMW260215.indd 032

03/02/2015 16:15

18/02/2015 11:24

FM MONITOR

MARKET INTELLIGENCE

INSIGHT ECONOMY

The figures on this page have been compiled from several sources and are intended as a guide to trends. FM World declines any responsibility for the use of this information.

HEALTHCARE PUBLIC SERVICE PRODUCTIVITY 2012

VAT rates: Standard rate – 20% Reduced rate – 5% Source: HM Treasury (hmrc.gov.uk)

Bank of England base rate: 0.5% as of 17 February 2015.

Source: Bank of England (bankofengland.co.uk)

Consumer Price Index (CPI): The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) grew by 0.3% in the year to January 2015, down from 0.5% in December 2014. Falling prices for motor fuels and food were the main contributors to the slowdown in the rate of inflation.

Smaller price falls than a year ago for clothing partially offset the slowdown.

Source: (www.ons.gov.uk)

Publicly funded healthcare saw its third consecutive year of productivity growth since 2010. The last period to see a similar pattern of productivity growth was 2003 to 2006. Productivity is estimated by dividing the total amount of healthcare output by the total amount of input used.

In 2011, public service healthcare productivity grew by 3.5 per cent – the largest increase since such estimates began in 1995. Growth in productivity was still positive, but fell back to 0.9 per cent in 2012, because of a fall in output growth to 2.8 per cent and a jump in input growth to 1.8 per cent.

The past two years of productivity growth have increased the annual average growth rate for public service healthcare productivity from 0.5 per cent a year between 1995 and 2010, to 0.8 per cent a year between 1995 and 2012.

The main component of public service healthcare growth continues to be hospital and community health service activity, while the main component for inputs growth continues to be goods and services

rather than labour volumes.

There was a smaller than average – but still positive – contribution to public service healthcare output growth from the quality-adjustment factor in 2012.

PLUMBING CONTRACTORS MARKET

CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY REPORT

SOURCE: OFFICE FOR NATIONAL STATISTICS

PUBLIC SERVICE HEALTHCARE PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH RATES, 1996-2012

EMPLOYMENT

National Minimum Wage NOTE: The following rates came into effect on 1 October 2014: Hourly rate from 1 Oct 2014

Aged 21 and above

£6.50 (up from £6.31)

Aged 18 to 20 inclusive

£5.13 (up from £5.03)

Aged under 18 (but above compulsory school age)

£3.79 (up from £3.72)

Apprentice rate, for apprentices under 19 or 19 or over and in the first year of their apprenticeship

£2.73 (up from £2.68)

UK Living Wage: NOTE: The following rates are set by the Living Wage Foundation: Category of worker

Hourly rate from Nov 2014

UK Living Wage

£7.85 per hour

London Living Wage

£9.15 per hour

www.fm-world.co.uk

33_Insight.indd 33

16

The plumbing market value was worth about £14.7 billion in 2014. The sector weathered the downturn well compared with others in construction because a large share of work is in repair and maintenance – generally more resilient than new build.

The market saw improvement in 2010 and in 2011, but value was inflated by material cost rises – particularly copper. Spending cuts in the public sector also started bite, leading to a drop in the market in 2012. Skills shortages should see labour costs increase and employment grow. Indications for 2015 show the market could achieve value growth of 6 per cent. It should be worth £17.1bn by 2019.

In Q4 2014, output in construction fell by 2.1 per cent compared with Q3 2014. Between Q4 2014 and Q4 2013, output grew by 4.8 per cent – this was the sixth consecutive period of annual quarteron-quarter growth. Downward pressure came from repair and maintenance (R&M), which fell by 6.3 per cent, the largest quarter-on-quarter fall since Q4 2009. Both housing and non-housing R&M fell by 4.9 per cent and 7.7 per cent respectively. New work grew by 0.6 per cent on the quarter.

After falls in October and November 2014, output grew by 0.4 per cent in December 2014 compared with November 2014. On the year, the picture was one of growth, with output rising by 5.5 per cent in Dec 2014 compared with Dec 2013 – the 19th consecutive period of year-on-year monthly growth.

Comparing the 2014 annual data with 2013, output in the industry jumped by 7.4 per cent. All work types saw increases except infrastructure, public other new work and private commercial work. The largest increase was reported by total new housing, up by 23 per cent in 2014 compared with 2013.

SOURCE: AMA RESEARCH

SOURCE: OFFICE FOR NATIONAL STATISTICS

VALUE £BN

Category of worker

OUTPUT: DECEMBER & Q4 2014

18

14 12 10 2011

2012

2013

2014E

2015F

2016F

2017F

REPORT 2015-2019

FM WORLD | 26 FEBRUARY 2015 | 33

18/02/2015 16:33

FM MONITOR SIMON HOBDAY

FUTURE PERSPECTIVES

Simon Hobday is a partner specialising in the commercial and regulatory energy sector at Osborne Clarke

CARB ON F OOTP R I N T: US I N G S ERV ER S / CO M PU T E R S TO HEAT OF F ICES

ith appropriate regulation and contractual packages unlocking investment, tomorrow’s world could actually be a golden age for building efficiency, says Simon Hobday

W

What do you think of when you hear the term ‘smart city’?

For those of us who grew up in the 1970s flying cars and robot servants probably feature. But building efficiency? Raymond Baxter didn’t see that coming in Tomorrow’s World.

Building efficiency has become one of the pillars of smart city thinking, along with intelligent transport systems, smart grids and energy storage.

So how does it fit with some of the ‘sexier’ smart city elements?

When we asked 300 European business leaders which of four smart city elements they considered would contribute most to wellbeing, a quarter chose building efficiency – the second choice after intelligent transport systems.

Building efficiency covers both building design and integrating a broad set of technologies, software and materials into the built environment to improve energy use. The EU VicePresident for Energy, Maroš Šefcovic, has been mandated by the European Commission to achieve a binding 30 per cent objective for energy efficiency by 2030 as the minimum, building on the target to reduce energy demand by 20 per cent by 2020.

Much of this will be achieved by reducing buildings’ energy use.

This doesn’t just save costs.

It also enables building owners or FMs to generate revenues intelligently from assets within 34 | 26 FEBRUARY 2015 | FM WORLD

34_BestPractice.indd 34

buildings. By installing and technologies, building owners or FMs can, using developments in the energy market, generate revenue by turning energyconsuming equipment off or down at times of peak demand.

And greater efficiencies and revenues will be driven by managing a buildings portfolio.

One threat to this is the danger of a VHS v Betamax-style ‘battle of the formats’. Schemes like the programme established by the British Standards Institution and the UK Department of Business are helping to establish standards, but such initiatives must work on a European if not global level to be truly effective.

Having established the importance of building efficiency, it’s perhaps surprising to find just how many issues there are with its development and adoption.

Our survey respondents cited lack of demand, investment and incentives to encourage investment and security and privacy issues.

The funding gap A quick win to bridge the funding gap is likely to be public private partnerships.

Almost three-quarters of survey respondents say PPPs will be the best way to fund smart infrastructure programmes in the next three years. But the report also shows that 69 per cent of survey respondents believe government institutions alone

will be the most active investors in smart city infrastructure.

There is a clear disconnect. To bridge the gap, private and public sectors, banks, investment funds, technology firms and the advisory community must work together to develop funding models.

For example, the Investor Confidence Project Europe has gathered a group of investors, funders, energy efficiency providers and governmental bodies to look at promoting common standards and leveraging best practices for each phase of an energy retrofit and credentialing projects through third-party review.

Project finance structures may also have a role to play; two-thirds of those surveyed believe project finance will be used to fund the roll-out of smart technology in the next three years. But structuring project finance deals for smart infrastructure is not easy, given the mix of property owning structures, budget practices, and divergent interests between building owners and occupiers.

Legal issues Another key legal issue centres on data privacy and ownership.

Data sits at the heart of effective building control systems. It drives everything you need to gauge, from temperature to occupancy levels. It’s also one of the biggest potential legal liabilities.

Take one recent idea – using computer servers to heat buildings. This neat idea involves offering server space to banks and other institutions on specially designed servers that also work as radiators, negating the need for large data centres.

The business where the servers

are stationed benefits from the heat generated as the computers work. But making this work legally will be difficult. How secure will data be - and will banks, say, be comfortable with it being held on non-specialist premises? Who would be responsible for loss of data and hardware maintenance?

A second issue is overcoming an inherent mismatch between commercial building occupiers, who would benefit in the short term from lower energy bills while the commercial building owner pays for longer term upgrades to a building fabric or plant that creates efficiency gains. There is no reason why this could not be made to work, but a combination of distrust and lack of interest is holding back the necessary commercial will of those involved to enter into suitable arrangements. This is probably reinforced by the transaction costs, which are often prohibitive on a building-bybuilding basis. What is needed is a framework approach for the commercial sector.

Efficiency upgrades Commercial developers, owners and tenants have been ahead of the curve on building efficiency.

Once the costs of operating out of an inefficient building became apparent at scale, building efficiency became a commercial imperative. But until now that point has resulted in an entire refurbishment while new-builds and refurbishments have looked to exceed the statutory minimum. We need to enable energy efficiency upgrades earlier in a building’s life to unlock savings across a range of built and occupied spaces.

Commercial spaces will provide a template for efficiency across other sorts of buildings. FM www.fm-world.co.uk

19/02/2015 14:14

FM MONITOR HELEN DONNELLY

BEST PRACTICE

Helen Donnelly, Asbestos Policy Unit, Health and Safety Executive

IDEN TIF YIN G A N D DEA L I N G WI T H A S BESTO S

s 20 people, on average, still die every week from asbestos-related diseases, the HSE’s ‘Beware Asbestos’ campaign reminds those working on commercial properties that asbestos is still a very real threat facing trades people and maintenance workers

A

Too many people make wrong assumptions about asbestos – that it is a thing of the past, that you will only find it outside, or that it is only in industrial buildings.

A recent survey commissioned by the HSE* identifies that trades people could come into contact with deadly asbestos on average more than 100 times a year. A worrying number do not know when they may actually face the danger, as only 15 per cent of those surveyed knew asbestos could still be found in buildings erected up to the year 2000.

The survey also revealed some common myths believed by those at risk. One in seven (14 per cent) believes that drinking a glass of water will help protect them from the deadly dust and one in four (27 per cent) thinks that opening a window will help to keep them safe.

1⁄

Identify threats

Materials that contain asbestos can be disturbed by basic maintenance work like drilling www.fm-world.co.uk

35_BestPractice.indd 35

and sanding and once disturbed, the microscopic fibres can prove lethal if breathed in, causing lung disease and cancer. These diseases will not affect people immediately – they often take a long time to develop, but once diagnosed, it is often too late to do anything.

This is why it is important that those repairing and maintaining buildings are protected now. When done regularly, even small jobs like drilling a hole can expose workers to the danger.

Asbestos can be found in walls and ceilings, or the structure of a building, as well as a host of other places like floor tiles, boilers, toilet cisterns, guttering and soffits.

Therefore, any work activities that disturb those materials can put trades people, their families and their customers at risk.

And although many of those surveyed could pinpoint some asbestos-containing materials, others were clueless – only a third recognise that it could also be hidden in common fixtures such as fuse boxes.

2⁄

Carry out a risk assessment

Anyone responsible for managing non-domestic premises has a duty to manage asbestos.

This means finding out where asbestos is, and what condition it is in. Make sure survey information is kept for reference.

It should form part of a plan that then assesses the risk from the asbestos and sets out in detail how the risks from these materials will be managed. The HSE’s campaign encourages trades people to ask for an asbestos plan before doing any work to a building, but FMs should provide this information readily and early enough to allow a worker to plan the job properly.

3⁄

Plan carefully

As a priority, always consider how you can plan the work to avoid disturbing the asbestos in the first place. Most asbestos removal work will require a contractor holding a licence from the HSE. This includes any work on sprayed asbestos coatings, asbestos lagging and most work with asbestos insulation and asbestos insulating board (AIB).

No one should carry out a task that will disturb asbestos, even on small non-licensed tasks, without having the right information and training to do the job safely.

Simple, effective actions have been grouped in three important steps to remember for anyone carrying out small non-licensed tasks:

4⁄

Keep dust down

Stopping asbestos fibres from getting into the air in the first place is the priority. It

reduces the risk and makes the job easier to manage.

5⁄

Use the right kit

Wear a FFP3 grade mask and Type 5 disposable overalls. Always dispose of these after every job. Don’t risk taking any fibres with you.

6⁄

Clean up properly

Safely remove waste and leave a safe environment for those working in and using the building.

7⁄

Use the web app

The HSE has launched a web app to help easily identify where workers could come into contact with asbestos as they go about their work. The app leads the user through a list of multiplechoice questions about the type of building they are working in, the job that they’re doing, and the type of asbestos-containing material they are working on.

The user will be advised to: ● Stop work and get a licensed asbestos contractor if the asbestos risk is too high; ● Read to an HSE how-to guide giving them step-by-step information for small, nonlicensed tasks; or ● Be told that there is no asbestos risk and so they are safe to continue work. FM * The statistics in this article are based on the results of a survey of 500 trades people in Great Britain carried out by Censuswide in September 2014.

Further asbestos information is available at: www.hse.gov.uk/ asbestos The web app is available at www. beware-asbestos.info/47

FM WORLD | 26 FEBRUARY 2015 | 35

19/02/2015 16:31

FM MONITOR JEREMY HODGES

HOW TO...

IM PLEMEN T AN ERGO N O M I CS ST R AT EGY

orkplace-related injuries are on the rise, according to HSE statistics.

Jeremy Hodges, director at Syngus Office Partnership, explains how facilities managers can tackle the issue head-on

W

According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the total number of working days lost owing to work-related ill health and workplace injuries has fallen from around 39.8 million in 2000-02 to 28.2 million in 2013/14. The HSE also says that on average, each person suffering took around 16 days off work, 19 days for ill-health cases and 7.5 days for injuries.

Stress, depression or anxiety, and musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) accounted for most days lost owing to work-related ill health, 11.3 million and 8.3 million days respectively.

MSD describes any injury, damage or disorder of the joints or other tissues in the upper/ lower limbs or the back. One of the key legal responsibilities for employers is to protect the health and safety of their employees and other people who might be affected by what they do, as required by the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

Workplace trends There has been much conversation in the FM industry recently about standing versus sitting at work, which promises the dual benefits of a reduction in injuries, a more active and productive workforce.

Furthermore, FMs have long had to deal with cases of 36 | 26 FEBRUARY 2015 | FM WORLD

36_HowTo.indd 36

employees or colleagues being off sick with neck and shoulder pains and muscle problems attributed solely or partly to poor posture and poor sitting habits at work.

With the average UK full-time worker working 39.1 hours a week, what we do and how we act in the workplace can have a significant influence on our physical health and wellbeing.

FMs can be proactive and help to combat the problem. The following checklist explores some of the options, mainly from a furniture and workplace layout viewpoint, but always consult an expert and seek professional advice before embarking on implementing any policies or carrying out any training or checks.

Ergonomic checklist: ● Is your office furniture fit for purpose? Do the chairs provided for staff in the office have back support, are they heightadjustable, do they have arm rests? Are your desks at the right height to avoid over-stretching?

Do staff need foot rests? ● Do you regularly carry out ergonomic assessments of your furniture and its condition and to ensure that it is fit for purpose and fit for the user and whatever work they are to be carrying out? ● Is the office space well laid out or is it cluttered with poor

storage that could lead to potential trip hazards or climbing on things to reach? Is there sufficient daylight? ● Do you implement regular training in the workplace, such as manual handling techniques and posture at work? ● Do you keep a note of employee absenteeism with records so you can assess if there is an MSD-related problem within your workplace? ● Do you offer other schemes within the workplace to improve health and wellbeing, such as gym memberships, physiotherapy sessions, walk-to-work schemes, free health checks?

Selecting furniture Ensuring workers are fit and healthy can come down to simple ergonomics and the provision of appropriate office furniture.

There are chairs on the market that have a number of separate ergonomic features including seat depth adjustment, individual seat and back tilt and inflatable lumbar support. Such chairs are designed to reduce the risk of back problems and fit the natural spinal curve, helping the user to adapt it to support his ideal working position.

Ergonomic furniture doesn’t have to be expensive. Neither does the implementation of policies or training if done with expert guidance. Weighing up the cost of new furniture and training could be a drop in the ocean compared with absent staff.

FMs should always seek expert help from occupational health specialists, office furniture manufacturers and the HSE FM

STATS THE TOTAL NUMBER OF WORKING DAYS LOST HAS FALLEN FROM AROUND

39.8 MILLION 28.2 MILLION IN 2000-02 TO

IN 2013/14

IN 2013/14,

23.5 MILLION DAYS WERE LOST DUE TO WORK-RELATED ILL HEALTH AND

4.7 MILLION

DUE TO WORKPLACE INJURIES.

ON AVERAGE, EACH PERSON SUFFERING TOOK AROUND

16 DAYS 19 DAYS 7.5 OFF WORK,

FOR ILL HEALTH CASES AND DAYS FOR INJURIES

www.fm-world.co.uk

19/02/2015 17:52

FM MONITOR MIKE SMITH

TECHNICAL

Mike Smith, director of engineering, BSRIA

R 22 PHASE-OUT – R EP L ACE O R M O DI FY?

SRIA’s director of engineering, Mike Smith, is concerned that many building owners and operators may be unaware of the changes in refrigerant legislation that could have a major impact on their businesses

B

From 1 January 2015, the latest element of legislation in the phasing out of R22 for air conditioning and refrigeration systems came into effect. The legislation provides a total ban on handling R22 refrigerant regardless of whether it is (stockpiled) new material, recycled or even reclaimed.

If you have a breakdown that requires the refrigerant circuit to be broken into, you are permitted to recover the refrigerant from the system (assuming it hasn’t leaked out) but you cannot put any form of R22 refrigerant back into the system. The fault may be something as simple as a pressure sensor needing replacement.

The legislation does not stop you running an R22 refrigerantbased AC unit, but when it breaks down you may no longer repair it using R22. You can use a drop-in replacement, but many of these contain HFCs which are also due to be phased out soon.

And it is not quite as simple as just “dropping” it in. All such replacements are mixtures of several different refrigerants that, when blended together, emulate the behaviour of R22 as near as possible. In reality, they are blends; each substance has its own pressure/enthalpy/ www.fm-world.co.uk

37 Technical.indd 37

temperature relationships, which may result in significant “glide” in the heat exchangers.

This is where the temperature during the change of phase is not constant in both the evaporator and condensers as it is with a single substance refrigerant like R22. It can vary by several degrees Kelvin across a heat exchanger – this can have implications for effective cooling, capacity and efficiency.

And drop-ins may have other issues to consider that might include safety (both toxicity or flammability) , compatibility with oils and seals, whether any of the constituents will be the subject of further phase-outs, what happens under all leakage scenarios, availability and cost as well as service staff who are trained and knowledgeable on all these issues.

The government website (www.gov.uk/hcfcs-inrefrigeration-and-airconditioning-equipment) simply states: “You can still use your old equipment, but your technician can’t do any work that involves breaking into the refrigerant circuits.”

The outcome of this legislation is that if an air conditioning system is currently operating

using R22, it is on borrowed time.

To ensure that any disruption to the working environment has minimal impact, it is important that a strategy is developed to deal with a failure.

BSRIA believes that the impact of this change on a business is potentially so great that a strategy that fits each application needs to be developed. But what are the options?

1⁄

Replace plant:

This leads to a number of advantages, including installing a much improved energyefficient option and being able to review the necessary capacity to suit the actual load and how well a new piece of plant can cope with variable loads.

Allowance can also be made for any changes in building use, ensuring that the plant delivers the required cooling load. New plant will have a longer life than modified equipment. There are disadvantages, the largest of which is the cost involved in replacing systems. The other associated considerations are the installation disruption and longer implementation time for the replacement project.

2⁄

Modify plant to use a new refrigerant:

The advantages here may be a quicker implementation compared with replacement, and costs would also be lower.

The disadvantages of choosing this option is that the plant life would not be extended, so the major capital expense of replacement will still need to be incurred at some point, the cooling capacity of the

system could fall, and the energy efficiency of the system may get worse (and may not be comparable with modern equipment in the first place).

For those who have yet to decide on their strategy, now is the time to develop an action plan. BSRIA recommends that you follow these three steps: • Identify all equipment using R22 – including air conditioning and refrigeration equipment.

• Develop a database of information about each piece of plant, including facts such as: Quantity of refrigerant in the system; System age and likely life span; Current cooling load and any expected future cooling load; Plant design details (including component details); Plant efficiency performance; What business function each AC plant serves and how critical it is to business continuity.

• Evaluate your business continuity priorities and decide on the most appropriate option – replace or modify? Carrying out steps one and two will help you to make the best decision.

And just to complicate matters, the F-gas regulations put in place in 2006 have been revised. This brings more duties for system operators and also sets out how HFCs such as R410a and R134 will be phased out – so any replacement strategy must also take this into account.

Further reading: Useful advice on this is available at http:// www.gluckmanconsulting.com/ wp-content/uploads/2014/12/IS-5Stationary-Air-Conditioning-andHeat-Pumps.pdf

FM WORLD | 26 FEBRUARY 2015 | 37

18/02/2015 16:33

BIFM NEWS BIFM.ORG.UK

NEW BIFM OFFICE

A new BIFM office has opened in Dublin (left)

IMAGE SOURCE/ALAMY

New Dublin office open BIFM is building on its current presence in Belfast with the opening of a new office in Dublin.

The expansion is part of the organisation’s broader international strategy and will support members in Ireland, of which there are currently over 350 in both the Republic and Northern Ireland. The office opening is in direct response to the growing demand for facilities management in the region, a sector which contributes over ¤13 billion to the Irish economy.

The Southern Ireland BIFM branch was formed in response to Irish facilities managers seeking a professional framework from which to develop their careers.

The additional presence in the region will build on the work which has already been done and will help deliver an extensive programme of networking opportunities, enhanced training and learning experiences and CPD events during 2015 and beyond.

The annual BIFM Ireland Conference and Exhibition will also move to Dublin this year.

Now in its 19th year, the event is an opportunity for attendees to hear from a diverse line-up of industry experts, share ideas, network with peers, attend events and visit the exhibition.

BIFM will also be supporting another major facilities management industry event being held in the city from 4 to 5 March - Facilities Management Ireland 2015. BIFM is a supporting association for the event, will be exhibiting and has helped develop the stream of seminar material which will include talks on energy management, the connection between FM and the workplace and how FM service

38 | 26 FEBRUARY 2015 | FM WORLD

38_40_BIFMNews.indd 38

The Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (below)

is a compelling opportunity for facilities management professionals across Europe to benchmark their activities, training and qualifications on a pan-national basis. We look forward to sharing our ideas with delegates on these themes and in particular the framework that BIFM provides.

“The event’s theme reflects what the FM world is all about – talent management, service excellence, integration and cooperation“, says James P Whittaker, chairman of IFMA. EuroFM Chairman Ron van der Weerd explains: “EFMC 2015 features two parallel business conference tracks, as well as two research and education tracks.

“Attendees are invited to participate in accompanying events such as the welcome reception, local study tours, the student posters competition, the gala dinner, the EuroFM awards as well as the industry exhibition,“ he added. i Further information is available at www.efmc-conference.com

GOOD PRACTICE

suppliers and clients can build lasting relationships. Now in its seventh year, the show is the biggest of its kind, attracting users and decision-makers at all levels of business, industry and FM, and shows the exponential growth of the FM profession across Ireland. i Learn more about BIFM in Ireland at www.bifm.org.uk/ireland

CONFERENCE

EFMC comes to Glasgow This year the European Facility Management Conference (EFMC)

has come to the UK with BIFM acting as hosts and working with the event partners, IFMA and EuroFM. Taking place from 1 to 3 June in Glasgow, more than 550 executives from all over Europe and beyond are expected to attend.

The event takes place at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre, and includes a business conference, research symposium and an exhibition.

Gareth Tancred, chief executive, BIFM said: “We look forward to welcoming our European FM colleagues to the UK for what promises to be a wonderful occasion to share insights, best practice and new ideas. EFMC

Advice on vacant property BIFM has been working with vacant property specialist Orbis (formerly SitexOrbis) on revisions to the Good Practice Guide to Vacant Property Management.

The revised guide provides guidance to facilities professionals who have empty buildings to manage as part of their property portfolio.

It updates the 2012 version to consider the changes to the law on squatting. Squatting in residential buildings is now a criminal rather www.fm-world.co.uk

19/02/2015 14:12

Please send your news items to communications@bifm.org.uk or call +44 (0)1279 712 620

than a civil offence.

The guide explores why an increasing number of buildings are becoming empty and highlights some of the key problems facing vacant properties.

It also explains how facilities managers can close and manage empty properties, in line with their insurer’s expectations, and discusses getting a building ready for reoccupation or demolition, as well as how to: ● Conduct a risk assessment and take precautions ● Keep up appearances ● Secure the premises ● Inform your insurer. i BIFM members can download the updated free Good Practice Guide to Vacant Property Management at www.bifm.org.uk/ gpgs

NEW GUIDANCE NOTE

Updates and clarifications on ESOS BIFM has published a new guidance note, supported by the Energy Managers Association (EMA) which outlines The Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS).

The guidance is the latest in a series of new and improved guidance to support standards and professionalism in FM. This document explains the principles of ESOS and how to identify whether your business will be required to comply with these new regulations.

It then goes on to clarify the importance of ESOS and how to get started on the process – including the role of an ESOS Lead Assessor.

The new ESOS Guidance note is available from www.bifm.org.uk/ esosguide i

www.fm-world.co.uk

38_40_BIFMNews.indd 39

GUEST COMMENT

David Sharp is Lead Judge for the ‘Career and Learning Development’ category at the BIFM Awards, and Managing Director at International Workplace

CELEBRATING THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE FM TICK

IFM Awards have been streamlined this year with a slick new website (www.bifmawards.org), a simpler structure, and more consistency across the Award categories.

The most obvious change is the grouping of the 12 Awards into three areas that neatly summarise what FM – and BIFM – are all about: people, impact, and innovation.

As Lead Judge for the ‘Learning and Career Development’ Award, I’m responsible for one of the five awards that come under the ‘people’ umbrella, the others being: Rising Talent in Facilities Management, FM of the Year, FM Team of the Year, and the BIFM Lifetime Achievement Award.

Together, these five awards map out the FM career journey.

Rising Talent celebrates those who are relatively new to FM and are successfully forging a career for themselves. The Award not only provides recognition for people with potential, but also gives them something tangible to aim for. If you’re serious about progressing and want to make a name for yourself in the industry, you need to enter this Award.

The Learning and Career Development Award has proved a popular one. You don’t have to be a service provider to enter: we’re looking for any team or organisation that can demonstrate its commitment to learning and development by investing in its people. If you’re in HR or L&D and in the FM sector, we want to hear your story.

The FM of the Year and FM Team of the Year Awards single out the very best performers, setting the standard that others aspire to. The former, known colloquially as FMOTY and now in its 15th year, is a real highlight of the BIFM Awards for many, and the ultimate accolade for anyone working in the industry. The FM Team of the Year Award has evolved and is open for everyone in FM to enter, regardless of the size of your business or the nature of the work you do. Entering this Award is a great way of showing your team how proud you are of the work they do, and giving public recognition to their achievements.

The last of the ‘people’ Awards acknowledges one very special person each year for their Lifetime Achievement in the course of their career in FM. These are people who have contributed to the growth of facilities management in the UK and internationally, raising its profile and leading by example.

What unites these five awards is a recognition of the importance that people make to the effective delivery of services in what is all too often a sector associated with building infrastructure. Effective facilities management is all about adding value by enhancing an organisation’s primary activities.

It’s the people who make this happen, and who BIFM is looking to celebrate again at the awards this year. Will you be one of them?

B

“WHAT UNITES THESE FIVE AWARDS IS A RECOGNITION OF THE IMPORTANCE THAT PEOPLE MAKE TO THE EFFECTIVE DELIVERY OF SERVICES”

i BIFM Award entries close on 22 May 2015, full details on all categories are on www.bifmawards.org.

FM WORLD | 26 FEBRUARY 2015 | 39

18/02/2015 16:34

BIFM NEWS BIFM.ORG.UK

CPD EVENT EVENT REVIEW

Latest ways to manage occupancy & workspace A recent BIFM South Region event looked at the latest techniques in managing occupancy and workspace, and how West Sussex County Council (WSCC) will save millions replaces some of their ageing portfolio.

Mike O’Horan, corporate facilities manager, explained that traditionally WSCC had too much space and it was not used efficiently. After introduction of an innovative programme encompassing improvements in technology, change management training, record management and a focus on space management, improvements were achieved.

Flexible working technology was vital and allowed an ability to work from any location.

Gaining an accurate picture on space use was also key to achieving reductions in the estate.

The use of electronic sensors to gain data proved the most effective way and overcome union objections as the data captured was not people specific but recorded time spent at workspace.

The data demonstrated workspaces were only being used 50 per cent and that significant saving might be made in space, technology and lower running cost.

Neil Steele from Cad-Capture explained how the company had supported WSCC with its technology saying that with traditional manual ‘flat cap and clipboard’ walk-around surveys were no longer fit for purpose, due to their inaccuracy and reliance on physical manpower, and existing software ‘log-on’ 40 | 26 FEBRUARY 2015 | FM WORLD

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based monitoring tools having already proven fallible.

Alan Rose from CAD Management then reinforced the need to capture irrefutable data.

He related saving to the cost of house and showed benchmarking that the cost of one work space in London could be equivalent to the annual cost of an employee’s mortgage or rent, and that London offices workplaces were only occupied 60 per cent of the time.

Thanks to West Sussex County Council for hosting the event and providing refreshments.

Before the event, the regional AGM took place and the existing committee was re-elected with the addition of Alison Longdin (Hays) and Hilary Gulliver (Specsavers). i BIFM South Region is supported by Hays Southampton and Comparemyfleet.com. Learn more about the region, and access presentations from the event at www.bifm.org.uk/south

MEMBERSHIP

New organisation members BIFM would like to welcome: ● 110Uk Ltd, t/a Alternative Systems Protection ● ACE Environmental Engineering Ltd ● Canopius Managing Agents Limited ● EAS Interiors Limited ● Heightsafe Systems Ltd ● Screwfix ● SSS Management Services Limited ● Thomas Cook Group Plc i Learn more about Corporate or Group membership at www.bifm. org.uk/corporatemembership, email corporate@bifm.org.uk or call +44 (0) 1279 712675

BIFM TRAINING ‘ALERT BUT NOT AFRAID’ MANAGING SECURITY THREATS & SOLUTIONS

o be ‘Alert but not Afraid’ is not a buzz term, but advice from the Met Police in London to counter the fears and concerns of communities across the UK from the recent brutal terrorist attacks in France and elsewhere.

For facilities managers, these threats pose a significant challenge when planning and implementing security programmes. Many public and private companies and organisations, irrespective of size and scale, can equally fall victim to acts of terrorisim. Frequently, the ownership and global areas of operation of such companies and organisations will define their status as a target. American-owned businesses or those operating in global regions of conflict are particularly vulnerable to threats from terrorism. The challenge for FMs is often increased when there is no dedicated security manager with whom they can share responsibilities.

Of course, threats against organisations do not just emanate from terrorists. Organised crime, opportunist crime, and the often-radical activities of single-issue activist groups pose daily threats to many companies and businesses. In the 1980s and 1990s specific business sectors were targeted, such as the pharmaceutical industry, fur trade, and defence industries. 21st century single-issue and protest groups target a much broader range of business sectors, with the banking, finance, transport and retail sectors being prime examples.

Paramount to effective security management, and planning is defining effective security policies, strategies, ownership, and procedures. Those FMs who have acquired the skills to carry out security surveys within their own company premises will have the benefit of prioritising their physical, electronic and human security resources, as well as gaining a deeper understanding of how to select, and where to source appropriate suppliers.

It has been proven that effective security measures are not necessarily dependent upon the size of the available budget. Thus the raising of security awareness, robust access control, staff training and penetration testing, can all contribute significantly to security effectiveness without requiring huge spending.

No-one has a monopoly on good ideas for security, and professional training courses can offer tangible opportunities to share best practice and successes.

T

i Mike Bluestone MA CSyP FSyI is a chartered security professional and the Immediate Past Chairman and Vice President of the Security Institute. He has delivered the BIFM Security Management Course for 15 years, and is the director of security consulting for Corps Security. The next Security Management course is on 18-19 March. Details available at www.tinyurl.com/bifmtrainingsecurity

www.fm-world.co.uk

18/02/2015 16:34

FM DIARY INDUSTRY EVENTS 3-5 March | Ecobuild A three-day conference focusing on sustainable design, construction and energy for both commercial and domestic buildings. Confirmed speakers include John Armitt, board of Transport for London, Natalie Bennett, leader of the Green Party, and the Rt Hon John Gummer.

Venue: ExCeL, London Contact: Visit www.ecobuild.co.uk 4-5 March | Facilities Management Ireland 2015 Supported by BIFM. Now in its seventh year, the conference programme covers issues such as sustainability, efficiency, FM trends and more. Exhibitors cover both hard and soft FM services.

Venue: RDS (The Royal Dublin Society), Merrion Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 Contact: See more at: www.fmireland.com 24-26 March | Facilities Management 2015 The show brings together FM professionals and exhibitors of innovations and business solutions to the UK market. Visitors will also benefit from the co-located event Cleaning Expo, as well as Maintec 2015 and the Health & Safety Event.

Venue: National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham Contact: www.tinyurl.com/lkks8t8 1 April | NHS Innovation in Facilities Management Expo 2015 Exploring five core components in which innovation can improve patient care while reducing cost and improving compliance.

Send details of your event to editorial@fm–world.co.uk or call 020 7880 6229

Venue: Great Hall, Barts Hospital, London Contact: To find out more, visit www.ascentevents.co.uk/ifm-expo.php 30 April | Electrical safety management workshop Organised by the Institution of Engineering and Technology, supported by BIFM. The workshop offers a step-by-step guide to the code of practice for electrical safety management.

Venue: Strand Place Hotel, London Contact: Visit www.theiet.org/ electrical-safety to buy tickets.

13 May | ThinkFM – The Competitive Edge: gaining competitive advantage through the workplace The ThinkFM conference will be held at Kings Place, London.

Venue: Kings Place, London Contact: Visit www.thinkfm.com.

Sponsorship and advertising opportunities available.

1-3 June | EFMC 2015 The BIFM, IFMA and EuroFM have partnered to hold the European Facility Management Conference.

Information on speakers to follow.

Venue: Glasgow Contact: To find out more, visit www.emfc-conference.com 16-18 June | Facilities Show The annual conference, in association with BIFM, and colocated with IFSEC International, FIREX International, Safety & Health Expo, Energy & Environment Expo and Service Management Expo, returns to ExCeL. Speakers and programme to be confirmed.

Venue: ExCeL, London

Looking to upskill your staff?

Contact: To find out more, visit www.facilitiesshow.com 10 September | BIFM National golf finals Details of regional qualifier days will be available soon. Visit the BIFM website to find out more.

Venue: Hanbury Manor Marriott Hotel & Country Club, Ware, Hertfordshire, SG12 0SD. Contact: For details of sponsor opportunities, contact Don Searle at don@c22.co.uk 12 October | BIFM Awards The BIFM’s annual awards ceremony, bringing together the leaders in the sector with the winners to celebrate excellence in FM and giving national recognition to the leaders in the profession.

Sponsorship opportunities are available on the website.

Venue: Grosvenor House, London Contact: Visit www.bifmawards.org or email awards@bifm.org.uk Follow @BIFMAwards on Twitter.

LONDON REGION 18 March | London conference Speakers include the FM at the US embassy, discussing its relocation project and security experts on the recent Paris attacks. Tickets cost £75 for BIFM members and £125 for non-members. The event is sponsored by Principle Cleaning Services Ltd, Mayflower Washroom Solutions, and BPR Group.

Venue: Churchill War Rooms, King Charles Street, London SW1A 2AQ Contact: Email cathy.hayward@ magentaassociates.co.uk or visit tinyurl.com/bifmlondon2015 to book tickets.

SCOTLAND REGION 25 April | 2015 Gala Ball and Recognition Awards The Scotland region’s flagship event. The region’s awards evening will see FM Professional of the Year, FM Team of the Year and FM Project of the Year awarded.

Venue: The Marriott Hotel, 500 Argyle Street, Glasgow G3 8RR Contact: Email kylie@klevents. co.uk or visit www. tinyurl.com/ bifmscotgala2015 to book tickets.

SOUTH WEST REGION 20 March | Capturing and managing FM data This training day will include sessions on the type of data FM teams are expected to capture and how to get meaningful results with it. Planned sessions include how to manage data relating to asset management, space use, catering and customer satisfaction.

Venue: Hilton Bristol Hotel, Woodlands Lane, Bradley Stoke BS32 4JF Contact: Email Steve Poole at steve.poole@resourcefm.co.uk or visit www.tinyurl.com/n2vc5xd SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS 3 March | Women in FM and International SIGs - International Women’s Day The groups, along with Women in the City, will launch the Encouraging Equality recognition award.

Venue: Invesco, 6th Floor, 125 London Wall, London EC2Y 5AS Contact: Email Tanya Brick at tanya_brick@hotmail.com or visit tinyurl.com/intwomensdaywifm.

JTL provides a range of programmes that can be tailored to meet your business needs including:

• Facilities Services • Team Leading • Leadership and Management All can be accredited by City & Guilds or the Institute of Leadership & Management.

Minimum numbers apply to tailored programmes.

Phone Kim O’Leary for more details: 01978 663747 or 07920 586 071

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FM WORLD | 26 FEBRUARY 2015 | 41 www.fm-world.co.uk

19/02/2015 14:20

Call Jack Shuard on 020 7880 8543 or email jack.shuard@fm-world.co.uk For full media information take a look at www.fm-world.co.uk/mediapack

FM innovations ▼ Northampton firm cleans up overseas

▲ Be prepared for ‘massive snowstorms’ In November a massive snowstorm wrought havoc in the north-eastern US, resulting in deaths in upstate New York.

Across the pond, the UK’s weather has remained mild, and we have yet to see any signs of ‘massive snowstorms’. But, in February, who knows what weather there may be in store? The one thing that is certain with our weather is its uncertainty.

We urge businesses, schools and hospitals to get themselves prepared – to be ready for harsh conditions. Ice and snow can cause havoc when it comes to the day-to-day operations of a busy organisation, and the impact of possible claims should be cause for real concern.

Don’t take winter lightly – be prepared for another ‘Big Freeze’ and you won’t go wrong – whatever the weather.

W: www.de-ice.co.uk

SpaceVac in Northampton is set to open its first international office in South Africa, just months after exploring exporting with UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) and Northamptonshire LEP. The new office completes an exciting first year for Northampton based SpaceVac, whose product to reach heights that other high-level cleaning equipment cannot was invented just over two years ago. The news came during UKTI’s November Export Week (held 10-14 November), which aimed to encourage companies to take up the export challenge.

Colin Lewis, SpaceVac’s MD, shared his experience with 100 firms at ‘Making it in Northamptonshire’, a key Export Week event held at the Daventry Icon Business Centre. SpaceVac has now been sold to nine countries. Colin Lewis, MD, said: “The African market is valued at 20 times that of the UK. There has been enormous interest in the product and no real competition, so we are confident of success.”

W: www.space-vac.co.uk

▲ Space-saving recycling bin stacks up Leafield Environmental has created a modern space-saving recycling unit that can be used as a single unit (52 litres) or a stackable group.

Its compact and discreet design makes it ideal for small offices, kitchens or narrow corridors to collect up to four different types of waste in one flexible unit.

It features WRAP colour-coded apertures and recycling labels as standard. A set of two starts from £99.

E: comms@leafield-environmental.com W: www.leafieldrecycle.com T: 01225 816541

First unit to filter, not mask smells

▶ OCS recognised for emissions reduction

A new UK manufactured air filtration and fragrance system called ECOBreezeTM that filters out all smells rather than masking them is now available.

ECOBreeze is the first air care product that has a triple-action system. First, it draws air through a dust filter to remove all airborne dust particulates; air is then directed through a sophisticated carbon filter to extract smelly organic molecules. The clean air passes over a wicking system that releases a fragrance, leaving the air in the washroom, kitchen or corridor clean, fresh and fragrant.

W: www.washroom-wizard.co.uk

Facilities management provider OCS has achieved recognition for reducing its impact on global climate through the Certified Emissions Management and Reduction Scheme (CEMARS) certification. The world-leading greenhouse gas certification (GHG) programme is the first to be accredited under ISO 14065 and recognises and rewards the actions of businesses that measure their GHG emissions and put strategies in place to reduce these.

OCS is committed to achieving a 10 per cent reduction in carbon intensity over the next five years.

W: www.ocs.co.uk

PREMIER

Commercial relocation

workplace services

Specialist IT services

Business class moves and changes

Library & specialist relocations

Interior refurbishment

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42 | 26 FEBRUARY 2015 | FM WORLD

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WINNER Service Provider of the Year (SME) HIGHLY COMMENDED Sustainability and Environmental Impact

T | 020 8976 2100 E | info@premierworkplaceservices.co.uk W | www.premierworkplaceservices.co.uk Premier Workplace Services is a trading name of Premier Moves Limited registered in England No 3250579

www.fm-world.co.uk

19/02/2015 14:17

FM PEOPLE

MOVERS & SHAKERS

BEHIND

DATA

THE JOB

TANYA BRICK

TOPIC TRENDS

NAME: Tanya Brick JOB TITLE: Senior building manager ORGANISATION: Capita Property and Infrastructure VOLUNTARY WORK Secretary, Women in FM BIFM special interest group.

Key responsibilities

To ensure that the buildings I look after are properly inspected and maintained, providing a safe place of work. Tenant liaison and BAU operations.

What’s been your career high point to date?

Winning the BIFM Volunteer of the Year (joint) award last year. I put a lot of effort into developing myself both in and out of the workplace. Before joining the rising FMs SIG, I was definitely less confident and quite shy. Without forcing myself out of my comfort zone in doing that, I probably wouldn’t have progressed as far in the workplace.

OUR INTERVIEWEE RATES THE IMPORTANCE OF CURRENT FM TOPICS OUT OF 10. THE ‘AVERAGE’ SCORE (IN GREEN) IS TAKEN FROM OTHER RECENT INTERVIEWEES.

Ensuring compliance with legislation

9

9

AVERAGE

TANYA BRICK

If I wasn’t in FM, I’d probably be…

In retail or using my organisation skills as a PA. If you could give away one of your responsibilities to an unsuspecting colleague, what would it be?

Probably reporting. I enjoy report writing, but it can just be so time-consuming.

Introducing/ working with new forms of IT

5 What attracted you to the job?

I have only worked in service provider roles previously, so this offered a chance to see things from the managing agent perspective. Capita has a growing FM department, and I wanted to be a part of the journey.

My top perk at work is…

An inclusive environment with a company that acknowledges the importance of people and diversity.

How did you get into facilities management and what attracted you to the industry?

There’s a lot to do on diversity and equality.

We ought to do more to have FM taken up at school level. There are great campaigns for the STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) WHAT SINGLE PIECE stream, we should take a leaf OF ADVICE WOULD YOU out of their book.

GIVE TO A YOUNG FM STARTING OUT? Which “FM myth” would you

“I would beg them to attend networking events. We are so lucky to work in an industry where we can meet others via BIFM”

I used to work in retail, but felt it wasn’t quite for me. After travelling around Europe 7 years ago, I came back having decided to find an ‘office job’. I ended up in a temp to perm helpdesk role for Johnson Controls, which ignited my fascination with this industry. I have them to thank for building my foundation knowledge.

What has been your biggest career challenge to date?

Adapting to flexible working

5

There is more emphasis on FM being about the workplace and people (BIFM/CIPD working together), and advances in BIM show the industry becoming more strategic.

And how will it change in the next five years?

In FM, you get to learn a lot about human behaviour and habits. I’m certain that some of the things people do/leave in the workplace are not things they would ever dream about doing at home! A strong stomach is needed at times.

Have you got a story to tell? We are looking for facilities managers to feature in Behind the Job. Contact the team at editorial@fm-world.co.uk for more information

43_Behind the Job.indd 43

7 8

7

How do you think facilities management has changed in the last five years?

Any interesting tales to tell?

www.fm-world.co.uk

Working on energy-efficiency initiatives

most like to put an end to?

That it’s an easy role. The FM has a tough daily mission to balance the needs of individuals as well as keeping the building safe and compliant.

WIFM held a ‘Transforming Technology’ event recently, which talked about some mind-boggling technology that may soon be part of our everyday life. Imagine being able to ‘print’ that superimportant component you require to get your FCU working again (3D printing), or managing a fleet of driverless cars. Yikes!

You always have to be on your toes, ready to deal with an incident. It is a huge challenge to manage the expectations of several parties, particularly when there is a disagreement over the solution.

7

If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be?

Maintaining service levels while cutting costs

8

8

Adapting FM to changing corporate circumstances

8

9

FM WORLD | 26 FEBRUARY 2015 | 43

19/02/2015 16:35

Appointments

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Call the sales team on 020 7324 2755 or email jobs@fm-world.co.uk For full media information take a look at www.fm-world.co.uk/mediapack

jobs.fm-world.co.uk

19/02/2015 14:19

FM opportunities Client Services Manager London • £45,000 - £55,000 + 15% bonus A global serviced office provider, renowned for its commitment to providing a 5 star service to an enviable client base of FTSE 100 companies is seeking a Client Services Manager. This fastpaced company has ambitious growth plans and offers real opportunities for future progression. This is a client facing role, where you will be central at every stage of the delivery process. This will include costing, procurement and delivery of a TFM solution. This role would suit individuals from an account management capacity within a service provider, an in-house FM or an FM at a managing agent.

Ref: DaB1260577

Assistant Building Manager London • £27,000 - £32,000 An innovative office-space provider is seeking an enthusiastic Facilities Manager to join its team.

Responsibilities will include acting as the point of contact for maintenance issues; managing contractors and developing relationships to ensure the high quality delivery of services. As you operationally open new properties, your remit will become more varied. Key to your success will be an outstanding knowledge of FM and H&S procedures, alongside experience of managing external contractors. Passionate for your work and with a creative approach to FM, you’ll be rewarded with an exciting workplace environment with a competitive salary.

Ref: CS1260587

Offices globally www.cobaltrecruitment.com Please apply for either of the above roles by emailing apply@cobaltrecruitment.com or call 020 7478 2500 to speak with David Bremner or Chris Sycamore quoting the relevant reference number.

JOBS

The power of people

Regional FaciliƟes Managers ARE YOU READY FOR A NEW CHALLENGE IN FACILITIES MANAGEMENT!!!

ECO FM are a pioneering FaciliƟes Management provider with an established client base and a naƟonal resource of experƟse and support.

PLAN YOUR NEXT MOVE

on the move See latest job listings Create job alerts by email Save and email jobs from mobile Apply for jobs by saving your CV to your profile Keep track of your activity

Go to www.fm-world.co.uk/jobs

We are currently looking for two talented Regional FaciliƟes Managers to head up the operaƟons in the south of England…

Central London – Based out of our presƟge oĸce in Holborn Outer London & South West – Home based, ideally situated around the M4 Corridor This is an acƟve and visible role requiring excellent customer relaƟonship skills. Working as part of a Team, the Regional FaciliƟes Manager will be expected to posiƟvely contribute to the performance of the business and build strong local relaƟonships with the client, tenants and internal teams.

If you think you have what it takes to join a forward thinking team and would like a full job descripƟon, please send your c.v. to d.brookes@eco-fm.co.uk.

Professional FaciliƟes Management with the investment in mind

FM WORLD | 26 FEBRUARY 2015 | 45

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19/02/2015 14:19

FINAL WORD

NOTES FROM AROUND THE WORLD OF FM

NO 2

DAYS

THE SAME WHISTLE WHILE YOU… Workplace Futures event compere Martin Pickard has a party trick, and it’s a good one. To get people into the auditorium as quickly as possible, he blows the very loud and very clear pea whistle that he carries around in his top pocket.

How well does this whistle trump all other forms of attention gleaning? Let us count the ways: it’s better than someone clapping, better than someone tinkling a spoon on a glass, better than someone knocking loudly on a desk, better than someone desperately shouting: “May I have your attention, please!” In fact, it’s difficult to think of any better way to announce the transition from informal teabreak to formal conference session. Sure, Pickard's audience was one of efficiencyaware FMs. But nevertheless, it’s amazingly effective.

We wonder if the humble whistle could make a comeback elsewhere in the workplace. To signal the start and end of shifts?

That lunch is served? Whatever its purpose, more whistling in the workplace has to be a good thing.

Chips with everything In the move towards a cashless society, it would be helpful if we could dispense with the walletbusting collection of chip-and-pin or swipe cards we have to carry around with us.

Think of all the times you have to flash the plastic all day, every day – your Oyster card on the Tube, or travelcard on the train or bus to work, your employer’s entry card where you work, cash machines and shops at lunchtime, the gym – no wonder we're always losing them.

Wouldn’t it be great to be more dog (or cat) while going about your day? They don’t even need ID collars now – it’s all under their skin, courtesy of the vet.

Just think of all the FM security headaches

this could solve if applied to company employees.

Think no more. In November, at a tattoo parlour in the Swedish town of Sodermalm, bio-hacker Hannes Sjoblad transformed people into cyborgs by implanting eight volunteers with small RFID (radio frequency identification) chips under the skin of their hands.

By now he expects to have inserted implants in more than 100 more people.

At the moment the chip is just a security interface to let users to open their front door without a key using an Android phone (it does mean buying a special door lock) but the potential is there to develop other functions.

“I believe we have just started discovering the things we can do with this," says Sjoblad. “There is huge potential for life-logging.

“With fitness-tracking wearables, you have to type what you are eating, or where you are going.

Instead of typing data into my phone, when I put it down and tap it with my implant it will know I am going to bed.

“There is an ongoing explosion in the internet of things – the sensors will be all around for me to be able to register my activity in relation to them."

Nothing is available commercially yet, but several companies, such as US companies MC10 and Proteus, are also working on implant projects.

It may sound like science fiction at the moment, but we think nothing of vaccination – and of course implants are reversible.

"I’m afraid I can’t do that…"

Remember the 1970s horror movie Demon Seed in which Julie Christie is taken hostage, raped and impregnated by the malevolent supercomputer that runs her home?

Recently a middle-aged South Korean woman suffered a less drastic but still frightening ‘attack’ by her robot vacuum cleaner, when she awakened from a nap on the floor to find the contraption sucking in her hair. The machine had apparently mistaken it for dust.

The woman had to call firefighters to

release her so she could be tended by paramedics, according to Kyunghyang Shinmun, a South Korean newspaper.

It sounds extreme and, although she escaped serious injury, the story did provoke the usual finger-wagging from troglodytes who see these increasingly popular robot vacuums skating around office floors as a portent to a dystopian future.

Here at FM World, we see being held captive by our household appliances as a small price to pay for not having to clean up ourselves.

SHUTTERSTOCK

IN THE NEXT ISSUE OUT 12 MARCH

FEATURE: CULTURAL INTELLIGENCE AND FM /// FEATURE: INTRODUCING AN INNOVATION MINDSET INTO AN FM PROVIDER'S WORKFORCE /// CASE STUDY: WEST BERKS HOSPITAL /// PREVIEW: THINKFM /// GUTTER MAINTENANCE /// MOBILE ASSET MANAGEMENT PLANNING /// ALL THE LATEST NEWS AND BUSINESS ANALYSIS

46 | 26 FEBRUARY 2015 | FM WORLD

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19/02/2015 17:52

Expressions of Interest FM Services Tender

The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), which is a membership body for family doctors in the UK and overseas acquired a Grade II* Listed Building (147,187 sq. ft.) at 30 Euston Square, London, NW1 2FB following extensive refurbishment completed in November 2012. This diverse building operates as the RCGP’s Headquarters and also hosts a range of external conferences and events. The building comprises: • • • • •

OfÀce Space 41 Study Bedrooms 32 Meeting Rooms 300-seat Auditorium 42 Examination Rooms for academic examinations

RCGP would like to invite “Expressions of Interest” from companies that have the range of experience necessary to deliver quality services within the areas of cleaning, security and maintenance as follows:

Cleaning Services Provision of cleaning services within commercial and ofÀce areas

Security Services 24/7 manned security services which will be based on static ‘site-based’ patrols. The number and value of orders placed Áuctuates both annually and monthly depending on business activity

Mechanical & Electrical Services Comprising planned and reactive maintenance services of mechanical and electrical building installations

Building Services Provision of interior fabric services Companies can consider the option of delivering either some or all of the above services or a Total Facilities Management service. Companies for services 1 – 3 must have an Annual Turnover of £20M.

Companies must complete a Pre-QualiÀcation Questionnaire (PQQ) for submission via a tender portal hosted by the University of Greenwich. Such companies meeting the PQQ criteria will be invited to tender and the PQQ will be used to assess the suitability of the companies. The PQQ and details of the selection criteria, instructions on how to use our e-tendering system and the contracts award criteria are obtainable from: http://in-tendhost.co.uk/ universityofgreenwich or tenders@ gre.ac.uk or 020 8331 8294.

The closing date for receipt of submission for the PQQ is 12 noon on 8 April 2015. Contracts will be awarded based on the criteria stated in the Invitation to Tender document for an overall period of 5 years.

A Bidders’ Day will be held in the afternoon of Thursday 19 March 2015 at 30 Euston Square, London, NW1 2FB. Attendance must be conÀrmed prior to event & limited to a maximum of 3 representatives per Company.

Please email procurement@ rcgp.org.uk to register for this event before 12:00 noon Monday 16 March 2015.

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