Sommaire pour July - August 2020 de Facility Management

A worrying realisation was that many were unaware of the differences between a regular clean and an antiviral clean. There’s no point going into what’s been said a million times about coronavirus and how it’s changed everything, forced our hands to adapt and innovate, and reshaped our jobs. For some, whose facilities housed essential services, life became about mitigating risk, and preventing contagion. For others, whose tenants went into lockdown, working from home, there may have been the chance for some maintenance and upgrade activities or the need to bolster cybersecurity as colleagues logged on remotely. COVID-19 has affected each of us in unique ways yet united all of us with a common enemy. This article breaks down a few key FM duties and takes a look at the implications…

FSI has announced that it is supporting the company’s FM clients who are managing the facilities, services and associated maintenance of Nightingale field hospitals swiftly being constructed across the UK, in the fight against COVID-19. As part of the company’s commitment to battle COVID-19, FSI has configured a free, purpose-built SaaS deployment of the Concept Evolution Enterprise CAFM/IWMS (computer aided facilities management/integrated workplace management system) solution. The deployment has been configured to address the specific requirements of the range of services to be provided, which includes reactive tasks, portering, cleaning and catering. “We have provided a built-for-purpose solution which is linked into our FSI GO range of mobile workforce solutions and our Integrated Service Module (ISM) which is designed for the delivery of a high volume of tasks in a…

To thrive in today’s competitive environment, businesses know they need to get smarter with technology. By bringing operational technology (OT) online, companies are combining physical processes with data and business intelligence to greatly improve their operations. This convergence of OT and IT is taking place across our industry and infrastructure as organisations accelerate their digital transformation endeavours. Most organisations are aware of the enormous financial costs associated with cyber attacks. Research suggests that the financial damage caused by cybercrimes will reach US$6 trillion by 2021; however, the threat to OT is often overlooked. This is despite a 2019 report by Siemens finding that 56 percent of critical infrastructure operators reported at least one shutdown or operational data loss yearly, with 54 percent expecting an attack on critical infrastructure in the…

The most common question emerging is: ‘should I use fluorinated foams such as aqueous film forming foams (AFFF), film forming fluoroprotein (FFFP), fluoroprotein (FP) or fluorine free (F3)?’ WHY ARE FOAMS A HOT TOPIC? There are a number of regions where per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and other fluorochemicals have been discharged in Australia without containment and have spilled into rivers and lakes. These areas have been found to contain high levels of these chemicals in soils, surface water, ground water, waste water, animals and fish. The social and economic costs to Australia and the rest of the world is making facility owners and managers rethink the use of PFAS in fire-fighting foams. The associated costs include degradation of drinking water and soil, financial impacts on the agriculture and aquaculture…

IoT IMPACT WHERE: Sydney, NSW WHEN: September 2020 Iotimpact.com.au WIND INDUSTRY FORUM 2020 WHERE: Melbourne, VIC WHEN: 22 September reservations.cleanenergycouncil.org. au/wind-industry-forum-2020 ALL-ENERGY AUSTRALIA WHERE: Melbourne, VIC WHEN: 21-22 October all-energy.com.au SCHOOL BUILDING AND MAINTENANCE SUMMIT WHERE: Melbourne, VIC WHEN: 28-29 October informa.com.au/event/conference/school-building-maintenance-summit PRISONS 2020 WHERE: Sydney, NSW WHEN: 16-17 November informa.com.au/event/conference/prison-planning-design-construction-maintenance WA CLEAN ENERGY FORUM WHERE: Perth, WA WHEN: 19 November cleanenergycouncil.org.au/events/wa-clean-energy-forum-2020 AUSTRALASIA WASTE AND RECYCLING EXPO WHERE: Sydney, NSW WHEN: 25-26 November awre.com.au…

Federal Government prioritises inland rail and Tasmania power cable, among efforts to fast-track infrastructure jobs Prime Minister Scott Morrison has given priority status to a range of large infrastructure projects, as part of his Government’s efforts to get Australia’s businesses and economy “out of ICU” as we weather COVID-19 and economic recession. The projects include the $10 billion inland rail project between Melbourne and Brisbane, the Marinus power link between Tasmania and Victoria, the expansion of the Olympic Dam in South Australia and the Snowy 2.0 hydro venture. Fifteen major projects in total will be fast-tracked, which Morrison expects to create 66,000 direct and indirect jobs. Others include emergency town water projects in New South Wales and road, rail and iron ore projects in Western Australia. Morrison has also flagged…

Biophilia, translating to a love of nature, describes human beings’ instinctual desire to be surrounded by and connected to the natural world. Instilled over hundreds of thousands of years, during which time we evolved, learned to survive, reside and flourish in nature, the connection has been alluded to throughout human history since the ancient Greek philosophers, though it only received its name much more recently. Today, it is explored and applied in the sciences, design, architecture and urban planning – and it has many implications for facility managers. How can a window overlooking trees increase employee productivity? How can pot plants in a hospital expedite patient recovery times? How can water features minimise absenteeism among staff? More importantly, what can be learned by this human urge and how can we…

After a lengthy planning and construction period – more on that later – Australian Catholic University’s (ACU) Brisbane campus opened its Mercy Building in 2018. Great expectations were placed on the building to contribute to ACU’s benchmarks for improving energy and water efficiency. In April this year, ACU announced impressive results, both in the building and across campus. Without access to the same funds enjoyed by Australia’s larger academic institutions, ACU’s project was made possible by a small team’s committed focus on the fundamentals and driving down resource consumption. SUSTAINABILITY PRINCIPLES ACU’s national sustainability manager Mark Doggett describes the Mercy Building project, and indeed the organisation’s entire approach to sustainability, as having a “very strong FM-based focus”. With steadfast determination to cut costs and unnecessary use in the fundamentals of…

It was in September last year that NextDC shared details about how it was taking security operations at its data centre beyond the bounds of pure physical security, while also emphasising its desire to ensure a frictionless customer experience (CX). It’s funny how semantics can change in such a short space of time. Prior to February this year, when COVID-19 struck, a frictionless experience for most facilities was all about making the CX easier, faster and better – without compromising security. For NextDC, this meant using Genetec Security Center to manage access control, video surveillance as well as all connected video devices and access points in all its data centres that also include video access control intercoms. At the time, NextDC’s head of security and customer service spoke about his…

The Federal Government is to be congratulated for overhauling procurement rules to require recycled content in new buildings and civil works. The imminent ban on exports of recyclables is going to turn the market on its head. We need to urgently expand markets and build new processing facilities in Australia or we could drown in 1.3 million tonnes of recyclables that we previously exported. MRA has estimated that we need to build at least 100 new pieces of kit to meet the existing State Government waste targets and process the new 1.3 million tonnes of exported materials. Industry is keen to invest and there is plenty of superannuation money looking for a secure home right now. With the stage set, all that remains is getting the kit approved and built.…

How did you come to work at the Royal Exhibition Building? I started my career as a fitter and a turner in Yarraville. I then went to Trans-Australia Airlines, when it was called TAA, on ground support. Then I went into the labour hire roundabout for about 10 years. Then I got completely out of mechanical things and into cooking for 10 years. I had a friend who worked at the Melbourne Museum part-time and he invited me along – and I never looked back. How do you preserve the building’s history? It’s knowledge-based and is about working with Heritage consultants in regards to what we can and can’t do. The hardest part is trying to incorporate new infrastructure and modern technology into an old building. We don’t have a…

Kaesor Compressors i.Comp Tower T series oil free compressors These all-in-one compressed air systems are ideal wherever an oil free and compact compressed air system is required, such as in breweries and food production to medical applications, laboratories and automotive workshops. The iComp Tower T series can manage ambient temperatures of up to 45 degrees Celsius. Low vibration bearings and a sound insulating PE hood make for quiet operation and units have a footprint smaller than one square metre. ABB RoomTouch KNX swipe device Statista predicts the number of IoT devices worldwide to exceed 75 billion by 2025. ABB RoomTouch control device features a modern, sleek design that allows users to control every element of their smart room, including opening and closing blinds, dimming lights, controlling audio and HVAC, simply…

Technology has shaped the way we interact with the built environment for, well, as long as we’ve been building environments. The advance of digital connectivity in the past few decades has seen us connect with our spaces in new ways. For facility managers and occupants, this usually means via computerised and connected interfaces as we type, log in, clock on and share data. A new movement is underway, though, which lets people connect with tech, and therefore built environments, in more natural, seamless and intuitive ways. Facial recognition, fingerprint scanning and voice technology are presenting new, unique solutions for building managers and the occupants and guests who frequent their spaces. Facial recognition is unlocking ways to identify people and has vast utility in security, access control and employee time tracking.…

As of May, Cleancorp received more than 1350 new enquiries for our antiviral cleaning services since the start of the pandemic. July will be a crucial month for many organisations, as a significant proportion of employees wil begin to enter our workforces again. Organisations want to be doing everything they can to minimise the risk of infection in their premises to maximise employee safety. A major component of organisational risk management is frequent and thorough antiviral cleaning. Employers need to understand that old cleaning practices, such as merely wiping down surfaces and vacuuming floors, will be inadequate for keeping surfaces and touchpoints virus free. Disinfection and sanitisation are now more important, with a particular focus on frequently touched surfaces, such as door handles, light switches, lift buttons, railings, desks, toilets…

Social distancing and low- (or ideally no-) touch requirements are forcing a rethink of many of the technologies used on a day-to-day basis to manage what were previously thought of as fairly straightforward administrative transactions. Given the core responsibility for facilities managers is to know who is accessing their building, processes such as access control and time and attendance should be top of their list to review. With the best will in the world, simply introducing hand washing and sanitiser to a process based on physical contact isn’t going to cut it. Here’s why. Consider this. From the time an employee or visitor arrives at your facility’s front door to the time they get to their workstation, asset or meeting location, they will have likely touched between five and 10…

Pneumatic tubes, those quaint reminders of a bygone era, seem to have had their origins in trying to move people. In the early 1800s, as captains of industry tinkered with locomotion, it’s not surprising that pneumatics were tested for transport. The pioneer of the pneumatic tube concept itself was Scottish inventor William Murdoch in the early 1800s, who would later develop systems for the London Pneumatic Dispatch. In 1812, one G Medhurst of Soho of London published his own ideas in the descriptively-titled ‘Calculations and remarks, tending to prove the practicability, effects and advantages of a plan for the rapid conveyance of goods and passengers upon an iron road through a tube of 30 feet in area by the power and velocity of air’. In it, he outlined the “power…