‘facilities maintenance’ Tagged Posts

Safety Comes First – Facilities Maintenance

by Peter Kerr Facilities maintenance refers to the wide variety of disciplines that are part of maintaining a building or other property. This includ...

 

Facilities maintenance refers to the wide variety of disciplines that are part of maintaining a building or other property. This includes taking care of the electricity, plumbing, heating and cooling of the building, locks, working elevators, and anything else that comes up in ensuring that everything in the building works properly. Facilities professionals take care of the technical issues that the other occupants of the building don’t want to have to worry about. This makes it an extremely valuable service.

Usually in an office or residential building there will be a facilities manager on staff, who normally lives on site for maximum availability. Facilities maintenance may be necessary at any time of day or night, if someone is locked out or gets stuck in an elevator. In less dramatic situations, maintenance is also required on a general level, such as daily cleaning of facilities.

If any changes or renovations to a building are required, this can fall under the category of facilities maintenance. A building may need to be gutted and updated to meet safety codes, or aesthetic changes may be desired. This often occurs with changes in flooring, including the installation of new carpeting or the removal of old carpeting in favour of tiles or hardwood floors. With changes in real estate trends, maintenance can help sell a home or make it otherwise more attractive for its current inhabitants.

It’s also important to stay on top of facilities maintenance for health reasons. Especially in damp climates, mould and mildew can take hold of a home, creating a host of health problems. Regular cleaning helps prevent this, but at times more drastic procedures will be needed, including taking out mould-infested walls and redoing them with mould-resistant materials and drywall. The same can hold true for houses that have lead paint or asbestos. There is no need to live with these kinds of health hazards in the home.

In a retail environment, facilities maintenance takes on an extra value, as in retail or office settings the occupants are trying to impress the clients or customers with a clean, modern, and inviting area. This requires the upmost cleanliness and the assurance that everything in the building is in working order. For this reason, generally a retail store or the like will have their own facilities manager as part of the working staff, similar to the facilities arrangement in an apartment complex.

About the Author:

Safety Comes First – Facilities Maintenance

 

Facilities maintenance refers to the wide variety of skills that are required when maintaining a building or property. This involves taking care of the electricity, heating and cooling of the building, plumbing, locks, working elevators, and anything else that comes up in ensuring that everything in the building works smoothly. Facilities professionals take care of the technical issues so that the other occupants of the building don’t want to have to worry.

Many times in an office or residential building there will be a facilities manager on staff, who frequently will live on site for maximum availability. Facilities maintenance may be necessary at any time of day or night, if someone is locked out of the office or get stuck in an elevator. In a less dramatic turn of events, maintenance is also needed on a general level, such as daily cleaning of facilities.

If changes or renovations to a building are required, this can fall under the category of facilities maintenance. A building may need to be gutted and updated to meet safety requirements, or aesthetic changes may be wanted. This normally occurs with changes in flooring, such as the installation of new carpeting or the replacement of old carpeting in favour of hardwood or tiles floors. With changes in real estate trends, maintenance can make or break a sale and make more attractive for its current occupants.

It’s also important to stay one step ahead of facilities maintenance for health reasons. Especially in damper climates, mould and mildew can take hold of a home, thus creating a variety of health problems. Regular cleaning helps prevent this, but at times more drastic procedures will be required, like taking out mould-infested walls and redoing them with mould-resistant materials and drywalls for instance. The same can hold true for houses that have lead paint or asbestos. There is no need to live with these kinds of health hazards in the home.

In a retail environment, facilities maintenance takes on an extra value, as in retail or office settings the occupants are trying to impress the clients or customers with a clean, modern, and inviting area. This requires the upmost cleanliness and the assurance that everything in the building is in working order. For this reason, generally a retail store or the like will have their own facilities manager as part of the working staff, similar to the facilities arrangement in an apartment complex.

About the Author: