Facilities Management Journal March 2022

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Editor Sara Bean sara.bean@kpmmedia.co.uk

Assistant Editor & Social Media Development Sarah O’Beirne sarah.obeirne@kpmmedia.co.uk Tel: 01322 476815

Director & Designer Warren Knight warren.knight@kpmmedia.co.uk Mob: 0780 1947757

Sales Director Danny Grange danny.grange@kpmmedia.co.uk Mob: 07867 418994

Business Administrator Sami Smith sami@kpmmedia.co.uk

Accounts Trish Boakes accounts@kpmmedia.co.uk

Group CEO Nigel Copp nigel.copp@kpmgroup.co.uk

Editorial steering committee

Alan Hutchinson, Facilities Director, Howard Kennedy LLP

Charles Siddons, Head of Operations, NHS Property Services

Darren Miller, Head of EMEA Facilities Operations, PayPal

Ian Wade, Head of UK Estates, British Medical Association

Lucy Hind, Senior FM Lecturer, Leeds Beckett University

Marie Johnson, Head of Workplace & Wellbeing, Nominet

Russell Wood, Facilities Manager at Dentsu Aegis Network

Russell Burnaby, Head of FM, Regeneration and Environment, Brent Council

Simon Francis, Principal Lead, Estates and Masterplanning, ZSL

Simone Fenton-Jarvis, Workplace Consultancy Director at Relogix

Stephen Bursi, Facilities Lead, BAE Systems

Stephen Vagg, Head of Estates and Strategy, National Express Group PLC

Vicky Thorp, Head of Facilities Management, CLSH Management

kpm media adopts a sustainable policy of using paper from managed forests. Printed in the UK by The Gemini Print Group www.gemini-print.co.uk

The publisher does not necessarily agree with the views and opinions expressed by contributors. No material may be reproduced in part or whole without written permission from the editor. Editorial contributions are accepted on an all-rights basis only. Letters to the editor may be published in their entirety or in edited form and remain the property of kpm media. While due care is taken to ensure the accuracy of information contained in this magazine, the publishers cannot be held responsible for any errors in editorial articles or advertisements. Subscriptions are available to non-qualifying and overseas readers at £120 p.a. (UK), £160 p.a. (EU countries) and £240 p.a. (overseas-other).

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In this month’s issue we’re pleased to publish our first live conference report (page 10) since early 2020, which coincidently, was also an FM Futures event.

What came through strongly during FM Futures 2022 is both the undiminished positivity amongst FM thought leaders for the facilities management profession and a renewed energy to not just settle for where we were pre-pandemic, but strive to embrace new opportunities.

The event demonstrated that far from being preoccupied with dealing with the a ermath of the pandemic, and all the disruption it has wrought, FMs are already turning to the next big challenge, which is helping organisations achieve ESG goals. O icially defined as using Environmental, Social and Governance factors to evaluate companies and countries on how far advanced they are with sustainability, ESG’s birthplace, as Guy Battle, CEO of the Social Value Portal explained was in social value. It now encompasses all the many areas which are crucial to facilities management; meeting net zero targets, achieving a level of compliance within an organisation and supporting the rest of your supply chain to do the same.

This was the basis of our interview on page 40 with Helen Jones, COO for Corporate /Enterprise clients at workplace risk management provider Alcumus. She believes that ESG is the next big growth area that organisations are going to need to get their arms around, but she agrees many are confused about where to start.

There is a lot of help out there, from Alcumus’ new standardsbased Environmental, Social and Governance platform, to IWFM’s new measurement framework for social value, designed specifically for the workplace and facilities management profession. But as James Bradley, COO Churchill Group suggested in his presentation at Futures, the challenge now for FMs is in creating the right culture and mindsets, engaging people, and reinforcing the right behaviours to achieve sustainable results.

As always, we’d welcome your feedback about any aspect of the magazine, together with your insight into what’s happening in the FM sector.

sara.bean@kpmmedia.co.uk

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NEWS & ANALYSIS

06

08

The latest news and views from RICS and IWFM.

EVENT REPORT

10

ERGONOMICS

CAFM

SECURITY

INTERVIEW

Jones, COO for Corporate /Enterprise clients at Alcumus, explains why the latest digital solutions can create better employers and improve sustainable operations.

SUSTAINABILITY

HEALTH & SAFETY

COMMENT

With green retrofitting and refurbishment set to become a major trend Christian Mabey of Optima Products provides a guide to supporting a more sustainable supply chain.

COMPLIANCE

René Joppi of Mackwell warns the design and installation of emergency lighting is a safety-critical process and must be in line with the building’s risk assessment.

FAST FACTS

Holistic building design to address indoor air quality (IAQ) issues whilst ensuring energy e iciency is now more important than ever says Martin Passingham of Daikin.

BLOG & SOCIAL MEDIA

Fabio Monachesi, Global Leader of Energy Management for ABB Electrification on why data-driven energy management can help FMs meet ESG targets.

FM CLINIC

Security experts discuss the technologies they predict will have the greatest benefits for the security of premises. And, how can FMs ensure security tech suppliers provide high quality service and maintenance support?

MIFM

Next Edition

We report on how an NHS Trust has transformed sta catering by partnering with a specialist business and industry contract caterer to bring the service back in-house. A preview of the highlights of the Facilities Show, which returns to London 17 - 19 May for the world’s largest gathering of FMs. In FM Clinic, we ask, what more should the FM sector be doing to ensure that calls for more inclusive washrooms in workplaces and public buildings are being met? In CRE, can the o ice bounce back post pandemic and when will real estate be considered as more than an asset? And we take a look at the best means to improve the energy performance of buildings, from insulation and double glazing to renewable heating, cooling, lighting and hot water alternatives.

To register for your free copy of FMJ visit fmj.co.uk

LEGAL VIEW

TACKLING RACISM IN THE WORKPLACE

At the end of 2021, Yorkshire County Cricket Club found its reputation in tatters after failing to effectively manage historical accusations of workplace racism made by player Azeem Rafiq, instead downplaying instances as ‘good-natured banter’ that didn’t warrant disciplinary action. The matter serves as a stark warning for all employers; Take racism seriously, or risk the consequences. So, what should employers do to ensure these issues are handled appropriately?

Employment law

Race discrimination was introduced into UK law by the Race Relations Act 1976 and forms a part of the Equality Act 2010. It includes a code of practice which despite not being legally binding, does provide a framework for employers to abide by. There are several types of discrimination mentioned within the Equality Act 2010, which are linked to nine protected characteristics, one of which is race:

• Direct discrimination - being treated less positively than another due to race;

• Indirect discrimination – If employment policies disadvantage people due to race, eg, banning certain religious or cultural hairstyles;

• Associative discrimination – treating someone with prejudice because they associate with other races;

• Perceptive discrimination - treating someone with prejudice because they are perceived to be a different race, even though they aren’t;

• Racial harassment – Diminishing someone’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, or humiliating environment, through targeting an individual’s protected characteristic(s).

Handling incidents

All reports of racism should be fully investigated and handled in a manner that reflects the wishes of the complainant. They may simply request an apology, but depending on the seriousness of the allegation, formal disciplinary proceedings might be required. It’s sensible to adhere to a formal grievance procedure at this point as this will ensure that strict protocols are met when investigating or deciding on appropriate next steps.

The complainant should also be offered personal support, including being given access to an external organisation that helps victims of bullying, and discrimination.

Prevention

It’s important to have comprehensive inclusion, diversity, and grievance policies in place, that outline the mechanisms for reporting any incidents of inequality or discrimination.

Appoint someone to be responsible for diversity and inclusion, and communicate a strict zero-tolerance approach towards racism - disciplining or dismissing anyone found to be in breach. Provide staff with diversity training, which should explain exactly what is meant by racism in the workplace and terms such as ‘unconscious bias’. Remind them that any comment with racial undertones can cause distress. Wrongly labelling racist remarks as workplace ‘banter’ is a common catalyst for legal action.

Failure to act Not tackling racism effectively could lead to losing valuable team members, or having to defend an employment tribunal claim. A case of this kind could lead to massive reputational damage, and in an era in which social responsibility plays an increasingly large part in business success, this could result in the business taking a considerable hit to the bottom line. In other words, advocating inclusivity and protecting your employers is better for business as well as being overwhelmingly morally correct.

www.wrighthassall.co.uk

POST PANDEMIC RECOVERY SPARKS DEMAND FOR WORKPLACE CLEANING SERVICES

UK businesses are prioritising the health and wellness of their employees more than ever, as new data reveals an increase of up to 90 per cent demand for o ice cleaners across the UK.

Research carried out by facilities management provider, Samsic, shows that search terms for topics such as ‘health and wellbeing in the workplace’, ‘wellness at work’ and ‘o ice cleaners near me’ have increased by as much as 90 per cent in the UK over the last 12 months.

As the nation began to plan for a gradual return to o ices in early 2021, Google search data reveals how business owners and decision-makers have been taking workplace cleanliness seriously and looking to put new systems in place to prioritise their employees’ health and wellbeing.

Data shows how the number of people searching for ‘o ice cleaners near me’ around the UK steadily grew throughout 2021, and peaked around September and October – just before one of the latest Coronavirus variants hit the UK.

Overall, the number of people searching for the term has nearly doubled yearon-year, increasing by a massive 85 per cent.

Similarly, searches for ‘commercial o ice cleaning’ also increased by 52 per cent and ‘industrial cleaners London’ by a whopping 600 per cent.

Samsic believes this trend represents a shi in attitudes on how to approach health in the workplace, and a move to prioritising employee wellness. This is also evident says Samsic from looking at other relevant search terms – ‘health and wellbeing in the workplace’ has increased by 52 per cent, ‘wellness at work’ by 90 per cent, and ‘sta wellbeing ideas’ by 50 per cent.

CIBSE BUILDING PERFORMANCE AWARDS WINNERS 2022

The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) revealed the 2022 Building Performance Award winners in a recent ceremony held at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, London. Now in its 15th year, the CIBSE Building Performance Awards is the only awards scheme to celebrate the measured performance of projects and products in use while celebrating the engineering consultancies and manufacturers that are contributing to a low carbon future.

The 2022 CIBSE Building Performance Awards winners in full are: Building Performance Consultancy (up to 50 employees) - Winner: XCO2 Building Performance Consultancy (51–300 employees) - Winner: Max Fordham LLP Building Performance Consultancy (over 300 employees) - Winner: Buro Happold Collaboration - Winner: FairHeat Embodied Carbon Award - Winner: Michael Lonsdale Group Facilities Management - Winner: Hoare Lea

Learning and Development - Winner: Indo-Swiss Building Energy E iciency Project Product or Innovation – Thermal Comfort - Winner: Knauf Insulation & Knauf Energy Solutions – closing the performance gap Product or Innovation – Air Quality [Wellbeing category on entry form] - Winner: Signify – UV-C Upper Air Disinfection Luminaires Product or Innovation – Wellbeing - Winner: Water Kinetics – Eco-Duo Project of the Year – Retail / Leisure - Winner: McDonald’s Global Flagship – Cyclone Energy Group Project of the Year – Healthcare - Winner: Clatterbridge Cancer Centre – AECOM Project of the Year – Public Use - Winner: St John’s College, Oxford, Library and Study Centre – Max Fordham LLP

Building Performance Engineer of the Year - Winner: Mike Burton, AECOM Building Performance Champion - Winner: St John’s College, Oxford, Library and Study Centre – Max Fordham LLP

BAM FM has been appointed for over £8.1 million of new facilities management services following a number of new contract awards in the energy, housing and education sectors of the UK and Ireland.

The new contracts are:

Scottish Enterprise Offices – BAM FM is managing 11 new regional offices across Scotland on behalf of Scottish Enterprise, in a three-year contract.

Student Roost – Student Roost – an award-winning student accommodation provider with properties across the UK – has appointed BAM FM to manage over 50 of its student residences across the UK and Northern Ireland.

Guinness Partnership – BAM FM was awarded a fouryear integrated facilities management contract with The Guinness Partnership, one of the largest providers of affordable housing and care in the UK.

Prospere Learning Trust –BAM FM secured a two-year contract with Prospere Learning Trust.

Lambert Smith Hampton – BAM FM won a two-year contract with Lambert Smith Hampton to provide Hard FM services at Lingfield Point in Darlington.

Northwood School, Harrow – BAM FM won a three-year contract with Northwood School and will be providing a range of Hard FM services.

David Ross Educational Trust – BAM FM has secured a three-year hard FM services contract with the David Ross Educational Trust.

VENTILATION RATES MUST NOT BE SACRIFICED FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Changesto the Building Regulations will ensure the need for better ventilation is not compromised by increasingly tough targets for reducing energy consumption, according to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC).

Speaking at a webinar hosted by the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA), department o icials also said new ventilation requirements were deliberately prescriptive to prepare the country for future pandemics.

However, they acknowledged the di iculties of balancing higher ventilation rates with the government’s ambition to slash carbon emissions. They said the overall strategy was for tighter fabric standards and air tightness, but with additional focus on systems that bring outside air into buildings.

Revisions to Parts F and L of the Regulations come into force in June and were worked on in parallel to improve ventilation and tackle overheating while still cutting carbon emissions by 30 per cent in new homes and by 27 per cent in non-domestic buildings.

All new residential buildings, including care and children’s homes, and student accommodation, must also be designed to reduce overheating, thanks to the introduction of the new Part O. Changes to ventilation include making CO2 monitors compulsory and adding new standards for recirculating ventilation systems in o ices.

The government is bringing in three performance metrics against which new non-domestic buildings will be measured: primary energy, a CO2 emissions target, and minimum standards for fabric and fixed building services. The introduction of a primary energy metric is designed to make the energy e iciency of each building a priority, regardless of the heat source.

Heat emitters must also be designed to work with low temperature sources like heat pumps to make all buildings ‘zero carbon ready’ in preparation for the 2025 Future Homes Standard, the BESA webinar heard.

OUTLOOK FOR THE OFFICE IS UPBEAT -

FM MUST BE READY TO DELIVER

respondents report repurposing some of the o ice space for other uses.

The past two years has underpinned the value of facilities management professionals and as COVID restrictions come to an end in the UK the need for their services aren’t set to change any time soon. The results of the Q4 data from RICS Commercial Property Monitor confirms that o ice space is still important, with two thirds (66 per cent) of survey participants stating o ice space is essential for a company to operate successfully.

Over over three-quarters (76 per cent) of contributors’ report that they are seeing a relative increase in demand for flexible and more local workspaces, and when asked if space allocation per desk had increased in the wake of the pandemic, 69 per cent report that more space has been allotted to individual desks. Although the prevailing thinking is that that o ices are still essential for businesses, 87 per cent of

This data indicates a more encouraging position than we might have imagined 18 months ago, and shows that the industry must be ready to engage and adapt, be flexible and deliver. FM providers will continue to play a vital role. As companies look to diversify their workplaces and potentially look for hotspots, making sure workplaces align with their company goals, whether that’s compliance with COVID measures through to sustainability credentials, it will be the FM professional who can make sure these are fulfilled.

The Commercial Property Monitor rea irms a change in how organisations and the people who use their buildings work, which brings an opportunity to attract new people to the world of FM. Just as it was at the start of the pandemic the next stage is likely to bring some uncertainty as people make decisions about how to map out the next steps. Data can always help support decisions, and IBOS can support FM professionals in advising clients what’s best for their future business goals.

Attracting people back to the workplace and instilling confidence in those who have worked with clear government guidance to protect their

AGENTS OF CHANGE

The UK Government has o icially set us on the path from pandemic to endemic with the removal of most restrictions, and yet for many there remains big questions on where we go from here.

Attitudes towards the workplace and its convergent spheres of space, technology and culture have taken a giant leap since restrictions came in, but to where? Many thought it was forwards, but it’s as though organisations have been propelled into a world of fog without a sense of their bearings.

Amid such uncertainty, can businesses evolve their workplace strategies to accommodate what they have learned about how people work best or will they return to the safety of the familiar?

In situations like this, organisations need leadership and workplace and facilities managers

have a major stake in providing it.

Last month, we o icially launched IWFM Conference 2022 and we have themed it ‘Agents of change’ precisely because there are a number of major challenges where our profession can lead the way, not least on environmental, social and governance matters; using the levers that are in their hands to help their organisations make progress on these crucial 21st century imperatives. Substantive questions like this will be the focus on Wednesday 8 June 2022 when we welcome delegates to 30 Euston Square, London, for a day of inspiration, insight and discussion.

Innovator, engineer and inspirational leader Yewande Akinola MBE will open the conversation with her reflections on being an agent of change; and as chair, she’ll keep the discourse and ideas flowing throughout the day, culminating in a keynote on wellbeing from the inimitable Ruby Wax OBE, actor, writer and mental health campaigner. Author, commentator and blogger Christine

safety will be more of a challenge now that masks, distance and even isolation rules have ended. People will naturally be hesitant and sound data that puts the user experience at the heart of the insight will help organisations reassure their users or occupiers.

We’re approaching the publication of our latest FM quarterly survey. In the past few quarters we have seen sustained demand for FM services for the healthcare sector and we can only anticipate further demand. In line with more occupants returning to the o ice, the second half of 2021 saw a rise in demand for services within the business sector. This all suggests further challenges and opportunities for FM, as demand for the sector’s service continues to rise and more firms look to increase their headcounts.

To contribute to the next RICS FM Survey visit www.rics.org/uk/news-insight/research/marketsurveys/uk-facilities-management-survey/

Armstrong will discuss the future of work – a subject that has rarely, if ever, been more topical. A er the biggest workplace shi in over a century, how can people and organisations thrive and grow in this new paradigm?

On the topic of risk and decision making for leadership, delegates will benefit from the expertise of Professor Kevin Fong OBE, consultant in anaesthesia at University College Hospital and a specialist in risk, decision making and innovation.

Lastly, what is workplace and facilities management’s role in creating e ective, sustainable workplace change? Futurist Matt O’Neill will pose that very question in an interactive session, so thinking caps will be essential headwear.

In an agenda that’s all about change, these renowned thought leaders will o er a future-focused take on the inter-related subjects of the future of work, technology, innovation and wellbeing. Keynotes will be complimented by practitionerled sessions, weaving their ideas into real life and practical takeaways.

Let’s get back together, enjoy this incredible line up and network face-toface once again.

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WORKPLACE FUTURES

BETTER LIVES

There remains a lack of understanding of the impact of FM in the operational management of a building, he warned, which is why the sector needs to get involved more in the lifecycle discussions.

Reliable data is the key to measuring sustainable progress said Reid Cunningham of BAM FM. The biggest challenge is in reporting Scope 3 emissions, but it’s essential, when you consider that typically, between 60 and 90 per cent of an organisation’s green house emissions are estimated to be within scope 3.

Old arguments that net zero isn’t commercially viable is a misnomer as it’s essential for business said Matt Dracup of Mitie. Whether it’s about satisfying groups of stakeholders/investors or addressing the higher costs of energy, net zero plans are a reason to step back and look at ways of making your business leaner he said.

As FM Consultant Lucy Jeynes remarked in her brief sum-up of the first live Workplace Futures event since early 2020, what wasn’t covered; Brexit, COVID and hybrid working was a clever move. Rather than dwelling on the events of the past two years the programme focused on the area of most critical importance to the sector, sustainability.

Yetunde Abdul, Head of Climate Action for the UK Green Building Council, began by briefing delegates on the UKGBC’s Whole Life Carbon Roadmap. This includes a range of actions aimed specifically at FMs on accessing, monitoring and implementing measures that help meet net zero carbon targets. She reflected there is more openness from organisations on their progress than previously, which is needed if we’re to hit the 2030 target.

Georgia Elliott-Smith, MD of sustainability at Element Four spelt out the main reason why all of us need to question how our goods and services are delivered. “There is no such thing as cheap”, she said, “somebody is paying the cost, so if you are getting something cheap ask yourself what is

the actual cost?”

Aside from ethical motivations she welcomed the news that following the recommendations of the Task Force on Financial Disclosures (TFFD), large UK-registered companies will have to disclose climate-related financial data from April 2022. This move could soon mean that FM is more strategically important than ever for clients to help demonstrate their emission reduction plans and sustainability credentials.

SOCIAL VALUE

Sustainability goes hand in hand with societal impact said Guy Battle, CEO of the Social Value Portal who confirmed that social value is changing how we look at our buildings. The birthplace of Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) was social value he said, with the former about minimising harm and the latter maximising impact. While he was pleased that the IWFM collaborated with the portal to launch the FM social value framework he warned that not enough FMs “quite get it yet” and haven’t grasped the opportunity for social value in benefitting their businesses.

One organisation that has embraced social value is Eric Wright FM, which as

its MD George Lilley explained, pursues a ‘profit for purpose’ agenda, which ploughs money back into the Eric Wright Charitable foundation to support a range of charities. People want to make a di erence, he said, and by engaging with employees you can help them make a positive contribution to their community.

Describing the benefits of addressing social value and diversity and inclusion in the workplace, Sophie Ransome and Kelly Dolphin of Atalian Servest said begin with an analysis of the makeup of the workforce to determine where improvements can be made. For Atalian Servest this resulted in a range of actions, including the launch of CHROMA, a diversity and inclusion (D&I) platform, which 78 per cent of colleagues agree has improved the firm’s diversity and inclusion approach.

GOING GREEN

There are many definitions of sustainability, Chris Havers, Programme Director at the Sustainable Facilities Management Index remarked, but ultimately, it’s about delivering an equilibrium between the delivery of services without negative impacts.

An area where societal and sustainable activities combine is food waste - and Claire Atkins Morris of Sodexo’s call to action was: “do you have a commitment to reduce food waste?” Food waste redistribution and sharing skills can make a di erence to a community she said so are you monitoring or tracking food waste and are you enabling consumers to make an informed choice?

In his discussion on ensuring better employee engagement by building it into collaborate arrangements and employee contracts, Jeremy Campbell of EMCOR UK reminded delegates: “We employ some of the lowest paid people in any industry so if we’re not paying at least the living wage, shame on us.”

Rounding o the presentations, James Bradley the COO of Churchill Group considered the need for longer term thinking in ESG and discussed why FM has responsibility to help its clients achieve it. He concluded that facilities managers could provide benchmarks for achieving ESG.

The conference lived up to its promise to tackle the complexities of FM sustainability: be it social, environmental or commercial, but the main message of the day came from James Stander of Sustainable Advantage. Doing the right thing is good business.

www.workplace-futures.co.uk

Following a two-year hiatus, Workplace Futures 2022, deftly chaired by Martin Pickard, delivered a thoughtful, forward thinking agenda on how FM can help make all our lives better

SUSTAINABLE SUPPORT

In the commercial o ice space, this trend is gathering pace, in line with an increasing societal desire to connect closer with nature, particularly in built up urban areas.

Thankfully, we’ve moved on from wilting palms and ferns sitting sadly in the corner of the room, to features such as low-maintenance modular ‘living wall’ partitions placed across the entire interior.

Furthermore, using organic surfacing materials like 100 per cent recycled cotton, unpolished timber or natural stone deliver sustainable, but easy to maintain, interiors.

A SMARTER OPERATION

Digital technology has revolutionised facilities management protocols entirely. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the operations of HVAC systems, and FMs are starting to take advantage of the latest innovations in automation to heat and cool buildings in a more environmentally friendly way.

The built environment is looking at every aspect of the full building lifecycle to see where they can build as sustainably as possible. No longer does the carbon conundrum stop once the last screw is tightened and the final lick of paint applied.

The conversation goes beyond the planning and construction phase, and it’s well known that a sizeable proportion of building emissions are generated from the ongoing operation of a building (17 per cent ). This is not to mention renovation and refurbishment work which will also be undertaken during the building’s life.

All of which means FMs have a crucial role to play in both driving down emissions and reducing the carbon footprint throughout the operational phase.

We have made giant technological strides from cutting-edge digital tools, to low-impact material solutions. These, alongside modern methods of green building management are already helping FMs up and down the UK achieve carbon savings and, as a result, more sustainable buildings.

With green retrofitting and refurbishment set to become a major trend over the coming decades, in the drive towards our societal goal of Net Zero 2050, I want to take the opportunity to look at a handful of the principles which will guide approaches over the coming year.

A CIRCULAR WAY OF THINKING

Over the years, the retrofit sector has built an unwelcome reputation for material wastage and it’s

time this perception changed. In recent years, we’ve become far better at introducing circular principles into our business models, particularly with regards to interior fixtures, fittings and finishes.

Importantly, manufacturers like us are using more green energy to power processes than ever before. Further, we’re also making more products with higher percentages of recycled materials as well as introducing leasing services to reduce raw material consumption and output.

The challenge is more about repurposing what already exists within a building and that’s why initiatives like our Take Back scheme will become increasingly important. This benefits FMs by allowing them to replace or add assets without the need to commission new stock.

As such, we’re encouraging our clients to involve us as the requirements for the space evolve. Reuse what you can, we’ll take back anything that could be reused or refurbished, and recycle the absolute minimum of the materials that remain.

Coming in at a similar, and on some occasions lower, cost than brand new stock, this o ers a clear, sustainable purchasing choice for FMs. It cuts down on material waste and helps to deliver maximum value from the component for the client.

BEING BIOPHILIC

Biophilic design has increased in popularity over the last two decades and we’re increasingly seeing natural elements incorporated into retrofit projects across the board.

Smart-controlled, sensor-backed components and intuitive energy management so ware is helping FMs think more strategically, optimising processes, reducing the need for carbon-intensive systems. This has made natural or hybrid ventilation the norm, opposed to the exception, with programmable systems able to improve air flow and quality through a building interior. Not only does this reduce emissions and operational costs, but also improves occupant health.

ENGAGEMENT FOR GREENER RESULTS

What’s become clear is we need to encourage more sustainable design across the board, particularly when it comes to retrofit and renovation of our existing stock, to help FMs meet their emissions targets.

Further, those involved in the building product, design and construction phase need to continue sharing their expertise and knowledge with FMs, to inform their operational and management decisions.

This will require greater engagement and clear messaging about what makes our components, fixtures, fittings, finishes and installation methods stand out, and how best to use them for maximum e iciency and sustainable gains.

It’s fair to say there are exciting, if challenging times ahead. However, we know that through establishing an ongoing dialogue with the FM community, we can achieve a greener, higher return workplace, which utilises the potential of intelligent specification and design.

When it comes to encouraging green retrofitting and refurbishment, Christian Mabey, Managing Director, Optima Products believes Ms should support a more sustainable supply chain

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EMERGENCY LIGHT TESTING

In association with

Regular testing of emergency lighting is a safety-critical process that is central to a building’s fire safety compliance. René Joppi, Managing Director at Mackwell, says the design and installation of emergency lighting should be in line with the building’s risk assessment and local legislation

For smaller facilities management teams in charge of a number of buildings, the mandatory testing and maintenance of a lighting system as well as routine physical inspections of the luminaires and associated components is not a quick task. Traditionally, this testing process has been completed manually, involving a key switch on a wall, with maintenance engineers physically observing whether systems are still working.

members of the public. It would not be unusual for them to have over 1,000 emergency lighting fixtures installed, which must all be maintained, cleaned, visually inspected, tested, and recorded into the building log book. These are all legal requirements to ensure the safety of the occupants in times of evacuation.

However, manual testing can be disruptive to employees and an engineer must be available out of hours to conduct tests during a period of low risk, ideally when the building is unoccupied.

Automatic testing systems o er a solution, but being a critical part of the fire safety risk assessment, organisations can’t simply shirk their responsibilities on emergency lighting tests. Instead, they need to be vigilant in streamlining tasks even in older buildings where testing is not as quick, or as easy.

TESTING SYSTEMS POWERED BY CLOUD TECHNOLOGY

Today this testing can be completely automated, and in new build projects, it has been common for several years for automatic emergency testing systems to be written into the building specification. However, di iculty in retrofitting such systems to existing buildings has caused testing in those structures to remain manual. To further complicate matters, newer smart buildings might be designed around converged IP networks, with devices connected via ethernet, rather than having traditional mains power feeds. These di erent scenarios create complexity for those managing estates consisting of both old and new buildings as there are a multitude of testing models and scenarios to consider when managing emergency lighting.

UNDERSTANDING MANUAL TESTING

Manual testing consists of breaking the supply to a section of emergency lighting and visually checking the light output at the start and end of the expected duration. An engineer must visually inspect each luminaire for damage or any impairment of the desired light. Once completed, all results must be logged and maintenance scheduled for any failures found.

Commercial buildings such as student accommodation blocks, o ice premises or hospitals employ many people while also accommodating

By deploying an intelligent operating system with diagnostic capabilities, a high level of control can be achieved e ectively and e iciently in both new builds and older structures. Protocols such as Digital Addressable Lighting Interface (DALI) allows for additional commands and functions from each manufacturer to improve user experience. Additional

www.mackwell.com

cloud dashboard that shows exactly where each emergency lighting solution is located. It automates testing and identifies any faults or potential risks, and even measures and flags which batteries need to be replaced.

This solution is particularly helpful when it comes to managing varying types of buildings such as old, new, refurbished, smart or non-smart. Each individual building will have varying testing needs, based on its own fire risk assessment and the type of structure it

functions vary greatly but can include, on board diagnostics of the luminaire and extended controls to inhibit emergency or periodically drain the batteries to increase product life.

Both simple to use and intuitive with live system status diagnostics for instant information, these systems allow facilities managers to view reports remotely through internet connection via a variety of networking options. Furthermore, users are able to connect all systems across various sites to one central

is as outlined above. Not only do these cloud-based devices help facilities managers to diversify the types of buildings they are managing at one time, but also the types of solutions going into each building.

Where existing solutions have been able to deal with around 100 devices connected to one cloudbased panel, there are now new advancements in the market that are able to accommodate over 1,000 devices on a single panel. From a scaling perspective, this is a revolutionary step.

THE FUTURE IS AUTOMATED

It’s clear that automatic testing of emergency lighting o ers peace of mind that a building is safe for all employees or residents and compliant to all regulations and law, but also the potential monetary savings. In labour alone, a system can save many hours of work.

It must be said that automatic test systems are not a substitute for routine maintenance. Visual inspection of both the emergency lighting components together with acknowledgment of any building changes must be undertaken routinely. Automatic test systems serve as a vital and welcome compliment to assist facilities management teams to carry out this demanding and vital role diligently, conscientiously and accurately.

STRIKING A BALANCE

FMJ AIMS TO SUPPORT TECHNICAL EXPERTISE IN THE FM MARKET

the roof is preferred location unless there is a pollution source at this level. It is also important to avoid crosscontamination from both boiler flues and HVAC exhaust outlets. These should be sited as far as possible from the ventilation intakes.

FILTERS

humidity and pollutants and ensuing a su icient supply of fresh air for occupants. By choosing the right system there is an opportunity to satisfy both requirements.

HEAT RECOVERY

To ensure good operation and maintain energy e iciency, all HVAC units must be fitted with filters that are designed to keep them free of dust. Choosing indoor units with auto-cleaning filter capabilities ensures that dust can be removed quickly and easily. This not only prevents contaminants and odours circulating in the room but also ensures the unit operates e iciently.

In order to improve energy e iciency, building air-tightness has increased in recent years, potentially having a negative impact on indoor air quality (IAQ) if the building HVAC system is designed incorrectly.

The current requirements concerning building e iciency are set to increase, with the Government announcing updates to the Building Regulations that apply from June 2022. In the update, CO2 emissions from new buildings, including shops and o ices, are to be reduced by 27 per cent compared to the current standard. To address concerns regarding IAQ, Approved Document F: Ventilation also received an update. This included indoor air quality monitoring in all occupiable rooms in o ices, rooms where members of the public gather and rooms where ‘aerosol generating activities’ take place, such as singing and aerobic exercise. The changes do not apply to small floor spaces, up to 50m2, and larger floor spaces, over 320m2.

THE IMPORTANCE OF IAQ

The health risks associated with air pollution are well understood and the fact that people spend an estimated 90

per cent of their time indoors should makes IAQ a key consideration.

Road tra ic, industrial processes, waste incineration and construction and demolition activities all generate air pollutants, including particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and carbon monoxide (CO). These substances, as well as allergens such as pollen, can be brought into a building through natural or mechanical ventilation and via inadequate filtration through the building fabric.

There are also sources within a building, including dust, damp, mould and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), which can be given o by wall and floor coverings, furniture and appliances, and emissions from o ice equipment and industrial machinery. Building occupants also a ect IAQ, by exhaling CO2 and spreading germs and viruses.

DESIGNING HVAC FOR IAQ AND EFFICIENCY

When designing and specifying HVAC systems, the main focus is o en on operational energy use and e iciency. However, BREEAM also rewards the use of HVAC that maintains high air indoor quality by controlling temperature,

The heat loss that occurs during the exchange between indoor air and fresh outdoor air is the primary issue for energy e iciency with regard to ventilation. To help minimise this, e ective heat recovery implemented into the system can further improve the energy e iciency of the HVAC. For example, in an o ice space, servers can generate large amounts of heat. With considered planning, this heat can be reused elsewhere in the building.

Manufacturers typically state Seasonal Energy E iciency Rating (SEER) figures of three and four for heat recovery systems. However, it is possible, for a system’s e iciency ratio to nearly double under certain conditions, when taking into consideration recovered energy. In reality, a SEER in excess of six could be achieved frequently.

Utilising other technology within a system, such as Variable Refrigerant Temperature control, can lead to further energy savings being made. This varies the amount of refrigerant flowing through the system and alters the evaporating and condensing temperatures to match demand. This means significantly less energy is needed and e iciency is increased.

PROTECTING SUPPLY AIR QUALITY

An important consideration is the placement of ventilation intakes and exhaust outlets on the exterior of the building. To ensure that air is sourced from the freshest supply, ventilation intakes should be located as far away from sources of outside pollution, such as road tra ic, as possible. Typically,

Filters are also fitted to remove particulate matter (PM) from supply air. The type of filter required will depend on what is needed to achieve the PM threshold level. This is based on the Air Quality Guidelines published by the WHO. The recommended limits are: an annual mean for PM2.5 of less than 10 micrograms per cubic metre (μg/m3) and an annual mean for PM10 of less than 20 μg/m3.

ADDITIONAL MEASURES

Plasma ionisation technology can help remove harmful particles, VOCs, bacteria and viruses from the air. These low-maintenance and cost e ective ‘fit and forget’ units can be installed in new or existing systems. While some plasma ionisation devices have to be housed in a separate unit due to their size, there are options that are compact enough to be fitted within the existing system housing.

Airborne particles such as smoke, dust, pollen and mould spores are charged by the ions and stick together, increasing their size and allowing them to be captured easily, even by lower grade filters. Meanwhile, bacteria and virus cells bond with the oxygen ions as they divide to reproduce and are destroyed. Odorous gases and aerosols are oxidised and neutralised on contact with the ions. When the ions come into contact with VOCs it causes a chemical reaction that breaks down their molecular structure.

When designed correctly, taking a whole building approach to a HVAC system can enable facilities managers to minimise wasted heat and energy use, whilst also delivering high quality levels of indoor air quality.

Martin Passingham, Product Manager at Daikin discusses how both improved indoor air uality and a drive for increased building energy e ciency can be achieved by taking a whole-building approach to HVAC

A breath of fresh air

According to the WHO, Covid-19 is mainly spread through the air. Rensair’s portable, hospital-grade air purifier is making shared working spaces safer and encouraging a full return to the office.

The company’s patented technology combines H13 HEPA filtration with germicidal UVC light, meeting the UK SAGE committee guidelines.

In a test to determine Rensair’s performance in reducing the concentration of Covid-19 surrogate particles in the air, a particle reduction rate of 99.98% was recorded in 15 minutes and above 99.99% in 30 minutes.

Like pure water from the tap, people now expect clean air at work. Rensair’s affordable, practical solution offers a breath of fresh air for companies of all sizes and across all sectors.

SOCIAL - BLOG

BLOG FROM FABIO MONACHESI, GLOBAL LEADER OF ENERGY MANAGEMENT, FOR ABB ELECTRIFICATION

HOW TO USE DATA-DRIVEN ENERGY

MANAGEMENT

Health and Safety Executive @H_S_E Need data to support your stress risk assessment? Our Stress Indicator Tool is an online survey that can be used as part of your assessment to gather anonymous data and information. It now includes a module for home and remote working: https://bit.ly/3K2v38J

@Facilities_Show It’s finally almost time to get back to business how it’s done best — with thousands of #FM peers and suppliers, in person, and all in one place. Who’s ready? http://ow.ly/YyX950HVAzj #FAC2022 #facilitiesmanagement

Nick Fox Deputy Director of Capital Projects and Estate Management at North Bristol NHS Trust linkedin.com/in/nick-fox-fiwfm-mapm-miheemmiam-aifiree-23447039 After two years of being an IWFM awards judge, I am really pleased to have been asked to be a lead judge for this year’s awards. I will be lead judge for the ‘Best SME Led Innovation Award’. Thanks to Mark Griffiths (MSc CIWFM) for asking me.

@GrosvenorPropUK Our first #NetZero carbon office development, Holbein Gardens, has been featured as a @UKGBC The designs by @BarrGazetas centre on retaining the existing structure, applying principles of #MaterialReuse & extensive greening. https://bit.ly/3M9Vk72

Phil Matis Operations Director linkedin.com/ in/philmatisfm Fantastic day at the Workplace Futures Conference yesterday #WPFUT22. Our call to action as individuals, businesses and #FacMan as a sector is clear, and the presentation from James Bradley Churchill Group highlighting the need to embed longtermism in FM regarding #ESG was inspiring.

BRE Group @BRE_Group Our report for @scotent identifies the needs of low #carbon heat technologies to bring down consumer costs, showing the need for:User-friendly & smart technologies. Alternative approach to district heat networks. Waste heat Utilisation. #netzero https://bit.ly/3HALkjS

TO MEET ESG TARGETS

Establishing an e ective sustainability strategy is essential to helping facilities managers and their organisations meet increasingly stringent environmental targets. However, without knowing how much energy is being used and where its being used most, it’s di icult to understand the most impactful improvements that can be made. A er all, you can’t manage or improve what you can’t measure.

That is why being able to visualise your facility’s energy consumption using energy management tools is important and why more and more organisations are choosing a data-driven approach to support the development of their sustainability strategies.

The first step for organisations who want to introduce energy management for either single or multi-site facilities, should be to carry out a concise assessment of current energy usage. The best place to start is with your bills.

At the first stage of energy management, facility owners and managers need to use the data from their utility bills as well as any available building information, to investigate and virtually separate their energy costs to identify possible areas of excess energy consumption. To do this e ectively, you’ll need a large dataset as this will help you reveal trends and patterns (seasonal peaks for example). Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms can be really helpful in analysing the information too.

If you aren’t sure how to go about this, call in the services of an energy service company (ESCO) who can do audits and start creating actionable reports on your behalf. Enlisting the support of an expert service provider early on in the process can really pay dividends when it comes to maximising energy management as quickly as possible. If you need to kickstart your sustainability and environmental plans, this could be a good place to start!

Usually, a consultant will request as much historical site data as possible, so gathering information is always the right place to start, using the utility bills of the facility, building information systems and any on field sensors.

Once you have assessed how much energy you have used historically, you can develop realistic benchmark targets for your sustainability strategy.

Next, you need to understand what’s happening now, as that’s what you can influence.

To be able to monitor your energy use and identify where there are issues that need resolving, you need access to real-time information about how your energy-consuming equipment is performing. This requires device connectivity. Many circuit breakers, meters, relays, EV-chargers and inverters for example are now digital-enabled and these products can be connected – along with IoT sensors - to an on-site connectivity infrastructure or dashboard with

widgets so you can visualise the energy use of your key assets.

Using the data gathered during your monitoring, you can create output reports to analyse KPIs and recommend energy saving actions that could help you achieve your benchmark targets – for example, upgrading ageing plant which is not operating e iciently. Energy forecasting analytics can make this stage easier and more accurate.

This stage defines and visualises asset targets and looks at how performance can be optimised to reach your target KPIs. Smart connected products such as power quality converters, uninterrupted power suppliers (UPS), transfer switching and advanced relays feeding into an optimisation engine, can all help you realise improved outcomes.

The last step is to control and carefully adjust the asset setpoints for energy e iciency and service continuity strategies to meet your changing ESG targets. To help, facility managers could also consider pre-engineered reference architectures with Edge controllers, smart connected products, and perhaps investment in on-site renewable-based technology solutions, such as microgrids, battery energy storage systems (BESS) and renewable energy generation, like solar panels.

By following these five stages, FMs and their organisations can begin the journey towards more e icient energy management practice. As well as saving energy and meeting sustainability targets, there are other benefits for FMs and their organisations, in not only boosting their green credentials but saving on OPEX. Data insights can help with the forecasting of energy usage, increasing e iciency up to 30 per cent and reducing costs with a potential payback of less than three years.

Meeting sustainability targets can feel like a mountain to climb, but with smart energy management tools to help visualise energy use and highlight the areas where excess usage is occurring, putting an informed strategy in place that will help meet ESG commitments suddenly becomes much more achievable.

FM CLINIC

ensure their systems remain functional when the UK moves from a PSTN to a digital model. The response will be a greater emphasis on fully integrated building management systems to create smarter premises that securely control access and egress, with integrated AI for monitoring specific risk points at all hours. These systems will also provide expert data to finetune risk management.

Larger estates will benefit from services such as Corps KeySafe – an integrated service leveraging the benefits of Bluetooth-enabled key safes and smart response systems that allow the nearest authorised person to access keys while

SECURITY PROVIDER’S

VIEW

Suppliers can only provide high quality service if they ask the FM teams the right questions. That’s the first step in mitigating specific risks to premises. It’s important to recognise individual security drives for a business, and how serious and prevalent these risks are. Then it’s a case of demonstrating the know-how involved in adding value to the security provision on o er. It’s about implementing the right solution that will take care of your assets and people.

With more businesses undertaking flexible working models, the demand for CCTV and intruder and fire alarm monitoring services for vacant premises looks to increase. Sites previously monitored overnight and at weekends may now require 24/7 monitoring.

But as COVID restrictions fall away in a post-lockdown world, customers who were previously reluctant to invest in security technology are seeing the benefits of a blended approach to security – where tech complements security o icers and responds to the individual business security needs of each site. Some buildings can be remotely locked, and the lights switched o at night, leaving BMS systems to track lower risk points while monitoring temperature, potential flooding and break-ins.

The security industry is currently preparing for the switching o in 2025 of the UK’s public switched telephone network (PSTN) which is set to a ect anything running o PSTN or ISDN lines including CCTV, faxes, EPOS machines, alarm and door entry systems. Companies will need to start planning now to

recording a precise audit trail. This has been particularly beneficial in the care sector during COVID-19, enabling care workers and authorised individuals to gain access to homes for private care while maintaining limited contact.

Web portal and smartphone applications allow colleagues to access data showing shi s worked, holiday and absence management, pay information, and uniform orders, as well as information about health benefit schemes. Corps Secure, our bespoke customer portal provides a dashboard that illustrates the customer’s full security operation in real-time, from incident reports to site visits, security o icer shi patterns and training records, all site-specific documentation as well as all billing information and KPIs.

Security doesn’t end at the protection of a business’s property and assets – safeguarding its people has to be a top priority. Corps Guard, is a personal protection support application, downloaded directly to a smartphone. Its aimed at colleagues who are operating remotely, in potentially dangerous situations or commuting at night through threatening areas.

Any technology integration is an investment but, done smartly, can reduce a business’s overall security spend. The cost savings realised from having people on site only when necessary, for example, o ers a great opportunity for businesses to invest this back into their people, paying the Real Living Wage, upskilling o icers and training them to work with new technologies more e iciently.

According to a Mintel report*, the adoption of newer interoperable security technology has accelerated during the pandemic. Which technologies do you predict will have the greatest benefits for the security of premises, be they o ices, retail, manufacturing or health care? And how can FMs ensure their suppliers provide high quality service and maintenance support?

In FMJ's regular monthly column, our team of FM experts answer your questions about the world of facilities management

THE GLOBAL MANUFACTURER’S VIEW

The past two years have indeed shaped many things and accelerated new opportunities in the security industry. There are three main topics and corresponding technologies that will impact facilities managers as we begin to emerge from the pandemic.

Physical Security in a Hybrid Work Model: During quarantine, remote working reached all-time highs. Recent reports indicate that roughly half the workforce in the UK, Europe and United States was remote during lockdown. The pandemic also laid bare the inflexibilities and vulnerabilities within existing security architecture.

The security and identity industry must evolve to meet emerging challenges and expectations of a workplace that is everywhere now that the future of work is here. This means upgrading infrastructure to support solutions, both in the cloud and on-premise, that are not only highly secure, but frictionless and future-ready. Hybrid work models also require FMs to reassess how users access doors, networks and more. New standards such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) and passwordless authentication improve security and cyberhardening of digital systems to support a remote workforce.

Contactless Technologies: Throughout 2022 and beyond, a combination of biometrics and cloud-based authentication solutions is poised to fuel more secure and faster interactions with technologies used to access places and experiences, as well as mutisite facilities such as universities and hospitals. Already widely used in banking and financial services, fingerprint biometrics is expanding into broader applications.

For these systems that create, delegate, deliver and present trusted identity data for access applications, biometrics will confirm that users are who they say they are, and they are doing what was intended. More importantly, biometric authentication eliminates risks associated with unlawful acquisition of traditional keys, passwords, tokens or other physical access devices.

Data Science: As a final point, today’s digital transformation and the modern mechanisms of physical and logical security are producing a steady and growing flow of information. Increasingly, this data is being leveraged for analysis to make security operations more e icient and e ective. Data creates context around human behaviours and patterns of activity, whether in a physical space or in a network. These insights help to highlight

anomalies, empowering security professionals to more quickly identify or predict abnormal behaviours.

As artificial intelligence and machine-learning technologies are woven into the fabric of trusted identity solutions across the physical and digital security continuum, they will optimise the accuracy of threat detection and prediction. These technologies are already improving the performance and accuracy of biometric solutions and are detecting financial fraud and enabling predictive physical security. As organisations commit to react more quickly and precisely to mitigate threats and user needs, data science will o icially occupy a central position in security.

THE PERIMETER PROTECTION SOLUTIONS PROVIDER’S VIEW ALEXANDRA WELLER, HERAS KEY ACCOUNT MANAGER

The next generation of perimeter intrusion detection systems (PIDSs) is already being rolled out to significantly increase the level of perimeter protection for sites ranging from ones of national or strategic importance through to warehousing hubs, data centres, food processing and distribution centres, healthcare facilities, and more.

The two leading PIDSs are GeoMic and GeoPoint. GeoMic (the so-called listening fence) uses a discreet microphonic sensor cable that listens for sounds – such as those generated from an intrusion attempt – around the entire perimeter. And the GeoPoint sensor system utilises multiple sensors that are distributed along the fence line to detect movement and vibration. This enables moreaccurate visual verification of an intrusion when used in conjunction with video security management.

– such as those generated from an intrusion attempt – around This layer will be the use of cloud-based portals that o er

Both solutions are playing a pivotal role in speeding up the time in which onsite security teams (or designated sta ) can verify and act upon an alarm when it is triggered.

This

site entrance points, such as swing, sliding and bi-fold gates, as well as remote monitoring of user access and automatic alerts and

In terms of maintenance and support, good suppliers will o er a multi-layered approach. The first layer will be the use of cloud-based portals that o er real-time insights into the status and performance of perimeter and entrance control systems. This includes all site entrance points, such as swing, sliding and bi-fold gates, as well as remote monitoring of user access and automatic alerts and notifications via smartphone, tablet or PC.

The speed at which the cyber and physical worlds are converging makes our industry a very exciting space right now. Speaking as Europe’s leading end-to-end supplier of permanent and mobile perimeter protection solutions, we believe that the demand to secure sites physically (with fencing, gates, turnstiles, barriers, etc.) is only set to continue.

But that hasn’t stopped us from embracing new technology by building ground-breaking alliances with both technology partners and high-level security contractors to develop a cohesive approach

and they are doing what was intended.

The security and identity industry must evolve to meet emerging challenges and expectations of a workplace that is everywhere now that the future of work is here.”

MattWinn

in areas such as LiDAR (light detection and ranging).

LiDAR systems use light-sensing technology that emits pulses of eye-safe lasers and records the time it takes the beam to return to the sensor a er reflection from a target. This information can then be used to generate a 3D point cloud image that visualises valuable information on spatial location to help identify, classify and track moving objects via the intelligent so ware. The system allows FMs and site owners to configure rules to trigger point cloud recordings, network actions and/ or automatically control PTZ camera movement to follow selected individuals.

The powerful data collected by the system provides the user with a situational overview in real time and site wide by tracking hundreds of points of interest simultaneously. This information can help in key decision-making assessments regarding threats, the employment of assets and even lockdown protocols.

What the FM industry will find really interesting is that LiDAR solves any GDPR issues, as the sensor does not require the capture or storage of any personally identifiable information. As a result, the solution protects individual privacy and poses zero PII risk.

SECURITY TECHNOLOGY EXPERT’S VIEW

Security and Health & Safety are closer than ever. The focus of security will always be on securing people, places and assets, but it has drawn closer to safety in recent time, with a range of supporting technologies.

For instance, access control is an expanding platform. If you consider how access control was primarily dependent upon a card to restrict authorised entry into a building or o ice, those o ice spaces can now be managed or “booked” as a function of the access control system. It’s a di erent environment to manage - with the access control platform o ering the ability for an employee, tenant, visitor or contractor to be e iciently managed. This creates an audit trail, which can support a ‘fit to work’ or ‘fit to visit’ policy, which enables contact tracing, while providing occupancy data on the total number of people in the building.

Going hand in hand with post-COVID “wellbeing”, as desired by those returning to the workspace is the ability of building owners and managers to elevate the tenant experience with a variety of touchless solutions. This includes the use of mobile credentials, held on an occupant’s smartphone, negating the need for a traditional card being carried and applied to a communal touch point on a door or turnstile.

Video surveillance has advanced so much further with the development and deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) and video analytics, the adoption of which certainly increased during the pandemic. Together, they complement one another and bring a range of features and functionalities that enhance the e ectiveness and e iciency of onsite security operatives utilising these surveillance systems. One example would be where specific individuals or events need to be found e iciently from numerous days of stored video footage. Such analytics can extend to detecting loitering, line crossing, excessive lines forming, or creating watch lists from photographs. As for the added significant benefits of cloud hosted solutions, this is a whole topic on its own, but one that should certainly be factored into any

strategy around both video surveillance and access control. By blending manpower with technology – for example deploying a remote video monitoring resource and mobile response service, an extremely e ective and e icient security solution can be delivered to both manned and unmanned locations. By providing analytics within say a remote video surveillance program, could, for instance result in a redeployment of site operatives.

Finally, as with any system of this nature, not only does the right support partner needs to be selected, but it is essential that the relevant SLA’s are put in place, which are managed against an applicable set of KPI’s, reflective of the type of location and operational requirements of the customer.

FM SECURITY SOLUTIONS EXPERT’S VIEW

The key to delivering business improvements is through e ective use of technology, and this will be even more important in the future. Ensuring that our CCTV, intruder alarms, access control, and fire systems are connected provides significant benefits. Moreover, continuous monitoring will allow us to generate a holistic picture and deliver powerful, detailed, and timely information.

We achieve this through Chubb visiON+, a range of connected services that changes how protection is managed using valuable data analytics. Our NSI Gold accredited Alarm Receiving Centres provide analytics to our dedicated team of certified professionals who identify and correct any issues before impacting the customer.

This increased connectivity and responsiveness ensure we maintain full protection 24/7, 365. It facilitates quicker first-time fixes and keeps equipment and systems in optimal working condition. This not only helps us in our goal to reduce our carbon footprint, but also enables us to o er ultimate security to protect our customers’ premises, people, and assets.

We also expect technological capabilities to accelerate exponentially in the future.

Technology is constantly evolving, and we are consistently looking for ways to utilise this to enhance the customer experience.

Specifically, with the advent of the digital switchover, we’ve developed a comprehensive suite of solutions to help make the transition to fibre technology go smoothly. Allied to this, we recommend system upgrades and improvements, to stay connected and future-ready.

When we start a service and maintenance contract, we know the most critical part is the beginning. This is where we clearly define thresholds and parameters. From then on, it is a partnership working towards the same goals and milestones. By having readily available data, we can act quickly and e iciently to provide the greatest support for customers whenever needed.

* UK Security Equipment, Access Control and CCTV 2021 Do you have a question that you’d like answered by the FMJ Clinic?

Email: sara.bean@kpmmedia.co.uk

In an FMJ feature(i) last year on changing workplace patterns within the legal sector, we published research carried out by CBRE Global Workplace Solutions that revealed many of its law firm clients were looking to change their working environment. Law firms it found had traditionally struggled with desk ownership allocations, space utilisation and encouraging lawyers to embrace flexible working adaptations. It revealed that many law firm clients were interested in adopting agile working, with some having indicated a complete radical overhaul of working patterns.

The article suggested this trend was largely prompted by the pandemic, but for leading law firm, Kingsley Napley(ii), its new o ice in London’s Shoreditch area, designed with an ‘activity-based’ flexible working model was in the pipeline long before COVID-19 hit. In fact, as Darren Jesse, Chief Finance and Operating O icer for Kingsley Napley recalls, the firm started

looking at its property and workplace strategy way back in 2014.

He explains: “We were occupying three buildings in Farringdon but there was no continuity in design and layout so everything did feel disparate and having a relationship with three landlords was no fun either. We managed to get all the leases to coterminous in terms of the cessation and then as we started getting close we had the opportunity to take on one of the two remaining floors. We were expanding at a fast pace we knew it wouldn’t take long to fill those spaces.”

But instead of expanding their footprint, the firm took a pause and began to look into adopting agile and activity-based working.

Jesse explains they’d heard of a few firms experimenting with that approach so it was decided they would begin by trialling some alternative ways of working. Kingsley Napley already had a good relationship with interior architects KKS Savills(iii) who suggested introducing some di erent concepts within the existing site, combining more open

plan areas with studio style desk set ups that would still lend sense of privacy. These alterations were introduced successfully prior to move and were well received.

Explains Jesse: “As we came closer to the lease event we carried out a sizeable feasibility study over whether we should move or not, evaluating the cost of staying where we were, and it proved more e ective to move somewhere else.”

The firm was being advised to go up to 75,000 sq , to absorb a growing headcount, which at the time was around 350 and growing. But concerned that actual daily occupancy levels would be much lower, once you took into account working from home, and absences for other reasons they instead installed occupancy sensors in an eightweek data study, which revealed maximum occupancy levels of under 60 per cent.

Says Jesse: “We had a lengthy discussion at partnership level and thought we could adopt this agile way of working successfully. There would be a big change management

Internationally recognised law firm, Kingsley apley’s o ce move to an activity-based’ exible working environment was a result of a close partnership with interior architects KKS Savills and ainbow, which supplied and installed much of the furniture that supports new ways of working

piece in getting people comfortable with working di erently and not being wedded to a desk and it was a bit of a gamble, but we thought we could manage it over time and push occupancy rates a bit harder while giving something back to occupants with a design that o ered amenities they didn’t have previously.”

NEW SPACE

The chosen site at Twenty Bonhill Street, London was a build-to-suit o ice building o ering 55,191 sq of space over six floors. This comprises a ground floor featuring a reception area, two adjunct meeting rooms for private interaction, a conference suite and a unisex shower room and bike area. Over the four remaining floors, the final fit out, with loose furniture, including many made-to-order items supplied by Rainbow O ice furniture(iv), o ers employees a huge choice of where and how to work, from traditional desks to various sized pods, team collaboration areas, video conference enabled quiet rooms and a fully equipped sta dining and co ee bar.

Along with this and in keeping with Rainbow’s ethos and recently acquired environmental standard ISO 14001, all of the furniture specified was supplied by manufacturers that follow sustainable policies or have sustainable certifications. This helped contribute to the building achieving BREEAM excellent status.

the litigation floor there are a couple of case rooms with acoustic integrity for case conferences as well as a couple of silent libraries for additional research.

“At the beginning of the process when mapping out the building, I had a firm idea of the minimum sized floorplate as we always had between 10,000 and 12,000 sq per floorplate for each division. The final design ensured they’d all fit really neatly into each floor. We then wanted an opportunity to put in a cafeteria, and allow another floor for our client suite, so we couldn’t have planned it any better – and because we got in there before the first brick was laid we could influence the overall design from shell and core, through to fit out and furniture.

“For instance, with the WCs we were very specific about what we wanted with the important thing being choice. We’re a firm that holds diversity and inclusion high on our agenda so the shower block is unisex which o ers people choice and feels inclusive.”

The finished design offers users no less than 21 different workplace settings, offering occupants a huge choice of where and how to work, from traditional desks to various sized pods, team collaboration areas, video conference enabled uiet rooms and the staff dining and coffee bar.

The floors are divided into a ground floor reception, a business services area group where the corporate, real estate and employment team sit; a private wealth division which handles immigration, family and private client team and a litigation floor for criminal and dispute litigation. Level 4 of the building o ers the new restaurant, ‘Lennie’s Café’, named a er the firm’s recently retired court clerk and finally a client facing floor to accommodate client meetings/ appointments and boosts a range of meeting rooms and a business lounge.

None of the design solutions are random, for as Jesse explains, before any work was even carried out on the site, the firm appointed an occupational psychologist to carry out a full analysis of the di erent divisions and the individuals within each team. Working with the occupational psychologist and armed with the data collected, the firm came up with a workplace strategic brief which not only considered the demographic of the workplace population, but their individual personalities. This includes the proportion of extroverts and introverts within the teams so that each floor was specifically designed around their needs.

Says Jesse: “We got into the detail of what was going to make people more productive so each of the floors were designed around that. For instance, on

FIT OUT AND FURNITURE

Unlike firms which may now be scrambling to rethink their workspace environments following the pandemic, the only real changes Kingsley Napley made to its o ice plans due to COVID-19 was to upgrade some of the M&E to increase air circulation and add more touchless controls to the WCs. The base build was finished January 2021 and installation carried out from then to a so launch in July 2021. The finished design o ers users no less than 21 di erent

workplace settings, o ering occupants a huge choice of where and how to work, from traditional desks to various sized pods, team collaboration areas, video conference enabled quiet rooms and the sta dining and co ee bar.

Furniture solutions as provided by Rainbow comprise a selection of lockers for the shower area and bike area, with particular attention being given to the fully accessible cycling, shower and changing facilities. In the meeting rooms, all of which come in a wide range of room and desk sizes that reflect the purpose of the space, some feature flip-top tables with bases finished in satin polished stainless steel.

The fit out was understandably impacted by the pandemic, but as Paul Butterworth, Associate Director and Senior Designer at KKS Savills commented: “The project for Kingsley Napley was managed and delivered under COVID restrictions. However, despite the complications that arose, Rainbow dealt with the situation in an exceptional manner and even brought a sense of fun to the

di icult circumstances that we faced. It was also a pleasure to work with Rainbow whose diligence and enthusiasm meant that the project ran as smoothly as possible.”

There are a variety of seating solutions scattered throughout the building, ranging from chairs upholstered in Kvadrat Twill Weave 530 for the reception area to a mix of low and high seating in the restaurant that boost additional features such as under booth lighting. There are a variety of innovative ‘meet and work’ booths positioned around the o ices to enable privacy without recourse to formal meeting rooms, a selection of low and high seating for informal gatherings and a generous selection of chairs, sofas, and co ee tables on all floors.

Although the firm has been able to cut back on formal workstations it hasn’t stinted on their quality with all workstations supplied by Ergonom, as Jesse explains: “good seating is a fundamental part of an individual’s experience within the space.”

Space saved by o ering an agile working environment has freed up more room to install additional areas geared towards meeting physical and mental good health, including a treatment room, fitness studio and meditation space, furnished with so , comfortable materials to encourage mental respite from the busy working day. Finally, biophilia is a key sustainability component of the finish, with copious planting installed throughout each floor.

FEEDBACK

So far, reports Jesse, feedback has been excellent, exceeding all expectations.

He says: “Our people were just stunned and fortunately in terms of the budget we didn’t spend on partitioning (with my finance background, everything is about money), so durability and comfort has been achieved so we’ve stylistically been able to marry the concept, comfort along with environmentally and durability.

“We knew we were trying to fit in a lot in a relatively tight floor space, but when we took a pulse survey in January 2022 we were pleased to find that people are using all of the spaces and the furniture installed to varying degrees, maybe so far, not so much in stand up working areas, but we always said we’d revisit all the design choices. Although it’s still quite early to judge occupancy rates, before Omicron we were reaching about 40 per cent occupancy and that is when we were not pushing our agile working policy too hard.”

In terms of a wholescale return to the o ice, Jesse is anticipating people will ease

back in when they’re comfortable and from the beginning of March the firm aims to reintroduce its o icial agile working policy. He reflects that currently, quite a few of their people actually like working on a Friday, though as with most organisations the busiest days tend to be on a Tuesday or Thursday.

Given the positive example Kingsley Napley has set with its o ice overhaul, a lot of competitors are very interested in how the agile working model could work for them, and Jesse has rather courteously shown a number of legal contemporaries around the new workspace to demonstrate how it’s done.

So what advice would he give professional firms considering a move to agile working?

“Looking back, people o en ask what we’d do di erently, but I don’t think I would have changed anything. My advice would be to think about making changes like these as early as possible, begin the process as quickly as possible, and don’t do it on your own or you’ll fail. Get the right people involved, both those who’ll have a major stake in the outcome and the expert advisors who’ll help you ensure its success.”

(i) www.fmj.co.uk/lawful-change

(ii) www.kingsleynapley.co.uk

(iii) www.kkssavills.com

(iv) www.rainbowdesign.co.uk

Looking back, people often ask what we’d do differently, but I don’t think I would have changed anything. My advice would be to think about making changes like these as early as possible, begin the process as quickly as possible, and don’t do it on your own or you’ll fail...”

AGILE SOLUTIONS

With both the Government and many employers keen to get people back into the o ice a er so much disruption and so many false dawns, the FM sector is grappling with the challenges of what the o ice needs to look like now. Not only is there a continuing emphasis on keeping everyone safe from the virus, there has also been a cultural shi . Few employers or employees expect a return to old o ice layouts or prepandemic work routines.

The agile o ice we used to talk about now needs to be a reality. It must provide workers with the flexibility to turn up, plug in and get on with their job for as many days a week as their company policy mandates, or where more choice is permitted, in line with their own preferences. The pandemic and the homeworking revolution it brought about have been the catalyst required to making hot desking more accepted. And at a time when climate change is

high on the media and political agenda, hot desking practices must also align with many company’s sustainability goals from the paperless o ice to reduced carbon emissions due to fewer journeys to work.

For the FM, the task is complex, involving new layouts, changes to building services, desk booking systems and cleaning regimes. Amongst all of those practical considerations, it’s important to keep sight of the employee and what it means for their wellbeing when they are potentially using a di erent workstation every day.

EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL IMPACT

With all the stresses and strains of lockdowns and furlough, much of the wellbeing focus for employers has been on mental rather than physical health.

Darren Hilliker, Architecture & Design Manager at CMD Ltd, discusses the risks of poor ergonomics in hot desking and agile working environments and suggests some solutions

The isolation of working from home, against a backdrop of health concerns, financial insecurity and the upheaval of routines has taken its toll on people’s mental and emotional wellbeing, so it’s no wonder this has taken priority.

But when implementing agile working strategies and hot desking layouts to enable employees to combine homeworking with hot desking, FMs and employers need to consider what it means for employees’ physical wellbeing.

Workers may have to adjust to sitting at a di erent workstation each day, potentially involving a di erent seat, desk and screen configuration. This not only involves cerebral and emotional challenges as each worker adjusts to no longer having a dedicated, personal workspace, it also requires consideration of the impact on their posture as they adapt to a new workstation every time they enter the o ice.

It may seem like a minor issue a er what we’ve all been through during the

past two years; a er all, many have been perched at the edge of a kitchen worktop or crammed into the corner of a spare bedroom. However, people have had the time and opportunity now to adjust their work area and working routine at home. Conversely, the return to the o ice a er COVID will be the first time many have experienced hot desking, which involves fitting a standard workstation to their own, non-standard dimensions and comfort requirements each time they sit down to work.

experienced hot desking, which involves

the workstation and seating

Because o ice workers come in all shapes and sizes and their roles involve a wide variety of tasks, adaptability is the only way to make generic workstations work for all. Consequently, FMs not only need to consider the workstation and seating requirements of hot desking environments, but also the need for easily adjustable monitor arms and laptop stands. Each worker needs to be able to tailor their own workstation to enable comfort and productivity and they need to be able to do it quickly and easily.

WHY IS AN ERGONOMIC WORKSTATION SO IMPORTANT?

Working at a screen that is too low, too high or in a position that causes the user

to twist to see it properly can result in poor posture and, over time, this can lead to musculoskeletal strain and ergonomic injury. Conditions caused by poor workstation ergonomics include neck and back strain, RSI (repetitive strain injury), tendinitis and tennis elbow, and the impact can range from discomfort to pain that results in reduced productivity or time o work. It is estimated that a third of workplace injuries in o ice environments are due to ergonomic factors(i)

factors

Part of the problem with ergonomic injuries, however, is that people don’t always realise that poor ergonomics at their workstation is compromising their posture and putting strain on their body. They may compensate for an awkward seating position or screen height by hunching over their keyboard, twisting their spine or looking up at their screen, all of which can cause damage. In a hot desking environment, it is not possible to do an ergonomic assessment every time a new user starts work at the workstation, so the only solution is to specify equipment that can be easily adjusted for plug-and-play customisation by the user.

Working at a screen that is too low, too high or in a position that causes the user to twist to see it properly can result in poor posture and, over time, this can lead to musculoskeletal strain and ergonomic injury.”

ERGONOMIC SOLUTIONS FOR HOT DESKING ENVIRONMENTS

There are three key solutions that can be installed in o ice environments to aid flexibility of workstations for ergonomic wellbeing.

Sit/stand desks are increasingly popular as these not only allow the user to adjust the height of the desk when seated, but also to vary between working in a seated and standing position. However, the cost of these desks can be an obstacle for specification in some environments and not all o ice workers want or need sit/stand functionality.

Use of an ergonomic chair is an important factor too, because the chair supports the spine and encourages a good seating position. A good chair should also be height adjustable and provide options for neck, back and arm support.

For hot desking environments, selecting the right monitor arm is perhaps the easiest and most e ective measure for adapting workstations for di erent users quickly and easily. For example, CMD’s Reach Plus monitor arm, which attaches to any desk with a universal C clamp fixing,

enables fingertip movement of the screen position to enable the user to adjust a single or double screen configuration to the optimum height and position for them. The monitor arm can support combined monitor weights of between 6kg and 15kg but the user can easily move them up, down, sideways or forwards and back.

Monitor arm development is constantly evolving and CMD will be launching the Miro monitor arm in 2022, which will be capable of supporting any monitor from 1kg to 10kg and allow the user to adjust the height of their screen quickly, with a patent pending mechanism that allows synchronised movement of both arms, enabling them to open upwards and close downwards in a smooth and simple vertical action.

Many agile working models involve people working from laptops at home and bringing them into the o ice, so o ice workstations that enable rapid ergonomic set up of a laptop alongside a monitor are also key to providing the ease of set up and adaptability workers need. Look for ergonomic workstations which can be configured to include monitor and

laptop support. These can provide ease of adjustment for both the monitor and laptop screen with the use of a separate keyboard, to allow rapid set-up and positioning, avoiding the temptation to hunch over a laptop.

ADAPTABILITY

The statistics show there has been a physical deterioration amongst sta over the past two years, with the HSE(ii) reporting that of the 470,000 workers su ering from work-related musculoskeletal disorders in 2020/21 an estimated 85,000 reported that this was caused or made worse by the e ects of the Coronavirus pandemic. However, as workers return to the o ice it is important to note that prior to the Coronavirus pandemic the main causes of work-related musculoskeletal disorders from the Labour Force Survey(iii) were manual handling, working in awkward or tiring positions and repetitive action or keyboard work. This goes to show how workstations that can adapt to individuals are just as essential as individuals who can adapt to changing work routines.

REFERENCE NOTES

(i) www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/ S0160412020321127

(ii) www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causdis/msd.pdf

(iii) www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/lfs/about.htm

monitor of

“For hot desking environments, selecting the right monitor arm is perhaps the easiest and most effective measure for adapting workstations for different users quickly and easily.”

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SOFTWARE SUPPORT

Computer Aided Facility Management (CAFM) played a major role in helping FMs deal with COVID-19 disruption. Now leading software suppliers assess how the software can support remote, hybrid and return to o ce strategies over the next 12 months

The entire philosophy of what the workplace is has been turned on its head over the last two years, with o ice employees being able to work from anywhere – home, the o ice, and even in another country, contends Paul Bullard, Director of Product Management, at FSI , which recently joined forces with real estate giant MRI So ware. As long as the work is being done, it is no longer a necessity to hold a permanent desk space. This has given rise to o ices becoming known as destinations for collaboration – where teams get together to take care of tasks they’re unable to do in isolation. This means the number of those physically in the o ice, and when, is open to fluctuations, peaks and troughs.

“FM operations moved to a more digital way of working due to COVID-19 disruption,” he says, “and CAFM technology has played a critical role in supporting FMs through this prolonged period of uncertainty. It’s the first time in history they’ve been responsible for the working environment inside people’s homes. Everything from ensuring employees have the right equipment and desks, to preventing health issues with correct seating.

“Thankfully, remote monitoring through CAFM is helping alleviate some of this newfound burden. Let’s take one simple task as an example. If a cleaner was assigned to check a single building’s bins twice a day, and there were 200 bins in the building, this would be a very time-consuming task and potentially unnecessary if o ices aren’t at full occupancy.

“Through remote monitoring capabilities and sensor technology, teams get access to insights and notifications of when certain tasks must be performed – from knowing when soap dispensers are empty, through to knowing whether someone has entered a room and cleaning needs to take place. Facilities managers can then make informed decisions about when to take action. Cutting out needless manual intervention across multiple buildings helps cut costs and improve productivity.”

Certain features of CAFM which already proved useful in managing buildings remotely can now be applied to support hybrid and return to o ice strategies. Valerie Miller, Group Sales and Marketing Director at Bellrock explains that during the two years of COVID restrictions, FMs benefited commercial and operationally by managing their buildings remotely via their CAFM.

She says: “For example, they have been able to manage occupancy levels, compliance, raise emergency work orders, manage contractor site visits safely and critical operational sta still on site. They keep things simple and e ective by having a single communication pathway to keep all stakeholders up to date. All these components have supported a safe place to return to work.”

Bellrock’s Concerto has seen increased requests to understand the benefits of a CAFM, from simple maintenance management to

fully-fledged IOT integrated FM. The data held within CAFM such as running costs (planned, reactive, energy), back log maintenance, occupancy levels and space utilisation will help customers make strategic decisions about which properties to invest in and which should be disposed of as it is economically advantageous to do so.

SPACE MANAGEMENT

Dave Bryan, Product Manager at Idox says space management will continue to be an important requirement for facilities managers. It is this which is enabling them to redesign work spaces to allow for social distancing, one-way routes and breakout areas that they may not have previously needed.

He says: “With the tools and insight provided by a CAFM system, any spare square footage can be optimised or reallocated to provide value to the business. Using the enhanced strategic oversight of facilities enabled by CAFM, facilities teams can benefit from a smart response to fluctuating energy and occupancy levels. Through the use of sensors, it is clear which rooms are in use and therefore require heating and lighting, instead of wasting resources on unused areas. With e icient use of space informed by insight into usage patterns, o ice spaces can be redesigned accordingly, tracking or restricting use of indoor space, adjusting the o ice configuration to accommodate hot desking, collaborative working and group meetings.”

For Bullard, facility booking systems have also become integral in people and space management, not only to prevent double booking or unsafe levels of occupancy, but to align cleaning schedules to desk and space use. Traditionally, cleaning had been an overnight task, but due to heightened safety requirements, cleaners are now o en assigned a er each use prior to the next arrival.

“This adaptability is something that has always been made possible by CAFM, but it’s now much more widely used with the changing events around the world. Having a mobile CAFM solution in place allows managers and engineers to e ortlessly prioritise, allocate and complete jobs from their devices on-the-go.”

SAFE AND SECURE

Rebecca Whitwham, Marketing Manager at Asckey argues that safety and security will also be a focus, for as well as the running of the estate, organisations in every sector need to rethink how they create and maintain a safe, hygienic working environment.

She explains: “For most organisations, this

doesn’t mean the extensive level of deep cleaning employed by the NHS & Care sectors but does raise the issue of whether health and safety standards need to go beyond just using the appropriate cleaning materials and chemicals.”

As we move on from the pandemic, Whitwham sees FM departments across all sectors looking for a more sustainable and hybrid way of working. Paperbased checklists, task lists, work orders etc., are starting to transfer to digital options.

Digitising these processes provides an online audit trail of accountability and can help organisations demonstrate they are meeting required compliance standards. And while digitising processes provide accessible evidence that compliance standards are met, it also allows for organisations to meet their sustainability goals.

everything in between. Not only can it help organisations to evidence that compliance standards are met, but it can also help to e ectively manage maintenance tasks that can support and improve an asset’s lifespan. As a result, CAFM so ware can help reduce waste and remove the need for unnecessary replacements. Well-maintained assets use less energy and therefore have a big impact on meeting sustainability goals.”

CAFM software is an incredibly large data resource, managing tasks, assets and everything in between. ot only can it help organisations to evidence that compliance standards are met, but it can also help to effectively manage maintenance tasks that can support and improve an asset’s lifespan.”

DATA POWER

Access to growing amounts of data across numerous functions and purposes is a game changer for FMs says Idox’ Bryan.

“The analysis and insight from that data can provide powerful tools for facilities managers, enabling them to translate that insight into automated processes and work orders which in turn create significant operational savings.

Says Whitwham: “For years CAFM so ware has been helping the FM industry with more e icient task and asset management. However, we are also seeing it being used as a tool to help organisations meet sustainability objectives. A er all, buildings o en represent one of the most significant contributors to an organisation’s carbon footprint.

“CAFM so ware is an incredibly large data resource, managing tasks, assets and

“IoT sensor technology can enhance data analysis further, as assets can communicate their status with no human interaction required. As this technology has rapidly advanced, discrete wireless sensors can now be deployed quickly with minimal configuration and maintenance. Data points such as temperature, space occupancy, sanitiser fill levels, cleaning status, CO2 levels can all be collected and analysed to inform management decisions and future strategy – all empowering FMs with the tools to remotely optimise working environments to suit user needs, keep them safe and compliant.”

The use of data extends beyond o ice

spaces says Bullard, as the way other industries work, such as healthcare or leisure facilities, can adopt a digital audit trail that tracks what has been done and when.

“Adaptability has become a key focus and teams need to move quickly should working scenarios change again,” he advises. “And of course, facilities managers themselves are now able to do much of their management remotely too. They can interrogate their Building Management System from their device at home, immediately understand what’s going on – heating levels, li operation, asset issues – and get them resolved whilst retaining reduced capacity.

“The entire facilities management operation has become more accessible to the entire business, and the priority of these teams and technology in providing a continued experience for employees has increased exponentially.”

Whitwham believes the benefits of a CAFM system’s reports are in not only reflecting key performance indicators and productivity levels but in producing financial reports that demonstrate a department’s output.

“From buildings and services to equipment and personnel, CAFM so ware connects all aspects of facilities management. It provides organisations with the key information needed to make better informed and more cost-e ective operational decisions.”

Bryan points out that when it comes to asset life cycles, certain assets will require more servicing attention than others to maintain optimum performance.

He believes Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) via a CAFM system can support this analysis, identifying which assets are working smoothly and don’t require servicing (and those that do), thereby helping to reduce the level of reactive maintenance jobs and freeing up FMs for more valuable tasks. In addition, as jobs can be logged faster with real-time status updates, e iciency can be significantly increased. Benchmarking of performance can also track the results and impact of changes to continually evolve and improve processes.

THE FUTURE

“The pandemic proved to be a catalyst for technology investment, but in many ways this rollout of technology was overdue,” says Bryan. “Although restrictions may be easing, government guidance and the

business landscape can change rapidly –organisations must be prepared for the next challenge. In order to future-proof businesses as much as possible, investment into the right technology, tools and skills is critical to foster resilience, agility and continuity.”

Miller sees the future in two parts. “First, more businesses require simple, easy-to-use CAFM, starting their digital transformation, enabling them to manage maintenance and compliance while reducing operational costs of each location. Then as their digital transformation journey progresses businesses will start to capture rich data on their building usage now and in the future to support strategic decision making.

“The second will be the adoption of IoT and sensor technology to improve the user experience in the workplace. By monitoring areas like air quality, energy usage, occupancy levels and M&E equipment, a business is able to provide the best working environment for its employees enabling them to attract and retain the very best talent.”

Looking ahead, Bullard says the next big positive disruption is set to come from AI, bringing an even deeper level of data insight and understanding. “The relationship between facilities management and technology is only set to intertwine further, making the future of the industry an exciting prospect for us all.”

www.fsifm.com/en-gb www.bellrockgroup.co.uk www.idoxgroup.com www.asckey.com

From buildings and services to equipment and personnel, CAFM software connects all aspects of facilities management. It provides organisations with the key information needed to make better informed and more cost-effective operational decisions.”

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Explore how the latest tech innovations can bring together facilities management, security, fire safety and wellbeing into one place in this unique, smart building environment.

TRENDS IN FM TECH

In November last year, we launched a survey in partnership with FMJ to ask people working in FM about their use of so ware and gather insights on industry trends. The questions asked respondents to reflect on both the last 12 months and the time since the start of the pandemic.

ROLE IN FM - 55 PER CENT EMPLOYED DIRECTLY AT PREMISES; 29 PER CENT FM SERVICE PROVIDER

SPACE MANAGEMENT

Arguably the biggest impact of COVID on the workplace has been how businesses manage space. Where before there were people-persquare-foot ratios, now there is much more thought given to creating workplaces that are hygienic, healthy, and conducive to work. This is a trend that respondents believe is here to stay. When asked about the top technology trends that will have the biggest impact in the next 12 months, property and space management (including flexible working) was the second highest answer. Interestingly, workplace wellbeing was a very close third, tying in neatly with space management.

Sixty five per cent of respondents have either made changes to their workplaces to allow for flexible working or are in the process of doing so. A further 14 per cent had already adopted flexible working. When asked about how FM has changed since March 2020, the majority of respondents cited the use of more technology for remote asset or space monitoring, including implementing CAFM (Computer-Aided Facilities Management) so ware, workplace or sensor technology.

Yet there are a number of challenges that FMs face. Despite an increased workload in the last 12 months, budgets have remained largely unchanged and just 17 per cent of respondents said that their current FM so ware was flexible enough to support changing workplace demands. Furthermore, when asked about the key challenges for FM

in the next 12 months, budgetary pressures and meeting demand for flexible working ranked in the top three answers.

Space management is clearly a key part of the FM role, but without the right budget or support, FMs may not be as e ective as they would like to be.

the need for urgent action to tackle climate change. Building and construction are responsible for 39 per cent of all carbon emissions; 28 per cent of this is from operational carbon.

Operational carbon includes the energy used to heat, cool and light a building, and falls under the remit of FMs. But as we have already seen, budgetary constraints mean that FMs have little to no additional funds to meet this renewed demand for sustainability.

One respondent highlighted the challenge, saying “technology is great in new or refurbished buildings but to retrofit systems, i.e., HVAC Controls, upgrade LED luminaires to IoT and having the technology to use is una ordable to the public sector”.

ENERGY MANAGEMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY

Unsurprisingly, respondents noted energy management and sustainability would be simultaneously the biggest trend and the biggest challenge in the next 12 months. COP26 sent us all a stark warning about

This is perhaps where Building Information Modelling (BIM) could assist, yet only 12 per cent of those surveyed are currently using BIM data. Of those, 20 per cent are using it to improve environmental performance.

The reasons for lack of BIM adoption varied, with common themes around lack

Watkins, CEO at Service Works Global says an analysis of the key findings from SWG’s UK M software survey in partnership with M , shows that wherever tech is employed it must be done strategically to achieve the best results

of internal resource or being unaware of the benefits. Twenty per cent of those not using BIM now say they plan to in the future, which may point to a more manageable workload following the height of the pandemic and an appreciation of BIM’s benefits for improving sustainability.

RESPONDENTS’ FM TEAMS RANGE FROM >5 TO <100

INTEGRATION

When asked about the tools FMs use to manage their work, aside from Excel spreadsheets, FM so ware was the most commonly used solution, followed by so ware tools developed in-house. Forty seven per cent are either planning to change their tool or so ware or are undecided as yet.

Of those planning to change, lack of integration with other organisational systems was the most common reason. A lack of required functionality and out-dated systems were also popular responses which further point to issues with integration.

The potential for integration was highlighted by a handful of respondents in the survey. One said: “I am an advocate for further adoption of technology. Aligning our digital platforms into a single interface would enable greater opportunities to deliver a better service for a lower cost to the organisation.”

Another respondent bemoaned outdated client IT systems, saying: “The technology in FM is continually hampered by utilising the same infrastructure as client’s business critical IT, which leads to a lack of desire to integrate and utilise the technology that exists.”

Interestingly, integration with space management and CAD tools has increased since our last survey: In 2020, 32 per cent of people reported integration, compared with 11 per cent in 2022.

Whether this trend continues may well hinge on the supporting IT infrastructure and ensuring that all systems can be readily integrated before making the change.

VISUALISATION

Visualisation is the process of creating digital renders of buildings not yet constructed (to help demonstrate the finished space) or reimagined with a di erent purpose (for example to show transformation of an unused retail unit into a functional café).

Similarly to BIM and, perhaps surprisingly, slightly more respondents are employing visualisation with 15 per cent already using it and a further 19 per cent are planning to. Visualisation seems particularly popular in higher education. FMs from eight universities took part in the survey; four of those are already using visualisation, and another three are planning to use it. It’s fair to assume their

use would be to give virtual campus tours to students that have not been able to attend in-person because of the pandemic.

36 PER CENT WORK IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR; 28 PER CENT IN

PUBLIC SECTOR; 23 PER CENT AS A SERVICE PROVIDER IN BOTH

Although COVID restrictions have been removed and don’t look as if they will return for the foreseeable future, visualisation will still be an important tool for FMs in the coming years. We have all become familiar with digital tools, whether that’s video calls or virtual tours.

Virtual tours are great for showing prospective tenants around an o ice space. For high priority spaces, such as a hospital operating room, virtual tours can be given to surgeons who may not have the time to visit in-person.

This trend is definitely one to watch, especially if client demand stays strong.

TECH MUST BE A STRATEGIC DECISION

It’s vital that whatever tech is employed is done so strategically. We’ll leave the final word to one of our respondents: “Collecting data is great, but it needs to be available to the client in full and any data collection needs to create added value; there is no point collecting data/going digital if the process is not more e icient.”

THE

SECURE PLATFORM

Historically, security has been built on assumption – if you have more cameras, and more security guards, you will be more likely to succeed in responding to a crisis.

Albeit a very basic approach, there is some truth to this. If you have more vigilant bodies on the ground, you will have more eyes that might be able to spot a crisis unfolding and more guards on hand to respond to these threats.

Unfortunately, such a mindset fails to o er opportunities to be proactive and get ‘ahead’ of a problem. It leaves scope for missed threats and therefore greater risk – risk that organisations cannot a ord to take.

Prior to joining Amulet, I held a number of critical lead roles in coordinating emergencies, crisis response and organisational governance to train and prepare others to deal with real life challenges. In 2018, this led me to working with a shopping centre in conducting a largescale counter terror exercise to evaluate the preparedness of all those agencies and organisations involved in the event of an attack.

In no uncertain terms, the coordination of multi-agency activity completely fell apart under the stress test, revealing a number of agencies being worryingly unprepared.

THE EVOLUTION OF PROJECT BLUEPRINT

The shopping centre exercise in particular highlighted the need for a better understanding, at all levels of management, of what was occurring on the ground, based on real-time information in order to support informed decision making, to improve the coordination of resources.

The Airbox Systems’ MOSAIC platform was identified as the only e ective solution able to address the problems encountered in gaining an accurate picture of what was happening and coordinating activity to improve the preparedness of organisations in dealing with the type of threats that faces the UK today.

The MOSAIC platform quickly became a tool that was used on an everyday basis, not as part of emergencies, but in supporting organisations to deploy resources and share

information as part of routine activities. Today, it is used by every facet of the emergency services, from helicopter rescue teams to ambulances, police o icers, the fire service and the coast guard, with over 100,000 operations conducted in the UK during the last 12 months using the platform.

Yet the benefits of real-time situational awareness so ware aren’t simply limited to the public sector safety realm. Private sector organisations can completely transform not just their security, but their day-to-day operations, by adopting this unparalleled yet easy to use technology.

Both Airbox Systems and Churchill Services recognised how they could combine their e orts and talent to o er the benefits of this platform to the private sector and so, Project Blueprint was born.

HOW PROJECT BLUEPRINT WORKS IN PRACTICE

Launched mid-2021, Project Blueprint has a simple goal – to make the UK a safer place to live, work and enjoy. Project Blueprint has exclusivity to o er this flexible and rapidly configurable platform to support routine tasks or unexpected circumstances.

A ‘same page’ philosophy simply enables everyone to understand what is happening through a real-time collective picture of the working environment, delivering information when and where it is needed. It manages resources by knowing where everybody is and what they are doing by connecting users at all levels. Maximising their value by easily assigning and reassigning them to specific tasks as required.

Without an accurate understanding of what is going on, key information can be missed, or interpreted incorrectly. Poor communication

is o en the Achilles heel hampering e ective service delivery, with confused messaging leading to mistakes and lower quality services.

It ensures one and all are ready for the challenges of the day by empowering informed decision making underpinned by interactive mapping, resource tracking and a unique ability to visually represent the ‘ground truth’ to all stakeholders.

Essentially, it provides all the capabilities you require to e ectively manage your business, during routine activity or emergencies, all in one place.

Ensuring all security team members are always seeing the same picture allows security incidents to be dealt with in a timely manner by defining the situation and enabling informed, timely and coordinated responses.

ENABLING ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES

There is no one-size-fits-all mantra – rather, the so ware is adaptable and customisable as per the end organisation’s needs.

Be it train operating companies, sporting grounds or critical national infrastructure, it can be deployed to suit multiple scenarios. While the technology’s capabilities are the same, it can work di erently for di erent people, with a variety of varying features able to cater to a range of needs.

Our teams continue to support this approach as part of its deployment, providing full training and technical support and a review of how the so ware is being used, bringing to light potentially useful ways in which end users may benefit that are not currently being realised.

Iain

Director and

gives an overview of the innovative security software and how situational awareness tools can take security services to the next level

RISK REWARDS

In our regular readers polls and in consultations with the FMJ Editorial Steering Committee, compliance is usually the number one priority for FM professionals. While the pandemic has resulted in many more hurdles in achieving compliance, it has also accelerated the adoption of digital solutions that can help FMs and their suppliers automate the process and meet these ever more stringent targets.

As COO for Corporate/Enterprise clients at Alcumus, a leading provider of workplace risk management solutions aimed at anticipating, managing and reducing risks to organisations, Helen Jones has some useful insights into the key trends in compliance for businesses and the health & safety of their people in the months to come.

While her current role is within a technologybased business, Jones’ background is firmly rooted in FM. She worked her way through the ranks at Carillion before joining Alcumus three years ago a er overseeing the mobilisation and demobilisation process within the FM provider a er it went into liquidation.

“I was with Carillion for 15 years and what they were great at was moving people around the organisation to gain skills and knowledge,” she explains. “I landed in infrastructure and construction and then moved into FM, focusing on health, corporate then back to construction and doing very di erent things like sustainability, HR and then finally mobilisation and demobilisation across all the sectors. The liquidators were incredibly supportive and made it as painless as possible and the positive outcome was that most people retained their roles when we transferred contracts out.

“I decided to go to Alcumus as I wanted to do something very di erent and work at a smaller organisation. So ware had a lot of interest for me and I was attracted to Alcumus because they work with construction and facilities managers so I’d still be close to the world I was used to, but in a supporting role.

“My broad experience means that when I’m looking a er our 2,000 UK enterprise customers, I genuinely do understand the world that they’re working in, the

Helen Jones, COO for Corporate /Enterprise clients at workplace risk management provider Alcumus, explains to Sara Bean how the latest digital solutions can help produce better employers and more sustainable organisations

problems they face and how our solutions can help them. You’ll find that health and safety challenges and the solutions linked to health, safety, sustainability, and supply chain compliance really do touch every facet of the management team, so while we generally start conversations with one stakeholder in an organisation, because of the integrated nature of what we do, we end up speaking to lots of di erent stakeholders.”

INTEGRATED APPROACH

Alcumus says Jones, is best described as a full integrated risk management business o ering a wide range of products, but focused around three pillars:

Health and Safety

ESG / Sustainability

Supply Chain Compliance

The firm takes an integrated approach to managing health, safety and ESG across industries, locations, contractor and supplier networks, and also has an in-house team of specialists to provide HR consultancy and workplace monitoring services, training and UKAS accredited certification and accreditation support.

Says Jones: “We work really hard to connect small businesses with larger businesses through our network. With for instance our Safe Contractor product, we tend to have large businesses that mandate to smaller suppliers that they have to use our accreditation standard in order to access sites.

“That then creates a huge network of smaller businesses who can integrate into our other products – so if you’re a smaller business you might take out health and safety and HR support and if you’re a larger business you may tend to move more into so ware where you’ll be buying solutions measuring accident incidents, e-permitting, asset management and all the facets you need for compliance across your supply chain.”

Jones believes that smaller businesses that go through the accreditation programme can see it as a real opportunity to raise the professionalism within their organisation. This is because the process covers such a huge range of topics in order for organisations to go through the accreditation. This in a smaller business means reappraising policies and making sure these are suitable and appropriate.

“Very o en this moves those organisations on,” says Jones, “and that’s a key di erentiator for Alcumus as we do believe we are supporting the smaller business as well, not just in winning more work, but in working knowledge and

professionalism.”

Larger businesses she adds can benefit on a wider scale. “If I go back to my days as a facilities manager and the absolute requirement for social value and using local suppliers – I remember being on google maps looking at a local area and trying to find suppliers by checking post codes. Now the tool organisations get when they adopt our Safe Contractor product from a large business perspective is like the Expedia search of contractors and suppliers. You can put in a post code and say ‘I need somebody within a 15 miles radius’ and it will ping up and tell you, which is a valuable resource.

“This drives positive impacts within the wider supply chain because they’re using organisations that have the right policies, which raises the standards. They’re also using businesses within the local area and this includes checks on their financial standing so that larger organisations can ensure their supply chains are secure.”

TECHNICAL ADVANTAGE

While Jones agrees that one of the most notable e ects of COVID has been

the widespread adoption of digital tools within FM, from room booking to asset management to BMS, she thinks the industry is up to speed when it comes to being customer focused but is concerned there has been less focus on how digital tools can support the back o ice.

“In a world where margins can sometimes be single digit, anything you can do to be more e icient in the back o ice is something the sector needs to be looking at. There’s a huge benefit to being able to link data from your permitting systems through to accidents and incidents and through to your accreditation rate with your compliance. We’ve got customers that can do that and they can see trends which help them proactively manage some of the scenarios that their teams may be working under.

“There is a huge amount that this technology can o er, but in all honesty, we’re still seeing organisations taking out spreadsheets and paper so we need to move them onto the so ware journey.”

Alcumus Info Exchange is a popular tool and Jones reports that several of the larger FM companies are using it as their compliance so ware but branded to the organisation’s individual requirements, as while it can generally be used for H&S capture and EHSQ - users can add further apps and requirements.

Explains Jones: “We’ve got a few customers who are further along their journey in capturing data and because Info Exchange has the ability to create a

There is a huge amount that this technology can offer, but in all honesty, we’re still seeing organisations taking out spreadsheets and paper so we need to move them onto the software journey.”

risk mapping solution - you can actively view on one page all the di erent risks in your organisation, project by project, in a tra ic light view that changes as the data comes in. While the Info Exchange tool is a standard code base, every configuration is bespoke, so if an organisation has a particular risk around for example food, they could have enhanced metrics linked to that or if their focus is solely on hard FM delivery it can be around all the regulations they need to follow.

“That delivers an incredibly useful tool and we’ve got examples of health and safety directors who look at their iPad before walking into a site and they take a snapshot of what’s going on the project on their risk map so they know what questions to ask of the manager on site.”

EHSQ

EHSQ (Environmental, Health, Safety, and Quality Management) is fast emerging as a must have for any organisation, yet the recent evaluation of 25 major companies by the Corporate Climate Responsibility Monitor conducted by NewClimate Institute found that most were failing to achieve their EHSQ targets. According to Jones, the problem

is that many organisations are having di iculty in knowing where to start. To address this issue, Alcumus has launched a new international, standards-based Environmental, Social and Governance solution. The platform enables businesses of all sizes to build one true view of their ESG performance for the first time, providing simple data analysis across 11 key areas.

“A lot of large organisations have a long way to go in terms of being able to analyse and articulate what their base line is when it comes to things like carbon, how to reduce it and reach net zero. From a digital perspective there are a lot of solutions but what we’ve tried to do is collate 11 key topics together on one platform that can act as a one stop shop to get organisations to begin tracking.

“The beauty is that the product is accessible to all, there is no licence fee for users, as we want people to access the so ware and put the data in because that’s where you get the maximum benefit.

“The topics range from subjects like carbon tracking including into Scope 2 and 3 which FMs can monitor through their supply chain, but the really exciting one is

that we’ve created our own methodology to analyse all the social value and community activities within an organisation and their supply chain.

“We can track modern slavery training and also o er a whistle blowing solution through that platform and loop in the safe contractor data so you’ve this whole data set that you can start to build your base line on. You can switch it on and in a matter of days start employing it within your organisation. I really do think that is the next big growth area that organisations are going to need to get their arms around.”

Jones’ own experiences at Carillion encompassed much more than FM, as it included HR as well as sustainability and H&S, so she’s aware of the need for multidiscipline teams to work together to meet compliance and ESG challenges. On her experiences of working with one of the larger FM providers on a supply chain compliance onboarding process, Jones says: “We’re so impressed how coherently they’ve pulled everyone together to deliver a completely consistent change management system. You can’t put something like this into an organisation as piece of new so ware and just expect it to be successful, it’s got to be a whole change management system approach and you need the C suite involved as well as the whole team.”

FUTURE

As organisations prepare for the post pandemic workplace, Jones says she is excited to help grow the firm’s network, not just across the UK but across the globe. For instance, the expansion of the Safe Contractor tool will cover suppliers in more detail, creating a full supply chain solution.

“What we’re finding that is historically where a lot of organisations have prioritised higher risk suppliers and contractors who are attending sites; because of the drive now to understand risks like modern slavery, bribery and corruption within supply chains they need to expand their understanding and reach into suppliers of goods and services as well. Our product was launched at the start of this year, as a verification rather than an accreditation tool, but for the customer they’ve got that visibility into every facet of their supply chain, which is really exciting and will help grow the network for our clients.”

She concludes: “I love doing this role because it feels like you’re making a real di erence, changing outcomes, within a sector I really care about.”

A lot of large organisations have a long way to go in terms of being able to analyse and articulate what their base line is when it comes to things like carbon, how to reduce it and reach net zero.”

ETHICAL SOURCE

solutions and human rights will become more widely recognised. The environmentally friendly solutions developed and implemented will need to uphold human rights, and account for any potential risks to people.

For example, we already know that there are significant human rights risks in some renewable energy supply chains. Sedex’s risk assessment tool Radar has revealed that metal ore in the mining sector is “high risk” for many issues, including poor health and safety, excessive working hours, and restrictions to freedom of association.

Businesses looking to do their bit for the planet, will need to have one eye on the impact this new type of operating model has on workers across their supply chain.

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

For many businesses, having a diverse and inclusive workplace has always been a key pillar of their operations, but there are still many laggards who have failed to adapt their organisation.

With the COVID-19 pandemic still a ecting the availability of labour, materials and services, it’s reasonable to presume that businesses should anticipate continued supply chain disruption this year. Companies must have the processes in place to both overcome these challenges, and ensure they are taking an employee first approach - ensuring workers in supply chains are protected against potential exploitation.

To do this, organisations need to monitor the trends that impact their supply chains, and work to manage risk and support supply chain resilience. Trends that organisations should be aware of include:

LEGISLATION AND THE CONTINUED DRIVE FOR BUSINESS ACCOUNTABILITY

In 2021 several nations including Norway, Germany and the USA, passed laws that place greater responsibility on businesses to provide more transparency regarding their supply chain operations. This includes steps to manage risks to workers and the environment.

This ra of new transparency legislation is becoming increasingly detailed and broad in scope. It o en expands beyond country borders, and will continue throughout 2022.

In the UK, the government is

currently reviewing its modern slavery strategy, and is set to provide an update by the spring. The European Commission is also due to release a dra of its mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence legislation, in the first half of this year. Businesses should monitor these legislative changes, and develop action plans as they evolve to ensure they remain compliant.

OVERCOMING MODERN SLAVERY

Modern day slavery remains a pressing issue. A new report from the International Labour Organisation, is due to be published, and is predicted to show more victims of modern slavery than ever before.

Many factors will have exacerbated these findings, including political unrest, climate degradation, and disruption across global supply chains brought about by the pandemic.

The launch of the report will likely catapult the issue of modern slavery into public consciousness, sparking a renewed focus on issue-specific laws such as the UK Modern Slavery Act. It will also prompt renewed focus on businesses to re-evaluate risks that exist within their supply chains.

COVID-19 AND ONGOING DISRUPTION

Businesses will continue to experience challenges such as labour shortages

due to potential lockdowns or forced working from home orders. Workers continue to be particularly at risk, including being vulnerable to extensive working hours. This has the potential to lead to compromised health and safety standards and can be an indicator of forced labour, when excessive over a long period of time.

According to the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) and Justice and Care, there are at least 100,000 people held in modern slavery in the UK alone. Organisations therefore need to regularly take stock of their operations, ensuring that they do not compromise working conditions as they rush to engage new suppliers or extend working hours. This includes maintaining regular due diligence with stakeholders, and conducting regular supplier assessments, both onsite and virtually.

CLIMATE CHANGE & HUMAN RIGHTS

The COP26 conference last year renewed the world’s focus on meeting environmental targets. Many companies now face additional pressure, needing to measure the environmental impact across their supply chains. This is driven in part by governments looking to demonstrate both commitment and action.

As industries explore new technologies, the intersection between climate change, potential

A renewed focus and pressure has been put on these businesses, especially since the emergence of the Black Lives Matter movement. Stakeholders - especially the public - now expect companies to make commitments and set long-term strategies to drive greater inclusivity.

Leading international companies and some governments are broadening their diversity and inclusion strategies to more explicitly include racial disparity, indigenous peoples and LGBTQ+ communities. Businesses that look to make their organisation as open and inclusive as possible, will likely prosper the most.

A HOLISTIC VIEW OF THE SUPPLY CHAIN

As the conversation around ethical operations evolves, gathering and analysing data through sophisticated platforms is crucial. This data is the key to understanding the people, operations and working conditions across the supply chain and will provide a holistic view of operations.

Businesses must also look to establish and maintain regular, open communication with suppliers, helping to manage current disruptions and build long-term resilience. It’s only by maintaining these regular risk assessments to understand and address issues, that organisations will be able to stay on top of presented challenges that exist within their supply chain.

SOUND PROTECTION

hygiene benefits to match.

TACKLING THE ISSUE

Now that FMs understand the risks, what can they do to ensure the safety of sta and what options are available that can tackle the issue of noise reverberation in working spaces?

Acoustic sprays are one option, absorbing sound energy instead of reflecting, this can dramatically reduce reverberation caused by hard surfaces to create a quieter more calming space. These seamless acoustic systems also allow complete flexibility with Cat A and Cat B configuration, allowing for dividing structures such as o ice pods to be brought in without disrupting the acoustic spray finish on the ceiling above. A quality acoustic spray can also be applied to nearly all types of surfaces including plaster, wood, metal and concrete, making them an ideal solution for all types of workspace environments.

SAFETY AND SUSTAINABILITY BENEFITS

For facilities managers, creating a safe and comfortable work environment is high on the agenda. Done properly, well-designed workspaces can boost sta morale, allowing them to feel energised and productive. Done badly, spaces can become stressful, particularly when noise is an issue, leading to adverse health problems.

This is especially pertinent in a changed working landscape, where hybrid working is becoming the norm, which is placing more emphasis on the quality of our o ice work environments than ever before. Sta now need to feel safe and comfortable yet COVID measures, such as social distancing, touchless surfaces and tactile-free designs are in fact cultivating noise ‘echo chambers’, where sound levels spike. Over time, exposure to these types of ‘sonic battle grounds’ can develop into physical issues such as hypertension,

heart disease, diabetes, heart attacks and even strokes.

PRIORITISING ‘END-USER’ HEALTH

O ices are now undergoing refits and refurbishments to accommodate the challenges presented by hybrid working. Yet our research has shown that occupant safety is still falling short of the mark when it comes to design plans. From the 200 o ice designers that were surveyed, just nine per cent believe acoustic design is receiving the attention it deserves by clients and almost half reported clients aren’t interested in ‘end-user health’. For facilities managers, who’s remit is to create healthy working environments, there’s no doubt these stats will be surprising.

It’s clear that closer collaboration and decision making is needed between FM’s and those undertaking redesign plans, especially with reports that two in five employees plan to

embrace hybrid working by 2023. Business leaders must ensure acoustic health doesn’t go ignored.

A BLOW TO PRODUCTIVITY

But excessive noise doesn’t just cause physical issues – it can also dramatically reduce our productivity and cognitive functions, a ecting business performance. It’s an idea put forward by Professor of Neurobiology and Communication Sciences, Dr. Nina Kraus, who states that the slow burn of excessive background, or slow noise, can not only inhibit our ability to think and concentrate, but that our brains are “sustaining actual provable injury”. For facilities managers who were unaware of the repercussions of excessive noise or even ongoing noise at previously considered safe levels, finding acoustic solutions which allow sta to communicate easily without needing to raise their voice is now essential – and also o er obvious

But a premium acoustic spray can o er more than just acoustic benefits, it can also contribute towards many sustainable design and health certification systems including BREEAM, SKA, Living Building Challenge and adds up to 17 points towards the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating of a project. However, before FMs choose to invest in a spray, it’s important to look for GREENGUARD Gold Certified compliance for Indoor Air Quality as these credentials will mean it meets the highest welfare standards.

Fire safety should also be a top priority. Acoustic sprays that go above and beyond Approved Document B fire requirement (Class 0 to BS476 & B-s1, d0 fire rating), will give health and safety managers peace of mind that in an event, the acoustic spray would provide little to no smoke and absolutely no droplets, assisting in the safe escape of its occupants.

The risks around acoustic health remains very real and in a post-COVID landscape, sta welfare should be given the upmost priority. Companies that choose to ignore these warnings could also be setting themselves up for potential legal claims should it lead to a serious health risk. As the conversation around acoustic health gets louder, now is the time for FMs to step up to the plate and put measures in place that keep sta safe.

Poor workplace acoustics can impact the health and welfare of staff if left unchecked. Ben Hancock, Managing Director at Oscar Acoustics, explains why facilities managers should be thinking about acoustic performance and the new role it plays in a post-COVID landscape

‘COMPLIANCE’ - CONFORMING TO A RULE, SUCH AS A REGULATION, POLICY, STANDARD OR LAW...

By law employers must provide access to water in the workplace. At a time when there are lots of viruses circulating, in addition to COVID-19, dehydration can weaken the immune system and reduce resistance to infections. Provision of water dispensers, however, should be undertaken with care.

At the Water Dispenser and Hydration Association (WHA) compliance is taken seriously. All our Members are required to pass an annual bespoke and rigorous audit of their business.

The WHA audit standards are structured around the regulations that govern our Industry and these form the basis of Member compliance.

Our Distributor Members are audited annually by professional Industry Auditors against a number of Government Regulations such as Food Hygiene (England) Regulation 2013 and the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulation 2016 as well as a number of Environmental Legislations.

Bottling Plant Members are annually audited by

NSF International, a global organisation with a long history in water quality. Audited against the high standards of the Natural Mineral Water, Spring Water and Bottled Drinking Water regulations 2018 as well as Food Safety regulations, end-users can be assured of a high quality bottled water product. Even our Manufacturer and Supplier Members

must comply with an audit specific to the water-contact products they supply to our Distributor and Bottling Plant Members, ensuring all products conform to Regulations such as The Materials and Articles in Contact with Food (England) regulation 2012 and Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) 2013.

It’s safe to say when you choose a WHA Member, you are choosing a provider that puts your safety and compliance at the heart of their business. You will know that the water dispensers are installed professionally by technicians with proper and relevant industry and regulatory training and that the equipment is maintained and sanitised in line with industry guidelines.

www.twha.co.uk info@twha.co.uk 01707 656 382

KOOLTHERM PIPE INSULATION FITTED ON LEADING BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH BUILDING

The University of Warwick’s Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research Building is breaking new ground in building design. The £33m facility has been constructed with a cutting-edge o site approach featuring Kingspan Kooltherm Pipe Insulation and Kooltherm Insulated Pipe Support

Working closely with the project team, which included Willmott Dixon and Hoare Lea, NG Bailey has manufactured and assembled much of the mechanical, electrical and plumbing installations at its specialist o site facility in Bradford. This specification included the installation of over 20,000 lm of Kingspan Kooltherm Pipe Insulation and Kooltherm Insulated Pipe Support Inserts, with onsite fitout carried out by specialist contractor Insulation & Cladding Services Ltd (ICS).

These products are supported with bespoke BIM objects which can be freely downloaded from www.bimstore.co.uk. This allowed service engineers and designers to accurately plan and position pipework and supports. With their leading thermal performance, the products also contributed to the project’s sustainability targets.

Kingspan Kooltherm Pipe Insulation is one of the most thermally e icient pipe insulation materials in common use.

The project team also carefully addressed the risk of heat loss through pipe supports by installing Kingspan Kooltherm Insulated Pipe Support Inserts. The premium performance inserts e ectively limit thermal bridging through the supports and form an e ective vapour barrier. www.kingspantechnicalinsulation.co.uk

SNICKERS WORKWEAR TO WEATHERPROOF YOUR WORKDAY

You can count on real comfort and protection from the rain with Snickers Workwear’s AllroundWork and FlexiWork Jackets for professional tradesmen and women.

Stay dry, warm and comfortable by choosing from a range of water-repellent jackets that will keep you dry in light showers and deliver great breathability to ventilate your body when you’re active on site.

But if you need 100% waterproofness for long periods, check out the GORE-TEX® jackets and the PU garments with welded seams. As part of Snickers Workwear’s ‘outer shell’ clothing layer, GORE-TEX® jackets are extremely durable. With a waterproof membrane to keep you dry, they’re windproof to keep you warm and breathable to keep you comfortable all day long.

There’s a host of AllroundWork and FlexiWork jacket styles and extensive size options available so you can layer your working clothes properly to ensure that your energy and performance levels are as weatherproofed as you are.

www.snickersworkwear.co.uk sales@hultaforsgroup.co.uk 01484 854788

ADVANCED OFFERS TROUBLE-FREE FIRE PROTECTION AT WORLD’S NINTH LARGEST GOLF RESORT

Two fault-tolerant networks of MxPro 5 fire panels from UK manufacturer, Advanced, have been installed as part of a fire system upgrade at the Manor House & the Ashbury Hotels in Devon.

Set in 500 acres on the edge of Dartmoor National Park, the two hotels o er a combined total of 421 rooms as well as the Ashbury Hotel’s renowned 99hole golf course.

As part of a site-wide upgrade to the Manor House and Ashbury Hotels’ fire systems, 11 of Advanced’s flagship MxPro 5 fire panels in 1, 2, 4 and 8-loop variants have been installed to provide industryleading protection for the resort’s sta and its thousands of annual guests.

Due to the size and complexities of the site, the previous fire panels had struggled to perform as required. This was presenting numerous challenges for the client who duly appointed Yeovil-based Castle Technical Solutions Ltd to install new control and indicating equipment and look a er its ongoing maintenance.

Castle Technical Solutions’ experience with retrofitting Advanced’s products to solve fire protection problems on complex and challenging

sites led the company to specify MxPro 5 across the two hotels.

Ben Moss, Technical Director at Castle Technical Solutions, said: “To undertake a successful upgrade of both hotels’ fire systems, we needed a solution that could reliably handle the size of the network required. It also needed to be easy to integrate onto existing wiring and deliver instantaneous reporting of faults to minimise potential disruption to guests and sta . Advanced’s MxPro 5 is flexible, robust and dependable and has restored our client’s faith in their fire system.”

Phil Calvey, Regional Sales Manager for the South West, said: “This project is a classic example of our fire protection solutions making life easier for installers and end users alike. We are thrilled to hear Castle Technical Solutions speak so positively of their retrofit experience.

“Our MxPro 5’s high-speed networking capabilities come into their own when protecting largescale sites such as this resort, where there is a need for complex cause and e ect programming, without

compromising overall system performance.”

MxPro 5 is the fire industry’s leading multiprotocol fire panel and was recently certified by FM Approvals to the EN 54 standard. It o ers customers a choice of four detector protocols and a completely open installer network, backed up by free training and support.

www.advancedco.com 0345 894 7000

MAKITA: MAKING IT MESS FREE

Makita has launched its latest XGT 40VMax vacuum cleaner, providing cleaning professionals and facilities managers with a powerful cleaning solution that they can rely on.

The XGT 40VMax CL002G Brushless Vacuum delivers the high output needed to tackle large areas and achieve professional results with ease. It o ers an impressive sealed suction of 21kPa and suction power of up to 125W. Thanks to the option of four power modes, users can also adjust the output to suit di erent surfaces. It also comes with a redesigned nozzle for e icient floor and carpet cleaning.

As well as a cloth dust bag, the CL002G is also compatible with a paper disposable dust bag for easier and messfree disposal. The redesigned filter structure also works to minimise dust ingress to the motor, ensuring maximum performance e iciency and extending the product’s life cycle.

Despite its powerful performance, the CL002G is quiet when in operation (with sound power levels as low as 54dB(A)), making it ideal for use in occupied premises such as o ices, retail and residential dwellings. Its compact design makes it comfortable to use even over extended periods –and easy to pack away at the end of the day.

UK-FIRST: THE MOST HYGIENIC HAND DRYER EVER?

Oxford-based hand dryer manufacturer Airdri is bringing a new product to market that is set to revolutionise bathroom hygiene and infection control.

The firm’s new first of its kind, PureDri unit, is unlike anything else currently available. It has been designed and developed in the UK, by Airdri’s onsite engineers as a response to the pandemic. It combines a fastdrying hand dryer with a state-of-the-art air sanitiser technology.

PureDri also has a unique patented feature, making it, Airdri believes, its most hygienic hand dryer available.

As well as continuously sanitising air and surfaces, reducing bacteria and airborne pathogens by up to 99.8%, it sanitises the hands by delivering a concentrated stream of disinfecting plasma at the end of the drying cycle. In independent tests this was found to reduce bacteria on the surface of the hands by a further 11%.

PureDri is not only extremely e ective at reducing bacteria but is also energy e icient with low running costs and comes with a 5 year warranty. Annual running costs are between £45 and £55 depending on dryer usage. When compared to paper towels this demonstrates a huge reduction in annual bills, as well as the amount of waste being sent to landfill.

WILL YOU FEEL THE IMPACT OF THE CHANGES TO TAX RELIEF ON RED DIESEL?

In June 2019, the UK became the first major economy in the world to pass laws guaranteeing an end to its contribution to global warming by 2050. The target will require the UK to bring all greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050.

At Budget 2020, the government therefore announced that it would remove the entitlement to use red diesel and rebated biodiesel from most sectors from April 2022 to help meet its climate change and air quality targets. By March 2021 Budget, changes to tax relief for rebated gas oil (red diesel) were confirmed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer which have resulted in a withdrawal of the tax relief for certain sectors and applications. This new legislation comes in to force on 1st April 2022 a er which point red diesel will only be supplied for a limited list of applications. The implication of this change in legislation will depend on your industry and use of the fuel. It will

a ect, for example, businesses in construction, mining and quarrying, ports, manufacturing (e.g. ceramics, steel, timber), haulage (for transport refrigeration units on lorries), road maintenance, airport operations, oil and gas extraction, plant hire, logistics and waste management.

For businesses in these sectors, there will be a significant cost increase as switching to regular white diesel will mean they need to pay the full duty rate which will increase the price paid from around 60 pence per litre to 120 pence per litre. This measure is expected to incentivise these rebated fuel users to seek greener alternatives or simply use less fuel.

What is red diesel? Red diesel is the name given to diesel fuel that is used ‘o -road’, also known as gas oil, cherry red, or tractor diesel. As it is used for a wide range of agricultural, plant and construction equipment including generators, diggers, harvesters, tractors and other o -road machinery;

o the public roads, it is taxed at a lower rate. However, there are strict requirements for when it can be used, so it is dyed red for identification purposes.

Due to the changes coming, many now have questions regarding its usage, purpose or legality. As the rules and regulations surrounding its use are changing, it’s imperative that you keep up to date so that you remain on the right side of the law. For individual requirements and laws surrounding your own usage, you can check with HMRC here www.gov.uk/government/ publications/changes-to-rebatedfuels-entitlement-from-1april-2022

The Government has warned those losing their red diesel entitlement that there will be no ‘grace period’ to use up old stocks a er April 1st 2022 arrives. All stocks must be used up before this date.

The aim of removing most red diesel entitlements will help to ensure that the tax system incentivises users of polluting fuels such as diesel to improve the energy e iciency of their vehicles and machinery, to invest in cleaner alternatives, or just use less fuel. Therefore, the tax changes should have a positive impact on carbon emissions and air quality.

For many of our customers, the use of power generation equipment is not however optional, and so we continue to find new, cleaner ways to support the critical power needs of many industries.

Innovative gas-powered systems use natural gas as an alternative fuel delivering the same performance characteristics as diesel with added benefits of reduced exhaust emissions, reduced environmental pollution risks, and no requirement for bulk fuel storage.

Find out more about our gas range here https://bit.ly/3IBbEvy

THERMAL COMFORT, AIR FLOW, AND IAQ MEASUREMENT IMPROVED TO THE MAX. THE NEW UNIVERSAL IAQ INSTRUMENT TESTO 400

The newly launched testo 400 is a universal measuring instrument for all air flow and IAQ applications, and impresses with its smart technology, user-friendliness, and versatility.

Testo have launched a new multifunction IAQ measuring instrument to the UK market. The testo 400 o ers innovative functions which make the user’s job easier in every way, and allow reliable, norm-compliant measurement and documentation; designed for engineers to cover a wide range of potential applications including airflow measurement within ducts and outlets, plus measurement of many IAQ parameters such as ambient CO2, temperature, and humidity.

The extensive range of probes for the new measuring instrument is among the broadest on the market. Testo’s popular series of Smart Probes can also be connected to the testo 400, meaning it will slot in seamlessly into many engineers existing toolbags.

Wide application range and universally applicable

The new testo 400 has been designed to allow buildings ventilation and IAQ engineers to cover a wide range of potential applications including airflow

measurement within ducts and at outlets. Also, the testo 400 can measure many IAQ parameters such as ambient CO2, temperature, and humidity. Test routines for PMV/PPD thermal comfort calculation are also part of the capability for the testo 400. And, thanks to the broad selection of probes, all IAQ, ventilation and comfort parameters can be precisely and reliably measured.

www.testo.co.uk 01420 544433

Features of the testo 400 include:

• Measurement assistant - clearly structured measurement menus which guide the user safely and easily through the whole application. Plus a tra ic-light system to evaluate measurement results objectively and unambiguously (normcompliant and error-free!).

• Long term datalogging – An optional accessory data logger allows connection for up 6 cable probes for flexible datalogging. While the standalone data logger is carrying out measurements, you can use testo 400 elsewhere.

• Always ready to go! – When probes need to be calibrated this can be done independently of the testo 400 unit, meaning you can continue to use alternative probes while others are in service.

• Time saving features – On-site documentation and reports for you and your customer. Reports and customer data can be conveniently sent by e-mail and are also stored in the instrument.

• ‘Hot-swap’ capability – hot swap on probes saves time when changing probes between applications.

The testo 400 is available now from expert Testo dealers.

ELECTRICALDIRECT LAUNCHES NEW ‘ALWAYS SWITCHED ON’ CAMPAIGN

ElectricalDirect is powering into 2022 with a new brand campaign. Under the headline, ‘Always Switched On’, the company will be supercharging its activity with a multi-channel advertising campaign that will include, radio, PR, social media and more that highlight the specialist supplier’s fantastic reasons to shop and ‘trusted to deliver’ company promise.

As a retailer unconstrained by store opening times and ‘always switched on’, ElectricalDirect is launching a schedule of exciting activity that raises awareness of the benefits trade professionals experience when shopping with the online specialist.

Backed with engaging, creative adverts and playful straplines, the campaign will highlight how tradespeople can enjoy around the clock browsing of ElectricalDirect’s huge range of over 12,000

stocked electrical products, as well as its wide choice of flexible delivery options, exceptional customer service and easy free returns policy.

On the campaign, Dominick Sandford, Managing

www.ElectricalDirect.co.uk

Director at ElectricalDirect, said “We are really excited to launch our new brand campaign that emphasises all the things that set us apart: 24-7 access to thousands of electrical goods to ‘pick and fuse from’, competitive prices and delivery any ‘switch’ way you like! Including next day and Sunday deliveries, as well as Click & Collect to 6,500 local shops and same day delivery to postcodes in selected areas of London and the East of England.”

Dominick continued: “Our ‘Always switched on’ campaign tagline encapsulates our business strategy and o ering as an online retailer. Our easy to use website is packed with information including product specification sheets, technical documents, buyers guides and helpful blogs - all backed by our fantastic and dedicated customer service team who are on hand seven days a week to assist with orders or delivery enquiries.”

CLAREMONT COMPLETES LARGEST EVER OFFICE INTERIOR DESIGN AND BUILD PROJECT FOR GAMING GROUP FLUTTER

Employee Ownership Trust at the end of 2020 and since then has recruited 15 new professionals to its design and delivery teams.

Tim added: “The transition to EOT made a real step change in our team and it’s demonstrable with projects like this. We’ve recruited some exceptional new talent, which helps us to build stronger and more creative relationships with clients. The result is a growing client roster and a business that is surpassing its own targets.”

Speaking about the Dublin project, Mark Mercer, Group Corporate Real Estate Director for Flutter said: “We now have an incredible o ice for our people and certainly the most unique space in Dublin. The new o ice reflects our culture and how we want to work. It’s inclusive and engaging and provides the perfect environment for colleagues to get together in the workplace.

Warrington-based interior design and fitout business Claremont has completed its largest ever design and build project to date – delivering a new seven-figure headquarters for global sports betting, gaming and entertainment business, Flutter Entertainment plc.

Handover of the Dublin-based headquarters took place a er almost three years in the making, which included a complex 32-week build. Claremont’s workplace consultancy, interior design, fit-out, furniture and AV expertise was put to full use on the project, which created a unique destination o ice totalling 136,000 sq. , spread across six floors.

Flutter’s new headquarters, which house teams from across a number of its brands including Paddy Power, Betfair and FanDuel amongst others, features a rich blend of activity-based work settings and large collaborative spaces, as well as an indoor football pitch, studio spaces, mock-up retail betting shop, relaxation and gaming areas and an on-site café.

Tim Frankland, Managing Director of Claremont said: “We’ve enjoyed a very productive relationship with Flutter for some time – but this project is by far the most complex and significant we’ve delivered –not just for them but the Claremont team too.

“The result really is the crown in Flutter’s European real estate. They decided against an o ice move or predictable refurbishment in favour of doing something brave and progressive. We’ve remodelled their building, added an atrium, improved connectivity and made it a highly collaborative space to suit post-pandemic ways of working.”

Despite COVID halting construction work in Ireland for four months, Claremont completed the project six weeks ahead of the COVIDa ected schedule.

Tim added: “We are tremendously proud of the team, several of whom relocated to Dublin temporarily to drive the project, and also of the supply chain whose commitment was unfaltering. Our team’s creativity and commitment at every stage of the project has been something quite special.”

Claremont became an

most certainly be attributed, in part, to the very

“The success of this project can most certainly be attributed, in part, to the very close and productive working relationship we have with Claremont and the boundless creativity and innovation they brought to the brief. This project demonstrates that through complexity, truly great things can be delivered.”

Over the last 18 months Claremont has completed high profile projects for Shoosmiths (London), myenergi (Grimsby), USS (Liverpool & London), Marsh Mclennan (multi-site locations).

FORBO LAUNCHES NEW SPORTS FLOORING

Foorbo Flooring Systems is pleased to announce a new solution, which completes its education portfolio: Sportline multi use. This new highperformance vinyl sheet has been designed specifically for multi-purpose sports and community halls.

Meeting the requirements of Sports England and EN 14904 (P1 classification), Forbo’s Sportline multi use collection is safe, durable and low maintenance, making it the perfect solution for school and university sports halls, or local community centres that cater for a variety of activities, such as team sports, meetings, ceremonies or exams.

Available in four natural wood designs and eight vibrant, contemporary colours, Sportline multi use can be used as a stand-alone solution or alternatively, court markings can be applied to it with ease.

Lewis Cooper, Marketing Executive at Forbo Flooring Systems, commented: “With the introduction of the new Sportline multi use, we now have a solution for every single area of an education building, from entrances and classrooms to libraries and canteens and now, sports halls. With over 1 million m2 sold internationally, Sportline multi use o ers a trusted, reliable solution for your educational building.”

www.forbo-flooring.co.uk/sportline www.forbo-flooring.co.uk/education

CLIENTS DELIGHTED WITH WATER SAVING

RELIANCE HIGH-TECH ANNOUNCES DETAILS OF ITS FORTHCOMING TECHNOLOGY DAY AT MERCEDES-BENZ WORLD

Reliance High-Tech, the leading independent security technology integrator, has announced details of its next Technology Day, which takes place on 24th March at Mercedes-Benz World in Weybridge. Alongside a specially chosen group of technology partners, Reliance High-Tech will look at how the cloud is impacting and influencing the development of next generation security and access control solutions and how these should also align tightly with IT security strategies.

This ‘ticket only’ Technology Day will o er end users, consultants, Information Technology and facilities managers an opportunity to hear from a diverse array of leading security industry experts about latest technology developments and how these are influencing the future of electronic security. Senior personnel from industry leading technology giants Brivo, Eagle Eye, Milestone, Commend and Mobotix will present a range of topics in a number of executive briefings, covering a variety of issues such as the future of access control as a service, how hybrid solutions are integrating worlds, the evolution of surveillance camera technology, how analytics can be undertaken e iciently in the cloud, and the growth of video surveillance as a service.

Complimenting these key note speakers will be an all-day exhibit hall where delegates can get hands-on with technology from additional partner companies such as BCD Video, Tiger Bridge Technologies and Thinking So ware.

https://reliancehightech.co.uk/ info@reliancehightech.co.uk 0845 121 0802

MERIDIAN BAGLESS RECYCLING BIN

Leafield Environmental, a leading UK manufacturer and designer of recycling and litter bins are proud to have designed the Meridian ‘bagless’ recycling bin, saving thousands of bin bags being used each year reducing carbon emissions.

The unique benefit of Leafield’s ‘bagless’ Meridian recycling bin is its removable liners, preventing the need for bin bags. The Meridian recycling bin has been designed to segregate waste at source reducing contamination by users. The 110-litre version has been used by many customers to collect mixed recycling, general waste and food waste (30/40/30).

Waterblade Easy

Nigel at Waterblade says: "It’s really very straightforward. Firstly; we send you a sample to fit (in minutes), establish compatibility and assess. Secondly; we provide whatever product and case study data is required to complete the business case. Thirdly; Fit to all the washroom basins."

The Waterblade is easy to fit and WRAS approved.

www.thewaterblade.com nigel@thewaterblade.com

The Meridian recycling bins are easy to install, operate and clean. The black base is made from up to 100% recycled material. An integral A3 signage kit is included to feature information on the waste collected using WRAP compliant colours and recycling icons to communicate clearly to the user.

Vince Wright, UK Sales Manager at Leafield Environmental said: “We designed the Meridian recycling bin with internal liners, because we recognised the growing need to remove the use of bin bags. We are passionate to launch products that can play a role in achieving the Government’s target for the UK to be net zero carbon by 2050.”

www.leafieldrecycle.com recycle@leafieldenv.com 01225 816541

ERGONOMICS IN THE WORKPLACE

Working from home is part of the new norm. DURABLE o ers solutions for e icient and ergonomic workstations to ensure your employees are set up for home working e iciently.

It takes more than just a laptop to create a home o ice, so establishing what your employees require to be set up at home e ectively is the first step to implementing a good home working practice. Facilities Managers are familiar with ensuring employees are set up correctly with their required products in the o ice, now the challenge for Facility Managers is to recognise what is also needed at home.

Along with traditional o ice equipment to ensure proper posture and positioning, (such as an o ice chair and wrist supports) modern solutions can also create an ergonomic workspace by implementing the ‘clean-desk’ principle. Space may be limited for

your employees so keeping their workspaces clear and organised leads to fewer distractions and increased concentration.

VARICOLOR® Drawer Boxes and Monitor Mounts are useful tools as well as space-saving, and cable management products such as CAVOLINE® are a must for taming the cable spaghetti we o en find when working from home.

We know that our working environments have a huge e ect on us, so advising workers to set up their workspace by a window will provide natural light which works in harmony with the body’s circadian rhythm. And as the nights draw in, o ering human-centric lighting works as a good alternative.

Facilities Managers are needed to support employees to make this shi to home working as

seamless as possible. Checking in from time to time keeps employees feeling connected and more confident to ask for support.

To find out more about DURABLE, head over to www.durable-uk.com and view the extensive range of workplace solutions.

www.durable-uk.com

KLEEN-TEX COMMITS TO A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE WITH NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT LEAD

Kleen-Tex, one of the world’s leading floor mat manufacturers, has announced a new senior appointment as part of its significant investment into product development, to ensure it provides customers across the globe with sustainable, high performance matting solutions.

As part of Kleen-Tex’s evolving growth strategy, Steve Sargeant, Kleen-Tex’s new Head of New Product Development, will play an integral role in implementing the company’s major investment to further enhance the environmental credentials and functionality of its products.

With over 30 years’ experience in product development, marketing and commercial strategies, Steve began his career in Singapore at Philips Lighting, where he became the Lighting Design and Application Manager for Asia Pacific. More recently, Steve held the position of Head of Pricing Management at Zumtobel Group, before being appointed as Commercial Manager for Northern Europe.

Steve Sargeant said: “This is an extremely exciting time for Kleen-Tex as it undertakes major investment into developing the environmental e iciency of its comprehensive product range, whilst also meeting the needs of its diverse customer base throughout the Residential, Commercial and Industrial, Promotion and Textile industries.

“Across all divisions of the business, we are working together to achieve this, whilst simultaneously identifying opportunities for new product development to meet the ever-changing needs of Kleen-Tex’s customers.”

www.kleen-tex.co.uk

SNICKERS WORKWEAR – ISO COMPLIANT HIGH-VIS WORKWEAR

A Superior Range of Working Clothes for Class 1, 2 and 3 protection.

Snickers Workwear has an extensive range of High-Vis men’s and women’s workwear for all kinds of working environments and light conditions.

With Jackets, Trousers, Shorts, Toolvests, Shirts and Fleeces from Snickers’ LITEWork, FLEXIWork and ALLROUNDWORK families to choose from, there’s a host of di erent garments in the range to satisfy the specific requirements of Classes 1, 2 and 3 protection levels.

These 'outstanding' products combine with Snickers Workwear's unrivalled hallmarks of functionality and comfort to satisfy the ISO 20471:2013 standard for high visibility warning clothes.

With advanced designs, high-tech fabrics and performance reflection features, all the garments have durable colour-fast protection that will last for wash a er wash, retaining shape, comfort and protection levels throughout the life of the garments.

Added to which, Snickers Workwear High-Vis garments can be custom-profiled to ensure 'stand out' coverage for your corporate brand.

www.snickersworkwear.co.uk sales@hultaforsgroup.co.uk 01484 854788

THE STAGE IS BEING SET...

WELCOME TO THE 2022

KIMBERLY-CLARK PROFESSIONAL GOLDEN SERVICES AWARDS COMEDY STAR ED BYRNE ANNOUNCED AS HOST!

The Kimberly-Clark Professional™ Golden Service Awards bring together the whole industry – here are five reasons why it is the FM and Cleaning industry event of the year –including the announcement of comedian Ed Byrne as our 2022 host.

Since it began in 1991, the Kimberly -Clark Professional™ Golden Service Awards has become the must attend event in the cleaning and FM industry calendar. Clients, contractors and service companies join to celebrate the amazing role the industry continues to play in uncertain times with the very best from our FM and Contract Cleaning Professionals.

The stage is being set for the 2022 Awards and the winners will be revealed in front of 500 guests on Thursday 26th May, at the InterContinental London Park Lane.

Here are five reasons why the 2022 The KimberlyClark Professional™ Golden Service Awards is the event of the year:

1. Meet the stars - comedian Ed Byrne is announced as this year’s host Ed Byrne, stand-up comedian and TV star is announced as the host of the 2022 Kimberly-Clark Professional™ Golden Service Awards. During his twenty years in comedy, Ed has enjoyed huge critical and popular acclaim, performing hit tours,

sold out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe, success on next challenges together with even more success.

sold out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe, success on the West End and on radio and TV shows including Mock the Week and The Graham Norton Show. Also, joining us again as Master of Ceremonies / Voice of God is one of the most famous voices in Britain, Roger Tilling from University Challenge, the world’s longest-running TV quiz and the Royal Variety Performance.

2.

Network with best in the industry

For over 30 year the Golden Service Awards attracts the best in the industry and is attended by hundreds of representatives from the cleaning and FM sectors. It is the perfect opportunity to connect with key contacts, meet up with peers, mingle with new talent and make new contacts.

3. Team building and

hospitality

The Awards are also an opportunity to say thank you to hard working teams for their dedication and achievements during both challenging times and day-to-day, and to show gratitude to the support of customers and partners. Tables of 10 are available to provide the perfect opportunity for some team building or hospitality for VIPS.

4.

Be inspired – share the knowledge

This year more than ever, we as an industry have so much more to discuss and talking with our industry peers can help us all learn and meet the

next challenges together with even more success. There is no better place to find inspiration than the industry’s top event with the best of the best and the most exciting talent and innovations.

5. Celebrate industry achievements

Every time, the Golden Services Awards’ winners surpass expectations with their innovations and creativity. Whether a finalist, a winner or part of the industry, the awards ceremony is an opportunity to celebrate all our personal and collective achievements!!

Book your place at the industry event of 2022! To be part of the industry’s biggest event, book early to avoid disappointment, especially with large bookings. Contact Suzanne Howe Communications on 0203 468 0923 or email gsa@suzannehowe.com.

Tickets on sale now priced at £205 plus VAT. For more information about the event go to www. goldenserviceawards.co.uk/event.

Thank you to all our sponsors specifically our returning Gold Sponsor, the Cleaning and Hygiene Suppliers Association (CHSA), our Silver Sponsors Bunzl Cleaning & Hygiene Supplies, Nationwide Hygiene Group and Kärcher. Thanks also to the Bronze Sponsors Pearroc Limited and Truvox International.

www.goldenserviceawards.co.uk/event gsa@suzannehowe.com 0203 468 0923

AMEY APPOINTS LOCAL AUTHORITY BUSINESS DIRECTOR

Amey has appointed a new Business Director to oversee its local authority contracts. Taking responsibility for contracts in Sta ordshire, Kent, Tra ord and Surrey, plus Amey’s UK-wide tra ic management team, George Pargeter joins Amey from a 27-year career at Balfour Beatty, where he was most recently Project Director for the South East. Responsible for major schemes on behalf of National Highways, such as the A21 Tonbridge to Pembury, M20 Project Brock and Lower Thames Crossing Pre-Enabling Work, Pargeter brings considerable project delivery experience from initial contract negotiations through to successful completion and handover.

Having managed a wide range of civil engineering projects in the UK and internationally, he has worked extensively with national and local government agencies throughout his career. Delivering a vast portfolio of services with local authorities, Amey’s capabilities span highways maintenance and management, tra ic management, highways construction and the provision of waste management.

COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR APPOINTMENT FOR MACE’S FM BUSINESS

Janyne Gan has been appointed Commercial Director for Mace’s facilities management division, Operate. Gan’s appointment to the newly created role comes at a key time for the growth of Mace’s FM business. She will oversee the commercial function for the Operate division, ensuring continuous value on both new and existing contracts.

Gan joins the business from CBRE, where she was Commercial Director for its global workplace business. She has a strong background in the corporate real estate industry, and a great track record within the commercial sector in the EMEA region.

The appointment comes as the Operate business seeks to build on its success in 2021, securing further international contracts with corporate real estate clients. Mace’s Operate business manages o ices and facilities for clients globally. Operate o ers workplace experience and facility management services in the UK & Europe, Asia Pacific, the Americas and the Middle East.

ISS HIRES SAM HOCKMAN TO BOLSTER GLOBAL KEY ACCOUNTS EFFORTS

ISS A/S has appointed Sam Hockman as CEO, Global Key Accounts and member of the Executive Group Management as of June 2022.

The appointment relates to the organisational changes announced in December last year and will further strengthen the strategic focus on ISS’s Global Key Accounts.

Hockman will join ISS from Engie UK & Ireland where he is CEO of Energy & Technical Services. He is a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Chartered surveyors, the current Chair of the Confederation for British Industry’s (CBI) Public Sector Partners Council, the Chair of Smart Schools Councils, a rapidly growing technology focused education charity, and a former member of the Department for International Trade’s UK Investment Council. BusinessUnitDirector–London-£80-100k

COMMUNAL EFFORT

The great resignation - 'hospitality worker shortfall' - 'agile working' and even 'get back to the o ice'. With headlines like these we, a caterer and hospitality provider, should be in a precarious situation in terms of recruitment and retention if the headlines are anything to go by.

However, the reality is we've navigated the long two-year crossing to a new landscape with new rules and new outlooks. We've looked, listened, and learned and we intend 2022 to be our sixth year in the noted Best Places to Work in Hospitality.

We see our people as the DNA of our brand; each person is unique and when every individual is brought together, they create a force, synergy and energy to be reckoned with. A decade on since we started in business, we continue to strive to create an irreplicable atmosphere. Much like any community we change and adapt to the environments we are in and around the people we reach.

BUILD, ENGAGE AND SUSTAIN

To help build, engage and sustain such a sense of unity, we partnered with a networking professional, Susie Cery, who has demonstrable experience in creating thriving online communities and driving engagement. She is now recognised across the business as our Happiness O icer and has driven

our online and face-to-face community to ensure regularity and measurement in our internal communications. We also appreciate the value and voice of the entire team and have empowered our people at every level of the organisation to share news of their site, their team, industry know-how, their personal stories and learnings.

try our hardest to accommodate employees’ new expectation, however, we must never lose sight that our role is to provide exemplary in-person service.

A realistic salary, an entrepreneurial outlook to our business and the ability to be heard has proven a winning formula and helped drive employee satisfaction and longevity, as highlighted in our most recent Best Places to Work in Hospitality survey.

We don't just recognise our people through monetary means - we've awards and an annual ceremony to celebrate our community and its champions. We also have benefits that can be flexed to suit individual tastes and likes such as a health plan for our people and their dependents –providing financial contributions towards eye tests, dental appointments, physiotherapy as well as other alternative therapies, and access to mental and financial counselling. We also provide access to gym memberships and retail and travel discounts.

We also know that having a purpose as an organisation is a key di erentiator to employees and we are proud of the e orts we make to reuse, recycle and reduce, while using a local supply chain and the season’s harvests.

Salary: £31,052 - £36,228 per annum

Location: Yorkshire https://bit.ly/35pPzkW

SMART

Salary: £42,149 - £50,296 p.a

Location: Leeds https://bit.ly/3hLs1Kd

FACILITIES

Salary: £45k per year

Location: Gloucester https://bit.ly/36TK8LG

Engendering this sense of kinship has resulted in long service from our team and, even when the pandemic was at its peak, we were a trusted resource and support network. Like many of our clients’ businesses we migrated online for some months and through technology, with Susie Cery on hand having also created a programme to help some workers who were sadly subject to outplacement.

We recognise individuality and the power of an individual’s presence and encourage learning and development at every level, whether it's a first jobber looking for a break into the sector or a supervisor looking to develop their management skills and commercial ownership.

RECRUITMENT DRIVES

A key strategy is in employing best personality fit for our organisation while ensuring we’ve built an organisation rich in cultures and diversity. This considered strategy has cultivated ambassadorship amongst our people, helping us attract yet more like-minded people into our community.

Flexibility is also a key watchword for us, and we

In a game changing chapter we have navigated the austere headlines associated with the hospitality industry by our steadfast commitment to our team and our community of colleagues. 2022 is a new landscape for us all as we exit Plan B and entertain new scenarios that need innovation and flexibility and a team who are hungry for new challenges and who relish a new outlook.

VIRTUAL CLASSROOM

online training previously meant watching through pre-recorded video lessons, more recent virtual classrooms are live, interactive and engaging.

Simon Holt of Voltalia called the IOSH Managing Safely virtual classroom training he received by International Workplace, “the best delivered remote learning course I’ve come across in COVID times”. He continued: “The elements presented made a good impact and made the course feel really relevant! I’ve recommended this to others in my team to get up to speed with H&S culture.”

The tutor will usually give the lesson live, providing students the opportunity to ask questions and participate just like they would during a face-to-face lesson.

The di erence to ordinary video conferencing is that virtual classrooms can o er an added set of features. For example, virtual classroom so ware can allow instructors to:

Monitor student participation Use learning materials in the form of documents, slides, or multimedia files

One of the most obvious benefits of virtual classroom training is how it can be conveniently fitted in with students’ home or work life. Virtual training sessions can be completed from either home, work or any other convenient location.

Without the location or time limitations of a traditional classroom setting, students have the freedom to learn and engage with their peers, at a time and location that they will learn best.

In addition, travelling to attend training sessions can be stressful, expensive and time-consuming. Completing training in a virtual classroom eliminates the need to travel anywhere.

Time e iciency

Travelling to attend a training session can take a full day and sometimes even require an overnight stay if the venue is a long distance away. Attending a training session remotely only requires students to take the length of the training session out of their day.

Cost e iciency and scalability

Online training can be a more cost-e ective option than face-toface learning; the training sessions themselves can be more a ordable than in-person training as they accrue fewer overheads.

For businesses and organisations, putting employees through online training sessions also means less expense as face-to-face training may incur transport, accommodation, petrol and food costs.

For employers making decisions around employees’ training needs post COVID-19, many remain concerned about bringing high numbers of people into a physical classroom. As a result, the pandemic has pushed the ‘virtual classroom’ to the forefront, which allows employees to keep learning during a time when meeting trainers in-person has not necessarily been safe.

Virtual learning has changed the face of education in so many ways. Developments in technology mean that trainers can now deliver training sessions over the internet that e ectively replicate the in-person experience.

A virtual classroom brings trainers and students together, via the internet, in an online platform. Students log in to the virtual classroom at the time that the lesson is due to take place, via a

computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone connected to the internet.

This means training sessions can be accessed from any location with an internet connection, usually at home or at work.

Well-delivered training via virtual classrooms o ers the same high standard of in-person training. It also makes training more accessible for those with disabilities who might struggle to attend a physical classroom session.

If the virtual classroom is being used for compliance, or requires a test of knowledge, learners can get immediate feedback on how well they comprehended the information.

KEEPING LEARNERS ENGAGED

There are concerns that it is di icult to maintain learners’ attention when carrying out online training, but where

Enhance training with screensharing and virtual whiteboard features

Divide the participants into breakout rooms, which the instructor can join Record the sessions

As a result, virtual classroom lessons can be as engaging and interactive as in-person sessions, allowing students to ask questions in real time and participate in group activities.

Perhaps most importantly, a virtual classroom ensures human connection, a vital element of classroom teaching that video-on-demand courses don’t have. In a virtual classroom, students can voice their questions and interact with peers just like they would in a regular classroom.

OTHER BENEFITS Convenience

An additional benefit of virtual classrooms is that a larger number of students can attend at any one time. Physical classrooms o en limit seating to a maximum number. By contrast, virtual classrooms can accommodate higher numbers, allowing more students to attend classes at once.

MANAGING L&D WITH ONGOING HYBRID WORKING PATTERNS

Developments in technology have enabled the creation of virtual classroom learning, allowing students to continue to learn in a world where physical classroom lessons are not currently a safe or viable option. But this isn’t just a temporary substitute while we continue to deal with the e ects of COVID-19, it has become a beneficial method of education that will continue to rise in popularity and use.

Online training courses provide individuals with access to a virtual classroom, delivering a safe way to continue learning and developing their skills and knowledge. Kelly Mansfield of International Workplace explains how it works

AI and tech-driven workplace surveillance is increasing

Intrusive worker surveillance tech and AI risks “spiralling out of control” without stronger regulation to protect workers, the TUC has warned.

Le unchecked, the union body says that these technologies could lead to widespread discrimination, work intensification and unfair treatment.

The warning comes as the TUC publishes new polling, conducted by Britain Thinks, which reveals an overwhelming majority of workers (60 per cent) believe they have been subject to some form of surveillance and monitoring at their current or most recent job.

Apprentice recruitment up, but skilled electricians still in short supply

A lack of skilled electrical personnel is hurting electrotechnical contracting businesses, according to the latest Building Engineering Business Survey. As a result, businesses seem to be hiring more apprentices than ever.

Just under half (47 per cent) of respondents to the quarterly survey, which includes data from industry trade bodies ECA, BESA, SELECT and SNIPEF, said that “attracting the right calibre of people to the business” was their biggest worry. Forty-one per cent said their top concern this quarter was to “retain existing sta ”.

However, apprentice employment rates show signs of improvement, with 61 per cent of respondents saying they expect to employ the same number or more apprentices in Q1 2022 than in Q4 2021.

Acas publishes new bereavement advice

Acas has published new advice to help employers handle sta bereavement at work and understand an employee’s legal right to time o .

Acas Chief Executive, Susan Clews, said: “The death of a loved one is a devastating and life changing experience for any employee. It can impact someone at work immediately as well as long-term.

“We also cannot ignore the e ect that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on sta who have been unable to grieve in the usual way. Some people could not be with loved ones when they died or were not able to give them a proper send-o .

“Our new bereavement advice can help employers handle these di icult situations in a supportive, compassionate and practical way as well as understanding the law in this area.” www.acas.org.uk/time-o -for-bereavement

Four-day working week critical to post-pandemic economic growth

Businesses can fuel their post-pandemic growth by implementing a four-day week working model, according to the experience of one technology consultancy.

THRYVE, an emerging and critical technology recruitment business has reported a 31.9 per cent boost in sales since introducing a shorter working week in 2021.

At the same time,

customer satisfaction ratings based on service quality and delivery have increased to an unprecedented 100 per cent, whilst worker productivity has risen by a fi h (20 per cent).

John Lennon, MD at THRYVE, commented: “The concept of the four-day working week is nothing new. Over the last three years, the number of recruitment adverts that

mention it have tripled, yet they still only represent less than one per cent of all job postings.

“This suggests to me that beyond the hype of implementing a shorter worker week, the appetite for changing traditional working practices remains low. The reason for this, I believe, is a lack of publicly available evidence to support the business case for its introduction.”

ESG moves up agenda as UK employers see significant changes in employee expectations

The majority (93 per cent) of employers believe employees’ expectations at work are changing, with the largest shi s being around employer purpose as well as employee mental health, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).

According to Aon’s UK Benefits and Trends Survey 2022, there has been a 44-percentage point increase in the number of employers that recognise their employees expect better awareness and handling of mental health - rising from 38 per cent to 82 per cent in the last year.

There are also higher expectations around employer actions when it comes to ESG and DEI issues. Seventy-seven per cent of employers think employees expect better approaches to DEI, up from 70 per cent last year. Six in 10 employers (60 per cent) think employees expect more emphasis on environmental and sustainability policies or benefits, up from 51 per cent in 2021.

Colin Barnes, Head of Advisory and Specialities, Aon, said: “The results of this year’s survey show the rapid rise in the importance of wellbeing, inclusivity and sustainability. What an employer stands for - the purpose and brand - is incredibly important, particularly in this labour market where people are choosing their roles carefully. Employees and candidates are generally seeking an employer that provides purpose, o ers diversity, equity and inclusion and shows genuine care for its impact on the planet, the community in which it operates and the people that it employs.”