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This edition of FMA Online is
proudly supported by HAYS FM 
Issue 22, Mar 2008
Ceo Message
This month I am very pleased and excited to announce the launch of our new online procurement platform, FMA eStore. We have teamed up with thinkgroup, a leading Australian provider of business procurement services, to offer you the ability to purchase from a vast range of household and personal products including computers, mobile phones, printers, televisions, cosmetics, fragrances, gifts and much more. The great news for FMA Australia members is that you should consistently find product prices in most cases to be significantly below those at retail outlets. The reason for this is that when you shop at FMA eStore, you become part of a buying group. The more people that use the facility, the more power thinkgroup has to negotiate better prices from suppliers on your behalf. The choice of products available really is impressive (over 65,000 and steadily increasing) comprising over 1,100 brands from more than 60 suppliers. If you’re a member of FMA Australia you will shortly receive your login details via email, entitling you to better pricing than non-members. The site is very easy to use, so once you’ve logged in you’ll be able to find what you’re looking for fast. You can even use FMA eStore as a tool for price comparison and use it to compare retail offers. The system checks and updates the prices for you every day, so the prices you see are always the best deals available. It’s a great way of saving yourself time and money on products that you need on a daily basis and the more items you order at one time, the more you save, as the delivery cost is fixed. FMA eStore is vendor independent which means that it acts in the customer’s best interest. thinkgroup recommends product suppliers based on their performance to clients. They are not obliged to sell one particular supplier’s products over another which means that you always get the best possible service and value for money. You will also find that there is an extensive range of office products available via FMA eStore. If you are responsible for the procurement of assets for your business, as many facility managers are, then this could be a huge bonus for you. You can take advantage of thinkgroup’s buying power, enabling you to cut costs for your company when ordering office supplies in bulk, as well as simplifying the procurement process by buying everything from one site. So, not only can you benefit as an individual from FMA eStore, you can secure significant gains for your organisation too. I believe that FMA eStore is a fantastic new system and I’m sure, once you’ve had a look, you will too. Click here to see for yourself and start shopping. As always, we would appreciate any feedback that you would like to give on FMA eStore once you’ve had the opportunity to visit the site. thinkgroup is continually expanding its portfolio of products so watch this space for more information on new procurement offers available via FMA eStore, including travel and advertising. With ideaction ’08 fast approaching the time has come to nominate for the 2008 Awards for Excellence, which will be presented at the conference gala dinner. Please take the time to nominate yourself, a colleague or a project in one of these four categories:
This will ensure that high achievers in the industry get the recognition they deserve as well as helping to raise the profile of facility management. You only have until 5.00pm on 31 March to nominate, so click here to have a look at the Awards categories and criteria in detail and make your nomination. Until next time… David Duncan Issue Contents
 Edition Supporterideaction '08Branch NewsGeneral NewsEdition Supporter HAYS FM: Recruitment Update
Hays Facilities Management has grown to become synonymous with many of the industry’s key appointments and recruits the very best candidates from director to entry level. Hays Facilities Management is delighted to be supporting FMA Online and here presents their latest update: Avoid the tug-of-warThe New Year is well underway, and if the first two months are a litmus test for the remainder of the year, there are several trends that will make their mark this year. Firstly, many organisations are competing for the same candidates in areas of acute shortages. It is not uncommon for candidates in areas where the skills shortage is most acute to receive multiple offers of employment. In these cases organisations across the country find they are competing for the same candidates and this will place pressure on employers to differentiate their offer and stand out early in the recruitment process to avoid this tug-of-war. Other trends that will continue to make a strong impact on the recruitment market include the ability to communicate with a clear message and cut through the clutter with unique and targeted candidate attraction strategies. Knowing what’s happening in the market and who’s reading/clicking on what is critical to finding the jobseeker you are looking for! The recruitment process also needs to become swifter, even for organisations with multiple steps. Many more candidates are now offered a position at first interview since companies are keen to gain commitment face-to-face. Those organisations that do not address the speed of their recruitment process could find themselves missing out on their preferred candidate in 2008’s tight candidate market. It may seem surprising, but based on the first two months of the year it is clear that retention still isn’t getting the attention it needs from all organisations. Every manager in an organisation has a role to play in a retention strategy and with many organisations experiencing rapid growth, a focus on retention will need to become integral to maintain growth long-term. The use of contractors is also emerging as a focus this year. Contractors are being used as a measure to fill staffing gaps and ensure workloads are completed while a permanent employee is sourced. Contract workers can allow continuity of work without disruption. They are enthusiastic and innovative, and they also allow a business to employ specific skills only when required. As they are an interim resource, they are retained only for as long as their skills are required and until workloads return to usual levels. Another trend is candidate buy-in, when an applicant is engaged enough with the company and position at interview stage, not to just accept an organisation’s culture but also to believe that the role and the organisation are right for them. Also the registration of open requirements with recruitment firms has become popular this year. It involves employers interviewing a suitable candidate that match their criteria any time they become available, regardless of current vacancies. To discuss your career direction, contact Hays Facilities Management, or visit our website www.hays.com.au for more details: Melbourne 03 8616 8400 In addition to traditional recruitment services, Hays Facilities Management can offer a range of unique value-added services, including:
ideaction '08 Have you registered for ideaction ‘08?
Have you registered for ideaction ‘08?Early Bird closing date extended to 19th March!Don’t miss out – Register now for the premier FM event of the year or visit www.fma.com.au for more information. Come and join us as at ideaction ‘08 for a program which includes an impressive line-up of key industry representatives and thought-leaders who will challenge current perspectives and provide insights into what the future holds for the FM profession globally. Engage with speakers like Dr Peter Ellyard, futurist, strategist and Chairman of the Preferred Futures Institute, who will address the increasing demands for corporate accountability with respect to sustainability performance. With his experience as Senior Adviser to the United Nations system for more than 30 years, including to the 1992 Earth Summit on both the climate change and the biodiversity conventions, he is well placed to comment on the future of our global communities with regards to sustainability. Peter has also been a senior consultant to the UNEP, UNDP and UNESCO, advised the OECD for over 20 years and is the author of the best-selling books, Ideas for the New Millennium and The Birth of Planetism. Be challenged by Romilly Madew, Chief Executive, Green Building Council of Australia, focussing on the opportunities and capacity within the property sector to reduce its impact on the environment and to become the most significant contributor to Australia’s efforts in dealing with climate change. Learn from Lindsay Bevege, Managing Director, Business Outlook & Evaluation, how the move to sustainable office accommodation can lead to improvements in a broad range of business productivity indicators. Be inspired by Embedded Intelligence as Keith Brewis Director, Grimshaw Architects Australia, outlines the practice philosophy, which embodies the phenomenon of “collective memory” characterised by structural legibility, innovation and rigorous approach to detailing and sustainability. Or discover and experience the complexities of unique facilities and the challenges of sustainability in the built environment at the site visits on Wednesday, May 7, 2008. Other speakers from the program include: “Practical Guide to Socially Sustainable Facilities” “Technology Innovations Simplify Carbon Management” “The Colour of Money: The Business Case for Environmentally Sustainable Development” “City Central: Post occupancy evaluation of a sustainable high performance workplace.” “The Impact and Measurement of Change on People and Place” “What, in the New IR Laws, is Relevant to FM Entities” “DEGW Strategic Brief for Stockland ‘Stockholme’ Workplace Revitalisation” “Sustainable Cultural Change” “Sustainability in Building Regulation” “Case Study: Exploring opportunities to apply sustainability practices to an existing multi function campus” “Realising the Full Potential of Life Cycle Costing” “The Process involved in Managing Buildings in a Sustainable Manner” “Pimpama Coomera Waterfuture Master Plan” “The Role of Facility Ecology for Quantitative Productivity, Performance and Wellbeing Gains in Buildings” Register now or visit www.fma.com.au for more information. We look forward to welcoming you to the Conference. For enquiries or more information, contact the conference office: Think Business Events Branch News FMA Australia VIC Branch News
Victorian Branch Report February has passed us in a blur, and it has robbed us of the early morning light and the promise of endless relaxed summer barbeques! However, every season brings with it the promise of new beginnings and Autumn is no exception. The Victorian branch was pleased to hear of several new promises, including:
There are other encouraging signs, such as the attendance numbers and feedback on our branch functions, but probably the most exciting sign of the importance of the facilities manager and the role they play in the extensive property world was at the Green Cities Conference in Sydney in early February. Green Cities is obviously focused on educating the property market on the pitfalls and penalties of not following the green star ratings in buildings, plus of course the initiatives and incentives to take the lead in this challenge. On the first day of the conference, there was one concurrent session that addressed ‘Post Occupancy: The Green building FM Challenge’. This was a role playing panel session and I was amongst about 150 people turned away from the session as it was too popular for the space allocated to it. This was the only session at the conference that was run twice to accommodate the level of interest. To me, this says four things:
My promise to you is that this industry is going to continue to grow and the realisation of the importance of the Facilities Manager is going to grow with it. FMA Australia Committee member profileCommittee member Trish Ferrier, recently embarked on a ‘sea change’ in her career and joined the Royal Freemasons Homes of Victoria (RFHV) in the role of Property Manager. RFHV is a leading non-government, not-for-profit provider of aged care services in Victoria with a proud history of aged care spanning 139 years. The organisation is dedicated to meeting the needs and preference of residents and clients and endeavours to provide a wide range of quality options in both residential and community care. Trish’s property portfolio includes high and low care accommodation, independent living units and a number of offices providing outreach services to clients. These are located both in metropolitan and country locations. One of the most rewarding things about this new position for Trish, is the ability to make a positive difference to the lives of her clients and the satisfaction she feels from doing this. On behalf of the Vic committee, we wish Trish all the very best in her new position at RFHV. FMA Victoria February Luncheon
Unfortunately I was unable to attend this event due to illness so I would like to thank fellow committee member, Lou la Delfa, for stepping up to the challenge at the very last minute! The feedback from the luncheon was excellent and I believe it was a day enjoyed by all! Below are some photos of several luncheon goers at this function.
Upcoming events2008 is bringing some outstanding Vic branch events to you, a list of dates below for your calendar: March 14 – Vic Branch Luncheon @ RACV Club
April 30 (tbc) – Vic Arts Centre site visit and lunch June 5 – Vic Branch WORLD ENVIRONMENTAL LUNCH FORUM July 11 August 29 September 19 October 17 November 21 – speaker to be confirmed December 19 – Vic branch Christmas lunch We are very much looking forward to seeing you at our upcoming events! Kristiana Greenwood VIC BRANCH TAKE ON A NEW CHALLENGELate last year, the Victorian branch of FMA Australia pledged sponsorship support to Challenge, a not-for-profit organisation that provides support to children and their families coping with cancer and other life-threatening blood disorders. FMA Online’s Bianca Frost spoke with Victorian branch chair, Kristiana Greenwood, and Challenge CEO, David Rogers, about the challenge ahead.
Late last year, the Victorian branch of FMA Australia pledged sponsorship support to Challenge, a not-for-profit organisation that provides support to children and their families coping with cancer and other life-threatening blood disorders. FMA Online’s Bianca Frost spoke with Victorian branch chair, Kristiana Greenwood, and Challenge CEO, David Rogers, about the challenge ahead. Victorian branch Chair, Kristiana Greenwood, says that the Victorian branch’s decision to fund Challenge stemmed from the close personal experience of childhood cancer that many Victorian branch members had encountered. “We had been sponsoring the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund (JDRF) for about three years, when we started to consider what other charitable organisations we might be able to support. “When we started talking about what group we might support, it became clear that just about everybody on the Victorian committee had some experience of a child, or a friend’s child, or a friend of a friend’s child, who had been diagnosed with cancer,” says Ms Greenwood. Challenge CEO, David Rogers explains that the aim of Challenge is to provide a program that supports children and their families living with cancer on a daily basis. “We provide what a lot of people take for granted such as hospital equipment and computers. We find out what people did before they got sick and work to make sure that we can continue to support them throughout their journey in both hospital and community settings,” says Mr. Rogers. “We look at how we can help these families through difficult times – whether it’s cleaning houses, mowing lawns or offering financial assistance. We also run camps and activities every weekend so that families can have some time-out together from the rigours of treatment.” Ms Greenwood said that the assistance provided by Challenge had inspired the Victorian branch committee. “Challenge offer amazing support to these children and their families, so we decided, as a team, to support them.” Ms Greenwood also cited Challenge’s model of support for corporate donors as another reason for supporting the charity. “We have an FMA Australia golf day coming up in April, and Challenge are going to support us by supplying some professional golfers to come along and be on the course to take shots for you and it will only cost you a small donations of $5 or more!,” explains Ms Greenwood. “We are also looking to have gourmet sausage sizzles and barbeques set up around the course and will be selling raffle tickets with prizes donated by other Challenge sponsors. “In addition we have a World Environment Day luncheon coming up on 5 June which Challenge will again be involved with.” As part of their partnership with Challenge, the Victorian Branch will have access to guest speakers such as Challenge chairman, Tom Gleisner, writer and comedian of The Panel, The Dish and The Castle fame; tennis player, Todd Woodbridge; former Collingwood captain and Challenge patron, Nathan Buckley; and Melbourne-born, professional golfer, Robert Allenby. “Challenge actively works together with corporates to assist them in raising funds, which makes our life a lot easier,” she said. “Not only can they supply us with guest speakers for our monthly FMA Australia Victorian branch lunches, they can also assist by providing prizes for raffles and auction items. We also donate $2 from branch lunch registrations directly to Challenge,” says Ms Greenwood. Mr. Rogers says that Challenge’s corporate partnerships are strategically very important to their organisation. “We don’t spend any money telling people what we do, instead we spend it all doing what we do. Building a relationship with FMA Australia is very important to us because it allows us to build our brand in a soft manner, while still receiving revenue to fund our programs,” he says. The Victorian FMA Australia branch hopes to raise around $20,000 for Challenge this financial year. The FMA Australia Victorian branch Golf Day will be held at Albert Park Golf Course on April 18. Their World Environmental Day lunch with guest speaker, Rob Gell, will be held at Melbourne’s RACV Club on June 5. For enquiries about either event, contact Stacey Vassiliadis, FMA Australia National Office by phone on (03) 8641 6610 or via email at sv@fma.com.au For more information about Challenge, visit www.challenge.org.au FMA Australia QLD Branch News
Site Visit With an escalating demand for the new Green Star rated buildings expected to hit the Brisbane market, owners and managers of existing properties need to be thinking of how their current stock will be positioned. The Queensland Branch’s breakfast and site visit to 63 George Street offered attendees plenty of ideas and encouragement surrounding the all-important issue of refurbishment. The 63 George Street project will ultimately see the former Health and Welfare Building conjoined to the adjacent David Longland Building. Contemporary fit-out, energy-efficient HVAC, new lift services, water harvesting and the latest data and communications will see these two former buildings revitalised to live well into the 21st century as a single entity. The project is being undertaken as a managing contract under a guaranteed construction sum between Watpac Refurbishment Pty Ltd and the Department of Public Works and will yield over 10,000 square metres of government office accommodation. Following a delicious breakfast, attendees enjoyed two presentations by Greg Sneyd of Watpac and Axl Driml of the Department of Public Works, before undertaking a comprehensive tour of the site. QLD branch would like to thank sponsors of the event, Watpac Refurbishments.
Upcoming Events 19 March Lunchtime forum The March Lunchtime forum is one not to be missed, providing a valuable and essential overview of statutory requirements for fire installations and office fit-outs. FMA Australia Queensland Branch invites members and guests to participate in a dual presentation from Geoffrey Vick and Norman Bergin of the Hendry Group. Presentation 1 - Fire Safety Installations Statutory Maintenance & Reporting Requirements Topics to be covered:
Presentation 2 - Fit-outs and alterations to buildings – When approval is required and how to obtain it! Norman is a Senior Building Surveyor with the Hendry Group and has 30 years experience in the building industry. He will present an overview of Queensland legislative requirements in relation to major and minor fit-outs of new and existing buildings & the specific obligations of Owners and Occupiers triggered by such projects. Topics to be covered:
To register please contact Racheal Beggs on 03 8641 6666 or email rb@fma.com.au or visit the events area on www.fma.com.au EcoBiz EcoBiz Office is an EPA partnership program helping building owners and tenants to retrofit or refurbish buildings or parts of buildings to improve their environmental performance. Any Queensland building owner and/or tenant undertaking a refurbishment or retrofit, addressing energy and water efficiencies, and material disposal, is eligible to apply. Eligible costs include:
The closing date for applications has been extended to COB, Monday, March 10, 2008. Click here for further information on the EcoBiz Office program and how to apply. FMA Australia ACT Branch News
Welcome to the first Quarter of 2008 Now that the fallout of the Federal elections late last year is becoming clearer to both the public and private sectors, many Facility Managers in Canberra have their work cut out for the rest of this financial year. Many have to modify their plans to fit in with the new parent department, or at least revisit their long term plans to align themselves with the new visions and strategies. And Facility Managers everywhere are also busy preparing for their budget bids for 2008-09. Like previous years, the FMA Australia ACT Branch Committee remains supportive to its local members, and has plans for events with relevant topics and site visits, unique to the Canberra region. Whilst we are still finalising the FMA AustraliaACT Branch calendar for 2008, we would welcome any suggestions from members and the local FM industry for topics, sites and issues which you would like us to include this year. Members are also welcome to participate in the ACT Branch Committee meeting, usually held on the third Tuesday of each month, commencing at 5.30pm. The meeting is usually held at the Facilities Meeting room of the AIS Arena, Bruce. Please contact the ACT Branch Chair, Peter Mollison, (6214 1748) for further details or if you would like to make suggestions etc. March EventLunch Time Forum – Approaches in Planning for the new Workplace The first event for 2008 will be a lunch time forum, to be held on Friday 29 March in the Marathon Room, AIS Visitors Centre, Bruce, commencing at 12.15pm. The topic for this forum will be Approaches in Planning for the New Workplace. We will cover the approach adopted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in planning for their new office accommodation across Australia and also find out what the Y Generation is looking for in their workplace. Register yourself and your colleagues now by contacting Raceal Beggs on 03 8641 6666 or email rb@fma.com.au or visit our website and book on line at www.fma.com.au Coming EventsSome of the suggested topics for 2008 include:
Plus the ever popular:
For registration details for all these events, please visit www.fma.com.au and view the ACT section, here you can register for any of these events on line. FMA Australia WA Branch News
The WA FMA Australia Branch had their first official event of 2008 on the 27 February with an interesting visit to Westralia Airport. Numbers were limited due to strict security concerns however a lucky 21 members attended the successful event. Brett Jackson, General Manager Assets, gave an in-depth presentation outlining the future expansion plans for the Perth Airport and the planning that this has involved. The impact of the mining and resources boom in WA, population growth figures and the introduction of greater numbers of budget airlines have all featured significantly in the planning stages. The sheer size and shape of the expansion plans impressed all present, whilst the Facilities Management concerns related to this expansion were fascinating and at times unique in order to cater to the specialist Airport needs. In the next issue of WA Branch news you will see all the photos from this fun day! Here is a sneak peak at some of the attendees…
Future EventsWe have confirmed an active calendar of events for 2008 focusing on four key areas:
This includes:
We can also announce an exciting glimpse into the 2009 calendar with February 2009 looking at Facilities Management Planning for the Fiona Stanley Hospital. Book in early so that you don’t miss out on the March visit,. For further information on event bookings visit www.fma.com.au or phone Racheal Beggs on 03 8641 6666 or email rb@fma.com.au Curtin University of Technology is again offering a course in Facilities Management in 2008. Associate Professor David Baccarini has developed two units that are scheduled for the benefit of working Facilities Management professionals in the evenings of first and second semester. With two other units (Project Management and Strategic Procurement) this would give a formal qualification of Graduate Certificate of Facilities Management and enhance the professionalism of any Facilities Management practitioner. Further details can be found at: http://handbook.curtin.edu.au/courses/30/307071.html 15 students need to enroll for the course to proceed. If this course is something that you wish to pursue, or if you believe that members of your team would acquire value through obtaining qualifications, please contact Gerald Stack in the first instance, on gerald.stack@uwa.edu.au. March 2008 moving forwardThe FMA Australia committee would like to thank Brett Jackson and Daniel Balestri for organising February’s fun and interesting afternoon at Westralia Airport, and also John Munro for his hugely informative and fact-filled tour of the facilities. Thankyou to all those members who attended the event and made it such a successful and enjoyable outing! We look forward to seeing all of the FMA Australia WA members at the events planned for later this year (book your diaries now for the next one planned for the 26 March visiting the City of Wanneroo). Stay tuned for further updates! From the committee to all FMA members we wish you a very happy and safe Easter. Amie Montefiore FMA Australia NSW Branch News
EventsOn February 13 the NSW Branch held it’s first lunch for 2008. The topic was a case study on a recent sustainable fit-out of the Victorian Office of Sustainability. We were fortunate to have two guest speakers, Shailja Chandra from SKM and Ande Bunbury from Sustainability Victoria. This event drew one of the largest gatherings to a NSW Lunch, and required a change of venue to accommodate the number guests! Set amongst the views of Darling Harbour the 200 guests were presented with an insight on what to consider when attempting a fit-out and ways to achieve an optimal result where consideration towards the environment can produce longer-term savings amongst the organisation. I would like to thank Shailja and Ande for their time, travelling all the way from Melbourne especially to present to the NSW audience. I would also like to thank the support of SKM who sponsored the event and enabled us to share information on their project to a wider FM audience through out the year. March Luncheon - Wednesday 12 March The changing world of maintenance and energy in pre-loved buildings presented by Laurie Reeves – Southern Regional Manger of Hirotec Maintenance, a company specialising in technical maintenance in commercial buildings and other occupied environment facilities. Over the past 15 years maintenance attitudes and practices have changed. Maintenance of a building’s energy consuming services is gaining importance as organisations pursue the balance between environmental morality and economic reality. For more information on Laurie presentation, please go to www.fma.com.au or contact Racheal Beggs on 03 8641 6603 or rb@fma.com.au Golf Day – Wednesday 19 March Registrations are flooding for the upcoming NSW Branch Annual Golf Day set to be held at the beautiful St Michael’s Golf Courses on Wednesday, 19 March 2008. The St Michael's Golf Course which is set atop the cliffs of Little Bay offers spectacular 180 degree uninterrupted views of the Pacific Ocean. To make the event efficient and enjoyable, Golf Buggies are ready to go, drinks and snacks are ordered and the gourmet dinner has been arranged for 7:00pm and the shotgun start is at 12.30pm. The NSW Branch Golf Day is widely recognised as the most popular social event in the NSW FM calendar and provides a great networking opportunity. We are happy to announce that support packages are being taken up. We would like to thank our major sponsors Judd Farris together with the proud supporter of the longest drive, Culligan Water. There are still some attractive support packages available to promote your brand and services. Please contact Racheal Beggs on 03 8641 6603 for further questions. General News 2008 Awards for Excellence Have You Nominated?Each year, FMA Australia recognises outstanding achievements in the facility management industry through its Awards for Excellence. The Awards are divided into four categories which reflect areas of the FM industry in which individuals or companies can have an exceptional impact and help to raise the profile of facility management in the wider community. They are:
Nominations for the 2008 Awards for Excellence are now open and we need your nomination to ensure that those people shaping the future of the FM industry are recognised and rewarded for what they do. The Awards will be presented at the ideaction ’08 Gala Dinner on Thursday 8 May 2008. Please click here for more information on the Awards categories and to nominate. Don’t forget, nominations must be received no later than 5pm 31 March 2008. Feature: Safety in the Workplace The importance of risk management in FMFacility managers are frequently responsible for a large contingent of outsourced, contract labour including workers from the trade, construction and soft-services industries. While outsourcing was once seen as a way of offsetting occupational health and safety responsibilities, this is no longer – legally or morally – the case. FMA Online’s Bianca Frost spoke to Fred Lehmann, independent Safety Risk analyst, and former Director of Safety for the Australian Defence Force, about safety in the workplace and how agencies, as principals in all contract arrangements, still carry the main risks and responsibilities for safety issues with works carried out under contract.
Worldwide, there are 1.1 million workplace deaths per year and over 250 million occupational accidents per year. That is the equivalent of 3000 deaths and 685,000 accidents per day. Facility managers are frequently responsible for a large contingent of outsourced, contract labour including workers from the trade, construction and soft-services industries. While outsourcing was once seen as a way of offsetting occupational health and safety responsibilities, this is no longer – legally or morally – the case. FMA Online’s Bianca Frost spoke to Fred Lehmann, independent Safety Risk analyst, and former Director of Safety for the Australian Defence Force, about safety in the workplace and how agencies, as principals in all contract arrangements, still carry the main risks and responsibilities for safety issues with works carried out under contract. FMA Online: What is your background? FMA Online: How did you get involved in OH&S? FMA Online: What are the current trends in OH&S? Risk management is really the ultimate way to manage safety because employers try very hard to comply with various codes of practice and legislation, but if they were to employ a risk management strategy they would be likely to achieve even greater compliance by employing risk management as a safety tool. FMA Online: What responsibilities do individuals have in OH&S? FMA Online: Does outsourcing remove the onus of responsibility from contract agencies? FMA Online: What would you say the implications of outsourcing have been? FMA Online: You are a big advocate of risk management. What can you tell us about the role of risk management in workplace safety? In every case, if a risk can be avoided then that path to job completion should be taken. Total elimination of the risk is always the best instance. There are various risks that you can mitigate simply by putting various administrative measures in place and then there are a whole range of different risk treatments that can be engaged to mitigate those risks that can’t be entirely eliminated. Once a mitigation strategy has been identified, you then need to determine what the residual risks are. Sometimes by employing a particular risk treatment, it mightn’t mitigate the risk enough to make it safe enough to do. For example, a risk might be rated very high and when you engage a particular risk treatment, it might only reduce the risk level to high. In such a case, you might need to look at other risk treatments that will better reduce that risk. FMA Online: In terms of FM, what could or should facility managers be doing with regards to monitoring their contract arrangements? FMA Online: What laws cover or pertain to workplace safety? FMA Online: How, and on what levels, can individuals be held accountable for accidents in the workplace? There are a whole range of different things that can be fixed once they’re identified, so that it doesn’t happen again. That’s the key: trying to have a system in place so that if you do have an accident or an incident, you can locate the dominoes that fell over and caused that incident to happen. If you can do that, then you’ve gone a long way in ensuring that it doesn’t happen again. FMA Online: What is the common law criteria regarding responsibility for workplace accidents? If you look at those four factors as part of a risk management process, you can go a long way to identifying and mitigating risks in the workplace. FMA Online: Is there a problem in the tender process where procurement are fixated on getting things at the lowest cost, perhaps at the expense of safety? FMA Online: If that’s the case, would you be advocating that organisations include some kind of policy statement in their request for tender? FMA Online: Can you give an example of how cost-cutting can compromise safety? If the details are not explored thoroughly enough or are not detailed well enough, then tenders are won by the cheapest contractors. We need to ensure that in any documentation, and in any procurement process, that the detail is sufficient to ensure that safety is properly and adequately covered. FMA Online: What is the difference between minimum compliance and best practice? FMA Online: Where does Australia sit in relation to the rest of the world with regard to OH&S best practice? Australia is improving all the time, but I would like to see government devote more resources to assisting the jurisdictions employ the necessary staff to get the necessary information out there in the community. FMA Building Services Special Interest Group 2007 in review and 2008, the year aheadThe Facility Management Association’s Building Services Special Interest Group conducted nine events in 2007. These were either expert presentations or site visits. These events are part of the SIG’s continuing efforts to provide opportunities for facility managers to improve their understanding of building services. They are a great opportunity to hear from experts in the field or be shown around a facility and learn about its technical systems in the company of the facility manager and building services professionals. February 07- Experts PresentationReduce, Reuse, Recycle – Water Conservation for Facility Managers In an excellent presentation to over 95 attendees, Jenny Jacob, Manager Supply and Facilities at Yarra Valley Water, presented the comprehensive water conservation measures installed at Yarra Valley Water’s Mitcham Headquarters facility. Jenny also offered her insights into the “tips and traps” of implementing a significant water management initiative. Rob Quinn from National Project Consultants in Sydney was also on hand to showcase the Water Efficiency Guide for Australian Office and Public Buildings. This document allows facility and building managers to benchmark their water consumption and costs against published industry averages and best practice standards. Rob was responsible for the development of the document and a free hard copy was provided all attendees. The Guide can be downloaded from the Commonwealth Department of Environment and Water Resources website at: http://www.environment.gov.au/settlements/publications/government/water-efficiency-guide.html April 07 - Experts PresentationBuilding Security Systems and Technologies - Tips, Traps and the Latest Trends With the growing demand for better security in buildings and the increasing use of sophisticated and expensive technology, these systems have become a considerable issue for facility managers. The April Experts Presentation was an excellent opportunity for the 22 attendees to hear industry experts provide advice and direction on ensuring you get the best system for your facility, and where technology is taking the systems in the future. John Myszka of Alan Brown and Associates, spoke from a consultants perspective about specifying and setting up security systems, and the associated traps and pitfalls including the issues around proprietary and non proprietary products. Matthew Scarman from TAC Pacific, provided a very interesting update on the latest building security technologies, future technology trends and what these might mean for facility managers. May 07 – Site VisitClipsal Powerhouse With building automation systems’ growing in complexity, the Clipsal Powerhouse offered approximately 35 attendees an opportunity to see a straightforward controls and automation technology demonstrated and clearly explained in an installed environment. David Rybicki from Clipsal Integrated Systems, provided an explanation of the C-Bus Automation System and discussed its application for commercial, residential and hotel properties. Common applications include control of heating & cooling, lighting, AV and other systems which can all be integrated into a common user interface. June 07 - Experts PresentationThe Ups and Downs of Lifts and Escalators: Best Practice Management and New Technologies Lifts and Escalators are some of the least understood, but most used elements in a building. They are a specialised technology that facility managers need to know more about to ensure efficient, cost effective and importantly safe operation of their facility. There are a wide range of technologies involved, a detailed regulatory regime and complex considerations when it comes to changes or upgrades. The June Experts Presentation gave over 35 attendees the opportunity to hear Ian McWaters of Transport Design Consultants (TDC), a senior and longstanding industry expert, provide a very informative presentation that addressed the best practice aspects of owning and maintaining lifts and escalators. In particular, he covered the regulatory environment around lifts and escalators and provided guidance with respect to maintenance and upgrades and refurbishments. Ian also offered and insightful update on the latest lift and escalator technologies, future technology trends and what these might mean for facility managers. July 07 – Back of House Site VisitFederation Square Federation Square has become Victoria’s favourite attraction with over six million visitors annually. Mark Bullen and the FM team from Federation Square, ensured that our group enjoyed a fascinating back of house tour and provided a detailed explanation of a wide range of innovative building services from the Square’s unique ‘Labyrinth’ passive cooling system through to its sophisticated air conditioning, water management and lighting systems. The group learnt about the number of significant water conservation systems featured in the complex and heard about the challenges of accommodating over 2000 events annually. For More Information on Federation Square go to: http://www.federationsquare.com.au August07 – Back of House Site VisitVictorian Division Lunch at the MCG The recent $434 million redevelopment of the MCG is a major milestone for the facilities management team in the ongoing story of this 150 year old iconic world class stadium. Over 110 attendees to the morning back of house tour got a behind-the-scenes look at some of the world’s most sophisticated stadium building services; from state-of-the-art air conditioning, ventilation and fire protection systems to leading edge lighting systems. The tour groups were given detailed insights into these systems and their ongoing maintenance and management. Peter Wearne and his very professional FM team, provided excellent insights into the sophistication and professionalism they bring to managing this extremely busy landmark Melbourne icon. Following the site visit, a luncheon of 160 enjoyed “From Commonwealth Games to AFL”, presented by Peter Wearne. For more information on the MCG go to: http://www.mcg.org.au/default.asp?pg=redevelopment September 07 – Back of House Site VisitSouthern Cross Station The $700 million Southern Cross Station project is one of the most significant infrastructure developments Victoria has ever seen. The new airport-style transport interchange provides Victorians with a world class and iconic landmark. The project was one of the largest public private partnerships in Australia to date and the September site visit provided insights into the redevelopment of the facility around a fully functioning railway station and the buildings features, as well as a chance to climb onto the stunning wave form roof structure and a detailed inspection of the sophisticated building services. Murray Walls and the FM Team provided the group with an understanding of the day-to-day challenges that face the facility management team in supporting the sustainable operation of this stunning new transportation facility. For more information on Southern Cross Station go to: http://www.vline.com.au/maps/stations/southerncross.html October 07 – Back of House Site Visit40 Albert Road This four-storey building in South Melbourne, built in 1987, was regenerated during 2004-05 to world-leading environmental standards. It is a showcase of sustainable building performance and innovative technology that has offered solutions to some of Australia’s most pressing sustainability issues in the built environment. The October Site Visit hosted by Mark Lister from Szencorp, provided an excellent viewing of the redeveloped buildings features including a wide range of the latest sustainable building services technologies and provided insights into the transformation project, and some of the buildings’ other innovative features. Importantly the visit offered a very good appreciation of the operational aspects associated with this leading edge refurbishment and its technologies. For more information on 40 Albert Road go to: http://www.ourgreenoffice.com November 07 - Experts PresentationNew Essential Safety Measures Maintenance Manual and Future Developments and Trends in Building Regulation The built environment is arguably the most regulated area of our society. Facility managers are confronted with a daunting array of legislation and regulation that demands attention, and much of this relates to building services. The final Experts Presentation of 2007, saw Dennis Hogan and Rob Enker from the Victorian Building Commission, offer presentations on The New Essential Safety Measures Manual and Building Regulation: Future Developments and Trends. The 4th edition of the Victorian Essential Safety Measures Maintenance Manual is now available and is an ‘essential’ tool for those responsible for maintaining and managing buildings. Dennis’s presentation provided advice and guidance on the maintenance of essential safety measures and the use of the new manual. Rob provided a senior heads-up on building related regulation in the pipeline, and insights into future developments and trends in building regulation and what these mean for facility managers. A lengthy question session afterwards offered great value to the audience of over 85 attendees. February 08 – Experts Presentation The first Building Services SIG Experts Presentation for 2008 provided over 100 attendees with the ideal starting point for greening buildings. The topics covered included: How do I make sense of the rating schemes? What’s the most appropriate tool for my facility? What are the implications? Why are there multiple schemes and where are these schemes going? What are the latest developments? David Craven from the Green Building Council of Australia, provided an excellent overview of the Green Star rating tools and an overview of the other Building Rating schemes and an update on Green Building Council activities. Rudi Miklosvary from EP&T, provided insights into current energy and water metering technology and how this can provide comprehensive and cost effective reporting to support your green initiatives. He pointed out that successful environmental managers will tell you that detailed energy and water metering and reporting are a fundamental starting point when setting out to reduce your environmental footprint - “if you don’t measure it you can’t manage it”. We express our appreciation to the following organisations and individuals for their support over the last 12 months:
Forthcoming 2008 eventsThe following events are scheduled for 2008. They are usually on the last Tuesday of the Month and run reliably on time from 3.30 – 5.00 PM. Please put the dates in your diary now and further information will be available closer to the event.
These events are part of our continuing efforts to provide opportunities for Facility Managers to improve their understanding of building services. It is a great opportunity to hear from experts in the field or be shown around a facility and its technical systems in the company of the Facility Manager and building services professionals. If you wish to know more about the Building Services SIG please contact Bryon Price, Building Services SIG Chair via email at bprice@agcoombs.com.au or on (03) 9248 2700 for further details. South East Water Proposed Changes to Conditions of Connection for Fire Sprinkler SystemsSouth East Water is committed to developing real and sustainable solutions for the community and its customers, and to help them adapt to the continued effects of drought and low rainfall. After an investigation of water usage, an area of concern for South East Water is the amount of water used in the testing of Fire Sprinkler Systems and the amount of potable water that is run to waste. During December 2007, South East Water sought comment from key stakeholders in the fire protection industry on the proposed changes to its ‘Conditions of Connection’ in relation to Fire Sprinkler Systems. South East Water is grateful for the comments received and the support of the fire industry in reducing the waste of precious drinking water. The feedback has provided South East Water with important information needed to finalise the following ‘Conditions of Connection’:
Please note: South East Water will also introduce the requirements for the installation of a Magnetic Flow Meter to register all water used through the Fire System. For further information and a diagram of the Magnetic Flow Meter, please click here. FM Action Agenda - Innovation WG Case Study Advertisement The FM Action Agenda’s Innovation Working Group is looking for case study sites where some form of Innovation has been, or is intended to be deployed within the management of the built environment. The Innovation Working Group is interested in following the development of the innovation and learning about your innovation for the benefit of the Facility Management industry. Is your site / project suitable as a case study? - Are you willing and able to share your innovation? The FM Action Agenda’s Innovation Working Group is interested in any process of making improvements by introducing something new within the built environment and the management of that facility that affects ‘profit, planet and people’ in the form of;
Your innovation could be;
Examples of FM case studies
Contact Innovation Working Group member Mark Farrell at MDF Group Pty Ltd on Ph: 02 9742 5001 or email markfarrell@mdfgroup.com.au. New Member Profile: Mark Fulham, Senior Facility Manager, Five D Each month new members join FMA Australia, bringing with them a wealth of experience and knowledge of the FM industry. FMA Online provides a personal glimpse of some of the responsibilities faced by facility managers and the reasons they decided to join. This month FMA Online’s Bianca Frost spoke to Mark Fulham, Senior Facility Manager at Five D.
MF: I only joined FMA Australia a couple of weeks ago. I joined because, having been in facility management for a number of years, I was interested in the networking opportunities offered by FMA Australia and was also taken by the professionalism of the organisation itself. I believe FMA Australia is a good representative body for facility managers, such as myself, to be a part of. FMA Online: What is your background in facilities management? FMA Online: What does your role involve? FMA Online: How many properties do you manage? FMA Online: Is there a lot of travel involved in your work? FMA Online: What do you like most about your work? FMA Online: What kind of challenges do you face in a working week? There are a diverse range of works and property that were being individually addressed for action cross the portfolio What we’re doing now is bringing the systems and processes into a standardized format. So, for example, we’re looking at an automated works dispatch and allocation system and setting-up a call desk to handle those works. We’re also assessing suppliers through a Five D accreditation system which includes insurances, OH&S, JSA compliance and basically looking at ways to mitigate risk wherever possible across the portfolio. We aim to increase our productivity with proper utilization of resources and are responsible for budgets and the allocation of funds. In short, we are responsible for everything all the way from leaky taps to air-conditioning systems, so there are always new challenges to deal with. FMA Online: Can you tell us something about the company you work for? The two companies came together to address the growing market in real estate-based property management portfolios. They’ve had a very successful roll-out of their products and services with major clients like Australia Post, CBA, Flight Centre and Vodaphone already on board, just to name a few. FMA Online: Has your company implemented any sustainability initiatives? At the moment, we are looking at our water, waste and power usage as part of an audit process that we are engaged with for AGBR compliance. We’ve already signed off on tank water, conservation and preservation works and are comprehensively looking at all of our operations and reassessing them from a sustainability point-of-view. One of my key areas of concern is air-conditioning and the efficiencies associated with air-conditioning plant and equipment. FMA Online: What are the main issues that your business will be dealing with in the next five years? The increasing complexity of the business is also an issue. The management process is becoming more and more convoluted and I think that it needs to be more streamlined. I also believe that in the next 10 to 15 years, outsourcing will become old hat because the cost to organisations of outsourced labour will encourage them to consider going back to carrying their own trade and service people in-house. A lot of things are now pyramid-contracted, so to get the service that you actually require and to meet delivery times, it is no longer as cost effective as it once was, which is why I believe it will get to the point where you will be able to keep a man in-house to look after routine items at the same cost that you will be able to outsource. FMA Online: What would you like to see FMA Australia do for its members? I come from a defence background where you have specific exposure to very highly specialised equipment which gives you somewhat of a different philosophy on maintenance. When you come back into the commercial sector, you really notice the difference in how things are done. I hope that my membership facilitates me in becoming a more rounded professional and as part of that, I am really looking forward to participating in FMA Australia’s accreditation program. US FM website calls for submissions FMLink in association with the IFMA Foundation, are calling for submissions for their latest international online survey on topics of interest to the FM industry. FMLink in association with the IFMA Foundation, are calling for submissions for their latest international online survey on topics of interest to the FM industry. Based in Baltimore (US), FMLink is an independent service that offers free access to comprehensive online facilities management information with over 10,000 pages of news, feature articles, benchmarking data, links, directories and calendars to support facilities professionals in their jobs. The key objective of the survey is to develop a comprehensive list of topics and subtopics that are of the most interest to the professional facilities management community. The survey will be conducted in May 2008.
You can assist the survey by contributing topics and subtopics that are of interest to you and the broader FM community. For each subtopic that you submit, although not required, it would be most helpful for you to include a sentence or two explaining what you would like to see addressed by your subtopic. The results of the survey will be used to produce online content such as surveys and feature articles for the FMLink website. For more information, and to register your topic suggestions, visit http://www.fmlink.com. FMA Australia Office Staff Profile
I started working at FMA Australia at the beginning of December last year. The main purpose of my role is to develop policy position statements and submissions that respond to policy papers from government or industry bodies. Basically, I look at different policies and determine how they’re going to affect our industry. I also look for areas of opportunity that will assist FMA Australia to improve FM as an industry or to advocate on behalf of the FM industry to government. The main role of FMA Australia is to represent the industry at a national level, so I assist in that by writing submissions to government and also through liaising with relevant bodies like the Property Council of Australia and the Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council. Our advocacy role will likely increase as I familiarise myself with the industry. Additionally, we help to communicate with facility managers to advise on any policy developments that might affect the FM area, particularly those related to sustainability. I studied policy at university. I completed a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Politics and then a Bachelor of Public Policy and Management with Honours in Policy Writing. Before I came to FMA Australia, I worked for the Federal Department of Education, Science and Training as a policy officer. At that time, I had no idea of the complexity of facilities management but I recognised that the role of Senior Policy Advisor at FMA Australia presented a really good opportunity for me, as a policy writer, to have a direct impact on the industry. I was also attracted by the opportunity to take-on a role that wasn’t internal to government. It is quite a different experience working outside of government, which for me, personally, offers a lot more scope and breadth. As the Senior Policy Advisor at FMA Australia, I need to have a very detailed understanding of what a facility manager does and what issues are likely to affect the industry in both the short and long term. I spent the first three weeks in this role reading everything I could get my hands on related to facilities management. I read every publication that FMA Australia had produced. I also read publications from our sister organisations in the UK and in America. I then followed up as many of the referenced texts from those publications that I could find: publications from government, from private researchers, industry newsletters; all that kind of stuff. And of course, I talked to lots of different people who were able to offer me many different perspectives of the FM industry in Australia. I really enjoy working at FMA Australia because I have to be across a really wide variety of issues and I have a lot of different projects on the go at any one time. As the policy advisor at FMA Australia, I get to be involved in all aspects of what the association does. The greatest challenges in my work also present the biggest opportunities: the breath and depth of knowledge I need to have about the industry can be quite difficult to maintain, and keeping up to speed with the different policy responses that are required, especially at the moment, when sustainability is such a big issue, is also a real challenge. Currently, I am working on three policy responses that are all due in the next couple of weeks. I have only just completed another couple last month, so it’s a pretty demanding workload. The most interesting policy area that I am working on at the moment is probably FMA Australia’s response to the Department of Climate Change’s National Greenhouse and Energy Rating System regulations policy paper which will have a big impact on the industry because it’s a system that sets up reporting on emissions that will then be used to underpin any emissions trading scheme that is introduced. Also, in January, we completed a federal pre-budget submission for the incoming government, letting them know what FMA Australia thinks they should be spending money on this year. The key attributes required by a policy writer are writing and research skills, an understanding of policy writing and analysis techniques, good knowledge of the industry you are working in and the ability to talk to people to obtain the information you require. My single most important goal this year is to contribute to the government’s understanding of the FM industry and to help them write policies that will actually work. I think being a complex and relatively young industry, FM can sometimes be overlooked when policies are written and that can then be a problem for the way that policies play out when they are eventually implemented. |
Specialist recruiter Hays has been at the forefront of FM recruitment in Australia since its inception in the early nineties and now have a national network of offices each with its own team of specialist FM recruiters. 
The Victorian branch had another outstanding February luncheon event when 238 members and guests turned up to hear Laurie Reeves from Hirotec talk about maintenance for energy efficiency in pre-loved buildings. 
