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This edition of FMA Online is
proudly supported by Hays FM 
Issue 25, Jun 2008
Ceo Message
Welcome to the ideaction ’08 edition of FMA Online. Nearly a month has past since our annual conference, ideaction, on the Gold Coast. I hope that all those who attended have been able to take something useful from the many wonderful speakers who presented at the conference and that you have been able to put into practice the information you received. We are very much aware of the importance of the sustainability issue in the facility management industry, and we have seen much coverage of the subject in 2008 particularly. It could be easy to become disheartened by the enormity of the issues, especially as emissions from buildings contribute so heavily to the problem and this is, after all, an area for which facility management is responsible. Facility managers could be overcome by a feeling of helplessness in the face of such a huge task, a sense of “well, how can I possibly make a difference?”, however, this is exactly the issue that we addressed at ideaction ’08: ‘Enabling Sustainable Communities’. By sourcing speakers who can not only theorise about the sustainability issue, but who have actually put their ideas into practice and had tangible, positive results, we aim to have inspired a different way of thinking in delegates and the knowledge that change, in whatever small measure can make a real difference to the way your building operates. I would be particularly interested to hear from attendees who have been able, or are planning, to put into practice any ideas that they learned at the conference and the experiences they have had in doing so. By sharing your experiences with the wider facility management industry we can start to build a bank of knowledge on sustainability, so please do keep us informed. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who made ideaction ’08 possible, from speakers to session chairs and of course, our generous sponsors, particularly ISS Facility Services who has provided major support to FMA Australia for a number of years. I am also very pleased to extend my congratulations to this year’s winners of the FMA Australia Awards for Excellence and Recognition Awards. These are people who have contributed immensely to the facility management industry and are helping to shape its future and build awareness by the fantastic contributions they make. They are:
The FMA Australia Recognition Awards are designed to give credit to those people and organisations who contribute so much of their time and effort to the advancement of FMA Australia. The winners of this year’s Recognition Awards are:
Congratulations again to all the winners of this year’s awards. You can find more details of the awards ceremony and social events at this year’s conference later in this edition of FMA Online, or click here now. Thanks again to all those people who contributed to making this year’s conference a very successful event. The experiences gained this year can only go to making ideaction ’09 in Melbourne even bigger and better. Before I sign off I would like to advise you of a great benefit that FMA Australia members enjoy as part of our Partners in Excellence agreements with the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) and British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM). Members of FMA Australia are able to access the members’ only areas of both IFMA and BIFM websites using a unique login which will be emailed to members in the coming week. There is a great wealth of information and knowledge available via both these websites, and I urge you to make the most of this benefit. Read on to find out more about some of the products and services available via these websites and look out for the email containing login information. Should you fail to receive this, please contact the FMA Australia office on 03 8641 6666 and quote your membership number to be given the login details. Until next time… David Duncan Issue Contents
 Edition SupporterBranch NewsGeneral NewsMembership UpdateEdition Supporter Hays Facilities Management – Open Day
Branch News FMA Australia VIC Branch News  The Victorian Arts Centre by night It’s been a cultural month for the FMA Australia Victorian Branch beginning with a site visit to the Victorian Arts Centre on the morning of April 30. Anyone who attended the ideaction conference on the Gold Coast will now know that I have a passion for opera, so an insight into the back-of-house operations at the Victorian Arts Centre was of particular interest to me. I had hoped to get a look at the costume and changing rooms, but the site visit clearly wasn’t about me so, in this instance, I had to be content with learning purely about the mechanics of the building. The performance spaces and state-of-the-art technology were truly amazing. One has to marvel at the complexity and the beauty of it all - it’s amazing how much infrastructure we simply take for granted.
I’d like to thank Campbell Pfieffer and his team from the Arts Centre for taking the time to share this experience with us and for imparting their impressive body of knowledge. Campbell has managed the facilities at the Victorian Art Centre since 2003 which includes responsibilities for the Theatres building, Hamer Hall and the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. Following the site visit, we were escorted to the ANZ Pavilion Room where a sumptuous luncheon awaited us. Our cultural experience continued as our guest speaker, Jacques de Vos Malan, CEO of the new Melbourne Recital Centre, amazed us with the story behind this magnificent new precinct. Jacques’ presentation was both amusing (he pointed out a few unfortunate pronunciations he has heard of Recital) and fascinating. Designed as a lively hub, the Melbourne Recital Centre provides the vision, facilities and resources to fill the gap in Melbourne’s cultural infrastructure. The building’s expansive glass façade is like a welcoming beacon that creates a sense of excitement and expectation.
The Centre is comprised of four levels of public spaces with the 1,001 seat Elisabeth Murdoch Hall being its main centre-piece. The classic shoe-box shaped hall is an uniquely Australian space reflecting the energy, innovation and creative spirit of Melbourne. The Hall’s perfect fusion of acoustic and architectural design with state-of-the art technology is as grand as it is intimate, generating its own special sound and atmosphere. It has been designed specifically for the performance and recording of chamber music, jazz, new music, chamber opera, world music and popular song. I’d like to extend a special thanks to Bryon Price, Chairman of Building Services SIG, who organised both the site visit and our speaker. I believe there will be a site visit to the new Melbourne Recital Centre later in the year.
FMA Australia Vic Branch Committee Member Profile: Jennifer Horvath
Jennifer joined Knight Frank in 2006 to manage the capital works, risk management and Envrionmentally Sustainable Development (ESD) from a national perspective for the Industry Superannuation Property Trust account. Prior to this Jennifer enjoyed a well rounded career, gaining experience in business development strategy where she worked to generate solutions for various organisational and client needs. In this capacity, Jennifer successfully developed, managed and motivated a state service team to exceed the business and organisational objectives of her clients. Jennifer has enjoyed identifying and managing major works which involved working closely with internal and external stakeholders, consultants and contractors, to ensure that works were completed efficiently in a timley manner with the least disruption to business operations. Her skills in reporting, accounting and undertaking special projects have contributed to maximising organisational objectives. The FMA Australia Victorian Branch is fortunate to have such a dedicated member on our committee and we thank Jen for all her input over the years, and look forward to more over the coming years. FMA Australia Victorian Branch awarded Branch of the Year
It was with much exhilaration that the FMA Australia Victorian Branch committee received the National Branch of Year award at the ideaction Gala Dinner. We were both surprised and thrilled, knowing how well our fellow committees across Australia had also done over the past 12 months. I know it was a close result this year and I would like to personally congratulate all the other branches for their outstanding achievements this past year. At the end of the day we are all on the same team, working towards the same goals, and I know that our combined work has jointly contributed to the continued success of FMA Australia. Notable stats cited for our win included the increase in membership and attendance numbers at our branch functions – with the latter increasing by 44% over the past year. So many thanks to you, our members and guests, for your attendance at and feedback on our events which has led to this acknowledgement of your FMA Australia Victorian Branch. FMA Australia would like to also congratulate Kristiana Greenwood for winning the FMA Australia Recognition Award for the Victorian Branch member of the year. Kristiana continually contributes an outstanding level of commitment and dedication to the Victorian Branch, demonstrating excellent leadership and guidance to fellow committee members and industry participants. She is pivotal to the success of the Victorian Branch events which remain key networking and professional development occasions for Facility Managers across the state.
Upcoming Events:11 July – FMA Australia Vic Branch lunch and panel session 29 August – FMA Australia Vic Branch lunch 19 September – FMA Australia Vic Branch lunch 17 October – FMA Australia Vic Branch lunch 21 November – FMA Australia Vic Branch lunch 19 December – FMA Australia Vic Branch Christmas lunch We are very much looking forward to seeing you at our upcoming events. Kristiana Greenwood FMA Australia NSW Branch News
Now that ideaction is well and truly behind us we wait in anticipation for the next one in “The City of Arts, Shopping and Coffee,” as my counterpart in Melbourne, Kristiana Greenwood so elegantly put it. It was good to catch up with many of you who attended the conference and I can say that many sessions were thought-provoking and provided a wealth of information for FMer’s to consider in the years ahead. Congratulations to the award winners at the Gala Dinner held at Conrad Jupiters. I would like to take this opportunity to recognise and congratulate the NSW winners – Kirsten Smith for Member of the Year, Dimitrios (Jim) Tatsis for Facility Manager of the Year and Richard Mayes for the prestigious National Member of the Year. All recipients were deserved winners for their contribution to the FM industry.
I look forward to seeing you at our forthcoming lunch event where we will be presenting a panel discussion on Post Occupancy: the Green Building FM Challenge to be held on June 11 at Watersedge Pier 1. Our panel of professional guests include Bryon Price, Jon McCormick, Chris Wallbank, Janet Wilson and John Goddard. Earlier this year, this panel presented at the Green Cities Conference and this time round will cover similar issues with a particular emphasis on an FM perspective. This panel presentation was one of the more popular sessions at the Green Cities Conference so book early to avoid disappointment. Robert Iacono FMA Australia WA Branch News
Introduction The presentation, given by David Chokolich, Building Futures Manager at GHD, provided an overview of GHD’s services and included the energy management principals and improvements undertaken within the City’s New Civic Centre over the last few years. David spoke about the various measures taken to achieve a reduction in energy, which meant working closely with the Council in order to maximise savings. One of the benefits for the attendees was that real data was used within the presentation, highlighting the step changes that GHD have taken to reduce energy consumption and operating costs for the Council. The presentation was followed by a site tour of the Civic Centre to demonstrate how the energy management practices were put into place. This gave all attendees a good appreciation of energy management and demonstrated the theory and practice within one site visit. The Council also gave everyone an overview of the exciting and ambitious Wanneroo Town Centre project. The FMA Australia WA Branch would like to thank the City of Wanneroo Council and GHD for providing an informative and thought provoking event. Phil Gale FMA Australia congratulates Phil Gale on his Award as FMA Australia WA Branch Member of the Year. Phil has contributed greatly toward the re-focussing of the Branch, encouraging sponsors on a State and National level, and assuming a major leadership role for the association. FMA Australia QLD Branch News
Congratulations Greg Tenbrink - FMA Australia Branch Committee Member of the Year Greg has been a long standing member of FMA Australia and has held multiple positions on the state committee as well as on the National Board. Over this time Greg has contributed directly to the growth and recognition of facilities management as a profession.
ideaction 08 – Queensland successfully hosts FMA Australia’s National Conference
Upcoming Events:18 June – Forum: Climate Change and Buildings Key note speaker, Dr Lorraine Stephenson, National Leader Climate Change with Ernst & Young, has over 25 years experience in the energy sector. Dr Stephenson has worked with some of Australia’s leading companies in developing strategic responses to climate change risks and opportunities. She participated in the recent Australia 2020 Summit and is a member of the NSW Premiers Greenhouse Advisory Panel. Andrew Aitken, the newly appointed Queensland State Manager of the Green Building Council will also be speaking. Andrew has wide ranging experience in energy management, procurement and infrastructure design with specific expertise in building services and renewable energy projects. Registration is open now just visit www.fma.com.au 22 August - Corporate Golf Day The event will be hosted by Pacific Harbour Golf and Country Club, one of the newest and best resort courses in Queensland. Get your teams together now as registration at www.fma.com.au For sponsorship opportunities contact Greg Tenbrink on 07 3834 2539 or Lex Dewar on 07 3027 4583. FMA Australia ACT Branch News
Welcome to Winter in Canberra Many of us had enjoyed the presentations, the networking and the new friends that we met during ideaction 08 on the Gold Coast last month. Some of us even stayed on for the weekend to enjoy the beautiful sunshine. But, not only are we back in Canberra and back at work, we are also back to winter! This is a good time to test our heating systems again, and see how efficient they actually are. If you are in a new building, it is time to check whether the systems are as good as the design intentions and ABGR rating claimed. If you are in an existing building, this is also a good time to see how efficiently any modifications that you may have implemented are working. In any case, winter is also time to do inspections of the work areas again to see who is still relying on portable heaters! Most of you would have also recently finalised your internal budget bids and are getting ready for the end-of-financial year chores. In between these two crucial tasks, make sure that you take some time to check out what’s on offer from your FMA Australia ACT Branch for June. Upcoming Events:26 June – FMA Australia ACT Branch Forum This month we have the opportunity to meet Warren Overton, Director of Viridis E3 (specialist ESD and Green Star consulting firm) and the Green Star assessor for the Trevor Pearcey House. In this presentation, we will find out how this building was refurbished and what features achieved its reduced energy and water usage, as well as delivering a quality indoor environment. We will also learn about the measures adopted to enable this ‘old’ building to achieve Australia's 3rd Six Star (Office Design) rating. Warren will also demonstrate the options available for existing buildings to achieve better, energy efficient facilities through practical solutions combined with smart informed choices in fit-out design Finally, Warren will advise us on how the Trevor Pearcey building has performed to date in its first 12 months of occupancy If you are planning to do a new fitout or would like to improve the performance of your existing buildings, this is your opportunity to pick up some tips and lessons for your project. Don’t forget, the FMA ACT Branch forum has always provided a great opportunity to catch up on local issues and network over lunch, with other practicing Facility Managers and FM service providers in Canberra. Calendar:
Look out for our flyers this year. Be sure to show them to your colleagues and come to some of the events. General News Ideaction Highlights ideaction’08 – Enabling Sustainable Communities, provided delegates with an impressive selection of keynote speakers, panel discussions and presentations which delved into the real issues surrounding the impact of sustainability on the future of FM. Here are some of the highlights Australia’s leading facility management event, a reputation it is sure to maintain for ideaction’09, to be held in Melbourne in May of next year. Site VisitsThe first site visit to take place at ideaction was to the Gold Coast Desalination Plant, an awesome undertaking with a deadline (November 2008) they were working 24/7 to meet. The facility is located at Tugun on a six hectare former landfill site and uses reverse osmosis to force-filter out the salt. When fully operational it will supply 125 mega litres a day of pure drinking water to South East Queensland, one of Australia’s worst drought affected regions. The facility will be a vital element in the State Government’s new $9 billion SEQ Water Grid, Gold Coast City Council’s Waterfutures Strategy and the State Government’s South East Queensland Regional Drought Strategy Contingency Supply Plan. Then followed a visit to the Gold Coast Marine Centre, an extensive privately Australian owned and operated marine facility located 40 minutes from Brisbane on the Coomera River. Working on a “supermarket” concept that provides boat owners with all the services that they could need, the Gold Coast Marine Centre is a modern marine facility providing enclosed re-fit units, along with factory facilities for boat builders, boat repairers, and marine fabricators. Serviced by a 70 tonne boat lift, the Centre provides a clean, paved and fully serviced hardstand maintenance area, complete with dual power services, water and overhead lighting provision with accommodation for up to 60 vessels. The final, and much anticipated, destination for the day was the Fosters Yatala Brewery for lunch and a tour of the impressive facilities. While enjoying some of Australia’s finest brews and a delicious barbecue lunch sponsored by Valorem Systems, guests were given a presentation of the plant’s remarkable water-saving initiatives. Chairman’s Welcome Reception sponsored by Hays Facilities ManagementThe first evening of the conference offered a perfect excuse to relax and catch up with colleagues in the industry at the Kurrawa Surf Life Saving Club. With a band playing classics from The Beach Boys and colourful daiquiris adorning the hands of delegates, you could be forgiven for thinking you’d stumbled across a beach party on a tropical island. Gala Dinner and FMA Australia Awards for Excellence, sponsored by Brookfield MultiplexDinner at the Conrad Jupiters Grand Ballroom was truly an occasion to remember, with entertainment from the exceptional Danielle Everett, who performed a selection of songs including those from her role in Phantom of the Opera, followed by guest speaker IBISWorld Chairman, and respected social and economic forecaster, Phil Ruthven. Phil gave an entertaining and insightful discourse on the economy and our industry, finishing with some words on Open Family Australia, FMA Australia’s chosen charity for ideaction’08. The gala dinner also incorporated the much anticipated FMA Australia Awards for Excellence and Recognition Awards: FMA Australia & Rider Levett Bucknall Industry Award
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Thank you also to our sponsor for the event, GJK Facility Services. We’re thrilled to inform you that GJK won National Sponsor of the Year at ideaction for the second year running. The FMA Australia Victorian Branch are most grateful for their continued and loyal support.
Jennifer is the National Facilities Manager for the Investment Property Portfolio, Victoria, at Knight Frank. She also manages the Sponsorship portfolio on the FMA Vic Branch committee and has been contributing her time and effort to the committee for many years.
 Graeme Badrock, Emergency Planning Manager at Essential Property Services |
“Documentation relates to an organisation’s policies regarding any particular emergency. Just as organisations have policies on what happens when a new person starts and how they are inducted into that organisation, good emergency management planning should follow a similar model,” says Badrock.
An effective emergency evacuation plan should cover all potential emergency scenarios and then consider them in relation to the specifics of the facility in question. Floor plans, hours of occupancy, hazardous materials and the type of emergency-related equipment and systems installed in the building will all have a defining impact on the final emergency plan.
The plan should cover all the designated actions employers and employees must take to ensure employee safety from fire and other emergencies. And integral to this, Badrock stresses, is the importance of having adequate numbers of staff trained to ensure the implementation, management and completion of these actions.
“Some facilities are occupied 24 hours a day, seven days a week, but their staffing levels will vary. For example, between eight A.M and six P.M. there is likely to be a higher volume of staff and visitors coming and going, while after that, depending on the type of facility, the numbers generally drop, so the number of staff available to fulfill emergency duties will vary throughout the operating hours of the facility.
“The same applies for weekdays versus weekends and public holidays. The effectiveness of the emergency evacuation plan is really dependent on the number of trained staff available to facilitate roles in an emergency,” he said.
“It is critical in the first instance, that a sufficient number of staff are allocated to coordinate and implement the emergency plan. If there are not, facility management might have a well documented procedures plan that fails, due to lack of suitable trained personnel on site at any given time to execute it effectively”.
Furthermore, Badrock says that comprehensive staff training is also imperative for any effective workplace evacuation.
“It is essential that the core group of staff who are charged with the responsibility of coordinating the emergency evacuation plan are actually trained in those processes and are comfortable with their allocated roles. While people always have good intentions and will attempt to carry out what they think is appropriate at the time of an emergency, without the proper training prior to the emergency, situations can quickly get out of control,” says Badrock.
“Untrained individuals may endanger themselves and those they are trying to rescue. For this reason, it is generally wise to leave rescue work to those who are trained, equipped, and certified to conduct rescues.”
Metropolitan Fire Brigade Commander, Community Safety, Dave Davies agrees.
“The most common mistake made by organisations in terms of emergency planning is a lack of understanding and training. Organisations forget that they are empowering the chief warden with an extremely important function, so those people need to be properly informed and supported,” he says.
When attending an emergency, Davies says that, from a firefighter’s perspective, the most important information to know is firstly that everyone is out of the building, secondly, where those people are, and thirdly, what the situation is regarding their welfare.
”Most of the time when we attend an emergency call, people will say that they’ve got all the people out but when we ask how many people they’ve actually got they don’t know. When we ask where are your people, they don’t know that either. We’ll then ask them how sure they are that they’ve got everybody out and they’ll reply, well, we think we’ve got them all out”.
 Poor emergency planning often means firefighters spend valuable time performing evacuations instead of addressing the crisis itself. |
“The firefighter has then got to start the emergency evacuation process all over again and check the entire building or area that’s involved with the emergency to make sure that there are no escapes to be performed.”
Davies says that it’s the responsibility of the organisation to provide for the welfare of their people in a crisis and adequate training of staff allocated to warden roles is the only way to provide this. The consequence of failing to properly train staff is that while the fire brigade is expending its full forces – possibly needlessly - to ensure the building has been fully evacuated, they are not able to take any action to address whatever the crisis is.
“In other words,” says Davies, “it takes us a longer time to control the situation. Organisations need to realise that is their responsibility to develop an emergency management plan that addresses the best way to not only to evacuate people outside to an evacuation control point, but to account for the number of people to be evacuated at any given time.”
To ensure the fastest, most accurate accountability of your employees, Davies recommends that facility managers consider the following in developing their emergency evacuation plan:
- Designate assembly areas where employees should gather after evacuating;
- Take a head count after the evacuation. Identify the names and last known locations of anyone not accounted for and pass them to the official in charge
- Establish a method for accounting for non-employees such as visitors and contractors
- Establish procedures for further evacuation in case the incident expands.
When drafting your emergency action plan, select a responsible individual to lead and coordinate your emergency plan and evacuation. This person should be responsible for assessing the situation to determine whether an emergency requiring the activation of emergency procedures exists; supervising all efforts in the area including evacuating personnel; coordination of outside emergency services such as medical aid and local fire departments and ensuring that they are available and notified when necessary; and directing the shutdown of plant operations if and when required.
It is critical that all employees know who the Chief Warden is and understand that the person has the authority to make decisions during emergencies. In addition to a Chief Warden, you may need to designate evacuation wardens to help move employees from danger to safe areas during an emergency. Generally, one warden for every 20 employees should be adequate, and the appropriate number of wardens should be available at all times during working hours.
Employees designated to assist in emergency evacuation procedures should be trained in the complete workplace layout and various alternative escape routes. All employees and those designated to assist in emergencies should be made aware of employees with special needs who may require extra assistance, how to use a buddy system, and hazardous areas to avoid during an emergency evacuation.
In support of this advice, Badrock says that the senior person in charge (the Chief Warden), is only as good as the people supporting them in their work environments.
“Their ability to coordinate an emergency will really be dependant on the quality of information supplied to them by zone or area wardens, who will need to assess the situation at the coal face and report back if they need assistance or additional resources,” he says.
“Organisations need to be diligent in the way they go about training staff and about making sure they have adequate numbers of relief or back-up staff trained to step-up and fill the role if required. It’s not enough to just have one member of staff trained in one area. If someone is away, or they have meetings off premise and they don’t have a backup when an emergency unfolds, then suddenly we have gaps in the processes because the zones or areas aren’t under the control of a warden. It’s these gaps which can cause serious headaches in an emergency situation,” Badrock explains.
Badrock suggests keeping training records and matching those against other data such as shift rosters and the commencements and terminations of employees as part of an organisation’s normal staff turnover. He also recommends a register for external contractors working on premise.
“Depending on the type of facility in question, some organisations have sign-in registers where people who are not normally on site are expected to sign in and be issued with passes. In this way, their presence is accounted for, and someone can take responsibility for their presence within the facility,” he says.
When a building is occupied by more than one tenant, there are additional issues to address. While the building’s owner is required to meet their building and safety compliance obligations, it is also incumbent upon the building's tenants to participate in the planning and implementation of emergency management processes. This should be done through the formation of an Emergency Planning Committee.
“The occupier, who may in the course of their tenancy make some adjustments to the floor plan, has an obligation to ensure that the building’s safety features have not been compromised by interior building works that they might do in terms of making the fit-out appropriate for their activities,” says Badrock.
“The two parties need to embrace the idea set out in the Australian standard; namely that they need to create a safe environment for the occupiers, ensuring that they have an emergency planning committee established for that building.”
An emergency planning committee is usually formed from representatives of the building’s owner and its occupiers who meet to discuss and formulate a plan for responding to an emergency situation.
Badrock is careful to point out that facility managers should not be the only party driving emergency evacuation planning and management. Under occupational health and safety legislation, employers are responsible for developing an overall policy for employee safety which includes emergency planning procedures.
“It’s a matter of all parties working together,” says Badrock. “If the building is only occupied by a small number of tenants then it’s usually a lot easier to get them together, discuss how to handle various emergency processes and agree to a plan.
“At the other end of the scale, the difficulty some facility managers face is that their building is occupied by a large number of tenants and requires a large number of staff to fulfill certain roles.
“In this instance, it’s really a case of all parties working collaboratively to develop procedures in the event of an emergency occurring. A lot of those processes might be driven by the larger tenants or stakeholders, but all parties need to engaged and be actively involved in developing and maintaining emergency procedures.
“While all parties might express good intentions on how they propose to manage an emergency it can often be the case that they didn’t have sufficient back-ups appointed and very quickly problems can cascade because the guidelines that were put in place have not been followed. A coordinated approach is therefore paramount to an effective emergency evacuation.” says Badrock.
“What we don’t want are individual tenants looking at their environment in isolation,” he says. ”This is a recipe for disaster in an emergency situation. For example, in a multi-story building you are potentially dealing with a large number of staff or occupants, so one of the potential problems is that if you need to evacuate, you would have to assess whether it is necessary to evacuate the whole building or, if a problem is on a specific floor, it might just be a matter of evacuating that floor and the floors immediately above and below the affected floor.
“In terms of a full evacuation, again, one would need to look at the floor plan to determine whether a staged or simultaneous evacuation should be carried out. If there are multiple exit points, then it may be possible to evacuate all occupants at once. If not, then a more controlled evacuation is likely to be required.”
 A coordinated approach is paramount to an effective emergency evacuation. |
Putting together a comprehensive emergency evacuation plan that deals with all types of issues specific to your worksite is not difficult. At a minimum, your plan should include an evacuation policy and procedure; emergency escape procedures and route assignments, such as floor plans, workplace maps, and safe or refuge areas; a preferred method for reporting fires and other emergencies; the names, titles, departments, and telephone numbers of individuals both within and outside your company to contact for additional information or explanation of duties and responsibilities under the emergency plan; clearly defined procedures for employees who remain on site to perform or shut down critical plant operations, operate fire extinguishers, or perform other essential services that cannot be shut down for every emergency alarm before evacuating; and rescue and medical duties for any workers designated to perform them.
In addition, you may find it helpful to include in your plan the site of an alternative communications centre to be used in the event of a fire or explosion and a secure on or offsite location to store originals or duplicate copies of accounting records, legal documents, your employees’ emergency contact lists, and other essential records.
A disorganised evacuation can result in confusion, injury, and property damage. That is why when developing your emergency action plan it is important to be absolutely clear about the conditions under which an evacuation would be necessary and have a clear chain of command and designation of the person in your business authorised to order an evacuation or shutdown.
All staff should be clear about specific evacuation procedures, including routes and exits, and these should be posted where they are easily accessible to all employees. Finally, there should be a system in place for accounting for personnel following an evacuation.
The best emergency action plans include employees in the planning process, specify what employees should do during an emergency, and ensure that employees receive proper training for emergencies. When you include your employees in your planning, encourage them to offer suggestions about potential hazards, worst-case scenarios, and proper emergency responses.
Educate your employees about the types of emergencies that may occur and train them in the proper course of action. The size of your workplace and workforce, processes used, materials handled, and the availability of onsite or outside resources will determine your training requirements. Be sure all your employees understand the function and elements of your emergency action plan, including types of potential emergencies, reporting procedures, alarm systems, evacuation plans, and shutdown procedures. Discuss any special hazards you may have onsite such as flammable materials, toxic chemicals, radioactive sources, or water-reactive substances. Clearly communicate to your employees who will be in charge during an emergency to minimise confusion.
General training for your employees should address their individual roles and responsibilities; potential threats, hazards, and protective actions; notification, warning, and communications procedures; the best means for locating people in an emergency; evacuation, shelter, and accountability procedures; the location and use of common emergency equipment; and, where applicable, emergency shutdown procedures.
You also may wish to train your employees in first-aid procedures, including protection against blood-borne pathogens; respiratory protection, including use of an escape-only respirator; and methods for preventing unauthorised access to the site.
Once you have reviewed your emergency action plan with your employees and everyone has had the proper training, it is a good idea to hold practice drills as often as necessary to keep employees prepared.
“The Australian standard talks about conducting drills or exercises to ensure procedures are satisfactory and all staff are comfortable and proficient in their roles should an emergency occur. Some organisations only conduct a drill or exercise annually, but if they were true to the purpose of what they are trying to achieve, they really need to be conducted at a frequency that ensures all areas of a facility and its occupants participate in at least one exercise in each 12 month period,” says Badrock.
Badrock is a firm believer in perfected practice through drilling.
“You can have well documented policies and procedures, and well attended staff training sessions, but it is not until your organisation conducts drills or exercises that you have the opportunity to test your preparedness for an emergency and see how workable your procedures are.”
Badrock believes that organisations should also practice drills for different kinds of emergency scenarios.
“The type and frequency of drills are really dictated by the initial risk assessment conducted for the facility and the types of emergencies that might be encountered. A lot of people think that if they plan for a fire, then that covers their emergency plan needs. But there are a range of emergencies that an organisation could be confronted with and they really need to plan for all of them.”
After each drill, Metropolitan Fire Brigade Commander, Davies recommends gathering management and employees to evaluate the effectiveness of the drill by identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the plan. Drilling should also be considered when an organisation hires new employees, introduces new equipment, materials, or processes into the workplace that effect evacuation routes, changes the layout or design of the facility or updates any emergency procedure.
“It’s imperative that the staff in the building take ownership of its emergency evacuation procedures and understand all the emergency management arrangements that have been put in place,” he says.
“Organisations need to set up an infrastructure and management structure that will make that system work and ensure that the warden structure is fully supported and that wardens understand the importance of their role and the function they play in that plan.
“Trialling your plan is essential. You should be looking at any mistakes or shortfalls as you go and then building solutions to those problems back into your documentation. This is the best way to assist people in not making the same mistakes a second time.
While Davies has seen many mistakes made by organisations in terms of their emergency evacuation planning, he has also seen more and more organisations mature in their attitude to emergency management.
“A lot of organisations now regard emergency management as part of a business continuity strategy,” he said.
“A business continuity plan not only provides for the prevention of incidents by conducting risk assessments, and provides for emergency management response plans, but it also covers the recovery phase. In other words, the recovery of the business after an emergency, which focuses on getting the business back on track as quickly as possible.” Collectively these plans form part of a comprehensive risk management strategy, since risk management by definition is the mitigation of anything that might impact on an organisation’s ability to function in the pursuit of its objectives.
And having a well structured, fully understood, and well supported and practiced emergency evacuation plan is an integral component of any risk management strategy.
For further information on Emergency Evacuation Planning, please call Carolyn Journeaux at FMA Australia on 03 8641 6609.
Life Cycle Costing for Sustainable Commercial Buildings workshops
13 June, 16 June, 26 June
Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney
Owners and users of buildings need to make informed decisions about the purchase of equipment and materials. Although initial capital cost is often the key criteria, ongoing costs should also be considered to achieve the best outcome. Life cycle costing (LCC) is a method of identifying and calculating all the costs (current and future) over the life of an asset.
The workshop will focus on:
- the LCC methodology
- the use of Net Present Value (NPV) to calculate future cash flows
- discount rates, and their effects on LCC analysis
- examples of how LCC can be used in decision making for buildings
This workshop is presented by Andrew Carre (B.Eng/B.Econ/Mast.Eng Sustainability) from RMIT’s Centre for Design who specialises in Life Cycle Assessment for public and private sector projects.
For more information visit www.construction-innovation.info
Facility Management for Sustainable Commercial Buildings
21 July, 22 July, 29 July
Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne
This half-day workshop will explore the potential for Facility Managers to enhance the environmental sustainabiliy of the buildings they manage. The emphasis will be on the practical measures that can be taken to identify and implement sustainable opportunities for improvement.
The workshop will provide an overview on:
- how to develop an Environmental Management Plan (EMP)
- set Environmentally Sustainable Development (ESD) performance targets
- identify key opportunities for improvement in FM operations
- develop additional measures to gather data about ESD performance.
The course presenter is Steve Moller, an ESD Engineer in the field of sustainable built environments.
For more information visit www.construction-innovation.info
IFMA and EuroFM host fifth annual European Facility Management Conference
The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) and the European Facility Management Network (EuroFM) — together with the British Institute for Facility Management, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and the University of Salford — will present the 5th European Facility Management Conference (EFMC) in Manchester, UK, on June 10 and 11.
EFMC 2008 will focus on facility management best practices, lessons learned and business cases. World-renowned speakers, clients and suppliers will address risk management, benchmarking and outsourcing, portfolio management, sustainable practices, information technology, trends and innovations, customer care and quality management.
“EFMC is a testament to the long-lasting relationship between EuroFM and IFMA,” said EuroFM Chairman Albert Pilger.
“Manchester marks the fifth year that more than 60 top facility management experts and professionals will share their knowledge on strategies, best practices, current projects and developments and more. EFMC has become the single most well-known FM conference in Europe. This year, it will continue its reputation as an unparalleled European facility management event.”
This year’s keynote speakers are Hamish McRae and Dr. Paul Tiffany.
One of Europe’s leading economists and futurists, McRae will speak on the impact global business has on facility management.
A lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley, Dr. Tiffany teaches courses in competitive strategy, business and public policy, international management and economic history. He will discuss business and future perspectives.
EFMC will feature both the Research Symposium and the Business Conference — a track focusing on themes ranging from core FM business activities to global strategic thinking. Topics of the Business Conference will relate to business continuity, lifecycle management and planning and will also include current hot topics such as sustainability and energy management.
EuroFM’s Research Symposium will feature topics including workplace management and the future of the FM profession. Attendees will have the opportunity to attend project workshops, seminars and educational sessions while also reviewing and discussing research findings with other facility management practitioners and educators.
“Since its beginnings, EFMC has grown to become an event that professionals worldwide look forward to,” said IFMA President and CEO David J. Brady.
“The conference has focused on the best practices and management strategies the facility management community utilizes. EFMC provides a great opportunity for industry professionals to convene and address facility management on a global scale.”
Students from European universities recognized by EuroFM will be able to compete in the EuroFM Poster Gallery, which gives students the opportunity to gain international recognition by presenting their own recent FM projects or research work. An international jury will judge the best poster presented at the conference, with the winning author(s) receiving a free trip to IFMA’s World Workplace 2008 Conference & Expo in Dallas, Texas.
Also among the event highlights is the presentation of the second European FM Awards on June 10 at the annual dinner. Awards will be given in the following categories: Partners Across Borders, FM Student of the Year, European FM Researcher and European FM of the Year.
EFMC 2008 will be supported by more than 28 facility management professional associations and 34 universities and research institutions in Europe. More than 500 delegates from various European countries and abroad are expected to attend.
The conference will take place at Manchester’s Palace Hotel.
For more information or to register for the event, visit www.efmc2008.com
Building sector unlocks potential for greenhouse gas reduction
A ‘white certificate’ energy trading system and the financing of energy efficiency improvements by energy retailers are among seven industry policies to unlock the greenhouse gas abatement potential in the building sector was announced on May 4.
The Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council (ASBEC) announced its seven policy priorities at a climate change forum in Sydney. A collaborative partnership between industry and government, the forum was attended by ASBEC members and interested parties from various government organisations.
ASBEC is Australia’s peak body of key organisations committed to a sustainable built environment in Australia. ASBEC Climate Change Task Group members – the Royal Australian Institute of Architects, the Property Council of Australia, the Planning Institute of Australia, the Green Building Council, the Chartered Institute of Building Service Engineers, the Australian Conservation Foundation and the Clean Energy Council – joined with the WA, SA, NT, VIC and federal governments to initiate and fund the policy research conducted by the Centre for International Economics.
“Early GHG abatement action in the building sector can reduce the negative impact on other industries in the Australian economy which rely on new technologies and long lead times to achieve considerable greenhouse gas reductions,” said ASBEC president, Caroline Pidcock. Research commissioned by ASBEC last year shows that the building sector as a whole could reduce its share of greenhouse gas emissions by 30-35% through energy efficiency while accommodating growth in the overall number of buildings by 2050. This coupled with new technologies and renewable energy will easily allow the sector to achieve the 2050 targets for greenhouse gas reduction.
“These new and innovative policy initiatives and incentives will pave the way for the building sector to make massive reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, which in turn will benefit all Australians,” Ms Pidcock said.
The proposed ‘white certificates’ could be generated by any energy/electricity consumer. The certificates would act as a transferable commodity based on energy savings arising from energy efficient investments over and above an agreed standard, and could work either in conjunction with an emissions trading scheme, providing carbon offsets, or independently, with an energy efficiency target imposed on electricity retailers.
Upfront expenditure by energy retailers and medium-term cost recovery through lower energy bills is the basis of the policy to bridge the timing difference of private costs and ‘payback’ associated with energy efficiency investments. Retailers would finance the upfront cost of investment in energy efficiency and recoup the cost by retaining the resulting savings. Other policy initiatives include financial incentives to accelerate ‘green’ depreciation of refurbished buildings, reform of rates and charges (such as stamp duty) to encourage retrofit and investment in energy efficient buildings, and higher standards on the design and materials of buildings as required by the Building Code of Australia, which involves a combination of approaches such as performance targets.
For more information visit www.asbec.asn.au
Health Facility Guidelines Up-dated
Following extensive review and recent approval from NSW Health, the Australasian Health Facility Guidelines have been updated. The following revisions and new information are included in Australasian Health Facility Guidelines (v2.0) published December 2007:
- Part B - Culture & Health
- Part B - Fixtures & Fittings - Definition in Glossary
- 1 x revised HPU - Psychiatric Emergency Care Centre (PECC)
- 6 x new Health Planning Units (HPU's)
– Sterile Supply Unit
– Day Surgery / Procedure Unit
– Hospital Morgue / Autopsy Unit
– Oral Health Unit
– Multipurpose Services Unit
– Pathology Unit
To view the new Australasian Health Facility Guidelines (v2.0), go to www.healthfacilityguidelines.com.au
Every year, FMA Australia’s industry leading ideaction Conference also serves as the platform from which to acknowledge the many innovative and inspirational leaders that help drive our industry forward. At this year’s glittering Gala dinner, held in the stunning surrounds of the Conrad Jupiter’s Grand Ballroom on the Gold Coast, the FMA Australia Awards for Excellence once again paid tribute to the individuals who bring passion and commitment to our industry.
One such individual, Jim Tatsis, took away the honour of receiving the FMA Australia & Culligan Water’s Facility Manager of the Year Award for the dedication and leadership he has shown in his role as State Facilities Manager – NSW/ACT for Stockland. FMA Online’s Melanie Drummond caught up with Jim after the conference to find out more about our man of the moment.
FMA Online: How did you feel about winning the award?
JT: It was quite surreal receiving the award. There’s always hope that you might be successful but I was surprised with the result, and nonetheless thrilled to win.
FMA Online: What feedback have you received following your win?
JT: The response from within Stockland has been overwhelming with several calls and emails from colleagues congratulating me including Matthew Quinn, our Managing Director. Even external business peers that I’ve rubbed shoulders with in the past have contacted me. It’s all been very flattering, and overwhelming, that people have taken the time to track me down and pass on their congratulations.
FMA Online: Can you tell us a bit about your role at Stockland?
JT: My role is State Facilities Manager- NSW/ACT.
Essentially there is a multitude of requirements but to simplify this, it’s broken down into four key areas being; risk management, sustainability, finance – both capital and operational expenditure, and stake holder management within a portfolio of Office and Industrial assets. The portfolio itself consists of 40 properties across NSW and the ACT.
FMA Online: Tell us about what’s involved to deliver in those four key areas.
JT: Risk Management: There’s quite a strong focus on managing risk within the business in particular towards contract management, insurance and compliance. A key focus of mine is to ensure my team is kept constantly updated and trained in this field. I also continually engage with auditors across the portfolio in providing better solutions in risk management to our customers.
Sustainability: Rolling out sustainability initiatives is an integral part of my role which I am also very passionate about. Water savings in particular has been a large focus of ours, where my team recently won the Green Globes Commercial Portfolio Water Savings Award. Delivery of sustainability results stem from the business empowering its employees to identify and implement initiatives.
Finance: This is a vital area where a lot of my time involves the continual management and upkeep of a property. My team is in charge of setting and managing budgets including capital expenditure and ad hoc expenses for upgrades and repairs. We are also in charge of forecasting budgets for the year ahead making sure they align with the Asset Manager’s business objectives.
As a manager I am also responsible for not only executing strict service level agreements but also continually auditing these to ensure they are inline.
Stakeholder management: This is to ensure that our customers remain continually satisfied with our service delivery. Internally we also strive to ensure that the management streams we work with are satisfied with the delivery of the facilities management team.
FMA Online: What has made you so passionate about sustainability?
JT: Probably my background. I’m a degree qualified electrical engineer with a background in building automation. This introduced me to building performance and energy management measures which I enjoyed immensely. In my current role I have also been exposed to water and waste management skills, where I’m very fortunate that I’m in a position of influence whereby I can implement initiatives to achieve improvements in these areas.
FMA Online: What water saving initiatives has been implemented across the Stockland portfolios?
JT: We’ve tried to actually come up with a number of initiatives that we roll out across the whole portfolio including waterless urinals. They’re probably the first big ticket item that brought about substantial water savings. We also ensure that water equipment such as cooling towers and taps and so forth, are audited to make sure there are no leaks and operate efficiently. We also install smart metering equipment in a majority of our assets to provide real-time feedback on water usage. We also updated a lot of cisterns to dual flush cisterns. On average we’re sitting approx 40 percent better off in terms of water consumption, compared to where we were against our baseline year (2006).
FMA Online: Is it easier to implement energy/water saving initiatives now that people are more open to the ideas involved with a sustainable future?
JT: Yes definitely, it has especially allowed for more innovation in this area. The technology and knowledge now available in the realm of sustainability allows crystallisation of what FM has always been about. It’s very interesting times, where I’m very fortunate to be in the industry.
FMA Online: How did you first move into facility management?
JT: Prior to this I had worked as an engineer for a portfolio of properties it was for a managing agency so the authority to make strategic decisions wasn’t there. In terms of true facilities management, this is my first role in that capacity, at Stockland.
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FMA Online: Was it part of your long-term career plan to move into a role that offered more strategic involvement?
JT: Definitely. I often say to my managers that I still can’t believe that I have fallen into a role I truly love. I’m quite fortunate in that respect.
FMA Online: Did you need to up skill in the management area before moving into this role?
JT: Yes, direct manager, Peter Sherlock, saw my capabilities, encouraging me to take up some further study including a Business Management Certificate through the Australian Institute of Management. Once I completed this course an opportunity to move into a State Manager role was presented, where I was successful in securing the promotion. Stockland fortunately is a huge advocate of growth and development of its people.
FMA Online: How many people do you manage directly in your team?
JT: We’re a team of 15 employees.
FMA Online: What qualities do you need to successfully manage people?
JT: Allowing people to find the right solution and deliver on an outcome rather than task managing is the best approach I find. Each individual in my team is different in terms of skills and personality, although they all have a strong worth ethic and strive to deliver positive outcomes. I give my team the opportunity to work individually, and by giving them the respect it shows you believe they can achieve that.
FMA Online: It really sounds like the company is committed to retaining the staff and the knowledge pool they have?
JT: Yes, that is definitely the message from our Managing Director down.
FMA Online: What do you find the most challenging?
JT: Adding the ACT into my portfolio and furthering my geographical responsibility is something new for me, in particular understanding the different legislative requirements for each State .
FMA Online: What do you think makes a good facility manager?
JT: Enthusiasm and passion for the work you deliver is vital. It’s how you approach each day and the challenges this brings with it.
FMA Online: Most facility managers I’ve spoken to are passionate about the industry and enjoy their work, what do you enjoy most about the job?
JT: To be completely honest, the views from some of the rooftops! Really though, it’s about having the ability to influence an environment, the conditions within a building and its safety.
It’s about allowing a number of tenants to occupy and carry on with their work without knowing there’s this thing called FM in the background that’s allowing it to all happen. It’s very rewarding. Also on sustainability; the fact that we do have the ability to manage waste, energy and water means that when you read in the papers about climate change and the focus on water and energy conversation, you really know that you have a direct influence on that.
Also, about the variety the profession offers as well. Our business recently merged with the Retail business to form Commercial Properties, so we have the opportunity of being exposed to FM across a number of different areas that I haven’t been exposed to yet.
FMA Online: Are there any changes that you’d like to see occur within the FM industry?
JT: One thing I’m focused on right now is the development of FM as a recognised profession. I have been fortunate to guest lecture at the University of New South Wales. In addition to this, on behalf of Stockland, I am working with TAFE’s to develop suitable courses in the area of Facilities Management. It is something that I am passionate about, and where I would like to see FM as an established qualification in the future!
FMA Online: What do you hope to achieve in the next 5 to ten years?
JT: In the next 5 years I hope to get exposure and expand my experience across various businesses within Stockland, such as establishing a level of expertise in areas such as retirement living, retail and intermodal, and one day moving into managing on a national level.
FMA Online wishes Jim well in his future endeavours.
The leadership abilities and potential of Australian women represent an enormously under-utilised national resource, one from which tremendous cultural and economic benefits can be realised.
Women comprise 47% of the Australian labour market yet, according to figures released by the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workforce Agency in 2006, they only account for 12% of all executive management positions. At board and CEO level, the under-representation of women is even more marked. For every 10 men sitting on the board of an ASX top 200 company, there is only one woman, while for every 33 male CEO’s, there is just one female equivalent.
To redress this inequality, the Australian Women & Leadership Forums have been created to give women in middle to upper management roles, or those aspiring to management, an opportunity to come together and share professional insights, develop leadership skills and to impart each other with the confidence to initiate cultural change within their workplaces.
The Australian Women & Leadership Forums are part of a wider strategy whose purpose is to raise awareness of the gender imbalance that impedes the recognition of the particular value of women leaders in Australian organisations. The forums aim to respond to the challenges faced by attendees, supporting them in their leadership journey by exploring ‘best practice’ strategies for sustainable and effective career progression.
Zoe Colless, Assistant Asset Manager at Stockland, attended the forum last year to gain a better understanding of how she could draw on her experience as a woman in the workplace to enhance and progress her career.
“The forum provided me with a lot of interesting information regarding mentors - whether male or female - and how much they can assist you by developing the tools that you need to succeed,” says Colless.
“It was also great to hear such diverse points of view from women employed in so many different positions and industries. The broad spectrum of attendees made it easier see how the forum applied to women at every level within an organisation.”
The forums are structured around four key modules that include interactive exercises, questionnaires and presentations that provide attendees with an in-depth analysis of their leadership, conversational and managerial styles.
Colless rated the forum at 8.8 out of a possible 10 and believes the forum might be relevant to other women involved in facilities or property portfolio management in terms of assisting them to be more confident within large industries and organisations.
“It was also great in showing how a balance can be achieved between personal commitments and work responsibilities,” she said.
The Leadership Voice, a full-day Australian Women & Leadership Forum, will be held in Canberra on July 3, in Melbourne on September 3, in Sydney on September 9 and in Brisbane on October 15. For more information, visit www.womensforum.com.au
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 into some of the responsibilities faced by facility managers and the reasons they decided to join FMA Australia.
This month, FMA Online’s Bianca Frost spoke to Craig Revell, Senior Facilities and Services Officer at the Australian Film Commission based at the National Film and Sound Archive in Canberra.
When and why did you join FMA Australia?
I joined FMA Australia earlier this year because the rest of the facilities team here at the Australian Film Commission (AFC) were already members of the association and had commented on the benefits of the networking opportunities, regular meeting and training sessions offered by membership. By joining FMA Australia, I hope to obtain new insights and different points of view about the FM industry.
What does your role involve?
I am responsible for overseeing office services including fit-outs, reporting to government and management of the AFC’s electricity, water, sewerage, mail and freight dispatch, and any other related services where we have various external contracts in place. My colleague Dennis Foster is responsible for building services and any of the problems associated with being the building owner.
What is your background in facilities management?
My first job in facilities management was with the Royal Australian Mint. My background prior to that was related to machine production, maintenance and manufacturing.
How did you take your first step into facilities management?
I began an apprenticeship with the Department of Housing and Construction in Fitting and Machining specialising in air-conditioning and refrigeration. I soon transferred my apprenticeship to the Royal Australian Mint and concluded my apprenticeship with them in the fields of Toolmaking and Production which is how I came to be involved in the machinery maintenance side of the industry.
How does your trade background assist you in facilities management?
The one thing about a trade is that it teaches you to work logically through problems. It also gives you a better understanding of the issues faced when dealing with the various tradespeople that you encounter in FM. I find that having a technical knowledge base to draw on really assists me to work with them in gaining the best possible solution to a given problem.
Do you think it is important for facilities managers to have a trade background?
I don’t think having a trade is essential to FM, but it certainly gives you an advantage when dealing with the day to day issues that arise. Regardless of whether you are facing a problem related to air-conditioning, refrigeration, mechanical pumps, electrical, or office services, having that basic trade knowledge definitely assists the problem solving process. It allows you to logically work through a schematic and come up with the best possible solution - and if the best solution is not feasible for whatever reason, then it at least helps you to devise a solution that will get you out of trouble.
What kind of facilities do you look after at the AFC?
We look after the National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) building in Canberra. The NFSA is a heritage listed building that was built in 1929 with an annexe that was added in 1998 to house the national headquarters of the NFSA. There are also four other sites in Mitchell, ACT, that are used for housing the collections.
What kinds of challenges are associated with managing a heritage listed building?
All maintenance works and office fit outs need to be assessed in terms of the potential impacts on the building’s heritage values so you must be mindful of any damage that you could possibly cause from any works undertaken on the site. If an office needs built-in shelving, or if a storage room needs fixtures to be added to the walls, we have to ask ourselves whether we should be fixing to the walls, or whether we should be looking for other solutions.
Another challenge is managing a heritage listed building in tandem with having a much newer building on the same site. You’re always trying to balancing the needs of the two buildings with that of the organisation. For example, if you want to do some work in the main Headquarters building, you have to bear in mind that it is primarily an exhibition space open to the public as well having a functional office space.
Does managing a heritage building require specialist consultants or contractors?
We have a heritage plan in place which we refer to in the majority of instances. However, if we need to do any major maintenance we may consult specialist expertise. For example, if we are looking at roof leaks, the construction methods used in 1929 are considerably different to the construction styles that are being used today. So, you do need to get in good consultants and technical people to solve the problems that you face as they come up.
How do you manage multiple sites?
We have systems in place that allow for good conditional auditing of the buildings. As some of our buildings are manned and some are unmanned, these systems ensure we provide the same level of service to all sites by regularly inspecting and utilising remote monitoring of each facility.
What do you like most about your work?
The people working at the AFC are a great eclectic mix of characters. Really the people make the job, beyond that, the NFSA’s HQ building is a very beautiful building. It’s nice to work on maintaining it for future generations to see.
What provokes the most difficult challenges?
Working out how we can provide the best possible service at the most effective price while balancing multiple jobs according to deadline is always a big challenge. Everyone in FM are facing similar challenges which is why I think that the opportunity to meet other facility managers through the networking opportunities afforded by FMA Australia to discuss various issues, problems, solutions and experiences is so advantageous.
What particular challenges do you face from an archival point of view?
We’ve got cool rooms, cold rooms and other rooms for document storage. Different articles require different storage conditions depending on the type of materials that they are made from. We have purpose built facilities for certain types of documents. For instance, for our nitrate film collection, we had to purpose-build a special nitrate vault. Then we have other vaults for other documents that are temperature and humidity monitored to ensure that the preservation of the material is maintained. You can’t stop deterioration, but what you do want to do is to reduce the amount of deterioration as much as possible. That’s why it is critical to maintain the optimal temperature and relative humidity required by each document.
What issues do you think your organisation will be dealing with in the next five years?
We are about to undergo quite significant structural change with-in the organisation with the merger of the AFC into Screen Australia, while the NFSA is de-merging into a statuary authority. We’ll be working under a different financial regime and I think that managing funding to make sure everything is maintained at its current standard is probably the biggest issue we’ll be facing.
What would you like to see FMA Australia do for its members?
Information is the critical thing. I’m looking forward to the regular newsletters, updates and branch activity information. I want to know what new opportunities are available to FM practitioners in terms of finding out more about issues related to the profession, whether that is equipment, contract management and so on. Even interviews like this with experienced practitioners in the field enables a knowledge transfer which can assist you in responding to future situations. The opportunity to learn three or four different way of achieving an outcome from information provided by FMA Australia, will make my membership worthwhile.
New members come to the facilities management industry and FMA Australia from diverse backgrounds, bringing with them differing skillsets and experiences.
This month, FMA Online’s Bianca Frost spoke to Thinnagaran Naidu, Director of Facilities at West Moreton Anglican College located near Ipswich in South East Queensland.
FMA Online: When and why did you join FMA Australia?
TN: I joined early this year. The reason I joined was to access the association’s good network of other FM professionals, to gain knowledge of the industry in Australia and also to link myself to developments in FM from around the globe.
FMA Online: What is your background in facilities management?
TN: I started as a property manager in the early 1970’s with the Chartered Institute of Surveyors. I completed my apprenticeship with them before becoming a building surveyor technician, managing buildings and building projects in Asia. I then spent time working both in government and as a private consultant before moving to a large commercial property company.
FMA Online: What does your role involve?
TN: I am the Director of Facilities at West Moretan Anglican College and am responsible for all the daily operations of the college. I am also responsible for any capital project works that the college undertakes – new projects, refurbishment projects, the whole works actually. I assist in planning projects with the college’s councilors by making recommendations on the type of systems we should put in, and how we can better manage our facilities and the land surrounding the college. Essentially I am involved in managing the whole portfolio of activities related to a facility of this kind.
FMA Online: What is the difference between managing a commercial property and a facility of this kind?
TN: There is a huge difference between a school and a commercial facility. A school has its own needs. We work on a term basis. We have different age groups to cater for. We cater for different functions and events. The facilities have to meet the specific needs of young people in an educational environment. There are many workplace health and safety requirements that have to be met in terms of making the college environmentally safe for children. At West Moreton, we take a very “green” approach to facilities management. Basically, managing an educational facility for young people requires a totally different approach to facilities management than in the commercial business sector.
FMA Online: Why?
TN: If you look at the difference between a young child and an adult, you can see that their needs are totally different. Children behave and react differently to situations than an adult, so we have to address that in our management practice. Take, for example, simple waste management. If you put out a bin in an adult environment you can expect that people will do the right thing and use that facility. Children, however, have a different outlook on waste. They tend to throw rubbish around so we have to educate them by providing them with clear signage, different sizes of bin, appropriate locations and show them the results of what can be achieved if they manage waste properly.
FMA Online: How closely do you work with the teaching staff?
TN: We work quite closely with the schools teachers and educators. We meet once a week to find out what’s happening around the college and adapt our responses to facilities management depending on the needs of the teachers.
FMA Online: What kinds of facilities do you manage?
TN: We have a pool, sporting fields, tennis courts, an equestrian riding school and a farm. We also have a large water catchment area where we harvest rainwater which is then used for water education and environment studies. We have over 38 hectares of property to manage in a semi-rural environment. There’s quite an extensive breadth of facilities to manage for the college.
FMA Online: What do you like most about your work?
TN: Working with young people. Young people are the future of the country. If we can get the children involved at an early age then they’ll grow up to become good citizens.. For example, we recently introduced a recycling program for the college to encourage the students to be more proactive in managing their waste. A number of environment captains were nominated whose job it was to encourage other students to do the right thing in terms of recycling paper, plastic, aluminium, and anything else they can find.
FMA Online: What kind of challenges do you face in a working week?
TN: Each day is a challenge for the college ground staff, technicians and myself. Children are very unpredictable. That’s one thing I can tell you. They’re always throwing new challenges at us. At West Moreton, because of our semi-rural location, we have to coexist with nature which includes both the surrounding bush land and the native animals that live there. For instance, we do encounter snakes on the college grounds. Children are naturally very inquisitive and tend to approach snakes when we as adults would warn others and seek to avoid them. Because snakes are protected animals, we have to manage that situation by both educating the students about the dangers of snakes and getting the right people in to address the problem.
FMA Online: Besides snake catchers, what kind of contractors do you have to get in?
TN: Our contractors range from grounds, to electrical and air-conditioning – similar contractors to what you would use in commercial areas. However, our needs are also quite different. Our terms of servicing tend to be more intensive. For instance, we have all the air-conditioners serviced every two to three months to make sure the filters are clean. We have electricians coming in regularly to test our electrical systems, plumbers to check our water efficiency, pest control to manage pests such as white ants; we have carpenters and builders, water and sewerage test technicians; we have people to come in and mow lawns and tractors come in to slash long bush and paddock grasses; we require contractors to provide road, pool and fencing maintenance. In short, we require an extensive range of contractors to service the school to its requirements.
FMA Online: How do you manage so many multiple contract arrangements?
TN: Good annual planning is required. We put a maintenance plan in place at the beginning of every year. This estimates the frequency of preventative and corrective maintenance required and allows for any unforeseen problems that might arise. We then have contacts drawn up which are reviewed annually to ensure that they are continuing to meet our needs.
FMA Online: When working with young people, are you bound by any particular regulatory or compliance standards?
TN: Every school and college employee is required to hold a ‘blue card’ under Queensland law. This means that all of our facilities team and contractors have to go through a stringent checking process and once we are approved, carry a blue card. All people who hold a blue card are registered with the State Government who run criminal background checks to ensure that the applicants are considered safe to work with children. We also need to be well versed in first aid. A few of us are also qualified workplace health and safety officers. I have to say that it has been a very different and interesting experience working in a school of this kind.
FMA Online: Can you tell us something about the company you work for?
TN: TN: The College is a progressive and dynamic co-educational institution situated on a beautiful semi-rural campus, only minutes from Ipswich in Queensland's South-Eastern growth corridor. It commenced operations in 1994 with 225 students and has seen no rivals in this district in relation to expansion or physical development. There are three sub-schools that cater for just over 1,400 students from Prep to Year 12. WestMAC is unique among schools in the district as it offers educational experiences that inner city schools are not able to – a fully working farm with an award winning cattle herd in the College grounds and an on-campus equestrian centre with a Level Three EFA equestrian coach. There is a very strong record of academic, cultural and sporting achievement and our College motto encourages students to pursue individual excellence. Our current students and our alumni have enjoyed considerable success at district, State and national level in a range of activities including sport, music, debating, literature and leadership. We also have a very strong international student program with close to 100 students from countries such as People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Viet Nam and the USA.
FMA Online: Has West Moreton implemented any sustainability initiatives?
TN: We harvest our rainwater for our irrigation needs. We have our own sewerage treatment plant on site to treat effluent water which we then use for irrigation in our farms to grow hay for the animals that are kept on site. All of our fields are managed organically. We have also stopped using conventional chemical products and have started planting more native plants. We use rainwater from tanks and recycle water to flush our toilets. Currently we are looking at an initiative to introduce solar cells to power our street lighting.
FMA Online: Can you describe your experience of working in at West Moreton?
TN: When I took up this position 18 months ago, my main focus was to make the school as sustainable as possible and working in an educational environment helps you to see things a bit differently. Young people are full of ideas. They walk into my office and say: “Mr. Naidu, I have this vision. Can you help me? “ So you help them out. It’s incredibly rewarding when you see the delight in students eyes after they’ve achieved a goal. They are very motivated, so we try to assist them in every way we can. It’s not easy to implement all these policies and projects because they require a lot of funding. But if we can start on a small scale then that’s a stepping stone in the right direction which is about showing the students that they can implement change.
FMA Online: Speaking of funding, how do you address your funding challenges?
TN: The college has a limited budget for me to work with. They also encourage me to apply for grants from other sources such as the Federal government and entrepreneurs. So I am actively involved in seeking additional funds which I do by writing proposals to the State and Commonwealth governments and other private organisations to assist us in securing funds for our projects.
FMA Online: Are you currently in receipt of any grants?
TN: We recently received $50,000 from the Green Watchers program courtesy of the Commonwealth Government. This was used to assist us setting up our water tanks and solar power systems. We also received another grant for water efficiency and fuel management from the State government. Another small grant enabled us to set-up new sensing equipment on the fields. We then had another grant from the Communities department to upgrade our cricket pitch.
FMA Online: What would you like to see FMA Australia do for its members?
TN: I would like to see FMA Australia provide a forum for FM professionals to exchange knowledge and share our experiences, skills and contacts. I think we need more communication among facility managers in this country, so the association is like a mediator, helping us bridge this gap that exists between FM professionals in different organisations, sectors and states.
FMA Australia members enjoy reciprocal rights to services from the British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM) and the International Facilities Management Association (IFMA), including members’ rates on publications and access to research.
If you’ve ever wondered how your business practices compare internationally, then why not take advantage of the expertise and knowledge of our facilities management cousins in the United Kingdom and United States?
IFMA – www.ifma.com.au
The International Facilities Management Association is a US based organisation that accepts members from around the world and currently boasts around 19,000 members. FMA Australia members are able to access members benefits from this formidable organisation, including professional development, publications, FMJ – IFMA’s monthly magazine, online discussion forums and access to IFMA’s annual conference at members’ rates.
For access to the IFMA members website, please contact Tim Farrelly, Membership co-ordinator at tf@fma.com.au or 03 8641 6600 and quote your membership number.
BIFM – www.bifm.org.uk
The British Institute of Facilities Management is based in London and services the UK. BIFM currently boasts over 12,000 members. FMA Australia members can tap into the vast resources produced by BIFM – all at members’ rates. Benefits include accessing the fortnightly FM World magazine, professional development courses, the BIFM annual conference and a wide array of publications.
To access to BIFM members services, please contact Tim Farrelly, Membership co-ordinator at tf@fma.com.au or 03 8641 6600 and quote your membership number.
FMA Australia encourages you to make the most of your membership and keep internationally up to date by using the members’ only resources from IFMA and BIFM – available free to you as a benefit of your FMA Australia membership.
Hopefully by now you’ve had a chance to check out FMA eStore, our new online buying system enabling you to purchase from a vast range of products at prices consistently lower than those at retail outlets. If you haven’t then what are you waiting for?
FMA eStore can save you money, not only on the things that you need to purchase on a daily basis, but on electrical goods, household appliances, cosmetics and much more. The great news for FMA Australia members is that you get an even better deal, with a secure site offering you up to a further 5% discount on an even bigger range of products.
Access to the FMA eStore secure site is available only to members of FMA Australia. In order to access the site you will need to enter your membership number as your username and the password which you should have received via email several weeks ago. If you need to be reminded of this, please contact FMA Australia on 03 8641 6666 and quote your membership number.
The FMA eStore general site is accessible to non-members via www.fma.com.au.
FMA eStore is a collaboration between FMA Australia and thinkgroup. It uses thinkgroup’s purchasing technology and expertise to deliver better buying outcomes for FMA Australia members.
Perhaps the best news of all is that, through our partnership with thinkgroup, we can provide a service which will enable you to save your organisation both time and money via an innovative buying and catalogue management platform that:
- Reduces transactional costs in the buying process.
- Manages and consolidates suppliers.
- Drives down the cost of goods through buyer aggregation.
These outcomes help organisations become more profitable by buying better.
The business buying platform helps organisations to improve bottom-line performance and profitability in the following ways:
Time Efficiency Savings
Supplier Negotiations
Product Research
Purchase Order Processing
Increased Purchasing Control
Off Contract and Maverick Spending
Buying Behaviour
Order Approval and Accuracy
Reduced Transactional Costs
Catalogue Creation and Maintenance
Product Tendering
Cycle Times for Posting Expenses
Improved Measurement and Accountability
Spend Visibility and Reporting
Purchasing and Requisitioning Audit Trails
Invoice and Purchase Tracking
Access to the business buying platform attracts a monthly subscription fee, however, as part of our agreement with thinkgroup, FMA Australia members who wish to utilise the buying platform receive a 25% discount.
To find out more about how you can improve your organisation’s profitability please call 1300 36 99 93 or send an email to FMAeStore@thinkgroup.com.au
FMA Australia has teamed up with Australian Business to bring you a suite of HR, OHS and Business Vitality products and publications to help you analyse, assess and improve your business practices.
HR Products
A comprehensive range of HR products and services that will enable your organisation to:
> Stay in touch with the latest news and issues
> Seek sound advice on HR and IR issues from our advice line or expert lawyers
> Produce HR documents easily, including contracts, correspondence and policies
> Effectively manage your daily HR requirements
OHS Products
A comprehensive range of OHS products and services that will enable your business to:
> Stay in touch with the latest news and issues
> Seek sound advice from our expert OHS consultants
> Create and maintain a comprehensive OHS management system
> Train your staff on OHS matters
> Effectively manage your daily OHS requirements
Business Vitality™
Whether you are looking to grow your business, manage your day-to-day activities
or plan for your succession, these innovative business improvement solutions will help you to:
> Benchmark the health of your business
> Boost your market impact
> Benefit your bottom line with a robust business plan
These specialised products are available to order via our website, www.fma.com.au, or by calling FMA Australia on 03 8641 6666 and of course, if you are a member of FMA Australia you will receive preferential rates. Click here now for more information and to see how you can invigorate your business.