Facilities managers are responsible for health and safety in commercial buildings. Fiona Mullin explains what she considers to be the three key health and safety challenges – fire risk assessments, asbestos control and Legionnaires’ Disease management.
Fire risk assessment has become the most important undertaking within a building as regards fire risk since the introduction of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. By law, any employer that employs more than five people must undertake a written fire risk assessment, record the findings and keep the assessment up to date and under review. The fire risk assessment has replaced the fire safety inspection and the issuing of fire certificates by the Fire Brigade.
The facilities manager’s role will depend on who is responsible for the building in question, but it is imperative that the accountability is clear and defined, and as always, the good facilities manager will have the keenest attention to detail, especially when it comes to safety. Often they will be the first to initiate an evaluation of any fire integrity works required, such as the to-be-expected alarms, extinguishers and escape routes. But also whether smoke seals are required, fire barriers in roof spaces, whether doors correctly close – they may require planning – and if extractor fans need fireproofing. Pipes and apertures leading into roof spaces may be fireproofed while non-compliant or unsafe lighting would also need to be replaced.
As the facilities manager for a multi-tenanted building some of the challenges I face are ensuring all tenants have and understand their fire risk assessment and that it is reviewed at least annually. In addition, the landlord carries out a fire risk assessment for all the communal areas. I also need to be satisfied that all fire protection measures are tested and maintained. These include portable and fixed fire fighting equipment, emergency lamps, both internal and external, as well as the provision and training of sufficient fire wardens to ensure their staff’s safety. There is also a gritting and cleaning regime in place to make sure external escape routes, including staircases, remain clear from ice and algae.
I also keep an eye on the evacuations and ensure the incident control team are familiar with the procedures with an emphasis on minimising false alarms by ensuring that detectors are kept clean and dust and smoke operations are controlled.
Asbestos must be properly managed to prevent people from being exposed to asbestos fibres, which can potentially lead to fatal diseases in the future. Workers who carry out building maintenance and repair are particularly at risk, and each year 4,500 people who worked in such trades die from past exposures to asbestos fibres. These workers are still at risk: half a million commercial buildings still contain asbestos.
Facilities managers are responsible for managing the maintenance and repair of a building, and therefore must manage any asbestos in it. As well as protecting people from exposure to asbestos fibres, they have a legal duty to manage asbestos (under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012).
A qualified facilities manager will walk the building to manage possible materials that may contain asbestos, such as insulating board, ceiling tiles and insulation on pipe work. They would include areas normally not visited, such as roof voids, store rooms etc. They can either presume that asbestos is present or confirm its presence or absence through the use of a more detailed survey and sampling. Any subsequent work on these materials would be carried out with full asbestos safety precautions, often using the help of specialist advisors or contractors.
Asbestos is a fibrous material that was widely used before its dangers were known. Buildings constructed before the year 2000 might have asbestos in the insulation, floors or roof. It was also used as pipe insulation and sprayed on ceilings and walls. The use of new asbestos-containing products is prohibited in the UK and there are strict guidelines about removing existing asbestos safely. But mesothelioma takes many years to develop, so people who have symptoms now might have been exposed many years ago.
As a facilities manager for several buildings it is important to manage contractor’s works on site that potentially involve affecting asbestos in the fabric of the building. I do this through the use of the asbestos register and asbestos management plan.
In addition, we carry out reviews to ensure that contractors are working safely and are aware of any potential disruption of existing, or suspected asbestos within the building fabric. As part of this review, we check that contractors are in possession of any asbestos awareness training. Familiarisation with our action plan is essential in the unlikely event that encapsulated potential asbestos becomes exposed through unexpected damage.
Specialists who are able to carry out sampling and air tests are established so that they can be engaged to undertake refurbishment and demolition surveys prior to any planned destructive works taking place. In addition, it is also important that they are familiar with the building in case of potential damage and fibre release so that they are quick to respond.
The number of people reported to be catching Legionnaires Disease in the UK equates to more than one person for every working day. The death rate remains high.
Any water system, with the right environmental conditions, could be a source for legionella bacteria growth. There is a reasonably foreseeable legionella risk if an office water system has a water temperature between 20-45°C, creates and/or spreads breathable droplets, or stores or re-circulates water. The most common sources of legionella are in man-made water systems, including cooling towers and evaporative condensers, hot and cold water systems and spa pools.
There are also a number of other potential risk systems that may pose a risk to exposure to legionella, e.g. humidifiers, air washers, emergency showers, indoor ornamental fountains etc.
Facilities managers must understand the health risks associated with legionella. Their duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HSWA) extend to risks from legionella bacteria, which may arise from work activities.
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (MHSWR) provide a broad framework for controlling health and safety at work. More specifically, the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) provide a framework of actions designed to assess, prevent or control the risk from bacteria like Legionella and take suitable precautions. The approved code of practice – Legionnaires’ disease: the control of Legionella bacteria in water systems (known as L8) contains practical guidance on how to manage and control the risks.
Facilities managers are trained to understand how to identify and assess sources of risk, manage any risks, prevent or control them and keep and maintain the correct records.
Legionella is present in all water aerosol sources. However, as a facilities manager it is important to understand the control measures used in the various water systems in the buildings I manage. L8 provides comprehensive guidance on how to manage most systems. The taps are flushed on a regular basis and hot and cold water storage temperatures are checked also on a regular basis, these records are recorded and kept in the water log book at every site I manage.
The contractors responsible for this and bacteriological testing liaise closely with me to ensure I am aware of any potential issues. The primary threat with Legionella is if a site has cooling tower/s which need to be monitored closely for both their PH and bacteriological count to ensure public and staff safety.
It is important that our water risk assessments are reviewed every 12 months to ensure that our control measures remain current and effective.
Fiona Mullin is a facilities manager at Sainsbury Group
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In an otherwise helpful description of the need for proper risk surveys, I was surprised that Ms Mullin did not mention the competence of the contractors used on site. For Fire Risk assessments and the subsequent work on fire alarms, emergency lighting, portable extinguishers etc there are the independent third party certification schemes offered by BAFE. Registration to the appropriate scheme will demonstrate that the provider meets the relevant standards and quality procedures. It would certainly be valuable for any FM company, whether they carry out the work themselves or manage subcontractors to ensure that such certification is in place.