Take a Look at the Way You Look at Facility Management

It's the same function, but as this excerpt from Wikipedia shows, views around the world differ on the definition of Facility Management. Fascinating.

One definition provided by the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) is:

"A profession that encompasses multiple disciplines to ensure functionality of the built environment by integrating people, place, processes and technology."
Another broader definition provided by IFMA is: "The practice or coordinating the physical workplace with the people and work of the organization; integrates the principles of business administration, architecture, and the behavioral and engineering sciences."
In the UK and other European countries facilities management has a wider definition than simply the management of buildings and services. The definition of FM provided by the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) and ratified by BSI British Standards is:
“Facilities management is the integration of processes within an organisation to maintain and develop the agreed services which support and improve the effectiveness of its primary activities”.
The British Institute of Facilities Management has formally adopted the CEN definition but also offers a slightly simpler description:
"Facilities management is the integration of multi-disciplinary activities within the built environment and the management of their impact upon people and the workplace".
In Australia, the term Commercial Services has replaced facilities management in some organisations. Commercial services can also define services other than just looking after facilities, such as security, parking, waste disposal, facility services and strategic planning.
A single or multiple buildings located on a single plot of land is referred to as a "Site". Multiple sites located in a single metropolitan area, but used by the same legal entity, are referred to as a "Campus." A Facility Management department may be responsible for a site; a campus; or, a regional area with multiple sites or campuses which may be a mix of owned and leased facilities. A Facility Management department will normally exist to manage the owner-occupied, physical assets of a company; whereas a Property Management department will normally exist to represent the only leased spaces. A Facility Management department is focused on cost effective, long-term utilization and value preservation of the owned assets while a Property Management department is typically focused on short-term lease returns.

Martin Technical recently completed a study of Facility Management Efficiency in Chicago. Let us tell you about it. Contact sales@martintechnical.com.

Serious Reason and Serious Work for OSHA in 2010

-Electrical injuries cost employers approximately $15.75 million per case in direct and indirect costs, according to a recent study by the Electric Power Research Institute in Palo Alto, CA.


-In the last two weeks, OSHA has fined the following USPS facilities for willful negligence of violating electrical safety standards. Many more USPS fines are anticipated, as the various local chapters of the American Postal Workers Union presses OSHA for workplace inspections.

      o Providence, RI $558K
      o Denver, CO $217K
      o Bedford Park, IL $210K

-The Protecting America’s Workers Act (H.R. 2067), introduced by U.S. Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D- CA), chair of the subcommittee, will strengthen and modernize the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the law that ensures the health and safety of American workers. Part of this proposal is increased OSHA penalties for job safety violations and establishment of mandatory minimum penalties for violations resulting in worker deaths, so fines are more than just a slap on the wrist. Criminal violations of the OSH Act would be made a felony, instead of a misdemeanor, and be expanded to cover cases that involve serious bodily injuries, not just worker deaths.

         o Serious and Other than Serious penalties would rise to $10,000 and would be required to be between $20,000 and $50,000 if the violation resulted in a death

         o Willful and Repeat violation penalties would go to $100,000 and would jump to a potential $250,000 if the violation resulted in a death.

- The number of Federal OSHA inspections in 2010 is predicted to be 40,000.

OSHA News on a Rainy Day

In light of new energy at OSHA, and major penalty levies in the last few days against three USPS facilities (Denver, Providence and Bedford, IL), here is an interesting summary of OSHA's stepped up enforcement program...from a law firm's viewpoint. You can read it here.

And, if you have questions about your own facility, electrical safety, arc flash hazards or maintenance efficiency, contact this company...which is definitely not a law firm.

A couple of Items from the News

Here is a link to an encouraging article. Your tax dollars at work in the Air Force, saving lives and labor while dealing with the very real hazards of Arc Flash. Check out the progress at Arnold Air Force Base here.

And, if you are not familiar with the Arc Flash Forum, you may want to get involved in the continuing conversation. That's at http://www.arcflashforum.com/. Stay safe!