Facility Management Requires Inspections

Often, we think of inspections as something some busybody manager has dreamed up to throw around their importance and make people do unnecessary work. For Facility Managers, inspections are a constant necessity to be successful at the job. If you keep in mind that real estate, after personnel, is an organization's most valuable asset, then you'll quickly realize that much of a Facility Manager's job is protecting that investment in both property and people. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that all the systems in a building are performing as needed so that the organization can continue to perform its business operations. We will go through some, not all, of the systems that need regular inspection to demonstrate why inspections are necessary.

FIRE INSPECTIONS

Fire is something that could quickly and completely destroy the value of a property. One day you have a building. The next day you have a pile of ashes. Fire safety systems are one of the best protections any building has to prevent the loss of life and property. When it comes down to it, fire protection can help save a great deal of money. If any part of the system does not work properly, a fire can quickly escalate out of control and reduce your investment to dust.

Annual Fire Inspection

Local Fire Marshals will conduct annual fire inspections of commercial buildings to ensure that they are up to code and that proper maintenance has been performed to the fire safety systems. Fire safety systems include fire sprinklers, signage, fire extinguishers, and the fire alarm. The Fire Marshal is the final stamp of approval on the work that you would have done for your building.

Fire Sprinkler Inspection

Before the Fire Marshal does his inspection, you would have had your fire sprinkler system inspected by a reputable company. They will check that the valves in the riser are in good condition to indicate the correct water presser. In addition, they will test the system's ability to detect water flow. If the water in a sprinkler system is flowing, it means that there is a sprinkler somewhere spraying water. If the system cannot detect water flow, then you have two forms of damage. The first damage is fire damage. The second damage is water damage. A good system will detect water flow and trigger the alarm. The alarm will get the fire department on site to check the problem. If it is a fire, they will help put it out. If it is a damaged sprinkler head, they can turn off the water until repairs can be made. Therefore, it is important that the sprinkler system be inspected to ensure that it is able to perform the job it was made to do. Fire sprinkler and fire alarm inspections are performed annually.

Fire Extinguisher Inspection

Fire extinguishers are the first line of defense against a fire. Before the smoke detectors go off, and before a fire sprinklery is triggered, it is possible for building occupants to put out a fire using a fire extinguisher. Putting out a fire at its earliest is best. If your fire extinguishers have been neglected, then there is the possibility that they have lost their charge or that one of the components is inadequate. For example, the rubber hoses on extinguishers can often crack and break off, which would limit your ability to use it properly. A fire extinguisher without a charge can make you waste time searching for another extinguisher. In that brief period the fire could grow out of control. Therefore, fire extinguisher inspections will check that they devices are up to the task in case they are ever needed. Fire extinguisher inspections are conducted monthly.

INSPECTION OF WORK

As a Facility Manager, there will be a great deal of work that a building needs that is out of your personal capacity to perform. For example, HVAC repairs are a service that is often hired out. In the commercial space, repairs are far more expensive than the residential counterpart. For example, diagnosis and replacement of a burnt out blower motor can cost around $800 or more. Compressor replacement can cost $3000 for one, or $5000 to replace both compressors of a dual-stage system. A commercial building consists of many systems. You have the roofing system, environmental system, plumbing system, alarm system, phone system, network system, and so on. All of these are often very technical and specialized, requiring that the work gets done by qualified individuals.

Because of the cost of hiring professionals, it makes sense to give the affected system a quick inspection prior to requesting the service call. This is to ensure that the problem is not something simple, such as a tripped circuit breaker. Equally as important is to check the work that was done. First, you need to be certain that the repair has been done. If it was an air conditioner, you should check that it is cooling and dehumidifying as required.

Secondly, you want to check that the work area has been properly cleaned, leaving no trash or dangerous components lying around. Dangerous is a relative term in this case. For example, on the roof, leaving a screw or nail lying around is a risk for puncturing the roof. Not only does your work inspection ensure that you get the work you paid for, it also helps you protect your other investments. Sometimes contractors will break something without telling you. If you do not routinely inspect your property, you would have no way of knowing if the problem is new or has been that way for some time.

Here is an example of a power pole that was pushed off its mooring on the floor. This has been broken for weeks. It was only yesterday that we discovered it was broken because our janitor noticed that the wires were sticking out from the bottom. In the photo, I have moved it to better see the damage. Without regular inspections, we are unable to guess how it may have happened. After announcing it, an employee confessed to having done it. However, we could just as easily have had a contractor break it. The point is, the power pole is now a safety hazard that has been that way for weeks for lack of inspection. There is a cost of repair and potentially a cost to somebody's safety.

I hope that I have made the case why buildings require constant inspections by their Facility Managers and maintenance teams. Inspections aren't just paperwork. They are a means to ensure that systems do what they were designed to do. They also maintain the value of a property by causing repairs to be made. This approach is also useful for residential properties. Allowing problems to go undiagnosed for too long can often result in higher repair costs at the worst time.