Carter Towler has secured two new tenants for a newly refurbished industrial estate in Huddersfield. Simply Door Handles will move to the Ringway estate from its former site on Leeds Road into Unit 29 on the estate, which measures 1,940 sq ft, while Kirklees Council will establish a 15,200 sq
IWFM welcomes the draft Building Safety Bill and hopes this development will provide some comfort to those affected by the Grenfell Tower fire. We believe the new statutory role of Building Safety Manager (BSM) is key to avoiding any repeat of such a tragedy and we are pleased to continue
Sweepertec is Brushtec’s popular forked vehicle brush attachment range. Known for its extreme durability and longevity, the Sweepertec is the best choice for swift, efficient, indoor, and outdoor cleaning. Brushtec is now proud to announce that the Sweepertec 2800 is available for purchase. At 2800mm wide Sweepertec 2800 is the
Nationwide Specialist Services (NSS) has been awarded a long-term service contract by ISS, the leading workplace experience and facilities management company. As a strategic partner for almost 10 years, “NSS now delivers all aspects of window and technical cleaning across the UK for ISS”. The 5 year Framework Agreement was
Mitie Security has launched new fever-screening solutions, using thermal imaging to identify individuals potentially suffering from COVID-19 The solutions are designed to support both businesses on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic such as hospitals, and those preparing to return to business post lockdown, such as retailers, venues and buildings
Consultancy Mace has announced a number of structural changes as it reshapes its facilities management (FM) division Alongside several new leadership team appointments, Mace’s Operate division will now cease using the ‘Macro’ brand and formally adopt the Mace group corporate identity. With the Covid-19 pandemic transforming the way that workplaces
Bellrock is rolling out a new mobile app to track the health and wellbeing of its remote workforce during the Covid-19 crisis and beyond. The technology-enabled property and facilities management services company has partnered with field service management software specialist ,Totalmobile, to deploy its Employee Wellbeing solution for 150 engineers
The FM industry continues to step up to the challenge set by COVID-19, with ISS UK taking on the soft services contract at ExCeL exhibition centre. ISS will deliver cleaning, portering, waste management and other soft FM services at the new hospital which will provide support for thousands more patients with
NHS Property Services (NHSPS) has today announced changes to the way it delivers hard facilities management services (‘Hard FM’), which will see the government-owned company take direct control of selected services. Responsible for the management and maintenance of 3,500 properties across England, encompassing 7,000 tenants, NHSPS has one of the
VINCI Facilities, a major provider of FM to the NHS, has announced it is diverting volunteers from its mobile repair teams (MRTs) to support existing facilities management services across several hospitals in the North West, Midlands and South East. As well as supporting with the ongoing repair and maintenance of
Carter Towler has secured two new tenants for a newly refurbished industrial estate in Huddersfield. Simply Door Handles will move to the Ringway estate from its former site on Leeds Road into Unit 29 on the estate, which measures 1,940 sq ft, while Kirklees Council will establish a 15,200 sq ft warehouse facility in Unit 9/10. Hazel Cooper of Carter Towler said: “The improvement programme has been a wise and timely investment by the landlord, it has significantly enhanced the appeal of the estate. We have seen a marked increase in the number and quality of enquiries which is now beginning to manifest as positive lettings. “New tenants as well as existing occupiers such as Tool Station, Rexel, Edmundson Electrical, Crown and Johnstone’s Paints have fully endorsed the modernisation. There are just two units remaining now, one is 5,430 sq ft and the other 14,400 sq ft with a further 23,000 sq ft under offer.” The Ringway estate, located on Beck Road in Huddersfield is asset managed by CBRE Global Investors and Howlings Hodgson. Jonathan Hodgson of Howlings Hodgson added: “This is no longer the Ringway Estate that people remember. It’s been completely refurbished to provide a modern business offer capable of supporting a range of businesses so we shouldn’t be surprised that the market is responding despite the challenges of Covid. “The refurbished units have received new roofs, automatic roller shutters, modern and remodelled office, kitchen and welfare facilities and eco-efficient LED lighting. The common areas such as the secure yards, fencing and landscaping have all been enhanced too and the estate has been rebranded to reflect its new improved status.” Carter Towler is joint agent for the estate with Knight Frank Leeds office.
IWFM welcomes the draft Building Safety Bill and hopes this development will provide some comfort to those affected by the Grenfell Tower fire. We believe the new statutory role of Building Safety Manager (BSM) is key to avoiding any repeat of such a tragedy and we are pleased to continue to help with developing the competence framework for the role. The importance of the BSM in ensuring the safety of buildings and the people occupying them cannot be understated. Where previously there often was a lack of both clarity on who was responsible for building safety and competence to ensure that safety, a BSM with oversight should ensure that all of the updated safety requirements are met, residents have a clear point of contact, and lives are protected. We urge facilities managers to engage with the Bill and provide feedback to us via: policy@iwfm.org.uk. Professionals in FM will be at the front-line of this Bill’s implementation, being those most likely to be assigned or hired to the BSM role; it is therefore critical that our profession is knowledgeable of the contents and its implications for the future of building and people safety. We must never face a repeat of that tragic night and, while there is still work to do, we are much closer to that goal with this draft Bill. Further information: The BSM can be an individual or organisation whose principal role is to support the Accountable Person in the day-to-day management of fire and structural safety in the building. In either circumstance, the individual or a nominated individual must have the competence (or skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours) to carry out the statutory functions. The skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours are not detailed in the draft Building Safety Bill, which is a high level Bill; instead, the detail of the competences will be outlined in future statutory guidance and a Publicly Available Specification.
Sweepertec is Brushtec’s popular forked vehicle brush attachment range. Known for its extreme durability and longevity, the Sweepertec is the best choice for swift, efficient, indoor, and outdoor cleaning. Brushtec is now proud to announce that the Sweepertec 2800 is available for purchase. At 2800mm wide Sweepertec 2800 is the largest in our Sweepertec range, supplementing the Sweepertec 2000 and Sweepertec 1200 to provide sweeping performance for the largest of areas. Size aside, the main feature of the Sweepertec 2800 are its wings which act as a scoop for pushing large quantities of finer debris into position. Continuing from our core philosophy of durability through simplicity the Sweepertec 2800 is quick to assemble, provides excellent performance, and requires no maintenance. With a hot dip galvanised steel frame, a Sweepertec is protected for use in harsh environmental conditions – such as slurry – without the fear of corrosion. The Sweepertec brushes are the only one on the market to come as one-piece, highly durable brush backs – no rows of flimsy bristle tied together. This means that with its heavy duty 2.2mm bristles the Sweepertec can clear any debris from snow and slurry, to grain and stone. When sweeping is completed, the Sweepertec needs only to be put down and unclipped; the heavy-duty bristles are self-supporting – no need to waste time setting the brush on a stand. Excellent performance, and no hassle, allowing you to get cleaning done quickly and onto other jobs. Advantages: Highly durable, heavy-duty, welded steel chassis with no moving parts to break. Resistance to corrosion due to the hot-dip galvanising. Hot-dip galvanising has the ability to self-heal scratches to its surface. 16 to 20 rows of stiff long-life bristle which are so rigid and strong as to be self-supporting without a stand, make the Sweepertec the best performance yard sweeper on the market. 100% British made.
Nationwide Specialist Services (NSS) has been awarded a long-term service contract by ISS, the leading workplace experience and facilities management company. As a strategic partner for almost 10 years, “NSS now delivers all aspects of window and technical cleaning across the UK for ISS”. The 5 year Framework Agreement was renewed following an in-depth negotiation process, significantly expanding on the existing relationship between the two companies. Over the period, the value of the new contract is anticipated to be in the region of £35m. NSS is made up of four divisions: cleaning; maintenance; testing and hire. The business operates from bases in Slough, Dartford, Manchester, Leeds and Falkirk to provide complete and responsive coverage to customers across the commercial property, retail, healthcare, and public sector markets. Commenting on the win, NSS group commercial director Eugene Boyle said: “As a business, we’re consistently striving to provide a best-in-class and reliable service. We understand the importance of a clean, well-maintained and fully operational building, and the impact any interruption to this can have on our customers’ own customers or employees. We’re delighted to be partnering with an industry-leader like ISS.” Derren Chamberlain, ISS procurement director for UK & Ireland added: “We were looking for a truly specialist partner with a genuine focus on safety and commitment to quality. NSS’ track record for delivering responsive and effective service combined with its ‘at-height’ expertise made the opportunity to work together a compelling one.”
Mitie Security has launched new fever-screening solutions, using thermal imaging to identify individuals potentially suffering from COVID-19 The solutions are designed to support both businesses on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic such as hospitals, and those preparing to return to business post lockdown, such as retailers, venues and buildings with a significant number of employees Mitie Security is helping businesses mitigate against the spread of Coronavirus with the launch of a new suite of fever-screening solutions. The solutions, which have been developed by adapting existing thermal imaging technology, quickly and easily identify individuals with a fever that may be symptomatic of COVID-19. This fever-screening technology is able to detect human temperatures to within an accuracy of 0.3ºC, raising the alarm to monitoring teams should it identify an individual with a fever. However, it is important to note that some people believe that this kind of fever monitoring tech can pose privacy risks depending on who has access to the data collected from these devices. However, these more focused programs are a far cry from dragnet surveillance cameras constantly surveilling the public like the mass surveillance in China. These solutions have been designed to support the wide range of industries on the frontline of the nation’s fight against coronavirus, as well as those looking to prepare for when current restrictions are eased. Applications for the technology include: Healthcare: Identifying potential COVID-19 sufferers as they enter hospital which will allow healthcare professionals to take precautions, such as limiting contact with other patients and ensuring all staff they encounter are wearing appropriate PPE. Public spaces: Scanning people’s body temperature on entry to public spaces, such as railway stations, airports and large venues. This will allow individuals potentially suffering from COVID-19 to be isolated and reduce the further spread of the virus in crowded places. Retail: Thermal imaging technology will support the safety of staff and customers in supermarkets or other shops in identifying individuals with fevers and potentially diverting them away from the stores. Business Headquarters: For businesses preparing for the return of large number of employees to their Head Offices. These fever-screening solutions will detect any employees or visitors who are potentially infected with COVID-19, preventing it from spreading further within the office. To enable use in different situations, the technology has been developed in several formats from hand-held units to mounted cameras. For example, locating the thermal cameras at site entrances allows a larger number of people to be checked at one time, such as in public areas or when a large number of employees are entering a building at the same time, for instance, during shift changes at manufacturing site, or employees arriving for work at a large office block. The portable hand-held solution meanwhile can be used to check individuals, enabling the detection of anyone showing an elevated body temperature. Mitie’s specialist Fire and Security Systems’ Team has also developed a process guide to be used alongside the fever-screening solutions, including best practice guidelines and procedures to manage individuals with a high body temperature, depending on the scenario. For instance, potential COVID-19 sufferers could be diverted to a safe area for further checks to be performed by an employee wearing appropriate PPE, before determining if access to the site will be granted or denied. The fever-screening solutions, alongside these guidelines, will allow businesses to protect their employees and customers, by minimising the risk of spreading COVID-19 infections. Jason Towse, Managing Director of Business Services, Mitie, said: “Ensuring the safety of our clients’ employees and customers has always been our priority, and this is even more important during the Coronavirus pandemic. As many businesses start planning a return to work after lockdown, we must ensure that we all play our part in limiting the spread of COVID-19 as much as possible. “As the UK’s leading technology-led security provider, we are evolving to meet this new threat. By harnessing thermal technology we can support businesses in keeping people safe – be that those at the coal face of the pandemic or others looking to find safe ways to return to daily life as and when restrictions begin to ease.”
Consultancy Mace has announced a number of structural changes as it reshapes its facilities management (FM) division Alongside several new leadership team appointments, Mace’s Operate division will now cease using the ‘Macro’ brand and formally adopt the Mace group corporate identity. With the Covid-19 pandemic transforming the way that workplaces operate across the globe, Mace has moved forward plans to integrate its facilities management division, Operate, with the wider business. The change aims to enable the firm to provide clients with more cohesive services drawing on the wider built environment expertise of Mace’s consultancy, construction and development arms. As one of Mace’s four ‘Engines for Growth’ the Operate division delivers services to public and private sector clients, working with key workplace clients to support their corporate real estate strategies. It provides facilities management and consultancy services on workplace experience, portfolio efficiency and asset management to some of the world’s most high profile corporate real estate clients. Since the business’ inception in 2002 it has seen steady international growth, thanks in part to expansions with long-standing clients as they seek to increase their global portfolios. The company now boasts over 1,000 employees globally, operating in over 40 countries from four regional hubs. By adopting the Mace corporate identity, the facilities management business will be able to build on the group’s existing strategic client base. New senior appointments Led by Ross Abbate, CEO for Operate, the division has also introduced a new focus on delivering exceptional workplace experience for its clients. As part of that transformation, a number of new senior appointments have been made to invest in new service lines and regional growth. New members of the leadership team include Marlies Hoodgeboom as managing director for UK and Europe, Nick Garniss as Centre for Excellence director, and Maud Santamaria as workplace experience director. Those new service lines have included developing tailored offers to help clients respond to the coronavirus pandemic. The Operate division has developed a strategic ‘return to work’ service and is already helping some of the world’s leading corporates to understand the scope and scale of changes that will be needed to operate workplaces with social distancing in place. Understanding a ‘new normal’ Ross Abbate, chief executive officer of Mace’s Operate division, said: “The future of the workplace is changing faster than ever before. As the impact of coronavirus is felt across the world, companies will be looking for support to understand what the ‘new normal’ is and how they can provide safe and secure workplaces and continue to attract and the retain the best talent for their business. “As we become more integrated with the wider Mace Group and build our centre for excellence on workplace experience, we will be able to draw on expertise from across our consultancy, construction and development divisions to give clients the strategic advice they need to thrive in the new world. “With these changes and our new leadership team in place, we have never been in a better place to provide world-leading services and continue to build our portfolio. “I would like to thank everyone who works for us across the globe for everything they have done to give the business this opportunity to grow.”
Bellrock is rolling out a new mobile app to track the health and wellbeing of its remote workforce during the Covid-19 crisis and beyond. The technology-enabled property and facilities management services company has partnered with field service management software specialist ,Totalmobile, to deploy its Employee Wellbeing solution for 150 engineers that are providing vital maintenance services to public sector customers during the Covid-19 pandemic. The system enables Bellrock’s remote workers to use their mobile devices to provide regular updates on their mental and physical health. This includes recording their mood, if they are displaying any coronavirus symptoms and if they have been required to self-isolate and are unavailable to work. Information captured in the field is automatically relayed to Bellrock’s HR and operations teams in real-time who can monitor app use and actions, make timely interventions and track key metrics using analytics tools. The app also provides remote workers with immediate access to approved guidance documents, contacts and support networks. David Smith, CEO of Bellrock, said: “It’s essential to do everything we can to support all employees, particularly those on the front line delivering essential maintenance services to the public sector during this crisis. “Totalmobile’s Employee Wellbeing app gives our workforce a quick and easy way to communicate how they are feeling and access to important resources. “The ability to efficiently monitor and track how hundreds of workers are feeling supports our duty of care and the powerful insights the app generates will help us continually improve the support we provide.” Following the initial successful deployment to engineers, Bellrock plans to roll the solution out to a further 950 employees by the end of June.
The FM industry continues to step up to the challenge set by COVID-19, with ISS UK taking on the soft services contract at ExCeL exhibition centre. ISS will deliver cleaning, portering, waste management and other soft FM services at the new hospital which will provide support for thousands more patients with Coronavirus at the end of March 2020. Based at the ExCeL conference centre in East London, the hospital will initially provide up to 500 beds equipped with ventilators and oxygen. The capacity will then continue to increase, potentially up to 4,000 beds. On 24 March, it was announced that the exhibition centre was to be temporarily converted into a hospital, with the help of trade contractors and the military. Soft FM for Nightingale Hospital Matthew Brabin, CEO, ISS UK & Ireland commented, “We’re honoured to help our nation in these extraordinary times and I’m doubly proud of our great people who have made this possible.” Craig Smith, Head of Corporate Affairs at ISS, said: “As market leaders in the provision of healthcare services, ISS is proud to have been asked to provide the Soft FM staffing for the Nightingale Hospital. “ISS Healthcare professionals will be managing the cleaning, portering and waste management, whilst working with fellow FM providers to deliver a seamless service into the NHS. “At this stage the workforce is being drawn from around the country, starting with contracts the company holds with the NHS. Additional staff will be recruited from other areas that are currently on furlough.” FM Resource Bank During these challenging times, please consider contributing to our FM Resource Bank. As a leading voice in the facilities management, workplace and built environment industry, we have started this resource to facilitate an area for service providers to exchange details and ask for support. The aim of this is to help reuse or repurpose resources or labour, that would otherwise go to waste for the common good of the FM community and the country at large.Through this, we hope to create a flexible pool of additional resources.
NHS Property Services (NHSPS) has today announced changes to the way it delivers hard facilities management services (‘Hard FM’), which will see the government-owned company take direct control of selected services. Responsible for the management and maintenance of 3,500 properties across England, encompassing 7,000 tenants, NHSPS has one of the largest portfolios in the UK, valued in excess of £3bn and representing approximately 10% of the total NHS estate. The move to insource Hard FM services, i.e. those that relate to the maintenance of the physical materials of a building, follows a detailed review by NHSPS. This has determined which services should be delivered directly by NHSPS instead of the current provider Mitie. These include plumbing, electrical, mechanical, water systems, fire safety systems, lighting and building inspections. Other selected services such as air conditioning, heating, and gas will continue to be provided by Mitie or transferred to trusted partners. The change will take place on 1 April 2020 when approximately 140 Mitie employees affected by the decision will transfer to NHSPS’s employment. Martin Steele, Chief Executive Officer of NHSPS, said, “This decision supports our business strategy to deliver improved value for the NHS and is part of a wider program to rebalance our service delivery model. By taking these elements of facilities management in-house, we will have greater control over the standard and flexibility of service we provide our NHS customers. Given the scale of this service nationally, we will also be able to achieve significant cost efficiencies, to be reinvested back into the NHS.”
VINCI Facilities, a major provider of FM to the NHS, has announced it is diverting volunteers from its mobile repair teams (MRTs) to support existing facilities management services across several hospitals in the North West, Midlands and South East. As well as supporting with the ongoing repair and maintenance of hospital wards and essential services to keep wards going and back up clinical staff, VINCI Facilities engineers and teams are going to be working to help with reconfiguration of other wards in the hospitals to re-purpose them to support the effort against COVID-19. Its teams will be bolstered by the engineers that usually work in the retail sector supporting charity and large chain store contracts bringing with them much needed extra help in maintaining electrical services and systems, air conditioning, heating and ventilation as well as building repairs and joinery work. The MRTs will be providing cover for staff who are unable to attend work through illness or self-isolation as well as add depth to the existing numbers of engineering staff giving further, much needed support.
