Module 7: Co-ordinating Maintenance and
Repairs

The key stages in the life cycle of assets, with a particular focus on maintenance and operation
from a facilities management perspective
Different types of maintenance management strategies, including preventative maintenance,
risk based maintenance, corrective maintenance and emergency corrective maintenance
Information about the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER)
Common types of maintenance arrangements for HVAC, lifts and escalators and powered
doors and gates
Summary/What you will learn:
The key stages in the life cycle of assets, with a particular focus on maintenance and operation
from a facilities management perspective
Different types of maintenance management strategies, including preventative maintenance,
risk based maintenance, corrective maintenance and emergency corrective maintenance
Information about the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER)
Common types of maintenance arrangements for HVAC, lifts and escalators and powered
doors and gates
How to track your maintenance requirements, including understanding the lifecycle of your
assets and depreciation
Your responsibilities in relation to first aid at work .

7.1 Introduction

Across the next two units, we will break down the concept of
facilities management into two distinct phases - those being business as usual based
facilities management and project based facilities management.
In this module, we will specifically look at one of the key business as usual elements of the role - that
is, the parts of the role which support the day to day function of the business and are usually carried
out habitually or regularly. One of the main elements of this is the maintenance of equipment or
facilities, to ensure their effective and safe use.
The lifecycle of assets
Before we move on to talking about maintenance, it is important to understand its role in the
broader lifecycle of a particular system or piece of equipment. In previous modules, we discussed
the factors to consider in relation to deciding whether to buy, rent, or lease your equipment and this
module focuses on the assets that you decide to purchase and, following this, how to effectively
maintain, renew and dispose of them, before beginning the cycle again.
The diagram below summarises the key steps of the lifespan of most assets.

7.2 Preventative maintenance management

This type of maintenance is carried out on a regular basis, usually
by the form of a schedule, to pre-empt any issues or breakdowns with the equipment and
keep it running effectively and efficiently, rather than reacting to problems that occur.
Organisation is key to this approach, as it relies on careful planning of maintenance and keeping
detailed and accurate records of previous inspections and reports from services or repairs. It is also
imperative that there is a good system in place, to enable planned maintenance to take place at the
correct time. This can be a complex task in itself, particularly for organisations with a number of
assets to deal with and we will discuss different interventions and solutions for this later in this
module.
Preventative maintenance can include all types of intervention, including changing parts, making
adjustments, changing of oil, water, or other components and cleaning, etc.
It usually also requires subsequent quality or speed testing after the maintenance, to ensure that it
is working to the correct standard and also recording the findings so that they can be compared and
analysed across a piece of equipment's lifetime, to help give you some clue as to its future likely
performance.
There are a number of well recognised benefits of having a preventative maintenance plan,
as follows:
It can prolong the life of your equipment by keeping it in the best possible condition, meaning
that you benefit from better value for money.
The preventative maintenance plan should pick up hidden or forthcoming issues and faults,
thereby potentially meaning fewer breakdowns which can cause unplanned downtime and
sometimes more costly emergency repairs.
Regularly serviced equipment is more likely to be safe to use for workers, meaning a reduced
risk of injury to them.
Maintaining your equipment can mean that it runs more efficiently and economically, possibly
decreasing your running costs and also being better for the environment.
Risk-based maintenance
Of course, keeping every single piece of equipment, from the largest heating system to the smallest
paper laminator, maintained according to a fixed schedule can be time consuming and expensive,
particularly for the smaller business and it is certainly possible that it could cost more in money and
time to regularly maintain a piece of non-business critical equipment that is cheap and easy to
replace.
Risk-based maintenance refers to the directing of resources towards the priority assets that carry
the biggest risk if they were to fail.
The best method for determining which pieces of equipment fall into this category is to carry out a
risk assessment and, subsequently, those which are either more likely to fail or have a bigger and
more business-critical effect if they do fail, should be prioritised and maintained in a preventative
fashion.
Of course, although this method of maintenance sounds attractive, assessing the likely risk of failure
can be incredibly difficult and needs to be carried out accurately for this approach to work to its best
effect. It is generally a good idea for professionals with experience in using or maintaining specialist
equipment to be involved in this process and a mix of quantitative and qualitative approaches to be
used during the risk assessment process.
Once the evaluation of the risks has been conducted, a key part of the process is to rank the risks in
an analytical manner to arrive at an outcome of risk. The two main variables to consider in this
regard are the probability of the asset failing and the consequence of it doing so - these factors
should be combined, to determine whether the risk is acceptable or unacceptable. If high-risk, a
preventative maintenance programme as described above can be implemented.
Corrective maintenance
Corrective maintenance is a much more reactive approach than the two planned methods described
above. It involves carrying out maintenance in order to identify and rectify a specific fault with a
piece of equipment, with the objective of subsequently returning it to good operational condition.
Usually, corrective maintenance takes place for two reasons - either because the equipment has
broken down and is not operating effectively, or following routine monitoring of its performance in
order to pre-empt a forthcoming fault. The former is much more reactive and usually unplanned and
the latter is usually planned.
Emergency corrective maintenance
This type of approach is generally the least desirable method of maintenance, as it involves no preplanning or maintenance and instead, attempts to correct faults only as and when the equipment is
no longer functional, usually due to breakdown. The downsides to this approach are that it can often
cost a lot more to fix faults that are only identified at the most critical stage and it can also seriously
hamper business operations if the fact that the equipment which is out of action has a direct impact
on the ability of the business to operate as usual.
However, even the most stringent preventative maintenance strategies cannot pick up on every
possible future fault with a piece of equipment and it is therefore likely that you will end up having
to carry out emergency corrective maintenance on an asset or piece of equipment at least a few
times during your career as a Facilities Manager.
Activity 1
Estimated time: 15 minutes
Choose three systems or pieces of equipment used in your business/workplace/premises.
Re-read the different types of maintenance plans detailed in this module and decide which is most
appropriate for each one, justifying your decision with examples.

7.3 Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998
(PUWER)

These regulations, often abbreviated to PUWER, place duties on
people and companies who own, operate, or have control over work equipment.
PUWER also places responsibilities on businesses and organisations whose employees use work
equipment, whether owned by them or not.
PUWER requires that equipment provided for use at work is:-
Suitable for the intended use.
Safe for use, maintained in a safe condition and inspected to ensure it is correctly installed and
does not subsequently deteriorate.
Used only by people who have received adequate information, instruction and training.
Accompanied by suitable health and safety measures, such as protective devices and controls.
These will usually include emergency stop devices, adequate means of isolation from sources
of energy, clearly visible markings and warning devices.
Used in accordance with specific requirements, for mobile work equipment and power presses.
Source - The Health and Safety Executive website
There are also specific requirements regarding the provision of new work equipment for the use of
employees.
It must meet the following criteria, with further criteria for mobile equipment:-
Come with English language instructions.
Be CE marked - this is a visible sign that the manufacturer of the product has declared their
conformity with the European product safety directives.
Have a Declaration of Conformity.
Be free from any clear and obvious defects.
Common areas of maintenance
Now that we know a little more about the different types of approach to maintenance that exist, let's
take a closer look at some of the more usual areas that you are likely to be involved in, in a
maintenance capacity. Naturally, depending on your type of industry and business, there may be
specific assets or equipment which are higher risk and crucial to maintain effectively, but we have
chosen common areas here which are likely to apply across the board to most organisations and
industries.

7.4 Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC)
Maintenance

HVAC systems are usually very common areas in which Facilities
Managers choose to perform preventative maintenance on for a couple of reasons.
Firstly, the systems are usually expensive to run and fix and therefore, leaving it to an unforeseen
breakdown can have serious cost implications. Secondly, keeping your HVAC equipment running
well protects your employees and ensures that you are providing them with a comfortable working
environment, as trying to be productive in an environment that lacks good ventilation and air
circulation and does not have the ability to regulate an appropriate temperature for the weather is
very difficult.
This is why many Facilities Managers believe that putting in place an appropriate regular
maintenance programme for these systems is a very good investment - and one that will potentially
reap rewards over the years.
Knowing where to start when drawing up a robust maintenance plan for HVAC equipment can be
difficult.
Here are some useful tips to get started:
Get to grips with the maintenance manuals. These manuals generally provide very detailed
information regarding the system requirements and, of course, have the great advantage of
being completely tailored to your particular system. They will often contain details of the areas
to prioritise from a maintenance perspective, as well as suggestions on the regularity of
maintenance.
Use the services of an expert. Using a specialist HVAC engineer is necessary for more complex
work, but it can be a costly way of carrying out minor examinations, although it is a good idea
if you lack the time or knowledge to get to grips with lots of different types of equipment on
your premises.
Some of the basic parts of a maintenance plan are relatively simple, such a changing the oil or
filters. However, in order to maintain your system at its maximum efficiency, more complex
adjustments will also need to be made, for example annual boiler cleans and fire testing.
Set up a predictive maintenance schedule. This is a way of tracking different factors, such as
oil temperature, output speed, etc, in order to potentially pick up on problems before they
manifest themselves in an emergency break down situation.
Ultimately, you will end up with a list of the HVAC tasks that you need to carry out monthly,
quarterly, annually, etc, which can be input into your maintenance plan for maximum
organisation.

7.5 Lift and escalator maintenance

The Health and Safety Executive states that lifts provided for use by
workers in the workplace are subject to the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment
Regulations (LOLER), whereas escalators or moving walkways are covered by Regulation 19
of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations.
Part of these regulations detail the responsibilities that the business operating the equipment has, in
relation to inspecting and maintaining it, so that it is safe and secure for employees and/or the
general public to use and there is some useful guidance published by the HSE which you should
consider reading if you have responsibility for the maintenance of this type of equipment. In
summary, it details the thorough examinations that should take place regularly and by a competent
person, considering factors such as where the lift will be used, the frequency of use, age and
condition and the weight of loads to be lifted, etc.
The examination is also likely to include some testing.
Below are some of the key areas that should be included in an examination, although this
is by no means exhaustive:
Suspension ropes and chains
Braking systems
Hydraulics
Landing and car doors
Main drive system components
Worm and other gearing
Overload detection devices
Electrical devices, such as earthing, fuses, etc
A distinction should be made here between the terms “examination” and “inspection”. Periodic,
structured inspections should also take place between examinations - and these should be conducted
by a suitably qualified, specialist individual in this area.
7.6 Powered Door and Gate Maintenance

Again, there are some regulations covering the installation,
operation and maintenance of powered doors and gates, available on the Health and Safety
Executive website.
You should implement a robust maintenance plan for such systems, as they can be prone to hazards
with potentially dangerous consequences if not in full working order - for example, they may drop or
move without warning, they may run off their tracks, the electric systems may fail, etc. Bear in mind
as well that some of this type of equipment is operated outside, where it is at further potential risk of
weather and the elements.
Regular examinations and inspections are crucial, in order to ensure that these systems not only
work to their best possible capacity and efficiency, but are safe for employees and the general public
too.
Fact
Building services is part of a sector which has over
51,000 businesses and represents 2-3% of GDP in the UK.
Source: Wikipedia - HVAC

7.7 How to track and plan your maintenance requirements

Drawing up the list of which tasks need to be performed and when is
the crucial first step, but it is equally important to put in place a robust system to track
what needs to be done at what time.
How can this be done effectively?
To begin with, you need a very clear record of the service history performed on a piece of
equipment, including what work was previously carried out and when it was done. This paper
trail will enable you to spot trends and become more intuitive about what subsequent
requirements the equipment will need in the future.
Putting stickers on equipment, detailing the last time that the equipment was serviced, what
was done and the due date of the next inspection, can be a quick and easy but also very
valuable way of keeping track visually and also allows you to benefit from giving some visibility
and accountability to employees who use this equipment to check for themselves too.
Maintenance software systems are a relatively recent trend and have the benefit of being able
to pull all inputted data together and provide a simple plan or checklist for the maintenance of
given pieces of machinery, or even whole facilities systems. On the downside, it can be
expensive to purchase and maintain the software, but if your budget allows, it can effectively
streamline your maintenance process, making oversights and errors less likely, analysing
trends and freeing up your time for other, value adding tasks.
Deciding whether to repair or replace
Whilst a robust maintenance strategy should go a long way towards lengthening the life span of your
equipment, there comes a point in the lifecycle of most pieces of machinery when you have to make
a decision as to whether it is financially and practically sensible to continue to maintain and repair
an old and outdated piece of equipment. Carrying out a lifecycle cost analysis will help you to come
to an informed decision in this regard. This is basically a technique to help you weigh up the
different factors relating to the cost of a system over its life span.
A lifecycle cost analysis can be as simple as a manual table or Excel spreadsheet of expected annual
costs, or it can be a more automated and computerised system which offers example scenarios
relating to possible situations and outcomes and details the cost and performance viability of each.
Some factors to consider when making the decision regarding repairing/maintaining and
replacing are as follows:
Age of equipment
Track record, service history, previous reliability/issues
Rate of depreciation (see below)
Any current or recurring problems, or issues that may be imminent
Cost of equipment failure to the business, including downtime costs
Cost of repair, including parts and labour
Cost of preventative/regular maintenance
Efficiency of equipment, such as energy consumption and outputs
Cost of disposal
Price of newer alternatives, including acquisition price, interest, servicing, etc
Depreciation
Depreciation occurs when the monetary value of an asset reduces during its lifespan.
As an example, a brand new PC that you purchased for £5,000 will not be worth the same amount
two years later. Therefore, to work out to what extent it is worth maintaining a given asset, or
deciding when the time is right to replace it, you need to understand how its value will depreciate
over time.
There are a few different methods of calculating depreciation, though the most common is the
straight line method, which simply involves dividing the difference between the start and end cost of
your equipment by the number of years of its anticipated useful life. The cost is reduced in a uniform
fashion across its lifespan and therefore, is the same on the balance sheet every year.
Therefore, the formula to calculate depreciation is:-
Depreciation = depreciable amount (cost minus salvage value) / useful life
The straight line method is arguably the most simple and effective way of calculating depreciation.
However, one factor to be aware of is the fact that this method assumes a uniform reduction in value
over the years, whereas an asset usually loses more of its value in the early years of its life than in
the later years.

7.8 First Aid at Work

We briefly touched on first aid at work in the last module as part of
our wider discussion around health and safety in the workplace.
Let's now take a closer look at some of the key responsibilities in relation to the provision of first aid
on your premises.
Completing a First Aid Assessment
If you have overall facilities responsibility for a building or premises, you should complete a first aid
needs assessment. This assessment, which is similar in style and content to the risk assessments that
we have talked about earlier in this course, should look at the specifics of your business, including
the premises, workforce and type of work carried out, etc, in order to draw up a list of the most
likely risk factors where first aid may be required. This first aid needs assessment should be a
continuous working document which is re-assessed when a significant change occurs within the
business and also on a regular and ongoing basis.
Ensure you have the appropriate first aid equipment/facilities
You should make sure that there are suitable and adequate first aid facilities and equipment on the
premises, including at least one fully stocked first aid box.
Your first aid needs assessment will help you to determine what materials and equipment that the
first aid box should contain - as a minimum, sterile plasters, eye pads, bandages, wound dressings,
disposable gloves, safety pins and tape should be included. You should also ensure that the first aid
box is easy to locate, for those who need it.
Ideally, you will be able to provide a dedicated and private room or area, if deemed necessary by
your needs assessment, where you can keep your first aid suppliers and also other facilities, such as
a sink which can provide running and drinkable water, soap and paper towels, chairs or areas to rest
in, a telephone and a record book. This record book can give you the opportunity to track accident,
injury, or illness trends and give you information with which to seek better ways to provide a safe
working environment. Also consider your responsibility towards RIDDOR reporting, as discussed in
Module 6.
Activity 2
Estimated time: 10 minutes
Summarise the current state of the first aid provision in your workplace and, after having read the
first aid section in this module, make at least two suggestions for improvements.
Appoint first aiders
You should appoint individuals to take responsibility for the first aid arrangements in your facility
and make sure that your appointed first aiders are well trained and kept up to date. Again, your first
aid needs assessment should help you to decide whether or not fully trained first aiders are required
on your premises. If you deem this not to be the case, as a minimum, you should appoint a person to
take charge of first aid arrangements, such as taking care of first aid materials and being the
dedicated point of contact to call a doctor, ambulance, or other emergency services if necessary.
Often, a member of the facilities team is an ideal choice for such a role.
If you feel that you do require dedicated first aiders on your premises, you should carefully consider
how to train and update them to support them in their role. You can refer to the Health and Safety
Executive website, for further information in this regard.
Ensure staff are aware of procedures
You should provide information for all staff about the first aid arrangements on the premises.
Consider what forms of communication you need, to ensure that your teams know what to do in an
emergency first aid situation, who the appointed person and/or first aiders are, where the first aid
equipment is located, etc.

Module Summary
In Module 7, we have focused on an important area of business as usual facilities management - that
of system and equipment maintenance. We began by summarising the different types of
maintenance management strategies, such as preventative maintenance, risk based maintenance,
corrective maintenance and emergency corrective maintenance and weighed up the pros and cons of
each approach, from a cost and strategic perspective.
We then provided you with some important information about the Provision and Use of Work
Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER), a legal framework which places duties on people and
companies who own, operate, or have control over work equipment. Following this, we moved on to
describing some of the common types of maintenance arrangements that you are likely to be
involved in as a Facilities Manager, specifically for HVAC, lifts and escalators and powered doors
and gates and gave you some specific ideas and tips with which to manage the maintenance
requirements of these systems. Of course, it is important to identify what our premises' maintenance
needs are, but it is equally important to effectively track your maintenance plans so that you can
ensure they are carried out in a timely manner and are also recorded and analysed correctly and we
discussed some ways of doing this, including understanding the lifecycle of your assets and
depreciation. Finally, we covered your responsibilities in relation to first aid at work and the
interventions that you must put in place, to ensure that you have suitable first aid cover on your
premises.