https://newsletter.en.creamermedia.com
Business|Environment|Health|Repairs|Safety|Screening|Service|Equipment|Maintenance|Solutions|Infrastructure|Operations
Business|Environment|Health|Repairs|Safety|Screening|Service|Equipment|Maintenance|Solutions|Infrastructure|Operations
business|environment|health|repairs|safety|screening|service|equipment|maintenance|solutions|infrastructure|operations

Preventive measures vital for ‘new normal’ commercial operations

A THOROUGH JOB
Creating a preventive maintenance plan at regular intervals, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, is of great importance

A THOROUGH JOB Creating a preventive maintenance plan at regular intervals, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, is of great importance

13th November 2020

By: Theresa Bhowan-Rajah

journalist

     

Font size: - +

As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, facilities management service provider Facilities Management (FM) Solutions points out that companies need to create a preventive maintenance plan for the upkeep of commercial spaces at regular intervals.

“While self-performed maintenance protocols have not changed, protocols regarding health, hygiene and the handling of tools and equipment have. Screening, recording staff member temperatures and constant sanitising of tools and equipment have become a part of our maintenance protocols. We implemented a Covid-19 preventive plan to be in place for all our subcontractors, which considered the above as well as client and site-specific requirements,” says FM Solutions director Zaahir Forbes.

He states that preventive and reactive maintenance during the higher levels of lockdown declined and that clients mainly focused predominantly on statutory and legislative maintenance requirements during these periods.

“During the higher levels of lockdown, non-critical maintenance was rescheduled to reduce the overall Covid-19 exposure risk to our staff as well as client staff. The items in need of repair were still visually inspected to ensure that no further degradation took place and to plan the physical repairs as lockdown levels decreased. We worked closely with clients to decide on maintenance tasks that were considered critical to occupational health, safety and environment, client core business infrastructure compliance. Along with our clients we identified certain concessions that could be made with regard to Covid-19,” explains Forbes.

While maintenance operations decreased during lockdown, owing to offices and buildings being shut down, as well as restricted access, with fewer employees on site, FM Solutions remained focused on its service offering.

“We focused on executing maintenance in general areas of our client spaces. This served our clients well, as we avoided an influx of urgent maintenance and repair requests when the lockdown regulations were eased. We also increased our communication with our clients. We made them aware of the availability of spares and materials that were affected during the lockdown.”

Forbes notes that, prior to Covid-19, FM Solutions maintenance staff had the freedom to move around at sites while carrying out all preventive maintenance and reactive maintenance.

However, with the additional health and safety protocols that have been implemented to curb the spread of the virus, some permanent changes are being implemented to accommodate the ‘new normal’, he adds.

“Many staff members of FM Solutions and clients are more aware of hygiene and safety requirements; this global pandemic has also encouraged alternative ways of thinking and of carrying out different tasks,” says Forbes.

He concludes that FM Solutions operated during the various levels of lockdown to attend to any emergency maintenance requirements.

Edited by Zandile Mavuso
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor: Features

Comments

Showroom

Rio-Carb
Rio-Carb

Our Easy Access Chute concept was developed to reduce the risks related to liner maintenance. Currently, replacing wear liners require that...

VISIT SHOWROOM 
Klüber Lubrication
Klüber Lubrication

Klüber Lubrication ensures that the world’s essential systems—drive units, machines, and water flow—operate efficiently, sustainably, and reliably...

VISIT SHOWROOM 

Latest Multimedia

sponsored by

Photo of Martin Creamer
On-The-Air (15/11/2024)
15th November 2024 By: Martin Creamer

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION







sq:0.077 0.133s - 198pq - 2rq
Subscribe Now