Operations Facilities management
is focused on growth by competitive bidding to win big projects with tier-one clients, operational engineering is likely to remain a bespoke service provided for the property user, occupier or manager.’ The role of an operational engineer could also be performed by maintenance engineers, claims Bob Quinn, a regional director at WYG. He says that he is a member of the British Institute of Facilities Management and describes himself as an operational engineer. ‘There are a lot of people with my background in
maintenance engineering,’ he says, adding that such people understand the consequence of a design in which, for example, the plant and equipment are put on the roof where a crane would be required to get at it. Quinn thinks that the way to bridge the gap is to try to
ensure that trainees learn about design and maintenance demands – something WYG aims to do. He believes it is crucial to continue the long-standing practice within the construction industry of training each professional to understand the other’s viewpoint. However, Quinn advises caution. He believes that the
Modern buildings designed for efficiency may fail to achieve this operationally.
>
for the development of what is increasingly called operational engineers.’ Terry Dix, a director of Arup, says he has met FM people who have approached buildings on the basis of ‘if it is not broken, don’t fix it’, and that the facilities engineers do not know how to fix things. Design engineers have a great understanding of the practicalities of what they have designed. Dix believes, however, that there is a solution. It is
We have a new generation of buildings but the profession lacks the skills to use the energy log books to take corrective
action – Philip King
the Soft Landings process for encompassing new- building procurement, handover and longer-term monitoring, as developed by the Useable Buildings Trust and research body BSRIA. Anyway, argues Dix, the role of operational engineer has existed in other forms: ‘Sometimes they have been called energy managers.’ Coleman concurs: ‘Many good value initiatives such
as HOBO (Handover of Building Operations) and Soft Landings have been available for nearly a decade without becoming common practice, even within the current environment of energy consciousness and reduction in the financial market. Because the consultancy business
impetus to create the role of an operational engineer could disappear because it is based on a topical issue – the environment. ‘The energy side was a major driver up until 18 months to two years ago. The issue of lifecycle costings has been driven by the Private Finance Initiative [PFI] people.’ He says that is because PFI-minded professionals
are often concerned with buildings that are designed to last for 25 to 30 years and that they have a strong commercial incentive to ensure that all the costs of running a building are taken into account. Quinn’s assessment of the need for operational
engineers suggests that the profession should be wary of rushing into conclusions about what is really needed. It may be difficult to reconcile the interests of architects and designers with the priorities of those involved in running a building. However,
bring the various professionals together is established. ‘It is important to make sure that design engineers are
skilled enough in maintenance engineering,’ says Dix. ‘Interposing somebody in the middle – an operational engineer – may not be the best solution.’ l
CIBSE event Focus on maintenance management and achieving performance and compliance
To adhere to growing legislation and the rising demand for sustainable, cost-effective services, a high standard of maintenance management is crucial. Managers need to have a broad knowledge of the issues they are facing and the responsibilities they have to fulfil, such as the legal requirements and changing client demands, as well as environmental concerns. Preparation and planning are key to implementing
effective management and ensuring that there is an efficient use of resources, a competent way of dealing with potential risks and working within budget.
CIBSE’s half-day conference on 13 April, Maintenance
management – achieving performance and compliance,
aims to update attendees on the current state of maintenance and address issues of performance and compliance in a practical way. Organised by the CIBSE Maintenance Task Group, the event is relevant to engineers, maintenance managers, facilities managers, technical managers, designers and contractors.
For further information and to book your place visit www.cibse.org/training or contact the CIBSE events team on 020 8675 5211.
this custom of trying to
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CIBSE Journal April 2010
www.cibsejournal.com
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