Author: MaintenX

Questions to Consider Before Replacing Facility Assets

Whenever a facility has an equipment malfunction, they are faced with a difficult decision: Should they repair or replace the asset? Each option comes with attendant pros and cons, and facility managers and owners should consider carefully before deciding. Below we’ll examine the most important factors to consider before you choose.

Cost Analysis

Think in the long-term. For a newer asset, think through the cost of purchasing the equipment, its service life, warranty information, salvage value, and operating cost.

For an older asset, think of its remaining service life, operating costs, and market value. With this information in hand, you can make a more informed decision.

Efficiency

Ask yourself these questions when considering efficiency:

How efficient is your asset now?

Will a quick repair keep efficiency at current industry levels?

Would a new asset be better for your long-term bottom line?

Know your Industry’s Facility Needs

Maintenance programs need to be wide-ranging and facility-specific.

This should include all serviceable components:

  • HVAC
  • Electrical
  • Plumbing
  • Roof and Siding
  • Painting (interior and exterior)
  • Drywall
  • Landscaping
  • Interior Cleaning
  • Flooring
  • Hardware
  • Any other service specific to your facility

Generally, if an asset requires a lot of maintenance, the repair costs might actually exceed the cost of replacing it. Buying a new asset may seem more expensive at first, but it could actually be the least expensive option, long-term.

Got questions about your facility assets? Give the experts as MaintenX a call today!

Tips for Facility Budget Planning

Want to do the most—while spending the least—on your facility budget? Read ahead for some tips.

Plan Ahead

It’s a good idea to start crafting a budget for any given year at least ten months before its start. That way, you can get ahead of future maintenance operations costs.

Furniture

Generally speaking, furniture in your facility will last 10 to 15 years. That being said, companies often change their furniture sooner, for shifts in the business’s work style or location. The current organizational shift to flexible work and open office formats in many businesses is a good example of the phenomenon.

Facility Equipment

Every year, it’s a good idea to expect and plan for some equipment changes and updates. Some examples: maintenance of mechanical and electrical equipment, HVAC repair, regular filter changes, light bulb costs, etc. Anything that needs to be routinely serviced should naturally be included in your yearly facility management budget.

There’s also some maintenance work which will come with a much bigger price tag:

  • HVAC equipment service and repair
  • HVAC replacement
  • Remodeling
  • Rewiring of electrical structures
  • Structural repairs
  • Industrial equipment servicing

Have a Contingency Plan

There are many expenses you can count on, but some may still surprise you. Having a contingency plan (and fund) for unexpected fixes and repairs can be a lifesaver. With proper planning and workforce trained to notice when something isn’t working properly, you can have a successful facility budget without breaking the bank.

Want to know more about facility budget planning? Contact MaintenX!

Protecting Outdoor Workers from Heat Illnesses

Every year, thousands of workers—especially those involved in the agriculture, landscaping, construction, and utilities fields—spend long, difficult days working in the hot sun.

Heat and sun exposure allow for many dangers: sunburn, dehydration, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke, just to name a few. Sadly, many of these workers become ill or lose their lives to heat exposure. Below are some ways to make sure your outdoor workforce is healthy, happy, and productive throughout the hot summer months.

Know the Risks

Outdoor workers are exposed to two main types of heat-related dangers:

Internal body heat from hard physical labor:

  • Physical exertion
  • Use of bulky or non-breathable clothing
  • Carrying heavy equipment in the sun

Environmental heat arising from working conditions:

  • High temperature
  • High humidity
  • Radiant heat sources
  • Contact with hot objects
  • Direct sun exposure with no shade
  • Limited air movement

Warning Signs

Unfortunately, heat stroke victims often don’t recognize their own symptoms. That’s why to stay safe, workers need to be trained to detect symptoms in themselves and others and find medical help immediately.

Some common symptoms of heat stroke include:

  • dry, hot skin (due to failure to sweat)
  • profuse sweating
  • very high body temperature
  • hallucinations
  • confusion
  • seizures
  • complete or partial loss of consciousness

Signs of heat exhaustion include:

  • heavy sweating
  • weakness
  • dizziness
  • thirst
  • nausea
  • headache
  • vomiting
  • diarrhea
  • muscle cramps
  • elevated body temperature

Heat exhaustion can quickly progress to heat stroke.

Stay Safe

Follow these steps to stay safe in the hot sun:

  • Take breaks
  • Rest in the shade when possible
  • Eat during lunch or other breaks
  • Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of cool water in hot weather conditions.

By training employees on the early signs of heat exhaustion, taking the proper precautions, and employing tips like the ones listed above, your outdoor workforce can reduce the risk of heat-related dangers.

Better Ventilation means Healthier Occupants

Ventilation is crucial for health and comfort. Good ventilation keeps air pollutants out and occupants safe. In addition, having peak ventilation and airflow in your home or facility can prevent unwanted odors. Proper airflow is continuous and uninterrupted. Anything blocking the ventilation systems of your building can potentially be bad news for your property and your health.

Odor Control

Irksome odors in a building can cause distress and affect the occupants’ concentration. Better ventilation removes unpleasant smells, excessive heat, smoke, and fumes—all while increasing the life of your HVAC system and cutting down HVAC costs by 15-30%.

Fresh Air

Proper ventilation brings in fresh air while cycling out stale air. By removing moisture and dust build-up, a good ventilation set-up continuously replaces the interior air with cool and fresh air from the outside, preventing odors, bacteria, and allergens from penetrating your environment.

Control Condensation

Condensation can bring mold and mildew, which can lead to health and even structural problems down the road—things you definitely don’t want. Damp conditions can create health issues like allergic reactions, respiratory problems, and worse to the occupants exposed to them. Good ventilation can reduce or eliminate these risks.

Whether you’re designing a new structure or improving the ventilation of an existing one, you will likely need the services of an experienced contractor. To learn more about proper ventilation, call MaintenX!

Tips for Planning Event Security at your Facility

Planning a successful event is a mammoth undertaking and involves complex procedures you might not think of, including issues like event security and local event regulations. The tips below can help ensure your event goes off without a hitch.

Event Security

This is an important one, and you should make room in your event’s planning budget for it. Your event location might have CCTV cameras and other security features, but that likely isn’t enough. If an event space only offers basic security, it’s best to leave room in your budget for hiring additional personnel.

Assess all Possible Risks

Think about potential vulnerabilities of the venue you’ll be using. Outdoor venues, for example are naturally more difficult to secure than indoor spaces. That being said, indoor spaces will likely have fewer escape routes in the event of an emergency. In addition, also think about natural disaster risks like tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, and wildfires.

Structure your Leaders

Making sure everyone knows exactly who is responsible for what can save lives in an emergency situation. Make a chain of command for security, and make sure all involved with the planning and management are familiar with it.

By being proactive and implementing these recommendations, you can minimize or eliminate risks to your event. No matter what event you are planning, thinking ahead about possible security problems allows you peace of mind and makes the entire event better for everyone.

Tips for Construction Project Planning

Let’s face it; construction projects are expensive, confusing, and difficult to properly budget and keep on schedule. Because a such projects are always changing, any construction project will need people with real-world knowledge about working with different types of teams to meet the project’s goals. Below are some tips to get you started.

Details, Details, Details

Getting all the information in order is the foundation for a successful construction project. With proper background you can predict possible risks, foresee problems, and plan efficiently.

Create milestones that you can actually track over the construction timeline. Make sure everyone involved with the building work knows local, state, and federal building and material codes.

Communication is Key

Good communication is important in any construction project. It can vastly improve teamwork and group cohesion and create a baseline for streamlined collaboration across the board.

Contingency Plans

There are a lot of things that can slow down a building project. Carefully go over your timeline and predict which potential risks could get you off schedule. Crafting contingency plans that can easily be executed will go a long way in mitigating and resolving setbacks before they rear their ugly heads.

With the high workload and stress involved with any construction project, good planning and measurable goals will keep you on track. Hiring experienced contractors, staying aware of all aspects of your project, and keeping a watchful eye on meeting milestone deadlines will help get you to project planning success.

Why LED Conversion Matters (Not Just to Save Energy)

LEDs have long been replacing conventional lighting for many reasons: longer lifespans, reduced energy consumption, and fewer maintenance requirements are just a few. As the cost of LEDs continues to plummet, more homeowners and facility managers are replacing their existing lighting systems with LEDs. Below are some things to consider before you take the LED plunge.

Heat Reduction

Simply put, LEDs are cool lights. They don’t produce infrared radiation, virtually eliminating any heat from the bulb. If you’ve ever burned your hand changing an incandescent bulb, you can see the benefit of this. This also allows LED fixtures to be placed in places where heat could create a problem, and saves power that would otherwise be spent on cooling.

On/Off

LED lights turn on immediately, which makes it a perfect choice for public infrastructure uses like traffic lights.

LEDS: A Greener Option

LEDs come without the environmental problems posed by traditional light sources like fluorescent or mercury lights. Both of these light sources have mercury inside the bulb, meaning they need special handling at the end of their lifespans. LEDs contain no toxic chemicals, last much longer, and can be disposed of in a safer manner.

Want to know more about LED light solutions? Contact MaintenX!

USF St. Petersburg earns LEED Platinum Certification

The University of South Florida St. Petersburg’s Warehouse Laboratory has received LEED Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Platinum is the highest and most difficult to attain certification from the most important green building rating system in the world.

Few buildings reach this level—about 10 to 15 percent of LEED-rated buildings in the world meet these specifications.

What is LEED?

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the most widely used green building rating system in the world. LEED provides a framework to create healthy, efficient and green buildings. LEED certification is globally recognized.

LEED has become the international standard for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance structures. In addition, LEED creates a more streamlined user experience and more goal-oriented credits.

USF wins Platinum for Green Building

The Warehouse Laboratory isn’t the first building at USF St. Petersburg to earn LEED certification; in fact, it’s the fourth. The Science and Technology building, the University Student Center, and Lynn Pippenger Hall have been awarded LEED Gold Certification over recent years.

The University acquired the property, a large building which was a Greyhound bus station in its previous life, in 2014 and started the work of remodeling the building by installing a new roof, an efficient HVAC system, and adding insulation and an external facade to aid energy conservation.

The 10,500 sq. ft. building now boasts a fully-equipped chemistry lab, two biology labs and convertible biology/physics lab.

Summer Facility Management Tips

When the weather warms, it’s time to start your summer facility maintenance tasks. Getting a head start on facility cleaning is a smart and proactive move in protecting and beautifying your facility. A clean, well-maintained facility increases the health and happiness of the people in it. Take a look at these areas to help you review your maintenance program for the coming year.

HVAC Maintenance

In the summer heat, your HVAC system does its hardest work. This can cause your HVAC system to fail, especially if the right precautions aren’t taken. To make sure your system is ready to handle summer, follow these simple steps:

  • Check HVAC condenser and evaporator coils to ensure they are clean
  • Do a full system inspection and check the refrigerant system for leaks
  • Change the filter (A simple monthly filter change can reduce your energy bill by 15%!)
  • Inspect and clear the drain ducts and pans

Maintain Unused Spaces

Summer can mean reduced occupancy and empty spaces in your facility. Make sure to check underused areas for leaks, mold, infestations, and any other problems. It can be easy for a problem to go unnoticed in areas where people don’t go for weeks or months.

This is also the perfect opportunity to move furniture, clean carpets, floors and any other items that are difficult when the area is full of workers.

The right facility services partner can take care of all these tasks and more—efficiently and cost effectively. Contact MaintenX today to see how we can help you with your summer facility management and maintenance!

The Value of Facility Maintenance

Facility Maintenance is a process of managing and maintaining the facilities of a business or other organization. ‘Facilities’ can include things like a building, physical resources at the site, and any mechanical or electrical utilities that need maintenance to ensure the health and happiness of the people who work within the organization.

Facility maintenance should be a big part of your organization’s structure and planning for the future, but it’s frequently a low priority for many firms. Why is facility maintenance so important? Let’s explore.

Smooth Sailing

Facilities maintenance teams exist to make sure all the facilities in an organization:

  • are compliant with health and safety codes and regulations
  • are accessible by those with disabilities
  • are equipped with fire prevention methods and emergency exit plans
  • have effective waste disposal and control of hazardous substances
  • have ample and well-maintained parking space.

Preventative Maintenance

Regular mechanical and electrical repairs along with property maintenance are also part of the services a well-staffed facilities team can provide. If an organization wishes to keep its competitive advantage and its employees working at peak performance, it must first have a maintenance team, and second, involve them in its decision making process.

Benefits of Facility Maintenance:

  • Creates cost-effective working processes
  • Streamlines working processes by using IT systems and applications
  • Facilitates management of buildings, people, and assets
  • Increases the overall efficiency of an organization
  • Maintains compliance with local, state, and federal health and safety codes

Want to know more about how facility maintenance? Contact MaintenX today!