Buildings and Statutory Equipment (Maintenance & Inspection)
Overview Of Management & Colleague Responsibilities
Manager Responsibilities Below is an overview of the responsibilities which is intended to support managers in identifying their key duties that need to be taken to comply with the requirements of this document and the safety management systems of the National Ice Centre.
- Managers must ensure they are familiar with all the premises procedures for reporting maintenance work so that appropriate controls can be implemented.
- Managers need to ensure all colleagues are aware of the procedures for reporting maintenance issues.
- Managers must maintain a formal record of all required maintenance and ensure it is reported to the relevant team or colleague for action. This will include as a minimum, formal information on asbestos, fire and water management
- Managers must understand the required maintenance schedules and testing regimes for equipment on site and to maintain the required formalised records.
- Managers need to ensure that any inspections required, have been undertaken and the relevant asbestos, legionella and fire log books as well as any other required log books are available and maintained up to date for contractors and others undertaking work to the premises are be able to check, prior to the commencement of work.
- Managers must ensure any maintenance work within their working environment is done by competent persons.
- Managers need to ensure that any work to the water system, is done in line with the Safety Policy and Arrangements – ‘The Control of Legionella Bacteria in Hot and Cold Water Systems’
- Managers must ensure the fire log book is kept up to date and shows the testing of all fire equipment and fire safety measures within the working environment.
Employee Responsibilities
The Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 section 7 requires all employees to consider their own health & safety and the safety of others.
As an employee of the National Ice Centre, if you have concerns in relation to health & safety that is likely to cause you or someone else, injury or ill health then you must ensure that the concern is communicated to your manager immediately.
You are also required to co-operate with the management of the National Ice Centre to ensure compliance with the health & safety arrangements, policies and procedures and work to the requirements identified within this document.
Introduction
Date: October 2023
Issue: No. 5
Subject: Buildings & Equipment Safety Management
This document forms part of the National Ice Centre’s organisational written safety policy arrangements.
Departments, services or teams may consider it appropriate to develop additional guidance and systems of work on specific work related activities.
Where proposals, additional guidance or changes to systems of work will have an impact on health, safety and welfare, this will be discussed and agreed at the Health & Safety Committee.
If you have any questions or require further information or support on the contents of this document, please contact the NIC Health & Safety Advisor or Corporate Safety Advice.
Building & Equipment Maintenance Management Definition
The management of buildings and the equipment in use within that working environment is an important health and safety factor.
Managers need to be aware that their responsibilities extends to ensure the effective maintenance of the premises, its equipment, plant and systems are in place and working.
Effective maintenance of equipment, plant and systems is no more than good management practice, minimising breakdowns and protecting resources.
People With Responsibilities For Building Maintenance
Various teams, colleagues and contractors may have some involvement with building and equipment maintenance and can include the following:
Owner of building (NIC Owned)
The owner of the building has the delegated responsibility for ensuring building management/ maintenance requirements are satisfied.
If the owner does not occupy the premises and there is a lease agreement in place, those building maintenance responsibilities are usually shared depending on the contractual agreement.
It is essential that areas of responsibility are established and it is clear who is ‘in control’ of the building.
As a general rule, those persons responsible for purchase of and usage of the building(s), plant e.g. boiler, fire extinguishers and services e.g. utilities are usually responsible for their maintenance.
Occupier of building (NIC occupied)
It is essential that each issue is considered and there are clearly identifiable responsibilities in place for the effective management of the building and its equipment.
Where this is not in place, it will be considered that each manager will be directly responsible for the equipment and environment utilised by their colleagues.
Managers must ensure that any non National Ice Centre managed buildings that are to be occupied by National Ice Centre colleagues such as partnership premises / community centres etc. all colleagues are managed in a way that complies with statutory health and safety requirements and that policies of the council are implemented.
Managers must have a clear written understanding and agreement from the landlord which building management responsibilities and duties which they required to fulfil.
Clarity of what would be expected of the tenant must also be detailed.
This information needs to be identified within the lease or similar document. In all circumstances, the health, safety and welfare of colleagues is the responsibility of their line manager irrespective of the workplace ownership.
The health and safety responsibilities expected of the tenant becomes an NIC responsibility and a schedule of tasks arising from these duties must be arranged before occupation to ensure the workplace is safe for all people within that premises.
It is recommended that landlord logbooks are checked on a periodic basis to confirm that duties are being undertaken.
Risk Assessment
Management Assessments
Managers are responsible for ensuring risk assessments are in place on premises and equipment risks that will affect their employees whilst they are working.
These assessments should consider how managers are supporting their colleagues on the risks that may impact on the safety of their employees.
Assessments of this nature would include the Management of Fire Safety Assessment, COSHH, Lone Working and use of equipment as examples of assessments that are completed by managers and relate to keeping colleagues safe.
Additional information from others may be required to support the assessment process including information from Facilities, landlords or other technical advisers.
Technical Assessments
Technical Risk Assessments may take many forms including inspection on technical matters or audits on specific aspects of workplace or equipment safety and be completed by a competent person.
These technical risk assessments must be completed on a risk based approach and support the manager assessments to ensure that the technical aspects of are correct.
These technical assessments should support managers in a way that allows them to be satisfied that their arrangements are compliant with the technical requirements needed to comply with the required standards.
As an example, a Management of Fire Risk Assessment completed by a manager within a workplace may identify that a fire door creates a safe egress route.
The Technical Assessment / Audit may identify that the fire safety measures provided in relation to this door may not be suitable and therefore require the door to be replaced to protect the people working within that environment.
The Management of Fire Risk Assessment would then need to be reviewed to acknowledge the technical documentation and actions would then need to be implemented.
Primary Duties Of The Responsible Person / Duty Holder For Building Maintenance
The Responsible Person must:
- be aware of what equipment, plant and systems are on site and
- know what maintenance is required and how it is arranged;
- know who the main contacts are to enable the work to be carried out;
- know what action is required locally as regards testing and checking e.g. call points and emergency lighting;
- report any information about known hazards present on site to the necessary persons e.g. the location of any identified asbestos must be communicated to any contractor doing work to the fabric of the building where the asbestos fibres may be disturbed before any work commences;
- inform colleagues and where appropriate accredited safety representative who may be affected;
- Organise necessary inspections and keep appropriate formal records.
The Responsible person must NOT:
- Undertake any maintenance that they are not deemed ‘competent’ to do e.g. any works to the electrical installation must only be carried out by a qualified electrician.
Competence can be qualified in relation to building maintenance as either qualification or experience of the specific maintenance requirements required.
It is important that any competent person can recognise their own limitations and not undertake any work beyond their own capabilities.
Duty Holder
The Duty Holder is a person given a specific duty to complete by the Responsible Person.
The competence of the Duty Holder is the responsibility of the Responsible Person.
Activities that may be undertaken by a Duty Holder includes the testing or fire alarms, asbestos inspections or running the water supply for legionella management.
Building Alterations and Adaptations
The Responsible person in allowing any work on site that will change or impact on the structure of the premises must consider the:
- effect on maintenance systems and the assessment and approval of such work
- need to meet statutory requirements
- employment of competent people such as contractors and colleagues to undertake the work
Permits to Work / Permission To Work
A Permit to Work is a formalised document for identified high risk activities that enables colleagues and contractors to work safely within a premises that are to remain operational during the maintenance work.
The Permission to Work is a local arrangement that can be implemented by any large premises and may be introduced to facilitate a standardised and formal approach to premises management.
Permit to Work systems will be required for identified work activities which may include entry into confined spaces, hot working, working at height and working on live electrical supply or gas etc.
These documents highlight the activity to be undertaken and how all persons involved are to remain safe during the duration of the work.
Further information on permits to work is contained within the safety manual within the SPA – ‘Permits to Work’
If you have any additional queries about permits to work or method statements, contact with the NIC Health & Safety Advisor or Corporate Safety Advice must be sought.
Premises Equipment To Be Maintained
The premises / equipment that needs to be maintained / inspected / serviced / checked are identified within log books Agility Asset management system and from manufacturers
The maintenance requirement and its frequency are identified by one or all of the following:
- in accordance with manufacturers’ or suppliers’ instructions.
- according to statutory requirements (e.g. Asbestos, Legionella testing, fire regulations, lifts and pressure vessels);
- according to City Council policy;
- according to British Standards;
Records
All records of building and equipment maintenance must be available on site, either on paper or by other electrical means.
This documentation provides an ongoing record of outstanding works and dates when any remedial actions were taken and without this formalised record, work can be overlooked and may not get reported.
The National Ice Centre has set ‘log books’ for the management of Asbestos, Legionella and Fire Safety.
There is no fixed layout for a maintenance book; however, maintenance records should as a minimum record the following information:
- what action is required,
- the date it was reported,
- who it was reported to,
- actions taken to get the work undertaken.
Legislative Compliance
There are significant health & safety legislative requirements that are covered by this area of safety management.
The main legislative requirements are identified below:
- Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations;
- Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations;
- Control of Asbestos Regulations;
- Electricity at Work Regulations;
- Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations;
- Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations;
- Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations;
- Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations;
- Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations;
- Pressure Systems and Pressure Equipment Regulations;
- Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations;
- Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations;
- Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations;
- Legionnaires’ Disease – the control of legionella bacteria in water systems.
you require further information, each of these areas are covered by SPA documentation within the Safety Manual which will identify the key requirements needed for compliance to the legislative framework.
Additional information can be provided by training and also through contact with the NIC Health & Safety Advisor or Corporate Safety Advice as necessary.