FACILITIES MANAGEMENT JOURNAL JOBS
FM CAREERS - CAREER LADDER / COMPLIANCE
Name: Lucy Hind
Current role:
Facilities Director
Lives: North Yorkshire
FMJ chats to a facilities
professional about how they got
into the sector and takes a look
at their career path. This month
we talk to Lucy Hind, Facilities
Director and member of the FMJ
editorial steering committee
How did you progress through the
profession to your current role?
I started as a building service engineer
progressing into service management and
into FM. The industry has opened up many
doors for me as I have become embedded
into the industry seeking continued
development and opportunity to network
and help develop others to ensure client /
supplier opportunities, quality and service
delivery to enhance the built environment.
Do you have any qualifications or
training in FM and related areas such as
health and safety? And how have you
benefited from them?
Having starting my education with a
technical bias it is really interesting to see
how it has continued to develop through
trade and H&S qualifications, my MBA in FM
and now into my DbA which has supported
me through my career choices. It is important
to continue to develop and enhance
skills and H&S training is paramount and
essential within our sector to ensure that the
environment that we work in is safe for all
whether on client or supplier operations.
What is your greatest contribution to
the FM sector, or your current role?
I think increasing FM knowledge at a
client level to ensure understanding and
necessity, increasing awareness of the build
environment and its associated systems as a
user level to ensure legislation is understood
and undertaken. I would also say more
recently bringing CSR to the forefront of
consideration for an operational business to
increase profile, e iciency and interaction
with the local community enhancing
volunteering and charity engagement.
What do you enjoy most about
working in FM?
It has to be the diversification of the role and
the continuous development of people and
process. The sector is fluid and I am always
excited as FM becomes engaged in more
business aspects from planned maintenance
and space to strategy and CSR, our roles are
always changing and increasing in depth
allowing us to expand our experience and
making us a key driver moving forward for
business.
What personal qualities do you think
are most needed for a successful career
in FM?
Tenacity and drive are key for our sector,
never be put o and lose confidence in your
ability and your knowledge base, our scope
is a business enhancer so communication
skills are imperative along with a resourceful
and proactive sometimes out of the box
approach to solutionising problems. FM
gives individuals the scope to be creative and
define ambition.
What do you think would make the
biggest di erence to the FM sector?
At a very basic level I think taking things back
to communication would be a game changer
for the sector as currently we rely more
on more on technology, as the economy
fluctuates with major changes expected
during 2019 key consideration needs to be
given to ensuring sustainability of both the
client and supplier sector and through key
communication this could be achieved.
Are you a member of any FM
association or body and if so what
benefits do you think they provide?
I am a member of IWFM along with
membership of a number of trade
associations RICS, CIBSE & ISPE. The benefits
include up-to-date regulatory information,
CDP opportunities and general industry
updates and information key for keeping
any FM professional at the forefront of their
career.
What advice would you give to
someone coming into the profession
now?
An interesting question but an easy to
answer, get a great mentor, smile everyday
and say hello to everyone and keep learning!
What are the greatest challenges of
working in FM?
I believe our greatest challenges are ensuring
the organisations understand what we can
do for a business, the enhancements and
opportunities that we can bring; along with
the challenge of always being the group that
is expected to make savings and e iciencies
with limited resources and funding.
What do you predict could be the
main changes to the FM sector over the
next few years?
Technology looks like it is taking control of
the sector with enhancements on going and
I would also say the movement of suppliers
as consolidation and buy outs continue to
happen across the sector. Quality & service
are paramount but as more service delivery
is becoming technology driven or moved to
contract service it will be interesting to see
how governance and continued innovation
and business benefit is driven.
COMPLIANCE
ASBESTOS – LEGAL DUTIES
The Asbestos Removal Contractors Association (ARCA)
advises that owners and managers of properties –
commercial properties, hospitals, schools, factories
- constructed prior to the year 2000 are responsible for
ensuring that employees and non-employees are not
exposed to health risks as a result of asbestos.
Asbestos is a hidden danger as asbestos containing
materials could be found in numerous places within a
building, such as pipe lagging, insulation board, vinyl floor
tiles and cement. Being aware of where asbestos can be
found, and how to manage the risks, is vital to reducing the
Health risks faced by workers and the public.
Specifically relating to managing and working with
asbestos is the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR
2012). Within this, Regulation 10 requires employers to make
sure that anyone liable to disturb asbestos during their work,
or who supervises such employees, receives the correct level
of information, instruction and training to enable them to
carry out their work safely and competently, and without risk
to themselves or others. Asbestos awareness training should
be given to employees whose work could foreseeably disturb
the fabric of the building and expose them to asbestos or
supervise or influence the work, such as maintenance sta ,
electricians and building surveyors.
Regulation 4 of CAR 2012 covers the duty to manage
asbestos in non-domestic properties (e.g. factories, shops,
o ices, hospital and schools) and the common parts of
domestic premises (e.g. roof space, corridors, boiler rooms).
It requires duty holders to identify the location and condition
of asbestos, and to manage the risk to prevent harm to
anyone who works on the building or to building occupants.
An asbestos survey ensures a thorough inspection of
premises. The duty holder should ensure that an assessment
of the potential risk from ACMs is made and prepare
a management plan, setting out how the risks will be
managed, and ensure it is implemented.
A record, along with a drawing of the premises, should
be created containing details of the location of ACMs, and
condition and forms. This record, usually referred to as an
asbestos register, should also be dated, as periodic reviews
should be carried out, so an up-to-date record is available.
The duty holder should ensure that the asbestos register
is shared with workers who are going to carry out work on/
in the premises, and work should only start once the duty
holder is satisfied that the information in the asbestos
register is known and understood by the workers. Also, the
asbestos register should be easily accessible for anyone who
needs to inspect it.
A duty holder/client has explicit responsibilities under the
Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015
(CDM 2015), and if asbestos removal is required, appoint a
competent asbestos removal contractor.
ARCA has produced guidance documents which
are available to download in the clients’ section at
www.arca.org.uk
58 MARCH 2019
/www.arca.org.uk
