Students aren’t the only ones that count down to summer every year, and now that its June school is officially out. While the building may seemingly be empty, that’s not the case. Summer vacation doesn’t necessarily apply to education facilities managers as it’s a year-round job, and an empty building means more projects can be completed.
Even with the ease of having an empty building, it can be difficult to determine which project to start first. FacilitiesNet recently spoke with Christopher Burns, senior product manager at Incident IQ on how managers can best prioritize products to do over the summer.
FacilitiesNet: How can facilities managers plan and schedule preventative maintenance tasks for the summer months? What is the best way to prioritize the tasks?
Christopher Burns: Create a detailed preventive maintenance schedule of inspections, updates, cleanings, replacements, and repairs for the entire campus, based on historical data and manufacturer recommendations. This is most easily done with software that can also help you prioritize work with facilities analytics. If you see issues occurring more often with a certain piece of equipment, or in a certain location, you know that’s where you’ll want to focus your efforts. Thinking ahead like this reduces equipment downtime during the school year and prevents more emergencies than a run-to-failure approach.
FacilitiesNet: What criteria should facilities managers use to decide which areas or equipment need the most attention?
Burns: Equipment that is crucial for safety or comfort, and equipment that tends to fail more often (again, as indicated by analytics) should be at the top of your list for inspections and maintenance. HVAC systems, alarms and sprinklers, lighting systems, boilers, kitchen appliances, and plumbing are all good use cases for preventive maintenance. Also, systems that are older will usually cause more problems, so keep track of where major equipment is in its lifespan. The important thing is to have a detailed plan in place that can help you visualize the complex infrastructure of a school, and to stick to the plan.
FacilitiesNet: Can you describe the most common preventative maintenance tasks managers should undertake during the summer?
Burns: There are so many — I tend to organize them by equipment. With HVAC systems, facilities teams should gear up for the school year by cleaning vents, cleaning coils, replacing filters, and inspecting air intakes. With safety and alarm systems, they should test fire alarms, inspect fire extinguishers, inspect sprinklers, test door locks and cameras, and test emergency lighting. With plumbing, they should check for leaks or damage, inspect pipes for corrosion, test pressure release valves, and recalibrate gauges and controls. With the electrical system, they should test circuit breakers, tighten electrical connections, clean components, and inspect equipment (they may need to bring in outside help for the electrical system). Also, they should inspect physical structures, such as roofs, bleachers, gutters, playground equipment, walkways, and parking lots.
Mackenna Moralez is the associate editor of the facilities market.
