Beat the heat

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Most facilities managers in the Middle East come from a part of the world where they only experience temperatures above 30 degrees on holiday.

Working in this region means they have heat stress to consider and efficient air conditioning systems are a must. With outdoor temperatures reaching and exceeding the 50 degree mark over summer, how can FMs beat the heat and keep employees happy, productive and cool?

The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) states the optimum office temperature should rest somewhere between 21 to 23oC. However, it also advises companies that have air-conditioned offices, to keep them slightly warmer when the outdoor temperatures increase, to minimise temperature discrepancy between indoors and outdoors.

Humidity also effects employee productivity and the University of Sydney say the optimum level to keep productivity up is around 50%. Air movement and the influx of fresh air is also something FMs need to think about.

If FMs are manually monitoring and adjusting HVAC and air flow, it will be difficult for them to achieve the ideal working environment. However, if there is a building management system (BMS) installed, they should use it to automate operations.

One of the functions of a BMS is to automatically control and monitor the indoor environment, ensuring the optimum working environment and temperature is met.

If the system is to work correctly, regular maintenance checks and properly trained staff are essential.

Planned preventative maintenance (PPM) will help keep check on the company's operational systems. If this is carried out routinely throughout the year, FMs will reduce the chance of system/product failures.

Thinking a little beyond the day-to-day, what would a company do if there was a power cut? Sending staff home would ultimately impact on the company's bottom line, but there is a solution.

Even though the Middle East is prone to power cuts due to the inconsistent supply and demand figures, by installing an uninterruptible power supply (UPS), companies experiencing a power failure can continue working until the power shortage has been resolved. The UPS will be able to power the BMS and help keep the indoor environment comfortable.

FMs should also have a disposable number of portable fans in case they are needed to help move airflow around the office.

Putting the technical and back of house operations to one side, educating employees about how to deal with the summer heat can help decrease employee complaints to the helpdesk about being too hot.

Things to consider include, advising employees to wear appropriate clothing for the summer months and ensuring people know to drink enough cool water throughout the day to keep hydrated.

Yearly refresher courses on heat stress and exhaustion are advisable. Make sure employees know what symptoms and signs to look out for. If they are feeling unwell, ask them to report this to the relevant person straight away.

Other areas to think about are the use of blinds and windows to prevent sunlight penetration.

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