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Take steps to reduce safety risks
March 18, 2011
By Chris Kelson
Responsible owners of residential apartments will understand the need for ensuring that their properties are being managed to the standards required to provide regulatory compliance in health and safety, and will also be aware of the impact accidents can have on the brand name of a company. These owners and managers will also be genuinely motivated to provide a safe environment within their buildings.
One of the starting points for this to occur will be to have experienced and trained staff running the day to day operations. Therefore the role of resident managers in residential apartment buildings is key for monitoring the safety and integrity of any program they have in place for maintaining safety compliance. The resident managers will also need to be proactive in terms of keeping up with changes in legislation, or in some cases following best management practices, to help achieve and maintain the highest standards of compliance.
In the past, the management of environmental, health and safety risks has largely been confined to a series of binders and renewal notices, and to this day there are still owners that rely on these methods to maintain and manage their properties. However, advances in technology can now be used to offer alternative methods for managing risk at properties.
After an assessment has taken place to determine the health, safety and environmental risks, an inter-active platform can be set up for use in ensuring actions are carried out and that standards are followed for legislative compliance. The same interactive system can be used to provide owners of large residential apartment portfolio’s with the necessary data and information to be able to manage more efficiently across the portfolio, and set benchmarks and consistency targets for all properties. Transferring these risk management practices to an online facility, enables the day to day users at the property, as well as management, to have one central database for installing and maintaining all the records needed for referencing anything about the environmental, health and safety issues relevant to that property .
Typical areas which need to be covered in any assessment, and which will require on-going monitoring, are the common areas, hallways, stairwells, access routes, car parks and any areas showing signs of mould, as these are where significant liabilities can occur. Service rooms such as electrical, mechanical, elevator motor rooms and sprinkler rooms are all areas that legislation dictates require regular attention, both in-house and through external contractors. Trips and falls are one of the most common claims that occur, and it is essential that all areas where these could happen are dealt with and monitored regularly for any signs of deterioration.
As with all buildings, fire safety is a key area of responsibility for managers, and the fire code has very strict criteria which must be maintained. Legislation will require regular testing of appliances such as extinguishers, sprinklers, fire alarms, fire pumps and there will be an on-going need to ensure fire stops are in place to contain the potential spread of fire in the event of an outbreak.
Environmental is another area of risk that must be monitored. Peeling lead paint, PCBs, asbestos and underground and aboveground tanks, are among the hazards that must be looked for during an assessment to manage potential risks. Usually there will be a Phase I ESA (Environmental Site Assessment) that can be referred to and this will provide residential managers with guidelines on what to look for in their properties, and specifically a Phase I will comment on those hazards that need to be given special attention.
While owners, tenants, visitors and residential staff will constitute the majority of the traffic in the building throughout the year, there will also be contractors working on behalf of the property owners and it is here that there will need to be strict policies and procedures set down and followed. There has for some time been an increase in the number of high profile accidents involving contractors and it will be essential for all owners to have in place a firm set of procedures for checking the competence of contractors as well as directions on what they do when they are on site.
All contractors are to be given the layout of the property, in terms of the areas they are working, in order that nothing hazardous is disturbed while they are carrying out their work. In many cases this will be the first time a contractor has been to the property, and it is essential there are clear and precise procedures for each type of contractor, which will include the need to have a strong vetting process in place.
Another area more and more people are now looking at, is the area of sustainability, where it is not enough to be seen to talking a good story, it is also important that the building is seen to be addressing any environmental impacts and establishing initiatives for identifying, measuring and reducing them.
The key areas that will usually be reviewed and monitored are energy and water reduction, waste and recycling, purchasing and travel.
Energy is of course a high profile area, with much support for any initiatives taken to reduce energy consumption. Energy efficient lighting should be used in common areas with efforts directed towards reducing and eliminating any excess usage.
For travel, bicycle racks should be provided for residents who want to use this means of transport . Car pooling can also be very effective, and in large apartment buildings, arrangements can be put in place to facilitate this method of transport wherever possible.
Consider waste and recycling. The management or owner, can declare policy of waste reduction and ensure that they are procuring from like minded companies, who are committed to a policy of reduction and recycling. Companies that are following agreed initiatives will ensure that their residents are given clear assistance in how to separate waste into different containers which are regularly sent for recycling. There is enormous potential for residential buildings to become models for sustainability initiatives, and management should be able to offer direction as well as being held open and accountable for new suggestions.
Chris Kelson is the CEO of RiskCheck Inc. |
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