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Custom Lockout shadowboards: Efficient, top of mind safety in the workplace
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Make safety top of mind in the workplace and optimise Lockout/Tagout efficiency with highly visible, custom lockout shadowboards. Shadowboards increase the impact of Lockout/Tagout and help to further reduce maintenance risks and accidents. Read the case study from the large e-commerce company’s warehouse.

Why custom shadowboards?

  • increase efficiency by organising relevant lockout procedures, padlocks, devices, tags and accessories on shadowboards
  • keep safety and Lockout/Tagout top of mind in the workplace with highly visible shadowboards
  • maintain efficiency by promoting the return of tools to the board with tool shadows

Interested in the custom shadowboard approach? Get a custom shadowboard layout for free!

Read the case study from a large e-commerce organisation’s warehouses, where they already use highly visible custom shadowboards to optimise Lockout/Tagout efficiency and to keep safety top of mind in the workplace.

E-commerce warehouse has increased Lockout/Tagout visibility & efficiency with shadowboards

A large e-commerce organization wanted to improve maintenance safety by facilitating the use of Lockout/Tagout and by creating visibility on ongoing maintenance projects that require Lockout/Tagout in their warehouses.

Solution: Customisable master shadowboard

Brady proposed a custom master shadowboard to create the desired visibility for ongoing lockout maintenance. The master shadowboard was installed as a pilot in one of our customer’s major warehouses.

Shadowboards make Lockout/Tagout considerably more efficient, by clearly showing employees and contractors which tools they need to retrieve, and where they need to store them after servicing a machine. After a trial period, the master shadowboard was finetuned and presented as a starting point to our customer’s other warehouses. Brady customised the master version to accommodate sitespecific needs when required.

Each shadowboard is 1.4 metres high and consists of 90 cm wide panels. The board has rounded corners, and was made out of 8 mm thick white plexiglass. These large boards, that can span one or several panels, include ‘shadows’ of every Lockout/Tagout padlock, device and accessory used in a specific workplace area. All corresponding Lockout/Tagout tools are added to the board. Shadowboards make it very easy and efficient for employees to retrieve the tools they need, and to bring them back after servicing a machine. They also very visible in the workplace and serve as a constant reminder to keep safety top of mind.

Results: Efficient and highly visible Lockout/Tagout

The large e-commerce company’s warehouse employees now have Lockout/ Tagout solutions within reach to protect themselves during machine interventions. The Lockout/Tagout padlocks, decives and accessories, as well as the tags, are presented on large, highly visible shadowboards that make it easy and fast to retrieve the right tools to protect their safety.

Get a custom shadowboard layout for free!

Brady Corporation

www.brady.co.uk

Are your emergency call buttons working?
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By Avire

Lift entrapments are a huge risk, and it is inadvisable to wait until the alarm button is needed for the system to be tested! Currently Facilities Managers rely on their lift companies to monitor lift emergency call systems and testing of the system.

This lack of visibility means manual checks are often being carried out for peace of mind and internal records. Not only is this time consuming and costly, but in the current situation, where touching anything unnecessarily is discouraged, it would be extra beneficial to be able to stop this activity.

Avire’s secure online monitoring platform, the Avire Hub, enables Facilities Managers to monitor their lift alarm call systems and acts as a record of compliance. To be compliant lift emergency call systems must make a test call at least every three days. These test calls show that the alarm system can dial out and that everything is connected and working. The system creates an alert if the system has not made the test call.

Monitoring the status of back-up batteries, changing the emergency phone number and other functionality is also available in the Hub. Another benefit is the use of GSM based technology as many buildings could dramatically save on landline bills by moving to SIM Cards and at the same time avoid the risk of landlines being turned off based on inactivity.

The Avire Hub does not require any dedicated PC hardware for monitoring. It is easily and securely accessible from any internet capable device and can have multiple users. The system hardware can be easily installed by any lift company and Avire’s technical support team are on hand for any support if required.

Avire’s monitoring solutions offer customisable options for monitoring your lifts including emergency communications, lift movement, lift usage and door safety. We are constantly working on expanding this to include more data at your fingertips and would love to hear from you to help us with what data would be the most useful.

Get In touch for a free, no obligation conversation with one of our experts today!

Email info@avire-global.com

Visit our website

Digital Pest Management – Innovating pest control for facility managers
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Traditional methods of pest management are based around ‘generations old’ methods of manually checking each control point and bait station. This ‘manual’ method is not only very time consuming and inefficient, but it also relies on the service technician recalling the status of every control point inspected, its precise location and manually writing up a report.

‘There has to be a better way!’ Well now there is! – Bayer Digital Pest Management

Gary Nicholas, UK and IE Bayer sales manager for Digital Pest Management, discusses the technology behind the system and how it can benefit facility managers…

Digital Pest Management

Digital Pest Management is a monitoring system designed in conjunction with Microsoft to make rodent management and control across commercial sites much more efficient, transparent and targeted.

It is a cloud-based system which remotely inspects every control point or bait station, every day of the year, and produces a data based digital report together with real time capture alerts to show when rodents are active.

The system also improves sustainability through reduced and precise use of chemicals and rodenticides.

This is innovation that will bring integrated pest management into the 21st century, giving pest managers, facility managers and the clients they work with, the knowledge, traceability and transparency to efficiently and sustainably manage rodents on all sites and across all industries! – Win, Win, Win!

The traps are similar in appearance to those already widely in use to control rodents, but what makes Bayer’s unique, is the specialist smart technology contained within the base of the trap.

This technology provides facility managers with a wealth of useful data including:

  • A digital site plan showing the precise location of each individual trap. Our smart traps are represented on the digital site plan by icons which change colour depending on their status. No more guessing or ‘not knowing’ where traps are located and what state of service they are in.
  • Real time trigger and capture notifications which can be sent to facility manager’s devices, or indeed anyone that is authorised to receive alerts through the system software.
  • Heat mapping technology which provides invaluable data on current and historic rodent activity, where it is reducing, increasing and importantly where there is no activity.
  • Daily diagnostic system checks on every trap on every site, which provides facility managers with automated digital reports on status and activity. This is the equivalent of having all traps inspected, serviced and digitally reported on 365 days a year. A real time 24/7 integrated pest management system.
  • An audit ready system fully supported by the Bayer Digital Pest Management team based right here in the UK.

All of this ensures that facility managers can be fully compliant with their pest management obligations.

How can Digital Pest Management benefit facility managers?

Due to the flexibility of Digital Pest Management, it can be installed in sites such as:

  • Food industry facilities
  • Shopping centres & retail parks
  • Hotels, hospitality/events venues and stadiums
  • Office complexes
  • Education facilities
  • Healthcare facilities
  • Warehousing and logistics facilities
  • Plus, many more…

The system can also be used on long or short-term projects such as construction and development sites. Access can often be restricted on these sites and physical attendance can be reduced, so Digital Pest Management can be beneficial.

Another benefit for facility managers is the historic data storage on the Bayer cloud database. With this information and the analytics produced from it, they can work alongside their pest managers to identify reoccurring problem areas, predict future activity and where infestations are likely to occur, thus allowing the root causes of infestations to be identified and future infestations prevented.

The daily data reports are particularly useful on sites comprising of multiple businesses and occupants, as it can provide facility managers with the evidence required to flag these problems to the specific businesses.

Innovative technology such as Digital Pest Management can greatly enhance site management, allowing facility managers to improve efficiency, traceability and transparency when it comes to pest control.

More information on Digital Pest Management

  • For additional information on Digital Pest Management click here
  • Read a real-life example here
  • Watch a video on Digital Pest Management here

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT: Mainteno facilities maintenance and management software
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Mainteno is an advanced award-winning facilities maintenance and management software that streamlines every aspect of maintenance management processes.

“We provide online software and have provided online maintenance management software for the past eight years,” said Mainteno’s David Lattimer. “Our software is extremely diverse and adaptable for many industries and has been used to manage many different types of facilities by companies including The Dogs Trust, DPD, funeral homes, schools and care homes.”

All accessed through one easy to use platform, Mainteno is a CMMS (Computerised Maintenance Management System) which provides a CAFM (Computer Aided Facilities Management) solution for organisations.

We asked David about some of the main benefits of using Mainteno, he stated “Ease of use.” David continued: “It is intuitive from a user’s point of view and it puts everything together in one place. It is designed to be paperless making it easy to access from any device and getting rid of the need to keep endless paperwork.”

Designed with an easy to use dashboard, Mainteno provides all the relevant data in one central system enabling the user to access all aspects of facilities managements through its functions including managing maintenance, scheduling maintenance, creating fault repair reports, asset tracking, general task management, creating checklists, invoicing, enquiring and managing quotes and tendering of contractors and supporting contractors.

With a strong emphasis on customer satisfaction, Redro ensures its software is beneficial for its clients and provides a comprehensive service from consultation to after sales services. “We’re dedicated to making sure it works for our clients and offer a free trial of our system. We provide a managed service throughout,” David added.

Mainteno Facilities Management Software from David Lattimer on Vimeo.

View a detailed explanatory video of Mainteno here: https://vimeo.com/425488696 or above or for any further information, please see the details featured below.

T 0208 798 3713
sales@redro.co.uk
www.Mainteno.com

More safety with top lockout procedures implemented at your site
By:

By Brady Corporation

Get experienced Brady engineers to write and implement custom Lockout/Tagout procedures for more maintenance safety.

Brady engineers have created thousands of lockout procedures for hundreds of companies in various industries. Get them to write and implement your best-in-class, company-approved, custom Lockout/Tagout safety procedures as well.

Brady’s Lockout/Tagout Complete Service:

  • Best practice, custom: experienced Brady engineers visit your facilities to create illustrated Lockout/Tagout procedures for your machines
  • Easy to follow: procedures enable step-by-step completion with limited training, and are linked to machine and energy control point labels in the workplace
  • Easily approve, edit, scale and share: work seamlessly across sites and countries with the LINK360 procedure management software. Print up-to-date Lockout/Tagout procedures locally or share digitally with smartphones and tablets.

Discover 3 services for Lockout procedures & Meet our engineers via online video >>

Innovation in pest sector benefits facility managers
By:

By Bayer

Digital Pest Management can change the way facility managers offer pest management services to clients across their business portfolio, by improving efficiency, traceability and transparency.

Gary Nicholas, Bayer sales manager for Digital Pest Management explains that traditional methods of pest management are very manual, which is time consuming and inefficient, but new innovative technology means there is now a solution to this.

“Digital Pest Management has been designed in conjunction with Microsoft to make rodent management across commercial sites much more efficient, transparent and targeted.

“It’s a cloud-based system which remotely inspects every bait station, every day of the year, producing a digital report that includes real time capture alerts when rodents are active,” he says.

The rodent traps are similar in appearance to those already widely in use, but what makes Bayer’s unique, is the specialist smart technology contained within the base of the trap.

Gary says this technology can provide a wealth of data to facility managers including:

  • A digital site plan showing the precise location of each individual trap. The smart traps are represented on the digital site plan by icons which change colour depending on their status. No more guessing or ‘not knowing’ where traps are located and their state of service.
  • Real time trigger and capture notifications which can be sent to facility manager’s devices, or indeed anyone that is authorised to receive alerts through the system software.
  • Heat mapping technology which provides invaluable data on current and historic rodent activity, where activity is reducing, increasing and importantly where there is no activity.
  • Daily diagnostic system checks every trap on every site, which provides facility managers with automated digital reports on status and activity. This is the equivalent of having all traps inspected, serviced and digitally reported on 365 days a year. A real time 24/7 integrated pest management system.

For more information, please visit www.environmentalscience.bayer.co.uk/pest-management/digital-pest-managementor contact the Pest Solutions Team on pestsolutions@bayer.com

10 questions to test your workplace engagement potential
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By Planon Software

‘71% of employees demand the same level of technology at work as they use in their personal lives’ (Salesforce.com). This highlights the importance of incorporating the right technology into your buildings to create a workplace that engages its occupants.

But which improvement initiatives should your real estate and facility management teams invest in to improve employee engagement? As well as defining your ambition, it is crucial to know how mature your current workplace management is.

We have created a short test to help you evaluate to what extent your workplace engages your employees. Based on your answers to the 10 questions in this assessment, you will discover where you currently stand and how you can improve engagement to enhance your workplace management further.

Click here to take the test!

Electrical testing is the key to successful refurbishment
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By phs Compliance

Building refurbishment present risks, especially when it comes to electrical systems. Regular electrical testing is a vital part of the maintenance of any building, but it becomes even more crucial with a refurbishment project, explains Darren Blackbird, Sales Director at leading electrical testing and maintenance provider phs Compliance:

“Ensuring every aspect of your electrical work is delivered according to BS 7671 standards is a key priority in any refurbishment, which is why we will often run projects alongside contractors to ensure that our clients remain compliant at all times, even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Having an electrical compliance and remedial expert on board to prioritise electrical testing, repairs and safety at all stages of the work is key.”

The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require those who are in control of an electrical system, or part of an electrical system, to ensure it is regularly maintained and safe to use, including during a refurbishment.

“We start projects with a full electrical inspection and test to assess the existing systems and circuits and identify any faults, which in turn can be immediately rectified by our team before any work begins, ensuring safety and compliance on site from day one.

“The on-going protection of the existing system is also a priority. Parts of the electrical system may need to be isolated if the work could potentially disturb or damage it, and on-going testing will be required throughout refurbishment to ensure compliance.

“There may also be the need for more remedial work on-site as the refurbishment continues. If an inspection shows that something needs repair, it needs to be done immediately. Not having a specialist electrical installations team on board to carry out urgent remedial work can cause delays and increase costs.

“Electrical upgrades are a major part of most refurbishments and these require careful management, and additional testing, to maintain safety and compliance. Typically, there will be cabling replacements, part or full rewires, distribution board upgrades, fire safety system upgrades, data network improvements and energy efficient upgrades, like new LED lighting systems, to consider. We work closely with our clients to ensure these upgrades are installed and maintained correctly, leaving the finished project fully compliant.”

With over 50 years’ experience, phs Compliance is one of the UK’s leading providers of facilities management and compliance services with over 400 engineers across the UK. As well as electrical, mechanical and fire safety testing and maintenance services, phs Compliance also provides specialist electrical and mechanical project services, including design, supply and installation for everything from power to lighting.

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT: NMC Group
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NMC is an independent surfacing, line marking, drainage, waterproofing and civil engineering car park maintenance contractor.

From pot hole repairs to large scale resurfacing works, car park line marking to major civils requirements, CCTV drainage surveys to multi-deck waterproofing projects NMC are the only experts you need.

Experts in our field, we provide 24/7 nationwide coverage to some of the UK’s leading companies such as Tesco, ASDA, BP, BT, McArthurGlen, Savills, CBRE.

Following a merger in 2020 with The GRITIT Group, NMC are now able to offer their clients grounds maintenance and winter maintenance packages, these include grass cutting, garden maintenance and hard landscaping to winter gritting and snow clearance services, all through a single contractor.

NMC has a hard-earned reputation for consistently delivering high quality projects, a typical project for NMC ranges in size from £10,000 up to £2M, delivering over 360 successful projects each year

Website: www.nmc-group.co.uk 

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/nmc-surfacing

Build the workplace of the future
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By Mapiq

The next chapter of work isn’t about taller buildings. It’s about building a thriving, digital-first work environment that increases employee well-being.

Mapiq’s smart solutions help you anticipate the changing needs of your employees and keep you one step ahead. With Mapiq you can easily see which workplaces are available on the 3D map of your office.

Next to that, you can track real-time occupancy data in your analytics dashboard and make sure everybody stays safe. Simply integrate the hardware and software into your smart office and let us help you build a better place to work.

Are you ready for the next chapter of work?

Click here to find out more.