Stuart O'Brien, Author at Facilities Management Forum | Forum Events Ltd - Page 59 of 87
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Stuart O'Brien

FM Industry Christmas Party

Get in the festive spirit at the FM Xmas Party – LIMITED TICKETS!
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Christmas jumpers and baubles ahoy! There are just two weeks to go until the FM Christmas Party, hosted by the team at the Facilities Management Forum and the FMJ.

When: Thursday 29 November – 6pm till late

Where: BEAT London

Join friends, colleagues, suppliers and peers for drinks and canapes, and toast the start of the festive season. But act swiftly if you want to ensure that your name is the on the guest list as we have a limited number of tickets left.

They’re priced at just £40 +VAT which covers your entrance, drinks and canapes.

Don’t miss out! Book today!

CASE STUDY: Changing the face of apprenticeships in FM
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ABM UK apprentice, Joseph Goddard, is in his third year as an apprentice and is currently at Manor Walks shopping centre in Cramlington.

He has bags of talent and passion for sustainability and innovation, and so has shaped his remit at the site to include the opening and maintenance of a greenhouse and flowerbed on-site.

This idea has grown substantially since; he’s just pitched an idea to create a biosphere on site which will see him recreating habitats from around the world in order to grow plants not typically seen in the UK e.g. cacti. 

His next step is to make his work a hub for the community and he’s currently reaching out to local schools to bring them on board…

Joseph became an ABM apprentice in April 2017, based at Manor Walks Shopping and Leisure in Northumberland.  

After attending college and completing his AS Level exams in product design, applied science and business studies, Joseph decided he was ready to jump into the workplace. Although he was keen to continue his education, he also wanted to earn money. He discovered the ABM UK apprenticeship scheme and hasn’t looked back since.  

Turning 21 this month, the Cramlington local couldn’t be enjoying his apprenticeship more.  

His short-term goal is still to remain very much education-focused through his studies at college. He has already planned to continue his apprenticeship until he reaches Level 4 in Facilities Services Management but then intends to start working towards a managerial role. He loves being based at Manor Walks because of the diverse nature of the job. Right now, he undertakes a combination of educational subjects in college alongside practical, hands on experience at Manor Walks.  

He says: “When I started my apprenticeship I was really comfortable with the college side of things because I was used to it and it’s a well-trodden educational pathway; I could do the academic aspects relatively easily.”  

“When I was given actual hands on responsibilities in the workplace it was a bit of a shock, albeit a good one. It was so different to what I knew. I’m in my second year now and have worked across various parts of the centre and tried my hand at lots of different areas.”  

“I can be inside the centre working with the cleaning teams, or doing paperwork such as rotas, timesheets or health and safety records. Equally, I can be outside looking at waste processes; recycling and compressing cardboard are two tasks that I really enjoy because they were the starting point of some pretty amazing projects that I think will be career defining.” 

By getting hands on with the centre’s recycling programme, coupled with environmental modules in college, Joseph is set to lead the development of an impressive biosphere project at Manor Walks. The project will see Joseph create a self-sustainable structure to promote and educate local schools on exotic habitats and what environments are needed to grow rare plants in the UK.  

Joseph continues: “The project I am working on involves growing flowers, fruit and vegetables in two greenhouses onsite. I was working on this with my manager and also the landscaper onsite. Watching everyone bring home fruit and vegetables for their families to enjoy gives me a great sense of pride!  It got me thinking about what else we could do. I asked lots of questions, and over time, started to think about a biosphere project; I developed the idea with my manager and I ran with it.” 

Joseph presented his biosphere project to the centre’s senior management team alongside ABM managers recently, with outstanding success. He’s just had a sign-off to put the idea into practice over the Christmas period and into next year.  

Joseph says: “I presented my idea to the team at Manor Walks, including my boss, the shopping centre manager and other ABM UK senior business people. I was nervous at first, but it was a brilliant experience and it helped to bolster my confidence. 

“My ultimate goal is to get schools involved. It’s a brilliant way of taking a tour around the world. What started as an area that piqued my interest has turned into an actual passion point. I never considered for one minute that I would be doing this…It’s not what I expected to be part of my apprenticeship but I love it! It has really opened my eyes on the opportunities an apprenticeship can offer. 

“In the long term I want to take my career down a managerial route. With sustainability high on the agenda, I see this project as a great addition to my experience and look forward to next year when I get to realise my idea.”  

All your health & safety needs in one place…
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Registration is open for VIP delegate spaces and supplier stands at the Occupational Safety & Health Forum, which takes place on February 6th2019 at the Radisson Blu Hotel, London Stansted. 

The Forum is a highly-focused event that brings senior facilities and health & safety professionals together for one-to-one business meetings, interactive seminars and valuable networking opportunities.

Throughout a full working day delegates will meet with credible solution providers who will be able to talk through requirements, including areas such as Compliance, Fire Safety Management, Lone Worker Safety & Equipment, Health & Wellbeing, Site Safety, Stress Management and more. 

Attendees will also learn about the latest health & safety trends in educational seminar sessions led by some of the industry’s leading lights.

Confirmed delegates includes representatives from All England Lawn Tennis Club, Barts Health NHS Trust, Cancer Research UK, DFS, John Lewis Partnership, Karro Foods, Kier Utilities, Manchester Airport Group, Marks and Spencer, NHS Blood and Transplant, Road Safety markings Association, St Georges Hospital, Sunway Travel (Coaching) Limited, TI Automotive, YO! Sushi and more.

Sarah Hendy, Managing Director at Forum Events, said: “We know time is precious for health & safety professionals, so that’s why we’re putting everything under one roof – delegates and suppliers tell us who they want to meet with and we handle all the details. 

“The Forum is also a tremendous opportunity to learn new skills and network with peers – we look forward to welcoming everyone on the day.”

We have a limited number of VIP invitations to the event, so please act swiftly to ensure you don’t miss out.

Register here and activate your ticket today.

Or for more information, contact Donald Matanga on 01992 374075 or email d.matanga@forumevents.co.uk.

Alternatively, to attend as an industry supplier, contact Lisa Rose on 01992 374077 or email l.rose@forumevents.co.uk.

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT: Dataminr Risk Manager
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As advances in technology continue to increase the amount of data in the world and companies send more people to conduct business in remote locations, there is a growing expectation for organisations to gain information faster about incidents and threats that could impact them.

The “golden hour” refers to the critical time to respond to an incident. Naturally, the sooner a business is aware of a problem, the sooner it can start acting to reduce any potential negative impact.

By relying on traditional sources of information, such as the news media and some information providers in the security space, there is typically at least 30 minutes between the incident occurring and news reaching a company’s security and risk teams. Sometimes that can stretch to a couple of hours or longer before the business becomes aware.

The rise of social media, however, has transformed incident response. Around half a billion posts are transmitted every day on Twitter, which has become a rich source of insights when it comes to crisis response or dealing with potential threats to business. This data is extremely valuable, but extracting that value can be a challenge.

Dataminr uses artificial intelligence and machine-learning techniques to discover relevant signals from social media and publicly available data. Dataminr’s technology filters out the noise so only relevant content is delivered to security and risk teams. Using Dataminr, security teams can get the real-time information they need to make faster, more informed decisions.

For more info, visit http://info.dataminr.com/TSSrequestinfo2018.

100% Hackitt initiative to ‘drive cultural change in construction’
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A new industry initiative has been launched to encourage the government to deliver all of the recommendations contained within Dame Judith Hackitt’s report in the wake of the Grenfell tragedy.

100% Hackitt is being led by Local Authority Building Control (LABC) and the British Board of Agrément (BBA), who say they have united to bring focus to industry calls for a full adoption of Dame Judith’s Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety.

The initiative has a dedicated website at www.100-hackitt.co.uk and has ‘pledge cards’ for supporters to sign up to the initiative and pushing for an Early Day Motion debate in the House of Commons.

Dame Judith attended the launch, delivering a keynote speech to a large number of cross-party politicians, policy advisors and industry body representatives, telling them there was ‘massive need’ for culture change throughout the industry, with responsibilities clearly defined at every stage of a building’s lifecycle.

“Much remains to be done to bring the construction industry up to the standards of other industries in terms of accountability, transparency and record keeping,” she said. “Don’t tinker, don’t tweak, it has to be fundamental.”

Claire Curtis-Thomas, BBA Chief Executive, said: “The BBA is backing this initiative as strongly as we possibly can because we want to see bad practices in the industry eliminated and protection for the public and companies that are fully committed to high standards of delivery.”

Paul Everall, LABC Chief Executive, added: “The LABC and the BBA share the same outlook and are determined to make a difference in our industry. But we’re not waiting, we’re getting on with building a safer future together – right now. The 100% Hackitt initiative is a space for everyone who wants to see systemic change in the construction industry and I hope the whole industry gets behind it.”

The launch event was facilitated by cross-party think tank Policy Connect through its parliamentary forum for the built environment, the Westminster Sustainable Business Forum.

The initiative has the support of senior figures across the construction and fire safety sector including the Fire Sector Federation, whose Executive Officer Dennis Davis said: “We are backing the 100% Hackitt initiative because we need a mandatory, controlled system that allows us to balance what we want – innovation, good buildings, new ideas, growth in our economy – with sensible restraint that ensures short cuts and economies aren’t made and shows that people are competent, resulting in safe building for those who occupy them.”

Jonathan Shaw, Chief Executive of Policy Connect, added: “The Hackitt review represents a once in a generation opportunity to recast the building system and start to build safer, better designed homes. We will discuss how the review can bring about positive change in the construction industry, what still remains to be done and where the Hackitt review could have gone further so that we can encourage the industry to push for change.”

100% Hackitt unites those who wish to see cultural change in the construction industry, promoting safety and public trust via a forum which provides on-going opportunities to discuss cross-discipline issues whilst keeping pressure on Ministers to adopt all of the Hackitt review recommendations.

“Dame Judith’s review of building regulations and fire safety showed systemic change is required within our industry,” added Curtis-Thomas. “Her report came with a warning that cherry-picking recommendations would compromise their overall effectiveness and it is this ‘pick and mix’ approach that the BBA and LABC are urging the government to avoid by accepting the recommendations in full.

“The construction industry has overwhelmingly taken on board her views and aspirations and wants to drive change – shifts in practices and working relationships have already been voluntarily introduced by many – but we need government backing to ensure this happens across the board. Many of the recommendations fall to government rather than industry. We are doing our bit and it now needs to do its bit and if this needs new regulation or even legislation it will have our backing and the backing of those who recognise that business as usual is not an option any of us want to consider.”

For full information about 100% Hackitt and to keep abreast of its latest developments visit: www.100-hackitt.co.uk

Your free place at the Occupational Safety & Health Forum awaits!
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The Occupational Safety & Health Forum is a highly-focused, one-day event created specifically for senior H&S professionals like you.

Taking place on February 6that the Radisson Blu Hotel, London Stansted, it follows a proven format which matches you with product and service providers who suit your requirements and upcoming projects. No time wasted and no hard sell.

At the same time, you can attend insightful seminars and network with like-minded peers. It’s FREE for you to attend, and lunch and all refreshments are included.

We have a limited number of VIP invitations to the event, so please act swiftly to ensure you don’t miss out.

Register here and activate your ticket today.

Or for more information, contact Donald Matanga on 01992 374075 or email d.matanga@forumevents.co.uk.

Alternatively, to attend as an industry supplier, contact Lisa Rose on 01992 374077 or email l.rose@forumevents.co.uk.

Looking for new FM solutions? Start right here…
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Sourcing new solution providers can be time-consuming – Googling suppliers, calling them for quotes and then setting up meetings.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

The Facilities Management Forum is a two-day event that takes place on January 28th & 29th 2019 at the Radisson Blu Hotel, London Stansted, giving you the opportunity to meet with innovative and budget-saving suppliers, face-to-face, based on your own individual requirements.

No time wasted. And no hard sell.

REGISTER YOUR FREE PLACE NOW!

Here’s just a selection of who you can expect to meet…

  • AGF Fire & Security
  • Biffa Waste Services
  • Churches Fire
  • Inspired Energy
  • LCC
  • Nicotra Gebhart
  • Planteria
  • Root3 Lighting
  • Sony
  • Urgent Technology
  • Viridor

This is two days of ‘speed dating’ for business, and you’ll also have the opportunity to attend inspirational seminar sessions and network with like-minded professionals throughout the event. And overnight accommodation, all meals and refreshments, plus an invitation to our gala dinner, are complimentary.

Add your name to the list by accepting our VIP invitation here.

For more information on attending as a delegate, contact Paige Aitken on 01992 374079 or email p.aitken@forumevents.co.uk.

Or to attend as an industry supplier, contact Sam Walker on 01992 374054 or email s.walker@forumevents.co.uk.

FM Industry Christmas Party

FM Christmas Party – Are you coming? Tickets now extremely limited!
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Christmas is coming early this year, with the FM Christmas Party taking place on November 29th at BEAT London.

Are you joining us?

Tickets are priced at just £40 +VAT which includes entrance, drinks and canapes, plus unrivalled networking with fellow FM professionals and the suppliers who service them.

The FM Christmas Party is hosted by the FM Forum and the FMJ and our guest list already includes the likes of:

ACM Environmental
Active Workplace Solutions
Airdri
AJ Products
Arcus FM
Arundel Consultancy Services
ASE Corporate Eyecare
Barley Communications
BioHygiene
BPR Group
BusinessWatch UK Fire & Security
Camfil
Complete Washroom Solutions
COREcruitment
Core Vision
Corps Security
ECA Group
Esoteric
EuroWorkSpace
Forbo Flooring
FSI
Gerda Security
Green City Solutions
GX Glass
Hygenie
JC Group
KM Facilities Management
Linaker
Lucion Services
Martin Evans
Millwood Servicing
Mytime Active
NSS Group
OnSolve
Planon Software
Plant Designs
ProActive Commercial Maintenance
Rendall and Rittner
RSPB
simPRO Software
Solid Management
St Charles College
St George City
Survey Roofing
Suzanne Howe Communications
TDSi
Techserve
Thames Valley Police
The Xenon Group
Total Solutions Group
uComply
Unifi.id
Vectair Systems
Veolia
Viridor Waste Management

Want to join them? Don’t delay! Tickets are selling out fast. Buy yours today!

RECOMMENDED: FM Software
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As part of our regular Recommended series we’re shining a spotlight on FM Software solutions, starting with Altuity…

Altuity Solutions Ltd

Altuity was founded in 2014 to make it easier for those managing buildings, estates and assets to access information and gain insights from the data being managed. Its intuitive cloud-based software, uses maps, floor and site plans, 360° photospheres and augmented reality.  This delivers uniquely visual and comprehensive facilities and asset maintenance management software for managing your data and information.

Suppliers and service providers can use our software to add value to their own services. Improve your competitiveness and differentiate your business including using the software under your own brand.

Our software solutions run independently or as one package enabling you to manage the above ground built environment and/or underground assets and buried services.

AltoSites – Facilities and Maintenance Management system

  • Manage buildings, estates and assets
  • Manage routine and compliance inspections
  • Reactive and proactive maintenance scheduling
  • Monitor renewals e.g. contracts, leases etc
  • Incidents and Accidents recording
  • Mobile working
  • Gain insight into your data via dashboards and reports

AltoSUE – Underground Asset Management

It’s vital you know the location of underground assets and buried services which are often critical to the use and operation of your buildings and estates. Many services are also becoming increasingly hard to detect e.g. plastic pipes and fibre optics cables making it even more vital to know where they’re located.

Using an underground asset management system:

  • Reduces the risk of disruption to your site caused by accidental strikes
  • Ensures safer working for your site team, contractors and building occupiers
  • Reduces the costs and risks arising from inadequate and inaccurate information
  • Reduces the cost of site surveys when planning future works

For more information please see:

Web: https://www.altuity.com

Twitter @Altuity

Tel: +44(0) 117 900 1600

FM excellence recognised at the BIFM Awards 2018
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The winners of the BIFM Awards 2018 have been announced across categories encompassing People, Innovation and Impact.

The 18th annual British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM) Awards 2018 took place at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London, with thirteen winners chosen from forty-six finalists.

BIFM Chairman Stephen Roots said: “Our Awards honour hard work and success and they let the brightest FM stars shine.
“The profession’s come a long way – you can track it’s growth through the Award categories added over the years as it has grown in stature and reach.

“As we transition to the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management next month, we will ensure that the best of BIFM lives on in IWFM; and there can be no better expression of this than through our leading Awards, which will debut as the IWFM Awards next year.”

Here is the list of 2018 winners in full:

People: The individuals, teams and organisations who invest in their people, who lead and drive improvement.

Newcomer of the Year
Winner: Paul McNally, VINCI Facilities
Highly Commended: Shiloh Johal, Bellrock

Leader of the Year
Winner: David Carr

Manager of the Year
Winner: Laura Birnbaum, HM Courts and Tribunals Service Facilities
Highly Commended: Marie Turner, LiveWest

Team of the Year
Winner: Kier Workplace Services and Cardiff Council
Highly Commended: London Stadium, VINCI Facilities

Lifetime Achievement
Winner: Oliver Jones

Innovation: Recognising cutting-edge developments in facilities management and the benefits they bring.

Innovation in Technology and Systems
Winner: Digital FM – The New Era, Emaar Facilities Management LLC
Highly Commended: BAM Facilities Management – Horus, Sentinel

Innovation in Products and Services
Winner: Innovation Gateway
Highly Commended: Anyjunk

Innovation in Professional Development (large organisations)
Winner: Premier Technical Services Group PLC
Highly Commended: GWS Connect – a new way of onboarding, CBRE global Workplace Solutions

Impact: Highlighting the tangible impact outstanding facilities management brings to business, the environment and society.

Impact on Customer Experience
Winner: Hinchingbrooke Treatment Centre, Kier Workplace Services, Prospect Healthcare

Impact on Employee Experience
Winner: intu Properties
Highly Commended: The impact of Wellbeing on Performance at the Frontline of Facilities Management, Manchester Metropolitan University

Impact on the Environment
Winner: Carbon Management Programme, University of Oxford
Highly Commended: International Commerce Centre, Kai Shing Management Services Limited

Impact on Organisational Performance
Winner: Newable – A Brave New Workspace, WhereWeWork Ltd
Highly Commended: Lift Your Wellbeing (LYW) Programme, Skanska

Impact on Society
Winner: Abilities in Facilities, Sewell Facilities Management in partnership with Mencap