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Latest Trends in Flooring
Examined in March

          As the saying goes, the only thing in life of which you can be certain is change.  In the occupational arena of facility management and engineering, positive progress in technologies and materials have made life easier.  To stay on top of your game, you have to be open to discovering and embracing the new trends.

Just as in the high tech electronics industry, the building materials industry has undergone change and benefited from scientific advancement. New materials and fabrication techniques are introduced and become more and more cost effective as time goes on.  For example, many of us remember the early computer room access floors used in decades past. They made an awkward, hollow clanking noise when we walked on them.  Today, however, new designs and materials have brought about solid and convenient under-carpet flooring that can be used affordably in all kinds of facilities.

An expert from the flooring industry will join the Facility Manager Association of New Mexico in March for a hands-on demonstration, showing examples of the new products and talking about all types of flooring advances while also discussing other innovative building materials.  Hearing about these materials will place you in the forefront to implement the use of these newer products which also promise to help optimize pricing to meet budget goals.  The more that designers, maintenance staff, facility managers, and architects know about these products, the more smoothly they can be incorporated into New Mexico’s forward thinking facilities.

Plan now to attend this informative seminar at 7:15 am on Wednesday morning, March 21st, 2012, at Garduno’s Uptown in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  Reservations are always required but first-time facility managers and their staff members are always admitted free.  Email carolee@fmanm.com (preferred) or call 505-377-5309 to save your place.  Member cost for the event is $30.00; non-members pay $35.00.

 

 

 

FMANM 2012 Programs

April 18th, 2012: Protect Your Facility: Security Doors and Windows

May 16th, 2012: The Value Proposition of Proper Air Filtration

June 2012: Isotopes Baseball

July 2012: Annual Scholarship Fundraiser Golf Tournament

August 15th, 2012: How is the Economy Treating YOUR Business?

September 19th, 2012:  TBA

October 2012:  Annual Suppliers Showcase/FAB O&M Show

November 21st, 2012:  TBA

December 19th, 2012: TBA

 

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Disasters: Fire, Water, Smoke and Mold
What are the Restoration Basics?

 john Mattock  John Mattock, Facility Manager and Director of Mitigation for Paul Davis Restoration & Remodeling, spoke in February to a packed house of facility managers, engineers, and their supporters.  He opened the presentation with an interesting statistic: “It’s not if a disaster will strike, it’s when it will strike, and how you will deal with it that counts. The fact is that 76% of companies experience at least one business disruption in any 5-year period, and 27% have to declare at least one disaster, which means critical systems were disabled long enough that recovery procedures had to be executed,” he said.

After raising the awareness that nobody is immune to disasters and that the nature of these disasters can be devastating, Mattock launched into the presentation, detailing the basics, raising awareness about potential situations, and detailing how to make an emergency action plan.

“The emergency action plan: do you have one? Establish protocols and procedures to ensure business continuity, identify alternate resources, including recovering servers, mainframes, and their backups. Know your legal boundaries and covenants, and the parameters of your insurance policies,” he advised.

Moving on to water damage, consideration must first be given to the type of water which is causing concern. “Not all water is ‘created equally’,” he said.  “It is good to know that water is broken down into ‘class and category’ when flooding occurs. Knowing the difference makes the mitigation process easier to execute, potentially saving secondary damages and money.”

“How much water and where did it come from? For example, an assessment falling into Class 1 is ‘part’ of one room. Class 2 is the whole room, up the walls, as much as 24”. Class 3 is ceiling down to the floor, and Class 4 entails a situation that requires specialty drying: This would impact hardwood flooring, ceramic tiles, crawl spaces, and so on,” he continued.

 

Next comes an analysis of the category of water: what kind of water is it? “Category 1 is clean water—a sanitary water source. Category 2 is gray water, which includes the presence of organisms with possible health implications--significant contamination may exist. Last we have Category 3 or ‘black water’: health exposure risk is a real consideration—the water is grossly contaminated,” he concluded.

Time is ticking; what do you do?  “You must contain and minimize the damage which will reduce the severity of loss, ultimately reducing the restoration costs and minimize business disruption.  You will effectively protect the health and safety of employees or occupants

.”So, anyone can dry it out, right?

“Not necessarily. Drying is a science that includes controlling temperature, RH and airflow, all contributing to minimize drying time.  There are four steps: extraction, air movement, dehumidification, and temperature,” Mattock continued.

The effects of water can be devastating.  Within 24 hours water damages such as furniture swells and splits, drywall disintegration, grout staining, metal oxidization and rust, and carpet delamination starts.  Within 72 hours and beyond, smells are apparent which lead to mold. And many folks in facility management positions need to know if the building's insurance will cover this.

The best plan after an occurrence?  “ACT FAST and BE PROACTIVE. Know what you will do, who you will call, and have knowledge of the proper steps to act on it, 24/7.”

If the issue is fire and smoke, first board-up and secure the area. Board-ups prevent theft, injury and minimize impact on patrons. Next, if it is winter, drain the plumbing. Clean up safety.  Be mindful of corrosion control, and differentiate between damage to structures vs. contents.

What are the tools of mitigation? Infrared thermography, hygrometers, moisture meters, ozone generators, thermo-foggers, dehumidifiers, air movers, and psychometric calculators are the tools of the mitigation trade.

“In conclusion, make sure you have an Emergency Action Plan (EAP).  Like most things facility management- related, advance planning can save the day and thousands of dollars in the long run.”

 

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CaroleeExecutive Director - Carolee Griffin

   With new facility managers and companies joining the Facility Manager Association of New Mexico all the time, I think it is important to remind the membership about some of the “housekeeping” rules that make the organization functional.  We strive to provide value and an enjoyable experience for the folks who support and believe in us, and publishing the “basics” from time to time probably helps.

     Our mission is to provide a forum to share resources and information among the people who own, manage, and engineer our facilities.  Indeed, our vision statement reads: “Establish and implement an organization to promote education, information, solutions, and opportunities associated with the operations, maintenance, and sustainability of facilities.”  To that end, we meet monthly to hear an educational presentation about topics which impact our facilities.

    So, where do we find our educational speakers?  We constantly solicit feedback from, and listen to, our facility manager/engineer members to hear their most important concerns and issues surrounding running their buildings.  Then, once a year (usually in September) we announce a special “Program Planning Meeting” where potential speakers are invited to reserve a spot to show up and tell the Board and other interested facility manager participants what they would like to present upon, why it is important, and why it is relevant information.    The Board weighs the importance, timeliness, and desire for certain programs, and then selects and announces the year’s speakers.

Next, our “greater good” is to give money to scholarships at the University of New Mexico and Central New Mexico Community College, for students entering into the mechanical trades: the heating, plumbing, electrical, and building controls fields.  These are the skillsets from which many working facility managers have come, and from which most of the future facility managers and engineers will emanate.   Here, too, are the technically skilled tradesmen and women which we all want to hire in the future.  Whether you are a facility manager looking for a good in-house employee, or a supplier looking for a good technician, certification and training is key, and support for this education is necessary.   

The money for these scholarship funds comes primarily from the scholarship fundraiser golf tournament, usually held in July.

Another forum for education and provision of resources is a ”Supplier Showcase” usually held in October, where facility managers and suppliers, both member and non-member alike, have the chance to connect with each other  and find out, hands-on, about the latest, greatest, most innovative, and economical products and services which enable the facility professionals to run their buildings.

Next, to stay alive, vital, and thrive, new actual facility manager members must be constantly encouraged to join the organization which exists to serve them.  To that end, first-time facility manager/engineer/owner attendees are welcomed FOR FREE to any meeting to see first-hand the benefits of this esteemed organization.  Supplier members are ENCOURAGED to invite the facility manager end-users they work with to an event as their guest, and as the guest of the Facility Manager Association of New Mexico’s Board of Directors. Finally, how do we keep this initiative organized and functional?  You MUST RSVP to attend any of our events.  In this way we can plan ahead to make you comfortable as you mix and mingle with New Mexico’s most motivated suppliers and most highly-educated and prestigious facility management teams. 

 

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