While some office building maintenance is performed regularly, other tasks aren’t needed quite as often. Unfortunately, if you don’t make a list of all the tasks required, it’s possible to neglect some of the important jobs. Later on, they can become bigger problems to resolve, and staff may be inconvenienced by them. Here are four maintenance activities you should add to your schedule.
Roof Inspection and Repair
For commercial roofs, they are far more expansive than those used on residential homes. They also use different materials due to the sheer size and the need to make them easier to maintain. Some of the roofing materials including heat resistant ones for hotter climates to avoid the building heating up excessively from UV rays penetrating the roofing structure. It’s important to use qualified commercial roofers rather than companies who only have experience with residential roofs. There are major differences between the two.
Landscaping and Clearing
The grounds near the building should be regularly cleared of any debris that could be an inconvenience for visitors. This could involve fallen overhanging tree branches, an excess of fallen leaves in the fall, or other items. Also, the landscaping to cut back hedges, tidy up the perimeter, and cut the grass should be scheduled to avoid forgetting it. When using an outside gardener, book their services for certain days of the week or bi-weekly to ensure nothing gets too messy in the interim period.
HVAC Inspection
While an office HVAC system is likely to perform well over the weeks and months, that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t require regular maintenance. The heating coils need servicing every few months. Filters do need replacements and are difficult to remove/fit without the right training. Ducting and other fittings need to be checked if there’s an unexpected rattling sound, suggesting that something has worked loose over time. Book appointments for inspection and maintenance calls to keep the HVAC system operational and performing well. This is much better than failing to do so, hitting summer, and your employees complaining that the system is broken and they’re overheating.
Fire Systems Check
It’s important to schedule checks of the fire safety system to ensure it’s working properly. With small systems, it’s often only this way that you’ll know if a fault has developed somewhere. The fire safety officer can run through the fire escape route for staff on different floors to verify that the path is clear of objects that could block their escape in a smoke-filled corridor. If it’s not clear, ensure it is rectified and that the matter is followed up to prevent a repeat of it.
Checking that the fire escape doors can all be opened properly, and internal fire safety doors work as intended is also important.
For SMEs, using scheduling software and a spreadsheet to list all the maintenance tasks, how frequently they should be completed, and who’s assigned to them, is useful. Setting reminders to alert when a task should be assigned avoids them being forgotten about.