The latest thinking and developments in facilities management were highlighted at a recent IHEEM seminar held at The Royal Pharmaceutical Society in London.
Speakers at the event, chaired by Greg Markham, chair of IHEEM’s Membership Committee, sought to provide solutions and advice on some of the key issues, compliance responsibilities, and legal requirements facing such personnel. Siân Barker, IHEEM’s events/education manager, who organised the seminar, said: “This training event was very relaxed and informal, with plenty of enthusiastic participation and interaction by the delegates.” Subjects and speakers included:
• Environmental legislation/CRC/FGAS regulations: Neil Blakeman – principal consultant, Climate Change and Renewables, SKM Enviros.
• “The basics of compliance”: Greg Markham – technical services director, G4S.
• “The legislative environment and corporate manslaughter”: Colin Moore, associate, Beachcroft.
• “Competence/training/Authorising Engineers”: John Thatcher, CEO and Director of Training, Eastwood Park.
• “Premises assurance/guidance” – Paul Roberts, risk management adviser, Department of Health.
Siân Barker added: “The Department of Health is currently reviewing the future format and content of guidance relating to estates and facilities traditionally published as Health Building Notes and Health Technical Memoranda. With the knowledge that the Department will not, in future, directly publish such guidance, Paul Roberts, who is leading work on the transition of guidance, told delegates that the DH will soon pilot two potential options for future guidance formats. “Paul Roberts explained that ‘CFPP – Choice Framework for local Policy and Procedures’ is being developed as an alternative to the Health Technical Memorandum suite relating to decontamination, while a Health Building Note on Emergency Care, currently in development, will be adapted to a Functional Requirement format. Both are expected to be piloted before the end of the current financial year.” The IHEEM facilities management seminar was also held in Bristol in late September (with other speakers including Duncan Reed, senior solicitor, Beachcroft, and Dan Roddy, learning designer, Eastwood Park) and in Leeds in early October, (where Beachcroft was represented by partner, Ruth Winterbottom).
