How to Mitigate Risk in the Facilities Management Industry

It is crucial to be aware of the risks within the workplace and know how to prevent accidents from taking place. Learn how to mitigate risk in the facilities management industry.

According to a report by the British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM), the annual global Facilities Management (FM) market was valued at £120bn in 2017 and is set to rise to £139bn by 2021. The report also revealed that the FM industry is currently made up of 10% of the UK workforce.

This significant growth demonstrates that it is crucial for facilities managers to be aware of the main risks within the workplace and know how to prevent accidents and injuries from taking place.

HSE statistics reveal that 144 workers were killed in Great Britain in 2017/18 from the following main kinds of fatal accidents:

• Falls from a height.
• Struck by moving vehicle.
• Struck by moving object.
• Trapped by something collapsing/overturning.
• Contact with moving machinery.

Ensure workplace competence

To mitigate risk in the workplace, you should ensure workers have the relevant skills, knowledge, experience and training. All workers must possess:

• Knowledge gained from training and relevant qualifications.
• Appropriate skills to be able to perform the task.
• Task experience.
• Clear communication skills and the ability to apply knowledge in each situation.
• Recognition of personal limitations, such as one’s strength.

To successfully assess an individual’s competency levels, you can carry out the following checks:

• Seek evidence of qualifications, the level of training received and the membership of professional/trade organisations.
• Gain clarification on the individual’s experience to undertake the given task.

Improve contractor management

Although many businesses focus on the competence of their own workforce to reduce risk effectively, it is worth reviewing your current process to see if key actions are being taken to also manage contractors effectively. The HSE advises managers to:

• Check the H&S capability of a contractor prior to using them.
• Observe the health and safety performance of a contractor.
• Conduct a joint risk assessment of the work with the contractor.
• Ensure that correct procedures are in place.
• Stop the work if there is a serious incident and address the root cause.
• Make sure a contractor is aware of the risks.

Get support from experts

To confidently comply with laws and regulations it’s worth seeking support from health and safety consultants, who will be able to help keep your workforce safe and healthy. You’ll receive assistance with your health and safety strategies, risk assessments and policies and, in turn, manage risks and the key challenges that are faced by the FM industry.

How we can help you

While it is essential to assess a worker’s health and safety compliance, we understand that it can be a time-consuming process. At Alcumus, we help organisations mitigate risk in the FM industry by managing your contractors for you and providing you with health and safety consultancy.

The Alcumus Certification and Advisory Division provides a cost-effective service that enables you to effectively and efficiently monitor your contractors’ health and safety processes. We ensure that contractors are up to date with health and safety paperwork, so you can protect your people and become a healthier, safer and stronger organisation.

For more information, call 0330 828 3041 and speak to a member of our team on how to manage risk in your workplace.  For further reading, download our whitepaper on effective risk management in the facilities management industry.