Why safety needs to be a priority in operations and maintenance
In every work environment, safety should always be a top priority—and that can take many forms, from adequate employee training to efficient air ventilation that maintains health to reviewing procedures for a post-pandemic return.
For operations and maintenance (O&M), that focus should be even more of a top-of-the-list necessity. Here’s why you need to keep O&M workers safe right now and into the future:
- In-demand skills: Even as our economy heads into record unemployment levels, that’s no guarantee that you’ll find O&M workers looking for employment. In fact, it’s likely that the opposite is true; every company will want to hold on to these team members because their skills are critical right now. These experts are usually working in the background to make sure buildings are operating efficiently, and the pandemic is bringing their skills, abilities and contributions into the spotlight.
- Specialized knowledge: In addition to O&M skills, these employees have knowledge of a facility that others simply don’t have. They know the equipment, what needs to be done and how to repair and replace items before they become an expensive headache. That allows them to respond quickly, efficiently, and most of all, proactively. Without that specialized insight, it’s likely that maintenance tickets for your building or campus will start to stack up quickly. Keeping workers safe and doing the work they’re best at doing is part of effective operational strategy.
- Trusted by tenants: With the combination of skills and facility knowledge, O&M team members become advisors to building owners and managers. Tenants come to rely on them, and that means they feel comfortable mentioning problems when they’re still minor, rather than waiting until those issues get worse and usually much more costly to address. These O&M employees are valued and trusted, and often given wide latitude to put new programs into place.
Lack of focus on proper safety measures can increase risk of injury, which means you may have O&M employees going out on workman’s comp and leaving an open position behind—one that is tough to fill. Even in a turbulent economy like we have right now, there’s no guarantee that you’ll find team members who can step into these vital roles with all the skills, knowledge, and work ethic that you need.
Whether you’re a building owner with an on-staff team or you’re outsourcing your O&M needs, take time to review safety measures for these valuable, indispensable, and much-needed workers.
Not sure what safety practices and protocols should be in place? Contact us to discuss your needs, UG2 makes safety our highest priority.