Despite the importance of M&E equipment, putting a plan in place to ensure it’s working safely and efficiently can often fall down the priority list. In fact, in our experience, around half of property owners and managers haven’t got maintenance schedules on their radar at all.

A big part of the challenge is time and not seeking professional guidance to help proactively monitor and carry out maintenance. However, failure to do so can open the door to risk and unnecessary costs.

Meeting legal requirements

One of the most important reasons for properly maintaining M&E equipment is, safety and that’s reflected in the law. There are various health and safety regulations that must be adhered to and which require equipment to be regularly tested by a fully qualified and experienced engineer. The type of test and the timing will depend on the component. For example, portable electrical items such as laptops should be tested every year as should gas systems, whereas electrical wiring must be checked every three to five years.

Some components will also need to be regularly replaced, for example, the filters in air conditioning units which have to be changed every two years.

Avoiding waste

As well as compliance, maintenance also plays a crucial role in improving productivity and driving down costs. Issues such as faulty lights, sockets, and machinery, or circuits that run constantly and drain power, can all have a major impact on a building’s efficiency and its operations. In some cases, these can also affect people’s wellbeing, including employees and visitors. If problems aren’t quickly resolved, property owners and managers could lose a significant amount of money through wasted energy and time.

Covid considerations

Maintenance will be particularly important for larger buildings that have been left dormant for long periods as a result of the pandemic.

For example, water systems that haven’t been used for some time increase the risk of Legionnaires disease, so it is crucial that these are checked prior to occupiers returning. Heating systems should also be checked, and it will be more important than ever before to ensure high levels of ventilation. In some areas, such as stairwells, ventilation may need to be increased.

• If the building use has changed as a result of the pandemic, this could also affect building management systems as well as access control and security, so these should also be reviewed.

Peace of mind

To keep on top of maintenance, and ensure compliance with the law, appointing a specialist contractor can help. At West & West, we offer free site surveys to assess all M&E equipment within a building, including lighting, heating, air conditioning, ventilation and water systems, fire alarms, CCTV, and electrical wiring – in other words, all the services, products and machinery that keep a business or facility running smoothly and which need looking after.

This assessment enables us to create a clear and concise maintenance schedule, including how frequently everything needs to be tested or replaced. This is monitored and actioned on behalf of our clients, taking the stress out of the process for building owners and managers – and ultimately protecting the wellbeing and safety of staff as well as anyone that may visit the property.

Another major benefit is one point of contact if there are any issues or questions linked to M&E equipment as well as access to a 24/7 call-out service.