by Brianna Crandall — January 11, 2013—Global business standards company BSI (British Standards Institution) has published a revision to its building maintenance management standard, BS 8210, to make it relevant to FM professionals concerned with optimizing their facilities upkeep practices. The updated Guide to Facilities Maintenance Management provides facilities owners and operators with a robust framework to deliver best practice maintenance management, reduce maintenance costs, and mitigate building risks.
The standard does not prescribe “how to do maintenance,” but provides a consistent approach for achieving successful maintenance outcomes such as improved building sustainability, cost savings and building safety, explains the company. BS 8210 also encourages organizations to put a spotlight on their business to ensure the formulation and implementation of maintenance strategies and policies are aligned with the organization’s core objectives.
The standard is applicable to organizations managing an existing facility as well as those planning the delivery of a new one. While primarily intended for those in the private sector, the standard will also be a useful management tool for public sector bodies, says BSI. BS 8210 applies to most types of facilities, and its application extends beyond buildings to many other structures and forms of construction, notes the company.
In summary the revision to BS 8210 includes the following fundamental changes:
- Scope – The scope of the standard has shifted from largely operational matters to those of a more strategic and tactical nature, while retaining a focus on matters of practical importance.
- Assets – A broader range of built assets has been taken into account.
- Technology – Developments affecting the nature of built assets and the maintenance management process (in particular the use of information and communications technology [ICT]) have been taken into account.
“Any organization that has responsibility for a facility needs a well-defined maintenance strategy. The lack of a strategy, or one that is poorly defined, could have significant adverse safety and commercial consequences for the organization,” said Dr. Brian Atkin, Director of The Facilities Society and principal expert involved in the drafting of BS 8210:2012. “Best practice facilities management recognizes that a building is an asset which needs to be maintained to ensure that its value is not eroded.”
BS 8210 was revised with input from experts from the following organizations: British Institute of Facilities Management, Cabinet Office—Government Property Unit, Chartered Institute of Building, Facilities Management Association, Health Estates and Facilities Management, Institution of Civil Engineers and RICS Facilities Management Faculty.
