Team Spotlight - Tom Rattigan - Building Manager (2)

Fire and safety.

If you’ve not read the last blog post to do back and read it 1st.

 Fire and safety.

Sometimes you look at something and think that will do. Sometimes you need an outside option to really see that it may be an issue.

 When I started at the hall the fire system was outdated, we immediately started working on rectifying this. Specing out what we wanted and needed. The points of the building that were at higher risk that needed more protection and the routes of a fire escape that we’re less accessible than current legislation recommended.

 Next going on to tender to find the company we wanted to work with, who matched our criteria best. And then finally getting down to work.

 We have around 3 miles of cables in fire system in total zigzagging around the building. Many of the those cables running under floors and through meter thick walls. All being pulled and pushed through drilled holes. In places which would not affect the feel of the building. There are only 2 places in the whole building you can see fire cabling one of them being our office,..... much better then the red cable that was on every wall before this. The work previously delayed because of COVID commenced in mid september. Making us safer for the future.

The job of a facilities or building manager before the world of COVID was a big job, with COVID has added a whole new area to focus on. I would not be surprised that in future training you would cover health and safety, fire risk and infectious diseases into core subjects. COVID has easily tripled my work and working with all the groups that use the hall daily to make sure they’re operating safety is a big job for a small team to do!

But it's not all doom and gloom, the one way system is something that I've wanted to do since coming to work at the hall. Taping the floor with colour codes makes moving around the 8 floors a lot easier and clearer for people who have never been before.

We’ve spent a lot more time deep cleaning and some things need a lot of extra care when being cleaned, what it has meant is we’re cleaning and then painting to make things as fresh as they can be. And I have to say all the painting work we’re doing looks really good!

We’re working hard on being safe in all areas and between me, the team and the people using the building I think we can do this.