Facilities management: A guide to getting ready for summer

Get a head-start on your summer facilities management checklist

Let's look at why it's a good idea to get started on your checklist now:

• Enter summer stress-free: Avoid the stress of unexpected maintenance emergencies by getting a head-start on maintenance and repairs.
• Improve planning and budgeting: Identify maintenance needs early to give yourself enough time to plan and budget for repairs and updates to prevent unexpected expenses.
• Reduce the need for expensive repairs: Detect and resolve maintenance issues before summer to prevent minor problems from developing into bigger, more costly issues.
• Create a positive tenant experience: Well-maintained facilities create a positive tenant experience. Provide a safe, comfortable, and functional environment by addressing maintenance needs early.

The ultimate summer facilities management checklist

We've created the ultimate summer facilities management checklist to help you prepare your buildings for summer. Take a look at the list and use it to get started on summer maintenance, or use it to create your own checklist:

Get HVAC systems ready

People rely heavily on HVAC systems in summer. Schedule maintenance for air conditioning units to identify issues and ensure they work.

Here's a list of maintenance tasks you can do:

• Change air filters: Clogged filters reduce airflow, making your system work harder and increasing energy consumption. Replace or clean air filters to prevent this.
• Inspect ductwork: Check for leaks, holes, or disconnected sections. Seal any leaks to prevent air loss.
• Check thermostats: Test your thermostats. If necessary, replace the batteries and consider upgrading to energy-efficient smart thermostats.
• Inspect outdoor units: Clear any debris, such as leaves, branches, or dirt, from the outdoor unit. Trim any vegetation around the unit to maintain proper airflow.
• Inspect electrical connections: Check electrical connections and wiring and replace damaged wires to prevent electrical issues.

Inspect the building's exterior

Make sure the exterior is as comfortable, clean and attractive as the inside of your building.

Add these tasks to your to-do list:

• Inspect the roof: Check for signs of damage on the roof and schedule repairs to prevent water infiltration.
• Clean gutters: Remove leaves, debris, and other obstructions from gutters to improve drainage and prevent water damage to the building's exterior.
• Check the windows and doors: Inspect and repair gaps or air leaks to improve energy efficiency and prevent drafts.
• Inspect driveways and walkways: Check for cracks, potholes, or uneven surfaces on driveways and walkways and schedule repairs to improve safety and prevent tripping hazards.
• Check exterior lighting: Test outdoor lighting fixtures. Replace bulbs and clean fixtures to improve visibility and security around the building.

Prevent infestations with pest control

Several pests, including wasps, flies, cockroaches, and mosquitoes, are prevalent during summer.

Pests present health risks, can damage your property, and leave a negative impression on tenants, visitors, and employees. Prevent infestations with our pest control checklist:

• Check doors and windows: Inspect doors and windows for gaps or broken seals and schedule repairs to prevent pests from entering.
• Inspect the building's exterior: Look for cracks, gaps, or openings pests could use to enter your building and seal them to prevent access.
• Remove standing water: Pests like mosquitoes breed in standing water, so it's best to eliminate any sources of standing water around your building.
• Clean outdoor areas: Keep outdoor areas clean and free of debris. Pests are attracted to cluttered and dirty places, so maintaining cleanliness can help deter them.
• Empty and clean bins: Dirty rubbish bins attract pests like rodents and flies. Empty and clean bins often to prevent this.

Check safety and security

While safety and security checks should be performed all year round, adding them to your summer facilities management checklist is a good idea.

Complete these safety and security checks to confirm your building is a safe and secure place for your tenants or employees:

• Check fire extinguishers and smoke detectors: Confirm that fire extinguishers and smoke detectors work so occupants can respond in a fire emergency.
• Inspect the electrical system: Hire a qualified electrician to inspect electrical outlets, switches, and cords for signs of wear and tear.
• Review access control systems: Update access permissions for employees, contractors, and visitors and deactivate access cards or keys for those who no longer need access to the building.
• Test your security system: Check security cameras and alarms to ensure they work. Make sure surveillance footage is captured, stored securely, and accessible when needed.
• Provide cybersecurity training: Train employees on cybersecurity best practices, such as avoiding phishing scams and using strong passwords. This knowledge will help them protect sensitive data and reduce unauthorised access to your systems.

Update your emergency response plan

Renovations, expansions, or changes in infrastructure can affect your emergency response plan.

Update your procedure ahead of summer to ensure it remains relevant:

• Review current plan: Review your existing emergency response plan to understand its strengths, weaknesses, and areas that need improvement.
• Identify key personnel: Confirm the roles and responsibilities of key personnel involved in your emergency response and update contact information.
• Assess risks: Do a risk assessment to identify potential hazards and threats for your building and its surroundings. Consider natural disasters, fire hazards, medical emergencies, security threats, and other relevant risks.
• Update evacuation procedures: Review and update evacuation routes and assembly points to safely evacuate people from the building.
• Training and drills: Schedule training sessions and emergency drills to familiarise everyone with the updated emergency response plan.
• Review equipment and resources: Check the condition of equipment, such as fire extinguishers, first aid kits, emergency lighting, and exit signs. Ensure you have enough supplies and that equipment is well maintained.

Communicate with your tenants

Tenant communication can help you maintain positive relationships, resolve issues faster, promote safety, and improve your services.

Before summer starts, check in with your tenants or those working in your building to share updates and to get feedback you can use to address maintenance issues:

• Share updates on scheduled maintenance: Let your tenants or employees know when you'll be doing repairs and maintenance so they can work around noise and disruptions in the office.
• Provide tips for staying comfortable: Warmer weather can make office spaces unbearable. Give office workers advice on how to keep the office cool and comfortable.
• Encourage people to report issues: Ask those using the building to report maintenance issues as soon as possible to prevent minor problems from becoming bigger problems.

Get summer ready with our Facilities Management Software

Whether you manage one or one hundred commercial properties, we can help you manage your maintenance schedule and daily facilities management tasks.

Try our Facilities Management Software with a 14-day free trial, or book an online demo to discover why Eworks Manager is the best solution for your business.