On average, a person will spend around 90,000 hours at work over their lifetime. Given the amount of time we spend in the workplace and legislative WHS obligations, building and facilities managers have an obligation to take the right actions and preventive measures to provide a healthy and safe workplace environment.
Building and Facility Managers play a critical role in maintaining a building’s day-to-day operations, as well as ensuring the health and safety of its occupants. By understanding the details of a space and how it is used, Building and Facilities Managers can develop a maintenance program to better manage the asset and reduce risk.
A common challenge facing many building and facility managers is the prevention of water damage and mould. The World Health Organisation estimates that indoor dampness is prevalent in between 10 and 50 percent of indoor environments in Australia. This dampness can provide the perfect environment for mould to flourish, with prolonged exposure to mould potentially having health effects.
Cleaning and maintenance staff should include looking for mould as part of their regular workplace inspections, particularly following heavy rain, spills or leaks.
Training your team to be early detectors of mould will help to reduce the potential impact/damage and lower the costs of rectifying any mould contamination.
Where mould remediation is required, it is important to determine the root cause to prevent mould from returning. A professional service can assess, monitor, and recommend appropriate actions for managing mould contamination. However, your cleaning and maintenance team can play a critical role in ensuring that mould is addressed at the earliest opportunity and doesn’t reach the point where it may require an office shift and worker downtime. .
GCG’s Mould Awareness online training is designed to help learners identify mould, understand the conditions that can promote mould growth and develop an awareness of the steps for safely managing the presence of mould.
For more information or to enrol click here.