August 2001 Newsletter
IFMA-Austin Association
August
Meeting
Thursday Who Am I SAS Institute Time: 5:30
Cost: free
The next IFMA meeting will be held at 5:30 pm. at the SAS campus off 620,
Mark Rountree July on Security
by J.R. Howard
Nancy Paine opened the meeting with a call for the funniest thing that has
happen to you in security. One gentleman told about a person that walked in
to a building with a gun in his waist. He said he was a cop; so, security let him in. The
security officer should have checked the person's badge. Jim May told about a
CEO that came in on Sunday, but didn't have his identification card. The CEO
tried to used the magic words "Do you know who I am", but this
Security Office did his job and didn't let him enter.
The first priority of Security is the security of personnel and visitors.
You should provide "Reasonable Care" against foreseeable events and
exercise "Due Diligence". The second priority is to protect
property and the organization's physical assets. If you have a hint of
trouble, then you have to take action. (This approach is also used in
safety). Some easy things were a sign that says "No Weapons",
documentation for security maintenance, alarms, and battery checks, and
background checks. Background checks may seem obvious, but one of her case
studies was about an officer that had the following history, but it wasn't
checked. He had been fired from company A for fighting, been counseled for
making lewd comments and had attacked his wife. While working for company B,
he exposed himself to woman. She filed a lawsuit claiming he should not have
been hired by company B.
One study found 33% of all resumes have some kind of falsification in the
important stuff like education and titles.
Another lawsuit resulted when Company K didn't have enough lighting in the
parking lot when a customer was attacked. There had been a history of
trouble, but the parking lot only had the 'standard' lighting. Some
locations need more lighting/ ( take reasonable care against foreseeable
events)
Doing your homework to select a security company minimizes problems too.
Make sure the officers are paid well to avoid turnover and to ensure a higher
quality. (How many times did Dad tell you "You get what you pay
for") Security is the first person your guest sees, so they need to make
a positive impression. If you put a bonus in the contract if the turnover is
less than 40% or you require 16 hours of free training for each new person,
it should improve the quality of the officers. A turnover of 100 to 150% is
common.
The security officers should be professional, honest, knowledgeable,
motivated, neat, alert and a team player. (Almost sounds like the attributes
of a Boy Scout)
Sharon Henderson said she always checks the benefits and wages that are
paid to the officers when evaluating a security service. She wants the money
to go to them rather than to 'overhead'.
It's important that your employees look at security as everyone's business
not just the officer's responsibility. It's just like safety- everyone must
be involved. ADA compliant
Copies of this news article can be
found at
here, click on ADA NewsLetter, this
week.
Tool of the Month
One of the best tools that a person can have is an infra-red thermometer.
Several months ago I purchased a Raytek Raynger St with a distance to spot size
of 12:1. It reads from -32 to 750 degrees F. Many air
conditioning mechanics have one because you can walk into a room, aim at the
diffuser, and announce to everyone that the unit is working as hard as it can,
and everything is fine. (He's thinking you ought to shed a few pounds.)
I've used it to show people how warm the furniture is when the window blinds are
open. Their neighbor has 5-degree lower office panels with the blinds
closed. It's also fun to take the hand temperature of a group of people. Most
are 91 degrees plus or minus 3 degrees for the odd people.
When it was cooler outside, the dog's coat was 60 degrees and the cat was 55
degrees which means the cat had better insulation. If you have just added some
insulation to your attic, you could walk down the street and take the
temperature of all the neighbors' roofs so you have some numbers to brag about.
We have a series of motors at my work and it's very easy to take their
temperatures from afar to see which is running. The read-out on the infrared gun
is fast and you can quickly collect more data than you can record.
When the outside temperature was about 51 degrees. I checked several walls and
the temperatures run about 66-67 degrees and the windows were 62-63 degrees. I
concluded that I have very good windows and poor wall insulation. What really
surprised me was the wall temperature of a house trailer was 71 degrees which was the
room temperature. The window temperature was 52 degrees which is what you get
with a little plexi-glass.
We all know that white is better than black in the summer time, but here
are some numbers I took this afternoon.
116 - white hood
If you need to cook an egg on the hood of a car, pick the black one.
The value of a sun screen If your mechanics don't have one, surprise them. If they
have one, check it out for the weekend.
by J. Robert Howard
Loss Preparedness Checklist Have I analyzed my
loss potential, identifying critical equipment, facilities, and processes?
Do I know my
company's loss history and how to use such knowledge to assist in preparing
for potential future losses?
Do I have a list of individuals
inside the company to call in case of a loss?
Do I know who to call to report a loss?
Do I know procedures for loss handling and claim submission?
Are our emergency procedures up-to-date and available to those
with a need to know?
Do I have a procedure in place to collect appropriate records
and duplicates of vital information necessary to support a potential claim?
Have I reviewed policy coverage with (my) claims professionals
and fully understand how it will apply?
Do I know the procedures for obtaining advance and partial loss payments?
Being prepared for the
unexpected is a key part of an FM's job. It is not too late to New Officers... Please review our new leaders for this year
Just The "FACS" Safety Notes
Before starting any job function, ask
yourself one question. Is the way that I am going to perform this job, the
safest way? Gary Hulse Between October 1999 and September
2000, the following OSHA standards were 1. Hazard Communication Congratulations to Steve
Carleton on his promotion
(or getting to know you)
11920 Wilson Parke Ave.
Thursday, August 9. There will be no speaker. We wanted to take this
opportunity to network and get to know each other better. Food &
beverages
will be served, along with a CD player for some music. If you have a
favorite CD, please bring it. As many of you know, one of our veterans,
Bob Payne, is retiring. Bob will be hosting the August meeting so
let's
turn out to wish Bob the best, and find out how our peers are doing in
these crazy times. RSVP to ifmaaust@aol.com
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS !
Matthew Walrath
Facilities Supervisor
Photronics Texas
Rick Dodge
Facilities Planner
Advanced Micro Devices
Susan Stricker
Senior Facility Manager
Nextel Communications
Director of Facilities
Hambrecht & Quist, Inc.
Sharon Henderson introduced our speaker,
Diane Gallatin, of Integrated
Security Solutions. Diane is a member of Austin High Tech Crime Foundation.
Sharon said she may look sweet, but she's meaner than a snake. With that
introduction, Diane got down to business.
These notes are just a part of this great presentation.
126 - tan hood
138 - red hood
147 - black hood
101 - back window of a car with a screen
115 - back window of a car without a screen
140 - the inside of my car without a screen
by FM Global
From an article in Facilities Design & Management called "When Disaster
Strikes" by Julie Leibowitz.
World Workplace
2001
Kansas City, here we come.
IFMA Austin
Board
and Committee Chairs
Safety awareness must be the first thing on our minds at all times. Not just
at work, but at home, while driving your vehicle, or playing with your kids on
the playground. We need to make sure that everyone is doing their
part to make sure that we perform our daily work duties with 100% attention to
the safety aspects of that particular job at hand.
Safety Manager
FACServices, Inc.
THE TOP 15: A LOOK BACK AT OSHA'S
MOST-CITED STANDARDS
the most frequently cited.
2. Control of Hazardous Energy---Lockout/Tagout
3. Respiratory Protection
4. Machines---General Requirements
5. Electrical---Wiring Methods, Components and Equipment
6. Mechanical Power Presses
7. Mechanical Power Transmission Apparatus
8. Electrical Systems Design---General Requirements
9. Occupational Noise Exposure
10. Personal Protective Equipment---General Requirements
11. Powered Industrial Trucks
12. Guarding Floor and Wall Openings and Holes
13. Permit Required Confined Spaces
14. Abrasive Wheel Machinery
15. Spray Finishing with Flammable/Combustible Materials
Congratulations to Brooke Brindel on her promotion
from Area Facility Manager to National Account Manager at AT & T
Wireless
from Facilities Manager to Director of Plant Services