---

Overcoming The Challenges Affecting FMs To Ensure A Smooth Running Workplace

Scott Saunders, technical service manager at Watco, the UK’s leading industrial paint and repair products specialist, discusses the findings from the company’s latest FM research.

Facilities managers have faced numerous changes to their responsibilities over the past few years but new research from Watco, has highlighted a very common challenge: budget cuts. The survey conducted in December 2023 has revealed that almost two thirds (60%) of facilities managers have had their budgets cut by up to 25% in the past year, with a further fifth (20%) hit even harder with a reduction of 26-50%.

Whilst anticipated in this economic climate, the cuts remain a significant concern due to their direct impact on the safe, smooth running of busy facilities. A third (33%) of respondents said that budget cuts had posed a threat to safety in their facility.

So, what can FMs do to ensure a smooth running facility despite the challenges they are facing?

Safety First

A facility’s approach to repair and maintenance has a significant impact on safety.

In an ideal world, prevention is better than cure, however budget cuts and stretched workloads have led to tough decisions in prioritisation. Only a quarter (23%) of respondents have been able to take a proactive approach to repair and maintenance jobs and 40% admitted that their business struggles to find the time to address repair work as soon as it is spotted.

Taking a proactive approach and tackling repairs as soon as damage is spotted not only reduces the risk of an accident, but also minimises the time and products required to complete it. Minor damages may not appear to threaten safety but even small cracks in a concrete floor can quickly deteriorate into holes due to heavy traffic, which could cause somebody to trip and fall, or catch a vehicle’s wheel and cause it to tip over.

Heavy workloads can make a proactive approach seem impossible but there are simple measures that FMs can take to make the process easier to manage. For example, keeping an inventory of regularly used products, such as Fine Crack Filler or Floor Joint Sealant, so that they are always in stock for speedy repairs.

Introducing a maintenance checklist is another method that FMs can use to record the condition of areas exposed to regular heavy traffic which are more prone to damage. In these areas, small surface damages can become a common issue. An epoxy resin mortar, such as Watco’s Concrex® Carbon Fibre Repair Mortar within the hour and maximises the strength of the product, preventing cracks from reappearing.

Preventing Accidents

It’s not just a lack of budget available to conduct repairs and maintenance work that are posing a risk to health and safety. Almost 40% of FMs surveyed had been affected by slips, trips and falls in the last year. This was also identified as the biggest cause of non-fatal accidents by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Solutions to minimise the risk of slips and falls do not have to drain budgets. For example, applying a coating like Watco Safety Grip steps, ramps and areas that are prone to becoming wet or oily increases slip resistance and reduces the risk of a fall. This is particularly important in large, busy facilities where oil spills or wet floors can not always be addressed immediately.

Line marking, colour-coding and sign posting are also simple but effective methods to ensure everybody in a facility knows how to navigate it safely, and where to find cleaning equipment and signs if they encounter a hazard.

Tape is one of the most effective ways to implement a line marking system. Tape is easy to place and useful when reconfiguring one-off temporary layouts or areas where the layout is frequently redesigned. Solutions like Watco’s Heavy Duty Line Marking Tape an extremely durable option, able to withstand heavy traffic and high footfall.

The Wider Impact

Despite shrinking budgets, 41% of FMs say that their workload has still increased over the past year. It’s no surprise that consistently adapting to challenges has added more work to FMs plates and this has been made even more challenging by reducing available resources. This in turn is taking a toll on wellbeing, with the survey reporting that FMs often feel stressed, overworked and under pressure. More than 1 in 3 often think about leaving their role.

Those in the industry must act quickly to prevent losing valuable FM knowledge. While it may seem an overwhelming challenge with so many other priorities to balance, there are solutions that can be trialled. For instance, consulting third-party resources on topics such as stress management and work prioritisation – which can also support when it comes to managing budgets - and implementing these processes into your workplace. The HSE has a useful, free guide on this very topic.

Ultimately, it is unlikely that budgets will increase significantly in the short to medium term, or that the volume of FM responsibilities will decrease. Therefore, FMs must assess their greatest pain points and trial solutions available to ease them, for example, using resources from third parties to improve hazard awareness and reporting or using a checklist template to create a priority list of repairs.

For more information on how to tackle the complexities currently faced by the FM industry, download Watco’s free report here.