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F081 TK FSC_FPC_FP.indd 1 19/04/11 12:17 PM 1703_Facility Perspectives.indd 51 5/30/11 1:51 PM
FacIlIty PersPectIves
VOL UME 5 NUMBER 2
52 oFFIce suPPlIes, FurnIshIngs + equIPment
Ergonomics has developed numerous synonyms over the
years user friendly; idiot proof; human-machine interface,
human factors and others. Ergonomists in Australia are working
in interesting settings like the design of consoles for air traffic
controllers and emergency services personnel, matching displays
and information systems to human abilities to see, comprehend
and respond to communications. They assist chair designers in
providing adjustment ranges that actually fit the people who will use
the furniture, and for product designers, they are useful sources of
information about sizes of hands, feet and heads.
One area where facilities managers should find an immediate
use for ergonomics is in the selection of furniture. Desks may need
to be height adjustable for some; there is also a growing call for
workstations that allow people to sit or stand. Hot-desking demands
adjustability in chair or desk height, possibly a footrest, maybe a
laptop docking station. Dont forget visitors chairs in foyers or
waiting areas they should fit the people who sit there. Often these
chairs are oversized, uncomfortable more about matching the
dcor than the sitters.
Beware of the label ergonomic it is often just an advertising tag.
A truly ergonomic chair will fit the people who use it, and be easy
to adjust. So multi-adjustments are not always a good idea. Chairs
should have an AFRDI (Australian Standards) rating for strength,
function and fit.
You can learn about ergonomics and seating by checking your own
chair. Here are some pointers
1
.
3 Does the seat pan feel comfortable and fit your shape?
The seat pan should be at least two centimetres wider than
your hips and thighs on either side. The seat pan should not be
too long for your legs, otherwise it will either catch you behind
the knees or it will prevent you from leaning fully back against
the lumbar support. Most ergonomic chairs have a seat pan
with a comfortable waterfall front. The seat pan should also be
contoured to allow even weight distribution, and it should be
immediately comfortable.
3 Is the seat chair height adjustable?
Leaving aside visitors chairs, the chair should preferably be
adjustable so that you can adjust the height while sitting.
3 Does the height adjustment range suit all users?
With your shoulders relaxed, you should be able to adjust the
seat to a height where there is no pressure under your thighs
when your feet are firmly on the ground, otherwise you need
a footrest. Height adjustment should be easy to operate when
seated.
3 Does the chair have a comfortable lumbar (lower back)
back rest?
Many chairs have cushioned lumbar supports that can be
adjusted up and down and forwards and backwards to best fit
your shape. If the chair will be used by multiple users, then this
level of adjustment may be required. If the chair has a fixed
height lumbar support and it feels comfortable when you sit back
against this, and you will be the primary user of the chair, then a
fixed lumbar support may be acceptable.
3 Is the chair backrest large enough to provide good back
support?
Many chairs have back supports that are large enough to provide
mid-back and upper-back support, in addition to good lumbar
support.
3 Does the seat pan still feel comfortable after youve been
sitting in it for two hours?
If the seat pan is made from low-density foam, then continuous
use can cause it to become permanently deformed and it will
not provide adequate support. Insufficient cushioning and
inappropriate contouring can cause discomfort, imbalance, and
hip and back fatigue.
3 Does the chair backrest recline and support your back in
different positions?
Movement of the back while you are sitting helps to maintain a
healthy spine. Look for working chairs that allow you to easily
recline, that provide you with good back support in different
recline postures,
3 Does the chair have a five pedestal base?
If chair mobility is important to help you to do your work then
the chair should have at least a five pedestal base with castors
(use fixed feet where movement is not critical and be careful! A
chair moving silently away behind you can cause a nasty fall).
3 Do you need armrests?
Often, theyre unnecessary. If needed, are the armrests broad,
contoured, cushioned and comfortable? They should not prevent
the chair from being moved close to the desk.
3 Do you need a footrest?
You will if there is pressure under the thighs when your seated
height is comfortable for your shoulders and arms.
3 What chair covering is best?
Vinyl and vinyl-like coverings are easy to clean and spill resistant,
but they dont breathe, and if the chair begins to heat up under
the thighs, uncomfortable amounts of moisture can accumulate.
Cloth upholstery is the most common covering, but this is less
resistant to spills and more difficult to clean. Wool mixes are
best. When selecting your chair covering, think about cleaning
and maintenance issues.
3 Do you need an adjustable tilt seat pan ?
In most situations this is not an essential feature. Its hard to
adjust this feature correctly, so do without it.
Australia is one of the most challenging countries in which to apply
ergonomics, because of our ethnic variability.
There is plenty of ergonomics data available that applies to
children and their play equipment and activities, as well as to
the needs of the aged. Compliance with DDA (the Disability
Discrimination Act 1992) is assisted to some extent by its published
Guidelines, but there are still many areas where appropriately
qualified ergonomics advice is necessary to get the details right. DDA
compliance is a legal obligation for many buildings.
There is no legal protection for the term ergonomist, and if you
are looking to engage one, it is wise to consult the professional
body at www.ergonomics.org.au. You should seek out a Certified
Professional Ergonomist (CPE): you can safely assume that a CPE is
properly trained, experienced, and able to provide answers within
their sphere of expertise.
In summary, modern ergonomics covers a fascinating range of
applications, all focused on securing safety, comfort and a productive
fit between built environments and the real people who use them.
Mark Dohrmann, engineer, ergonomist.
www.ergonomics.com.au
mark@ergonomics.com.au
1 Some of these guidelines borrow a little from the excellent Cornell University Ergonomics Unit material. More at
www.ergonomics.com.au
CoNTiNued FroM PAge 49
1703_Facility Perspectives.indd 52 5/30/11 1:51 PM
FacIlIty PersPectIves
VOL UME 5 NUMBER 2
53 sPotlIght on FloorIng
T
he building industry is one of the driving forces in the
Australian economy. Clearly then, driving the sustainability
agenda through building materials is key to achieving
environmentally preferable outcomes for Australia.
Facilities managers play an important role in this system, and can
wield significant purchasing power in the procurement of products
and services.
On the path to sustainability, your choice of flooring, for example,
can literally help pave the way towards a greener future and better
business.
Every built environment needs flooring. Abundant opportunities
for creative solutions exist within commercial, government, sporting,
community, health, home and scientific spaces. Sustainable flooring
solutions can be found that satisfy the essential needs of cost
efficiency and functionality as well as hitting the trifecta of durability,
beauty and sustainability.
The role of ecolabels A simple solution for your choice
of flooring
Today, more and more people are interested in the environmental
impact of their purchases.
Sustainable and ethical purchasing in the consumer market has
gained popularity through ecolabels such as Fair Trade and Certified
Organic, which are now well-recognised labels. The business-to-
business world has also begun adopting sustainable and ethical
procurement practices as more evidence that sustainable supply
chains are pivotal to transitioning to a healthier, happier, greener
world.
As they are so extensively used, flooring products have the
potential to make a considerable contribution to the reduction of
environmental harm in built environments, not only in how they are
manufactured, but in how they perform once installed and at the end
of their useful life. But how do you know which flooring products are
environmentally preferable and why?
Good Environmental Choice Australia(GECA) promotes
sustainable production and consumption through its national,
independent, not-for-profit ecolabelling program. The Environmental
Choice Australia Ecolabel program provides to the community and
commercial markets an environmental mark of recognition for a wide
range of products and services.
GECA certified products and services are readily identifiable, as
they carry the Environmental Choice Australia ecolabel. GECA and
its licensees use this mark to assist product specifiers and purchasers
looking to make good environmental choices in product selection.
It gives a clear signal and is readily recognisable and assures that,
through a process of independent assessment and verification,
the product can genuinely claim to deliver better environmental
outcomes.
The Ecolabel is awarded to products that meet GECAs clear
voluntary environmental performance standards. They are developed
in accordance with ISO 14024 and are based on international best
practice. GECA also draws on the standards developed by its many
Global Ecolabelling Network (GEN) partners. GEN members establish
minimum environmental performance criteria for a product or
service across different phases of a products life cycle (for example
sourcing, manufacture, use and disposal). GECA standards aim
to encourage and recognise environmental benefits in avoiding
hazardous chemicals, conserving resources, minimising waste for
landfill, and encouraging the use of environmentally preferable
materials. Where possible, data from life cycle assessments is used to
inform standard criteria.
Regupol Australia says, With a heritage of over 50 years of
environmental consciousness through recycling waste products
into attractive yet functional, and durableyet comfortable flooring
products that are now provided to variousmarkets in 70 countries,
Regupol was conceived on the basis of removing tyres from landfill.
On a local level, our association with GECA and the certification of
our products has helped to take this unique product to the market.
GECA has provided guidance for our architectural clientele and has
led to the selection of Regupol flooring products in major Green Star
Projects such as Energex in QLD and BHP in WA.
WAlk THE TAlk WITH
ECOlABEllED FlOOrING
1703_Facility Perspectives.indd 53 5/30/11 1:51 PM
FacIlIty PersPectIves
VOL UME 5 NUMBER 2
54 sPotlIght on FloorIng
impacts and considerations
The environmental impact of floor covering products primarily
arises from the different types of raw materials used, products for
installation and surface treatment, and from the energy used during
manufacturing. In addition, environmental impacts can occur during
use and maintenance and when the floor covering reaches the end of
its useful life and becomes waste to be recycled, reused, reprocessed
or otherwise disposed of.
The GECA 25-2011 v2 Floor Coverings standard identifies the key
environmental loads of floor coverings. The standard is applicable
to a range of floor coverings and carpet underlays that are applied
to a foundation of concrete or wooden beams, and are not part of
the building structure. This includes floor covering such as: parquet,
wooden planks, engineered wood products, linoleum, bamboo, cork,
rubber and vinyl. The specific requirements of the standard address
product performance, material content, emissions during production
and post-installation, resource efficiency and responsible disposal.
GECA currently has the choice of 10 licensees certified under
their rigorous Floor Coverings Standard which include products such
as carpet underlays and rubber flooring that utilise post-industrial
recycled content, preventing it from ending up in landfill.
The new geCA standards for flooring options
The GECA standard on floor coverings recently underwent a major
review process. In March 2011, GECA released the final version
of GECA 25-2011 v2Floor Coverings. This is the fourth in a series
of five standards that GECA has revised and finalised following
recognition in 2010 by the GBCA (Green Building Council of
Australia) under its program of Green Star product certification
schemes.Now ready for auditing,GECA 25-2011 v2 Floor
Coveringsreplaces the GECA 25-2010 draft and its predecessor,
GECA 25-2005 Floor Coverings. Changes have been made to
the criteria for material efficiency and the scope of the standard
broadened to reflect new market needs.
The primary purpose of this standard is still to define
environmental product criteria for the most harmful environmental
and human hazards of flooring and to use these criteria as indicators
of general environmental performance of the product.
For a complete environmental solution, customers are able to
combine a GECA certified flooring solution with a GECA certified
adhesive to ensure that environmental gains made by choosing an
environmentally preferable flooring product are not lost by using a
highly toxic adhesive, which is a scenario that often occurs. Similarly,
an environmentally preferable carpet can be matched to an underlay
with similar environmental performance. GECAs wide range of
standards allows for a one-stop-shop for choosing environmentally
responsible flooring.
It is important to note that floor coverings addressed by this
standard do not include carpets. All carpets are covered by the
new GECA 50-2010 Carpets standard (previously there were three
separate carpet standards, which have been amalgamated into
one) as the environmental impacts of carpets and opportunities for
reducing environmental impact vary from floor coverings in the way
in which they are made and used. Carpeting generally means fibres,
which requires land clearing, water consumption and pesticide use
for raising sheep or growing fibre crops. Production processes for
synthetic fibres and backing can generate air and water emissions,
and may use harmful chemicals. These activities have their own
environmental impacts as well as a whole host of flow-on issues. Of
course, other flooring surfaces can have their own environmental
impacts, so choosing your product carefully can mean mitigating and
minimising your impact.
Sustainable futures
Hard surface flooring is often more durable and longer lasting,
and can therefore lead to less churn, one of the biggest causes of
construction waste in this country. Facilities managers are likely to
prefer flooring that employs sustainable materials and processes in
manufacture, and throughout the useful life of the product, to gain
benefits like easier cleaning, lower general maintenance and ultimate
removal.
Whether you want carpet or a non-fibrous or other long-lasting
material for your floors, choosing an alternative that is demonstrably
environmentally preferable is becoming easier and much more
popular among procurement officers and consumers. And with
the help of ecolabels like GECA, sourcing a product that you can
trust to be environmentally preferable is even easier: the ecolabel
relieves you of time-consuming assessments and comparisons of
the specifications of alternative products and assures you and your
clients that you have made the right choice for the project and the
environment.
1703_Facility Perspectives.indd 54 5/30/11 1:51 PM
FacIlIty PersPectIves
VOL UME 5 NUMBER 2
55 leasIng + Fleet management
A
sk the question of where vehicles and the management
of the fleet fit into an organisation, and you will get
an enormous variation in the responses. Today, many
organisations still see the management of their fleet as a minor
activity; after all, theyre only vehicles, and what could be difficult
about that?
All too often the fleet is not even given a dedicated manager, but
instead this responsibility is tacked onto another middle-management
position anyone from the HR manager to purchasing, accounting,
or even a senior managers personal assistant who just happened
to have some time on their hands. Its a strange approach when
you consider that fleet budgets are often the third-largest outgoing,
potentially greater than those of any other single department.
The practice of managing fleets has been undervalued for a
long time. This is due, in part, to a lack of appreciation of the
factors involved in managing fleets. It might surprise many senior
management groups that fleet management now goes beyond simple
administrative functions such as vehicle re-registering, organising
maintenance and managing fuel bills.
Fleet management has developed into a strategic management
role, especially in todays business world where legislative
responsibilities have increased dramatically. Occupational health and
safety (OH&S), duty of care responsibility and legislation such as
Chain of Responsibility and Fatigue Management have exposed
organisations to substantially greater risk. This is equally true of the
private sector and public sectors.
This strategic aspect to fleet management is very often
underestimated and misunderstood. Its probably only the fleet
manager who sees the organisations transport activity in its true
perspective. In fact, most organisations use three or four distinct
vehicle groupings (fleets), each of which requires a somewhat
different management approach and set of policies and procedures
to manage them effectively.
The first grouping involves tool of trade vehicles, which are
those required by the organisation to perform its intended business
function. Then there are those vehicles that are provided as part of
the employment package or as an employee benefit as novated or
salary packaged vehicles.
The second two are more problematic for the organisation, as
often they do not see these transport modes as being part of their
WHEN A SIMPlE JOUrNEy TUrNS INTO A
rOllErCOASTEr rIDE
By KEN ThOMPsON, diRECTOR REsEaRCh aNd COMMUNiCaTiONs
aUsTRaLasiaN fLEET MaNagERs assOCiaTiON (afMa)
1703_Facility Perspectives.indd 55 5/30/11 1:52 PM
FacIlIty PersPectIves
VOL UME 5 NUMBER 2
56 leasIng + Fleet management
responsibility. It may come as a surprise to many organisations
that outsourcing the organisations transport activities to another
organisation, or allowing the use of privately owned vehicles does
not remove the organisations duty of care responsibility to provide
a safe workplace. In fact, taking this road introduces another slightly
more complex layer of fleet management activity.
Just how much may the organisation be at risk? It is worth
looking at three recent cases that demonstrate the ease with which
organisations can get into difficulty.
The High Court of Australia appeal in the Kirk v The Industrial
Relations Commission of New South Wales case is particularly useful
for the fleet manager, as it clearly outlines how the courts view the
extent of an organisations duty of care liability and its responsibility
to provide a safe workplace.
In this judgement, the court clearly identified the organisations
obligation to identify risk in its operations under the OH&S
legislation. These requirements are clearly articulated in paragraphs
seven through 19 of the judgement; a copy of the judgement is
available on the Australasian Fleet Managers Association (AfMA)
website at www.afma.net.au.
To identify risk, the organisation needs to conduct a risk
assessment of its transport activities. From this assessment the
organisation must then develop and put in place processes to actively
manage that risk.
Two other cases involve transport activities where the organisation
fell foul of the law.
One of these cases originated from a double fatality at the
organisations facilities. While the company was found not to have
contributed to the fatalities, it was nevertheless fined $200,000 for,
in the courts opinion, it had failed to maintain an actively managed
safe system and a proper risk register.
On top of the OH&S legislation, organisations have to contend
with both the fatigue management and chain of responsibility
legislations. The nature of the judgement in the second case shows
how easy it is to be tripped up by not complying with legislation.
In this case, the organisation was in the bulk storage business.
Product that the company didnt grow was transported on vehicles it
didnt own by drivers it didnt hire, but the organisation was pulled
into the chain of responsibility nonetheless because it accepted
delivery from vehicles that were overloaded. As the receiver of
goods, it was deemed to have had a responsibility in the transport
chain.
This approach to duty of care changes the nature of the
understanding of processes needed to manage safety in the
organisations transport activities. Now organisations need to address
safety through a management of risk process; the method has now
effectively become a process of managing risk, which in turn leads to
a better safety outcome.
Internationally, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates
that nearly one-third of all road deaths occur when people are
engaged in work-related activity. The economic price tag for traffic
accidents alone is estimated to be some US$500 billion per year
globally.
The rising importance of fleet management as a distinct
profession is demonstrated by its elevation internationally,
where the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), a
worldwide federation of national standards bodies, is developing an
international standard in the form of ISO/CD 3 39001 Road Traffic
Safety (RTS) management systems. Currently under review, it is
scheduled for publication in December 2012.
Still on the subject of road safety, UN General Assembly Resolution
A/64/L.44/Rev.1 has declared 2011-2020 the Decade of Action for
Road Safety. Co-sponsored by 100 countries, the purpose of the
resolution is to reverse the growing trend in road-traffic deaths and
injuries worldwide.
The level of skill, and the skill sets a fleet manager needs,
incorporate components of almost every management function
within an organisation, including, but not limited to:
3 Financial management;
3 Change management;
3 People management;
3 Contract negotiation;
3 Contract management;
3 Conflict resolution;
3 Verbal and written communication;
3 Training; and
3 Risk assessment and management.
A good knowledge of OH&S duty of care as it relates to the
organisations transport activities is critical.
Managing what is normally the third-highest corporate asset and
associated expenses in a cost-effective way; analysing and reducing
transport-associated risks; providing data analyses; recommending
and implementing changes to optimise fleet operations; and ensuring
legal obligations are met is the task of the modern fleet manager.
This holds true even if fleet functions are outsourced. What is
often overlooked is the strategic management of the organisations
transport tasks. This is, and will always be, a function internal to the
organisation.
It is interesting to note that fleet management is essentially
the only middle management role for which there is no formal
qualification in Australasia. AfMA is working towards rectifying
this situation by developing a formal qualification program for fleet
managers. The Association is expected to make an announcement on
a program by mid-year 2011.
In 2008, The Australian Safety and Compensation Council reported
that, at 34 per cent, the most common cause of workplace fatalities
involved vehicle accidents.
1 January 2012 is the anticipated date for the introduction of
nationally consistent Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S)
legislation. It is envisaged that this legislation will for the first time
set out steps that directors personally must take to meet their
obligations under duty of care in providing a safe workplace.
The consequences of not meeting these obligations could be
significant, as the new legislation provides for a maximum penalty of
imprisonment for a period of up to five years and a $600,000 fine.
When such cases arise, it is most likely that lack of knowledge will
not be a successful defence. The precedent has already been set
and officers would be judged not on what they know but on what
someone in a particular position should know to ensure that the
activity is undertaken with minimum risk.
Fleet management is at the front of the big-ticket items of today:
safety and emissions. Fleets also play a significant role at both a
federal and state economic activity level with fleet sales accounting
for more than 50 per cent of all new vehicle registrations.
With more and more attention being given to effective
management of the fleet, many organisations are wisely returning
to using the services of the in-house professional fleet manager; an
individual who can ensure that in an increasingly complex world,
their organisation is not disadvantaged because of its transport
activities.
1703_Facility Perspectives.indd 56 5/30/11 1:52 PM
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