The role of legislation in FM (Part 3)

It is generally acknowledged that the role of legislation in any industry cannot be overstated as it gives all stakeholders a certain degree of confidence that whatever the industry in question, there is regulation and an expected compliance of such legislation in the day-to-day performance of tasks. This is no different in the evolving facilities management industry where new functions are often added to the job role of FM practitioners.

The impact of legislation is to create an acceptable level of standard in the facilities management environment and this can only be achieved by compliance with regulations, legislation and codes of practice relevant to their facilities management function. It also involves keeping up to date with any changes to existing regulations and/or legislation, including the introduction of new policies and procedures that allow for set goals to be achieved.

When this happens, facilities managers are required to ensure that the organisation is compliant with all aspects of regulatory and legislative change relevant to the development and maintenance of assets. This could include, for example, health and safety legislation. To achieve this, a facilities manager will have to resolve any potential conflict between regulatory, statutory and other relevant bodies’ interests and his organisation’s interests in a manner that is consistent with the organisation’s objectives, values and policies, identify how the implications of regulation and legislation affect the way the business is conducted, report his assessment of the implications of regulation and legislation to the appropriate people and identify the resources needed to fulfil the regulatory and legislative requirements.

For instance, a look at the Environmental Impact Assessment Act whose primary aim is to protect human health and the environment in Nigeria, facilities are required to comply with laws addressing environmental impact. For this to occur, facility managers must accurately understand their role in environmental compliance at their facility, create solutions to compliance problems they find, and consistently keep records of these efforts. An important tool towards environmental compliance is the Environmental Compliance Audit.

The conclusion is that there is still a lot of work to be done by all stakeholders to bring facilities management and the culture of maintenance to a globally recognised standard. There is no doubt that the potential for growth in the FM industry is huge and facilities managers will in time be seen as strategic business partners to both public and private sectors of the economy, helping to achieve increased productivity.

By: Tunde Obileye