Facilities Management Services Feature Library

Operations Engineer's library catalogues editorial features going back five years.

Access to all archive material is free to all, including non-members of IPlantE (the Institution of Operations Engineers) or BES (Bureau of Engineer Surveyors), under the umbrella of SOE (Society of Operations Engineers). However, to discover the many benefits of becoming an SOE member, please click here.

20/02/2023 Thermal imaging tips and tricks Thermal cameras continue to come down in price and are entering the mainstream industrial world to provide help in maintenance and inspection tasks. However, they are not necessarily as simple to use as they appear, with the emissivity ... » Read More

01/02/2023 Details really do matter Dominic Dawson, chief engineer, Zurich Engineering, who is the new chair of BES, discusses the safety and compliance issues raised in last month‘s article ‘Details Matter’ » Read More

09/01/2023 Keeping cleanrooms clean Understanding how to monitor and properly maintain cleanroom environments is critical to guarantee the best possible performance. Tom Austin-Morgan reports on how to reduce the risk of contamination » Read More

09/01/2023 Cyber updates What is the Cyber Assessment Framework, and should you consider implementing a cyber security programme? » Read More

19/12/2022 On the rise - lift maintenance developments Technologically-powered connectivity via Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and devices is driving time, cost, and environmental changes in the lift industry » Read More

19/12/2022 A squash and a squeeze The HSE’s Confined Spaces Regulations 1997 defines them as “any place including any chamber, tank, vat, silo, pit, trench, pipe, sewer, flue, well or other similar space in which, by virtue of its enclosed nature, there arises a reasonably ... » Read More

19/12/2022 Fire-resistant hydraulic fluids When lubricants operate under pressure, there is a risk of small leaks and a fine spray of lubricant being atomised into the air. If such leaks occur with mineral oil-based lubricants in an area where there is an ignition source or near ... » Read More

06/12/2022 Time for a dry run Compressed air dryers improve air quality and protect valuable assets, but what types are available and how is it best to care for them? » Read More

14/11/2022 Shedding light on lighthouses Lighthouses use some of the most effective lights in the world but maintaining them can prove tricky. Ben Spencer finds out why » Read More

14/11/2022 Lighting for ATEX environments Illuminating hazardous and explosive environments can be quite a technical matter. Codes specify the technical solutions appropriate to the risks. By Toby Clark » Read More

14/11/2022 Raising the bar in rebar repair One of the biggest degradation mechanisms of concrete is corrosion of the internal reinforcing bar, bringing a real threat of structural failure. How can it be managed to avoid such outcomes? By Brian Wall » Read More

14/11/2022 The sensor requirements of data centres With responsibility for around 1% of global electricity consumption, the sector is heavily affected by turbulence in energy costs, so there is a very strong demand for energy efficiency. In common with all good process efficiency measures, ... » Read More

23/09/2022 Minimising the risk of summer downtime Dave Palmer, general manager for the UK and Ireland at ICS Cool Energy, explains how manufacturers can future-proof their temperature control equipment – and their productivity – against the effects of unplanned summer downtime » Read More

15/08/2022 Energy management: a standards approach ISO 50001 - Energy Management Systems - Requirements with Guidance for Use, offers measurable cost benefits to organisations, allowing business to achieve greater transparency and promote best practice in energy management by demonstrating ... » Read More

17/05/2022 Rising up to the challenge The post-Grenfell Building Safety Bill aims to alter substantively how the welfare of high-rise buildings is managed – but the late-stage removal of the building safety manager role has caused some misgivings. By Brian Wall » Read More

17/05/2022 The carbon footprint of heating and cooling Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) is responsible for most of the greenhouse gas emissions from buildings, and a very significant share of all human-induced climate change. Its carbon footprint is largely a result of the ... » Read More

19/04/2022 All hands to the (heat) pump To meet the government’s net zero target, 19m heat pumps must be installed by 2050. That means that heating installer numbers must now grow, and keep on growing. Tom Austin-Morgan looks at what is being done to achieve this. By Tom ... » Read More

14/03/2022 Understanding light measurement Users looking to understand the brightness of a light may come across various terms, some of which date back to the candle. Although lighting technology may have moved on (to LEDs), measurements of light remain unchanged, explains vehicle ... » Read More

14/02/2022 Northern grit BES’s engineer surveyor of the year for 2021, Stuart Pattinson, reflects on a career spent inspecting industrial equipment. Profile by Will Dalrymple » Read More

14/02/2022 Data for decarbonisation The Institution of Mechanical Engineers has published a white paper arguing that data is the starting place to reduce greenhouse gas emissions produced by domestic and industrial buildings. The paper, available via www.is.gd/axuvoco, is ... » Read More

19/01/2022 Understanding explosive atmospheres Many different industrial environments can contain explosive atmospheres containing gases, vapours, mists or dusts. Such environments present a very significant risk. Equipment operating in these environments must, therefore, be properly ... » Read More

19/01/2022 Training: practical into virtual While many engineering courses are available online, how well, poorly or not at all do courses with practical content transfer to a virtual platform? By Steed Webzell » Read More

19/01/2022 Turning the apprentice ship around In the quest to breathe new life – and success – into apprenticeships across its sector, the Lift and Escalator Industry Association (LEIA) has appointed Karen Slade as its new head of end-point assessment. She speaks about what that ... » Read More

11/11/2021 Energy ratings for commercial and industrial buildings The government is proposing a new scheme to log energy consumption and carbon emissions in large buildings that will come into play in 2022. By Tom Austin-Morgan » Read More

04/11/2021 Virtual protection: cybersecurity and IECD 62443 The IECD 62443 standard is becoming well-known as instructing operators on how to protect themselves from digital crime. Now, there are certification schemes for equipment and companies against this. By Jody Muelaner » Read More