Facility & Building Maintenance Checklist: What Should it Include?

Facility and building maintenance is essential for ensuring the safety, efficiency, and longevity of a building. Frontline inspectors are responsible for monitoring and assessing the condition of facilities and buildings, identifying areas of concern, and ensuring that maintenance and repairs are carried out promptly. A comprehensive building maintenance checklist is necessary for construction site inspectors to use when conducting inspections. In this article, we will walkthrough what a facility & building maintenance checklist is and what should it includes in order to ensure that all aspects of a building are regularly maintained. Without further ado, let’s get started!

What Exactly is Facility and Building Maintenance?

Facility and Building Maintenance is a crucial aspect of commercial operations that involves overseeing the buildings maintenance management and upkeep of, equipment, and infrastructure. The goal of facility management is to ensure that these assets function optimally and provide a safe and productive environment for employees, tenants, and visitors. Facility management encompasses a wide range of activities, including preventative maintenance, routine upkeep, and emergency repairs. It includes managing equipment such as elevators, air conditioning systems, heating systems, electrical and plumbing systems, and fire safety systems. Building systems such as roofing, walls, windows, and flooring must also be regularly inspected and maintained to ensure they are functioning correctly and do not pose any safety hazards. Infrastructure maintenance, such as pavement and landscaping, is also a key aspect of facility management. For businesses operating in the asset and field management industry, effective facility management is essential for achieving longevity, maintaining business continuity, and reducing costly repair and maintenance processes. A well-managed facility can also enhance the reputation of a business and increase its overall value. To achieve these goals, businesses must develop and implement a comprehensive facility management plan that outlines the maintenance procedures, schedules, and protocols for all assets and systems.

Facility and Building Maintenance: Why do you need a Checklist?

Facility or building management, although seemingly straightforward in theory, can prove to be a challenging task that encompasses multiple core business operations. This includes scheduling, organizing technicians, managing budgets, keeping client data up to date, and ensuring that both core business operations and maintenance remain in compliance with manufacturer warranty requirements. The scope of facility management can encompass both hard FM (hard facilities management) and soft FM (soft facilities management) operations, aimed at effectively managing long-term asset goals.

To mitigate stress and improve workflow consistency, it’s essential to streamline the maintenance activities using residential building maintenance checklists. Such checklists can streamline processes, enhance communication and coordination among technicians, and provide a comprehensive checklist and instructions to schedule maintenance inspections. This, in turn, can help organizations keep their facilities functioning optimally, provide a safe environment for employees, tenants, and visitors, and ultimately reduce costly repairs and expenses.

Facility management teams must also be equipped with the necessary tools and resources to perform their duties effectively. This may include software solutions that allow technicians to manage their workload, track maintenance schedules, and access relevant information about the assets they are responsible for. In addition, facility management teams should be trained and equipped with the necessary tools and equipment to handle emergencies and perform maintenance tasks safely and efficiently.

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Key Components of a Facility and Building Maintenance Checklist

A facility and building maintenance schedule checklist must have following key components:

1. An HVAC Inspection

An HVAC inspection in smart city projects involves checking the units of air conditioning, ventilation, heat pumps, or furnaces. The inspection should include checking the correct airflow, cleaning the drains, replacing air filters, cleaning coils, inspecting refrigerant levels, visually inspecting wires, and checking the thermostat.

2. Fire Equipment Maintenance

Fire protection equipment, such as fire extinguishers, fire alarms, exit signs, smoke detectors, and firefighting equipment, should be regularly checked to ensure they are in proper working condition. The inspection should include checking the expiry date on fire extinguishers, ensuring they are in the correct location, checking smoke alarm batteries, ensuring exit signs are clearly displayed, ensuring exit doors are not obstructed, and ensuring the sprinkler systems are working properly.

3. Heavy Equipment Maintenance

The inspection checklist for heavy equipment will vary based on the type of equipment, including dozers, excavators, loaders, rollers, cranes, compactors, and backhoes. A preventive maintenance checklist can be found in the user or manufacturer’s manual.

4. Civil/Construction Equipment Maintenance

The commercial office building maintenance checklist for civil or construction equipment will vary based on the type of equipment. A typical checklist for every 500 hours of usage might include checking for leaking hydraulic lines, inspecting hydraulic oil levels, checking the hydraulic system, replacing hydraulic filters, checking engine coolant levels, checking engine oil, inspecting belt-driven components, conducting fluid analysis, checking electrical lines, inspecting fuel lines, checking brake lights including the parking brake, inspecting valve stems, assessing voltage retention, conducting a visual inspection of lift arms, checking the battery’s age, and updating service records with results.

Tips to Create an Effective Facility and Building Maintenance Checklist

A facilities management checklist can streamline your business operations, enhance the performance of your technicians, and ensure that your facilities are well-maintained and in good working condition. Here are the five essential tips that you need to keep in mind while creating your facility management checklist.

1. A Plan for Prevention

The first step in constructing a top-notch facilities management plan is to establish a preventative maintenance program. By doing so, you can reduce the likelihood of costly repairs and equipment breakdowns. To begin, determine which aspects of your facilities management are most critical and prioritize them accordingly. Additionally, make sure to consider your manufacturer’s warranties as they provide important guidelines for ensuring that your maintenance adheres to their standards.

2. Stay Ahead of the Game

As you create your facilities checklist and maintenance plan, it’s important to be aware of the manufacturer’s recommendations. Ignoring these recommendations could lead to the voiding of your warranty and result in legal fees and costly repairs. These guidelines will also provide insight into what should be included in your maintenance schedule and checklist. Make sure to keep these recommendations top of mind to keep your facilities running smoothly.

3. Streamline and Organize

With your preventive plan in place, it’s time to put together your procedures. This means streamlining your maintenance activities and providing clear and concise instructions for your technicians. Safety should always be the top priority, so make sure to include the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) in your plan. To ensure that your maintenance runs smoothly, make sure to include any necessary tools, equipment, or spare parts in your checklist. Don’t be afraid to make adjustments, if necessary, after some trial and error.

4. The Power of Documentation

Effective facilities management requires comprehensive documentation. Keeping a clear and accessible record of all work will help your technicians in the field and provide a comprehensive client history for future reference. In the event of a breakdown or issue, you’ll have all the information you need at your fingertips, saving you time and reducing frustration. Make sure to keep your documentation up to date and accessible to everyone who needs it.

5. Analyze and Improve

A key aspect of facilities management is continuously re-evaluating your asset management. This helps improve emergency preparedness and can save time and money in the long run. Assess your asset history to identify common patterns and trends in breakdowns. This information can help streamline your maintenance process and highlight areas that may require extra attention. By regularly analyzing and improving your asset management, you’ll ensure that your facilities remain safe and efficient for years to come.

Related: Pipeline Inspections Checklist: What is it and How to Create it?

What a Facility & Building Manager Must Know While Creating Checklists?

As a facility manager, you wear many hats, balancing both strategic and operational tasks to maintain the smooth functioning of your facilities. Your ultimate goal is to enhance the performance of your assets, boost business continuity, and prioritize health and safety in the workplace. But with so many responsibilities, it can be a daunting task to stay on top of everything without the right tools and technology. Gone are the days of paper-based systems that cannot accurately track costs, security, and functions of your built environment. Today, facility managers need the support of software systems and real-time technology to be efficient both in the office and in the field.

For commercial HVAC buildings or businesses, the duties of a facility manager are vast and encompass everything from repairs and maintenance to client management. Some of the tasks you may encounter include fire safety management, air conditioning maintenance, plumbing, energy or water services, and overseeing health and safety within the built environment. With a comprehensive and well-organized facility and building maintenance checklist, you can effectively manage all these tasks and more, ensuring the smooth and seamless functioning of your facilities.

The Solution You Need to Create Effective Building Maintenance Checklist

At Plutomen, we understand the importance of having a seamless and systematic approach to facilities and building management. With Plutomen Workflow, you’ll have access to a wealth of digitized resources, including checklists, reports, and step-by-step SOPs. This powerful tool is designed to streamline the entire checklist creation process, from start to finish, helping frontline workers to create detailed and accurate checklists in a fraction of the time it would take with traditional methods. This allows your frontline workers to work with confidence, knowing they have the most up-to-date information and guidance at their fingertips. With Plutomen Workflow, frontline workers can easily create and customize checklists and procedures that are tailored to the specific needs of their facility, ensuring that all maintenance tasks are completed efficiently and effectively. Whether you’re managing a small building or a large industrial facility, Plutomen Workflow is an essential tool that can help you stay organized, save time, and improve overall productivity.

Say goodbye to outdated paper-based checklists and say hello to a streamlined, digitized way of managing your facilities. With Plutomen Workflow, you’ll enjoy faster resolution times, increased productivity, and improved safety for your team. Want to see it in action? Book a demo with one of our experts today and discover the power of integrated facilities management.