Sector warned about building compliance

16-May-2022 - Last updated on 16-May-2022 at 09:53 GMT

Expert voice: Cloudfm boss Jeff Dewing called on businesses to take "swift action" to ensure compliance on building standards

The hospitality industry, including pubs, has been urged to ensure they are compliant with building regulations.

Data from facilities management firm Cloudfm revealed many restaurant chains may only be compliant across less than a third (30%) of their estates.

Not only do companies have a duty of care to ensure the safety of customers and staff but as building testing and certification is a legal requirement and failure to adhere to the standards could end in fines, disqualification and imprisonment.

Statutory legislation

Cloudfm CEO Jeff Dewing said: “Too often businesses across the hospitality sector are lulled into a false sense of security as they are assured checks are done and compliance rates are above 90%.

“However, often contractors fail to file paperwork or conduct tests to the correct standards. Companies must take swift action and should maintain absolute transparency across the business.”

Statutory legislation ensures the safe and dependable functioning of machinery and services is included in the requirement minimum maintenance processes.

Businesses must keep workplaces and equipment in excellent working order and repair, according to the Workplace Health, Safety and Welfare Regulations of 1992.

In addition, all facilities management programmes should have compliance with statutory legislation at the heart of the maintenance strategy, according to Cloudfm.

Industry standard

The recognised industry standard is SFG20, which stands for the Service and Facilities Group – a specialist group within the Building Engineering Services Association that owns and is responsible for the up-keep of the standard, for scheduled maintenance and lists about 900 maintainable assets, 450 specifications and about 150 of those have a statutory compliance task.

Dewing added: “Our research has uncovered a huge problem for the hospitality industry and urgent action needs to be taken to ensure the operational efficiency of buildings and assets and the safety of the people that work and visit them.”

Cloudfm is launching a campaign to help the sector adopt more transparent practices and aims to raise compliance standards.