THE

HOTEL ENGINEER OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF HOTEL ENGINEERING

AIHE 2012

CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION 9-10 AUGUST QT GOLD COAST • SURFERS PARADISE

PP 319986/101

Volume 17 Number 2 July 2012

The Hotel Engineer The Official Publication of the Australian Institute of Hotel Engineering

President’s Greeting

TO THE 2012 Update Conference, QLD

warm welcome and invitation to everyone!

The 2012 Update Conference is soon upon us. Conducted by the Australian Institute of Hotel Engineering, this years Update Conference will be held at the QT Surfers Paradise Hotel August 9th and 10th 2012. Over the two day conference, attendees will hear from 8 presenters, on the latest information in technology, regulations and general information pertinent to the hospitality industry. Additionally, information on products and services that are available will be displayed throughout the large number of trade booth exhibitions.

There will be plenty of additional time for networking on the evenings of the Cocktail Party and Conference dinner. Make sure you don’t miss it as it is the only conference in Australia specific to Hotels and Resorts. On behalf of all the organisational team, we look forward to welcoming all our fellow colleagues and supporters from every State and those that are making the trip from overseas. For further information on the conference look for all the details displayed in this months edition in the centre spread. Ian Crookston President AIHE QLD Chapter

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CONTENTS 6

AIHE State News

12 Audiovisual Asset Management 14 Saving Energy in a City Hotel 18 Carbon Management 22 A Lobby Enlightened 24 Hotel Engineering & the Winds of Change 26 HIRAC 31 What Criteria Determine the Quality & Security of a Hotel In-room Safe?

34 Can Your Hotel Afford NOT to install INNCOM IC3 36 New Resort Aims to be a Carbon Neutral Gateway to the Pilbara 42

Test & Tag

52 Regulation Update 54 Green Roofs & Walls 58 A New Dawn for Hotel-room Design 61 Minimising the Operational Cost & Environmental Impact 65 The Cheapest Piece of Insurance You Will Ever Buy

Braille Tactile Signs

Fire Safe Water Wise

72 Independent Monitoring Consultants â€“ Case Study 75

Robot Cleaning Technology

80 Ventilation Design for Indoor Hotel Pools 87 AIHE Membership form 92 Product News

AIHE STATE

NEWS NEW SOUTH WALES Welcome to the Update Conference Edition with warm greetings from the NSW Chapter. Over the past few months we had some fantastic evenings. We had our March meeting at The Sebel Residence Chatswood. It was a colourful night as Theodora and Massimiliano of Adicolour, organised a presentation on ‘Adicolour Line of Decorative Paint Effect on Feature Walls’. The feature wall of the meeting room at Sebel was painted by Adicolour especially for this evening. Ian Crookston the President of Qld chapter was a guest at the meeting and he gave an update on the Conference. Past President of NSW Doug Smith also attended the meeting. A special thank you goes out to David Flinter the Maintenance Manager of the Sebel Chatswood Hotel, Carl Van Den Heever the Regional Engineer of Mirvac hotels for organising the venue and to Sandra Crisafi the General Manager for sponsoring the night. In May we had our first site visit to Chemsal Hazardous Waste Recycling Facility at St Marys. It was very insightful, not only to the Hotel Engineers but also to our corporate members who are dealing with hazardous chemical waste. Thank you to Ian Parkes of Chemsal for making the arrangements for this site visit. The June meeting was held at the Grace Hotel and Superintendent Warwick Isemonger, Manager Building compliance

Unit of NSW Fire Brigades, delivered an informative session on Maintenance of Fire Safety Measures and sequence of EWIS cascading. He always supports the chapter by providing constructive and useful information to the industry, so a big thank you goes out to him. David from Sunlite Mitre 10 was the lucky winner of the jackpot on the night. The Grace Hotel Engineer Andrew Yap organised the venue. The 6th June chapter committee meeting was held at the Mr. B’s Hotel and all committee members attended the meeting. A few changes have occurred during the past few months and I would like to make a few announcements about a few member movements. • Felipe de la Cruz of Amora Hotel joined the Institute in March • ‘Sunlite Mitre 10 Commercials’ upgraded their Affiliate membership and became a Corporate member of the Institute, thank you • Flow-flooring are another Corporate member that joined in May • One of our active committee members Steve Fisk left in March to take up his new role in Maldives islands, congratulations • Mahinda Gunewardena, Regional Director of Engineering for IHG is now located in Dubai and he will still be on our mailing list since he would like to keep in touch with the institute • With mixed emotions, I have officially left the Menzies and the Accor group after working there for over a period 6 years. Although it was sad to say goodbye to the owners (Thakral Holdings) after

working for them for 11 years, I have now commenced the next chapter of my career as the Director of Engineering at Shangri-La Hotel, Sydney The website development is on its final stage of implementation as the prototype is already approved and the AIHE official website will be up and running soon. We have now created an AIHE Group in Linked-in. I would like to invite financial members to join this group as it would be a great communicating avenue to share information. Thanks Brendon for your input and support in setting up this group. It is great to see the increasing number of attendees for the chapter meetings, including the number of Hotel Engineers. I must thank the Vice President Carl Van Den Heever for his efforts to get more of the engineers of Mirvac hotels (where he is the Regional Engineer) to attend the meetings. We have provided two presentations for the Update Conference – Sustainability and Technology, from the NSW chapter: and a big thanks to Brendon Granger of Technology 4 Hotels and Wendy Hird of Green Consulting for presenting topics on Guest Room Technology and Carbon Management. In closing I would like to thank the committee members, all Engineers and our Corporates for their continuing support. Anura Yapa JP President AIHE NSW Chapter

WESTERN AUSTRALIA Greetings from Western Australia. The Western Australian Chapter skipped the March meeting due to planning requirements for the annual golf day. The golf day was held at the prestigious Joondalup Country Club on Friday 27th April and was well attended with 80 players including members and sponsors.. We were very lucky with the weather which was perfect for golf, however lots of balls were mysteriously found in people’s back yard. The event was professionally run with plenty of on course refreshments as well as a dinner for presentations and fellowship after the game. This event provided excellent networking opportunities for the Engineers and suppliers alike and the feedback from all who attended was overwhelmingly positive. There were many prizes including a hole in one for $30,000 which unfortunately didn’t go off!

We wish to thank and acknowledge the sponsors for there contribution below in no particular order. Hobart Food Equipment, OTIS, Program Property Services, Spotless Painting and Cleaning, HFM Assets, Hisco Hospitality and Health Care, Dulux, Higgins Painting, Thorn Lighting, Roy Bat Sales, Corporate Services, SEME, Taubmans, SITA and National Food Service. In May we conducted our Annual general meeting at the Pan Pacific Hotel which was well attended with the committee voted in as follows: Tony Fioraso – President Ian Amen – Treasurer Lee Binsted – Secretary Social Committee Doug Stemp Barry Haydinger Darryl Mason As part of the institutes commitment to Hotel Engineers the committee agreed to sponsor Peter Stokes (Rydges Hotel Perth) and Kris Snelling (Rendezvous Hotel Perth) to attend the conference in August. In closing we look forward to the next Presidents meeting which will be held in Perth in July. See you all at the conference, Tony Fioraso President AIHE WA Chapter

AIHE STATE

NEWS VICTORIA As we all brave the cold Melbourne winter, it has been encouraging to see the great support our members have given over the past few months in attending our meetings. In April we met at the Hilton on the Park, Building operations Manager Don Robertson provided us the venue and F&B for the evening. Our guest presenter was one of our newer corporate members, Blygold Australia. Chad provided an informative insight to their companies offering, who specialise in corrosion protection for AC installations. I am sure that those who attended would have found this presentation to be of great benefit for current and future applications.

QUEENSLAND The first quarterly meeting was held in April. This was a breakfast meeting held at the Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort & Spa and sponsored by Dalkia Energy Solutions and Trane. Stephen Coombs, the Director of Engineering, had recently commissioned Dalkia to supply, install and commission a Trane variable speed centrifugal chiller and

Our May meeting took us to one of Melbourne’s historical landmarks,The Windsor Hotel. Robert Shillito, Senior Engineering Supervisor hosted the evening.The attendance was tremendous, with a total of 33 members congregating on the night. Daniel Waterman, Business Development Manager from Feltex Carpets, presented different aspects and options to floor coverings, with a focus on hotel refurbishments. Feltex were kind enough to raffle a floor rug which was a great bonus on the night. We often have our corporate’s support AIHE with gifts for our raffles; we thank you for your ongoing commitment, always well received by those who win the draw. With the introduction of Carbon Tax from July 1st, our meeting coordinator Stephen Docherty, successfully managed to secure a presentation on this very important, controversial subject. Gid Meltzer, Partner at Cornwall Stodard Lawyers delivered the facts about the tax and the impact it will have on our business. This certainly was a great opportunity to have Gid present, giving all who attended the forum to become better prepared and educated.

it was an opportunity to review the process involved in selecting a replacement chiller and the performance.Trane was able to provide an update on refrigerants including the impact of the Carbon Tax through the global warming potential of various refrigerants. The trail of a 7 am breakfast was well attended with over 30 participants including a good attendance of hotel engineers. Andy Greenland presented the Marriott experience as a case study including the detailed selection process leading to the final choice of the Trane variable speed chiller. Dalkia and the Marriott having been working together for a number of years improving energy efficiency at the hotel culminating in the replacement of an

As usual, thank you to Anton Van Den Brink, Chief Engineer Sofitel Melbourne for hosting yet another great evening. Looking ahead, our committee is working on securing meeting presenters and venues for the coming months; Stephen has been instrumental in driving this process behind the scenes, whilst producing our flyers with his comical touch. I can confirm that Clipsal have been locked in for July and with the AIHE conference being held in August, we will not run a meeting that month. On that note, I encourage all members to do their best to support the conference by attending. Ian and the team at AIHE Qld have done an awesome job of bringing together all aspects of the conference, guaranteed to be 2 great days of networking and information exchange. For our AIHE Victoria members needing any assistance with planning their attendance, please feel free to contact me on the below email address. David Zammit President AIHE Victoria Chapter david.zammit@hyatt.com

inefficient chiller with the latest technology. In conjunction with the chiller replacement the opportunity was taken to upgrade the controls and refrigerant purge unit on the older centrifugal chiller to increase it’s reliability and efficiency. Stephen verified the savings by indicating that the analysis carried out together by Dalkia and Stephen indicated a 40,000 to 50,000 kWh saving every month the chiller is operating and this has been confirmed by ongoing monitoring. Speaker 1 – Andy Greenland – (Dalkia Business Development Manager – Service, Projects & Solutions Support); Energy Solutions – Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort (Case Study);

Take control and make guests welcome in every room By researching the needs of key Hotel stakeholders, Philips has developed a tailored ‘guest room management system’ (GRMS) that delivers on guest experience, reduces energy and the initial investment required. We know that guests have clear expectations of room comfort and functionality – whether for budget or luxury and we have controls to suit (for lighting, blinds, curtains, air, room status and services). Also operators expect that any investment in room controls must improve the bottom line by increasing loyalty and reducing costs.

The new Philips GRMS delivers on all counts and also provides integration possibilities to other building and property management systems to further enhance operations, now or in the future. See how a simple and smart controls approach to your project can be beneficial by visiting us at the AIHE Conference at QT on the Gold Coast, August 9-10, 2012 or at www.philips.com/dynalite

AIHE STATE

NEWS “A case study on the current and future central energy plant solutions at the Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort. An overview of the process and decision making processes involved including initial modelling and real life savings after installation (including plant room visit)”. Speaker 2 – Simon Ho (Ingersoll-Rand, HVAC Business Development Manager); Refrigerants, Equipment Selection and Impact on New & Existing Buildings; “With changing legislative landscape and industry trends, the choice of refrigerants will remain a key issue in the HVAC industry for a long time. Simon Ho (Ingersoll-Rand, HVAC Business Development Manager) will provide an insight into the development of

refrigerants, its selection in equipment and its impact into our industry from a new and existing building context”. After the breakfast presentation Stephen provided a tour of the chiller plantroom and we were able to see the variable speed chiller in operation.The Marriott plantroom is the benchmark for all plantrooms, the hotel has been operating for 20 years but it was not evident when looking at the equipment and overall presentation. Danfoss variable speed drives on all chilled and condenser water pumps and, I was informed, also on all cooling towers, pumps and motors in immaculate condition, the machinery plinths and floor painted and an four metre wide roller door installed to allow the chiller changeover using

a 120 tonne crane from street level, four stories below. Appreciation was given to both the two presenters Andy Greenland and Simon Ho for their informative presentations. Special thanks was also given to Stephen Coombs and the Marriott to allow everyone to have the Chiller Plantroom tour. The next meeting will be held 24th July in Brisbane which will include a dinner and presentations from Clipsal, Clevertronics and Philips lighting. Venue to still be confirmed but insure you lock this date into your Diaries. Ian Crookston President AIHE QLD Chapter

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Audiovisual

Asset Management Peter Swanson I AMX Australia

I became what is apparently termed an “Apple Fanboy” by accident. Depending on who you believe, this status is achieved when you own somewhere between 3 and 5 Apple products. Somehow, a couple of iPods turned into several iPods, iPhones and an iPad.

’ve never queued for an Apple product. Never been the first to own any of them – and in fact these days I’m almost a reluctant admirer. But, somehow, I still own lots of them and have no particular strategy for managing them or the entertaining content

they purvey. God knows what I’ll do if I work out at some point that they’re all hideously out of sync with each other… I suspect if you look at your inventory of audio visual equipment you may well find that you’re facing a similar situation. Sure, TVs in rooms are not that hard. A refresh plan and a store of spares should pretty much do it. But, what about your WiFi infrastructure? Your presentation technology in the conference centre? Your background music system? Your digital signage? If you have a coherent plan for managing, monitoring and planning their replacement, I applaud you. All too often though, the planning ceases at about the same time that the systems are installed. I mean, look at how much they cost! Surely, they’re just going to work forever at that price, or at least for the next 10-15 years, right?! This is the number one problem facing the audio visual industry right now – systems get built and then by and large get left to run themselves. What else in your hotel is treated with so little respect? Everything else, I’m betting, is maintained and there are proper contingency plans, replacement cycles and the like. In the past, you could kind of get away without an AV asset management plan. After all, there were probably only a few projectors and some BGM/Paging. And, even if you wanted to, it would have been astonishingly hard to actually monitor those systems as most of them would have had no meaningful way to communicate with the outside world. Nowadays, with the rise of network-connected devices it’s quite practical to monitor many of the parameters of AV equipment. Want to know how many lamp hours the projector in the main ballroom is up to? No problem. Want to monitor individual speaker zones for faults? Not a trouble. Want to track hours of use of particular items or system presets? Again, it’s all yours for the taking. And, as they say, knowledge is power.

Getting a budget for AV is usually a challenge in any organisation – and also an afterthought. Imagine having real time data on hand to show how many hours a month each projector was used. How about a compare-and-contrast report between rooms with AV versus those without? What about energy management data? All these things are entirely possible and allow you to present real information on the use of AV in your hotel. And, understanding how much you use, where and when, helps in making more informed decisions when it comes time to refurbish or expand your facilities. There is also a much more short-term benefit to such systems – fault reporting! No longer do you need to wait until an event starts to find out that a projector has blown its lamp. Now, the system can automatically fire up all devices at a predetermined time and then send a fault report on items needing attention. I know at least one facility in Sydney where a lucky technician spends upwards of an hour checking all systems each morning. Imagine if instead the systems checked themselves before our tech arrived at work so that on his or her PC a hot list was presented telling them what needed urgent attention. Imagine further, linking this data to room bookings so that any critical faults could be tracked and events moved if necessary. I have a barrow to push here as our company provides a powerful online asset management tool for AV systems, but this is one of several systems in the market so rest assured that if you’re thinking this all sounds great you have a variety of choices available to you.

how best to engage an AV professional, but if you’d like to discuss this do drop me a line at peter.swanson@amxaustralia.com.au

Assuming I’ve whet your appetite for effective online asset management, here are some things to consider when planning and budgeting for this capability: • What do you want to measure? • How frequently do you want to measure it? • Can the equipment you have report the status items you want, or does it need modifying or upgrading to provide this information over the network? • How much of your focus is on fault reporting/uptime as compared with long term usage tracking and maintenance planning? • What spaces are critical for your hotel and which systems within those are “must haves”? The great thing about online systems is that their reach is now so wide. You don’t have to limit yourself to just monitoring presentation technology, you can also track intelligent lighting systems, BMS and other utilities. Of course, you may already be doing this through other portals and in that case it’s worth considering integrating your AV asset management with your current support / help desk management systems. It’s a bold new world and, while having a lot of AV might have presented a problem in managing it, there are some great solutions out there to help you do this. As always, I recommend you engage with an AV industry professional whether through an independent consultant or a D&C integrator. A good sign when considering who you might call is whether they have InfoComm CTS accredited staff and whether they are using ANSI/InfoComm standards in their design processes. There’s a whole separate article I could write on

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Saving energy in a City Hotel

Anwar Ahmed I Managing Director â€“ Enman Pty Ltd Andrew Smith I Regional Director of Engineering â€“ Starwood Pacific Hotels Chief Engineer, Sheraton on the Park

Project background

heraton on the Park, renowned for being the benchmark of classic hotels in Sydney, is situated in the heart of the city, right across the magnificent Hyde Park with 557 rooms and suites, several award-winning dining venues, a Spa with heated indoor swimming pool and 18 multifunctional meeting rooms are a perfect place to learn more about energy consumption and how to implement new features to support green initiatives and sustainability goals, keeping in regard to Starwood global environmental commitments. In 2011 Aus Industry extended their Green Building Fund to include the hotel industry. The program was initiated to assist accommodation

service providers to reduce their environmental footprint, energy consumption and improve their overall energy efficiency. Enman, a team of professional engineers and technologists specialising in energy efficiency improvements, carbon pollution reduction and energy supply contracts, conducted an audit at Sheraton on the Park to identify the key energy saving projects which provide substantial energy savings and carbon reduction. As these energy saving projects are in line with their future plans, Enman conducted business case studies for each of the recommended energy saving projects, so that these project benefits and investments can be in compliance with the investment guideline of the hotel.

Subsequently approved by Aus Industry due to its merit, Enman has been engaged to engineer and manage the implementation of various projects and deliver measurable savings at the end.

4. HVAC Upgrade

Challenges

1. Chiller upgrade

5. Lighting system

Enman developed a technical specification and called tender for each project. The tenderers were selected based on their merits which are primarily project cost, delivery of the energy saving and ongoing maintenance costs. These projects have been planned to execute the projects at a time line committed to in the Green Building Fund.

The existing chillers at Sheraton on the Park are primarily made by Trane. The chiller plant is on the 23rd Floor, which actually creates the big challenge of lifting the chillers this high, especially in a high traffic zone. Dalkia Technical Services was appointed to replace one of the larger chillers with their state-of-the-art Trane centrifugal chillers with variable speed drives. The chiller has high performance at a part load condition and can operate as low as 10% of the capacity. The peak co-efficient performance is around 11 compared to the current peak COP of 6.4. The chilled water pump has also been replaced for reliability as well as for energy efficiency improvement.

Projects

2. Control system upgrade

There are a number of projects involved in this energy efficiency upgrade.

Energy saving through advanced and optimal control is a more recent trend in the hotel industry. As part of this energy efficiency upgrade, the plan is to improve the overall control system of the hotel. This requires the following upgrade;

The greatest challenge in the execution was to implement projects which can save energy and at the same time consider the costs that the business case would develop.

1. Chiller Upgrade 2. Control System Upgrade a) Building Management System b) Variable Speed Drive

a) Building Management System (BMS) The hotel had a very old Barber Coleman BMS which is not supported anymore. This BMS is now being replaced by Schneidersâ€™

3. Energy management control system

Pega australasia Pty ltd Pega Australasia is an Australian-owned company to provide the services of installation of LED lights, energy audits and applications with government funding in energy-efficient appliances. We represent the best brands in LED lighting in the industry and have our own factory to custom build fittings. We have extensive experiences in supplying and servicing hotels, motels, retail and hospitality venues. Our team include engineers, architects, specialists in sustainability and energy industry and lighting advisors.

656 424

Pega Australasia Pty Ltd Tel: +61 (0) 2 9959 2288 Fax: +61 (0) 2 9959 2244 Mobile: +61 (0) 409 656424 Email: pega.australasia@gmail.com Address: Level 32, 101 Miller Street, North Sydney NSW 2060, Australia ABN: 45 123 825 909

latest Struxureware BMS to be accommodated as a platform for the implementation of the energy management control system.

3. Hotel energy management control system (HEMS)

b) Variable Speed Drive

An energy management control system has been installed as well. It will provide advanced and optimal control along with a demand management system. This system will be managing the advanced control strategy, energy and performance monitoring and reporting, which is called ‘ENERTROL’. The new hotel energy management system or HEMS were supplied by Enman Pty Ltd, which is the third generation of Enman’s energy management control system. This HEMS is integrated with the new BMS, working as a “brain” for advanced and optimal control. It is also interfaced with the electricity meters for demand management and energy reporting. The HEMS is based upon Tridum JACE controller, a Niagara based system communicating with the BMS through BAC Net.

A large number of variable speed drives are being implemented as part of the energy management control system. Variable speed drives are now becoming a standard in energy saving for all major drives, especially in pumps, fans, chillers etc. Variable speed drives are ideally suitable for drives where the load varies as part of the process. At part load condition it reduces throttling which is an irreversible process and wastes energy. VSDs are also used to match the drive load by controlling speed instead of start and stop. The energy saving from VSDs very much depends upon a control algorithm used to control the speed so as to match the process demand. Areas the VSDs are being applied to are: - Condenser water pumps - Chilled water pumps - Cooling tower fans - Air handling unit fans - Kitchen exhaust fans - Car park and loading dock fans VSDs are being supplied and installed by Schneider Electric.

The function of the energy management control system is as follows; • Chiller optimal control - Optimising selection of chiller to run -C hiller optimal load allocation. This is a unique load control optimisation technique especially warranted when the modern VSD based chillers operate in conjunction with conventional and old chillers - Optimal chilled temperature reset -O ptimal condenser water temperature control

nman Pty. Ltd.

Enman is a team of professional engineers & technologist specialising in energy efficiency improvement, carbon pollution reduction & energy supply contracts. Enman’s services • Energy/water audit and NABERS rating • Project engineering and management for major projects including turnkey supply for: - Chiller system upgrade - Boiler system upgrade - Control system upgrade BMS/HEMS - Variable speed drive - HVAC Upgrade - LED lamps - Room management system - Co/Tri generation • Assist in government subsidies and funding • Assist in carbon trading

Enman’s promise: Energy reduction up to 50% depending upon current energy efficiency Benefit: • Higher energy saving from conventional control reducing your carbon footprint further • Demand reduction Enman’s product Hotel energy management system (HEMS) is the ultimate control, monitoring reporting and housekeeping to reduce energy consumption of your hotel incorporating Enman’s cutting edge technology. Features • Chiller optimal control and performance monitoring • Advanced optimal control of variable speed drives for all pumps, fans, plant and equipment • Advanced HVAC Control • Demand management and control • Energy performance

Phone: 03 9877 2266 • Website: www.enman.com.au

Project

Scope

Saving kWh/year

Carbon Emission Kg CO2-e/ year

Chiller system upgrade

Replace the main chiller with energy efficient chiller including VSDs

1,119,000

1,197,330

Control system upgrade

Energy management control system (HEMS) with BMS and VSD upgrade

1,140,667

1,220,513

Down light/lamp replacement

Replace Dichro lamps with LED lamps

92,707

99,196

2,352,374

2,517,039

Total Table 1: Energy and carbon emission reduction summary

• Optimal Speed Control of VSD

Predicted energy saving

Model based speed control algorithms are used to squeeze the energy saving to its maximum. These are: - Optimal speed control for all fans including AHU/FCU, exhaust and car park ventilation fans. This uses a supervisory feed forward complied with feedback control algorithm - Chiller and condenser water pump speed control. Unlike conventional VSD control it is a variable volume control with supervisory feedback control to provide extra energy savings from the conventional VSD speed control.

As a part of the business model, energy saving has been estimated. The predicted energy saving has been listed in table 1.

• Optimal HVAC control. Optimal economy cycle with CO¬ 2 control. Enthalpy based economy cycle geared with CO¬2 based fresh air intake algorithm is used to provide more interactive energy saving control.

Conclusion Investing in energy saving projects is not normally a high priority for a luxury hotel such as Sheraton on the Park. In many cases, investments primarily focus on renovations and maintaining the services required to operate the hotel. However, the incoming carbon tax and the government subsidies are supporting energy saving efforts and cause efficiency projects to reach fruition – an initiative which has been prioritised by the hotel management at Sheraton on the Park and will cause energy savings of approximately 22% in total.

• Demand management system emand control through chiller loading and AHU fan speed -D control. This is to control demand so as to reach its target, reducing the demand cost of the electricity supply. • Monitoring and reporting functions - It provides chiller performance monitoring in order to run the chiller at the highest possible energy performance - E nergy and demand reporting The HEMS is supplied and implemented by Enman Pty Ltd.

4. HVAC Upgrade To improve HVAC control, all the dampers have been tuned and stroked properly to provide high energy efficiency at all times. The fan exhausting system is being modified to provide better energy saving through an economy cycle. The local HVAC maintenance contractor called CAMS (commercial air conditioning mechanical service) is modifying the HVAC system.

5. Lighting system Lighting is one of the major energy users of the hotel. The lighting technology has recently been replaced with LED technology. Sheraton on the Park has already replaced a large number of dichroic down lamps with LED lamps. The LED lamps not only have a potential energy saving of up to 80%, but also provide a life of around 50,000 hours compared to the few thousand hours of life of dichroic lamps. Additionally, they enable the hotel to customise their meeting rooms with any colour they wish. The LED lamps used are supplied by OCTALEX Green Lighting Pty Ltd and Optiled by Pega Australasia.

Carbon Management and AIRAH

Wendy Hird I Greenbriar Consulting

AIRAH – Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air-conditioning and Heating – have approved a new best practice guide to allow designers of new HAVC and refrigeration systems to specify carbon emissions. (www.airah.org.au)

ife cycle analysis has been standard engineering practice for years. Assessing the operational and maintenance costs of various project options shows whether it might be better to pay more up-front for reduced overall costs. By the same logic, if you are looking at carbon management, you should look at the lifetime carbon emissions of a product, so that you don’t buy cheaply and find you have unknowingly increased your carbon emissions. In a lot of cases this data can be hard to find, and direct comparison can be problematical if suppliers vary between how in-depth they do their carbon footprint. Green washing – falsely making claims about the environmental credentials of a product – can also be a problem. AIRAH have solved this issue for new, stationary refrigeration and air conditioning systems by setting a best practice guide so there is no confusion when comparing products. The TEWI – Total Equivalent Warming Impact – is not for comparison across all products, like the electrical efficiency labels you see on TV’s and fridges, but to be provided for a specific project at the design stage. The TEWI provides a simplified life-time carbon emissions for a product by looking at the refrigerant leakage during the project lifetime, the destruction of the refrigerant at the decommissioning stage of the product,

Scope 1

Scope 2

Emissions on your site

Purchased electricity

Refrigerant leakage for the life of the project, based on standardised leakage tables and using Global Warming Potential for the specific refrigerant recommended.

The sum of the energy consumption of the: 1. Refrigeration compressor(s), and 2. Ancillary components essential to correct operation of the system as specified (i.e. condenser fans, evaporator fans, defrost heaters, fluid circulation pumps, etc).

Scope 3

Emissions on your behalf by others

End of life emission from capture and destruction of refrigerant emissions at end of life. The guideline recommends a refrigerant recovery rate of 70% of the original charge for systems with a refrigerant charge less than 100 kg and 95% for systems with larger charges.

and the life-time electrical cost. In HVAC terms these are direct emissions, related to the refrigerant, and indirect, due to electrical consumption. As such it covers all 3 scopes for the carbon assessment in accordance with GHG protocols.

What impacts on a TEWI? 1) The type of refrigerant gas. Typical refrigerant gases are (mainly) a mix of hydroflourocarbons with a broad range of Global Warming Potential. See table 1. 2) State based emission per kWh. In most projects the majority of the emission will be due to electricity used. The emissions per kWh are set on a state by state basis and vary based on how the state’s electricity is produced. Tasmania has a high proportion of hydroelectricity so has an emissions rate of 0.3TCO2-/kWh, Melbourne uses a higher proportion of brown l coal so used 1.3T CO2-e /kWh.

Hydroflourocarbons used in typical refrigerant blends

GWP

HFC125

2800

HFC134a

1300

HFC143a

3800

HFC32

650

Table 1 – GWP of typical HFC

Table 2. AIRAH TEWI guide example iii

Description

Chart 1. AIRAH TEWI guide example iii

TEWI Emissions (t CO2-e) Direct

Indirect

Total

Conventional DX systems with R404a on LT, MT and HT

4,238

10,845

15,082

Conventional DX systems except R134a on MT and HT

2,335

9,590

11,925

Hybrid refrigerant system (CO2 LT DX with MT and HT R134a DX)

1,651

10,883

12,534

Hybrid refrigerant system (CO2 DX and volatile secondary)

515

12,367

12,881

Can I just use this TEWI data in my end of year carbon emissions report? No. TEWI is a theoretical number. Your actual carbon emissions from your HVAC or refrigerant system will be based on how you operate your equipment and its actual load. Once operating, the comparison between the theoretical TEWI and the actual carbon emissions from your plant will vary depending on:

Consider the 4 options for a refrigerant system and related TEWI (table 2 and chart 1). While the indirect emissions vary by 30% with the electrical consumption, the direct emissions vary up to 800% because of the type of refrigerant used. • the first option is in the middle for energy efficiency but has the highest carbon emissions • the second option is the most energy efficient and has the least total emissions • the last option has the lowest direct emissions

• weird weather leading to unexpected HVAC loads • not operating your plant efficiently: i.e. air conditioning empty conference rooms • where you actually get your electricity from. TEWI is based on purchased electricity with state based emissions, so if you produce your own electricity, or buy green energy with zero carbon emissions, your actual carbon emissions will be much different What would be of interest in an end-ofyear carbon report will be the analysis of what has varied from projected annual emissions, particularly if they are radically different to anticipated.

It means you have the correct data to put into your business case, long with operating cost, purchase price, reliability, maintainability and all the other factors you use to consider purchasing equipment. Whether the TEWI influences your decisions is up to you and whether you are managing your carbon emissions, but at least you have reliable and standardised data. Author Wendy Hird, Manager Greenbriar Consulting, has a background working with hotels in water efficiency and running water management education programs.Wendy Hird is available to undertake a carbon footprint, carbon management reduction plan, or run a workshop or awareness campaign with your staff about carbon management.

• higher (or lower) occupancy rates affecting HVAC heat load • maintenance of equipment like condition of fridge seals and cleaning of condenser tubes

So what does it mean to you?

ADVERTORIAL

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Best in Test – Uses less power and water than other Washer Extractors The Danish Energy Association invited 5 leading suppliers Electrolux, Ipso, Meile, Primus and Schutless to participate in the consumption data study. The Association then staged the independent testing of commercial Washer Extractors from the five suppliers in accordance with established industry standards and these are the results:

Electrolux machines use: • 19% less power consumption than the average Energy Consumption test • 35% less water consumption that the average Denmark is one of the countries that have taken the The test examined independently verified and uniform consumption and performance data in accordance with EN IEC 60445 – the basis for European energy marking systems for domestic washing machines. The Electrolux machine tested was the W465H Economy Washer Extractor, examined on two program settings Wash (3A03) and Economy (3A01). All other suppliers submitted a like sized machine for testing. Its official – the Electrolux machines consume less water and power than other leading brands.

Measuring water consumption

lead in energy savings and addressing the issue of CO2 emissions. The Danish Government has adopted a long term vision in order to meet their set targets. The Energy consumption test is conducted in a similar fashion as the water consumption test, i.e. washing cotton fabric at various temperatures from 30˚C to 60˚C without a pre-wash, the results speak for themselves* Test results Average energy consumption in kWh per kg of clothing.

composition, environmental impact during manufacturing process, recycling, packaging, distribution and environmental safety.

Ipso 0.264

Water consumption per kilo was measured at various different wash temperatures from 30˚C to 60˚C without a pre-wash, these are the test results*

Electrolux Laundry Systems can not only provide you with the most efficient, user-friendly and environmentally friendly machines but also with full time technicians and a large network of associated services agents they can maintain and support your investment. The service line is open for business 24/7, 365 days a year.

AVERAGE

The AIRAH Guide

Primus 0.178 Schulthess 0.176 Electrolux (Performance) 0.169

BEST IN TEST

The AIRAH guide lays out all the rules and has comprehensive tables for working out TEWI for project designers. It also gives worked examples.

Miele 0.149 Electrolux (Economy) 0.145

*The factors are based on an analysis contained in the “Energy Saving in the Public Sector Project” (Nov 2007)

Electrolux environmental considerations don’t stop with water and energy efficient machines …..

*The factors are based on an analysis contained in the “Energy Saving in the Public Sector Project” (Nov 2007)

All Electrolux commercial laundry products are manufactured to ISO14001 Environmental Management Standard that incorporates materials

Along with professional service and support is a huge local spare parts holding, free design and consultancy service, accreditation advice and all the ancillaries necessary to ensure your laundry works to its optimum and is OH&S compliant. What they don’t know about commercial laundry isn’t worth knowing. All this and the confidence that you are dealing with a recognised global company not a Distributor. Call 1300 888 948 Australia wide to find out more or visit our website at www.electrolux.com.au/Products/Professional

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A LOBBY ENLIGHTENED:

How the Crowne Plaza Melbourne lobby was transformed through a solid state lighting retrofit The Background The Crowne Plaza Melbourne has two main parts to its lobby; a relatively lowceiling area flanked by the main entrance, the reception desk, the concierge desk and a lounge; and a secondary area linking the ground floor with upper and lower levels by way of stairs and adjacent escalators. This forms a major junction between the entrance and the guest rooms, restaurants, cafes and other hotel amenities. It is this area that was fitted with about 150 MR16 halogen down lights rated at 50 Watts of power and various beam angles. These lights were long earmarked for replacement with a suitable drop-in technology that would serve to improve the quality of light, increase the longevity of luminaires and reduce the total system energy consumption.

The situation we faced prior to the retrofit was unacceptable from a cost, maintenancelabour and environmental perspective. We reviewed various other technologies such as CFL down lights, but none were a suitable substitute for the halogens. Robin J Power, Area Chief Engineer, InterContinental Hotels Group.

While the hotel management observed the evolution of solid state luminaires, none were deemed to perform adequately to serve as a suitable replacement, until six OGL S16W09-series lamps were installed as a trial.

The Challenge The complex structure of the lobby meant that the halogen lamps were illuminating floor, walkway, stair and escalator areas of ceiling height of between 3.0 and 12.8 meters. Naturally, replacement of these lamps, which was carried out every three months for both failed and functioning lamps, necessitated the use of a suitably qualified contracting company that employed a knuckle boom.This process was not only a major expense, but it also caused significant detriment to the amenity

of the area, being the main thoroughfare for guests and the staff alike between the main lobby and the rest of the hotel.

The Solution All the existing lamps were replaced over a period of two days with OGL S16-W09series lamps, following a process that was near-identical to the periodic replacement of halogen lamps for new halogen lamps. The retrofit program required the replacement of drivers also, which were mostly connected to the mains supply by way of “plug-and-socket”, allowing for fast and easy exchange. The client elected to replace fittings also as existing fittings were of several dissimilar designs and were ageing, which reduced their aesthetic qualities. As the OGL lamps used to replace the halogen lamps are available with similar light output figures and beam angles, no new apertures in the ceiling were required and no existing apertures had to be closedup. Similarly, as the OGL lamps were being installed in a ratio of one-for-one to the halogen lamps, no new electrical connections had to be established.

The Result As a consequence, the retrofit project delivered 100% success on several criteria identified as crucial to the success of the project from the outset:

• A reduction in heat output leading to reduced HVAC load and operating cost • An elimination of unpleasant IR radiation • An improvement in the environmental performance of the hotel and, • An increase in the perceived environmental and technical status of the hotel in the eyes of competitors and guests alike. Says Mr. Power: “The retrofit has reduced our maintenance costs from $12,500 per year to $0 per year, a very substantial reduction that allows us to channel those funds into other engineering and environmental initiatives.”

Performance To Date Since the retrofit project has been completed, the luminaires are performing to their designed intent: • No LED failures • In-situ testing indicates that lumen maintenance is at or above forecast levels, indicating that the specified lifetime of the lamps will most likely be exceeded • No colour drift has been observed

• A reduction in maintenance costs of $12,500 per annum and $60,000 over the life of the OGL lamps

• Real, hard data indicates that the forecast energy savings have been achieved

• A reduction in energy consumption of 45,552kWh per annum and 259,646kWh over the life of the OGL lamps

Energy savings have been tangible. Our smart meters indicate that annual energy consumption for the system has fallen by 80% from 56,940kWh to 11,388kWh. Our HVAC loads have also been reduced.

• A reduction in CO2 emissions of 20 tonnes per annum and 391 tonnes over the life of the OGL lamps • A reduction in glare ensuing from the patented, recessed design of the lamps • An improvement in the appearance of luminaires, which are all of an identical colour temperature and light intensity

For more information about this project or to find out how your facility can benefit from installation of OGL LED products, please call: (03) 9583 3317 or Mob.: 0458 181 514 Octalex Green Lighting Pty Ltd 64 Riviera Street, Mentone,VIC 3194

Hotel Engineering & the Winds of Change

Neil Weenink

In the beginning! In the beginning there was the landlord attending to the needs of his guests – ‘needs’ here being all-embracive. Local urchins kept up the fires and fans: works of art not to be damaged for fear of the unthinkable. [The fans Mavis, not the urchins.] The air was alive with the stink of waste and the coach arrivals were moments of great expectation and everybody knew their place in the pecking order. But now! But now there are a few changes. The landlord has a grander title and is no longer his own boss. The fires and fans have given way to the conundrum of HVAC empiricals, and the urchins? Still out there, a great tribe of useful labour that you use at your peril. Pity.

nd then came the end of the beginning. Watt vastly improved Newcomen’s steam engine performance allowing forever mechanised driving force, and in the 1850’s a grandiose vision by an investor group in the US for the future of a substance known as ‘rock oil’. They found the dark smelly substance used by Indian folk for medicine was marketable for oil lamps with the madename Kerosene. Then around 1885 Daimler and Carl Benz got the new-fangled internal combustion engine to work on Gasoline, John D Rockefeller formed the Standard oil company and the rest is history. Oil! First there were logs to fuel the early space heaters, then the black diamond coal, and then oil, the liquid gold of our times. King coal remains secure if sometimes a mite shaky, but oil dominates our lives – at least for now, and by reducing the flow in 1973, the oil cartel OPEC effectively made that point very clear. Hydrocarbon Man was not infallible and we in the hotel industry were not immune. I for one will never forget the events of that year. Overnight the posted price of oil went up 70%. I was just leaving

for the Inter-Continental in Dacca and the old Chief wishing me luck said ‘Well son you’ve sure dropped into the deep end.’ How true those words as GM’s cast around to find ways of minimising room rates. Meaning of course cutting costs, and that meant putting Engineering under the scanner. And so it came to be. All the issues we know about only too well today began right then. Words which are commonplace today emerged at that time, energy and asset management dictums, efficiency and effectiveness, time management and above all cost. At the 1974 Inter-Continental Chief Engineers’ meeting in Singapore we were handed out huge reference tombs on maintenance issues including the philosophy of Preventive Maintenance which surfaced in the closing months of WW2. Oh my! Every single item from the huge chillers to valve actuators, every single gizmo was to be itemised and a Plan developed for Preventive Maintenance. Which meant of course that we had to, for example, change bearing systems after set running periods. Parts costing thousands of dollars discarded when still in as-new condition. Through time heads

cleared and plans were modified, but the big one of oil cost was a mighty challenge. About then I was transferred to a new resort still under construction in Montego Bay Jamaica. A real beauty. Five hundred rooms and with totally self-contained energy and service plant. The six 500 HP GM Gen sets were a great sight [and sound!] It was not the capturing of waste-heat layout of today but it was close. So with ample staff and new plant I had time to ponder and to begin the jottings, which eventually became the Never Again Notes or The List of Repeatable Blunders [LORBS]. Akin to Murphy’s Laws in some respects they follow the subjective trail neatly ignored by Architects. Not quite the ‘if its too big to move, paint it’ reputedly in the GI’s handbook; more like ‘why put it there in the first place if you can’t get it out?’ So forth. Over time and in numerous properties this work has expanded, and with acceptable language has travelled far and wide with those who are keen to combine both objective and subjective design issues. May this work prosper, I would fervently wish.

Somewhere in the 1970’s came the computer into our scan, in the form of computer based Building Management Systems. This was a wiz, with Honeywell doing their darndest and we on the other side hit at several levels. As we were not at that time brought into discussions at the top in matters of capital expenditure go/ no go, or fiscal details associated, it was generally the Bean Counter who had the ear of the GM. So the device appeared in the office with the attendant smiling [and well dressed] Honeywell rep to install same. And this really got me going; a short fuse at the best of times. These fellows were talking in a language totally foreign to us. How dare they! I said ‘What the hell are you talking about, these guys like me come from mechanical backgrounds not from outer space!’ Eventually we got it sorted out and in fact I re-wrote the Honeywell BMS Handbook in hotel engineering lingo. I wonder where it may be now? But it was not easy at that time to be faced with a key board, any key of which wrongly punched would pitch the hotel into darkness or worse, would start up a chiller at peak load… And this was another thing we had to learn and accept. Electrical tariffs and the dreaded Maximum Demand. Unbelievably and sadly for the Chief of the Guam Hilton at that time, the Demand Plan set by the Govt Bean Counters effectively nailed him for 12 months from the Peak KW loading on any preceding month. This was akin to the Inquisition and gave equal grief to him and his Department although fortunately the dreaded Rack was not brought into play. Jump forward now to office computers if, that is, you were fortunate to have an office, a secretary, a computer; these exquisite items coming along later in the saga of new hotels in the West, so to say. In Asia the engineering department has always – certainly from the 1920’s – had a bureaucratic function and layout. My goodness I have seen 3 secretaries in the Chief ’s area, at least one keeping the tea and Tiffin up to him at all hours. So it was that the secretary gained knowledge and command of the office computer which part use gradually absorbed the awesome Work Order System – and so gave reason for the secretarial role??

to send the Department off its rocker, along came ‘sustainability’ and ‘recycling’ and the work place edicts of Duty of Care [try explaining this one overseas] and all the other occupational health and safety regulations snowing the Head of Engineering under with paper work. In the 1980’s with the onset of these matters, and armed with the Lorb List and the belief that it was time for Hotel Engineering to show itself as a worthy member of the hotel management team, I held a meeting with kindred souls at the GC International Hotel on Queensland’s Gold Coast. Whence the Australian Institute of Hotel Engineering Inc was born and has, despite significant hurdles, moved steadily forward. The initial challenge was of course from hotel Managers who saw a serious threat to their own long historical Establishment. Hotel Engineering was not entirely understood and those working ‘below decks’ particularly were seen as linked with the ‘dark satanic forces’ of the steam age, and with powerful Unions in support. I must say it was a bit of a challenge for me personally to dissuade Managers of this view! But that’s all behind us, and we move forward with a greatly enhanced recognition from within our respective properties, and from the Industry at large. Since inception of the Institute, much work has been undertaken

on water and energy management issues, and importantly the results have been shared. This is critical to the founding ideals, and of even greater importance with the ‘winds of change’ again in the offing as the old saber rattlers on the planet refuse to let it be. We have opportunity, indeed responsibility to make a major contribution in the great equation of energy balance. Hydrocarbon Man is unlikely to reverse his way of life, but we can be more responsible. The Institute has the potential to do this; it has the platform, the voice, and the skills. Recently the Queensland Chapter learned from Osram of the new cutting edge in lighting technology. With minimal energy and extraordinary system life, we can now provide lighting of a quality unheard of just a few years ago. With some 20% of electrical energy being used in hotel lighting, I suggest we should be looking very seriously at LED and other low energy systems. And of course the list is lengthy, with modern HVAC plant at efficiency levels that are quite astonishing. It is essential that we join with all decision makers in our Industry whose involvement through design or operation, investment or management, influence the way energy and our precious recourses are used. Take care my friends; the Winds of Change are blowing just that bit stronger…

All the above represents change, and, as we all know, nature abhors change. Especially when it happens through as little as 10 years. Truly. And as if all this was not enough

HIRAC

Hazard identification, Risk Assessment and Control Soudi Noori I Director of Safety and Risk Engineering Solutions BSc, MEngSci,Grad Dip OEH (MONASH) Professional Member of Safety Institute of Australia, RSP (AUST)

To succeed in business it is necessary to make others see things as you see them. John H. Patterson

ow would you like to reduce your water use by over 25 per cent? Holiday Inn Perth Burswood in Western Australia (WA) has done just this simply by being more water efficient. Since 2006 the Perth hotel has implemented a number of water efficiency initiatives resulting in savings of over 10 million litres. This is a great example of how hotels can easily reduce their water use without changing the level of service they provide to their customers. Hotels are not an exception, failure and accidents are possible at any place and any time. Although customers associate them with comfort and enjoyment, hotels are work place, with real hazards and accidents. Let us look at some of the accidents in hotels: • Hospitality student almost lost her sight after she slipped and lost her balance removing a tray of chemicals used to clean grills at the … Hotel in Patterson Lakes

According to a new Safe Work Australia report, the total cost of work-related injury, illness and disease stands at more than $60 billion a year. The impact of a workplace injury and death on our community cannot be measured. “Workplace safety is not just about avoiding human tragedy; it is also about reducing economic cost for the nation.”1

• Hotel staff have been killed in cellars in Victoria after breathing in leaking carbon dioxide and/or nitrogen • A 2.5 m fall caused by a ladder has landed a major Melbourne hotel in court and a fine of $40,000 on workplace health and safety charges

1. Definition of workplace Health and Safety policy 2. Plan to fulfil the Health and Safety policy, objectives and targets. 3. Development of support mechanisms such as:

A common attitude is that accidents are a part of business. But injuries mean loss money, time, and productivity. More importantly, they mean that workers and their families suffer pain and have their lives disrupted.

• Hazard identification, risk assessment and risk control

These deaths and serious injuries are preventable. Implementation of a successful workplace Health and Safety Management System mostly leads to a reduction of workplace illness and injury, minimizing the costs associated with workplace accidents.

• Regular health and safety meetings with workers

Principles of Health and Safety Management System for an organization are:

• Safe work Method Statements (SWMS) • Induction, training and supervision • Safety Audit • Accident and injury investigation

• Provision of first aid • Emergency and evacuation procedure • Maintenance plan (mechanical equipment) • Essential Safety Measure maintenance • Keeping records and statistics etc

4. Evaluation of WHS performance, and take preventive and corrective action 5. Regularly review and continually improve the system

Hazard identification, Risk Assessment and Control (HIRAC) Legislation in Australia adopts a risk management approach to achieve Health and Safety targets. “Hazard identification, Risk Assessment and Control” (HIRAC) are three key steps in the process used in work places to manage health and safety by focusing on risk. HIRAC is one of the supportive mechanisms which assist to achieve the highest levels of OHS/WHS performance. It is integral parts of the facility management risk control program. HIRAC will assist in: • Finding hazards in workplaces • Assessing the risks that may result because of the hazards • Deciding on control measures (e.g. JSA & SWMS) to prevent or minimise the level of the risks • Fixing the problem using control measures • Monitoring and reviewing the effectiveness of the measures Hazard identification, Risk Assessment and Control (HIRAC) provides a level of assurance to the managers and engineers that work is capable of being run safely.

Hazard Identification The first and the most important step in the HIRAC is to grouped workplace Hazards (Hazard Identification). If a hazard is not

identified, its contribution to the risk cannot be estimated. Only those hazards that are identified are possible to be controlled. What is Hazard? “Hazard”: is the potential to cause harm to a person or to the natural environment. Hazard identification needs to cover all activities and physical areas of the facility or workplace. It must be done in consultation with staff. Part of the process of Hazard Identification relies on available information about the hazard, such as: • information supplied by the manufacturer of the plant or equipment (operating manuals) • Safety Data Sheets (SDS)2 • experience from the workplaces with the similar hazards • Australian Standards that set out specifications and maintenance for a range of plant and equipment to ensure that they are safe • Codes of Practices3 The rest is using expert opinion, workplace inspections (check list) and review records of incidents and accidents. The types of hazards can vary significantly between workplaces. Hazards can be grouped under various categories, as listed in Table 1. WorkSafe Victoria has a publication called “Plant Hazard Checklist” which can assist in the development of hazard identification checklists for plant for use in your workplace.4 The hazards can be identified by asking questions such as ‘Could anyone be killed? Can anyone be injured by…? or ‘What could happen if…?’

HAZARD CATEGORIES Fire or Explosion Hazards

Structural Failure Hazards

Mechanical Breakdown Hazards

Shearing, Stabbing & Puncture Hazards

Liquid or Fluid Escape Hazards

Entanglement, entrapment Hazards

Gas Escape Hazards

Slip, Trip, Fall Hazards

Confined Space Hazards

Electrical Hazards

Radiation Exposure Hazards

Mists, Dusts, Vapour Hazards

Thermal (Hot or Cold) Hazards

Noise Hazards

Manual Handling Hazards

Ergonomics Hazards

Friction Hazards

Chemical Hazards

Housekeeping Hazards

All hazards have the potential to cause different types and consequence, ranging from minor discomfort to a serious injury or death. For example, LPG cylinders can cause muscular strain when they are handled manually. However, if the cylinder is damaged causing gas to leak which is then ignited, a fire could result in serious burns. If that leak occurs in a store room or similar enclosed space, it could result in an explosion that could destroy the building and kill or injure anyone nearby. Each of the outcomes involves a different type of harm with a range of severities, and each has a different likelihood of occurrence.5

Risk Assessment The second step is identification of the risk related to each task and equipment. What is Risk? Risk in the formal definition is the product of consequence and frequency of failure.6 Depending on the specific requirements, the determination of the risks associated with the hazard could vary from qualitative to quantitative risk assessments. Qualitative risk assessment and presenting result in a Risk Matrix is a very effective way of communicating the distribution of the risk in a workplace. Risk matrixes are available from state/territory WorkCover authorities or the Risk Management Standard: AS/NZS 4360:2004. The Risk Matrix is used to determine the level of danger or seriousness (consequence) of the risk, how likely it is that this risk will occur (likelihood/ probability).See table 2 to table 5. The risk matrix records the level of risk which is determined by the relationship between the frequency of an incident occurring from the hazard, and the consequence caused by the hazard. Risk ranking for potential workplace hazards is identified by referring to the categories ranging from high to low in a Risk Matrix. The relationship between likelihood and consequence determines how dangerous the hazard is. The level of risk that is determined is referred to as a risk priority rating. This priority rating allows employers to prioritise the hazards identified to ensure that the hazards with high potential of creating an incident are eliminated or controlled first.

Table 1 – Hazards categories

Risk assessment should be carried out with consulting with the employees who are working with the risks being assessed. Worksafe Victoria states that “The experience and knowledge of employees can make a significant contribution to identifying hazards, assessing risks and developing preventative measures for health or safety issues that arise in a workplace.”7

Risk control The third step is risk control. Priority should be given to high risk task or activity. Risk control is a requirement of, Part two, division 1, subdivision 1 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 as part of Health and safety duties “A duty imposed on a person to ensure health and safety requires the person: (a) to eliminate risks to health and safety, so far as is reasonably practicable, and (b) if it is not reasonably practicable to eliminate risks to health and safety, to minimise those risks so far as is reasonably practicable.” The risk control process must be carried out in consultation with the health and safety representatives and employees. The hierarchy of controls is a useful tool which managers should consider when identifying controls. The control options at the top of the hierarchy are most effective; they do not require further management once they are implemented. The further down the hierarchy of controls, the more ongoing management and effort is required in maintaining control over the hazard. See figure 1.

Consequence Descriptor

Scale

Descriptor Criteria

Catastrophic

Multiple fatality – may cause serious injury to people offsite

Major

Single fatality or permanent disability or require offsite emergency response or major structural failure/damage. Off – site environmental discharge/release not contained and significant long-term environmental harm.

Significant

Serious injury or long-term illness – Potential temporary disability or minor structural failure/damage. On-site environmental discharge/release contained, minor remediation required, short-term environmental harm.

Moderate

Injury requiring medical attention and several days off work On-site environmental discharge/release immediately contained, minor level clean up with no short-term environmental harm.

Minor

First aid needed

Table 2 – Identification of the consequence for each potential risk

Likelihood Descriptor

Scale

Descriptor Criteria

Almost certain

Experience or available data strongly suggests occurrence of a risk

Likely

Experience or available data suggests that a similar hazard has contributed to a risk in most cases under a similar situation or has occurred in our company before

Possible

Experience or available data suggest that a similar hazard may contribute to a risk some time in industry sector

Unlikely

More likely not to occur in industry worldwide under normal condition

Highly Unlikely

Not known to have occurred – occur only in rare/exceptional circumstances

Table 3 – Using the following table, the organisation determines how likely it is that the risk will occur and result in the consequence identified above.

Risk Ranking

Catastrophic

Almost Certain

Likely

Possible

Unlikely

Highly Unlikely

5 Major 4 Significant 3 Moderate 2 Minor 1 Table 4 – Using the risk matrix below, the organisation identifies the risk ranking

Risk Ranking Figure 1 – Hierarchy of controls

HIGH

High Risk – Will require detailed pre-planning.

12-25

Actions will be recorded on a Safe Work Method Statement

The control measures that you put in place should be reviewed regularly to make sure they work as planned. Don’t wait until something goes wrong.

MEDIUM

Medium Risk – Will require operational planning.

4-10

Actions will be recorded on a Safe Work Method Statement

LOW

Low Risk – Will require localised control measures

1-4 Table 5 – Risk ranking

Finally, keeping records of the HIRAC process demonstrates potential compliance with the WHS Act 2011 and Regulations. It is useful to keep information on: • the identified hazards, assessed risks and chosen control measures (including any hazard checklists, worksheets and assessment tools used in working through the risk management process) • how and when the control measures were implemented, monitored and reviewed

Safety and Risk Engineering Solutions (SRES) is an Australian based company providing consultancy and technical services in workplace Health & Safety and engineering risk assessment to facilities and industries. Our method to HIRAC is unique. Please Contact us for “HIRAC Evaluation Matrix “form and more details.

References 1. http://www.sia.org.au/browse.aspx?ContentID=iss ue113_2012-03-20_news1

• who you consulted with, relevant training records and any plans for changes

2. Safety Data Sheet (SDS) (previously Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)] is a document containing important information about a dangerous substance

Are you looking for new or replacement appliances, lounges and sofa beds (custom made in Australia), bedding, furniture packs, case goods or flooring products (including custom designed woven carpets)? Is your property in need

of a refurbishment (full or partial)? From Interior Design to Refurbishment including Project Management, Surjio Ceanee can offer a complete solution tailored to suit your operation. We also have a Procurement division for the supply of

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(which may be a hazardous substance and/or dangerous goods) 3. under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (WHS Act), codes of practice are admissible in court proceedings. 4. publications@workcover.vic.gov.au 5. CODE OF PRACTICE | HOW TO MANAGE WORK HEALTH AND SAFETY RISKS 6. Noori.A, and Price, J.W.H., 2005 “Case study of the use of API 581 on HK & HP material furnace tubes” Journal of Pressure Vessel Technology, vol 127. PDF (153 K) 7. SUMMARY OF THE OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY ACT 2004 2ND EDITION JUNE 2005

white goods, TV’s and other operational items. For the ultimate in service and quality contact 1800 SURJIO (787 546) or info@surjioceanee.com and

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What criteria determine the quality & security of a Hotel in-room safe?

Sajid Jehangir I Vintech Systems

Hoteliers and Chief Engineers are constantly seeking ways to provide real security as well as the feeling of security to their guests. An in-room safe is an effective and inexpensive method of reaching that goal.

afes are now becoming a standard inclusion in many hotel rooms throughout the world. This has become a strong market for a number of reasons. The primary motivator behind most modern hotels including these in their rooms is that it provides the guest with a direct, easy-touse facility to secure valuables and travel documents within their room. Additionally, the safes reduce the liability of the Hotelier who is able to offer their guests the security of having items locked by guests own preset password. All activity surrounding the use of the safe can be audited with user ID determiners as well as time and date stamps. When you’ve checked into your room, and are looking at your safe, please take note of the quality inclusions and features which have been specifically designed to ensure that you have a user friendly, highly secure and well built guest room safe. A high quality safe generally has some of the following inclusions:

you purchase a product that can store up to 500 individual time and date stamped events. Display – A large digit display, clearly presenting the numbers from every angle and especially when they’re hidden in dark cupboards will be an asset and is a desirable feature to acquire. Keypad – Ideally the buttons should be illuminated so that they too can be clearly viewed in the dark. ADA compliance is also an important feature especially for guests with vision impairment. Additionally if the safe you purchase can offer a 6-digit pin option, your guest has the security of up to 500,000 pin code entries.

Interior Illumination Further on quality and ease of access in terms of design features, if the safe includes an LED which lights up the interior of the safe as the door is unlocked you will not only please most guests, but also ensure that property is not inadvertently left behind. Intelligent Design – Most safe hinges allow only a degree of opening. Quality design allows the door to open 130 degrees, therefore making it possible to insert a laptop into a small safe box.

Memory Events – it is essential that a quality safe has capacity to retain sufficient records. When making a purchasing decision, we advise that

can be the rare unscrupulous staff member. Hotels constantly strive to employ the best and most professional people, but sadly this is not always a reality. The handheld devise used by the Front Office, requires the entry of two passwords prior to being used to emergency open a safe. This ensures that the two staff will always be aware of any safe opening other than by the customer.

Secure Construction –Top quality safes have hidden hinges so that there are no access points where the door can be jacked open by unauthorised users. Key Override – For security this should never be included. Mechanical key cylinders can be breached by unauthorised users and using a key will defeat the purpose of an audit trail. This in turn reduces the security

of your safe + highlights that the manufacturer may rely on a key in an emergency rather than a secure technological solution available with quality safes. Hotel’s Handheld Override (Safe Logger Unit) – Sometimes, the threat to a hotels’ security

In Conclusion, there are a number of security facts, awareness and considerations which we would encourage any Hotelier or Security Manager to consider when researching the purchase of Digital in- room safes. Low prices are not everything and quality purchases can be cost effective. Keeping your guests’ belongings secure while they stay with you is unarguably a priority, so while you tend to their wellbeing, give them the peace of mind that their belongings are completely secure with an in-room Secure DCS safe.

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afford NOT to install INNCOM IC3 David Wilson I MySmart

Every day we hear doom and gloom about energy prices, the effect of the Carbon Tax and the long term impact energy pricing will have on our lives. In the hotel world this is especially important. We need to continue providing the highest quality of facilities and service to our guests while the cost of providing this continues to climb.

he question we’re all asking ourselves is how I can reduce my operating cost without ANY impact on my guest. Yes I’ll install an energy management system in the guest rooms. But is that all I can do? Not really. Now give Hotel Operations personnel the ability to MANAGE and gain the maximum efficiencies from the in room systems from their desktop. INNcontrolTM 3 software solution provides an unprecedented level of intelligent room management software. The threedimensional views of your hotel are an innovative way to assist staff in quickly diagnosing by individual room, by floor, or by side of the building, a variety of room status indicators, such as ‘Target Room Temperature,’ ‘Measured Room Temperature’ and even ‘Occupancy.’ Now operations staff can interact with computer graphics by selecting a colourcoded room on the display and begin to identify exactly what is happening in that room with HVAC, lighting and more. mySmart CTI is currently deploying the Inncom Rooms Management System at 3 Major Sydney Hotel Properties. The 531 Room Four Seasons Sydney is two thirds through the installation of Inncom for Guest Rooms Energy Management, and has completed the Inncom Zigbee Deep

Mesh Network infrastructure to the rooms for connection of INNcontrolTM 3 Central Management System. When completed in August this will give Four Seasons Sydney Management the opportunity to Manage, Monitor and plan access to Guest Rooms for the various departments tasks, based on real time knowledge of Guest actually being In/Out of the rooms. Similarly both Holiday Inn Potts Point a 286 room property and Crowne Plaza Coogee Beach a 209 room property have recently completed the Inncom Rooms Management System installation also with Energy Management in the Guest Rooms, again these properties installed the INNcontrolTM 3 3 Central Management System for efficient control of all room devices. For these properties a structured cabling network was utilised, showing the flexibility of how Inncom can be deployed for various building types. A recent Inncom installation is detailed below with comments from the Owners and Hotel Management outlining the real benefits achieved.

Fairfield Inn Syosset NY Achieving Increases in Guest Satisfaction and Energy Savings with INNCOM

Adding INNCOM’s INNcontrolTM 3 with Deep Mesh Network has guests of the 82-room Marriott branded hotel much happier, with room temperature remaining comfortably consistent. Niantic, Conn. – April 12, 2012 – If you ever questioned whether or not installing an energy-management system really makes a difference to the bottom line and guest satisfaction, consider these results from the Fairfield Inn in Syosset, NY. The 82-room, three-story Marriott brand was consistently getting complaint calls about temperature control levels in the guestrooms. Guests were unhappy about the uncomfortable temperature in the rooms when they checked in, and the property owner was tired of the financial drain. Looking for a long-term fix, the Fairfield Inn Syossett reached out to INNCOM for help. The result is a significant increase in guest satisfaction and amazingly a concurrent average 36% reduction in energy consumption.

with network connectivity; and which are not communicating properly with the hotel PMS and other systems. It tracks and reports equipment run-time which helps in a property’s preventive maintenance processes as well as tracking the energy savings being achieved. Additionally, INNcontrolTM 3 can also communicate with other hotel server-based systems, such as the property-management system, buildingautomation systems, central electroniclocking systems and work order systems.

With extensive experience in networking guestroom equipment spanning more than a quarter of a century, INNCOM is considered a pioneer in wireless environment installations. Since INNCOM installed its centrally controlled energymanagement system using the Deep Mesh Network in April 2011, the Fairfield Inn Syosset began seeing immediate results. The INNcontrolTM 3 system installed at the Fairfield Inn Syosset uses Deep Mesh Network technology which provides for a lower cost of installation vs. traditional wired systems while offering the same great reliability INNCOM has always offered. The Fairfield Inn Syosset is also scheduled to receive a $13,000 incentive from Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) for installing the INNCOM INNcontrolTM 3 system with the Deep Mesh Network. “Before INNCOM, we really had few energy controls in place,” said Lori Hamilton, General Manager at the Fairfield Inn Syosset. “Twelve of our rooms were controlled by thermostats and dampers and the rest operated with PTAC units. In an attempt to save energy, we would instruct housekeeping to turn off the PTACs when they were refreshing rooms and when rooms were unoccupied. Only when it was an extremely hot or cold day would we allow the units to run while rooms were being turned. What we didn’t understand was that each time the units were turned off and then back on, they used far more energy than if we would have run the fans continually at low settings. We needed help, and INNCOM came highly recommended.” Due to positive experiences in the past with INNCOM, Bethesda, Md.–based Urgo Hotels, the management company for the Fairfield Inn Syosset, recommended the use of INNCOM. After an extensive investigation of energy-management companies on the market, only INNCOM had the capabilities to retrofit all the guestrooms including the 12 rooms at the property operating with thermostats and dampers. “The difference today over where we were a year ago, is unbelievable,” Hamilton said. “We have far less complaints about room temperature. Thanks to INNCOM and its INNcontrolTM 3 system, rooms consistently stay at a comfortable level. The INNCOM system makes it possible for room climate to float between preset temperatures when

rooms are unoccupied or unrented. For me, keeping guests happy and comfortable is just as important as reaping energy savings for the owner. Both have great returns – guests return because they have an enjoyable and comfortable stay, and the owner is seeing significant financial returns from the reduction in utility bills.” In addition to temperature controls, INNcontrolTM 3 provides Fairfield Inn staff with real-time monitoring of HVAC and temperature satisfaction and creates alarms for any units that are not operating properly. The system even monitors guestroom network connections and reports noncommunicating rooms. It is a constantly vigilant resource always keeping an eye on critical comfort systems. “Because we had an incredibly mild winter, comparing energy use in winter of 2011 to 2012 is difficult,” Hamilton said. “However, we are pleased to say that occupancy is way up. Normally, this is a cost riser, as more people use more energy. However, thanks to INNCOM, we are still using far less energy and therefore are able to maintain lower operating costs. INNCOM strikes the perfect balance for both us and our guests.” INNCOM’s INNcontrolTM 3 system communicates with in-room intelligent devices, such as the e528 Smart Digital Thermostat, the room occupancy sensor and door switch. The system reports which in-room devices have low battery levels; which rooms have constant occupancy; which rooms have problems

“We are quite pleased that the Fairfield Inn Syosset is seeing immediate and widespread results with INNCOM,” said John Tavares, INNCOM Senior VP Marketing and Sales. “We are confident that the centrally controlled energy-management system will significantly help the Fairfield Inn Syosset continue to provide a comfortable stay for their guests and increase operational efficiency. This will further enhance the guest experience and quickly drive savings to the bottom line.” About INNCOM Founded in 1986, INNCOM develops, manufactures, and markets advanced guestroom control systems for the global lodging industry.The company’s product line ranges from programmable digital thermostats to fully integrated energy management, lighting control and communication systems. All INNCOM products are designed to enhance guest comfort, safety and satisfaction while increasing bottom line profits for property owners. INNCOM systems are installed in more than 800,000 guestrooms in many of the most prestigious hotels in 49 countries. About mySmart CTI mySmart CTI is an Australian company that prides itself on making a major difference for its customers, their employees and the environment. mySmart CTI helps businesses create the most energy and resource-efficient environments possible. Providing a solution using a balance of both proven and latest technology in products, highly-trained consultants and technicians mySmart CTI are able to optimise both new and existing buildings and outdoor environments so that they use less energy and resources while simultaneously driving down ongoing operational costs. As a result businesses win and so do their employees and the environment. mySmart CTI have provided control and energy savings solutions to offices, commercial buildings, aged care facilities, schools, universities, hotels and more. At mySmart CTI we understand each client is different but have the same needs – make real energy savings with the right solution.

New resort aims to be a

carbon neutral gateway to the Pilbara

Rosemary Rule I Umow Lai Pty Ltd

The Landing Resort Development, a new $150 million, 650 room resort in Port Hedland, Western Australia, has high aspirations. It aims to be a carbon neutral precinct as well as a complete wastewater recycling gateway to the Pilbara region.

nthony Marklund, Associate Director of national engineering and sustainability consultancy Umow Lai, and member of the development project team, says that the innovative building and sustainable techniques that will be used are designed to achieve carbon neutrality and to save water.

“The other top priority is the integrated building services approach. Having the architecture and services right helps minimize the vital final piece of the carbon neutral jigsaw puzzle - onsite renewable energy sources. Though costly, these are required to offset the operational and embodied carbon.”

As part of their commission, Umow Lai is assisting the principal design architect, Noel Robinson Architects, to optimise the passive design and material selection of the buildings.

Extensive modular prefabrication construction techniques are being used to deliver the project to a challenging program, while optimising opportunity for improved ‘factory’ quality and construction health and safety.

“Getting the architecture to perform well from a thermal efficiency and embodied carbon perspective is one of the top priorities when aiming to achieve a cost effective carbon neutral design approach,” Anthony says.

Stages 1 and 2 of the resort are being built in Thailand and Melbourne respectively. They will be shipped to Port Hedland, trucked to site and assembled with a minimum of material wastage

is chilled water temperatures above the room dewpoint. This higher chilled water temperature can allow lower grade free cooling sources to be utilised or improved efficiency of dedicated central chilled water plant.

Spot the difference – a Scandinavian hotel room with a side-throw chilled beam in lieu of a conventional bulkhead fan coil unit.

Anthony Marklund says that the beams are quiet, have no moving parts and operate with a dry cooling coil. By reducing sources of moisture, they also have an additional benefit of reducing risk of toxic mould forming in air conditioning systems.

and site operatives. This has particular benefits in Port Hedland, which along with the rest of the Pilbara, is facing a skilled labour shortage due to the resources boom. The hotel rooms will be air-conditioned by active chilled beams fed by 100% outside air systems with total heat recovery. The total heat recovery systems utilize innovative cross-flow air-to-air heat exchangers at central air handling units that allow both sensible and latent heat exchange from ensuite exhaust air to the fresh supply air. The indoor air quality is expected to be markedly improved in the hotel rooms as a result of no recirculated air component, with greater removal of pollutants and exhaled air benefiting guest experience and wellbeing. In what will be the first application of this kind in Australia, active chilled beam technology will be introduced. Until now, this approach has only been used in environmentally sustainable offices and hospitals in Australia. Hotels in northern Europe have benefited from the reduced air conditioning energy and improved indoor environment quality achievable. Active chilled beams are a form of induction unit technology and use a dehumidified fresh air supply and an array of nozzles to induce room air flow through a chilled water coil. A key operational difference between active chilled beam and induction unit concepts

This is particularly important in the mining industry where toxic mould in air conditioning systems has recently become a significant occupational health and safety concern. Air handling unit coils are intended to be treated with anticorrosion and antifungal protectant to aid further. In order to ensure the active chilled beams operate as intended, the rooms are specified to high air tightness and are moisture proofed with factory and onsite testing of air permeability and thermal imaging proposed for quality control. Any condensate formed will be captured and recycled. Active chilled beams are a retrofit option for existing hotels approaching a major refurbishment cycle and wishing to improve their environmental performance. “Among the primary environmentally sustainable design initiatives being planned for the Landing Resort are a total wastewater treatment and recycling system with funding from Water Corporation,” Anthony explains. A proprietary blackwater treatment plant incorporating settlement/primary treatment tanks, sludge tank, packaged membrane reverse-osmosis / bio-reactor units, recycled water tanks and associated pumps and water treatment plant will treat all site wastewater to Grade A+ recycled water fit for nonpotable purposes on site. “Other big ticket Environmentally Sustainable Design initiatives include the use of Building Integrated Photovoltaic panels to generate electricity directly from the sun; a central energy facility with biofuel trigeneration systems for annual site cooling, heating and power demands and chilled water thermal storage. The biofuel trigeneration system is intended to use pelletised or briquetted agriculturally derived or forestry industry waste products, such as sustainably sourced sorghum, rice husks or sawdust, as

17 October 2012 Swissôtel Sydney

Hotels into the Future the energy source to generate thermal and electric energy in an integrated, efficient onsite process. A gasifier heats the biomass in an anaerobic furnace converting it into high hydrogen content syngas which in turn fuels specially designed internal combustion engines. Low grade heat is recovered from engine jacket cooling water to provide heating hot water which is reticulated for all site domestic hot water, building and pool heating requirements. Higher grade heat from the engine exhausts drives 2 stage absorption chillers. An alternator driven by the crankshaft generates electricity fed into the site grid. A central chilled water storage system is sized to store sufficient biomass generated chilled water to serve all site cooling needs and minimise peak electricity demand. Trigeneration systems can have a good business case for hotels, which typically have a high year-round domestic hot water consumption and 24 hour baseload electricity consumption. This is particular so when a long term owner occupier is looking achieve lowest total building ownership cost and deliver industry leading environmental performance. “Investigations are also underway in Port Hedland to prove up the feasibility of harnessing wind energy. Wind turbines being considered for an adjacent site would need to be engineered to withstand cyclone conditions.”

REGISTER NOW Visit www.ahice.com.au or call 1300 789 845 for more information Sponsorship enquiries email adaff@intermedia.com.au or call 02 8586 6207 Hosted By

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Umow Lai has been engaged to provide Sustainability and Mechanical Engineering Services Infrastructure design. Being their first project in the Pilbara, it is not without its challenges. Anthony spoke about some other challenges that need to be met. “The site is remote and has no natural gas main, and there are other limitations to authority infrastructure. For example, the water supply quantity to the site is annually capped and as there is no authority sewage infrastructure, the site simply has to minimise potable water use and recycle and use all wastewater on site. The development approval requires that all site stormwater must also all be retained on site by use of leading water sensitive urban design. Innovative water features planned to beneficially manage water on site include a system of artificial creeks flowing through and underneath the Village component of the project. “This is our largest project to target carbon neutral. It means there will be a heavy reliance on the ability to integrate sufficient

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renewable energy sources on site and to export excess renewable energy to Horizon Power with the grid acting as an energy store. Available energy storage technologies currently have relatively poor viability for a commercial project of this scale. (While initial technical feasibility for grid export has been confirmed by a Horizon Power electricity network impact study, satisfactory biomass and grid-tie commercial terms resolution is required to validate feasibility).

one of only 14 foreign founding member firms. Anthony Marklund is based in their Brisbane office and can be contacted about The Landing Resort project on 07 3210 1800. For further information or media enquiries, please contact: Rosemary Rule, Publicist, T: 03 9249 0288, 0418 675 734. E: rosemary.rule@umowlai.com.au

The Landing Resort, located opposite Port Hedland’s international Airport, is expected to cater for both tourists and professionals associated with the resources industry. Umow Lai, appointed by the Perth-based Centauri Group, is working closely with the project team. Members include Noel Robinson Architects, Wood and Grieve and Cardno. Development of renewable energy infrastructure is part of Centauri’s mission statement. Anthony Marklund says this has given Umow Lai a strong mandate to look beyond the project’s sustainability brief, towards delivering perhaps the world’s first carbon negative resort. “If this is realised, the project will effectively act as a carbon sink by exporting more renewable energy than fossil fuel energy consumed during construction and operation. The sustainability goals being aimed for also include waste minimization, eco-bus commuter transport and engagement with the local indigenous community,” he concluded.

Notes: Anthony Marklund spoke about the Landing Resort project at the 4th International Urban Development conference on the Gold Coast last September. Umow Lai is a national, Australian-owned building services and sustainability consultancy. It employs over 130 staff in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane and has associate offices in Hobart, Adelaide, Perth, Hong Kong and Vietnam. The firm is a member of the Green Building Council of Australia, the Property Council of Australia and a Founding Member ceremony of the China Green Building Council,

Test & Tag

Sarah Allen I Appliance Tagging Services Pty Ltd

Testing and tagging is one element of electrical safety that has caused confusion and controversy since its inception. Sarah Allen of Appliance Tagging Services explains the revised testing and tagging requirements, and why testing and tagging is important for electrical equipment not only in hotels but all facilities and environments.

any people believe it to be an important part of a comprehensive electrical safety management system, some people believe it to be a waste of time and simply an on cost to businesses across Australia, and then there are those that believe it to be important only in a Construction environment. But the facts remain, even in a non Construction environment, up to 10% of appliances fail first round testing, and all of these appliances have the potential to kill.

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Many people have been caught out with a ‘one size fits all’ approach to testing and tagging. For example, the equipment used in a workshop of a Manufacturing facility should be tested on a 6 monthly basis, and unscrupulous test and tag providers have been known to test the entire facility on a 6 monthly basis. It’s no wonder some businesses believe Testing and Tagging is simply an on cost! With the introduction of the model WHS regulations, Safe Work Australia has attempted to clear up some of the confusion surrounding Testing and Tagging. These regulations are far more prescribed and state all appliances located in a Hostile operating environment must be inspected tested and tagged regularly by a Competent Person and a record maintained of the testing. All items not located in these environments should be the subject of a documented risk assessment, which may in fact recommend the testing and tagging of the appliance. A Hostile environment is one that is exposed to heat, dust, moisture, corrosion, abrasion or vibration. As an example, this includes kitchens, tea rooms, poorly designed work stations with leads on the floor, training rooms and laptops, along with all manufacturing environments.

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The standard that applies in this area – AS/NZS 3760:2010 In-Service Safety Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment – was completely revised in 2010. This revised standard specifies the safety inspection and maintenance standards for Australia and New Zealand, and can assist in complying with OH&S legislation. It is vital to remember that the Standard should be read in conjunction with both National and state specific legislation as testing and retesting requirements detailed in legislation will still vary from state to state.

With regards to RCD (Safety Switch testing) the new WHS regulations state that all circuits operating in a Hostile environment must be protected by an RCD. That RCD must then be tested 12 monthly in accordance with the Australian Standard. As it stands, New South Wales, Queensland, Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory are the only states to be adopting the new model WHS regulations in 2012 with the other states opting to implement in 2013, and Victoria choosing not to implement them at all. But, don’t be fooled – even when all States adopt the model WHS regulations there will still be State specific difference.

So, what are the current actual requirements? In Victoria, the OH&S Act 2004 specifies that “An employer so far as reasonably practicable, provide and maintain for employees a working environment that is safe and without risk to health”. The Victorian Electrical Safety Act 1998 also states that all second hand equipment being made available for sale must be inspected tested and tagged prior to sale. Similar electrical safety legislation also exists in Western Australia, Tasmania and in South Australia where the testing of RCD’s in accordance with AS/NZS 3760 is detailed. These states will adopt the National WHS regulations in 2013, whilst Victoria will not. A whole article could be written on the complexity and intricacies of testing and tagging in QLD. Even with the introduction of the National WHS regulations, the legislation surrounding Testing and Tagging is covered by the Electrical Safety Act 2002 and the amendment issued in 2006, and is exceptionally detailed. QLD legislation is based on 6 “Classes of Work”, and dictates the retest frequencies associated with the testing of appliances within each class of work.The 6 classes of work are categorised as Construction Work, Manufacturing Work, Office Work, Service Work, Amusement Work and Rural Industry Work.The legislation also specifies the requirements of RCD installation and testing under AS/NZS 3760, along with requirements surrounding double adaptors and piggy back plugs for different classes of work. In addition, it is also a requirement under the QLD Electrical Safety Act for a test and tag service provider to hold a Restricted Electrical Contractors license and for all technicians to have successfully completed a nationally recognized competency based Test and Tag course. When the newly revised standard, AS/NZS 3760:2010 was launched in Australia in October 2010 it contained a number of modifications on the previous standard.

Who is responsible for testing and tagging The new Standard makes specific references to the responsibilities of ‘the responsible person’ to ensure the competency of technicians undertaking a test and tag program.The responsible person is the owner of the premises, equipment or, under new WHS regulations is the PCBU or Officer deemed to be responsible for the safety of the workplace. One of the most important areas of competency is the understanding of the Standard, and I encourage all ‘responsible persons’ to ensure their test and tag provider owns a current copy of the Standard and understands the changes. It is also worth checking your test and tag provider holds both Public Liability and Professional Indemnity insurances.

Retesting Frequencies (Table 4) Table 4 of AS/NZS 3760:2010 has been reviewed and now aligns more closely with the NZ Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010. There are 3 changes to Table 4 worth highlighting. In order to reduce confusion within manufacturing environments, no longer are there different retesting time frames for Class I and Class II equipment.Therefore all portable electrical equipment located in a manufacturing environment is now subject to retesting every six months.

The ‘Cord extension sets and EPODs’ column has been removed, and now incorporated in to one column along with Class I and Class II items. Portable RCD’s used in commercial cleaning are now required to be tested by the ‘push button’ daily or prior to use (whichever is the longer) and an operating time test conducted every 12 months. It is important to note that as the QLD Electrical Safety Regulations specify retesting time frames based on ‘Classes of Work’, QLD based test and tag technicians should continue to refer to the QLD Electrical Safety Regulations for detail on retesting time frames.

Information on Tag AS/NZS 3760:2010 now specifies that the retest date must be added to the durable, non-reusable, non-metallic tag placed on the item after testing. This is in addition to the requirement for Technician/Company Name, Test or Inspection Date, and whether the item passed or failed testing. This addition has been made to assist workplaces in easily identifying when their appliances are due for retesting.

New to Service There is a requirement in Australia for all new items being introduced to service to be tagged with a New to Service tag. The tag must state the item is “New to Service”, it must state the date of entry to service, the date it will be tested, and that “This appliance has not been tested in accordance with AS/NZS 3760”. In NZ, all new items must be tested and tagged before they are introduced to service.

LEASED EQUIPMENT NOW INCLUDED In the 2003 standard, reference was made to hired equipment, but not to the requirements for the testing and tagging of leased equipment. AS/NZS 3760:2010 now states that the hiree or the lessee is responsible for the inspection testing, and tagging of hired and leased equipment while the equipment is in their possession. Traditionally leased appliances, such as vending machines, water coolers, computers, photocopiers and the like, should be inspected tested and tagged by the hiree or lessee in accordance with the required retest frequencies while the equipment is in their possession.

TAKING ELECTRIC SHOCK SERIOUSLY The first step in the test and tag process is for each item to be examined visually for defects and faults, and an appliance is only ever electrically tested after it has passed this visual test. The majority of items fail this visual testing and often the user is horrified that it has been deemed no longer safe to use. Electricity is not visible and most people have an ‘it won’t happen to me’ attitude when it comes to electric shock. Providing a safe workplace is obligatory, regardless of attitudes and misconceptions about electricity, and the sometimes blatant disregard of the seriousness of an electric shock. If you would like any further information, please do not hesitate to contact Sarah Allen on 1300 287 669, by email sarah@ats.com.au or visit www.appliancetaggingservices.com.au

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s technology continues to evolve in the field of engineering, practitioners need to stay abreast of the latest product developments to ensure they can provide the highest level of quality to their customers. This quality can stem from making smart product choices, and investing in Brands that last.

Here are just some of the reasons why Taubmans Endure is continuing to impress and live up to its endure name:

Hotel walls are constantly wiped and rely on superior paint technology to resist and repel stains. Taubmans Endure Interior is superior to any other brand currently on-shelf in stain and scrub resistance tests, leaving any room looking fresher for longer no matter what trials the paint is put through.

Dirt and pollution on surfaces is one of the key causes of paint deterioration, though most consumers attribute this to constant exposure to harsh weather conditions. Taubmans Endure Exterior paint is tough, repels dirt and provides superior protection from the extremes of sun, wind and rain.

A CHOICE RECOMMENDED PRODUCT Results of the latest round of testing by consumer watchdog, CHOICE, have been revealed. Taubmans

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Au s t r A l i A n i n s t i t u t e o f H ot e l e n g i n e e r i n g i n c D e l e g At e p r o s p e c t u s

Update Conference 9th and 10th August 2012 QT Hotel ~ Gold Coast Queensland

s us tA inABi l i t Y An D tec Hn o lo g Y

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Au s t r A l i A n i n s t i t u t e o f

Update Conference 2012 - 9th and 10th Augu

s u s tA i n A B i l i t Y

AIHE AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF HOTEL ENGINEERING INC The Australian Institute of Hotel Engineering Inc was formed in 1986 providing a forum for people involved in hotel property operations, maintenance and design. The AIHE is a non-profit organisation, representing members in all states and territories of Australia and many overseas countries. The update conferences are aimed at informing hotel engineers with details which may help them improve their properties and ultimately the guests experience within their hotel.

WELCOME STATE PRESIDENTS

t e c H n o lo g Y

KEY NOTE SPEAKERS

new south Wales

Queensland

Topic 1 | GUEsT rooM TECHnoLoGY Brendon Granger - Technology 4 Hotels BBus - Hotel Management, has over 25 years experience - as the first guest room broadband providing business owner, manager and consultant in hotel feasibility and technology. Brendon will share analysis research from across the globe, and what it means to you and your guests when looking at In-Room technology trends.

TonY FIorAso

DAVID ZAMMIT

Western Australia

Victoria

Topic 5 | HoTEL EnGInEErInG (The Evolution Continues) neil Weenink - Global Technology Following 12 years as a Marine Engineer joined the international hotels profession in various positions over some 40 years. Formed the firm of Global Hotel Technology and the Institute of Hotel Engineering and is a Member of ASHRAE, AIRAH, and a Fellow of AIHE.

Topic 2 | CArBon TAX David Clifford - Energy Impact Pty Ltd

Topic 6 | CArBon MAnAGEMEnT Wendy Hird - Greenbriar Consulting

With over 14 years in the energy sector, David’s presentation will provide a general overview of the Federal Government’s Clean Energy Legislative Package (Carbon Tax), why and how it is being implemented, the implications for the general public, business, AIHE members and its comparison to other schemes worldwide.

With over 21 years experience, Wendy Hird is a professional Mechanical Engineer (B.E. Mech) currently training and consulting industry in carbon management, specifically in water efficiency projects. With environmental, regulatory and marketing objectives, engineers can actively audit and better utilise their resources by improving sustainability practices and embracing carbon management.

Topic 3 | WH & s LEGIsLATIon CHAnGEs David randall - DrA safety specialists

Topic 7 | nABErs rATInGs - EnErGY UsE Ian knox - HFM Assets

David Randall holds both Mechanical Engineering & Science Degrees and Diploma of Management, is the Managing Director of DRA Safety Specialists and has been involved in the Work Health and Safety Industry since 1990 and continues to provide consulting, training and auditing services to clients throughout Australia and overseas.

Ian, founding director - HFM Asset Management (Hotel FM), over 100 staff, offers consulting, smart metering, environment ratings, facility management and maintenances services. An energy and water auditor and management consultant, Ian’s experience and technical knowledge incorporates procurement, hotel, soft fit out and mechanical/ electrical refurbishment project management, due diligence and condition reporting.

Topic 4 | WAsTE MAnAGEMEnT Jenny Campbell - Encycle

Topic 8 | InTELLIGEnT BUILDInGs sYsTEMs InTEGrATIon James Costello - Clipsal by schneider Electric

Bachelor of Applied Science in Natural Resources Management and a founding director of Encycle Consulting , with environmental and waste management field experience since 2002, will discuss common waste management issues, opportunities for minimising / diverting waste from landfill through recycling, for saving financially, environmentally and socially and demonstrated leadership on this environmental issue.

STAY AT QT 48

AnUrA YAPA

IAn CrooksTon

James Costello, has over 20 years experience working in the electrical and controls industry. After 13 years at Clipsal, owned by Schneider Electric, he is the National Manager –Hospitality Segment Clipsal Integrated Systems. Clipsal’s comprehensive energy saving solutions and exceptional service offer the hotel and hospitality industry - market leading solutions.

ConFErEnCE VEnUE ACCoMMoDATIon PACkAGEs

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7 staghorn Avenue

Including Breakfast - 1 person

$207.00 Per night

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$229.00 Per night

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f H ot e l e n g i n e e r i n g i n c

ust 2012 - QT Hotel ~ Gold Coast Queensland

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PROGRAM DAY ONE 7.45am

registration / Tea and Coffee Grand Ballroom Foyer

8.30am

official Welcome by the AIHE Queensland President Grand Ballroom

8.40am

Address by AIHE Founder – neil Weenink

9.00am

Topic 1 | GUEST ROOM TECHNOLOGY - Brendon Granger

9.45am

Trade show opening & Morning Tea Grand Ballroom Foyer

11.15am

Topic 2 | CARBON TAX - David Clifford

12.00pm

Lunch & Trade show - Grand Ballroom Foyer

1.30pm

Topic 3 | WH & S LEGISLATION CHANGES - David randall

2.30pm

Afternoon Tea & Viewing of Trade show Grand Ballroom Foyer

3.15pm

Topic 4 | WASTE MANAGEMENT - Jenny Campbell

4.00 – 5.00pm

Trade Drinks Grand Ballroom Foyer / Business Attire

6.30 – 10.30pm surfers in Paradise Cocktail Party – Poolside / Beachwear (Includes cocktail food, beer wine, softdrink and entertainment)

PROGRAM DAY TWO FrIDAY 10TH AUGUsT 8.00am

Tea & Coffee - Grand Ballroom Foyer

8.30am

Welcome by AIHE new south Wales, Victorian & Western Australian Presidents

9.00am

Topic 5 | HOTEL ENGINEERING (The Evolution Continues) - neil Weenink

9.45am

Morning Tea & Trade show - Grand Ballroom Foyer

11.15am

Topic 6 | CARBON MANAGEMENT - Wendy Hird

12.00pm

Lunch and Trade show - Grand Ballroom Foyer

1.30pm

Topic 7 | NABERS RATINGS - ENERGY USE - Ian knox

2.30pm

Afternoon Tea & Trade show - Grand Ballroom Foyer

3.15pm

Topic 8 | INTELLIGENT BUILDINGS SYSTEMS INTEGRATION - James Costello

4.00pm

Closing address by AIHE Queensland President

6.00 – 7.00pm

Pre-Dinner Drinks – Poolside / After 5 Attire (Includes beer, wine & softdrinks)

7.30 – 11.00pm Gala Dinner - Grand Ballroom / After 5 Attire (Inc 3 course dinner, beer, wine and softdrinks and entertainment) Sponsor Prize Draw

TICKET INCLUSIONS

· Conference Workshops Access (Day 1 and/or Day 2) · Trade show and Exhibition entry · network with educators, industry leaders, suppliers and other AIHE members · online access to Guest speaker presentations · online access to sponsors websites · Morning Tea, Lunch, Drinks and Cocktail Party (Day 1)

su stAi nABil i tY

THUrsDAY 9TH AUGUsT

· Tea & Coffee, Morning Tea, Lunch, Pre Drinks and Gala Dinner (Day 2) · Gift and Bag · Prizes from each sponsor to be won (Passport and Gala Dinner attendance required) · Complimentary Undercover Conference Parking · Accommodation discount at Conference Venue (delegates to book direct)

EXHIBITION AND SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES STILL AVAILABLE - CONTACT BEV ALLEN (AIHE QLD Secretary) 0414 181 135

AiHe

Update Conference 2012

D e l e g At e B o o k i n g f o r m

DETAILS

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FULL CONFERENCE

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(01/08/2012-31/12/13)

Function - Partner

$60.00

DIrECT DEPosIT national Australia Bank BsB 084 462 Account 205126424 CHEQUE to the order of Australian Institute of Hotel Engineering AMEX

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POST OR EMAIL YOUR FORM: For further details, please contact; Bev Allen - AIHE Qld secretary Po Box 5118 GCMC QLD 9726 Phone: 0414 181 135 (Ms Bev Allen) Email: admin@aihe.com.au

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Hotel Engineer Regulation Update

Derek Hendry I HENDRY GROUP

AS 3745-2010 First Attack Fire Fighting Training in Hotels

UST – Emergency Plan reminds hotel engineers that whilst modern buildings are being built higher, they still need to maintain safety standards for the occupants. As well as AS 3745-2010 ‘Planning for emergencies in facilities’, one of the basic safety measures that still forms part of this safety network is the provision of fire extinguishers and hose reels, that is, first attack fire fighting training. All fires start small, and there is still a strong case for suppressing small fires before they test the structural design of the whole building. These first attack fire fighting appliances are available to occupants to use but, like most tools, they are only as effective as the person using them, and most OH&S professionals see the risk in providing any first attack fire equipment to employees without first providing training as required under AS 3745, in the use of the equipment. When and who should use a first attack fire appliance will be determined by the AS 3745 nominated Emergency Response Procedures, but it is up to the Emergency Planning Committee to ensure that occupant training is provided in their use.

For example, if there is a requirement for a toilet block to contain 10 toilets (5 for the male and 5 for the female) the installation of a single unisex toilet for people with disability will mean that only 9 toilets will be required (4 for the male, 4 for the female and 1 unisex facility). While guest facilities in hotels are always paramount, the provision of a single unisex sanitary facility for people with a disability is can be particularly relevant and useful for conference and reception areas where there is limited space available.

Definitions: Open-deck carpark: Building Code of Australia (BCA) AUST – Hotel engineers are reminded that the Building Code of Australia (BCA) in Part A1 Interpretation, contains Clause A1.1 Definitions, including open-deck carparks. Open-deck carpark is a defined term for the use in the BCA, and some engineers have requested a further expansion on this definition.

First attack fire training should not just progress straight to identifying the class of fires and selecting the correct extinguisher – as important as this is. Personnel should first be trained in preparing for fires, reporting the fire, and in determining if it is safe to use the first attack fire equipment.

Building Code of Australia: Clause A1.1 – Issue

Note that at some facilities the Emergency Planning Committee under AS 3745 will decide to establish an emergency response team, whose duties may include the use of emergency response equipment in a first attack fire. This may involve the advanced use of other portable fire protection equipment and hoses.

An open-deck carpark means a carpark in which all parts of the parking storeys are cross ventilated by permanent unobstructed openings in not fewer than two opposite or approximately opposite sides and: (a) each side that provides ventilation is not less than 1/6 of the area of any other side; and (b) the openings are not less than ½ of the wall area of the side concerned. The multi storey carparks can use open voids through the building to not only provide ventilation but also to cause the carpark to be defined as an open deck carpark in order to delete sprinkler protection. Provided the voids are of sufficient width, the building can be considered as being an open-deck carpark. A width of between 3 m and 6 m, subject to building height, should be considered. Ventilation is intended to comply with BCA F4.11 (b) and not AS 1668.2.

In all cases, the use of first attack fire equipment by authorised individuals or teams require appropriate training, as determined by the AS 3745 nominated Emergency Response Procedures and as identified by the Emergency Plan.

Building Code of Australia (BCA): Unisex Toilet: Disability Access AUST – Hotel engineers are reminded that the Building Code of Australia (BCA) allows for a unisex facility required for people with

a disability, which may be counted once for each sex under Clause F2.2(c), for the calculation of the required number of sanitary facilities to be provided.

What are the requirements for a carpark to be classified as an open-deck carpark? Building Code of Australia: Clause A1.1 – Explanation

Fire Door Maintenance: AS 1851: AS 1905-1: Fire Door Inspections AUST – Hotel engineers need to be aware that a number of building owners and managers are incurring penalty fines from municipal councils when performing an essential safety measures inspection, for not maintaining fire doors in accordance with AS 1851 – 2005 Maintenance of fire protection systems and equipment, (fire door inspections) Section 17 Passive Fire and Smoke Containment Systems. Some of these fire doors can never be maintained in accordance with the maintenance standard. Fire door inspections reveal that a lot of fire doors have not been installed in accordance with AS/ NZS 1905.1-2005 Components for the protection of openings in fire-resistant walls: Fire – resistant doorsets, the fire door installation standard. It is essential for hotel engineers, in ensuring the protection of the building owners’ interests, to demand a copy of the fire door certificate that has been issued. These are mandatory certificates required to be issued under AS 1905-1 by the installer of the fire doors, to the owner or owner’s agent (usually the builder). This will enable the builder and contractor to be held accountable in the event of non-compliance. Reliance on an effective maintenance regime under AS 1851 fire door inspections will reduce the owners’ protection if the fire door was originally installed contrary to the AS 1905-1.

About the HENDRY Group Derek Hendry is the Managing Director of the HENDRY group of consulting companies that include HENDRY Building Surveying Consultants, HENDRY Disability Access Consultants, Essential Property Services and Emergency Plan. HENDRY pioneered the private certification system of building approvals in Australia, and the consultancy assists clients nationally in all facets of building control and disability access compliance, essential safety measures audits and emergency planning requirements. HENDRY publish a monthly e-newsletter entitled ‘Essential Matters” and provide a subscription service, BCA Illustrated, which provides over 3000 illustrations that interpret and explain the BCA as it applies to your building.

http://www.hendrygroup.com.au

Australia Building Legislation Table For an overview of each State and Territories Building Control System relative to essential safety measures maintenance requirements, refer to the Essential Property Services website, http://www.essentialpropertyservices.com.au, under “ Services” and “Building Legislation”.

Alterations Affecting Essential Safety Measures AUST – Essential Property Services essential safety measures inspections reveal a number of tenants have enclosed part of a storey (usually a basement or carpark area) and are using the area as a store or workshop. Under the Building Code of Australia (BCA) up to 10 percent of a floor area of a storey can be used as a different classification, provided the minor use classification is not a laboratory, or a Class 2, 3 or 4 part . For the purposes of the regulations however, the major use (classification) may apply to the whole storey. Unfortunately, where these enclosures exist, there are instances where a number of these enclosures render a number of essential safety measures inoperative, and as a consequence, the existence of the enclosure being rendered illegal. In the aftermath of an emergency a property owner may be called to account by authorities or an insurance company for the lack of building approval and a defective essential safety measures regime. Hotel engineers need to be diligent in this area by ensuring tenants do not compromise the building owner’s asset and legal position.

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GREEN ROOFS & WALLS – BE WARNED

Greg Blain I Architect PTY LTD

INTRODUCTION Green roofs and walls are a fairly new architectural concept. Basically, a green roof is a building roof that is largely covered by landscaping, and green walls are walls comprised of a vertical structure which predominantly holds landscaping (sometimes referred to as a vertical garden). The concept exists as a response to combat negative effects on the natural environment of ever expanding man-made environments. This response is directed mainly at urban areas where, in many cases natural vegetation has been virtually eliminated. Greening of structures aims to basically achieve three objectives. First it is used to as a way to help revegetate the planet. Secondly it is used to counter urban ‘heat sink’ where the built environment of solid materials and pavements captures and stores heat when exposed to solar radiation, creating hotter than natural conditions. And finally, it aims to provide a more pleasant environment, both physically and emotionally, for urban occupants. As mentioned, the concept is fairly new. There are a growing number of Manufacturers and Providers of green roof and wall products. More and more Building Owners are either seriously thinking of building green roofs and walls, or are actually building them or have built them. More Architects and Designers are embracing the concept.

BE WARNED The vital importance of the greening of our urban environment, and protection and

rejuvenation of natural environments cannot be understated. We all need more natural ways of living and protecting the planet. Much is publicised about green roofs and walls. As far as I have seen, all of it seems positive. This concerns me. One critical thing seems totally missing from greening of buildings considerations. And that is….

The Calhoun School Green Roof; © DesignShare.com 1998-2012

plants and buildings just don’t mix, never have, never will. Negative Effects

5. Blocking the entry of winter sun into buildings, 6. Access into the building of vermin and pests,

Plants on or near buildings can produce a variety of negative effects. These can include:

7. Waterproofing and building envelope damage.

1. Root damage of man-made elements,

I will further explain by concentrating firstly on green roofs, then on green walls.

2. Soil moisture differentials where larger plants take moisture from the soil, creating a difference in moisture content from where there is no planting, leading to soil settlement differences which can structurally damage buildings, 3. Damage from falling or moving branches, 4. Moisture retention where sun and wind can’t dry the building, leading to materials deterioration,

GREEN ROOFS I stress again the vital importance of our protection and enhancement of the natural environment. It is many of the green building systems I see which greatly concern me as an Architect. Areas of Concern Notwithstanding Local and National Building Regulatory restrictions, there are five major areas of concern. These are:

1. Supporting Structure 2. Waterproofing 3. Maintenance 4. Safety and liability 5. Reduced rainwater and solar harvesting capability Supporting Structure Basically, green roofs are heavy. Significant extra structural implications and costs are involved in supporting green roofs, and these impositions are multiplied to adapt existing non-green roofs to be green. How green is it to consume the extra materials and energy to build the structure to support the green roof?

Maintenance tools need to be stored or carried to the roof. Constant access of maintenance personnel, landscaping supplies and equipment is required. Is this achieved via the building Lift? How are building insurance premiums affected by installing building systems which may reduce building life and/or performance? Safety and Liability Roofs are high places. Will the roof edge need to be fenced? Is there danger of landscaping supplies and equipment falling to the street below? Is there a fire combustibility danger?

Waterproofing

Are there compliant fire escape exits?

Green roofs need to be waterproofed under the soil to stop moisture entering the building below. No matter how good the waterproofing system is, it is not ‘if ’ it will fail, it is ‘when’ it will fail.

How is access to the roof achieved?

Rectification of failed waterproofing entails digging up the soil and plants, replacing the waterproofing, then reinstating the soil and plants. This process will then need to be repeated again in the future. Maintenance Green roofs need to be constantly maintained. Due to the critical location of the landscaping (i.e. on a roof), a thorough and professional maintenance program (preferably done by a Horticulturist) needs to be produced and adhered to. The addition of unsuitable plants, either negligently or accidentally (i.e. via germination of windblown seeds) needs to be constantly prevented. Unsuitable plants include large trees and plants with aggressive root systems all of which can produce seeds which can be windblown. A constant water supply is required, so permanent piping and/or limited rainwater harvesting needs to be installed. Drainage needs to be resolved. Drainage from landscaped areas is likely to be chemically charged from the soil. The landscaping needs to be constantly fertilized, composted and mulched.

Do ladders, stairs and walkways need to be installed? How will safety aspects impact on Public Liability Insurance premiums? Reduced Rainwater and Solar Collection Capability A roof covered with landscaping does not permit rainwater collection and/or solar panel installation. Alternatives to Green Roofs It is clear green roofs are impractical and expensive. I would never recommend them to a Client. There are however, alternatives. The roof can be left to collect rainwater and solar energy.There is much more opportunity at ground level in our urban environments to make green, both on public (e.g. roads, footpaths) and private land. Also, plants always grow much better in the ground and are far easier to install and maintain. Public land greening is a Government matter and will not be discussed in this article. Private land is where we may have the most immediate impact. Quite simply it is a matter of replacing as much hard pavement area with landscaping as practicable. Look around and I’m sure you will see opportunities for this, even in small places. Some pedestrian and low-use vehicular areas can be paved using turf laid on hidden reinforced matting.

Plant species of Super Large and Beautiful Green Wall Installation; Image courtesy of http://www.marvelbuilding.com

Plant selections should always be made by a Horticulturist, as appropriate plant selection is a science and landscaping design must be of a high standard to avoid significant problems. Remember plants and buildings don’t mix. Also neighbours can be very much disadvantaged by inappropriate landscaping. New buildings can be designed with an attempt to reduce site coverage, leaving more space for landscaping. New building design can incorporate a small ground level building footprint (e.g. just a lobby and lifts/stairs) with upper floors overhanging, providing a shaded landscaped area. Again, issues of appropriate plant selections, as well as sun orientation need resolution. Large Decks to lower floors only (to facilitate landscape maintenance) can be greened. These Decks must not have enclosed areas under them, so as to minimise disruption from failed waterproofing. Freestanding green walls can be used (as described below). Internal potted planting can be installed. Some roofs and most decks can take a sensible amount of potted planting.

GREEN WALLS Green walls can either be fixed to a building or other structure, or be freestanding

(self-supporting, away from a building or other structure). Green Walls Attached to a Building or Other Structure Green walls attached to a building or other structure can be a recipe for disaster. I would never recommend this to a Client. Negatives include: 1. Moisture retention where sun and wind can’t dry the building or other structure, leading to materials deterioration, 2. Access into the building of vermin and pests, 3. Waterproofing and building envelope damage, 4. Inaccessibility for maintenance to the building, including re-painting of walls, 5. Hindrance or prevention of building maintenance inspections, 6. Fixings for the green wall structure penetrating wall cladding causing leaking,

7. How are building insurance premiums affected by installing building systems which may reduce building life and/or performance?

4. They can be strategically placed to reduce noise transfer (e.g. between a busy road and pedestrian areas),

Freestanding Green Walls

5. They have all the advantages of planting including visual amenity, cleaning of the air, support of some habitat.

Freestanding green walls however can be a very successful design element. I would certainly recommend these to a Client. Freestanding green walls are self-supporting without need to have them close to a building or other structure. They need to have a corrosion resistant structure, a watering system (with fertilizer added to the water), and maintenance access. Advantages of freestanding green walls include: 1. They occupy a small area of land in comparison to the amount of vegetation they hold, 2. They can be strategically placed to provide visual privacy and to hide unsightly views, 3. They can be strategically placed to improve acoustic resonance (echo) in hard surfaced environments,

CONCLUSION As this article shows, the whole truth about green roofs and walls is not being fully publicly exposed or debated. The trend holds some serious faults which don’t seem to be discussed. Maybe the very real emotion of the greening debate hijacks reason, I’m not sure. The biggest problem is when Building Owners install green roofs and walls without being fully advised of the implications. Proponents of green roofs and walls want to see it everywhere. If the trend is found to be ill-conceived, there is still plenty of hope in the alternatives this article identifies.

A new Dawn

for hotel-room design Simon Carmody I Carmody Group & Peter Glasheen I Philips Dynalite

The balance between form, function and cost is not a new consideration. However, a new market development and technology design alliance – between the Carmody Group and Philips Dynalite – means the future has never been brighter for the hospitality industry.

s technological advancements herald the ability to exercise much finer degrees of control over the internal environment of a hotel room, the hospitality industry is facing challenging and apparently conflicting requirements to facilitate lower energy bills while delivering a superior guest experience. However, where these goals might historically have been mutually exclusive, modern control technology is increasingly able to meet current regulatory requirements, employ effective energy management strategies, and deliver simple controls that allow guests to intuitively and finely control their surroundings. Now give Hotel Operations personnel the ability to MANAGE and gain the maximum efficiencies from the in room systems from their desktop.

Moreover, the very latest evolution of lighting, blinds, curtains and climate control hardware has been designed to achieve a wealth of senses, moods and ambience, all at a fraction of the cost that was once considered the norm. In real terms, this means that luxuries that were once only seen in the most elite and expensive hotels are now proven and affordable for the mid-market. One company at the forefront of hotel interior design is the Carmody Group. Specialising in interior design as well as design-and-construct turn-key solutions for the hospitality industry, the Carmody Group has a history of interior furnishings spanning back over 50 years. Carmody Group Director, Simon Carmody, believes it is important for the company

to surround themselves with experts who understand the complex science of hotelroom controls, in order to remain at the forefront of an industry that is changing by the month. “In order to effectively manage energy within a building it is necessary to invest some smarts into the wiring infrastructure,” he says. “Equally, it’s key to have an alliance with a company like Philips that actually understands lighting and can offer integrated energy-efficient solutions – such as LED lighting – that don’t sacrifice the qualities of incandescent and halogen lighting we are used to.”

Innovation and expectation At the forthcoming Australian Institute of Hotel Engineers (AIHE) conference on the

Gold Coast in August, the Carmody Group and Philips will be launching a new market development and technology design alliance. “Working with Philips is an exciting venture for us,” explains Carmody. “Not only is Philips Dynalite’s technology at the cutting edge of the lighting control industry, but the alliance will allow our in-house lighting engineers to collaborate closely with the Philips Marketing and R&D teams for design input and technology teams in Sydney.”

We have some current hotel projects that needed an elegant solution, and we’ve been impressed with the simplicity with which Philips Dynalite solved these problems while remaining inside our allocated budget.

Philips Dynalite Global Marketing Manager, Peter Glasheen, is equally enthusiastic by the new alliance. “Several project enquiries have brought us together,” he said. “We can see the mutual benefits in working with the Carmody designers, architects and lighting designers to arrive at better solutions for the end user—for both new-build hotels and refurbishments alike.”

“We have built all the necessary functionality into a single dedicated unit, rather than spread across multiple products,” says Glasheen. “The bottom line is that this makes the resulting hotel room controls solution more cost effective, and, as it can come out of the factory pre-programmed, it also removes the need for expensive commissioning costs on site.”

Carmody and Glasheen agree that the current trends they see for hotel rooms are trying to utilise emerging technologies to better balance increasing guest expectations against cost. The advent first of LED lighting, followed by the latest innovations in utilising flat-surface material as light sources means that lighting designers are no longer constrained by conventional practices. Furthermore, with technological breakthroughs allowing the cost of control equipment to fall dramatically, luxury effects can now be achieved that would previously have been too expensive to contemplate for all but the top-end hotels. However, the infinite potential ahead comes with a warning. “With so many possibilities for innovation, we need to be careful to avoid turning the room into a technology circus,” says Carmody. “We have some current hotel projects that needed an elegant solution, and we’ve been impressed with the simplicity with which Philips Dynalite solved these problems while remaining inside our allocated budget.”

Dedicated approach Philips Dynalite has long been regarded as a Global market leader in residential and commercial lighting control and energy management solutions. Historically, the company’s portfolio has centred on ‘modular’ control units that have offered the ability to achieve a staggering array of switched and dimming lighting effects for all luminaire types, along with seamless integration to blinds, curtains, HVAC, AV

and security systems. However, Philips Dynalite’s latest offering – aimed squarely at the hotel room market – utilises ‘dedicated’, rather than modular control units.

Philips Dynalite will be launching three different maintenance-free control products, with the first – the DDRC-GRMS10 relay controller – available in the second half of 2012 and the remainder to follow in early 2013. The three products will be complementary, designed to deliver ‘good’, ‘better’ and ‘best’ levels of control. Typically, each hotel room will require just one controller, dedicated to a certain set of functions and features. At the ‘good’ level, using the DDRCGRMS10, it is possible to control lighting, blinds, HVAC and selected power outlets. At the ‘better’ level of control, room temperature can be regulated, we add more dimming scenes, and there is the ability to control curtains as well as blinds. At the ‘best level, there are more control channels to allow a greater number of scenes to be achieved, with more dimming and more use of colour. All three options facilitate energysaving strategies, are scalable in design, and allow for additional functionality to be added to the lighting control solution at a later date. To further complement these new controllers, Philips Dynalite will also release a new range of dedicated aesthetic user-interface panels by year-end 2012. As Glasheen explains, the cost implications to this dedicated approach are enormous. “At the ‘good’ level of control the price-point breakthrough is unmatched in the marketplace and means that this level of control is now affordable to a much wider sector of the hospitality market than ever before.”

Stand together While the alliance between the Carmody Group and Philips will only officially be launched at the AIHE Convention, the companies have already benefited from their joint collaboration. “Guests are demanding more accessible power outlets, but this necessarily increases their visibility and has the potential to negatively impact the hotel room design,” says Carmody. “However, we have worked with Philips Dynalite and enjoyed a real win with newly designed switch-plates that are much more in keeping with the overall design look.” Glasheen concurs. “Carmody understands all aspects of a hotel room’s requirements from the design of the colours, finishes and fit-out through budgeting, specification and installation, to final delivery of the finished solution,” he says. “By working with Carmody in the initial design stages, Philips Dynalite will be able to optimise the integration of our lighting solutions in harmony with the overall room design ethos.” The AIHE Convention at the Gold Coast this August will not only provide a forum for the launch of the Carmody-Philips alliance, but it will also provide a tantalising glimpse of what the two companies can achieve together as they move forward. On a joint stand, the partners will be showcasing a mocked-up hotel room that highlights how the latest control technology can seamlessly integrate with state-of-the-art design. “Working together will ensure apparent conflicts between form and function can be resolved at an early stage of a room’s design,” says Carmody. “The ability to combine cutting-edge functionality with industry-leading aesthetics highlights what the Carmody-Philips partnership is all about.” For further information on Philips Dynalite, please contact: Peter Glasheen, Global Marketing Manager – Indoor Networked Controls, Philips Dynalite Telephone: +61 428 985 891 E-Mail: peter.glasheen@philips.com Website: http://www.philips.com/dynalite

For further information on Carmody Group, please contact: Simon Carmody, Director E-mail: simon@carmodygroup.com.au Telephone: +61 2 9948 9022 Website: http://www.carmodygroup.com.au

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Minimising the operational cost and environmental impact of Smaller OPL and guest Accommodation Laundry

Brian Clark

Hotel guest laundry and smaller OPL laundries are often equipped with top loading commercial washing machines. However, a quick look at manufacturer’s specifications shows that top load washers use a lot more water – as much as 130 litres a wash cycle more than front loading machines – and generate a significant amount of waste water. As the Hotel industry strives for a greener image, it begs the question – what is the long term cost of operation and environmental impact of top loading vs. front load washers and what are other criteria to consider in building specifications for small output OPL and Guest laundry facilities?

here are two factors to take into account when looking at water usage and associated costs. They are ‘water in’ and ‘water out’. ‘Water in’ is the water required to perform a wash cycle whilst ‘water-out’ is the waste water discharge generated. Water in/water out costs vary considerably, depending on your location and are priced as much as $7 per Kilolitre or more in some areas. The exercise below shows estimated water usage and waste water discharge for a theoretical accommodation facility with 25 washing machines in the On premise and guest laundries over a 4 year period. For the purpose of the exercise it is assumed that the machines perform 6 wash cycles per day over 360 days of the year. The ‘water in’ usage rates are based on the published manufacturer’s specifications of a commonly used 8 kg commercial top loading washer and a new generation direct drive front loading 10 Kg commercial washer supplied by LG™. As there are different absorption rates with different fabrics and water retention is a

factor of spin efficiency, the ‘water-out’ is an estimation of 60% of ‘water-in’ in both cases. Water costs are based on 2011 Brisbane water rates of $2.61 per K/l and discharge of $1.31 per K/l. The exercise shows potential reductions in water usage of over 21.4 million litres of water and 12.8 million litres reduction in waste water over a 4 year period. Based on Brisbane water charges, there is a potential saving of over $72,931 dollars in water charges alone over the same period. The second part of the exercise looks at the replacement of powdered detergents with automatic detergent feed pumps which can be fitted to new generation washers. Detergent feed pumps are programmed to introduce liquid detergent and softener in the exact amounts required for the wash cycle and at the correct phase of the wash cycle. An automated feed system provides potentially significant operational savings, environmental and safety advantages, as user contact with uncontrolled chemicals and detergents powders is all but eliminated as the chemicals are supplied from

a central locked storage area. As can be seen from the exercise, auto detergent feed systems have the potential to save up to 7,488 kilos of powdered detergent over 4 years with a potential saving of $3,480 after taking into account an allowance for the initial cost of the pump system.

WASHER TYPE

BRAND A TOP LOAD WASHER

NEW GENERATION FRONT LOADER

No of washers on site

Stated wash capacity kg

Total site wash capacity per day (kilos) 6 cycles

960

1200

Manufacturer stated Av. Water usage per standard wash program (lt)

173

Water usage per kg wash capacity (lt)

21.6

4.9

Total Water usage/washer/yr (lt)

373,680

105,235

Waste water generation @60%/ washer/yr (lt)

224,208

63,141

Water usage 4 yrs (lt)

29,894,400

8,418816

Waste water at 60% 4 years (litres)

17,936,640

5,051,290

Total facility Water/discharge cost 4 yrs

$101,521

$28,590

Calculations

Est. savings with 10 Kg Front loader 4 yrs

$72,931

DETERGENT FEED DATA

BRAND A TOP LOAD WITH MANUAL POWDER ADDITION

FRONT LOADER WITH AUTO DETERGENT FEED

Detergent use per wash Kg/lt

100 g

40 ml

Est. Detergent usage per yr kg/ lt/site

3,120 kg

1,248 lt

Est. Detergent Cost per kg/litre based on manufacturer RRP

$3.00

$5.00

Estimated Total cost per year

$9,360

$6,240

Est. Cost of Brightwellâ„˘ Detergent pumps

-$9,000

Detergent usage cost lifetime (4 yrs)

$37,440

$24,960

Total Cost of Water (4 yrs)

$101,521

$28,590

Total cost over 4 years

$138,961

Total Cost Calculations

Potential 4 yr SAVINGS Front loader inc water & detergent

$62,550 $76,411

Environmental Impact for facility 4 yr

Water usage reduction Lt

21,475,584

Waste water generation reduction Lt

12,885,350

Potential Powdered Detergent usage reduction 4 yr.

7,488 kg

The detergent usage factors used in the exercise are taken from manufacturers recommended dosage per wash and it should be noted that there can be significant variations in price and dosage between products and that dosage is also affected by soil type, wash size and water hardness. Energy efficiency: New Generation commercial washers are fitted with direct drive motors rather than the older belt drive type. Manufacturer data indicates that belt drive machines use up to 30% more power than direct drive machines and the regular maintenance requirement with belts, pulleys and gearboxes is eliminated in direct drive units, thus driving down operating costs and reducing energy consumption. The G-Force generated in the spin cycles is a key factor in machine efficiency and in reducing energy usage in communal laundries. It can vary from less than 220 G for top loaders up to 413G for Front Loaders. Basically the higher the G force the better the rinsing and fabric is far dryer at the end of the wash cycle, meaning less drying time and a dramatic reduction in energy needed to run the dryer. An ideal spin force on a 10 kg machine should exceed 400G on high spin. Capacity and power needs: Larger capacity washers and dryers mean more throughput. For instance a 10 kg machine provides 25% more capacity than an 8 kg machine which means fewer staff and

fewer washers while guests may be able to do their entire weeks wash in one load instead of two, providing more savings in water, energy and operational costs along with improved availability of laundry equipment. New technology in access control and remote laundry management has the potential to reduce water and energy usage and operating costs even more, but that will be the subject of another article. Making space â€“ Stack or stand alone machines â€“ The biggest issue in hotel laundry is the amount of space available. The easiest solution is to purchase stackable washers and dryers. Stacked machines use the floor space of a single unit and are only available in front loading configurations. Choose stack washers that offer the option of on-site assembly as large pre-assembled units may not fit into your doorways or access corridors. Modernising the specifications for your small OPL and Guest laundry facilities has the potential to significantly lower costs, save millions of litres of water, reduce waste water, minimise detergent usage and provide better wash results and improve user safety. It is an exercise worth doing Brian Clark is a commercial cleaning consultant and free lance journalist. He can be contacted at brian@janitech.com.au

100

The cheapest piece of insurance you will ever buy

Richard Williams I Thermoscan

“The cheapest piece of insurance you will ever buy…”This is what one of our major customers said. This gentleman is a senior director for a major facilities management business. So why did he say this? Well, the use of infra-red thermography is a fantastic, proven, reliable and cost effective way of getting information on the health of your electrical infrastructure.

hermography measures the amount of radiation emitted by an object. Sounds technical, well it does demand some basic understanding of radiation science, heat transfer, material properties etc. The results depend on the rate at which the item under inspection emits radiation – commonly known as its EMISSIVITY. The higher the emissivity, the easier it is to obtain results. It is not the sort of thing that someone can do successfully without reading the manual! Infra-red cameras allow the radiation information to be converted into images which, when used in conjunction with visual images will clearly communicate areas of heat anomalies. These heat anomalies when viewed in context with their surroundings can indicate all manner of problems.

• Mechanical testing – as a complimentary service to vibration analysis, thermography can provide additional data to assess the health of mechanical equipment.

The technology affords the Hotel Engineer the opportunity to see heat anomalies that otherwise would be invisible to the naked eye and which may well turn into major issues.The technology has many applications:

• Pipework – thermography can be used to indicate blockages, cracks and loose joints.

• Low voltage electrical infrastructure – heat anomalies indicate poor connectivity, failing components, cabling that has broken down etc. All of these can lead to failure and, ultimately a switchboard fire.

• Military

• High voltage infrastructure – equipment such as transformers, switchers, circuit breakers and power lines are frequently inspected using this technology. Faults become clearly visible and problems can be avoided before they become catastrophic. • Ultra-low voltage equipment – communications racks and s erver cabinets can be checked to ensure operations are within parameters.

• Cold store integrity – the technology is extremely useful in identifying thermal bridges (also known as cold bridges) which can increase running costs and decrease efficiency of cold stores. • Building insulation – although the infra-red camera can’t see through walls, it can detect surface temperature differences which represent the thermal perform of the material immediately behind the wall. i.e. if you have a long partition wall which is meant to be insulated along its length, any areas of gap will show up clearly.

Other applications include: • Medical • Veterinary • Water ingress in boat hulls • Flues and furnaces condition monitoring Of paramount interest to today’s Hotel Engineer is the subject of reducing energy consumption and eliminating wastage. • When excess heat is produced, this means that energy is being wasted. • Wasted energy = wasted money. • There is widespread misunderstanding of the capabilities of Thermography.

• The lenses of infrared cameras are made of germanium crystal.

Did you know: • Thermography cannot see through walls or floors • Thermography is not the same as X-ray • Electrical Thermography does not require everything to be switched off – it needs all systems to be under full load to be effective • Thermography is THE best non-contact method of electrical infrastructure inspection • Thermography CAN detect small heat differences between materials – which can indicate water ingress. • Thermal imaging cameras CAN NOT see through glass.

A Thermographic report should be read carefully – it is important to look for the temperature scale at the side of the image.This scale changes for every image which may result in all images looking pretty similar.The image information is very important as light areas in an image do not necessarily mean there is a fault. It is vital to have fault temperatures referenced to the appropriate points. Faults should never be referenced to background temperatures. It is also worth considering talking with your insurer to ensure that the report that you receive is going to satisfy their requirements. Some insurers do not simply want a few random images – they require a benchmark image of everything. In terms of best practice, this is probably worthwhile doing every couple of years anyway. As always, the technology is ONLY AS GOOD AS THE PERSON BEHIND THE CAMERA.You would not ask a plumber to service your car would you? Of course not! That is why reputable companies employ licenced electricians to perform electrical thermography. It is also important to utilize an independent service provider; you need the peace of mind to know that the company you entrust is going to provide the service in a professional and unbiased manner.There is an obvious conflict of interest in any business performing the diagnosis and then undertaking the “do and charge” work to remedy faults. In nonelectrical Thermography applications it is important to utilise trained professionals trained to AINDT or ITC/University of Melbourne standards. At Thermoscan® we have an annual prize for the Thermographer that can find the highest temperature – we call it the Hot Stuff award! The current all-time record is 957 degrees C – which was found in an industrial environment.This discovery caused an immediate plant shutdown as the switchboard was within 16 degrees of explosion.This year the highest temperature to date is 450.6 degrees. Guess where? This switchboard is located in a HOTEL KITCHEN and is a perfect example of why Hotel Engineers should consider Thermography as a useful tool not just for checking electrical infrastructure, but for many other applications whereby the naked eye needs extra help. When deciding how to spend your maintenance dollar, choose Thermoscan® and you can be assured of the best value independent service. Like the Hotel Engineer,Thermoscan is “For asset, for life.”

BRAILLE TACTILE SIGNS (AUST)

Renée Gatt C I Braille Tactile Signs (Aust)

Braille was developed by the young French boy Louis Braille in 1825 as a result of loosing his sight in an accident at the age of just four. First displayed and demonstrated in 1851 at the World Exhibition in Germany, Braille was not widely used until 1918, 56 years after Louis’ death.

oday Braille is a universal language for people who are blind and who have low vision. This touch system is now taught to children and adults all over the world enabling them the equal right, pleasure and necessity to the communicative language of reading and writing; and fundamentally, access to the

built environment. Safeguarding the rights of people who are blind or who have low vision to equity of access, The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), became law on March 1 1993. ‘Accessibility’ is a widespread term used to describe the degree to which a product, device, service, or environment is available to as many people as possible. A mandatory provision in all public spaces, buildings and transport, Braille and Tactile signs are essential for people who are blind or have low vision. Enabling access to education, employment and all forms of social participation, the Equal Opportunity Act stipulates a violation of international human rights, should these provisions be breached. Wayfinding signage can be seen today in so many applications, on walls and doors, on directory signs, at transport stops, on moving vehicles and beyond, and is essential in the Hotel industry. Due to the high traffic conducive of the accommodation industry, guests who are blind or have low vision rely heavily on Braille and tactile signage to assist them on their path of travel to and from facilities of interest and need. Due to this heavy usage, it is essential in these circumstances to provide continuous surface products, with no add on features ensuing no breeding sites for bacteria. Encapsulated products are also vital, meaning all graphics is enclosed with in the sign, and not applied to the surface; securing all information from being damaged or wiped off by appropriate cleaning products. Custom made for specific purposes and situations, signs are designed to suite endless uses, with colour and graphic aesthetic to suit. It is essential that all Australian Standards, Building Codes and related criterion are met in the design, manufacture and installation of Wayfinding products. These specifications ensure the correct Braille dome, letter and tactile heights, amongst many other requirements; importantly luminosity. Referring to the difference between dark and light properties, and not to be mistaken for colour contrast, luminance contrast can be picked up most easily by people with low vision. With a minimum of 30% contrast, the luminance must occur between the tactile graphics and the signs

background, as well as the sign and its mounted surface. The tactile component allows those with low vision, who may have lost their sight prior to, or without the knowledge of Braille, to successfully negate their path to services and resources, as easily as a sighted person. While both the international symbol for access, (the wheelchair symbol) and the audio symbol, required to be white on Ultramarine Blue, any colour combination is allowed for all other graphics, providing they comply with these luminosity requirements. Specially produced for indoor and outdoor applications, a continuous surface is essential for all Braille and tactile signs. These encapsulated products exclude potential damage to their graphics and colour, ensuring the signs are never compromised by vandals. Being a continuous membrane, with no add-ons in the form of inserted Braille and graphics, (implying nothing can be removed) guarantees its vital readability, longevity and aesthetic endurance. Elements of the environment, cleaning products, graffiti and alike, can be safeguarded against with some signs specially sealed with an AntiGraffiti & UV Stabilised Coating, protecting the sign for its lifetime.

of the aging Baby Boomer population. Preparation is underway to ensure access is adequate and suitable for this increasing number. Blindness has numerous common causes, from Cataracts and Glaucoma to Diabetic Retinopathy, but it is most certainly Macula Degeneration, which is primarily age related, that is the leading cause. Low vision can be caused by a number of different diseases, conditions or accidents. Some eye conditions are congenital, (present at, or near birth) others are caused by a disease, infection or through exposure to UV rays or chemicals. Of the 314 million people worldwide who have a vision impairment, 87% live in developing countries, making it the most common impairment worldwide. With such staggering figures it is comforting to see that the world is increasingly becoming aware, and certainly a more accessible and safer place for all. For more information regarding this important aspect of accessibility contact the friendly and helpful staff at Braille Tactile Signs (Aust) or visit www.brailletactilesigns.com.au

With 300,000 Australians who are blind or have low vision, authorities expect that this figure will double by 2020 as a result

Reach & Wash

higher, faster, SAFER

Window Cleaning in the 21st century Everyone has the right to work safely, and that includes window cleaners. For decades, work at height was simply accepted as an occupational hazard of the window cleaning industry. â€˜Reach & Washâ€™ systems allow windows to be cleaned from the safety of the ground using long reaching, telescopic poles. Using the Reach & Wash system, modern window cleaning is no longer the dangerous job it once was. Safety is the most important benefit of the systems, but it is not the only one. Reach & Wash systems can clean to heights of 80ft, well beyond the reach of ladders, and is much safer and more time efficient than other methods of working at height. How Does Reach & Wash Cleaning Work? Like most brilliant ideas, the Reach & Wash systems are simple. A soft bristled brush cleans the window while jets of ultrapure water rinse the glass. Because the water must dry naturally on its own, it has to be ultrapure. The simplicity and ease of use of the systems are what has led to the adoption of this method of cleaning on a very broad scale. Ultrapure Water is produced Water from the tap is processed by the various different types of filtration to remove dissolved minerals (known as ions, these can

be positively charged cations or negatively charged anions) such as calcium carbonate, magnesium, salts and metals. Organic matter and bacteria are also removed. Once purified, this water is either used as it is produced or stored in tanks ready for use. The Cleaning is Done A soft-bristled brush fitted to poles with up to 80ft reach are used to scrub the dirt from the window, while at the same time the system pumps ultrapure-water to the brush head.The ultrapure water is jetted onto the glass to rinse away the dirt. Due to the law of electro-neutrality ultrapure water has a strong desire to return to its former impure state, the purer the water, the stronger the reaction. The Water Dries Once the brush has scrubbed the dirt off the window, and the ultrapure-water has rinsed the glass, the cleaning is finished. Droplets of ultrapure water that remain on the glass are left to dry naturally. As the water is so pure, it dries without leaving spots or smears. Other cleaning methods leave both positively and negatively charges ions as well as detergent residue on the glass, it is this residue that is responsible for attracting dirt back to glass. Windows and solar panels cleaned with ultrapure water are completely residue free and so remain cleaner for longer (up to three times longer in tests).

Fire Safe Water Wise

Paul Verheijden I Integrated Fire Services

In 2007, at the height of Victoriaâ€™s drought, a Melbourne water retailer conducted an assessment of water usage in the testing and maintenance of fire sprinkler systems at buildings throughout the Melbourne area. It quickly became evident that excessive water consumption was an enormously significant issue.

n alarming 500 million litres per year of Melbourneâ€™s precious drinking water is lost as a result of these necessary routine measures.

The assessment raised important questions: did testing and maintenance have to be done this way? Were there alternatives, especially for pump-boosted systems that used town mains? As a result of this initial assessment, the Plumbing Industry Commission published an important manifesto, The Guide to Fire Sprinkler System Water Saving, in which it comprehensively described seven fire sprinkler conservation measures which, if adopted, would reduce consumption significantly without compromising fire safety: 1. Pressure setting adjustment 2. Adoption of standard 1851-2005 (AS 1851-2005) as the maintenance regime and choosing the monthly option for alarm and pump testing. 3. Pressure reducing projects

4. Re-circulation of fire sprinkler water 5. Capture and further use of fire sprinkler water 6. Better zoning of sprinkler installations 7. Better management of fire sprinkler draindowns and recharging. Of the seven options, the first two were given the highest priority. Reduction in the frequency of testing from weekly to monthly, and adjusting pressure settings at large pump-boosted installations with active pressure relief valves, were achievable measures in the shortto-medium term, and widespread adoption would save millions of megalitres of water every year. Lower testing frequency would be counterbalanced by other ways of ensuring protection, as specified in Australian Standard 18512005 Maintenance of Fire Protection Systems and Equipment. The Fire Sprinklers Water Efficiency Project team, formed from representatives of the Plumbing Industry Commission and water authorities, and fire engineers, has faced many challenges since its inception; challenges that revolved around convincing stakeholders such as site managers that implementation is affordable, and that fire safety will in no way be compromised. To mitigate concerns about cost, the water authorities offer incentives to those who are eligible. In addition to implementation, the fire engineers on the Project run workshops to raise awareness of the initiative, and respond to concerns about fire safety. Although most of the Projectâ€™s interventions have revolved around monthly testing and Pressure Setting Adjustment (PSA), already megalitres of water have been saved at various sites. In some cases, consumption is reduced by a staggering ninety percent! So far, the team has assessed 150 sites around Melbourne, and found that 40% of these sites were using an average of 1,500,000

Stay Connected litres of drinking water per year. Three adjustments alone have saved a total of 5,920,200 litres per year.

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In the case of a prominent Melbourne hotel, part of a larger complex in the Melbourne CBD, an analysis of the operating pressures of system equipment such as jacking pumps, pump sets and pressure relief valves was carried out. The adjustments involved increasing the operating pressure of the relief valves, which has the effect of reducing flow rate to drain during testing. Consumption was reduced from an initial figure of 2,901,200 litres per year to 412,200 litres - a saving of 2,490,00 litres per year. A prominent manufacturing firm, aiming to re-design their fire sprinkler system to comply with their insurer’s standards, was pleasantly surprised at the water savings, which far exceeded their highest expectations when they switched to a monthly testing regime with associated risk management processes. The design also included a number of water saving features such as re-circulation and zoning of fire sprinkler pipe work. Reconfigured pressure settings and re-circulation of test water meant more efficient operations and much lower maintenance costs. 1.25 million litres of usage per annum was reduced by ninety percent, to 130,000 litres! The engineer on the Fire Sprinkler Water Efficiency Project, Paul Verheijden of Integrated Fire Services, is encouraged with the results so far and the impact of the Project, not only in terms of water conservation, but also corporate responsibility.

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“Slowly, the success of the project is convincing property owners and occupiers of the importance of good corporate stewardship, the conservation of water and environmental responsibility”, says Mr Verheijden. “Some of the largest fire services maintenance firms, such as Wormald, Automatic and Spectrum, are now actively engaged with the project and we are now pursuing the range of water saving options beyond our two priorities. As relationships with key players develop, more target properties are identified, and more people realise that there is such a thing as a perfect balance between fire safety and water conservation, we hope to publicise our successes with the objective of widespread adoption in mind.” For those that would like more information please refer to the Plumbing Industry Commissions website www.pic.vic.gov.au and looking for the Fire Sprinkler Water Efficiency Project where you can obtain the Guide and other Fact Sheets.

Come and see us at Booth #11 at the AIHE Conference in August. Also, asked us about our Energy Management Solution – Orion, offering savings of up to 40% on ‘in room air conditioning’.

Feel free to call us for further information on the above and all other VingCard Elsafe products; Australia 1300 796 233 | New Zealand 0800 846 422 E-mail: australia@vcegroup.com | sales@vingcard.co.nz I www.vingcardelsafe.com Provider of: VingCard Locks & Systems | VingCard S Elsafe Safes | Orion EMS | PolarBar Minibars

CASE STUDY

INDEPENDENT

MONITORING CONSULTANTS INDEPENDENT MONITORING CONSULTANTS mission is to build into the best, most professional quality driven specialty services consulting and testing facility in Australia and Asia. To achieve this IMC is committed and dedicated to providing each and every customer, irrespective of size, the same standard of quality and service while maintaining strict adherence to all relevant and applicable Quality Standards, Regulations, and Legislation without deviation from the expectations covered in the ISO/IEC 17025 requirements of our NATA laboratory accreditation.

ur staff is selected on their qualifications, dedication, pride, integrity, attitude, and commitment to meeting the needs of clients, company, and self. In return for this IMC provides them with advanced training and support to enable them to grow professionally and individually. All of these values we believe will inspire them to supply a superior quality of customer service to our clients without compromise and in return result in us achieving our mission.

working with clients helps businesses to have an honest appraisal of how well their treatment suppliers are looking after cooling towers, swimming pools, and spa systems without concerns over conflicts of interest or worrying about the possible tampering of samples prior to testing. And, with no alliances between IMC and the many treatment suppliers, combined with a strict loyalty to our customer, each client is guaranteed professional quality results.

The IMC approach to servicing clients is to provide them practical solutions to their problems, not just test results.

In a society where everyone is well informed and information is so easy to access over the internet no business can afford to be complacent or take the chance that they won’t be exposed to litigation by an oversight or careless action in not exercising due diligence. So much has been said and written over the past few years that for any business not to take adequate precautions especially where everything receives instant coverage are fraught with danger.

All this sounds like lofty words but the fact is, IMC is committed to, and does work very hard to make sure that we do all of the above to benefit clients and bring to them workable and effective solutions. IMC is unlike most laboratories, we were the first in Australia to introduce and to bring to the industry a professional team of independent samplers that went out into the field and collected water and indoor air samples, provided corrosion monitoring, risk assessments, and other consultancy services that were understood and supported by senior managements previous involvement and experience in the hands on, day to day water management field to provide a real independence and credibility to the results. This knowledge and experience combined and acquired over more than fifty(50) years

No one wants bad news or to believe that they have done something wrong. In today’s world of responsibility and accountability everyone wants to believe that they are doing the right things to ensure that their products and services are providing a high level of performance and to be told that this hasn’t been achieved bring about a whole host of responses and not the least of these is that the other person must be wrong!

IMC is often challenged over its reporting of positive counts on water systems by the treatment providers, but for IMC the fact is we benefit more if every sample returned a non-detection result as a positive test actually cost us more to perform the enumeration so it is in our interest to have suppliers do a good job. And in the treatment of cooling towers the two areas that draw the most response of this kind is in the areas of microbiological monitoring (Legionella and Total Bacteria Counts) and corrosion levels, but if you are paying someone to protect and manage your water systems you need to measure their performance and independent sampling and testing is the best way to do that. Ensuring that you have proper biological control minimises risk, and understanding the levels of corrosion in a cooling tower system prolongs its life and reduces maintenance costs and energy use. The importance of monitoring microbiological levels in your cooling waters can’t be stressed enough.The risks attached to your business should an outbreak of Legionellosis occur can be catastrophic. Everyone is aware of the many outbreaks that have occurred around the world and the events surrounding death to those that were unfortunate enough to contract this disease. Hospitals, Hotels, Resorts and Shopping Centres are especially vulnerable due to their exposure to people meeting the high risk categories. With older citizens becoming more mobile and the affordability of travel there is even more

CASE STUDY

opportunities for them to be exposed to many more situations then they would have just a generation ago. But don’t think that it is only cooling towers you have to worry over as any water systems including swimming pools and potable waters can also have the potential to cause ill. Food and hygiene is another very important area of concern, here the potential for harm is high as is the risk to the establishment’s reputation. Foodborne illness is a significant and increasing public health problem.The causative agents are mostly harmful micro-organisms. Most foodborne illness results from inappropriate food hygiene and food handling practices, which could have been avoided. Other factors influencing the increase in foodborne illness worldwide include: the emergence of new and virulent strains of pathogens; the increased consumption of, and consumer preference for, fresh, minimally processed food, takeaway and ready-to-heat meals; changes in animal husbandry; and the increase in the proportion of elderly and other at-risk groups (Gerba et al. 1996, ANZFA 1999). Even areas often taken for granted need to receive serious attention, such as ice machines and the handling of ice for food and drink, if manufactured off site you need to be assured that the quality of water is tested for the same microbiological parameters as drinking water, that staff are correctly handling it, and bottled water provided to guests needs verification that it also has been measured and certified to ensure that there isn’t any contamination. The importance of a safe indoor environment is crucial to the health of staff, guests, contractors, and the general public. In many instances, the quality of a building’s inside air is overlooked for more visible problems such as broken windows, slip hazards, and overhangs. In actual fact, the air quality is the single most significant aspect of an indoor environment.The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that more than 30 percent of all commercial buildings have significant indoor air quality problems, a figure that most people are oblivious to. The indoor environment in any building is a result of interaction between the site, climate, building system, (original design and later modification in the structure, and mechanical systems), construction techniques, contaminant sources (building materials and furnishings, moisture, processes, and activities within the building, and outdoor sources), and building occupants. Indoor air should be free

from harmful atmospheric pollutants such as gases, fumes, dust, or vapours. The term sick building syndrome (SBS) is sometimes used to describe cases in which building occupants experience acute health and comfort effects that are apparently linked to the time that they spend in the building, but in which no specific illness or cause can be identified.The complaints may be localised in a particular room or zone or may be widespread throughout the building. Many different symptoms have been associated with SBS, including respiratory complaints, irritation, and fatigue. Analysis of air samples often fail to detect high concentrations of specific contaminants. Building-related symptoms are common and are generally nonspecific discomfort problems affecting the eyes, nose, and throat.There are no definitive clinical tests available to establish the diagnosis of sick building syndrome rather, building associated symptoms are recognised by identification of indoor air quality (IAQ) environmental problems or higher combined symptom rates among a group of building occupants. In contrast, building-related illnesses are uncommon and by definition, are more serious in prognosis than mere discomfort. Physician diagnosis by clinical investigation of symptoms is the usual means of recognising building-related illnesses. Buildingrelated illnesses can have a long latent (or asymptomatic) period after exposure begins before symptoms are experienced, such as occurs with lung cancer after indoor radon exposure. Other categories of buildingrelated illnesses, however, are associated with an immediate appearance of symptoms after exposure. Often we are asked what causes indoor air problems. Indoor pollution sources that release gases or particles into the air are the primary cause of indoor air quality problems. Inadequate ventilation can increase indoor pollutant levels by not bringing in enough outdoor air to dilute emissions from indoor sources and by not carrying indoor air pollutants out of the building. High temperature and humidity levels can also increase concentrations of some pollutants. At the end of the day the only way to properly understand how and what causes an indoor air problem is to carry out testing to see if the air quality is within guidelines and if not to investigate by proper assessment, review and investigation to determine the causes.

high humidity levels and recent flooding and storm damage have contributed to these problems. Around the world extensive investigation and interest in moulds has properly noted this as a significant cause in Sick Building Syndrome. Immediate attention to property repairs and restoration can work to minimise this as a problem along with proper building ventilation and air distribution. Concerns by business to meet their obligations and conduct due diligence in all areas where there could be seen that they have a potential or exposure to risk has seen a general move during past years away from lumping all their air-conditioning, water treatment and testing services together, and now incorporate separate independent monitoring and reviews as a means to ensuring that they have taken all necessary steps to make sure that there are proper checks and balances in place. This is seen with more and more blue ribbon companies across Australia entering into National or long term contracts with individual specialist companies to lock in better pricing but even more importantly, to ensure that they receive the best possible quality and professionalism on services, and to ensure that those services that they do have are providing maximum value and protection. It has also become critical to business that they operate responsibly and in line with Government regulations to meet their overall obligations to staff, shareholders, and communities. IMC has always maintained a strong emphasis on professional, quality service and in doing such has built a strong portfolio of clients in Building Management and Property Services, airports, major Hotels and Resorts, Public and Private Hospitals including Nursing Homes, Shopping Centres, Universities and Colleges, and manufacturing, this is all further proof that quality, professional and independence of sampling and testing is the best protection a business can have in managing the serious responsibilities they have with OHS and public health across their property portfolios. IMC doesn’t discriminate so this means that the many smaller businesses throughout the country are also able to access the same services and are entitled to exactly the same quality of services anywhere along the East Coast from Cairns to Melbourne, across from Melbourne to Adelaide and on to Perth.

Growths of moulds and fungi have also become a significant problem in many areas,

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Robot Cleaning Technology – what’s the fuss all about?

Dan Kwaczynski I Maytronics Australia

Robotic Pool Cleaning technology is gaining a strong a loyal group of pool owners in Australia market – it is one of the fastest growing product category in the pool industry. With a plethora of new robots entering the market it is worth asking why this is happening and what makes robots better than other cleaning products. Picture 0 – Dolphin Supreme M5 scanning pattern

he simple answer is value for money. Robots have a significant number of end user features compared to all other pool cleaners. So what are these features and why are they superior to their rivals?

Superior Cleaning Ability a. Systematic – Many robot cleaners are systematic.The ones that are systematic have in built electronics, with sensors, logic and controls to enable the robot to navigate the pool, the better ones actually map the pool each time they are installed.This means they provide superior coverage and they don’t get stuck. Check out the amazing scanning pattern of the Dolphin Supreme M5 below. b. Brushing, Scrubbing – Robots are designed not simply to suck debris from your pool but they actually scrub the surface as well. Some even have extra brushes designed to work independently at high speed. (Picture 1). c. Independent filtration – Robots have on board their own independent filtering system.This removes debris from the water

and filters as it goes. Comparison’s show this to be at a very high level compared to pressure cleaners. d. Strong suction power – Robots have an extremely strong suction power – ranging up to 250 litres per minute – that’s as much as the main filter pump in many pools. e. Wall Climbing and Waterline scrubbing – The enormous suction creates an additional benefit – it enables the robot to climb walls (picture 2), benches and ledges and once at the surface they can be programmed to scrub the waterline as well.

Easy to Use a. Easy to use – Robots are extremely easy to use – simply place in the water and press on. No more hoses, floats and bumps, booster pumps.They are simple and ease to set up and simple and easy to use! b. Reclaim your pool – Because Robots have superior cleaning abilities, they are really only needed to be used once or twice a week for the majority of your pool can look like a pool again – not like hydraulic factories with pipes and hoses in all directions!

Environment Benefits

Picture 1 – Dolphin Supreme M4 & M5 – triple action brush; Picture 2 –A Dolphin about to climb

a. Save Power – Robots operate and filter inside the pool.They are completely independent of the pools main filtration system.The great benefit of this is that

water does not have to be pumped 20 metres of piping through bends, elbows, etc just to get filtered.The water is filtered in the pool. Independent studies by Electrical Companies have shown that annual savings can be around $300 per annum (even after the small running cost of a Robot is taken into account). Note – pool filtration is still needed – just not to anywhere near the level required by other cleaners. b. Save Water – Because Robots filter in the water, they remove the debris from the system.This in turn means that the main pool filter unit does not become clogged as quickly, which results in fewer backwashes. Estimates are that backwashing is reduced by up to 50% when using robots compared to all other cleaning methods. c. S ave Chemicals – Robots help to reduce chemical requirements. Australia the vast majority of pools have suction cleaners that are permanently in the pool and connected. In this circumstance, the skimmer is completely ineffective – the result is that all debris landing on the surface must slowly go through the water, making the water cloudier but also requiring chemicals to control. When a robot is used – the pool’s skimmer starts working again! Also, by removing the debris rather than storing it in the pool’s main filter the chemical load is reduced. Don’t be left behind – join the robot revolution!

National Contracts Manager: National Co-Ordinator: National Tech Services Manager: Queensland Brisbane: Cairns: Victoria: South Australia:

Ian Hartup Michael Friesendorff Paul Black Ping Chang Keith Friedrichsen Troy Cairncross Roz White

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ian@imc1.net techservices@imc1.net paul@imc1.net ping@imc1.net imcnthqld@imc1.net troyc@imc1.net rozwhite@imc1.net

76Head Office: 23-25 Daking Street North Parramatta NSW 2151 Phone 02 9890 5067 Email imc@imc1.net

Specialist training courses

Training modules can be developed and delivered to meet your needs in all areas of the electrical industry

EO Derek Green established GET Compliance (Greenfrog Electrical Training & Compliance) in 1996 after 22 years with SEQEB/Energex as an Installation Inspector. He now has more than 35 years in the Electricity supply industry.

entities and mining industries across Australia in electrical testing procedures, High Voltage Isolation and Access Procedures, Risk Management and Compliance in accordance with the Electrical Safety Act 2002.

The electrical contracting business and training company has three specialist divisions: Training, Consultancy, and Auditing, and the company’s philosophy strongly supports a holistic approach to Workplace Health and Safety, i.e. they work with you to develop best practice for your staff to have the quality of electrical safety knowledge to ensure their safety and quality of life.

GET Compliance are members of Energy Skills, the Institute of Electrical Inspectors, APUG and are partnered with Skills Tech Australia and Derek Green, an Accredited Auditor for High Voltage installations from the Qld Electrical Safety Office, personally represents the Institute of Electrical Inspectors on the Australian Standards committee for High Voltage installations EL 043.

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The training company is involved in developing training to meet with the Electrical Safety Act 2002 requirements.

GET Compliance can provide auditing services on the operations of your High Voltage Network to assist you monitor:

GET Compliance Training develop and deliver training to local government utilities, electricity

• consistency with industry best practice. High on GET Compliance’s services is Risk Management. Auditing safety systems and auditing services can also be provided for your staff to ensure a transparent approach to electrical safety and procedural compliance through independent 3rd party audits.

GET consultancy Services In addition to providing training and assessments, GET Compliance can provide consultancy services to assist you manage your network effectively, efficiently and most of all safely. Our Consultancy services include: • The development of Switching Sheets and associated forms for the purposes of network access; • The development of training and assessment tools; • Onsite consultation of switching operations; • Providing procedural manuals and associated forms that, when reinforced with relevant training, provides your team with total network operating

• adherence to relevant legislation; and

STATUTORY TRAINING FOR ALL ELECTRICAL WORKERS AND NON-ELECTRICAL WORKERS, WORKING ON OR NEAR LIVE PARTS

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CONTACT THE TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT SPECIALISTS IN THE ELECTRICAL INDUSTRY TODAY ON (07) 5428 1116 OR admin@getcompliance.com.au

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Caroma Flex The easy-to-retrofit pan The pan that provides a simple, cost effective refurbishment solution for the replacement of wall faced pans within commercial buildings. • Significant cost reduction on installation • Avoid the need to move in-wall plumbing • No need to re-tile, paint or repair over old footprints

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GWA Bathrooms & Kitchens Features In The Transformation of the Grand Mercure Flinders Lane

oinciding with its 90th birthday this year, Accor Vacation Club’s Grand Mercure in Flinders Lane Melbourne, recently underwent a $4.3 million refurbishment – featuring GWA Bathrooms & Kitchens state-of-theart fixtures. The project is the most ambitious in the history of its owners, Accor Vacation Club, to return the property back to its glory days. The building’s heritage has been captured through the retention of the original detailed cornice, architraves and skirtings, which have been blended with contemporary designer furniture and fittings in conjunction with modern state of the art appliances. The sophisticated colour palette is the key design element, from charcoal European bathroom tiles, contrasted by the white, chrome and glass designer fixtures to the use of dark veneers, stainless steel, leather and stone throughout the design. GWA Bathrooms and Kitchens, supplied a full schedule of fittings including kitchen tapware and sinks, bathroom basins, tapware, showers, baths, toilet suites and other bathroom accessories for the development, which were selected for their style and water and energy efficiency. “The range of GWA products suited our designer’s brief, of stylish and ultraupmarket, but at the same time practical, friendly to the environment and to facilitate efficiencies for the hotel, and to be user

friendly,” commented Darin Nielson, Senior Property Manager, Accor Vacation Club.

noticeable quieter sink and is constructed from polished stainless steel.

“It’s no use having products that look good, if they don’t perform well, reduce waste and ensure the guest has an enjoyable stay,” he added. “Being a heritage building they had to look in sync with the architecture and era of the building.”

The suite sizes vary and all are generously appointed, including a designer urban kitchenette, a dining area with stone top dining table, a leather chaise lounge with sofa bed, a work desk with cow hide chair large screen LCD TVs in both the lounge and bedroom, media hub connectivity, iPod docking station and a luxurious bedroom with oversized fully upholstered bed head. All courtyard view rooms have faux European styled balconies that overlook the Parisian styled, private green oasis.

The Caroma Metro Wall Faced Toilet Suite is featured in the bathrooms. With a combination of contemporary design and practicality, the Caroma Metro toilet suite’s stylish flush‐fitting installation is ideal for bathrooms. It has low profile chrome plated buttons which add to the visual appeal, and an ultra quiet, fast filling cistern. The toilet includes Caroma’s Smartflush® water saving technology and achieves a 4‐star WELS rating. The Caroma Liano Under Counter Basin is designed to meet the needs of those who prefer minimalist, architectural styling. It features a modern, simple style with geometric bowl and gently curved depth. The bathrooms feature the new Dorf Jovian Rail Showers which have sharp, intense lines and smooth edges for a distinctively European look. The shower reduces water use without compromising on performance and has a 3‐star WELS rating for water efficiency. This is matched with the Dorf Jovian basin mixers and bathroom accessories for an integrated look. The kitchens also feature the Dorf Jovian Sink Mixer which is paired with the Clark Razor Sink. The kitchen sink is square with a distinctive design, clean edges and deep bowls. The Razor sink also features sound absorption pads for a

Mr Cameron Reed, GWA Bathrooms & Kitchens Sales Manager for Sustainability, Healthcare Architects, Developers and Government in Victoria said, “The Grand Mercure in Flinders Lane is an iconic Melbourne building with a great history. GWA is proud to be involved in this landmark and prestigious project. “The result of the refurbishment has turned the apartment hotel into a contemporary range of sophisticated suites that infuse modern design philosophies with the architectural and historical heritage of the building, and our state of the art fittings and fixtures,” he concluded. For further information on GWA Bathrooms & Kitchen’s products, please visit www.gwabathroomsandkitchens.com.au or contact creed@gwagroup.com.au

VENTILATION DESIGN FOR INDOOR HOTEL POOLS Part 1

Alan Lewis I Aquazure

Air circulation in the hotel pool hall may well have been designed to Australian Standards – (AS1668.2 – 2002 The use of mechanical ventilation and air-conditioning in buildings: ventilation design for indoor air contaminant control.) But this will give the hotel engineer little cause for complacency, when the malodorous pollution from the hotel pool hall permeates the air throughout the building and is carried via lift and stair wells to every floor.

or at least a decade now we have convincing evidence that we are polluting the air in our indoor swimming pool halls (often referred to as natatoriums). This pollution is easily recognised as the most prevalent smell in poorly ventilated halls – as that of the trichloramine gases (NCL3 or nitrogen trichloride). Alongside this easily recognised odour, are several other toxic gases which are masked by NCl3. These include: chloroform (and other trihalomethanes); haloacetic acids; haloketones; cyanogen chloride. Many organic disinfectant by-products (DBPs) do not cause discomfort but some have been identified as potential carcinogens, and trichloramines are considered to induce Asthma. If your indoor hotel pool is used for teaching young children to swim, or squad training, or even aquarobics, there is added cause for concern because these patrons and their teachers are the most susceptible to the lack of appropriate ventilation in the pool hall. Learning to swim is all about controlling the rhythm of breathing – without causing stress to our system, which also requires that we dispose of the used oxygen, which, as carbon dioxide, must be purged from our bodies. So breathing out is just as important as breathing in. On average, most adults breathe roughly 15.9 Kgs of air per day, or around 20,000 breaths, and children breathe almost twice that amount, as they are smaller and still developing their respiratory systems. More air enters the body and the bloodstream than any other substance. Pure air is mainly Nitrogen about one fifth oxygen and small amounts of water vapour, argon, carbon dioxide, neon, helium and

hydrogen. We mostly take it for granted because it’s everywhere. It is free and invisible. Breathing requires no mental stimulus and therefore is most often taken for granted. Even though the atmosphere appears limitless it only reaches between 8 – 10 Kilometers above the earth’s surface. Anyone who has travelled to peaks high above sea level knows that breathing becomes more difficult as the oxygen becomes rarer. Looking up at the sky, it is easy to imagine an endless supply of air. We now know that when a swimmer is immersed in a chlorinated pool, access to oxygen is complicated by the fact that the air immediately above the surface is often so contaminated with volatile disinfectant by-products that it hampers healthy functioning of the lungs leading to frequent respiratory illnesses.

Thus the more bathers there are the more chloroform will be created. Both of these disinfection by-products are referred to as “volatile chemicals”. which means that they easily vaporise – to change from liquid to gas. In this case both form gases which exit the water as gases at the surface of the pool. This process is exacerbated by the swimmers kicking and splashing down the lane. In spas and pools and water parks with spray features, they are easily aerosoled into the air above the pool surface. VOLATILE TRICHLORAMINE AND CHLOROFORM VAPOURS ARE HEAVY GASES WHICH ACCUMULATE IN THE LOWEST AREAS OF THE POOL HALL – MOSTLY IN THE SPACE BELOW THE BELOW DECK LEVEL Toxic air in poorly ventilated pool halls gravitates to the lowest point in the building – or in the case of outdoor pools the lowest point in the surroundings of the pool. Thus for example the chloramines can be smelt even in the pool car park where it is positioned below the surface of the pool(s). If the pool is in a building several stories high – the chloramines often find their way to the lift shaft and gravitate to lower floors with surprising ease.

Catching your breath

THE MOST COMMON FORMS OF POLLUTION IN NATATORIUMS A) TRICHLORAMINES – the inorganic chloramines Free chlorine (HOCl) + body amines (urea, perspiration) ==>> monochloramine + H2O Free chlorine + monochloramine ==>> dichloramine + H2O Free chlorine + dichloramine ==>> trichloramine (NCL3) + H2O Blatchley and Li (2009) as well as Schmaltz et al (2011) also found that at normal pH values found in swimming pools: Free chlorine [HOCl] + urea [CO(NH2)2] + other nitrogen compounds ==>> NCl3 B) TRIHALOMETHANES (THMs) – PRINCIPALLY CHLOROFORM (CHCl3) It has been thought for some time that UV photolysis actually creates chloroform from (inorganic) chloramines, but Blatchley (2011) clearly showed that UV neither increases nor decreases the production of Chloroform. It is now clearly understood that one of the main precursors of chloroform are skin cells.

Ventilation engineers have, until recently, all followed the dictates of the relevant national standards and guidelines for the required air changes in buildings. Since these unwanted gases are in the lowest areas, the conventional methods of ventilation have overlooked the need to extract the air from the lowest areas in the natatorium. It can be assumed that the vast majority of indoor pools actually continue to this day to cause severe discomfort to teachers and staff; competitive swimmers and tots and young children learning to swim. Even as this article was being written, Australian media announced that one of the nation’s elite swimmers was forced to retire from training in an AIS pool in Canberra due to respiratory illness. Bougalt; Loubaki; Joubert et al 2012 Research Institute of Cardiology and Pneumology in Quebec Canada: “The prevalence of respiratory symptoms and airway hyper-responsiveness (AHR) is high in elite athletes; swimmers have one of the highest prevalences”. Since most indoor hotel pools have not been designed to extract the toxic gases it is important that we examine the various ways in which we can retrofit air ducts which actually focus on this objective.

SOURCE CAPTURE AND EXTRACTION OF BAD AIR There are three basic options: a) Capturing the air above the water in the gutter where more gases are formed as the water splashes through the grill this extraction should be combined with the collection of the air that is displaced in the balance tank. From there it is exhausted to the outer atmosphere.

Free Chlorine (HOCl) + skin cells (on bathers or shed by bathers) ==>> CHCl3

Detail of extraction of surface gases via wet edge gutter Schematic diagram of Source capture and exhaust – over an existing air handling system. Diagram kindly provided by Paddock Evacuator Company who have pioneered this system in the USA.

b) At the building perimeter a duct can be run along the base of the walls where they are built close to the pool edge. In this case the duct is slightly above the lowest point (the surface of the pool) but nevertheless gets dragged over the deck between the gutter and the pool edge. c) Under the deck. This usually entails the raising of the deck high enough to accommodate a duct beneath it so that the intake is again immediately above the surface of the pool.

The possibilities are

3 DILUTION OF POOL HALL AIR Conventional introduction of outside air to replace extracted airbut combined with source capture and exhaust as a retrofit which utilises or extends an existing system – as demonstrated in the diagram above. The freshened supply will force the air from one side to the other taking with it the trichloramine/THM “bubble” on the surface of the pool. Part 2 in the next issue will deal with ways in which we can minimise the creation of trichloramines and chloroform in the first place. Address correspondence to: aquazure34@gmail.com

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The best companion for your guests in the shower

o matter what type of accommodation you provide, your biggest single use of fuel in commercial industrial operations is for heating water. With rising energy costs it can be a balancing act keeping costs down and productivity and guest satisfaction high. LPG is an extremely cost efficient method of water heating with little energy loss from its production or use. The fast recovery rate of LPG hot water units means the hot water storage tank size can be kept to a minimum. Because LPG is cleaner burning, lower exhaust emissions make it far healthier for the environment and lowers maintenance costs for your equipment. In your accommodation business you have a enough to do without worrying that there is enough continuous hot water 24 hours a day for your customers.

From the moment your guests open their door LPG can provide them with cosy central heating at the best available cost. They can enjoy a relaxing swim in your pool, heated by economical LPG or dine al fresco in the warm comfort of a patio heater fuelled by LPG. And those superb meals your chef provides so efficiently using quick responding LPG gas! There are also huge savings to be made in your laundry with washers and dryers run on LPG while your backup generators are far more efficient with gas. At 95% pure, Elgas LPG is cleaner, more efficient with minimal waste, minimal maintenance and promotes longer appliance life. It is also far more versatile than either electricity or diesel providing the ideal platform for providing comfort, facilities and service. And it is so cost efficient. If you are serious about reducing running costs, a smart energy strategy

based on Elgas LPG is a solution that will pay for moresave information call 131 161 today or v itself in no time. YouFor could up to 25% over and submit an online quote request www.elga electricity and as much as 40% on diesel! Using an Elgas energy smart assessment, your personal account manager will calculate your current energy expenses and calculate where you can reduce costs and provide for your guests energy needs in the most efficient way. This will enable you to make an informed decision on your energy use and needs. Elgas is Australiaâ€™s largest supplier of LPG with a wide distribution network, enormous backup of LPG reserves and can provide an optimised energy solution backed by professional advice and expertise. Wherever you are there is an Elgas representative near you with local knowledge and expertise of LPG and appliances. For more information contact Ray Squires on 0410 072 651

For more information call 131 161 today or visit our website and submit an online quote request www.elgas.com.au

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(a) Fellow – a member of at least 10 years standing who has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of hotel engineering (as determined by the management committee) or this association may be advanced by the management committee to the grade of Fellow. This membership class is a life membership of the institute. (b) Honorary Fellow – any person who has rendered conspicuous service to the hotel industry (as determined by the management committee), or any person prominently connected with but not necessarily in the hotel industry who may be approved by the management committee, shall be eligible as an Honorary Fellow. This membership class is a life membership of the institute. (c) Member – a person shall be eligible as a Member if the applicant holds a certificate, degree or diploma or such other qualification in engineering approved by the management committee, and has at least 5 years experience in a head of engineering position and shall be directly engaged in hotel engineering. (d) Associate Member – a person shall be eligible as an Associate Member if the applicant holds a qualification in engineering approved by the management committee and is directly engaged in hotel engineering and his/her qualifications and/or experience do not in the opinion of the management committee entitle him/her to admission as a Member. (e) Student Member – a person who is attending an appropriate course of instruction at an Institution approved by the management committee shall be eligible as a Student Member

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New Member AUD$90

Corporate Fees: New Member AUD$550

Yearly Renewal AUD$100 Yearly Renewal AUD$60 Yearly Renewal AUD$550

PAYMENT CAN BE MADE BY: NSW Chapter: Cheque payable to:

Australian Institute of Hotel Engineering (NSW) Chapter

EFT Transfer/Direct Deposit to:

BSB: 062 014 Account Number: 0090 2426 Commonwealth Bank of Australia

(Please use surname/company name as reference)

QLD Chapter: Cheque payable to:

Australian Institute of Hotel Engineering (QLD) Chapter

EFT Transfer/Direct Deposit to:

BSB: 084 462 Account Number: 205126424 National Australia Bank

(Please use surname/company name as reference)

VIC Chapter: Cheque payable to:

Australian Institute of Hotel Engineering (VIC) Chapter

EFT Transfer/Direct Deposit to:

BSB: 013 403 Account Number: 4988 69693 ANZ Ringwood Nth

(Please use surname/company name as reference)

WA Chapter: Cheque payable to:

Australian Institute of Hotel Engineering (WA) Chapter

EFT Transfer/Direct Deposit to:

BSB: 086 086 Account Number: 518 190 216 National Australia Bank

(Please use surname/company name as reference)

MAIL COMPLETED FORMS TO: NSW Chapter: The Secretary, AIHE NSW Chapter, PO Box H263, Australia Square NSW 1215 QLD Chapter: The Secretary, AIHE QLD Chapter, PO Box 5118, Gold Coast Mail Centre 9726 VIC Chapter: The Secretary, AIHE VIC Chapter, PO Box 2136, Caulfield Junction VIC 3161 WA Chapter: The Secretary, AIHE WA Chapter, PO Box 6191, East Perth WA 6892 Your membership application will be processed, which includes the following: o Certificate of membership

o Membership number

o Member name badge

o Official AIHE receipt

* Note: Allow up to four weeks for processing.

I have read, understood and agreed to conform to the Institute’s Code of Ethics as set out, conditional upon acceptance of my application for membership. Note: your membership includes receiving ‘Hotel Engineer’ quarterly. As the AIHE is a non-profit organisation, GST is not applicable. Signed: Date:

FOR INSTITUTE USE ONLY Date received: Fee received: Grading: Cheque #: Entered:

BECS Technology Pool pH & Chlorine Controllers by TBWS are •

EFFICIENT - Reduce chemical usage, improve water quality & assure compliance

•

ECONOMICAL - Long life, low cost, low maintenance pH, ORP & FAC probes

•

FLEXIBLE & VERSATILE - Advanced, adjustable control features to suit all pools. Super chlorination and low level night setpoints

•

EASY-TO-USE - Simple, intuitive menu systems. Single point pH calibration

•

EXPANDABLE - Datalogging, remote access, FAC/TCL, TDS & many other sensors

•

SAFE - Standard alarm and failsafe protection with auto ‘alarm callout’ feature

•

SECURE - Multi level password protection

•

RELIABLE - 5yr Electronics warranty 2yr Sensor warranty – no worries!

•

SUPPORTED - Factory trained service and support

Tim BaTT WaTer SoluTionS P/l

PO Box 288 Balgowlah NSW 2093 Sydney Australia Phone: (02) 9948 4177 Fax: (02) 9907 0014 Mobile: (0438) 889 268 E-mail: timtbws@bigpond.com

Tim Batt Water Solutions offers BECS Technology Pool Controllers

iemens Aquatic market distributor, Tim Batt Water Solutions, has also been made exclusive distributor in Australia & New Zealand for the BECS Technology range of commercial pool pH and chlorine controllers from the USA. BECS Technology is the former manufacturer of the well known Strantrol range of controllers that Tim Batt has been involved with for 30 years now in Australia. BECS has continued to develop their controller range under the ‘BECSys’ name, since parting ways with Siemens in the USA. The link up now enables Tim Batt Water Solutions to fully support the many existing Strantrol controllers in Australia with spare parts and service, as well as providing a choice of new and advanced upgrade models with many exciting new features for pool operators, along with advanced control capabilities. A great strength of BECS Technology products has always been the ease with which the controllers can communicate with everyday desktop or laptop computers for monitoring, download and graphing of pool readings and even for remote control of the pools. Available for all BECSys controller models, the new ‘BECSys for Windows’ software is compatible with PC’s running Windows 2000/XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7 and allows simple, password protected, communication by direct or modem link of multiple controllers to a PC or Ethernet LAN. This is particularly useful in the face of increasing Health Department guidelines and regulations, necessitating increased pool testing and record keeping in commercial pools. For example, the latest NSW Heath ‘Draft Pool & Spa guidelines’ state that commercial pools need to be tested once before opening each day and every 2 hours thereafter (or every hour in busy pools). But if the pool has a controller with hourly auto logging and record keeping of readings, this can be reduced to just one test before opening and one at some time

during the day – a huge benefit to busy pools and a substantial saving for operators in the high cost of time and materials spent testing the water. Usefully, Strantrol System 4 and 5 controller owners can make use of this software if they upgrade one of their controllers to a BECSys5 model. The key to successful communications with pool controllers has been to overcome the typical long distances involved between pool plantrooms and offices and to make the connection reliable. BECS has standardised on either RS485 direct wiring or ‘100 BaseT Ethernet’ connections, using the blue CAT5 cabling, common in modern building systems and enabling the most reliable connection. For pools where even these options may not be practical, BECS has pioneered wireless internet communication between PC’s and pool controllers and offers both a ‘BECS WiFi’ module and ‘BECSys mobile device server’. The WiFi module enables multiple controllers in a plant room to communicate with a PC at another part of the site, where the site has wireless internet connectivity. For the slickest of operations, the mobile device server enables remote control and monitoring of the pool controllers from an iPad (tablet PC), iPhone or similar wireless internet connected device! For pool operators in charge of many pools over a wide area the standard BECS ‘alarm callout’ feature enables an e-mail or SMS text to be sent out to the operator’s PC, pager or iPhone if any controllers that are WiFi connected or connected to a phoneline, PC or e-mail server (via Ethernet LAN) experience an alarm condition. This very popular and helpful feature allows up to 8 operators to keep in constant communication with their pools, where required, and is particularly useful if the pool plant specialist needs to be away from their pools for any length of time.

The sum of these benefits mean that pool owners can expect BECS controllers to pay for themselves in a matter of months, by ensuring adequate pool disinfection in compliance with regulations, improved water quality and minimal chemical consumption. There are also substantial savings in operators time with improved communications and record keeping, reduced pool testing and increased overall plant efficiency. The controllers themselves are extremely simple and intuitive to use, while BECS probes are covered by a 2 year replacement warranty and the high grade, US made, controller electronics are covered by a 5 year warranty – unique in the industry – for worry free operation. The BECS range makes the perfect compliment to the top line Siemens pool controller range that Tim Batt Water Solutions are well known as offering. With all the added communication benefits and a highly reliable controller range, it’s clear that all types of pools can now be well served and supported for their automation needs by Tim Batt Water Solutions and strong local service support is available nationwide. CONTACT:Tim Batt of Tim Batt Water Solutions P/L on 0438 889 268 or timtbws@bigpond.com

PRODUCT

NEWS New Product Release: WAVE 75 Maytronics Australia (www.maytronics.com.au) is pleased to announce the launch of it’s newest commercial cleaner – the WAVE 75. This rugged addition to the commercial family compliments the existing range and provides an entry level commercial cleaner for the smaller commercial pool market – including swim schools, smaller hotel pools and unit block pools. “The Wave 75 is a fantastic addition to our family of cleaners, it really supports those smaller commercial pools that still need the heavy duty aspect of commercial cleaning but don’t quite have the budgets to buy the larger commercial range products like the ProX or ProExpert, “ said Cameron McKinlay, Commercial Manager for Maytronics Australia.

Total Facilities Facilities management professionals from around Australia will converge on the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre next month for the inaugural Total Facilities Live event. Set to be Australia’s largest exhibition and conference dedicated to building operations management and maintenance, Total Facilities Live covers everything from exhibitors showcasing their latest innovations in safe building and energy solutions, to seminar sessions in areas including strategic planning, maintenance, compliance, energy efficiency and sustainability and leadership.

Maytronics operates throughout Australia and the world and is regarded as the leader in Robotic Pool Cleaner technology. “We are 100% focused on providing outstanding service, support and the right solutions for customers in the robotic pool cleaner segment”, said Dan Kwaczynski, Managing Director of Maytronics Australia. Maytronics has service facilities in all major centres and local dealers that will support the roll-out of the Wave 75 across the market. The Wave 75 specification: • 24 m cable • 2,3,4 hour cycle • 2 year warranty • Swivel – YES • Fine Filtering – YES • Combined or Wonder brush options • Remote control – YES • Caddy – YES For more information, Maytronics can be contacted on 1300 MYDOLPHIN or www.maytronics.com.au

Attendees will benefit from hearing world-class industry leaders present their knowledge and experience and apply new techniques to their own facilities or workplace. Keynote speakers from the U.S. Clay Nesler, who will share his vision behind the Empire State ReBuilding, and Dr Woodrow Whitlow, Associate Administrator for Mission Support at NASA, are among the event highlights. Top Australian professionals in the field will also deliver a relevant and connected Conference program. Learn areas cover useful, practical approaches to improving energy efficiency and sustainability, saving

money through implementing smarter technologies and raising revenues by using new, innovative business methods. The interactive model of the Conference encourages participation collaborating and networking, with peers from across the nation who face the same daily challenges, at roundtable discussions, session breaks and an opening night function. Total Facilities Live – Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre 19-20 July 2012.Tickets and information at TotalFacilities.com.au

Enquiries: Andrew James – 07 5510 5104 or andrew@nationalmedia.com.au

SmartGraphics The Ampac SmartGraphicsHD system provides a robust and versatile central hub for controlling your fire detection, alarm and intercom systems within one fully integrated graphical package. Any change in the status of a device, fire zone or emergency zone is immediately displayed graphically on the high definition (HD) monitor using the preset map. In the event of an alarm condition, SmartGraphicsHD supports printing and optionally e-mailing the map to a preconfigured address. Additionally the map can be relayed to emergency appliances that are on route by the local emergency dispatch centre. The first alarm condition is time stamped and highlighted on the preset map and any subsequent alarms are time stamped. This shows the spread of the fire and how quickly the fire is developing. A database is available to hold important building related information, like hazardous materials storage. Entries in the database can be hyperlinked to a map, so the exact location of the hazardous materials can be shown. There is also a dedicated database for holding contact information for key personnel.

Permanent Pothole Solutions Permanent Pothole Solutions has expanded its offering to include Buckets Permanent Pothole Solutions has been providing its “Asphalt in a bag” permanent cold patch in 20 kg bags to local councils, roadtek depots and mines throughout Queensland for over 2 1/2 years, we now hold stock in NSW, VIC ACT and QLD. We have now expanded our offering to include:

SmartGraphicsHD supports a historical log, which captures all activity on the fire detection, alarm and intercom systems. Filters are provided to allow effective searching of the log. Each entry in the historical log is automatically hyperlinked to a predetermined map allowing the location of the device can be shown. A three tier password access system is supported which allows plant operators, plant supervisors and system engineers to have only the required level of access to the system. SmartGraphicsHD supports either a direct hardwired connection to the fire detection system and the alarm and intercom system, or a TCP/IP network connection which can use existing LAN or WAN infrastructure. Where multiple workstations are required, each workstation can establish a communications channel over the network with every fire detection and alarm and intercom system providing redundant fault tolerant operation. SmartGraphicsHD was developed to utilise the latest high definition displays along with integrated touch screen technologies. These high resolution displays enable greater information detail to be available to the

Asphalt in a bag – 20 kg bags in Mix 7, Mix 10 and Mix 14 Asphalt in a bag – 1 Tonne bulker bags in Mix 10 Asphalt in a bag – 20 kg buckets in Mix 10 “Asphalt in a bag are not designed to replace traditional hot mix for road building purposes, but to provide a quick and reliable means of effecting permanent repairs,” says Jackie based in South East Queensland. “The mixture works so well that many of the Asphalt contractors and local councils now use it for repairs and maintenance all around the country.” Manufactured from selective aggregates, bitumen and polymers our mixture is designed to suit the harshest of weather

operator while the touch screen interface facilitates ease of system operation. The displays can be desk or wall mounted reducing clutter in a busy environment. Ampac designs, manufactures and distributes world-leading fire detection and alarm systems for commercial, industrial, healthcare and multi-residential complexes. Since 1974, we have been committed to growing the scope and effectiveness of our business throughout the world by always focusing on factors that build long term success. Developing unparalleled customer partnerships has been identified as a key factor, and is at the forefront of our position to be “World Leaders of Innovative Solutions in Fire Detection and Alarm Systems”. For more information, visit our website www.ampac.net

conditions. With an indefinite shelf life in its bagged/bucket form. The ready-mix is ideal for maintaining paths, driveways and roads Our products expand and contract with the surface and will bond to concrete, steel, asphalt and even wood, explains Jackie. Install in 3 easy steps. Requires no mixing or additives. Ready to use straight out of the bucket or bag. Simply tip into hole, pat down with a shovel and drive over immediately providing minimal disruption to traffic. For more information, consult the website at www.permanentpotholesolutions. com.au or give Jackie a call on 1300 789 967 for price and availability.

IHEA Healthcare Facilities Management Conference October 2012 In October, the Victorian/Tasmanian Branch of the Institute of Hospital Engineering, Australia (IHEA) is hosting the 2012 Healthcare Facility Management Conference in Hobart, Tasmania. It is more important than ever to take time out to keep abreast of industry best practice, be informed of changing legislation, and network with other professionals who have the same issues as we do; Health Care Facilities have many similar issues to hotels – speaking with colleagues in a similar industry may be the out-of-the-box thinking needed!

TECO Australia introduces Bar Fridges to its range Following its successes in supplying Split System and Window Wall Air Conditioners, and LED/LCD TV’s to Mining

Overhead Pools Expert Pool Renovations and Repairs

This meeting will help to identify and address how we manage to run our facilities with ever increasing compliance and limited budget. The theme of the Conference is ‘Back to Basics’. In keeping with the theme, there will be a number of presentations from the “coal face” – with colleagues from within the industry sharing their experiences through case studies. These case studies will focus on improvements and innovations for equipment and infrastructure. In addition, the conference will feature keynote presentations from respected industry professionals such as Andrew Bradley, who will be discussing how the quality of the healthcare facility has a direct impact on the speed of the treatment and healing process; and Kevin Moon, who will be speaking on his recent experience with managing facilities that have been flooded – including the effects of floods on the buildings, risk management, and long term infection control risks.

Camp Accommodation and Common Area Portable Building Units, Student Accommodation areas and Hotel/Motel Rooms, TECO have introduced a range of Bar Fridges specifically designed to cater for the hospitality industry. Engineered to Perform with Super Quiet operation, Stylish Design, Internal Light, Glass Shelving and handy Drink Can Dispenser in the 117Ltr Freestanding or Under Bench Bar Fridge is suitable for medium to large rooms, and to cater for

and critical waterproofing applications would otherwise have proved prohibitive for other inexperienced builders.

Overhead Pool is a Melbourne based pool company that specialises in the refurbishment of commercial and domestic pools.

We use and recommend our own spray applied polyurethane waterproofing membranes to withhold moisture in pools and pool deck surrounds. This we can tile over and provide a lifelong guarantee for further assurance.

We have refurbished all manner of hotel and apartment pools where difficult access

We are a one stop shop with all site works etc. undertaken by our own staff.

In addition, delegates will be able to hear first-hand Darren Flanagan’s inspiring story of the rescue of the Beaconsfield miners. Darren is an explosive expert who in 2006 was flown from his home town of Nowra, NSW to the small town of Beaconsfield in Tasmania following the collapse of the mine that had trapped Todd Russell and Brant Webb 925 m underground. Darren’s story of how he fired the explosives that eventually released the two miners is not one that you will forget. The program is designed to ensure that you are able to enjoy the delights of Hobart whilst networking with industry colleagues. With dinners held at the fabulous new Museum of Old and New Art and the historic Cascade Brewery – the conference will be one to remember! To register for the conference visit – www.hfmc2012.org.au

Student Accommodation and smaller Hotel/ Motel Rooms, that require a small fridge for guest convenience, TECO have also introduced a 50Ltr Bench Top Bar Fridge. To complement this range, TECO Australia will introduce over the coming months, Vertical Freezers, Chest Freezers and Frost free Refrigerators with Multi Flow Control ranging from 215Ltr to 410Ltr. For more information visit www.teco.com.au

Equipment upgrades and the complete remodelling of the structure of the pool are all services we provide and can be previewed through our use of a 3D project modelling design program. We provide detailed no obligation quotes with full detailing of construction methods and work schedules. Please call us on 1300 934 517. Or view our website www.overheadpools.com.au

Adbourne Publishing

Published on Jul 2, 2012

Hotel Engineer 17_2 July 2012

Hotel Engineer magazine

Hotel Engineer 17_2 July 2012

Published on Jul 2, 2012

Hotel Engineer magazine

adbourne

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