Hotel Engineer 17-3

THE

HOTEL ENGINEER OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF HOTEL ENGINEERING

PP 319986/101

Volume 17 Number 3

CONTENTS Publisher’s Message

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State News

10

2012 AIHE Update Conference Exhibitors

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Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative

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Hotel Engineering – The Evolution Continues

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A Rebate for Replacing Your Old Downlights?

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NABERS – Where Can it Help my Hotel

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Keeping a Grip on Wireless

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Regulation Update

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Spare a Thought for the Maintenance Worker and Apply Ergonomics to Building Maintenance Tasks!

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Gala Dinner Photos

45

New Work Health and Safety (WHS) Laws

51

When Will a Shooter Enter Your Hotel?

56

Monitoring Leads the Way to Energy Reduction in Hotels

61

Back of House

63

New OH&S Laws: What it Means for Height Safety

65

Case Study: The Evolution of a Property

71

Challenging Environments See the Rise of Fibreglass Pressure Tanks

72

Heat Recovery Systems – Achieving Energy Efficient Indoor Pool & Spa Design

75

Ventilation Design for Indoor Hotel Pools

80

Robot Cleaning Technology – What’s the Fuss all About?

82

Product News

THE

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HOTEL ENGINEER

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF HOTEL ENGINEERING

PP 319986/101

Volume 17 Number 3

Front cover: Image of the new six star, luxury hotel to be known as Crown Towers Perth.

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PUBLISHER’S MESSAGE Update 2012 was recently held on the Gold Coast.

All reports have been very good with most people believing the AIHE has just put on one of their best conferences ever.

A good quality crowd, some excellent speakers, and a terrific venue made for a great time by all whom attended.

There are a couple of picture spreads in this issue of both the exhibitors and some of the attendees. The next AIHE National conference will be in 2014, if you haven’t been before, it really is worth considering with so much knowledge to be gained from everyone concerned, the speakers, exhibitors and fellow engineers.

Over the next few issues we will bring you some of the presentations from the conference, starting in this one with an article from the AIHE founder Neil Weenink, “The Evolution of Hotel Engineering”, younger engineers new to the industry will particularly find this very informative reading. Ian Knox director of HFM Asset Management puts his presentation on NABERS into an article for us and Wendy Hird of Greenbriar Consulting talks about Carbon Management.

Many of our regular contributors are back, we thank them very much as always.

The Victorian government rebate scheme for replacing halogens with LED is called VEET, Scott Gracie of Megaman lighting gives you all the information on how to organise your rebates.

Finally we would like to make an apology to Soodi Noori, director of Risk Engineering Solutions. In the last issue she wrote an excellent article on Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment and Control.

The opening paragraph should simply have not been there, a software glitch made something appear from a previous issue almost a year ago. In 17 years of publishing none of us had seen this happen before and hope we don’t again. Soodi has been kind enough to write another article for us, this time on the new Work Health and Safety Laws which can be read in this issue.

Till next time…

Neil Muir

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AIHE STATE PRESIDENTS Ian Crookston, QLD E: ian@hyatt.com Anura Yapa, NSW E: H2977-TE@accor.com David Zammit,VIC E: david.zammit@hyatt.com Tony Fioraso, WA E: tony.fioraso@burswood.com.au

Adbourne Publishing cannot ensure that the advertisers appearing in The Hotel Engineer comply absolutely with the Trades Practices Act and other consumer legislation.

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Adbourne Publishing reserves the right to refuse any advertisement without stating the reason. No responsibility is accepted for incorrect information contained in advertisements or editorial.The editor reserves the right to edit, abridge or otherwise alter articles for publication.

All original material produced in this magazine remains the property of the publisher and cannot be reproduced without authority. The views of the contributors and all submitted editorial are the author’s views and are not necessarily those of the publisher.

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AIHE STATE

NEWS

NEW SOUTH WALES Greetings from the NSW Chapter.

After a short break since the AIHE Update Conference was held, we resumed our monthly meetings in September.

The September meeting was held at Quay West on the 20th. Dr Kalyani Perera of Independent Monitoring Consultants gave a stimulating and thought provoking presentation on Indoor Air Quality. More activities will be planned in the upcoming months, including the AGM which is due to be held before the year end. We will keep our members updated as we progress.

I am pleased to say that the new AIHE website is up and running. A few more adjustments are yet to be made and once these are finalised you will be able to take full advantage of all the features of the website. It has been designed to provide an array of information about all aspects of the Institute. Membership forms, link to the ‘The Hotel Engineer’ Magazine and various other AIHE news can also be accessed through

the website; I encourage you to visit it if you have not done so already. Next on the agenda is to arrange a training program for the administrators to manage the website, which will be discussed at the next presidents meeting.

The HM Awards were held on the 7th September at the Sydney Town Hall. It was a gallantry occasion where some of the great industry contributors were recognised for their outstanding work.

We would like to congratulate all our members who were nominated and were finalists at the 2012 HM awards. I would also like to congratulate Andy Goonesekara, Director of Engineering – Intercontinental Sydney, who was recognised as the Engineer of the Year award in two different occasions this year.

The Update Conference which was held on the 9th & 10th August at QT Hotel in Gold Coast was a great success. The theme of the conference was Sustainability and Technology, which reflected the importance of taking advantage of new technologies and utilising innovative operational methods in order to keep ahead in the industry.

We were fortunate enough to hear another talk at the conference, from Neil Weenink, the founder of AIHE on ‘The Evolution Continues’.

The NSW Chapter provided two presenters for the conference; Brendon Granger of ‘Technology 4 Hotels’ presented on Guest Room Technology, while Wendy Hird from Greenbriar Consulting presented on Carbon Management.

NSW chapter sponsored four engineers to attend the conference. Thank you to all the members who attended the conference and all the presenters for their time and excellent presentations.

While thanking all Chapter Presidents for organising the conference I would like to say a special thank you to Ian Crookston, Bev Allen and the team for their contribution.

Their efforts played a key role in making the event run so smoothly.

It’s great to hear that inquires for next Conference have already begun, and considering the success we had with the Update Conference this year, I am very much looking forward to it.

If you have any inquiries about our Chapter or joining our meetings, feel free to contact me on anura.yapa@shangri-la.com Anura Yapa JP President – AIHE NSW chapter

Engineer of the Year Awards Andy Goonesekera, Director of Engineering, InterContinental Sydney was acknowledged on two occasions this year for his work in the Hotel Industry.

In early 2012 Andy was recognised at the Hotel Operations Technology Conference as Hotel Engineer of the Year. This award was presented by Clipsal.

Andy was also recognised at the Tourism, Accommodation, Australia Awards (A division of AHA), as Chief Engineer of the Year for the second year in succession.

Andy has been in the hotel industry for the last 27 years. During this time he has made major contributions in all areas of engineering, specifically relating to new technologies and concepts, including innovation. Andy has also been involved from the initial days of the Institute, within the NSW Chapter, and has made some significant contributions and given assistance to other engineers.

Congratulations to Andy for this prestigious recognition and his contribution to the industry.

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Anura Yapa recently left his position as Chief Engineer at the Menzies Hotel, Rod Ryman gave the following speech.

It is my honour and privilege to speak on behalf of the engineering department to give briefly the feelings and impressions we have gained of you since becoming Chief Engineer at the Menzies hotel.

The old guard was leaving, Trevor Mc Carren was posted to a higher position and Tom Bonnet, of affectionate memory, continued on.

breaches of protocol had abated. It was good to know we had joined the ranks of Homo sapiens. There was this document on a wall which said ‘We are all human, we all make mistakes’.We started to feel more comfortable.

Anura, you came to us as a stranger from the antipodes. From another culture, another place. We were not sure what to expect! We were out of our comfort zone.

I’m Tom, I’m Rod, I’m Bill, I’m Costas.

Getting to know someone, is not easy, it needs considerable close contact, of which I have had more than most. One problem to do with the expansion of the engineering department into the Thakral area is that you moved away. This meant in practical terms we would have to know you in a professional way before we knew you personally. This was not long in coming when we began to notice new pumps and pipes in the 15th floor during our inspection. The Menzies was a tired hotel and it needed some changes to bring it into the 20th century.

It started out ok because we were together in one office. One big happy family, with a new addition. The first thing I found was that Tom started to loose his teeth. He kept a tight ship but the savagery against

The rooms too needed some face-lift to show the guests a quiet dignity from an old Lady. This is still being achieved and together with the new style corridors hiding new air conditioning pipes, presents a new face that

Anura! Is that one ‘n’ or two? From where?

Sri lanka? Where’s that? It’s an island off India to the left once called Ceylon. Aah I’ve got it.

can provide greater comfort or at least a feeling that someone cares…

We began to see the outflowing of your professionalism, and I think you were becoming more comfortable with your situation. A close encounter with the Honourable Premier O’Farrel and your selection to the state Presidency of the Australian Institute of Hotel Engineers of NSW are certainly cases in point.

I believe we have all come a long way since you came to us.

You have invested into your position as Chief Engineer, qualities that transcend the mundane aspects of day to day routine such as dignity, diligence, comprehension, and professionalism. I’m sure you will continue to show these same qualities in whatever you put your hand to do in the days to come.

Rod Ryman

VICTORIA With spring well and truly upon us, it is great to see and feel some warmer weather as we bid the cooler months farewell. Similar, we farewell the AFL season.

Congratulations to all our Swan supporters, delivering an awesome contest on grand final day against the mighty Hawks.

Over the past months, the Victorian chapter has hosted 2 meetings. In July, with thanks to Daniel Viola we attended the Clipsal powerhouse in Nth Fitzroy. Daniel and his colleagues took us through an interactive demonstration of their Clipsal Cbus home automation, along with a comprehensive presentation on the NBN, giving us some insight into the role out of the network, along with the future capabilities of the system, certainly an informative evening with a good turnout.

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During the month of September, we hosted our annual roundtable discussion.

The objective of this meeting was to have all attendees bring different subjects to the table for discussion, giving us all the opportunity to patriciate, learn and comment on the topics raised. Some of the points discussed were, LED lighting, Carbon tax, the VEET scheme, waste management and the rising cost of land fill levies, water and energy saving opportunities. The meeting was held at Grand Hyatt Melbourne, a favourable attendance of both hotel engineers and corporate members made for an interactive evening.

With the update conference being held in August, we did not host a meeting that month. We encouraged our members to attend the conference in support of AIHE nationally. Those who were able to attend did not leave disappointed. A credit and huge thank you to the support of our corporate sponsors and guest presenters who made the conference the success that it was. It goes without saying, Ian, Bev

and Geoff the driving force behind the organization of the event certainly delivered over the 2 days…well done.

With October and November ahead of us, the committee is securing presenters and venues to bring the year to a close. I continue to encourage all hotel engineers that have not attended one of our meetings to consider coming along. The networking and calibre of presenters can only benefit us in the management of our hotels. It’s a small world and an even smaller city we work in, you never know what that next project or breakdown will bring, I can say…. someone out there has done it before, that is where the beauty of networking comes in. On that note, thank you to our engineers and corporate regulars that have been supporting our meetings so far this year. I look forward to seeing you again when we meet later this month.

David Zammit President AIHE Victoria Chapter david.zammit@hyatt.com

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WESTERN AUSTRALIA Greetings from the WA Chapter The June meeting was held at the Mercure Hotel Perth with guest speaker Simon Ho from Dalkia who presented on chiller efficiency and optimisation strategies for new and existing central plant.

The meeting was well attended with over 25 members and we appreciate Bill Boseley-Chief Engineer for his hospitality.

We held over our July meeting, but in August, 12 members from the Western Australian chapter attended the conference on the Gold Coast and what a success it was.

It was a credit to the QLD team who hosted the most successful conference we have attended.

I also have to thank Ian Knox-HFM Asset Management and Jenny Campbell-Encycle for presenting at the conference on behalf of WA. As for the rest of what happened over the two days I’m sure Ian Crookston will write about that in more detail, but what I can say for those who didn’t make it, you missed an informative and well organised conference relevant to the hospitality industry.

In late August we held our annual dinner/show function at Friends restaurant at the Hyatt Regency Perth Hotel.

The evening was themed the best of British which included impersonators John Lennon, Rod Stewart and Freddie Mercury.

Everyone enjoyed the night with 60 members and partners in attendance.

I would like to welcome some new members to the WA Chapter: Alinta Energy Assist, Omega Power Equipment, BCA consultants, Perrott painting, Lamp replacements, Viran Yapa (Engineer-Novotel Perth Langley).

The Western Australian chapter continues to sponsor an apprentice award with the Master Plumbers & Gasfitters Association of WA | Master Painters Australia WA Association | MPA Skills Training & Employment.

This award will be presented to two pre apprentices each quarter for the most improved and most safety conscious. Each winning pre apprentice will receive a $100 voucher from the institute.

In closing I urge all General Mangers of hotels to encourage there engineers to join and make use of the networking advantages of the AIHE. Regards Tony Fioraso President AIHE Western Australia

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QUEENSLAND The July meeting saw around 30 members meet in Brisbane at the Riverside Hotel for a three course dinner followed by presentations from Clipsal, Clevertronics and Philips Lighting.

Dawn Portor, QLD Account Manager of Philips, provided an overview of the latest releases of LED lighting. Dawn explained that the Australian industry has recognized the economy of the future is low carbon.The commencement of the carbon price scheme has reinforced that low carbon solutions are here to stay.

With lighting accounting for around 20% of the world’s electricity consumption any improvement in the energy efficiency of lighting is a step in the right direction. Dawn featured the latest offering for the industry segment, including LEP highbay, highbay sensors and LED baton lights all providing a longer life and energy savings of up to 30%.

Included in the display were the dimmable Master LED range but Dawn also explained that real dimming performance depends on the dimmer type.

Clevertronics provided an insight to the changes in the 2006 building code of Australia. In May 2006 the Building code picked up the new emergency lighting standards and changes to emergency exit

signs. Requirements included the word “Exit” to be replaced with the “Running Person” pictograph and the permitted sizes of exit signs, along with the corresponding viewing distances. Amy Tuner explained that if you are replacing existing exit signs the appropriate “Exit” or “Running Person” sign should be used so that there is not mixed signage down the same egress path. Clevertronic’s solution to replacing signage is in their one box. Each coming with Exit & Pictograph inserts allowing you to cover all your requirements regardless of what standard you need. Displayed also were Clevertronics “Lifelight – Pro” emergency light which has a D50 spacing classification in an unobtrusive luminaire.

3 W LED light output is tamper resistant and no dome required. Has a 60% smaller battery size to conventional quartz helogen fittings.

James Costello the National Manager – Hospitality Segment Clipsal Integrated System, enlightened all members present on Clipsal’s range of Mini Circuit Breakers – MCB, Residual Current Devices – safety switch – RCCB, Main Switches, Accessories and how to get technical information on any of your electrical equipment needs.

The night concluded with thanks and appreciation to all the presenters for their time and providing such a great deal of information.

The 2012 AIHE Update Conference was held in August at the QT Hotel in Surfers Paradise.

All that attended the two day conference were provided an abundance of information from not just the eight excellent presenters

who covered topics from Waste Management, OH&S legislation changes, new Carbon charges and management, NABER ratings to in room technology.There were also the great range of products and services demonstrated throughout the trade booths and exhibitions.

After the first day there was a pool party that night with drinks and finger food. Entrance was a gold coin donation collected by two of the lovely girls from Surf Life Savers. During the evening a trivia quiz was sponsored by Clipsal and answers were able to be purchased from the girls by further donations into their collection tins. Over $500 was collected throughout the evening to a very worthy charity and some great prizes provided to the winning team also donated by Clipsal.

The second day had the final trade display period and afternoon tea. It then required a great effort by all the booth sponsors to bump out in time for the area to be set up for the Gala dinner. Great prizes were also drawn and given away by many booth sponsors from card collections during the two days. Special thanks were given by the Qld President on behalf of all the AIHE to both the speakers, delegates and trade sponsors for attending the conference and acknowledging the distance travelled to attend. Acknowledgement was made to Qld Chapter’s committee for all the efforts in making the conference such a success and special recognition to Bev Alan for her outstanding contribution.

Ian Crookston President AIHE QLD Chapter

Visit our website at

www.aihe.com.au

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2012 AIHE UPDATE CONFERENCE EXHIBITORS

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AMPAC TECHNOLOGIES

BLYGOLD

CARMODY GROUP/PHILIPS DYNALITE

CLIPSAL

DOMETIC

DULUX

GET COMPLIANCE

HARVEY NORMAN COMMERCIAL

HOBART FOOD EQUIPMENT

JEM AUSTRALIA

MYSMART

POOLWERX

PROGRAMMED MAINTENANCE

PURE WATER SYSTEMS

ROCHELE PAINING

2012 AIHE UPDATE CONFERENCE EXHIBITORS

SAE GROUP

SITA

SMART COOL SYSTEMS

SMART HOTEL SOLUTIONS

SAFETY & RISK ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS

SUITE CONTROL

SURJIO CEANEE

TAUBMANS PAINTS

TECHNOLOGY 4 HOTELS

THERMOSCAN

USHER & SON

VINGCARD ELSAFE

VINTECH SYSTEMS

WATT UTILITIES

WATTYL GROUP

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Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative WENDY HIRD | GREENBRIAR CONSULTING

A new international guideline was launched on 12 June 2012 to provide consistency in how hotels report carbon emissions to clients.

You are somebody’s scope 3.

Scope 3 emissions are emissions emitted by someone else on your behalf. A hotel reporting Scope 3 emissions might include: electrical transmission losses, the emissions to grow and transport the food you use in restaurants and embedded emissions in the water provided by the water utility.

In a similar fashion you provide a service to people and corporations.

So a corporate executive who stays in your hotel may wish to report, as part of their corporation’s Scope 3, their share of the emissions expended by your hotel on their behalf.

Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative (HCMI 1.0) The International Tourism Partnership (ITP) and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), with a working group of the major chains, have issued a guideline for how to calculate and report hotel carbon emissions in a format suitable for reporting as a corporation’s scope 3.

• kg CO2-e/ guest room • kg CO2-e/ conference room area/hour This way, all hotels world-wide could produce a carbon footprint to the same guidelines.

Part of this guideline’s intent is that it is used when corporations request information about your conference and guest room facilities.

Will it make a difference in winning conferences?

Maybe – along with other factors like the price, menu options, the choice of facilities, location and distance etc.

Put it this way. Given that the majority of hotel emissions are due to electricity, and that the emission factor for electricity in Tasmania is 1/3 to 1/4 that of the other states, if this was a real issue in selecting a conference facility, everyone would go to Tasmania for their conferences. It may make a difference within a city. Only time will tell.

Consider it more a reporting system. It assures the international corporations that report scope 3 emissions – and they are a growing market – that the information provided by a hotel is consistent with other information they are receiving by other hotels around the world.

Why do we need a new guideline?

Two hotels of similar facilities and similar occupancy would report completely different carbon emission if one was only reporting Scope 1 and 2, and the other reported Scope 1, 2, and 3, eg see chart 1.

If one hotel outsourced its laundry and didn’t report those Scope 3 emissions, it would appear a better, more carbon efficient hotel, than the other, which had an in-house laundry.

If the market wants to use carbon emissions as a major factor in decision making, there is now a standardised reporting system for carbon emissions for hotels.

Can I use it to compare hotels’ efficiency?

The guide is suitable for all hotels and resorts, regardless of size and facilities, so comparison between different hotels

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using this figure without a great deal of knowledge about the hotels in question would be nonsensical. A 400 room hotel with 5 restaurants, 3 bars and 4 pools should have a much higher carbon footprint per room then a simpler 40 room hotel with similar occupancy rates but limited ancillary facilities.

It would be best to use this as a suitable metric to track your own efficiency only.

For comparison between Australian hotels, NABERS is a better bet, as it goes to a great deal of effort to only compare apples

with apples. However NABERS is limited to business hotels that fit a very tight criteria. www.nabers.gov.au

Where can I get a copy?

You can download a copy of the Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative (HCMI 1.0) at the link below. It includes the guideline, worked examples and spreadsheet toolkit. http://www.wttc.org/activities/environment/ hotel-carbon-measurement-initiative/ Warning 1 – the supplied spreadsheets have non-Australian Emission Factors. You

Laundry

Laundry

Laundry

Scope 2 Laundry

Scope 2 Scope 3

Scope 1

Hotel with in-house laundry

Scope 3 Scope 1

Hotel with outsourced laundry

need to review the spreadsheet supplied to install the appropriate Australian Emission Factors for electricity, gas etc from the National Greenhouse Account Factors (NGA) http://www.climatechange.gov.au/ publications/greenhouse-acctg/nationalgreenhouse-factors.aspx Warning 2 – these NGA are updated annually, and while most emission factors don’t change, the electricity emission factor generally will.

How often do I update?

The intent is for the footprint to be worked out annually, so the figure you quote going forward is based on last year’s emissions and occupancy. The figure should be based on a full 12 month period unless you have exceptional circumstances like major refurbishment. For those hotels who already report NGERS data, you can fit this in with your current reporting schedule.

Will this replace other reporting scheme, NGERs etc.

No! Sorry. This won’t replace any existing carbon emissions reporting you currently undertake for either your corporation or for required or regulated government reporting.

Worked example in guideline* Hotel carbon footprint

1611 t CO2-e annually

Fine tune the carbon footprint

No adjustment

How many occupied rooms per year?

50,300 sold + 200 comp – 500 no shows = 50,000 occupied rooms

Work out rooms and conference space area

Guest rooms

Conference rooms

Area

4080 m2

1360 m2

%

75%

25%

Split the TOTAL hotel emissions into the same ratio

75% of 1611 = 1208 t CO2-e

25% of 1611 = 403 t CO2-e

Calculate separate room and conference area emissions.

1208/50,000 = 0.0242 t CO2-e/room = 24.2 kg CO2-e/room

403/(365 days*10hrs/day) = 0.1103 t CO2-e/area/hr 110.3 kg CO2-3/area/hr

* To avoid confusion I have just copied the guideline example, which calculated using USA emission factors.

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Client has asked for 25 rooms for nights

25*3*24.2 =1815 kg CO2-eO2-e

Meeting room for 10 hrs, meeting room is 100m2 of the total 1360m2 conference space

110.3*10*100/1360 = 81.1 kg CO2-e

Total carbon emission for stay

1896 kg CO2-e

This guideline is aimed at providing a consistent and standardised worldwide carbon emissions reporting for your guests.

However for those who are already reporting carbon emissions, if you plan it right you can add this onto your current system without too much extra effort.

Do I need to do this?

• Have you ever had a client ask about the carbon emissions per room or conference room?

• Does your sales or head office ever see that happening in the future?

• Do marketing think providing this information will give you a marketing advantage over other hotels in your area that don’t provide this information?

If no to all the above, then, “No! You don’t have to do it.”

However, my previous articles have talked about how just trying to calculate your carbon emission can reveal ways you can be more efficient, so think about it.

How does it work?

1. Calculate the carbon emission for the entire hotel complex (pool, golf courses, restaurants, bars etc.) Typical would include • scope 1: fuels use, gas use, fugitive HVAC emissions • scope 2: purchased electricity • scope 3: ONLY outsourced laundry, no other scope 3 is to be included. This is to account for the fact that laundry is a big consumer of energy and hotels should not be disadvantaged for doing laundry in-house.

2. Fine tune the carbon footprint • Remove ‘non normal’ emissions, ie excessive electricity due to renovation or construction etc.

• Remove carbon emissions from private spaces – private rooms, or on-site staff accommodation.

This can be done on a percentage basis. eg. If private space is 10% of all space, remove 10% of all emissions.

F F F F F

F F

Be Impressed

F F F F

3. How many occupied rooms per year?

• Occupied rooms per year = rooms booked + complimentary rooms – no shows.

4. Pools, restaurants and plants room all featured in how the carbon footprint was obtained. But the KPI is only dependent on the area of the guest rooms and the conference rooms.

• What is the total area of guest rooms (including hallways)?

• What is the total area of conference rooms (including fall-out/mingle area)?

• What is the percentage of each?

5. Split the total hotel emissions between the guest room and conference rooms area in the same ratio.

6. Carbon emissions per room = total emissions due to guest rooms occupied rooms 7. Carbon emissions for the conference room area/hr = total emissions due to conference rooms/(365 days ×10 hrs a day). ■

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HOTEL ENGINEERING – the evolution continues NEIL WEENINK

Old Arnold who taught us in middle school said that every story should have a clear beginning, middle and ending, and we said what happens if the beginning was uncertain and the ending hadn’t happened yet? Boys, says old Arnold, fudge the ends and just write about the middle!

S

O HERE WE GO. The Evolution Continues. The ends of the story are indeed a bit murky, but the middle is of our time and we do know something about that!

A note on the title Hotel Engineer and by extension Chief of Hotel Engineering. For sure there were few degree chaps down below, but in general we had surfaced through some form of certification, be it Marine, or City and Guilds, or a higher Leaving Certificate; some form of technical certification milord, the emphasis always being on matters Technical.

OK. In 1955 I was at sea on the old Port Quebec about 3 days out of New York; there was quite a bit of fog and then our skipper noticed a shape in the gloom. “ What ship are you?” he hailed, and then so help me, three powerful deck lamps show up on three gigantic funnels. It was the Queen Mary.

We were not to know that at that time and place she was passing her sister ship the Queen Elizabeth inward bound from Southampton; and that less than 10 years later, a signal would be received by both these old giants of the sea, ‘Return to home port.

This is your final voyage.’

Incredibly sad, but it was all over. The jet airliner had arrived: the new Boeing 707 had effectively ended the golden years of trans Atlantic travel on these and other magnificent ocean liners.

Frank Whittle, the brilliant young RAF engineer and father of the turbojet engine, like many great engineers both before and since, had a heck of a job changing mind-sets of stuck in the mud conservative thinkers [reflect on Parsons’ turbine, and Carrier’s rotary compressor].

Whittle in pioneering the jet powered aircraft age, had effectively killed off the leisurely Blue Ribbon period of travel by sea, and opened the new era of affordable international travel by air, and significantly, the era of international tourism. Without which colleagues, we may not be here today.

With petrol at that time around 20 cents a US gallon that’s 3.8 litres for those who have forgotten], it seemed we were all set for a golden age…..

THE MIDDLE PERIOD Willis Havilland Carrier and his iconic water chiller, a key module in the post WW2 period together with Thompson’s boilers, Ingersoll Rand’s pumps and the wretched pneumatic based controls of Honeywell [which to this day cause twitches at the thought] were all a part of it.

Never forgetting the elevators of Elisha Otis, without which buildings would no doubt still cap at 5 floors, cities would be huge beyond imagination, and no doubt on the other hand, our physical health would be vastly improved from what it is today!

My first Chief Engineer Martin M Maloney, bless his departed soul, would never take a lift when he could gallop up a stair well.

To this cast of characters then, add the post-war school of Architects who in general also work in sealed aircraft like cells [with total reliance on the fellow who configured the amount of fresh air both they and we are permitted] and you have the picture.

A sealed building, the height of which is governed by gravity, and a controllable internal environment. Oh Mavis it was fun. We had it

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all. From White boiler suites and caps to 20 plus staff in Engineering; and we had time. Time to use our skills and to feel proud of what we did.

But then came the oil crisis in 1975. And with this, came the end of another era. We were in Dhaka Bangladesh. I was CE of the Intercontinental Hotel and the country was in the grips of famine.

Henry Kissinger the US Secretary of State at the time came through on his way back from a secret visit to open the US/China talks. [You may recall the Richard Nixon ping-pong diplomacy period.]

Henry called Bangladesh ‘A basket case.’ Which at the time it surely was. There was no hard currency, and my wife used to trek down to India to bring back engineering bits for us that she informed the Customs office were parts for her hair drier.

In the hotel the head Electrician manually rewound motors, and heaven help anyone interfering with his ‘counting of turns,’ while the head painter, with his back turned, ‘fixed the paint’ with no one permitted to witness his secrets of colour matching.

But the oil and cash crisis was biting. Sir Thomas Hambleton our GM had to quit as did my immaculately attired Bengali assistant. First time I had to fire a member of staff who just happened to be of the wrong political persuasion, and would not bribe a back yard dealer for oil to run our emergency plant. We lived in interesting times Mavis. But I ramble…

ENERGY CONSERVATION In the mid 1970’s the world began to reassert itself and I began to take stock of my engineering experience in the global Hotel industry. First off had to be the very serious matter of energy conservation, [and what the heck was this?] and in 1979 I wrote an 85-page treatise for my then employer Continental Airlines [Hotels Division].

In Churchillian terms the VP Hotels ‘Whiskey Hotel Charley’ [alias William Herbert Charlock] signaled to all managers: ‘Do this – with immediate effect!’

Amazingly, the most basic items were approved, and seized with enthusiasm. Like – Turn guest room fan coil units off when windows are opened. Make sure no one is taking water down stream from your meter. And insulate all hot water pipes and heaters.

Out in the field we had not given energy a thought in the proceeding 2000 yrs! It all came from timber or coal didn’t it? And there’s plenty of that Mavis. Right?

From which developed the new Leaning Curve. Energy in the form we had been taught was not finite [despite any 19th Century Laws] and we had better darn well take notice. In retrospect, it may be that GM’s on this new imperative spent the wee hours in telephonic discussion with their fellow Bean Counters between properties, but certainly we Hotel Engineers did not.

Although the need was unprecedented, Hotel Engineers had no common platform to discuss and formulate the new thinking. Until that is, I had a word with Frank Seay the then VP Engineering of Intercontinental Hotels, and with this, Hotel Engineers began to exchange information – in reams!

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Most major Hotel Chains had run annual Management Conferences from the 1930’s. But ye Gods – a Quarterly for Engineers? Next thing they’ll be wanting a seat at Executive meetings, somebody said aghast…

A DIRECTIONAL CHANGE? There is no doubt that the Tentacles of Change continue to seek new footholds in building design and services through persistent factors of legislation and financial flux. All these matters effecting Engineering planning through tighter budgets, reduced staffing; and further influenced by increased Strata Title governance resulting in multi Body Corporate segmentation.

Oh interesting times Mavis, but we do have concern for the longterm maintenance and preservation of hotel systems and fixtures.

One direct result of reducing hotel maintenance staff is the increase in contracted maintenance arrangements. Maintenance contracts or ‘contracting out’ is almost always necessary to complement an engineering department that is undersized. Which in our most recent visits to hotels is much the case.The potential advantages of Contract Maintenance are largely self evident, however, as the Evolution continues, we should reiterate the potential disadvantages of plant maintenance under Contractual Agreement. These would include: • Escalation in total costs where Engineering’s monitoring or control is minimal.

• Engineering’s failure to negotiate best cost for the service.

• Unavailability of engineering staff for other tasks.

• Loss of control over Contractual staff – security, attitude, identity with the property.

• Loss of contact with the needs of the facility.

• Loss of continuity at contract’s termination.

A CONTINUOUS COMMISSIONING PROCESS Up front and centre however, is the primary necessity to embrace the technology which has the real potential to obviate many of the deficiencies of the past, and critically, our failure to recognize the essential requirement for a Continuous Commissioning Process.

[Oh Mavis was I not hammering this one it seems only yesterday but in fact was 10 years back.]

In short, a holistic approach to the energy and maintenance history of the buildings and plant we are responsible for; developing a Plan embracing whole systems.

For example the central AC plant: the greatest user of energy in modern buildings. Cooling Towers will benefit from direct driven Permanent-magnet drive fans, the condenser water will benefit from centrifugal gunk separators, and by fitting superheat condensers, the electrical load will surely reduce. This is a continuing numbers game or, if you will, a Continuing Commissioning Upgrade.

TEN MEGA FORCES KPMG is one of the largest professional services networks in the world, and one of the Big Four auditors many hotel chains use.

In The Australian newspaper February 24 this year, KPMG referred to a spate of reports and studies that suggest the greatest long-term

investment risk will not come from clean-energy technologies, but from banking on business as usual.

KPMG lists 10 “mega forces” which could derail business growth during the next two decades in an increasingly resource-constrained world. These are: • Climate change • Water scarcity • Growing populations • Deforestation • Energy supply volatility • Material resource scarcity • Wage inflation • Urbanisation • Food security and • Ecosystem decline.

What has this got to do with us? Everything. There was a time when this kind of material was the exclusive provenance of the upper deck; Executive Meetings to which hotel engineers were not a part of, nor indeed wished to be part of.

Fast forward Mavis, those times have changed, or darned well should have.

For what happens out there directly affects the cost of hotel operations; it always did, but now it happens a little faster, and with respect to Al Gore, this too has become An Inconvenient Truth.

THE PERSISTENT ENERGY FACTOR Maybe we cannot do much about Growing Populations or Urbanisation, but we can do something about energy in its many guises. Not only the satisfaction of running HL&P systems at optimum performance, but doing our bit to conserve nonrenewable energy sources.

But the spectre of increasing levels of global warming adds to this challenge; howsoever, if one puts one against the other, by reducing energy at the coal face so to speak, we reduce emissions and so reduce that wretched hole in the Ozone Layer: an amazing protection shield in the Stratosphere, a mere 10 to 30 miles above the Earth. We created this hole, so we have a serious responsibility to make good the damage for the benefit of our siblings and their’s and their’s.

In August 2001 we held the Update Conference at Conrad Jupiters where I gave a paper on Global Warming, Hotel Engineering, and The Unfinished Business. Apart from NASA changing direction, and for the first time in history a private corporation sending a shuttle to the Space Station, and the amazing landing of the curiously beautiful Curiosity landing on Mars, the unfinished business is pretty much the same. And you can get very philosophical about this!

I recall the day the head of Meridian Hotels called me with the words Neil, what is this CFC business, what does it mean and what do we do about it? Thereby colleagues lies the knowledge gap between technicians and the rest. And I doubt if my great friend Joules Prevost to this day fully understands the magnitude of his question.

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BUT BACK TO THE STORY… Colleagues, there is much to be done as the Evolution Continues.

We owe it to the many who came before. “On the shoulders of giants” so it is said. Faraday gave us Induction but how many kitchens use this principal? No burnt fingers, no added cooling load – only traditional Chefs who seem to have a stranglehold on Management.

Willis Carrier also developed the AHU to reduce the size of his early Weathermaker machines. His Psychometric charts are still used today and we are able to truly use the AHU as Carrier envisaged – with air quality temperature, humidity and cleanliness for whichever purpose desired. It is, however, unfortunate that the pre-heat and or re-heat coils are generally the first to be isolated when AHU operating costs are in question. The nose picks up the all too familiar smell of decay in air-conditioned spaces as a direct consequence.

THE GREEN PLANET In beginning the wrap up of this paper, [thank heavens says Ian Crookston!] I would comment on the Colour Green as now seen on just about anything you happen to look at. I have 5 business cards on my desk as I write, all highly respected international firms, all on the Fortune 500 list, and all now have the colour green to some degree mixed into their renowned logos.

Heck I say to myself, if these fellows are now sitting at the same table as the science lads, and just a wee bit of time past would not walk the same track together, then we should sit up and reshape our thinking.

First up must be the optimum use of the oil/gas energy in use. Heat reclaim methodology undoubtedly will need to be factored. No point in allowing heat/energy loss if we can recoup. In conventional electricity generation only 35% of the energy potential contained in the fuel is converted on average into electricity, whilst the rest is lost as waste heat. Even the most advanced technologies do not convert more than 55% of fuel into useful energy…

Cogeneration uses both electricity and heat and therefore can achieve an efficiency of up to 90%, giving energy savings between 15–40% when compared with the separate production of electricity from conventional power stations…

And what about double bundled chiller condensers providing superheat energy where 30 degrees warm water for space heating or preheating hot water is obtainable?

ENOUGH!!

And so to the end of the story as Arnold would have put it. For we Hotel Engineers I do believe it may be a new beginning in the Evolution of Hotel engineering. A holistic approach to plant as opposed to individual scrutiny/control circumspection.

The whole as opposed to the singular. To this add the design parameters, the as-built outcomes, the as-commissioned data, and you have a positive feedback to optimum conditions of plant operation 24-7!! In reality there are intriguing questions here as there always will be with new information technology, seemingly floating up there in the wide blue yonder.

So what do you all think of the above, Hotel Engineers and those many who support the Hospitality Industry which is one of, if not the largest business on the planet.

GUARANTEED TO SAVE 15-35% ON YOUR GUESTROOM HVAC EXPENSE www.energy-eye.com “The Energy Eye System is currently being installed for the automatic in Room Control of our HVAC and Lights.

The system works well and helps us achieve our total savings goals”…..

Gladstone Forbes Engineering Manager – Park Hyatt Melbourne

Smart Hotel Solutions

And to conclude. You will recall that commercial buildings across the planet are responsible for a huge slice of all available energy, and that air conditioning, be it heating or cooling of these buildings, is the principle user. Then hear this from an article in the AIRAH journal Ecolibrium May 2012: Chilled water plant and design seems to be somewhat of a dying art. Or if not disappearing, certainly not as warmly embraced as it should be. The base cause of this lack of expertise goes back to the 1990’s when we had the recession we had to have. We sacked a generation, and that generation wasn’t there to train the next…

And lastly there is this: Hotel Department Head positions are changing with changes in responsibilities. Who would ever have conceived that Hotel Engineering, the historically cost centered department should be expected to produce a profit within the rules of engagement of Strata Titled properties?

And who knows what the revered bean counters will enable tomorrow?

Colleagues and friends, we do indeed live in interesting times, never quite knowing where the future may be. But for absolute certain, there are massive challengies ahead, and we in Hotel Engineering will be ready. You can bet on it!!

Authorized Australian Distributor

Tel: 1 300 796 471 www.smartsol.com.au

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I wish you all good luck!

Neil Weenink FAIHE, MASHRAE, MAIRAH.

A Rebate for Replacing Your Old Downlights?

SCOTT GRACIE | MEGAMAN LIGHTING

In Victoria the Government rebate scheme for replacing halogens with LED is called VEET (Victorian Energy Efficiency Target) and its benefits extend beyond a rebate.

S

ince the MEPS program was initiated for the quality control of fluorescent lamps, a similar program has been needed to police the import of LED lamps into the Australian market. Whilst programs such as VEET were not solely implemented for such a purpose, one side effect of the program is ensuring we are not ‘led’ astray by overzealous sales people and their creative packaging and marketing and is a good way to separate the ‘home show’ award winners from the internationally tried and tested commercial quality product.

Most LED lamps appear to perform miracles at first glance and is something we have all come to expect because of the amount of research, development and resources being used to produce the highest output at the lowest wattage.

Shortly after journeying down the LED path, often confusion follows, leading to the result of most people leaving it to see what someone else will do, but using the VEET scheme under Schedule 21 for good quality product, eliminates the nasty imports.

The VEET program can be shaped to suit your individual project, meaning you can use your own maintenance team if the appropriate measures have been taken or you can be given a turnkey solution as was recently carried out on the David Jones project nationally. This involved a team changing the lamps at night; store by store. Certain companies are even offering free installation and covering their costs by taking part of the rebate. This flexibility within the program ensures the smoothest possible transition to LED for the best possible peace of mind that you are installing a good product.

VEET Schedule 21 & 34 – So what are they & how do I get the rebate?

Schedule 21 – offers the best quality LED lamps for retail, hotel, project based

and residential applications (check with your LED manufacturer for approved applications).

Under this schedule the LED lamps are going into Melbourne homes and Hotels thus the product needs to adhere to very strict guidelines including verified lab testing and lifetime reports. It also has to meet all safety and electrical regulations for the Australian market.

When it comes time for the rebate, however, schedule 21 offers the easiest solution of only having to sign a form.

The halogen lamps are then picked up for the required recycling once the LED lamps have been installed.

Schedule 34 – provides the retail and project based applications (not residential or living areas) with a suitable LED but may not be of the same quality as those approved under schedule 21 as the requirements for product approval are only based on product safety and EMC, nothing else. Due to the ease in which an LED can be approved under schedule 34, getting your rebate involves a great deal more work and is more costly. For both schedules, there are certain LED lamps and projects that you can and can’t use; you will need to consult with your approved lamp manufacturer.

The following describes in detail the requirements of LED approval for schedule 21 & 34 proving that a good LED is more

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than just how bright it is or the name on the packaging. In the end it’s up to the end user to choose what type of product, price, and quality suits the project.

Remember, the end user does not need to get any product approved; this is already done for you.

Schedule 21 Used for: Retail shops, hotels/motels, residential homes.

Rebate creation process: Fill in and sign the form provided.

Lamps picked up for required recycling.

Testing & reports required: Detailed lab reports required (a report just from the chip manufacturer is not sufficient).

Lifetime report (approved lifetime testing method reports only).

Efficacy (how many lumens the lamp produces divided by wattage).

Electrical safety approvals for 240v lamps (Such as SAA).

Lumen output (raw output of the LED lamp).

EMC compatibility approvals for 240v lamps (such as ACMA).

Power factor (used if the lamp is 240v such as with a GU10 base or if there is a driver/transformer).

Compatibility information (The transformers and dimmers with which the lamps have been tested).

Power consumption (How many watts the lamp is using including the driver/transformer if used).

Schedule 34

Lamp life (There must be a minimum of units tested, not just one on a test bench).

Colour temperature (Colour range of the whiteness of the LED chip being used).

Used for: Commercial applications and projects.

Rebate creation process: Lighting consultant required, ceiling plan, measurements and photographs taken before and after the project is completed.

KOALA LAMPS

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LED lamps in this category have not had to undergo the stringent approval process as in schedule 21.

As long as you have safety and EMC approvals for Australia, then the product will most likely be approved but the process to create a rebate is much different.

Testing & reports required: Electrical safety approvals for 240v lamps, drivers or transformers (such as SAA).

EMC compatibility approvals for 240v lamps, drivers or transformers (such as ACMA).

The facts and fallacy about LED lamps and why lamp approval for Schedule 21 is strict.

Wattage is the biggest cause of confusion when it comes to LED lamps as it is not only to do with the output of the lamp or how bright it is, wattage is how much power/electricity the lamp is using.

Do not compare LED lamps by wattage alone as it doesn’t make sense, it is an unrealistic measurement.

LED lamp specifications are often taken only from the LED chip manufacturer and not measured with the chip in its housing as a complete lamp. Measuring performance this way makes it look as though the lamp as a whole is performing much better than it really is.

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Lumens or Candela? A GLS style lamp where the light comes out from all around the lamp is measured in lumens. Reflector lamps where all the lumens have been taken and shaped into a beam is measured in candela. Measuring directional lamps in lumens is like measuring how fast a car is going by how much it weighs and is inaccurate. If your LED downlight supplier has lumen (lm) measurements alone for their reflector lamps, it generally means the proper lab testing has not been performed and their stated values are incorrect or falsely advertised. There is no precise mathematical conversion formula between lumens and candela.

Generally transformers and drivers lifetime does not last as long as the LED lamp. Make sure warranties also cover drivers or transformers being used.

Next time you are told that “these are the best and brightest LED lamps” ask if they are approved under Schedule 21 of the VEET Scheme, and if they are a Lighting Council member, and if not, be wary.

LED products under the VEET scheme have been approved since December 2011, so get started now, it’s not as complicated as you might be lead to believe.

Contact Scott Gracie at Megaman Lighting on 0412 626 596.

Email: scott@megamanlighting.com.au Web: www.megamanlighting.com.au ■

NABERS – Where Can it Help my Hotel IAN KNOX | HPM ASSET MANAGEMENT

The topic of environmental management is so prevalent in the modern building that it is sometimes difficult to know what processes and advice to take. The issue is complex and is often “Over Marketed” and confuses the consumer, the practitioner, the politician and the operator. There are so many schemes, products, gadgets and opinions in the market place that the hotel market and other sectors of industry are unsure as to what direction and guidance to follow.

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ithin the commercial sector in Australia, the Federal Government has made significant progress in trying to provide guidance to building owners on relevant “Environmental Rating Schemes” that allow the building owner / manager to better understand where his building measures up on environmental issues and actually performs in the scheme of things.

The issue within the Hotel sector is quite confusing for the hotelier in knowing what measurement or scheme is relevant to his or her hotel. Some of the listed and marketed schemes include: Green Globe (International Hotel Industry) NABERS (Federal Government System) Greenstar (Australian Private Certification-Design Tool) Green Globes (American Accreditation System) PLUS OTHERS Hotels attempt to market relevant environmental accreditation based on their local, state, federal or international position.

A large proportion of the Australian Hotel sector is made up of International chains, particularly in the 3, 4 and 5 star hotel sectors. Typically the larger brand names such as Hyatt, Sheraton, Hilton, Crown Plaza, Novotel, Ibis, Intercontinental hotels are international brands operating in the Australian hotel sector, who potentially measure and align their environmental

credentials with standards depending on where they are located or corporatized.

All of these groups, plus the Australian hotel brands place significant emphasis on marketing an environmental position such to attract business. Some do it well, some do it poorly and others essentially provide “Lip Service”. A large number of groups see it as a way of reducing costs and improving their bottom line, however, do not actually know where the best financial benefit exists.

The available environmental schemes all have a place in increasing awareness and generally getting the consumer, hotelier and owner to change his / her behavior in the area of Environmental Management.

The key to achieving genuine change is that of maintaining the process in a sustainable manner.

In Australia the Federal Government has adopted an Environmental Measurement System which it hopes over time can be used in a range of industries and facilities.

The system was originally deployed by the NSW government and was originally branded the ABGR System (Australian Building Greenhouse Rating Scheme. The scheme has subsequently evolved to a Environmental Rating Scheme known as NABERS (National Australian Building Environmental Rating System).

NABERS SCHEME NABERS is a national rating system that measures the environmental performance

of Australian buildings, tenancies and homes.

Put simply, NABERS measures the energy efficiency, water usage, waste management and indoor environment quality of a building or tenancy and its impact on the environment.

It does this by using measured and verified performance information, such as bills, that is converted into an easy to understand star rating scale from one to six stars. For example, a 6 star rating demonstrates market-leading performance, while a one star rating means the building or tenancy has considerable scope for improvement.

For over ten years, NABERS has helped property owners, managers and tenants across Australia to improve their sustainability performance, reaping financial benefits and building their reputation.

NABERS is managed nationally by the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, on behalf of Commonwealth, state and territory governments.

NABERS HISTORY • 1999 ABGR rating tool developed by SEDA (NSW) • 2002 Accredited Assessors Scheme Introduced • 2005 Government Rating Requirements introduced • 2008 NABERS Hotel Rating tool released • 2009 NABERS Retail Rating tool released

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• 2010 CBD Mandatory Disclosure Legislation Introduced for commercial buildings • Hotel Mandatory Disclosure???

NABERS RATING SCHEMES The NABERS rating scheme has evolved and the now covers a range of industry sectors including

Key Facts about the NABERS Rating Scheme • The only Federal Government Mandated Environmental Rating Scheme for commercial buildings • Historically Federal Efficiency Grant Based funding is directly linked to NABERS and no other scheme • Current Mandatory “Commercial Building Disclosure” is directly linked to the NABERS Rating tool

Offices

Hotels

Shopping Centres

Homes

The Benefits Of NABERS – Commercial Buildings

Energy

Energy

Energy

Energy

Water

Water

Water

Water

Waste

Future

Future

Future

Indoor Air Quality

Future?

Future?

Future?

Through the widespread use of NABERS, the Australian commercial property industry has gained a reputation as leading the world in the greening of its buildings and tenancies. Buildings with high NABERS ratings are now valued in the marketplace, attracting higher valuations, and enjoying lower operating costs.

FUTURE NABERS RATING TOOLS • Hospitals • Data centres • Schools Each of the NABERS Rating tools is designed to: • Provide a credible independent market-based benchmark • Communicate environmental performance through a simple star rating • Drive best practice through stretch targets to meet the needs of industry and achieve real positive environmental outcomes

NABERS is unique internationally in its approach to measuring the environmental impacts of buildings. It is the only environmental rating tool that provides a reliable benchmark of the actual environmental performance of a building compared to other Australian buildings.

Today, annual NABERS ratings are an essential component of the building management cycle for most commercial property portfolios. A high NABERS rating is recognised across the property industry as a symbol of sustainability leadership and good management.

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A NABERS rating allows businesses to improve operational efficiency and productivity, demonstrate their commitment to protect and conserve the environment as well as optimise the triple bottom line – financial, social and environmental outcomes.

NABERS FOR HOTELS A NABERS Rating scheme was developed for Hotels in 2008.

The scheme measures various KPI’s and is significantly different to the office and retail sector. The hotel rating scheme considers the following Key Performance Indicators: The scheme is limited to business style hotels, no resorts and no long stay apartment style hotels can be rated 1. Normalises the energy and water data to compare against other hotels 2. Star Rating (AAA Rating or self rating) 3. Number of rooms and availability 4. Laundry services (internal & external) 5. Conference room seats and availability 6. Surface area of heated pools and spas The primary measurements relate to energy and water consumption, however due to the complexity of the hotel’s energy usage, a series of additional secondary factors had to be considered, including AAA Star Rating, number of rooms available, laundry facilities, pools and conference facilities.

Generally speaking 5 star hotels will consume more energy and water than 2–3 star hotels due to nature of the services that they provide. The rating scheme considers these anomalies and provides a balanced 0–6 star performance rating on energy and water efficiency.

LEGISLATION – COMMERCIAL OFFICE SECTOR In 2010 the Federal government via the “Commercial Building Disclosure Act” CBD scheme legislated to enforce the introduction of performance base reporting within the commercial office sector.

Under the Building Energy Efficiency Disclosure Act 2010 (the Act*), there are mandatory obligations applicable to many commercial buildings. Most sellers or lessors of office space of 2,000 square

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metres or more are required to obtain and disclose a current Building Energy Efficiency Certificate (BEEC). A BEEC is comprised of: • NABERS Energy star rating for the building • An assessment of tenancy lighting in the area of the building that is being sold or leased and • General energy efficiency guidance • BEECs are valid for 12 months and must be publicly accessible on the online Building Energy Efficiency Register.

There has been a significant increase in awareness within the commercial sector in the last 2 years and building owners are now seeing the improvement in the valuation and yield within their building investments.

The Act, implemented through the Commercial Building Disclosure (CBD) program, forms part of a package of measures to encourage building energy efficiency developed by the Australian, state and territory governments. CBD is a national program to improve the energy efficiency of Australia’s largest office buildings and is managed by the Australian Government Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency.

The NABERS Rating scheme has been operating for some time and there has been a different awareness level within the commercial sectors where the tool has been deployed. The data below clearly demonstrates the awareness differences between sectors and the influence that Federal Legislation has on the performance measurement of commercial buildings.

NABERS RATING STATISTICS 2011-2012 Office Shopping Centres Hotels

1258 50 21

It is clear that the interest in the NABERS Rating Scheme is low within the Hotel Industry within Australia.

Summary There is some work to be done in increasing the awareness of the NABERS scheme within the hotel sector. Further correspondence and liaison with the Hotel industry is clearly required to encourage greater interest in the Federal Government NABERS Environmental Rating system. ■

KEEPING A GRIP ON WIRELESS

BY PETER SWANSON & JEFF MACKENZIE

T

here’s something seductive about the concept of wireless systems.

Think of the freedom, you can roam anywhere, no longer constrained by cables, power outlets or that annoying adapter cable you left on the desk in the office. Wireless systems have gradually come to encompass much of our modern technological life. Phones, 2-way radios, pagers, PDAs, tablets, laptops, microphones, signage systems, touch panel controls, asset tracking systems, security swipes, presentation tools… you name it and chances are that these days there’s a wireless option for it.

Which is great, except for the fact that the same “magic” of the invisible lead that connects your wireless device to its host also makes it very hard to visualise, conceptualise, monitor and ultimately manage that wireless environment. It’s easy to think of wireless systems as making you free like a bird, but the reality is that there are many panes of glass waiting for you to crash into unexpectedly.

Firstly, while there is little discussion of it (because it’s complicated), there is a finite spectrum in which wireless devices can operate. Not only is it finite, but it’s crowded, and getting worse all the time.

The graphic on the next page shows the wireless spectrum and how many subdivisions there are for different services here in Australia.

In Australia, the agency responsible for managing access to portions of the wireless spectrum is the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). www.acma.gov.au Wireless spectrum is in such high demand that exclusive allocations are extremely

rare, particularly in areas of high population density. Like other finite resources, spectrum has economic value. Commercial operations such as mobile phone service providers and broadcasters pay millions of dollars in license fees for the right to use the spectrum they require to deliver their services. At the same time there are hundreds of thousands of consumer level devices such as garage door openers, baby monitors, WiFi, Blue tooth wireless audio & video devices that also require access to spectrum to operate.

Clearly it is not economically viable for operators of such consumer devices to compete with large corporates for access to spectrum. To cater for these devices the ACMA has created several “license free” spectrum bands exclusively for consumer devices. Think of these bands as public park land, protected by zoning laws from commercial development in a big city. Plus in some limited instances radio regulations permit secondary devices to share spectrum with a primary user if the probability of interference to the primary user is very low.

By far the most heavily populated “license free” band is the 2.4GHz ISM (industrial, Scientific & medical) devices band. Originally set for microwave ovens, now home for a plethora of devices including WiFi (wireless networks), Blue Tooth, various forms of remotes, and several hundred thousand microwave ovens! This band is so crowded that it is often colloquially referred to as “the garbage band”.

Interference and congestion is especially common in the 2.4GHz ISM (garbage) band due to the vast number of devices operating in this band. Obviously these issues will be worse in high population

density areas, or areas where people with WiFi enabled devices gather in large numbers. Anyone who has ever attempted to use a WiFi device at a major tech conference will probably have experienced the frustration of unreliable and / or slow connections. Probably the most high profile example of this was at the launch of the Apple iPhone 4 when Steve Jobs was unable to demonstrate key features of the phone because it could not maintain a network connection.

You can see a video of this presentation here http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=yoqh27E6OuU This is a great example of spectrum sharing gone bad. The issue was too many audience members running WiFi devices during the presentation. On stage Steve maintained his composure, however you can bet the situation back stage would have been very different!

Part of preventing those disasters is anticipating how many people might be accessing their i-Thingy in your conference room, or the odds of some of them deciding to download or stream video (a very intensive use of networks!)

It’s also important to understand that even if you have carefully allocated your services to different WiFi channels (as one example), these channels can still interfere with one another. WiFi “channels” are not like TV channels – there can actually be substantial overlap of signal between them. This is why many network designers will tell you to only rely on channels 1, 6 and 11 for example – as using these three with FIVE redundant channels between each gives you a good chance of having no channel-channel interference.

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Remember too, that while we’ve so far been talking about the challenges of having enough space in the spectrum to operate, there are also substantial challenges associated with transmitting radio waves even when there are not a vast number of competing signals. High frequency radio waves do not travel well through walls and large objects, particularly where these include substantial amounts of metal.

This factor can seriously complicate your network design and planning as it is not simply a matter of calculating a radius of coverage, rather you need an in depth understanding of the building’s current – and planned – structure.

On top of all these considerations, one of the biggest challenges currently facing the audio visual industry is the impending reallocation of spectrum used by wireless microphones. Wireless microphones share spectrum with TV broadcasters on a secondary user basis, meaning they may operate in the same spectrum space as long as they do not interfere with the primary user. I.e. do not cause interference to neighbours attempting to watch free to air television broadcasts. The two services

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have successfully cohabited for many years with very few instances of interference; however both services now face major changes to available spectrum due to the transition from analogue TV to digital TV. In short; Digital TV is much more spectrally efficient than analogue TV. Meaning that it can deliver the same level of service using less spectrum. This means that after transition some of the spectrum currently allocated to TV and wireless microphones can be auctioned off to alternate services requiring additional spectrum. The Australian government has put legislation in place to reallocate approximately 1/3rd of the spectrum currently used by TV / wireless microphones. This spectrum will be made available to telcos to roll out new 4G mobile services and is expected to raise around $4 billion at auction for the federal government. This windfall is referred to as the “digital dividend”.

Television broadcasters and operators of wireless microphones will be joint casualties of this change as any services currently operating within the excised portion of the band (694-820 MHz) will need to relocate to within the remaining portion of the TV

broadcast band (520 – 694 MHz). Industry sources suggest approximately 70 – 100,000 wireless microphone systems will need to relocate. Unfortunately the majority of these are not capable of simply retuning to the new range, nor is it economically viable to modify to do so. Essentially they will need to be replaced.

Timing for this change has not yet been formally announced, however based on the published timing for reallocation of the TV services; it’s most likely that all affected wireless microphone systems will need to relocate by 2015.

As can be expected, a change of this magnitude has created quite a bit of noise in the industry, including some “the sky is falling” type hysteria. Don’t believe the hype; yes it’s a big change, but it’s not the end of the world as we know it.

If you currently run an inventory of wireless microphones it is definitely time to start thinking about transitioning out of the digital dividend spectrum. Your first action should be to do an audit of your current systems, recording the frequency that currently operates on and their available tuning range.

Depending on the vintage of product you may not need to change all of your systems; only devices that currently operate between 694 – 820 MHz will need to change.

AWAG’s advice to those considering replacement / upgrade of wireless microphone systems is:

Beware of anyone who attempts to tell you ALL systems must change without doing an audit.

• Establish a relationship with a reputable AV supplier knowledgeable of the current situation.

Also beware of vendors / retails who attempt to tell you are particular brand or model is digital dividend ready or safe.

It’s not that simple. Remember TV has to reshuffle below 694 MHz also, and wireless microphones must squeeze in around these TV allocations. The planning work for the TV allocations is not yet complete. Only once this info is known can anyone give advice on available spectrum for wireless microphones with any certainty. Anyone who suggest otherwise is either; more interested in a quick sale than giving you the best solution, has failed to grasp the magnitude of the situation, or has a very good crystal ball!

• Do an audit of your current systems.

How big is YOUR problem?

• Do your research. The information is out there. Take time to read it.

You can take measures to control your environment. Depending on the size, importance and budget of your conference facilities you may wish to consider levels of radio frequency screening. This is not cheap, but is gaining more credence in high profile facilities of all sorts where the in-house wireless systems are critical to ongoing operations.

Likewise, you can also rent or buy spectrum analysis equipment that allows you to get a clear picture of what’s happening in your airspace. Once you know what your regular

baseline spectrum activity is, you can start to spot when unusual consumption or interference is taking place and then take action to identify and address this. Managing wireless spectrum usage is a challenging task and may be something that you wish to outsource both in terms of design and ongoing management.

The services of an AV consultant proficient in network design can be of great benefit during the design phase and having a properly structured Service Level Agreement with the system installer or another service provider can help you keep at least some grip on wireless. ■ References ACMA: http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/ STANDARD/pc=PC_312475 AWAG: http://www.australianmusic.asn.au/ awag.asp Jands wireless updates: http://www.jands.com.au/support/ product_support/audio_technical_ materials/wireless_spectrum

Thinking of installing digital in room safes?

Digital in room safes offer the guest an easy way to secure their valuables whilst traveling and have become a standard inclusion in many hotel rooms today. Guests appreciate the convenience of an in room safe and the ability to set their own personal code. We travel with items that don’t only have a monetary value, imagine if you were to lose your laptop or even passport it adds yet another stress that could have easily been avoided. Secure, inexpensive and simple to operate digital in room safes have become a valuable link in the security chain.

In room safes don’t only offer security to the guest, they also offer protection for the hotel by way of an in built memory recording all usage. This audit trail feature allows the hotel to present the guest with a report indicating the safe opening history and clearly disproving any fraudulent claims offering a fast and easy resolution without further distressing the guest. It also protects staff by removing the threat of being wrongly accused of something they had no part in.

A quality digital in room safe should come standard with certain features – concealed hinges, double bolt locking, user friendly operation with 3-6 digital user code, CEU (computerized emergency unit) which allows management to easily control the system and the ability to be securely fixed into position.

Guest satisfaction should always be a priority but consideration should also be given to your employee’s and assisting them in their day to day operations as well as the overall protection of the hotel. The Holiday Inn Sydney Airport has just completed installing LokOtel safes to their 250 guest rooms, if you are thinking of upgrading or installing digital in room safes LokOtel has a safe for you.

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REGULATION Update

DEREK HENDRY | HENDRY GROUP

Security: Fire Stairs: Building Code of Australia (BCA) AUST – Hotel Engineers are well aware that hotel owners and occupiers of multi-storey buildings (over 25m) often need to improve security of fire stairs. Typically, this is achieved by simply fitting locks to the stair side of the fire stair door, but this solution in fact is contrary to Building Code of Australia (BCA) requirements of Clause D2.22.

Additional security within the fire stairs is not allowed to restrict reentry onto the occupied floors in the building. Other than retaining the stair doors openable at all times, the dilemma between security and BCA compliance can be managed by implementing one of the following methods:

Fire Alarm Systems: Essential Safety Measures AUST – Hotel Engineers are reminded that Part E2 Smoke Hazard Management of the Building Code of Australia specifies the buildings required to have a smoke management system and the smoke detection system (fire alarm system) to operate in accordance with AS/NZS 1668.1:1998 The use of ventilation and air-conditioning in buildings – Fire and smoke control in multi-compartment buildings.

SPECIFICATION E2.2a of the Building Code of Australia describes the installation requirements of smoke detection/ control systems, whereas SPECIFICATION G3.8 describes the installation and operation of automatic smoke detection and alarm systems in buildings containing atriums.

Option 1 The doors on every fourth floor are not locked, while the remaining doors are locked but fitted with a fail safe device that automatically unlocks them on a fire alarm. Signage is required to identify the normal re-entry floors.

Option 2 All doors are secured, but the doors automatically unlock on the activation of a fire alarm. An intercommunication system operated from within the fire stair must be provided next to doors.

Signage is required at each door to explain the purpose of the intercommunication system and how it is operated.

Option 3 All doors are secured but they automatically unlock on the activation of a fire alarm and an audible or visual alarm system is provided at each door that can operate from within the fire stairs.

Signage located at each door must explain the purpose of the alarm system and how to operate it.

A further option, which requires an alternative solution, is to provide a break glass panel at each door that unlocks the fire stairs doors. The action of breaking the device can activate an audible alarm.

Additional considerations, no matter what option is adopted, include being satisfied that sufficient lighting exists in the stairwell for a person to be able to read any instructions or signage provided at the doors. Furthermore, an alteration to an existing building will require a permit before proceeding, and compliance with the BCA.

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Essential Safety Measures Audit Hotel engineers also need to be mindful that an essential safety measures auditor should seek out the mandatory logbook as required under AS 1851-2005 Maintenance of fire protection systems and equipment Part 8 Automatic fire detection and alarm systems and check the inspection, testing and maintenance regime, and reporting the outcome in the building’s essential safety measures logbook.

Building Legislation Table For further information on the legislation governing the building control process in your State or Territory refer to our Building Legislation Table at the following website address: http://www. essentialpropertyservices.com.au/services/ building-legislation.aspx.

Smoke Lobby – Essential Safety Measures AUST – Hotel engineers are advised that In order to ensure the protection of occupants in a building using a fire-isolated stairway during a fire, the Building Code of Australia requires the installation of a smoke lobby (known as essential safety measure) between the general floor area of the storey and the entry door to the stair.

A smoke lobby would be nominated in the building surveyor’s/ certifier’s essential safety measures determination/ schedule before occupancy occurs.

an inspection should be recorded in the building’s essential safety measures logbook.

Locks: Exit Doors: Path of Travel: BFSR: Fire Safety Installations QLD – Hotel engineers, building owners and managers are advised that recent changes to Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008 (BFSR) prohibits locking of an exit door on evacuation routes (known as designated fire safety installations) without reasonable cause and adopts the Building Code of Australia (BCA) as the benchmark for exit door hardware.

There is now prohibition on locking of doors on path of travel to an exit with special exemptions for child care centre and places of lawful custody in Queensland.

The new provisions apply to doors on path of travel to an exit i.e. doors on the path of travel from a common area of a building through a final exit door to a place of safety outside a building.

The BFSR now specifically deems a door compliant if it complies with the provisions of the Building Code of Australia (BCA) Volume 1 Part D. Doors that have locking mechanisms that do not pass this test must be replaced or modified otherwise are deemed illegal.

This regulation recognises that the BCA sets the building standard. Occupiers have one

month to modify or replace door hardware after being advised it is non complaint by an inspector when the mandatory 6 monthly fire safety installations inspection is undertaken.

The typical requirement of the BCA is that an exit door or a door in the path of travel to an exit, operate in the following manner: • Openable from the internal side using one device that can be operated by one downward or pushing action using one hand; • Automatically allows the door to be opened if the door fails to open electronically.

• Examples of devices— • a handle, lever or panic bar • a device consisting of a button or switch that can be operated to allow a door to open electronically and • exit door hardware is a prescribed fire safety installation under the Building Act 1975 and BFSR. Building Legislation Table For further information on the legislation governing the building control process in your State or Territory refer to our Building Legislation Table at the following website address: http://qld. essentialpropertyservices.com.au/services/ building-legislation/legislation-table.aspx ■

Building Code of Australia Part D1 Provision for escape, clause D1.7 Travel via fire isolated exits, specifies when a smoke lobby is required. A smoke lobby must be constructed in accordance with Part D2 Construction of Exits, clause D2.6 Smoke lobbies. A smoke lobby/ smoke lobbies requires its doors to be smoke doors that are either self closing or are fitted with automatic closing facilities linked to the building’s detection system.

Essential Safety Measures Audit Most building surveyors will nominate smoke lobby / smoke lobbies as an essential safety measure and will more than likely nominate a 12 month inspection routine.

The essential safety measures auditor must check the overall integrity of the smoke lobby, including walls, doors and ceilings where necessary. Any deficiencies (such as ineffective door smoke seals, or defective door closing operation) noted during

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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

Spare a thought for the maintenance worker and apply ergonomics to building maintenance tasks!

BRUCE HAINES | NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA (NSCA)

New buildings are generally designed with care. Architects include ergonomic principles in their design for the occupants.

Consideration of appropriate lighting levels, adequate work spaces, a comfortable thermal environment, protection from intrusive noise, adjustable desk and seat arrangements to permit optimum positioning and minimize opportunity for strain injury at work – will all be taken into account.

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Y

ET, BUILDINGS age and alterations are made, sometimes with less care. And yet, the same degree of planning and design given to occupants in new buildings should also be invested in considering the needs of those who will maintain their building. In fact under current Victorian Occupational Health and Safety legislation, (used as a basis for the National Model OHS laws), an employer is required to provide a working environment that is safe and importantly - without risks to health. This requirement applies equally to the plant rooms and back-of-house areas that maintenance contractors will work in – as it does to the office areas and other occupied (leased) spaces.

Despite the existence of OHS legislation, maintenance technicians often still work in noisy, poorly lit or cramped work spaces which sometimes force them into awkward postures that risk muscle strain or worse.

Tight spaces and poorly designed work areas often include tripping and head height impact hazards or extremes of heat and cold, or drafts. At other times maintenance workers may have to work from a portable ladder or from a fall-arrest harness, because

little thought has been invested in making sure they are safe. Maintenance workers can also be required to handle hazardous chemicals or be exposed to electrical hazards or harmful radiation levels. In fact, while the needs of most building occupants are provided for, it appears we have accepted maintenance workers as secondclass citizens who should be expected to endure all sorts of difficulties in their chosen vocation. Facility Managers reinforce this view with the expectation that the maintenance worker will sacrifice valuable family time at weekends or forego summer vacations in order to be available for work that must be completed “out-of-hours”.

There are solutions. Building services can be designed to achieve “a working environment that is safe and without risks to health”. Greater consideration given to human engineering or ergonomic factors is required, particularly at planning stages. For example, specifying minimum lighting levels of 500 lux for task areas in plant rooms and specifying minimum clearance work spaces of one metre on all sides of installed items of plant/equipment when documenting the building design brief to the architect, could

greatly improve access/visibility conditions for the maintenance worker.

Heavy items of plant required to be lifted during maintenance can be designed with load-rated lifting eyes and include loadtransfer beams above (e.g. over electric motors and fans - particularly within air-handling units) to enable safer manual handling and transfer of heavy loads.

Hearing can be preserved by eliminating plant related noise hazards at source. Buying plant with a maximum sound pressure level of 70 dBA for example (or lower) at maximum load – for noisy items of plant such as compressors and refrigeration chillers, would reduce the likelihood of hearing damage.

Falls can be prevented by providing appropriately designed steps, fixed ladders, elevated walkways and handrails, to enable maintenance workers to safely work on plant or equipment installed above head height. Ceiling-mounted items such as VAV controls1, valves, dampers and light fittings can be positioned so that the maintenance technician doesn’t have to stretch over

installed office equipment. Even having purpose-built platform ladders designed for particular tasks at height could greatly assist the maintenance worker. Each of these examples is an expression of ergonomics in action.

We can do better. For many high-rise buildings in Australia, designers appear content to encourage abseiling as their preferred method of worker access for window cleaning. In the UK, legislation requires that designers install double-hinged frames so that windows can be cleaned from inside the building!2 Facility Managers are now being actively encouraged by Government Workplace Authorities to improve workplace standards.

Considering the health and well-being of maintenance workers is a growing concern, particularly as the focus on occupational health and safety at the national level aims to establish best practice across all states and territories. Ergonomics – the technology of work design – focusses on designing risks out of the workplace and puts the needs of the worker ahead of

other interests such as short-term cost savings or building aesthetics. Building maintenance workers deserve no less.

References 1 Variable air volume damper controls in overhead air-conditioning ductwork 2 UK Code of practice for the survey and installation of windows and external door sets (BS 8213-4:2007) Bruce joined the National Safety Council of Australia (NSCA) in 2012 as senior consultant, after eight years as a risk management consultant with Noel Arnold & Associates. He has worked closely with clients, assisting them meet statutory compliance requirements in the areas of Manual Handling, OH&S Management, OH&S Plant, Building Code of Australia Essential Services, Prevention of Falls, Dangerous Goods, Hazardous Substances and asbestos regulations. He has conducted audits in each of these areas and assisted in the establishment of risk management plans, identifying safety, health and environmental issues, developing policies and performance measurement and reporting systems.

Contact by email: bruce.haines@nsca.org,au Office: 03 8562 1555 or Mobile: 0416 148 406

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GALA DINNER PHOTOS

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Permanent Pothole Solutions is happy to announce that they have appointed LR Technologies as the NSW distributor and applicator of their Polymer modified dense grade permanent cold patch – “Asphalt in a Bag”.

LR Technologies has completed a wide variety of work for private industries and for many NSW government departments.

The LR Technologies package encompasses consultancy services, sales and application advice.

Phone the office on 02 9674 6741 or Steve Bain on his mobile 0447 477 023 www.lrtechnologies.com.au LR Technologies has experience in road maintenance and project management, making it a perfect fit to provide sales, installation and consulting services on our entire product range.

We now have a solution for big or small jobs.

Permanent Pothole Solutions has been the Australian distributor of “Asphalt in a bag” for over 3 years in Australia. The last couple of years we have enjoyed increased market share due to our flexibility and customer service focus.

Asphalt in a bag is the only Dense grade product on the market which means you use less.

Take a look at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XJcFhSo23w& feature=em-share_video_user to see just how easy it is to use.

Our product is a Polymer modified dense grade permanent cold patch. The Polymer helps it bind to itself as well as the surrounding area whether it be asphalt, concrete, wood or even steel. The polymer also aids in the curing process which is on compaction. Therefore in its packaged form it will not go off, so if you have a metre square space you can hold a pallet load which is the most economical way to purchase Asphalt in a bag. See a pothole and fill it immediately. No special tools required.

Come visit us at stand #35 on the 10th and 11th of October at the LOGOV Expo 2012 being held QLD, visit www.logov.net to get your free ticket.

With a lifetime performance guarantee why wouldn’t you FILL THAT HOLE!

Visit www.permanentpotholesolutions.com.au to find your nearest stockist or give Jackie a call on 1300789 967 for price and availability

New Work Health and Safety (WHS) Laws SOUDI NOORI Director of Safety and Risk Engineering Solutions 1 BSc, MEngSci,Grad Dip OEH (MONASH) Professional Member of Safety Institute of Australia, RSP (AUST)

“The hospitality industry faces injuries every day. A simple trip on a mat can leave a person with a serious debilitating injury for the rest of their life. Gavan’s story is truly heart-breaking because it could have been prevented.”2

I

n 2008 the Federal Government set harmonisation of OHS laws as a key priority to make sure all workers in Australia have the same standard of health and safety protection, apart from the work they do or where they work.

WHS harmonization has four components:3 1. harmonisation of principal WHS Acts 2. harmonisation of WHS regulations 3. development and adoption of Codes of Practice 4. nationally consistent compliance and enforcement policies.

On 1st January 2012 the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 and Codes of Practice replaced the old Occupational Health and Safety Act and associated Regulation in some jurisdictions. Victoria, Tasmania and WA have requested a delay in implementing the new laws in their States.

By 2013, most workers in Australia will be protected by nationally uniform work health and safety laws.

Throughout the WHS Act, the meaning of health covers psychological as well as physical health and includes employees, contractors, subcontractors, outworkers, apprentices and trainees, work experience students, volunteers and employers who perform work. The WHS Act also provides protection for the general public so that their health and safety is not placed at risk by work activities.

It is anticipated that similar laws in each State and Territory will provide a consistent level of safety for all workers, reduce compliance and regulatory burdens for businesses operating across state and territory boundaries, easier paths to do business and a larger resource of health and safety information to all Australians.

THE KEY CHANGES IN THE NEW WHS LAWS • The concept of the employer with responsibility for WHS has been broadened by using the term person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU)

• The concept of the worker also has been broadened to someone who carries out work for a PCBU in any capacity • Small business owners or employers will have to consult more directly and widely with both workers and other PCBUs on related work activities • Under the WHS Act the prosecution will have to prove the case thus abolishing the current reverse onus of proof situation • Officers of a PCBU now have a duty to exercise due diligence to ensure compliance obligations are met • Elected Health and Safety Representatives (HSR) can issue Provisional Improvement Notices under certain conditions • Unions can apply for a WHS entry permit that allows them to enter workplaces to inquire about suspected breaches and consult with workers • A focus on cause and effect giving importance to the duties of care, consultation and representation • Moving away from the employment relationship as the basis of obligations to ensure all who are involved in work being done will have a duty of care – no loop-holes or gaps • Enhanced protection against discrimination, coercion, inducement and misrepresentation that prevent a person from being involved WHS • Broadened rights for representation and rights of representatives including preserving union right of entry to workplaces • Provision for graduated enforcement, with alternative options for improvement in health and safety • Significant increases in the maximum fines and the introduction of categories of offence (see Figure 1 on the next page) ACT, REGULATIONS AND CODES OF PRACTICE The WHS Act sets out work health and safety responsibilities. The WHS Regulations expand on the requirements of the Act, with details of how certain sections of the Act are implemented and specific direction on how to meet those obligations. The codes of

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practice provide guidance on achieving the standard of health and safety that can apply to a profession, trade or industry. See Figure 2.

WHS Regulation

• Hazardous work involving noise, hazardous manual tasks, confined spaces, falls, demolition work, electrical safety and energised electrical work, diving work and licensing of high risk work and accreditation of assessors of competency (Chapter 4)

The WHS Regulation specifies the way in which a duty under the WHS Act must be performed and prescribes procedural or administrative matters to support the WHS Act (e.g. requiring licences for specific activities and the keeping of records).

• Plant and structures (Chapter 5)

The Regulations are about a wide range of matters relating to work health and safety, including:

• Asbestos (Chapter 8)

• Consultation, representation and participation (Chapter 2)

• Mines (Chapter 10

• General Risk and workplace management including first aid, emergency plan, personal protective equipment, isolated work, airborne contaminants, Hazardous atmosphere, Storage of flammable or combustible substances and Falling objects (Chapter 3)

• General (chapter 11) ), and

Figure 1 Increased Penalties under New WHS Law*

• Construction work (Chapter 6) • Hazardous chemicals including lead (Chapter 7) • Major hazard facilities (Chapter 9);

• Transitional and saving provisions (chapter 12) For example, the WHS Regulation requires the plant maintenance, repair, inspection to be carried out or supervised by a person with approved qualifications or experience (section 235,240 and 241 WHS Regulation). Under the WHS Regulation, the high risk work must only be performed by people who have been authorised (i.e. licensed) to carry out that particular type of work such as scaffolding, dogging and rigging, crane and hoist operation, operating reach stackers, forklift operation, pressure equipment operation.

A PCBU must not allow a worker to carry out work if it is required to be done by an authorised person.

Codes of Practice

*http://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au Figure 2 Overview of WHS Act 2011*

Codes of Practice provide practical guidance on how to meet the standards set out in the WHS Act and the WHS Regulation. Codes of Practice (a) can be used as evidence in legal proceedings and also (b) be referred to by an inspector when issuing an improvement or prohibition notice. To have legal effect in a jurisdiction, the model Code of Practice must be approved as a code of practice in that jurisdiction. See table 1 on page 48.

WORK HEALTH AND SAFETY DUTIES Duties of PCBU In the new WHS Act, the concept of the employer with responsibility for WHS has been broadened by using the term person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU). A PCBU is a person or duty holder such as a company or partnership that operates the business. Examples of PCBUs would be companies, franchisees, self employed, contractors and sub contractors.

*http://www.comcare.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/96500/You_and_the_WHS_Act_2011_-_Manager_ Led_Session_-_Slides_-_Dec_2011.pdf

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PCBUs are responsible for the health and safety of workers (and others) so far as is reasonably practicable4 including all the

Table 1 Some of the WHS Approved Codes of Practice Some of the WHS Approved Codes of Practice Managing the Work Environment and Facilities5,6

How to Manage and Control Asbestos in the Workplace

Work Health and Safety Consultation, Cooperation and Coordination

Managing Noise and Preventing Hearing Loss at Work

Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces

How to Manage Work Health & Safety Risks

Construction Work

Hazardous Manual Tasks

How to Safely Remove Asbestos

Labelling of Workplace Hazardous Chemicals

Confined Spaces

Demolition

First Aid in the Workplace

Managing Electrical Risks at the Workplace

Preparation of Safety Data Sheets (SDS)for Hazardous Chemicals

Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace

Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace

Preventing Falls in Housing Construction

common general duties such as a safe work environment, safe plant, adequate facilities, information, instruction and training and more specific responsibilities such as:

Figure 3 What is Due diligence?

• Consultation with workers and other PCBUs – You have to consult when identifying hazards, assessing risks and making decisions about how to eliminate or minimise risks, making decisions about facilities for welfare of workers, proposing changes that affect WHS of workers, making decisions about the procedures for resolving WHS and other issues and monitoring of the work environment.

• Resolving WHS issues-If you have made reasonable efforts to resolve an WHS issue but there is still no agreement, you must follow an agreed procedure (if there is one in place) or the process set out in regulations, set out the agreed procedure in writing and communicate it to all workers and may call in an inspector to assist if issue cannot be resolved.

• Ensuring the health and safety of others – You must also take into account the safety of others who may be affected by your business operations such as visitors, customers and members of the public. More specific public safety responsibilities apply if you use or store dangerous goods or use high risk plant regardless of whether this takes place at your place of work.

• Complying with specific regulations that apply to the business (e.g. manual handling, noise, chemicals) and administrative aspects of licenses and permits.

• Notifying incidents – you must notify WorkCover immediately after becoming aware of it (by phone or in writing – quickest means possible), take reasonable steps to ensure that the incident site is preserved until an inspector arrives or until such earlier

48

time as directed by an inspector and keep a record of notifiable incidents for 5 years DUTIES OF OFFICER The WHS Act uses the definition of “Officer” found in the Corporations Act, with modification. WHS legislation includes officer of corporation as per s9 of Corporations Act, which says: “officer” of a corporation means: (a) a director or secretary of the corporation; or (b) a person: (i) who makes, or participates in making, decisions that affect the whole, or a substantial part, of the business of the corporation; or (ii) who has the capacity to affect significantly the corporation’s financial standing; or The definition does include: (a) an officer of the Crown within the meaning of section 247 of the Corporations Act; or (b) an officer of a public authority within the meaning of section 252 of the Corporations Act, other than an elected member of a local authority acting in that capacity

Officer does not include: A partner in a partnership The WHS Act states that if a PCBU has a duty or obligation under the Act, an officer of the PCBU must exercise due diligence to ensure that the PCBU complies with the duty or obligation.

To exercise due diligence (See Figure 3) an officer must take reasonable steps to obtain health and safety knowledge relevant to the business and keep up to date, understand the health and safety risks in the business, Provide resources to identify and control risks, receive and consider information about hazards, risks and incidents to ensure the PCBU has process to comply with the WHS Act and finally verify the provision and use of the above resources and processes. To achieve this officers are required to ensure that the following is done and reported on back to the officer: 1. All policies and process reviewed to ensure that they are compliant with the relevant legal standard – the Act, the Regulation, COPs. 2. Compliance with minimum standards verified 3. OHS system compliant The key decision makers such as CEOs and Directors will need to demonstrate due diligence by practices such as:

have any questions about managing your WHS obligations please feel free to contact us on soudi.noori@sres-australia.com.au References 1 www.sres-australia.com.au 2 http://www.deir.qld.gov.au/workplace/publications/multimedia/ changingfocus/index.htm 3 Guide to the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, Queensland, www.worksafe.qld.gov.au 4 Reasonably practicable represents what can reasonably be done in the circumstances. It takes into account: • The likelihood of the hazard or risk occurring • The degree of harm or possible consequences The state of knowledge about the risk and the availability and suitability of ways of eliminating or minimising it 5 http://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/sites/SWA/ AboutSafeWorkAustralia/WhatWeDo/Publications/Pages/ Environment-Facilities-COP.aspx 6 This Code covers, the physical work environment, such as workspace, lighting and ventilation, facilities for workers, including toilets, drinking water, washing and dining areas, change rooms, personal storage and shelter, remote and isolated work and emergency plans.

4 http://www.comcare.gov.au/WHS/whs_laws

• Ensuring WHS practices and systems are effective • Acting on unsafe practices/ workplaces/incidents • Regular reporting on safety performance • Ensuring suitable WHS expertise is retained PREPARATION FOR CHANGES • Think about the WHS issues you will need to coordinate with other PCBUs such as contractors and how to manage them. If you don’t have existing arrangements for managing contractors and visitors - you need to identify: • what workers you have duties to • what others you may owe the duty to • what you need to do to extend a duty of care to them • Ensure you have arrangements to enable you to consult with workers and other PCBUs • If you have no existing way of resolving issues establish a simple process • Make sure you take into account the public safety aspect of others who might be put at risk by your operations • Make sure you are able to able to show due diligence for WHS in your organisation • Check your current incident reporting system to make sure it will apply to the new Act • Check any specific compliance requirements in the new regulations Since 2004, Safety and Risk Engineering Solutions (SRES) has been providing consultancy services to building owners, managers and hotel engineers throughout Australia with assistant on OHS compliance, due diligence audit, risk assessment, engineering documentation audit, contractor management and…etc. If you

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When Will a Shooter Enter Your Hotel?

GREG BLAIN

Be scared If the start to this article has startled you … good! I’ve got your attention.

Security is serious!! I shouldn’t have to explain that to most of you.

I know there are some who believe the Sixties ‘Peace and Love Utopia’ is a reality.

I also know there are Architects who think security as dull distraction from aesthetics.

These people don’t understand – one breach of security can change lives forever.

This example should scare you – Mumbai, India 2008 – Taj Mahal Palace and Oberoi Trident Hotel.

Of course it will never happen in my Hotel!

In the year 2000 who would have thought that two planes could drop the New York Twin Towers.

This article will concentrate on the third threat: security from people with bad intentions.

Did I mention security is serious!!

Security from people with bad Intentions

Like most things, design for security is very complex. Perceived threat, design layout, choice of electronic and physical security systems, use of Security Guards, are just some considerations.

Then Staff training and emergency procedures need to be implemented and maintained. Security is an evolving thing needing constant vigilance.

With regards buildings, there are basically three different threats we need to provide security against. These are security from injury, from severe natural elements, from people with bad intentions.

If you have to do new building or security systems design, try to use Designers who have the right security mindset.

Building design for security against the threat from people with bad intentions has two basic divisions. First there is the building layout and arrangements, and there is the integration of the (mainly) electronic systems.

This article will concentrate on building layout and arrangements, and just touch on electronic systems.

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Electronic security systems

Layout and planning

There are many competent electronic security experts and they should be consulted about the detail.

I will give some basic considerations about layout and planning.

Of course costs need to be weighed up against benefits. Some of the suggestions presented here may be extreme but worth mention to spark other ideas.

However electronic security design needs to be coordinated with physical security.

If a building has been well designed for security, and/or if there is significant use of Security Guards, then electronic security may be relaxed somewhat.

Of course the opposite applies, if poor building design for security and little use of Security Guards exists, then electronic security will need to be increased.

When it comes to installing security systems, try to minimize the number of people involved in design and installation. The fewer people that know the detail the better.

If the installation is part of a refurbishment or a new building, it is harder to maintain secrecy, but it should be actively strived for.

The electronic security system can be designed and documented separately (so general construction Consultants and personnel are kept from it) and installed perhaps at times of low construction activity.

With any secure planning, the need to stop an intruder needs to be balanced with facilitating Police access.

A Hotel should be planned with different layers of physical security.

First we have level high public use areas (Foyers and associated areas), then areas only for Staff and Guests, going all the way down to the Guests Rooms themselves.

Each of these different layers should be separated by strong walls and secure doors. Doors should be kept to a minimum.

There should be one or more Security Rooms for Security Staff and monitoring equipment. These rooms need to have strong walls, secure doors and a regulated access. A Security Room should be in direct physical and visual contact with the first level high public use areas (eg Foyers).

In a security emergency, Staff would be best being able to visually monitor Public areas through bullet-proof/blast-proof one-way glass.

Having one specialist Security Company design and install the system will help security. They need to prove confidentiality credibility, submit detail of their in-house security procedures, and show that they can work with minimum Staff.

The first level high public areas need to provide the highest level of security for front-line Staff. Access from these areas to adjacent Staff only areas needs to be restricted.

Physical building security

Consideration may need to be given to lock-down doors activated by a security alarm, to divide the building into compartments. This needs to be carefully planned so as to not hinder occupant escape paths and Police movement.

Physical building design is extremely important in the overall security approach.

The physical building design (layout and arrangements) can be divided into: layout and planning, and incorporating secure building elements.

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I have found planning for security is one of those things without end or limit to what can be done.

Generally larger areas are harder to secure than smaller areas.

Curved walls and corridors create line-of-sight limitations, as do alcoves and corners.

External walls and features should not be climbable. Decks and Verandahs incorporating numerous doors and windows facilitate intruder break-in, as does numerous windows with roofs just below them.

Guest Rooms should be a very secure place with very strong walls and doors. Doors may be bullet/blast proof. A small secure Vestibule (2 sets of doors before giving entry into the Room) may form the Entry of each Guest Room. Windows could have restricted opening to help voice communication with Police at ground level. Guests could visually monitor the Corridor outside their Room through a small bullet/blast proof one-way glass panel or CCTV monitor.

Layout and planning of course needs to be accompanied by good lighting.

Incorporating secure building elements What I mean by secure building elements are things including safes, fencing, bollards, and landscaping.

Safes When I refer to safes it is not the type in Guest Rooms. It is one-off safes used by Management.

As I mentioned regards installing electronic security systems, installation secrecy and confidentiality is very important.

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Fencing Fencing is the first obvious thing people think of when they think of keeping intruders out of open areas and along property boundaries.

Many fences fail at keeping intruders out. High fences can be scaled, fences with pointy bits can be scaled using a blanket over the pointy bits. Pointy bits can also cause injury which is the Owners responsibility. Barbed wire would look charming in a Hotel.

For selection and installation, minimize the number of people involved.

This applies even if the safe is part of a refurbishment or a new building. If display of a safe is shown on general construction drawings, there could be potentially thousands of people who know if its existence and location.

Safe selection and installation can be done separately (so general construction Consultants and personnel are kept from it) and installed perhaps at times of low construction activity.

Having one specialist Safe Company involved will help security. They need to prove confidentiality credibility, and submit detail of their in-house security procedures.

Fences can both look beautiful and still be difficult to scale. They do not even need to be very high. The top part is breakable (and perceived as breakable) if anyone tries to scale it. Thin sheet polycarbonate is an excellent choice for this. Clear polycarbonate looks great as it is almost invisible and when it is scaled, it can bend and crease (while still maintaining structural integrity) with a lot of noise. This can confound, startle and hinder an intruder but not injure them.

Bollards Bollards for Hotel security would be used mainly to guard against ram raiding. Heavy fixtures including planters can be used in lieu of bollards.

Driveway design can be such that vehicle speed outside Entries is limited (which is sensible design anyway).

Landscaping Careless landscape design can be a security problem. Big bushy shrubs which can conceal an assailant should be located away from pathways. Planting that can conceal an intruder should not be used near walls, windows and doors. Trees should not be placed to enable climbing access to high level decks or windows.

Landscaping can be designed to conceal no-one.

To conclude Design for security, as mentioned, is one of those things without end or limit to what can be done.

If people with bad intentions are determined and smart, and have some insider knowledge, they often can find a way around a lot of security systems.

It also needs to be very intelligently designed with the right balance between creating a wonderful user experience for Guests and Staff, and having well planned functional security.

Calculated security threat at the Hotel is the most important consideration when it comes to level of security to design to.

It is extremely important that building layout and planning is designed from the outset with security in mind. If that base planning has been done properly, security can be increased a lot more easily if threat increases.

Let’s keep the safety of Guests and Staff at the top of the agenda. â–

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Monitoring leads the way to energy reduction in hotels A

s energy costs continue to rise and compliance laws change, there is growing pressure on hotel maintenance and facility managers to reduce energy consumption and improve energy efficiency in order to drive down operating costs and meet the increasing pressures in energy efficient building requirements.

leasers of office space greater than 2,000 square metres are required to obtain and disclose an up to date base building energy efficiency rating. Although this doesn’t apply directly to hotels at the moment, it is pertinent for hotel maintenance and facility managers to start thinking about energy efficiency, should this regulation become applicable in the future.

Hotels have complex operations and extensive facilities, meaning they utilise a number of different energy sources including electricity, water and gas. When utility costs can exceed 30 per cent or more of overall operating expenses, knowing when, where and how a hotel consumes energy is vital. Lighting, for instance, is one of the biggest culprits of a hotel’s energy usage. Significant savings can be achieved by implementing the most recent technologies and strategies to track and monitor lighting and power usage, and adopting a lighting control system.

Hotels that are committed to energyreducing activities will reap the benefits.

Submetering and daylight harvesting are two methods which maintenance and facility managers can implement in order to decrease energy consumption and consequently reduce overall energy costs.

Understanding energy consumption is a key component to reducing overall operating costs in a building. National schemes such as the National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) which rates environmental performance of Australian buildings including hotels, is putting pressure on hotel maintenance and facility managers to run a more environmental and efficient business. Additionally, as of 1 November 2011, under the Commercial Building Disclosure (CBD) scheme, all sellers or

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SUBMETERING Submetering is the installation of metering devices to measure energy consumption at specific points within a building. It is an effective way to understand energy consumption, recognise power quality issues, identify waste and inefficiencies within a facility such as a hotel, and measure and track key performance indicators.

This can then be used as a benchmark for performance of areas within the hotel.

Before doing anything, it’s critical to establish an energy usage baseline to help identify the most effective course of action for a hotel. Additionally, without a baseline, there is no way to know later whether energy efficiency measures identified as part of a strategic energy management

plan are working. The first step involves collecting data for major energy consuming applications (e.g. lighting, lifts and air conditioning) and analysing the impact of those applications on total consumption.

One of the most effective methods of accomplishing this is through intelligent power metering and monitoring.

Power meters are devices installed at electrical distribution boards around a facility’s power distribution system. The role of power meters is simply to record how much electricity is used in a circuit, which can provide a facility manager critical data about the areas within a facility that need to be addressed. These devices can also measure power quality. Poor power quality, or power that’s rife with voltage sags and swells, can have a negative effect on a hotels components and contribute to substandard performance and unplanned downtime. Energy management software can convert the raw consumption data from intelligent power meters and monitoring system into historical data that can be studied to identify areas that require attention. Intelligent meters can also monitor other utilities such as water and gas usage in areas The second stage is to make the easiest fixes first, such as installing more energyefficient lighting fixtures and luminaires.

While these passive energy efficiency tactics can translate into substantial savings, continuous energy improvement

over the lifecycle of the hotel and changing conditions should be the ultimate goal.

Automation options that create energy and cost savings are more substantial than passive measures. Lighting control systems for example, can automatically turn interior and exterior building lights on and off based on a pre-set schedule, instead of relying on hotel staff or even guests to remember.

CONTROL SYSTEMS AND OTHER ENERGY EFFICIENCY STRATEGIES Implementing a lighting control system can provide a means of adopting various energy saving strategies such as Daylight harvesting. Daylight harvesting makes use of natural lighting where possible, either dimming or turning off artificial lighting in areas when the desired lighting levels are achieved. Light level and occupancy sensors can be incorporated into the system to provide automatic dimming to compensate for the amount of natural light.

A lighting control system can also include intelligent real-time clock that enables daylight savings correction, sunrise and sunset calculation, and holiday exceptions. The use of this with schedules and timers ensures that lighting can be programmed around these times, saving energy by turning off lighting when areas within the building are not required to be in use.

This should form part of an overall lighting control initiative, along with high efficiency lighting ballasts and luminaries, and preprogrammed lighting schedules and mood lighting.

Clipsal commercial lighting control system solutions (such as C-Bus or DALIcontrol) utilise state-of-the-art “smart” technology and energy efficient lighting, to provide individually tailored electrical solutions that can assist to reduce energy consumption.

Additionally, Clipsal’s lighting control systems can be integrated into the hotels BMS to report the lighting usage and energy data needed to ensure a hotel is delivering on its energy targets.

This allows maintenance and facility managers of hotels to maximise energy efficiencies and achieve higher energy efficiency ratings.

It is important to balance energy saving strategies within a hotel environment with guest experience so as not to affect the ambiance within the public areas of the hotel.

Finally, a strategic energy management plan helps ensure energy and cost savings don’t erode over time. Power meter installations, monitoring services, energy efficiency analysis and energy bill verification can all help achieve this. For further information about lighting control technology and ways to reduce energy consumption in the hotel industry see Schneider Electric. www.schneider-electric.com.au www.clipsal.com.au

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ENGINEERED TO ENDURE

A

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.

When it comes to selecting the right paint product for your premises, Taubmans Endure is engineered to endure. As the only paint in the Australian Market with an Interior and Exterior range under one brand with a 15 year guarantee, Taubmans Endure continues to prove its value to engineers and consumers alike.

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

SUPERIOR INDOOR PERFORMANCE 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.

HARSH EXTERIOR PROTECTION 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

Endure was the overall best performer in the test with excellent or very good scores in all categories – hiding power, scrub, wash and stain resistance. ‘Top Scorer in the recent CHOICE testing, scoring 90 out of 100’ (Scoring 90 out of 100), Taubmans Endure Interior Low Sheen Paint continues to up-stage its competitors – making it the perfect product for your latest project.

A SENSITIVE CHOICE ®

With more than 110 years experience in the Australian paint SENSITIVE industry, Taubmans has recognised CHOICE that wall surfaces could play a large role in the reduction of mould. Taubmans Endure is formulated to reduce the microbial triggers of asthma and allergies, and as a result is now approved by the National Asthma Council Australia (NACA) Sensitive Choice® Program – the leading agency for asthma in Australia.

SUPPORTING A ST HM A CARE

To stay up-to-date on all the latest product developments at Taubmans, visit www.taubmans.com.au or phone 131 686.

For all site specific paint specifications and inspections please contact QLD/NT Chris Suter 0414 181 166 csuter@ppg.com NSW John Riordan 0414 181 166 jriordan@ppg.com VIC/SA/TAS Terry Ward 0414 181 179 terryward@ppg.com WA Alan Tomkins 0417 537 307 tomkins@ppg.com

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Ampac designs, manufactures and distributes world-leading fire detection and alarm systems for commercial, industrial, healthcare and multi-residential complexes.

Since 1980, Ampac has been designing fire detection systems, ranging from simple conventional systems through to multiple panel networked systems, which can support SmartGraphicsHD, Ampac’s graphical monitoring and control package.

With hotels, the choice of the type of detector and the location of the detector in the guest suites are critical to reduce the instances of false alarms. False alarms are the successive issue within the hotel industry due to brigade call outs being costly to hotel owners as well as disruptive for guests, especially if there is an unnecessary evacuation of the hotel.

False alarms are an unwanted distraction for the emergency services as they can divert resources away from genuine fire events.

Ampac has pioneered the use of a dual stage detection algorithm based upon multi criteria detectors, to help reduce the likelihood of false alarms and brigade call outs. This algorithm can be configured to give a local warning on the presence of smoke, and notify appropriately trained hotel staff to presence of the possible fire event, via SmartGraphics, or by the use of hotel paging system. Hotel staff can then attend the incident and take appropriate action.

If the smoke remains for a predetermined length of time, or heat (static or rate of

rise) is detected, then the system can be configured to announce a fire event (and call the fire brigade), without waiting for hotel staff to carry out an investigation. In the event appropriately trained staff are not available (for example during night shift), the system can be configured to announce a fire event immediately when smoke and/or heat is detected.

The Ampac SmartGraphics package provides a robust and versatile central hub for monitoring and controlling your fire detection and your alarm and intercom systems within one 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 pre-configured 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.

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.

SmartGraphicsHD was developed to utilise the latest high definition displays along with integrated touch screen technologies.

Working closely with the fire brigade aided Ampac to develop this new technology to enable the fastest route directly to the fire location and to provide a suite of benefits to building owners, service providers and emergency services. These high resolution displays enable greater information detail to be available to the 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.

Since 1980, Ampac have been committed to growing the scope and effectiveness of their 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�

The complete solution in fire detection and alarm systems T +618 9201 6100 F +618 9201 6101 E info@ampac.net W www.ampac.net

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WORLD LEADER OF INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS IN FIRE DETECTION AND ALARM SYSTEMS

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NEIL WEENINK’S

BACK OF HOUSE

The Chief Accountant called me to his office late one Friday during a particularly humid season. I told the lads to carry on with the beer, that I’d be right back, that it was probably some trifle as it usually is, and that probably old Pat would join us later. So I went along the corridor and through the Accounts office to the rear where Pat had his command post, gave the customary tap on his door and went in.

N

ow this chap was a mite un-typical in that you could talk to him about things engineering, and you did get the impression that he wanted to – as he put it, get a handle on the nuts and bolts. He was no fool, indeed becoming GM a few years following this tale. We used to hammer at the differences between boilers and water heaters, between chilled water and condenser drums, and so on. I’ll give that for him: he wouldn’t sign if he did not savvy what you put in front of him.

Keeps the old Chief Engineer on his toes; keeps him honest you might say.

So I shut the door and turned to his desk – and you couldn’t miss the darned thing, it being about half a football pitch in size. There is old Pat with legs up on the desk, the usual cigarillo jammed in his mouth, and in the middle of the desk a bucket half filled with water. I said ‘Pat before you start on this, I have to tell you of another bucket when I was a young ship’s engineer and we had a leak from the valve cooling system. A bucket was placed under the drip, but the darned thing never filled up! Some wag had put a small hole in it – and it emptied as fast as it filled!’

Which only gained me a few minutes. ‘Sit down’ he says ‘And explain why I’m getting flooded in here when there’s no storm up top.’ He had a point and I got into explaining. But first I had to comment on his knowledge of the weather, his office being deep in basement territory. Reminded me of one hotel Chief Engineer who had a simple periscope rigged up to view the situation outside. Had other gizmos too, and was ahead of the local radio with wind speed, air temperature, humidity, and so on. The GM thought him something of a sage until he tumbled to it. And then there was the GM who had a passion for water purity [whatever that means,] had his own test kit, filtration papers, and would you believe a small microscope right there in his office. Kept records and challenged the old Chief

Engineer on matters of chlorine levels and so forth. But one day he was horrified to get samples showing extreme saline levels – just like seawater. Which it was. And to this day the old Chief swears he had nothing to do with it…

Pat’s problem was one of condensation, and the cause[s] of same right there in his office. It was about all those basic principles near and dear to the Chief Engineer’s heart, and of the fundamental matters of design and cost. First cost that is. The fractional cost when seen against the life of the hotel. The systems under-designed and/or under-constructed buried in the myriad cavities and inaccessible voids within the hotel. No outside air pre coolers or filters, fan and coil systems not specified or constructed for higher humidity levels. Poor insulation on/in ductwork and no or insufficient inspection openings provided. Poor or overly complex control sensitivity, and/or refrigeration plant unable to maintain comfort conditions ie unable to maintain acceptable levels of temperature and humidity throughout the year. The list goes on. Under-trained or inexperienced hotel or service engineers/technicians. Few or no regular in-depth inspections of ancillary plant and systems, particularly the ductwork. And investment! Ho ho Pat what about investment!! What percentage of revenue is ploughed back into plant replacement?

I held forth in high gusto for some 20 minutes. Could have gone on all day, but Pat was looking at his watch muttering about it being Friday afternoon, beer time with Engineering, and why didn’t we continue this topic next week?

Oh, and Neil, do be a good lad and get this mess cleaned up will you?

Stay well.

Neil W

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NEW OH&S LAWS What it means for height safety New regulations and a new Code of Practice for How to Prevent Falls at Workplaces became law earlier this year.

Fall Prevention specialist Carl Sachs of Workplace Access & Safety outlines what you can expect to change, the implications for workplaces and how to prepare for a new era in safe work at heights.

E

particularly problematic in tenant/landlord and contractor relationships when it comes to deciding who should pay for safe access equipment for working at heights.

Specialist OH&S lawyer Michael Tooma of Norton Rose says ” if you look at the fatalities that have happened between July of last year and March of this year 12% of them have been related to fall prevention.

33 fatalities have occurred because of our failure to manage fall prevention properly.

That makes it an important issue for the health and safety of people out there in the workplace and it makes it a big issue for all businesses out there in terms of their compliance”.

Instead, the new Work Health and Safety Act introduces the concept of the Person Conducting a Business Undertaking (PCBU).

The PCBU may be the landlord, tenant, director, hospital engineer, facility manager or manager of an enterprise or site. Rather than pinpoint a particular individual, the WHS Act emphasises people taking steps that are within their control to reduce risks in the workplace. This may be as a simple as telling contractors not to access an area altogether until safe access has been put in place and ensuring the task can be done safely. There will be an expectation that all people behave in a reasonable manner rather than trying to apportion responsibility.

verybody wants to prevent fatal falls but getting height safety right is anything but straightforward. Until now, each state has had its own set of legislation for height safety. This has made working at heights difficult to manage, particularly for organizations and companies who need a consistent height safety solution for sites across Australia.

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE? Until recently, the law deemed the “controller of the workplace” responsible for ensuring a workplace is safe. But debate has always raged about exactly who that person is. Defining the controller has been

YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE 2 METRES HIGH ANYMORE State-based legislation and the national code of practice for fall prevention applied once a person was working at a height of 2

metres or more. This limit is replaced with an obligation to minimise the likelihood of a fall from any height. In real terms, the law will encompass falls from low level platforms and ladders, bringing the courts’ attention to activities that the existing legislation might have excluded.

Exactly how far you can be from an unprotected edge before you have to control it, remains determined by a risk assessment, rather than simply using a measurement like 2 metres or less.

THE HIERARCHY OF CONTROL FOR WORKING AT HEIGHTS The five-level hierarchy of control will be the major change for PCBUs in NSW, Queensland and South Australia. For many years, those states either used a threelevel hierarchy, or simply tried to apply the classical hierarchy for other risks to height safety (elimination, substitution, engineering, administrative controls, PPE). The five-level hierarchy of controls has now been brought into line with that of the national code of practice and Victoria’s fall prevention regulations.

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The five-level system is good news for PCBUs because it takes human behaviour into account and cost-effectively deals with risk reduction. When correctly applied, it reduces the risk of falls and lowers the cost of control measures by calling for higher order controls like walkways and guard rails. The more commonly used lower order controls such as administrative controls or procedures demand much more documentation and maintenance.

PREVENTING SUSPENSION TRAUMA THROUGH RESCUE The draft code doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to suspension trauma and toxic shock. It explains in detail the consequences of being suspended in a harness for period of time and alerts the reader to the likelihood of death by suspension.

The requirements for rescue training, supervision, training and practising rescues is spelled out clearly. Self rescue is no longer an option and nobody should use a fall arrest system unless there is at least one other person on site to rescue them if they fall. The second trained person must be on standby to execute the rescue without relying on any assistance from the suspended person.

Apart from the costs of training, supervision and rescue equipment, this significantly increases the labour cost of working in a harness.

Regular inspections for ladders The code details ladder use, acknowledging that this may be an option when all other options have been exhausted. A new requirement is that of regular inspection of ladders and maintenance.

This may increase the cost of ladder use and is likely to steer users towards higher order controls like scaffold and elevated working platforms.

Australian standards as a legal requirement.

AS/NZS1657, the Australian standard for Ladders, guardrail, platform and walkways has been referenced in the new Code of Practise. Apart from being the collective knowledge of industry experts, referenced standards are admissable in a court of law as evidence of what’s required. AS/ NZS1891 covering industrial fall arrest

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systems and devices has also been widely referenced.

These standard have been around for many years. AS/NZS1657 since 1992, and AS/ NZS1891, since 2001 in various forms. AS/ NZS1657 is also referenced in the National Construction code (formerly the BCA), making it essential to meet both, if you’re going to comply with this legislation.

Draft AS/NZS1657 has seen the document increase from 30 pages to 70. It is currently being re-written, and is open for public comment.

The 1992 standard had an emphasis on how to build equipment, rather than selection and considering the competency of the person using the equipment. The draft edition considers peoples behaviour and provides essential information for users and designers in the selection of the means of access, and what needs to be considered.

This has been written as an hierarchical approach to access selection, to maintain a consistency with the hierarchy of controls in other legislation.

WHAT IF SOMEONE FALLS FROM HEIGHT? Fall from a rooftop and only a miracle will save you.

The penalties for those held responsible for tragic falls are much steeper. The harmonized regulations prescribe far more onerous penalties on organizations and duty holders. Categories have now been created which are based on the degree of culpability and degree of harm.

Michael Tooma of Norton Rose regularly appears in courts defending employers. This is what he has to say about what you can expect in the event of an incident : “If there is a serious injury or fatality usually that will result in quite an extensive investigation. That investigation will often lead to, if it is a fatality, a coronial inquest, a lot of scrutiny on their organization involved and all the individuals and organizations involved. There will be a lot of media attention, there will be a lot of attention by unions, and there will be a lot of attention by members of the public. It is a long drawn out process that often culminates in a prosecution. And it might be a prosecution of the company or it might be the prosecution of individuals like officers of

the company and the right personal liability provisions, personal duties under this legislation in relation to failure to exercise due diligence to ensure compliance by the company. In addition to the penalties that can be dished out here which are up to $3,000,000 and five years imprisonment for individuals, the loss of reputation will be significant”.

HOW TO TRANSITION TO THE NEW REGULATIONS Whilst transitioning to the new regulations, ensure that height safety at your workplace complies with existing height safety laws.

In practical terms, 90% of the laws haven’t changed materially, however directors, CFO’s and duty holders are now expected to take a very active role in meeting their organizations obligations through the due diligence provisions.

Methodically identify all fall hazards in the business or undertaking. Reconsider future controls in light of the draft hierarchy of controls for working at heights, particularly if you’re based in NSW, Queensland or South Australia and include all risks irrespective of height.

Allocate a risk rating, so that rectification work can be prioritized and dealt with systematically, and control activities rated high-risk immediately. We’re in a period of transition. Your site will need to be fully compliant by the time these model regulations become law, so it’s best to get on with it now.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Carl Sachs’s is the managing director of national falls prevention specialists Workplace Access & Safety. He represents the Master Builders Association on Australian standards committee AS/ NZS1657, and the FMA on committee AS1891. He works closely with the major corporations and government to increase the awareness of falls issues, to achieve compliance throughout Australia.

CASE STUDY

The Evolution of a Property

BY AMANDA BEAZLEY Managing Director and Designer | John Beazley & Co Pty Ltd Hotel/Motel Fitout Specialists | www.johnbeazley.com.au

Project:

Hyde Park Inn Reception Area Complete Refurbishment – By John Beazley & Co,.

Project Address:

271 Elizabeth Street SYDNEY

Designer:

Amanda Beazley - John Beazley & Co

Project Manager:

Vince Costa

- John Beazley & Co

ABOUT THE PROJECT 2007 – The Rooms and hallways In 2007 John Beazley and Co was awarded the Contract to Design and Refurbish all of the rooms at the Hyde Park Inn. The Design aesthetic was to be warm, inviting and homely but still modern. Sophisticated without alienating. This was achieved successfully by using warm colours in the fabrics and paint and then adding green frosted glass in the kitchen areas and the floating glass tops on the desks, appealing to the Corporate Traveller.

We also made an effort to maximise the view of the Hyde Park across the road, by minimising the kitchen bench and opening up access to the Window area.

The Complete project included a total Refurbishment of Rooms and Kitchenettes, 7 Rooms per floor including hallways, one floor per stage, a total of 92 rooms. As there are 15 floors at the Property, it took over a year to complete works without greatly affecting Occupancy and more importantly guest comfort.

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INDOOR AIR QUALITY

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that more than 50 percent of all commercial buildings have significant Indoor Air Quality problems, a figure that most people are oblivious to.

INDEPENDENT MONITORING CONSULTANTS Head Office

23–25 Daking Street North Parramatta NSW 2151 1300 131 405 (02) 9890 5067 sales@imc1.net New South Wales Ian Hartup 0411 109 353 Queensland Brisbane Ms Yih Pien (Ping) Chang 0412 116 114 Cairns Keith Friedrichsen 0408 368 921 South Australia Roz White 0431 503 195 Victoria Tony Cairnscross 0412 117 114

2009 – THE RECEPTION At the Completion of the Room Refurbishment, it became evident that the Reception area no longer was an accurate reflection of the Standard that you could expect in the rooms, in fact is was now looking extremely dated. We therefore pitched the idea to the Hotel to Design & Refurbish the Reception area.

The concept of the Design was to reflect an overall unity of the Hotels interior, inclusive of the recently refurbished rooms and the Conference Area. The Hotel Lobby should be an accurate representation of what the guests will experience in the rooms. We have therefore tailored our design to be sophisticated, show a refined elegance and luxury without being alienating. It is our intention to create a design that is overall clean, yet warm and inviting, modern and comfortable.

To accomplish this luxury feel, finishes such as matt cream wall and floor marble were used, however on some walls there is a less expected colour…a spectacular Onyx marble that was hand picked with rust and green streaked veins. This is to portray a warm and organic feel and to reflect the view of the Hyde Park opposite, as was done in the rooms.

The white backed green glass, is the same finish that has been used in the ‘Forum’ Area as is the perforated acoustic ceiling panels, creating a relationship and continuity between the two areas. The ‘leaf design’ in the ceiling light coffer is also used to create unity and give light, height and openness to the ceiling. The leaf design, is a modern repeat pattern of a gum leaf and is also used at the entrance of the Hotel and the lift roof, enhancing the Organic feeling and once again emphasizing the Park within a city environment. Something that is specific to this Hotel.

The overall aim to increase the feeling of space and give guests a warm and luxurious feel was definitely achieved.

2011–2012 – BEHIND THE SCENES Whilst all of these very visual elements were taking place, the Management and Owners of the HPI, once again to their credit, wanted to enhance the guests experience with elements that were not so visually obvious but certainly beneficial to the overall comfort of the

AFTER BEFORE

stay. Once again by the appointment of John Beazley & Co, the Hotel underwent a change of the Hot Water Systems throughout the Hotel with a clever design that meant constant and efficient flow, temperature and pressure of the Water to the Rooms.

HOT WATER SYSTEM Since it’s inception, some 70 apartments of this 15 storey building were each serviced with less than energy efficient electric 50 litre hot water tank that simply could not keep up with the Guest demands.

Peter Gamblin GM, threw this lingering issue to Beazley’s with some scepticism thinking it could not be resolved, especially without hindering/disturbing the continued operation of the Hotel.

After some detailed research with our experienced team, that included a comprehensive audit of the subject building’s ducts and labyrinth of existing services, Beazley’s proposed a flow and return Gas fired instantaneous Hot Water System Plant.

This entailed running an 80mm Copper gas main from the basement level up to the roof level where the plant was going to reside. There were several significant advantages in proposing such a system,

amongst the many, included a small foot print as storage tanks are not required, the plants components were logistically easy to handle using the Hotel’s Lift Cars up to roof level, eliminating the use of expensive cranes and street closures.

The Hotel, is now experiencing energy efficiencies with significant cost savings in powering the plant in lieu of the many individual Hot Water tanks, the capacity of new system to reheat and recirculate the unused hot water minimising the energy used to heat up the same, now providing for the first time in this Hotel….endless hot water!

Most of the hydraulic reticulation within the building was with the use of Rehau pipework, enabling flexibility in awkward situations, particularly around existing services and ducts and provided expediency in terminating pipe work connections. All this work occurred whilst Beazley’s simultaneously refurbished the Hotel’s guest bathroom’s a floor at a time, allowing us to commission each level onto the new Hot Water System.

In the words of the Peter Gamblin, he was excited by how, “deceptively simple” this installation was. Peter, we thank you for your trust and confidence in our abilities.

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ACOUSTIC DOUBLE GLAZING It didn’t end there, whilst solving the Hot Water issues, the next Issue that required our attention, that seemed impossible, were the Guestroom acoustics. Once again, Peter thought that this was probably unachievable, at least not without scaffolding the building façade rendering the entire building a “building Site” causing guest consternation.

Once again, lateral thinking by the Beazley team lead us to introducing u-PVC double glazed European made sliding doors sets to Guest rooms with balconies, fitted into existing head and sub-sills. All double glazed units were pre-sealed consisting of 4mm toughened glass to external leaf with a 13.24mm air gap with the inside leaf being 10.76mm Sound Control glass. These beautifully made units now provide effortless glide to open with almost whisper quite serenity in the Guestroom.

However, the double glazed sliding doors solved one issue, the other more challenging issue were the neighbouring kitchenette windows which faced the façade and were inaccessible without scaffolding.

Here, Beazley’s sourced a retrofitted magnetised glazing system that could be safely installed under controlled conditions from within the Guestroom. These units are discreet and essentially provide an air pocket (enabling sound attenuation) between existing glass façade and the new 10mm thick optical grade acrylic glass of the magnetised system. This streamline PVC retrofitted magnetised glazing system is aesthetically complementary to double glazed sliding doors and of course contributes to the new quite ambience of the Guestrooms.

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2011 – The bathrooms Follow suit To the Hotels credit and their dedication to a Maintenance and Refurbishment Programme, the next step was to upgrade the bathrooms. The Bathrooms were previously marble and holding up very well, so in 2007 when we did the rooms, it was not a main priority to Upgrade the Bathrooms. However by 2011, it was obvious that whilst they could probably “get away with’ not doing anything, it was to the guests and Hotels advantage to continue the Refurbishment and the new identity of the Hotel and this included modernising the look of the bathrooms.

To once again continue the theme created throughout the Hotel by the use of green backed glass and the Gum Leaf Pattern design, we developed a way to integrate this into the Design. Bathrooms have longevity and so the design must also comply. We did not want to do anything in the Bathrooms that was going to date quickly. Guests enjoy a clean and bright Bathroom, so that was

our main aim. We kept the design clean by the use of white, large format tiles which also had a fine design streak, Caesar stone vanity tops and high level tapware and finishes. The element that made the complete design Cohesive with the remainder of Hotel, was the introduction of a Frosted Green Glass panel that was back etched with the Gum leaf design. This panel was inserted between the tiles mainly in the shower recess. This design now ran through the entrance, into the Reception, in the roof of the lift and into the Bathrooms, but it was only subtle, to be picked up by the most observant guest. Most people would probably just have a feeling of Cohesive and Continuity design thread based on the Hyde Park.

2012 – Back to the Beginning Well not quite…it has now been 5 years since the rooms had their major refurbishment and true to any good upgrade, the design and materials have lasted extremely well. It is my belief and

recommendation that a good design should be turned around every 3-5 years for Soft upgrade and 10 -12 for full Refurbishment.

The Design philosophy Beazley’s originally set in place was to use a Neutral Colour Platform for all the items that have longevity.

That proved it’s effectiveness as we were able to pick the Soft Furnishing Accent Colour and replace it with another, giving a complete re-vamped look without needing to change all the elements.

We modernised the room décor slightly by introducing a contemporary approach to the art work on the walls and the bed presentation. Bedspreads were replaced with the more modern triple sheet option.

The main aim was to upgrade the Room Soft Furnishings to bring it into line with the remainder of the Property. Where once we wanted warmth in the design, we now need it to look fresh and modern, still offering the friendly ambience. The remainder of the Hotel had now been

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upgraded to reflect this concept and the rooms were easily transformed into this approach.

NEW CONCEPT The intentional Design Identity developed over time for the Hotel now becomes distinctive.

The warmth in the rooms is retained by the use of Rich Deep Chocolate, however we added another element which was the warm and soft to touch bed wraps, added to the comfortable warm feeling. We introduced Sage Citrus Green reflected in the surroundings of Hyde Park and keeping in line with the Reception Foyer and introducing another modern element. The Green accent Colour, is very dynamic and fun and the overall look was freshened up by changing the wall colour to a cleaner fresh Warm White. To counteract the harsher cleaner colours such as Warm White and Citrus Green we re-enforce the warmth by introducing texture as a major element. Use of Texture such as smooth, silky, and soft all bring the element of warmth, awaken the senses and introduce Sophistication and Comfort to the Hotel. This was achieved by the use of various fabric and textural elements.

We also chose to add yet another element of Individuality in the design by using patterns developed by Australians born flamboyant Designer ‘Florence Broadhurst’. As an Australian Hotel we thought it would be unique to add an element of history, of eccentricity and Individuality. What better way to do this than to use the patterns and designs of an Australian Icon.

MAINTENANCE PROGRAMME A property dedicated to a Maintenance Programme, whilst it seems they are always doing something, in the end have a better property, they stay ahead of the market and most importantly they are dedicating some of revenue earned each year back into the property. This ultimately means they are never behind the game.

Properties not dedicated to a maintenance programme this find themselves with rooms that appear worn and tired, hence not being able to demand the higher rack rate, consequently affecting the yield or bottom dollar and ultimately not being able to afford a Refurbishment as it is now so far behind both in profit and product – the viscous cycle.

HYDE PARK INN is the opposite, this Hotel Management and Owners should be commended for their constant efforts and consciousness of the Guests comfort and overall experience both aesthetically and keeping ahead of the times and guest expectations.

Well done Hyde Park Inn.

For further advice or free consultation please contact John Beazley and Co Commercial Design + Fitout Specialists.

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Challenging environments see the rise of fibreglass pressure tanks Waterco rises to challenge with new split-tank filter; unprecedented 4 bar pressure rating

W

ith fibreglass pressure tanks rapidly replacing steel tanks in myriad commercial and industrial applications, leading manufacturer Waterco Ltd has launched a specially-designed fibreglass split-tank pressure vessel with an unprecedented pressure rating of 4 bars. And the Micron Split Tank filter has been intelligently designed with demanding environments in mind.

“As it’s made from fibreglass, the Micron Split Tank filter can withstand high pressure, making it an ideal solution for a wide range of applications including water treatment and commercial swimming pool facilities,” explains Sam Schuckert, Waterco’s national commercial/water treatment manager.

The fibreglass filter is also ideal for retrofitting. “It can be delivered in two parts and assembled on site in the plant room. The two halves seal perfectly, using an o’ring and held together by a flange using bolt and nuts. The filter is specifically designed to fit through existing plant room doors,” Schuckert adds.

“Additionally, the split tank’s port connections are unique, as Waterco uses a proprietary boring method to enable tank penetrations.”

This involves a CNC operation that is programmed into the machine to give the exact thickness that is needed in order to maintain the required wall thickness. As a result of the boring method and the flanged ring assembly, the inlet and outlet port are perfectly parallel to each other, therefore maintaining the external plumbing integrity.

The Micron Split Tank is manufactured from the highest grade of non-corrosive materials using the latest in gel coated fibreglass technology, in addition to the standard working pressure of 4 bars.

“The Micron Split Tank filter is ideal for installations with challenging environments,” says Schuckert. “For example, it can be used as a pre-filter in seawater desalination processes. It provides a durable and effective alternative to filters currently made from expensive high-grade steel alloy.”

Waterco’s Micron Split Tank also features a ‘fish tail’ lateral, which improves water flow distribution through the filter bed.

“Conventional laterals are not suitable for larger size commercial filters,” says Schuckert. “‘Dead legs’ exist between the laterals, and the water flow is not optimised through the filter bed. Conversely, Waterco’s ‘fish tail’ lateral configuration eliminates any dead legs.”

The split tanks offer the same flexibility of Waterco’s commercial filters, and different sight glass and manhole sizes can be included.

The filter comes in four sizes – 48”, 56”, 64” and 72” – to deal with a variety of flow requirements.

Fibreglass pressure tanks have a number of major advantages over steel tanks including: • Durability: Fibreglass vessels have a mechanical and chemical resistance superior to steel, plus fibreglass does not rust or corrode and is able to withstand damage from many types of water treatment chemicals.

• More lightweight: Fibreglass tanks weigh only one third that of steel vessels, whilst maintaining the same level of strength. This makes them easy to ship and install.

• Easy to maintain: Once installed they are virtually free of maintenance or repairs. This compares with steel vessels, which require the anti-corrosive coating to be maintained periodically, with certified welders required to make repairs to the lining with epoxy coating. ■

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HEAT RECOVERY SYSTEMS Achieving Energy Efficient Indoor Pool & Spa Design Indoor pools and spas need to be well ventilated to ensure a healthy indoor air environment.

Conditioning the air inside a heated indoor pool space is a particularly challenging and energy intensive process in which three major problems must be overcome: • Heat and Water Loss • Indoor Air Quality • Corrosion Designers must be aware that most guidelines for indoor pool design do not address all these aspects adequately and they must therefore carefully consider their design and the equipment they select.

HEAT & WATER LOSS The air temperature inside the space is a critical aspect in pool design. By maintaining it slightly above the water temperature (+1 to 2˚C), heat loss from the water to the air can be minimised. It is much more energy efficient to heat air, as opposed to heating water, subsequently designing for this temperature is highly recommended.

Reduced evaporation loss from the pool surface in addition to enhanced comfort levels for swimmers leaving the water further validates the decision to control air temperature. The air distribution should be directed away from the pool surface to further reduce evaporation and instead

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should be supplied to effectively wash over any glass surfaces that are exposed to the outside environment.

Indoor pools can require up to 8 air changes/hour to reduce airborne impurities and control condensation. With outside air heating using 34kW per 1000 L/s (based on 0˚C ambient / 28˚C indoor) a small 25m indoor pool could require up to 170kW of airside heating. A high efficiency Heat Recovery System (HRS) can reclaim up to 80% of the heat in the exhaust air and use only 7kW per 1000 L/s. The HRS can also be used to re-capture evaporated moisture as it condenses in the exhaust air stream.

To do this the drain from the HRS must

be independent of any systems that would require drainage to waste.

INDOOR AIR QUALITY Maintaining a healthy indoor air quality is another major challenge facing designers.

Nitrogen trichloride, a readily inhalable toxin, is one of the by-products of pool chlorination. Chloramines are produced by the reaction of bodily proteins and chlorine.

Research has shown this to be a major cause of childhood asthma and can cause lung damage equivalent to regular smoking, as well as skin and eye irritation. As shock chlorine dosing is generally not an option available to public pools, high ventilation

rates are essential for efficient removal of chloramines and other air impurities.

A ventilation system can also assist with maintaining water quality as airborne chloramines will redissolve in the pool unless removed.

The indoor pool environment is also ideal for the growth of mould and mildew.

Indoor pool operators should mitigate potential Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) risks by maintaining acceptable indoor air quality. Staff exposed to the atmosphere for prolonged periods may suffer health effects as identified in numerous studies.

Effects on the lung occur when nitrogen trichloride in the air exceeds a concentration of 300 mg/m3 “Our results show, indeed, that nitrogen trichloride (produced by Chlorine) is a cause of occupational asthma in indoor swimming pool workers like lifeguards and swim instructors,” Dr. K. Thickett of the Occupational Lung Diseases Unit at the Birmingham Heartlands Hospital.

The high efficiency HRS provides a high ventilation rate of warm, dry outside air to the pool hall while minimising energy

usage and reducing water loss through evaporation.

CORROSION In 1985, twelve people were killed in Uster, Switzerland, when the concrete roof of a swimming pool collapsed after only thirteen years of use. The roof was supported by stainless steel rods in tension, which failed due to stress corrosion cracking.

The atmosphere of indoor swimming pools is one of the most aggressive in the building industry. As condensation evaporates, chloramines concentrate and become corrosive. The corrosive effects can cause major damage to plant equipment, the building structure, brackets for suspended light fittings and loudspeakers, pipework, conduits, rod/bar supports for ventilation ducts, water slides and other design features, wire rope supports for water slides and also fasteners.

The key to minimising this type of damage, providing a safe indoor environment and reducing heat loss from the water is to maintain a sufficiently high quantity of warm, dry air circulating throughout the pool hall and in particular

those areas that come in to contact with the cold outdoor environment.

Recirculation of pool air can increase humidity, as well as adding to the build up of contaminants in the atmosphere.

Regular washing, maintenance and inspection is also required.

Although it is contradictory to most design principles an indoor pool hall should maintain a slight negative pressure to prevent condensation in the seams of the building and to contain the corrosive atmosphere. Obviously an effective rate would be dependant on the buildings seal.

Corrosion can be effectively controlled by a combination of good design, careful selection of exposed components and effective management, including maintenance and inspection.

Air Change has worked with indoor pool designers, engineers and specifiers to combat the harsh effects an indoor pool environment often produces. The PoolPacTM has been designed specifically for indoor pools and includes features to overcome issues of corrosion, poor air quality and heat/water loss. ■

Recent PoolPacTM Installation

Crown Spa Upgrade Crown Spa, is undeniably Australia’s finest, most exclusive and sophisticated day spa, with tranquil surrounds, relaxing décor and the ultimate in private pampering suites.

Crown Spa is located within Melbourne’s prestigious Crown Towers and has recently upgraded the existing site to offer an even more luxurious and exclusive day spa to hotel guests.

To uphold the mechanical specifications for the re-design, alterations to air conditioning services and provision of new ventilation systems were included to suit the proposed fit-out area that comprises of male and female spa areas, steam room facilities and a heated indoor pool for relaxation.

The nature of an indoor spa environment is similar to an indoor pool area, encountering similar issues including, heat/ water loss, poor air quality and corrosion.

However, these issues are intensified in an

indoor spa because water temperature and chlorination levels are much higher.

The mechanical consultant WSP Melbourne selected two units to serve the male and female spa areas, an Energy Recovery Ventilator 2000 L/s (with DX coil & remote condenser, backward curve direct drive centrifugal fans, HVAC VSDs, special split construction and top exhaust air discharge) and a PoolPacTM1700 L/s unit. Space temperatures are in the order of 24°C (advised by the mechanical contractor/installer, OP Industries). An additional hot gas bypass system (for cooling mode) was installed in the PoolPacTM onsite to assist with maintaining constant space temperatures as the compressor turning on/off caused a noticeable variance in supply air temperatures and was amplified further by the low ceilings. The units supply 100% outdoor air to the spa areas whilst utilising the integrated 80% efficient sensible only (non metallic) static heat

exchangers to pre-temper the outside air with the moist humid spill air before reaching the DX coil. Providing air changes in the order of 7-8 AC/hr (in accordance with AIRAH standards) assist in maintaining a healthy indoor air quality for employees and guests alike.

The Crown Spa upgrade commenced on the 4th of June 2012 as part of the major renovation underway for all Melbourne and Perth Crown facilities.

Crown have invested a total capital spend of 2.2 billion dollars for the upgrade during 2007 2013. The complete rejuvenated Crown Spa is set to open in September 2012.

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Ventilation Design For Indoor Hotel Pools

BY ALAN LEWIS

Part Two

STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING INDOOR AIR QUALITY

PREVENTION Removing or reducing the precursor contaminants from the circulation of the pool A Compulsory pre-immersion shower by all bathers – removes 80 – 90% of urea; sweat, body amines which contribute to the immediate build up of monochloramines when bathers first dive into the pool.

B Secondary disinfection systems i) Ultra Violet photolysis is effective in reducing chloramines and some other toxic compounds but has no effect on THMs (chloroform/ bromoform). Much of the chemistry in this application is as yet undefined and controversy still exists regarding the specifications and sizing of the unit. ii) Ozone applications need to be carefully thought out and detailed to avoid break downs. The materials selected in ozonated systems must all be of the highest quality and totally ozone resistant. Ozone sizing should not be excessive since it is dealing with relatively small residuals that need to be broken down. Ozone does oxidize skin cells captured in the filter media or residing on the floor of the pool in poorly circulated areas – and so it has a slight advantage over UV. Modern Ozone applications use cold plasma fields for the creation of low

levels of Ozone, which effectively breaks down mono-chloramines, thus preventing further development of di- and tri-chloramines. iii) The Ecoline electrolytic system developed by Australian Innovative Systems, is capable of creating enough free oxidants from tap water (with TDS <500mg/L) to disinfect a pool. It does away with the need for chlorine supply, handling and storage, thus preventing the development of corrosive gases in the plant room atmosphere. No added salt is needed, which makes recycling easy.

This process also breaks down monochloramines as well – in one and the same electrolyte cell. As yet we have not been able to quantify this part of the system. Clearly the application of an Ecoline system to a public pool – indoor or outdoor - will reduce the chloramines by virtue of the very low levels of Hypochlorous Acid created. We do know that the need for UV or Ozone will be markedly reduced when the Ecoline unit is working well.

C Reducing the chlorine feed.

The simplest way of reducing the chlorine feed is by keeping the pH low.

European countries already accept that good disinfection is not dependent on

*Ecoline freshwater electrolyser..

high levels of free chlorine in the pool but also on very low levels of pH. Many countries already allow pH in the range 6.8 – 7.4 and free chlorine levels at 0.4 – 0.8 mg/l. Nearly always they advocate the use of secondary disinfection systems and in Australia several states are now accepting that ORP (Redox) levels of no less than 740 mV are sufficient - thus allowing lower Free chlorine residuals.

Capture and Extraction of Skin Cells Skins cells, whether on the bodies of the bathers, lying on the floor of the pool, or captured in sand filters for long periods, react with free chlorine to create chloroform.

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In order to avoid this chemical reaction, the pool must be designed so that so that skin cells are rapidly swept from the floor out of the pool via the wet edge gutters.

Cleaning the drum membrane uses 9 litres only. Very strong jets wash the debris from the membrane of the drum.

The Hytech filter is designed with a fine membrane which filter out all suspended solid >5 micron. The membrane is automatically cleaned as soon and as often as it is clogged with the suspended matter.

REMOVING NOXIOUS GASES IN THE LIQUID PHASE Liquid Chloramine / THM “stripping” in the plant room

The Danes have now shown that by placing the return spigots near the bottom of the walls of the pool, the water jets will sweep the skin cells off the floor towards the centre of the pool and thence up to the surface at the centre and back along the surface to the wet edge gutters above the inlets.

If these cells were to be captured in a sand filter they would continue to create chloroform until the filter is backwashed, which happens at best, once a week.

In place of sand or DE filters, drum filters with automatic back rinsing at regular intervals every few hours, will remove the cells from the circulation system, entirely, within one hour in a busy pool.

See the result below.

Pool water drips through orifices in several plates as air is drawn up through the STRIPPER (in background) – to the outside air.

The drum filter is fed pool water gravitationally.

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Ole Groneborg has designed a trichloramine and THM stripper in which a side stream of the pool water is sprayed into a vessel and falls through an upstream of air which carries away the noxious gases and out of the building. This equipment basically emulates the “aeration” of the water in a similar fashion to the swimmer splashing down a lane. Thus 80% of those gases are removed from the water that passes through the “stripper” before it returns to the pool (or balance tank). This prevents swimmers and staff from constantly breathing nitrogen-trichloride and chloroform gases that form and remain at the surface of the pool, which is commonly below the deck level surrounding the pool.

This typical schematic diagram shows pool water flowing gravitationally from the wet edge gutter to the drum filter and then to the balance tank.

The main pool pump has only to return the treated water to the lower inlets in the walls of the pool - just above the floor. The Stripper continuously treats the water in the balance tank in a side loop. If higher quality filtration is asked for the extra loop (bottom) will use ultra-fine filtration to remove particles finer than 5 micron.

There are two situations that need to be addressed.

In an existing pool which has not been built with a wet-edge gutter, a special duct can be built (as in the diagram below) which can capture and extract the noxious gases to the external air. Note that in the past, air circulation and ventilation was usually organised well above the heads of the bathers and the staff on the deck.

TRICHLORAMINE AND CHLOROFORM BUBBLE

Schematic diagram of Source capture and exhaust – over an existing air handling system by Paddock Evacuator South Carolina.

CAPTURING AND REMOVING NOXIOUS GASES FROM THE WET-EDGE GUTTER OF THE POOL “The Danish exmaple below, demonstrates how to capture and extract these gases through a wet-edge gutter in a newly designed pool. Here, this solution can be integrated into the structure and configuration of the pool hall so as to allow extraction of gases via an air-duct below the deck to the outside air.”

POOL

DECK

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The Danish example below, demonstrates how to capture and extract these gases through a wet-edge gutter in a new pool. Here, this solution can be integrated into the structure and configuration of the pool hall so as to allow extraction of gases via an air-duct below the deck to the outside air.

MODEL AQUATIC HEALTH CODE Ventilation Module This code is being prepared jointly by the Centre for Disease Control and prevention (CDC) together with the NSPF (National Swimming Pool Foundation) in the USA. The first publication of this code module appeared for review on April 13 2011.

The Ventilation Module contains requirements for new or modified construction that include: 1. Increased make-up in addition to that required by the ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers) Standarad 62, Ventilation for Acceptible Indoor Air Quality and/or applicable local Codes with additional requirements as stated in section 4.6.2.1.7 2. Determination of the extra make-up air needed, based on indoor venue water use type( eg flat water; agitated water,or hot water) and venue or deck patron density (sq feet per person) 3. Inclusion in calculations of additional make-up air from, surge tanks or gutters that source capture chloramines and exhaust them to the external air.

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4. Development and implementation of plans to reduce combined chlorine compounds in indoor aquatic facilities and inform facility patrons of their impact on building air quality.

These four principals are then defined in great detail and factors given for both different types of water (Ra) and different types of occupancy (Ro) on the deck or stadium seating. If a Facility has more than one venue â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the additional air is calculated individually for each venue. Additional consideration must be given to ventilation in mechanical rooms, locker rooms, showers and toilets and other ancillary rooms used by staff or patron.

More details of this code module can be found at this site: http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/pdf/swimming/pools/mahc/ structure-content/mahc-module-4.6.2-5.6.2-ventilation-code.pdf The question is what is your hotel going to do about improving the removal of toxic gases from your hotel in general and the pool hall in particular? This article is meant to assist you in avoiding the presence of nasty smells and noxious gases pervading the entire hotel at worst, or the pool hall at least.

These guidelines can help you with new designs and or retrofits which will address these problems satisfactorily. For further comments and help you are welcome to contact the author.

Correspondence: aquazure34@gmail.com

Robot Cleaning Technology – WHAT’S THE FUSS ALL ABOUT?

By DAN KWACZYNSKI | Maytronics Australia

Robotic Pool Cleaning technology

pool again – not like hydraulic factories with pipes and hoses in all directions!

is gaining a strong a loyal group of

Environment Benefits

pool owners in Australia market – it is one of the fastest growing product category in the pool industry.With a

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

plethora of new robots entering the market it is worth asking why this is happening and what makes robots better than other cleaning products.

T

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!

Picture 0 – Dolphin Supreme M5 scanning pattern

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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

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. Save 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! ■

Wave 75 - Pools Up to 20 metres

Make your Life Simpler with a Dolphin Pool Cleaner ProX - Pools Up to 25 metres

UÊ/ÀÕÃÌÊÌ iÊ À> ` The Dolphin brand is recognised internationally as the Number 1 choice for pool cleaners

UÊ/ÀÕÃÌÊÌ iÊ «> Þ The pioneers of robotic pool cleaning with over 25 years experience

UÊ/ÀÕÃÌÊÌ iÊ-Õ«« ÀÌ Maytronics training and service centres in Major Centres around Australia

Please Contact Us for more Information & Demonstration of Cleaners

Liberty Pro - Up to 15 m with islands and obstacles

Why a Dolphin is right for you?

Exceptional Pool Experience

1300 MYDOLPHIN or www.maytronics.com.au

Commercial

maytr nics

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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.

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 the majority of hotel and resort facilities, a complete paint job can be the biggest ticket item on the budget. This is simply due to a complete re-paint project only “cropping up” every 9 to 10 years.

With this in mind Rochele Painting is beginning to tackle things a little differently.

Rochele Painting was established in 1975 by Rocco and Michele Festa who cleverly combined their names to form “Rochele Painting”. After 37 years, this second generation, family owned and operated business is considered south-east Queensland, premier painting company.

Working within the body corporate and real estate industry, Rochele Painting has now worked with the majority of SE Qld’s property and asset managers. In doing so, Rochele Painting are in a position to offer

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For more information, Maytronics can be contacted on 1300 MYDOLPHIN or www.maytronics.com.au

managed by one of their BSA licensed supervisors. No job is too big or too small, alleviating the necessity for a hotel to maintain a full-time painter/handyman.

a complete painting service package to the larger facilities, which is completely tailored to each hotel and resort’s requirements.

Everyday wear and tear to common areas, like luggage scrapes down the hallways and in—room bumps to the walls can often add up on a monthly, or even a weekly basis. Rochele Painting offers free itemized quotes within 24 hours, with urgent quotes carried out immediately. Every job is project

By bundling up the small touch-up and painting and plastering repair works into a weekly or monthly contract allowance, a hotel can ensure, not only priority service, but reduced rates when looking at a complete re-paint. In addition, Rochele Painting provides repayment and maintenance contracts to their key clients.

This allows large facilities to spread the potentially enormous cost on a monthly or annual basis.

For further information contact their office on 1300 808 164 or email sales@rochelepainting.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.

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TECO Australia introduces Bar Fridges to its range

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.

Following its successes in supplying Split System and Window Wall Air Conditioners, and LED/LCD TV’s to Mining

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

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

Nothing is too hard for Sunlite Commercial…

Our specialty is ‘hard to find’ items.

Sunlite Commercial specialise in supplying Commercial Hardware and Electrical to hotels, building maintenance managers, food and beverage operators, housekeeping, facilities management in Sydney CBD and Australia wide.

Bee mpressed m I pressed

• Less than 3 hour response time to calls or e-mails • Wholesale electrical and plumbing, lighting and paint, • Hotel Supplies • Commercial Cleaning • Restaurant Supplies • Safety –Personal protective equipment • Site visits or regular visits

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 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

Be Impressed.

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• Delivery direct to site Sunlite Commercial has a team of knowledgeable and well trained Account Managers ready to help you and make a difference to your business. You can call up for a quote and discuss your needs over the phone, or have one of our account managers come to your site for a visit.

If you are in the Sydney CBD, and are looking for someone to come to site to have a look at a special product or take orders for you, call us up for a no obligation quote. We can take pictures, measurements and source what you need or help suggest options for different applications We understand the need to get the job done fast, the first time which is why we have a less than three hour response time by phone or e-mail.

Nothing is too hard to find or source, so if we don’t have it we can special order it for you. We have a policy here at Sunlite Hardware. If you can’t find it and we don’t have it, we’ll do our best to get it. That’s our promise from Sunlite Commercial to you.

Call David Pavlovic today on 0450 069 965 74 Pitt Street, Sydney E: commercial@sunlitecommercial.com.au www.sunlitecommercial.com.au