Top Stories
Leadership Development
Keeping You Safe on Campus…Know How To Communicate with a Potentially Violent Person
Tips for communicating with a potentially violent person:
- Keep your attention on the other person to let them know you are interested in what they have to say.
- Avoid challenging non-verbal staring or glaring as it may be perceived as a challenge.
- Remain calm and encourage the person to talk.
- Keep a relaxed body posture and attentive expression.
- Be aware of what you say and how you say it.
- Speak simply, slowly, quietly and confidently.
- Listen carefully without interrupting.
- Acknowledge the person’s feelings and indicate that you can see they are upset.
- Give the person enough physical space and position yourself so that your exit is not blocked.
- Remain open-minded and objective.
Check Out These Job Postings
Know anyone interested in working in Building Operations? Let them know about our current job postings.
- #30294 Night Service Worker
- #30282 Operating Engineer
- #30279 Tool Crib/Store Operator
- #30336 Labourer 3
- #30280 BMS Technical Specialist
- #29169 Refrigeration Mechanic
For full listings, check out designated job postings boards or visit UBC Careers.
Emergency Operations Centre Exercise Was a Success
On June 19 Building Operations participated in the university’s full scale emergency exercise by playing several different roles in the UBC Emergency Operations Centre (EOC). Building Operations’ main role in this EOC activation was to lead and run the Operations Section of the EOC, which is the department’s likely main role in a real activation of the EOC. The department also supported other sections in the EOC, like the Director of the EOC and the Logistics Section.
There were lots of lessons learned through this emergency exercise and the Emergency Management team in Risk Management Services will be reviewing everything that went well, didn’t go so well and all opportunities for improvement. The goal is to keep getting better and more efficient at responding to major emergencies.
Building Operations also took the opportunity to activate our Department Operations Centre (DOC) on June 19. We did this independently of the university’s full scale emergency exercise with 2 objectives; to activate the DOC and to account for all Building Operations staff working during the day shift. We were able to account for 89% of our staff that we were expecting at work in 45 minutes.
Emergency preparedness continues to be a priority for the department and we are working closely with the Emergency Management team to update our existing emergency management plan.
Operations Section Chief
Customer Service
Sealing Mechanical Room Floor Saves Pharmacy Research
The Pharmaceutical Sciences’ lab air compressors are failing resulting in water escaping the equipment and leaking through cracks in the floor into a lab space below.
To keep our researchers working and students learning, Michael Cunningham specified a paintable sealant material and the Paint Shop installed the product to the walls and floor to contain the leaks. A new compressor not water cooled has arrived and is ready to be installed.
They did a great job and we now have a tidy looking and waterproof floor!
Employee Engagement
Francois Desmarais Takes a Sabbatical and Will Return in June 2019
Francois’ last day was Friday, June 22nd. He’s away for a year with his family, to Nepal, and will be returning to UBC in June 2019. Here’s a quick glance at the current FMs and zones:
| FM | Zone | cell | |
| James Bellavance | Orange | james.bellavance@ubc.ca | 604-838-6694 |
| Patrick Wong | Yellow | patrick.wong@ubc.ca | 604-76402467 |
| Jeff Smith | Green | jeff.smith@ubc.ca | 778-689-2542 |
| Rob MacDonald | Teal | rob.macdonald@ubc.ca | 604-916-7584 |
| Mark Donald-Jones | Red | mark.donald-jones@ubc.ca | 604-250-3883 |
| Sean McGregor | Blue | sean.mcgregor@ubc.ca | 604-250-2351 |
| Dave Garcia | Brown | david.garcia@ubc.ca | 604-790-8357 |
Bike-share Pilot To Launch during summer
Up to 200 bikes initially – and as many as 2,000 – will be made available across the Vancouver campus as part of a 12-month bike-share pilot with Dropbike.
The service will cover the entire UBC campus, including academic and neighbourhood areas.
UBC Campus and Community Planning will be administering the pilot with support from TransLink’s New Mobility Program.
Quick Updates
NPS Score decreased to 74% with 6 new promoters and 2 detractors.