Top stories
Bright Idea: we’re looking into replacing strobic air fans with a fanwall system
Thanks to a bright idea, we are looking into replacing strobic air fan systems with a fanwall system. Maintaining and repairing strobic fans prove to be quite costly and require additional equipment rental such as a 150-ton crane for approximately $12,000/day. Not only does it affect Building Operations’ budget, but it can be costly to our customers, too, because it requires shutting down part of the building and blocking off roads to accommodate the crane.
Benefits to utilizing multiple-fan arrays are:
- low frequency sound reduction for quieter operation without expensive sound traps or vibration isolation
- smaller motors and air wheels which are easier to maintain and retro-fit
- higher efficiency fan wheel means energy savings
- better utilization of filter and coil surface areas.
Aside from these benefits, Building Operations can have a potential cost savings of about $20,000 per unit in repairs and maintenance.
Thank you Mark Donald-Jones for the bright idea. We hear you. Another bright idea for a better UBC.
Our Labour Crew hard at work in eliminating safety risks
The Labour Support Services under Municipal Services provides an exceptional service in maintaining campus grounds. Not only do they ensure that pathways and road surfaces are well-maintained, but they also ensure that any safety risks are addressed.
As pictured here, you see the labour crew hard at work and putting in long hours to improve the crosswalk on University Boulevard. Thanks to Mike Giannias and his crew, any safety risks and falls from the pavers that were put in place and shifted by the buses were eliminated. Way to go, guys!
EAOS moving along with Asset Information
Our team’s first goal is to work on Asset Information. This goal has been divided into three parts:
- Develop an Asset Information Strategy. This will set the direction for the type of data that will be collected, the level of detail that will be required, the risk associated to the asset information; and who and how the information will be governed in the future.
- Develop an Asset Registry. This will identify physical assets, who owns them and how they are categorized.
- Collect detailed asset information
Once we have a draft of the strategy, we will be sharing this for feedback to managers, heads, and sub-heads to ensure we have set the right direction. We plan to have sessions to review the asset information strategy in July—stay tuned.
Richard Moore is retiring after 46 years with Library Services
Library Services will be hosting a fun-filled retirement party on June 10th from 12:30 – 2:30 pm. The event will take place in the Dodson Room (302) on the third floor of Irving K. Barber Library (1961 East Mall).
For Building Operations staff wishing to attend, please contact your manager to obtain approval and then RSVP to kajsa.moore@ubc.ca or rob.macdonald@ubc.ca by Friday, June 5.
Sneek peek: Energy & Water website to go live at energy.ubc.ca
Over the past few months, FRO Communications has been working with our sister department Energy & Water to build a cost-effective website to share information with UBC and the larger community. If you want to know more about Energy and Water and their goals, check out their new website at energy.ubc.ca. The website will officially launch next Monday.
UBC Community Leadership Program accepting applications
The UBC Community Leadership Program (CLP) is an innovating leadership development opportunity designed for aspiring staff leaders. This is an opportunity to explore what leadership means to you and your skills while giving back to the community.
Applications for the UBC Community Leadership Program are now open to all UBC employees. Participants will explore, apply and practice leadership concepts by mentoring a group of UBC students through a community project during Reading Week.
Come to an information session to find out more about the program.
- Friday, June 12, 2015, 12 – 1 PM (RSVP here)
- Tuesday, July 21, 2015, 12 – 1 PM (RSVP here)
To learn more from a past participant, contact Erin Kastner at 2-1333.
Crew/Shop Talk schedules now on staff section of website
Crew talks are a communication channel where front-line employees and their immediate supervisors discuss operational information, face-to-face. As part of our Communications snapshot in the Fall, we identified that not all crews had regular, scheduled crew talks. To help close this gap, our superintendents, managers, and heads have worked together to ensure that crew talks are happening regularly in all of our work sites.
We will do our best to hold crew talks on a regular schedule to keep the momentum going and keep the channel open, but sometimes, dates will be rescheduled to allow for significant events and holidays.
You can review the schedule for crew talks in the staff section of our website.
The new vice-president of finance starts June 22
Andrew Simpson is the new Vice-President of Finance and starts on June 22. He has 25 years of experience as a senior executive leading the finance and operations portfolios at major post-secondary institutions in New Zealand and Canada. President Arvind Gupta stated in his announcement that Andrew’s depth of knowledge and proven ability to innovate and stimulate growth will make him a strong member of UBC’s senior management team. For more on Andrew, visit http://news.ubc.ca/2015/04/17/ubc-names-new-vice-president-finance/.
Quick updates
- Personal Information Safety Reminder: Do not store files in your C: drive. Instead use your U: drive or the S: drive
- Leaving UBC: Alex Rebrov
- Summer schedule for IT Service Desk is 8:00am – 4:30pm, Monday to Friday
- The new SUB is now open
- NPS Score remains at 83%; with 32 responses – 10 new promoters
- Joining UBC: Pino Lopriore, Patrick Armstrong, David Johnson, Trevor McGregor, Teaghan Smith, Bryon Wood