How SFG20 Can Help To Keep You Compliant

When it comes to compliance in the Facilities Management industry, it’s never a one-person job. As many Facility Managers and Building Owners will agree, it’s essentially impossible to juggle your day-to-day responsibilities with researching and keeping up with the latest legislation. 

It’s why SFG20, the UK industry standard for building maintenance specification, has a full-time team of technical authors to do this time-consuming, albeit all-important job for you. From this comes SFG20’s legally compliant maintenance schedules which are updated monthly in line with current legislation, all accessed through our new and smarter-than-ever software solution Facilities-iQ.  

In this article, we’ll be going over how exactly SFG20 can keep your organisation compliant, and how severe the risks of non-compliance can be should organisations fail to comply.  

What Is Facilities-iQ, And How Can It Help To Keep You Compliant?

Facilities-iQ allows you to put the SFG20 industry standard into practice with its extensive library of over 1000 schedules covering more than 70 different asset types including specialist equipment. 

Alongside making your job easier, the core purpose of SFG20’s software solution Facilities-iQ is to give you access to the latest, legally compliant SFG20 standard at all times, all in one easy-to-navigate place.  

Here’s how Facilities-iQ is helping thousands of organisations stay compliant, and why you should be using it too.  

Legally Compliant Maintenance Schedules  

As mentioned earlier, SFG20 maintenance schedules in Facilities-iQ are aligned with relevant legislation, regulations and codes of practice, all created, uploaded and monitored by our highly qualified technical authors.  

So, there’s no need for you and your team to do any complex legislative research yourself, allowing you to save a huge amount of time, effort and even money. For example, one of our recent clients benefitted from significant cost savings as they were able to avoid the need to hire an additional compliance professional.  

And don’t worry - every time a schedule is updated, we send out automated notifications to let you know what’s changed, give you a side-by-side comparison of both the old and new schedule, and allow you to implement updates at any time that suits you. 

Criticality Colour-Coded Schedules 

Each SFG20 maintenance schedule task is colour-coded to identify the criticality of maintenance tasks; Red tasks are Statutory/Legal, Amber tasks are Optimal while Green tasks are Discretionary.   

You can also create Pink tasks which are deemed as necessary for your organisation and/or sector.   

As well-maintained assets run more efficiently and are likely to last longer, this can help you to avoid costly downtime and even non-compliance fines.  

To find more detailed definitions of what these four criticality colour codes mean, make sure to read our What Is A Statutory Building Maintenance Task? Article. 

Compliant Collaboration Through Secure Sharing Links  

Rather than sharing information via PDFs which carry compliance and confidentially risks, Facilities-iQ's new secure sharing link feature enables you to safely exchange information with both internal teams and external stakeholders such as contractors.  

Not only does this greatly improve collaboration and communication both internally and externally, but it also ensures that all parties are working to the latest, compliant SFG20 standard. 

Find Service Providers/Contractors With An Active SFG20 License Via Our Member List and Digital Badges

While screening Service Providers/Contractors who are bidding for your tender, you can refer to SFG20’s Member List to ensure that they also have an active SFG20 license. 

Our Member List shows you who is an official SFG20 client and therefore has access to SFG20’s up-to-date maintenance schedules and individual tasks. 

What's more, we now offer Digital Badges to those with an active SFG20 license which can be displayed on their website as concrete proof. This badge is not an image, but rather a live iFrame which means it cannot be copied, modified or deleted. 

This Digital Badge is not only available for those with an active license who are bidding on contracts, but also for those who are tendering, helping to connect you with other active license holders.

However, It’s important to understand that outsourcing work to third-party Service Providers/Contractors DOES NOT mean that you can outsource the responsibility and indeed any risks. 

What Are The Risks Of Non-Compliance For Building Maintenance? 

By having access to and following the latest SFG20 standard through our legally up-to-date maintenance schedules housed in Facilities-iQ, you and your organisation will have the best possible chance of staying compliant and minimising serious risks. 

We’ve outlined the top 5 risks of non-compliance in building maintenance below.  

Prison Time 

In severe cases, non-compliance can result in imprisonment, with gross negligence manslaughter the worst charge that Building Owners and Facilities Managers can face, carrying a sentence of up to 18 years or more.  

Financial Penalties 

Organisations that fail to comply with building maintenance laws face substantial financial penalties including fines from the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) and further costs associated with rectifying non-compliance issues.  

Contractual Breaches 

As maintenance contracts often include clauses requiring adherence to all applicable laws and regulations, failure to comply can result in disputes, legal action and financial liabilities for the parties involved. 

Reputational Damage 

Negligence can result in legal repercussions, which can severely damage your organisation's reputation and impact who wants to work for and with you. 

Psychological Damage 

Where negligence has caused injuries and/or fatalities, the psychological toll on the individual(s) responsible can cause significant stress and guilt, impacting mental health and job performance.  

As you can see, the risks of falling behind legislation are not to be taken lightly. If you'd like to learn more on this topic, make sure to read our detailed Top 5 Risks Of Non-Compliance article. 

Don’t Let Your Compliance Slip Through The Cracks  

For over three decades, SFG20 have been the backbone for compliance across the board. We know first-hand just how challenging the industry can be, but with Facilities-iQ by your side, you can take back control of your compliance.  

To learn more about how Facilities-iQ can help bolster compliance within your organisation and minimise risks, book a call with one of our product experts by clicking below.

Or, to learn more about your compliance responsibilities, take a read of our free-to-download Ultimate Guide To Compliance In Facilities Management e-guide.  

Say No To Non-Compliance