Understanding 0U Tasks In Facilities-iQ

If you're just getting to grips with Facilities-iQ, you may be wondering what “0U” means next to tasks.  

SFG20 want you to ensure that you’re using Facilities-iQ to its fullest potential to help you carry out compliant maintenance operations efficiently.  

That's why in this article, we'll be telling you everything there is to know about 0U tasks, including what they are and why they matter. 

What Does 0U Mean In Facilities-iQ? 

A 0U task (pronounced “Zero-U”) in Facilities-iQ refers to a variable field in an SFG20 schedule in which the task’s frequency is defined by the user from site and installation-specific information.  

This is because the frequency for certain tasks can vary between sites, equipment and use and can only be determined by taking other considerations into account: 

• A site-specific risk assessment may be required that considers variables such as environment, usage and condition of the equipment. 

• The task may be event-based, meaning it is only carried out when something happens, such as recharging a fire extinguisher after it has been used. 

• The task frequency may vary greatly depending on the site and/or installation, such as electric periodic inspection and testing which can be annually for hospitals or every five years for offices and shops. 

• In some cases, such as ventilation, the frequency may be based on the classification of the system such as a low, medium or high cleanliness quality class. 

Due to the variations between sites and installations, SFG20 cannot provide a defined frequency for 0U tasks. Instead, the frequency can only be allocated using the relevant information.  

Regulations and legislation may also advise that the frequency can only be gained from ‘site-specific’ data or manufacturer’s documentation.  

What Does 0U Stand For? 

0U stands for unspecified frequency, or “user-defined” frequency. 

It's important to note that 0U does not represent a "nil" or zero value for the field.  

What Does Task Frequency Mean In Facilities-iQ? 

Task frequency in Facilities-iQ determines how often a particular task needs to be carried out. 

This information is based on regulations, legislation and guidance associated with the specifics of the task.  

Undertaking the task in line with the frequency will ensure that the asset is maintained in compliance with current regulations. 

Are There Any Benefits To 0U Tasks? 

To set a frequency which would ensure compliance for all sites and installations, SFG20 would have to allocate the highest frequency. For example, for the electrical periodic inspection and testing task, a 12-month frequency would be allocated. 

But what if you’re responsible for the maintenance of an office? Selecting an annual frequency would incur a cost five times greater than required for your site.  

0U tasks save you money by allowing you to set the frequency applicable to your site and installation, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.  

It’s great to know that even when you’ve set a frequency for a 0U task (which is one of the many ways you can tailor SFG20 schedules), you’ll still receive updates for core/parent SFG20 schedules, allowing you to keep your customised schedules up-to-date and therefore compliant. 

In other words, your tailoring won’t be overwritten by the update and you’ll be shown where you are using this schedule and allowed to choose if and when you implement any changes. 

This flexibility ensures that your Maintenance Regimes (another handy, easy-to-use feature of Facilities-iQ!) reflect the unique needs of your facility. 

How Do SFG20 Determine 0U Tasks In Facilities-iQ?  

Example 1: Schedule 23-55 Secure Information Boxes  

SFG20 schedule 23-35 Secure Information Boxes covers wall-mounted enclosures that contain building plans and documents for use by the fire and rescue service during a fire. It contains the following tasks:  

• 1M - Amber (Optimal) task - Monthly inspection 

• 12M - Red (Statutory/Legal) task - Annual inspection 

• 0U - Amber task (Optimal) task - Post-incident inspection 

The Technical Authoring team at SFG20 have determined these frequencies and colour-code criticalities by reviewing and interpreting the following primary and secondary legislation, government guidance, building regulations and codes of practice: 

• Primary Legislation – The Building Safety Act 2022: The objective of this legislation is to maintain the safety of people in or around buildings and to improve the standard of buildings. It states that an Accountable Person is responsible for managing building safety risks. 

• Secondary Legislation – The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022: Regulation 4 Secure information box states that the secure information box must be inspected annually by the responsible person. 

• Government Guidance: 
  

• Building safety guides for Accountable Persons: These documents provide guidance for the Accountable Person on how to assess and manage the safety risks of high-rise residential buildings under the Building Safety Act 2022. 
• Building Regulations Approved Document B Volume 1 was amended in 2022 to include a recommendation for the installation of secure information boxes in blocks of flats over 11 metres.

• Government Information – Fact sheet: Secure Information Box (Regulation 4):

• The Fact Sheet does not contain any maintenance recommendations for secure information boxes other than an annual inspection as per Regulation 4 of The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022.
• However, it references a document titled Code of Practice for the Provision of Premises Information Boxes in Residential Buildings which was jointly produced by the Fire Industry Association and the National Fire Chiefs Council. 

• Industry guidance – FIA and NFCC Code of Practice for the Provision of Premises Information Boxes in Residential Buildings: This was produced by the Fire Industry Association (FIA) and the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC). 
  

• This document provides recommendations for the installation of secure information boxes in high-rise residential buildings including security, signage and the maintenance of both the information box and its contents.

•  The code of practice lists monthly and annual checks and a post-incident check. 

Putting This All Together  

In schedule 23-35, the task frequencies and criticalities were determined as follows:  

The 1M - Amber task - Monthly inspection is a recommendation of the FIA/NFCC code of practice. This is neither primary nor secondary legislation, therefore the task criticality is Amber. The frequency is determined by the relevant Code of Practice. 

The 12M – Red task - Annual inspection is a requirement of The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 which is secondary legislation, therefore the task criticality is red. The frequency has been determined by secondary legislation. 

The 0U - Amber task - Post-incident inspection is a recommendation of the FIA/NFCC code of practice. This is neither primary nor secondary legislation, therefore in SFG20 the task criticality is Amber. The frequency is allocated as a 0U as it is event-based and cannot be determined as the task is only carried out after an incident. 

As you can see, the “Monthly Inspection” and “Annual Inspection” tasks have been determined from a colour-code criticality and frequency point of view in line with relevant codes and practice and secondary legislation respectively.  

While we can confidently ascertain that the “Post-incident inspection” task has an Amber colour-code criticality due to it being neither primary nor secondary legislation, it’s not possible to define a frequency here as it would occur on an as-and-when-required basis.   

Example 2: Schedule 17-01 Ventilation Ductwork - Inspections, Monitoring and Cleaning 

SFG20 schedule 17-01 Ventilation Ductwork - Inspections, Monitoring and Cleaning, covers the requirements for inspecting and cleaning ventilation ductwork. It contains the following tasks:  

• 0U - Red task - Inspection  

• 0U - Red task - Cleaning 

• 0U - Red task - Post-clean verification 

The Technical Authoring Team have determined these frequencies and colour-code criticalities by reviewing and interpreting the primary and secondary legislation, HSE Codes of Practice, BSI Standards and trade association guidance. 

• Primary Legislation – Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974: Regulation 2 –General duties of employers to their employees states that every employer must ensure the health, safety and welfare of their employees, Regulation 3 states that they are also responsible for ensuring the health, safety and welfare for those not under their employment, but may be affected.  

• Secondary Legislation – The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992: Regulation 5 – Maintenance of workplace, and of equipment, devices and systems states that mechanical ventilation equipment must be maintained, cleaned and kept in good working order. 

• HSE Approved Code of Practice and Guidance – L24 Workplace health, safety and welfare: Section 52 states that mechanical ventilation systems and air-conditioning systems should be regularly and properly cleaned, and regularly tested and maintained to ensure that they are kept clean to prevent contaminating the air. The frequency of the maintenance and what it involves depends on the equipment. 

• BSI Standard – BS EN 15780:2011 Ventilation for Buildings – Ductwork –Cleanliness of ventilation systems: This standard contains guidance on the inspection and cleaning required and recommends frequencies. 

• Industry Guidance Document: BESA TR19® Guide to Good Practice - Internal Cleanliness of Ventilation Systems: This document recommends inspection/cleaning frequencies depending on the type of system. 

Putting This All Together  

Under primary legislation, there is a legal requirement to ensure the health, safety and welfare of persons at work. Under secondary legislation, there is a legal requirement to maintain and clean ventilation systems. 

HSE Codes of Practice provide practical advice on legal compliance and they have a “special legal status”.  

If you are prosecuted for non-compliance and you did not follow the Code’s advice, you must prove you complied with the law in another way or you will be found at fault. In this case, the Code of Practice affirms that the ventilation system should be regularly cleaned, tested and maintained. 

However, neither the primary or secondary legislation nor the Code of Practice gives any detail of what this maintenance entails or how often it should be carried out. 

Therefore, the Technical Team look to BSI Standards and industry guidance to determine the maintenance involved and how often it should be carried out.  

The 0U - Red Task - Inspection is a recommendation of BS EN 15780:2011 Ventilation for buildings. Ductwork. Cleanliness of ventilation systems, section 6.2 Assessment for the need for cleaning.  

Table A.2 - Recommended inspection intervals according to cleanliness quality class, in months recommends various frequencies, determined by the cleanliness quality class and equipment ranging from 6 to 48 months. Therefore, due to the variation in frequency, a 0U is allocated.  

The task is allocated red as the inspection determines the cleanliness of the ventilation system and the system must be cleaned as per legislation, Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992.  

The 0U - Red Task - Cleaning is a recommendation of BS EN 15780:2011 Ventilation for buildings. Ductwork. Cleanliness of ventilation systems, section 5 Criteria for cleanliness and assessment.  

Cleaning the system is an event-based task, that is, the inspection will determine if the system needs to be cleaned, therefore a 0U frequency is allocated.  

The task is allocated red as the system must be cleaned as per legislation, Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992.  

The 0U - Red Task - Post-clean verification is a recommendation of BS EN 15780:2011 Ventilation for buildings. Ductwork. Cleanliness of ventilation systems, section 7 Evaluation and reporting.  

Post-clean verification is an event-based task, as it can only be carried out after the system has been cleaned.  

The task is allocated red as the system must be cleaned as per legislation, Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992. These tasks ensure that the system has been cleaned adequately. 

While we can confidently say that these tasks are a statutory requirement with a red criticality code, we cannot provide a frequency because it depends on the site and system classification. 

Maximise Facilities-iQ To The Fullest 

To wrap up: in Facilities-iQ, a 0U task refers to a variable field within an SFG20 schedule in which the frequency of the task can be determined by the user.  

Now that you understand what 0U tasks are, you can confidently assign maintenance frequency bespoke to your assets whilst still remaining compliant with the SFG20 standard.

For more information on Facilities-iQ's other fantastic features, head on over to Learning Lab below, our free training environment available to customers. Or, for a full, straightforward breakdown of Maintenance Regimes in Facilities-iQ, click below. 

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