< Previous COVER STORY www.fm-middleeast.com20 May 2020 scientifically proven to remove many of these microscopic allergens but to be truly effective a more holistic approach is required. Many of these particles can accumulate in furniture, carpets, textiles and bedding so require regular cleaning. A two-pronged approach that involves the use of air purifiers in conjunction with thorough cleaning – using a fully sealed vacuum cleaner – is the most effective solution to ensure improved indoor air quality. Talking more about air purifiers, McLuckie adds: “Air purifiers can play a vital role to ensure you breathe in good quality air that is free from contaminants and allergens. There are a few key factors people should look out for when considering installing an air purifier indoors. Ideally, they should have fully sealed filters that prevent the airflow from bypassing the filter media and as a result you can be sure the machine is filtering the air of particles and gases. “Dual filters such as HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) and other types of particle filter remove microscopic pollutants from the air like dust, pollen and pet dander. A good quality air purifier should reduce asthma symptoms through an activated carbon filter that will absorb VOCs, NO 2 and other gases, while fan functionality allows for clean air to be projected across the room.” Dyson has engineered its air purifiers based on extensive scientific research and study. These devices are designed to remove gases and capture 99.97% of airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns. This includes particles the size of bacteria and viruses. Modern buildings such as hospitals, warehouses, and even homes can be up to 5 times more polluted than the air outside from the build-up of formaldehyde from a wide range of items. This includes new textiles such as carpets, which release toxins into the air. Dyson’s research, design, and development teams focus on solving such problems by inventing machines that capture and remove these harmful pollutants at a molecular level, so as to have cleaner air. REGULATIONS Air purifiers and filters apart, are the current regulations for IAQ coronavirus- ready? Dr. Al-Attar reponds: “Greater emphasis are usually placed on thermal comfort single-handedly when air conditioning is addressed. Minor attention is paid to air quality and the role of air filtration to provide it. Fans and coils get the lion share in terms of R&D investments as far as air-handling units are concerned. The methodologies of enhancing indoor air quality and the way we have been managing our indoor and outdoor environment lack precision. We failed to utilise the current HVAC technologies as far as air quality is concerned. We have not put a lid on ignorance and a plug on compliancy in the ways we surrender ourselves to the conventional HVAC maintenance practices. Younes gives a detailed explanation on the current regulations that mainly follow international standards, namely ASHRAE standard 62.1. He says: “One of the few things that are proposed to be changed in the 62.1 standard is to have a minimum relative humidity of 40%. Some studies showed that the lower the humidity the higher the possibility of airborne transmission. Also, heat recovery devices may carry over virus attached to particles from the exhaust air side to the supply air side via leaks. Recovery wheels may be sensitive for considerable leaks in the case of poor design and maintenance. For properly operating rotary heat exchangers, fitted with purging sectors and correctly set up, leakage rates are about the same as that of plate heat exchangers being in the range of 1-2%. For existing systems, the leakage should be below 5%, and has to be compensated with increase of outdoor air ventilation. However, many rotary heat exchangers may not be properly installed. The most common fault is that the fans have been mounted in such a way that higher pressure on the exhaust air side is created. This will cause leakage from extract air into the supply air. The degree of uncontrolled transfer of polluted extract air can in these cases be of the order of 20%, and that is not acceptable. Because the leakage rate does not depend on the rotation speed of rotor, it is not needed to switch rotors off. Normal operation of rotors makes it easier to keep ventilation rates higher. It is known that the carry-over leakage is highest at low airflow, thus higher ventilation rates are recommended. If leaks are suspected in the heat recovery sections, pressure adjustment or bypassing (some systems may be equipped with bypass) can be an option in order to avoid a situation where higher pressure on extract side will cause air leakages to supply side. Pressure differences can be corrected by dampers or by other reasonable arrangements. In conclusion, we recommend to inspect the heat recovery equipment including the pressure difference measurement. To be on the safe side, the maintenance THE METHODOLOGIES OF ENHANCING INDOOR AIR QUALITY AND THE WAY WE HAVE BEEN MANAGING OUR INDOOR AND OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENT LACK PRECISION. DR. IYAD AL-ATTAR, INDEPENDENT AIR FILTRATION EXPERT Dr. Iyad Al-Att ar, independent air fi ltration expert .COVER STORY www.fm-middleeast.comMay 2020 21 personnel should follow standard safety procedures of dusty work, including wearing gloves and respiratory protection. Virus particle transmission via heat recovery devices is not an issue when a HVAC system is equipped with a twin coil unit or another heat recovery device that guarantees 100% air separation between return and supply.” ASHRAE TO THE RESCUE Younes explains that in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, serious concerns arise regarding the capacity of healthcare facilities to provide both negative pressure isolation and properly pressurised intensive care spaces. In recent days, guidance has been developed to assist healthcare facilities in preparation to receive increasing numbers of COVID patients. This guidance is based on input from ASHRAE. guidelines outline specific strategies for increasing capacity for negative pressure isolation rooms in the short term. Of particular importance to healthcare facility managers are strategies to modify spaces, air handling systems and controls to attain the necessary air pressure control for treating COVID patients. Additionally, ASHRAE recommends the following for hospitals facility managers: Review patient entrance and flow patterns throughout the facility; Evaluate accuracy of space pressure relationships – especially airborne infection isolation rooms; and Revise contingency plans for a possible occurrence in which demand for isolation rooms exceeds capacity. Dr. Al-Attar concludes by saying: “It is imperative to believe that accelerating globalisation, industrialisation, rapid urbanisation, and population growth, if not rationally controlled, would further drive the emerging issues of climate change in the wrong direction. This would necessitate smarter ways of urban designing, living, and functioning as well as generating power more efficiently and using it more economically. We continue to hang our polluted hats on the environment rather than establish an intrinsic understanding of the escalated climate change. Furthermore, we ought to realise that while clean air is limited and rare, our climate is changing, our lungs are polluted, guidelines are still evolving, our actions are insufficient and SARS-CoV-2 is here.” AIR PURIFIERS CAN PLAY A VITAL ROLE TO ENSURE YOU BREATHE IN GOOD QUALITY AIR THAT IS FREE FROM CONTAMINANTS AND ALLERGENS. GEM MCLUCKIE, ADVANCED RESEARCH SCIENTIST IN MICROBIOLOGY, DYSON Dyson air purifi ers are designed to remove gases and capture 99.97% of airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns. Gem McLuckie, advanced research scientist in microbiology, Dyson. COVER STORY FM IN BANKING www.fm-middleeast.com22 May 2020 T he banking sector in particular covers multifaceted services from bank branches, brokers, stand-alone ATMs, corporate trading and credit unions. Both global and local financial institutions must share the common need to cost- effectively deliver facilities management (FM), in order to drive customer experiences whilst ensuring transactions are conducted in a safe and secure environment. In the UAE in particular, the facilities management sector is poised to record growth as the activities in financial technology rebounds with expansion in the non-oil sectors of the economy. The facilities management industry in the UAE is expected to grow at CAGR of 8.51% between 2016-2021 driven by projects like Abu Dhabi’s Vision 2030, and Dubai Urban Development Master Plan 2020. The demands for the facilities management industry is high, with recognition of its function needed across several industries which enhance the future of the country’s business growth. According to the Global Facility Management Market Analysis (2017-2023) The Global Facility Management Market size is expected to reach $79bn by 2023, rising at a market growth of 15% CAGR during the forecast period. The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) defines facility management as the practice that coordinates physical workplace with the people and work of the organisation encompassing various forms of activities BANK ON THIS BANKING AND FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS HAVE A WIDE ARRAY OF FACILITIES MANAGEMENT REQUIREMENTS AND PARTICULAR INDUSTRY CHALLENGESFM IN BANKING www.fm-middleeast.comMay 2020 23 such as equipment maintenance, space planning, technological implementations and portfolio forecasting. The growth of the facility management market is driven due to rapid growth in the adoption of cloud-based solutions, change in organisation structure and work force management. In the field of banking in particular, these practices are certainly needed in order to undertake financial activities including, management of treasuries, managing vendor documents, goods received and payment related information as well as the management of customer facing transactions. According to the 2019 Future Branches Consumer Study 80% of the bank customers still prefer visiting banking locations and ATMs, rather than opting for other banking solutions. This indicates that customers are preferring to visit a banking location and their physical locations are a significant strategic asset. Therefore facilities managers must operate effectively and efficiently to support business goals, reduce operational costs and generate good revenue to improve and enhance customer relationships which are imperative in the banking sector. Dr Jelena Janjusevic, assistant professor in Finance at Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University Dubai, shares how facility managers help meet the requirements of the banking and financial institution industry. • The importance of the financial institution branch design Financial services have a degree of importance that far outweighs many other brand relationships within the life of an individual, and the level of intimacy surrounding personal wealth and day-to- day banking approaches. Financial health is a critical factor for all consumers, and it is important to understand how facilities managers play a key part in maintaining the customer experience. According the 2019 Future Branches Consumer Study, 19% of consumers feel that branch design is an important factor in their appreciation of a physical banking experience, banks must prioritise creating a consistent, repeatable, and dependable experience at all their branches. It is therefore the role of the facilities management team to create effective delivery of support services for the organisation and add brand value to reinforce a promising image. In the UAE in particular, facility management market was valued at $13.8bn in 2018 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of over 10% to reach $27bn by 2024 according The Market Intelligence Report 2011. The banking sector plays a crucial role in the development of facilities management. This is particularly seen through strategies to enable customers to make right decisions when banking. This can be achieved through implementing to right tools for customer engagement and maintaining an interactive level of technology. • How Bank Facility Management technology has evolved According to IBM, the future of AI and customer service has flourished in recent years, by the year 2020 85% of all customer interactions will be handled without a human agent. Whilst the advancement of technology has enabled an efficient and effective form of customer experiences in the financial sector, the future of bank facility management technology has proven to be beneficial. For example, the future of help desk management software empowers banks and financial organisations to track problems, and service requests by customers. With automated processes, bank employees and facilities management staff can focus on adding new customers, retaining their accounts, and sell financial products to them by implementing efficient and accurate technologies. Additionally, Bank Facility Management software streamlines various day-to-day business operations, enhancing the overall efficiency and productivity of employees. In Deloitte’s 2019 Banking & Capital Markets Outlook, retail banks will invest over $15.2bn in digital banking in 2022, while only $11.4bn will be spent on developing branches. Whether a bank relies heavily on technology facilities or human interaction, it is imperative for facilities management as a function to assist in the customer experience cycle whether it is completed with digital business processes or the creation of customer experience infrastructure. • How Facilities Managers maintain banking services? Credit unions in particular and local banks are often situated in residential communities, and therefore would ensure that their source service providers and facility managers are based locally. This is to ensure that facilities managers in the banking sector take responsibility and obligations for maintenance and repair. Unmanned assets, such as ATMs, would require regular monitoring and management which can prove to be challenging with specific technical work that would be needed. Banking organisations must ensure that facilities managers carry out audits and risk FM IN BANKING www.fm-middleeast.com24 May 2020 compliance issues across physical footprints. According to The Market Intelligence Report 2011, facilities management in the Middle East, the UAE alone, projects that will be handed over in the next five years will help push the estimated value of the FM industry to around $1.4bn each year over the next 25 years. Despite the positives, the industry is not without its challenges, particularly in view of the evolving needs of customers. One of the most pressing is the lack of a region-wide awareness about the benefits of these services. Therefore, all banking institutions will rely heavily on the latest technologies and platforms. It is the duty of the facilities manager to deliver solutions and bring flexibility, transparency and compliance to automate facilities maintenance across any number of banking and financial organisations. Additionally, the report states, facilities management constitutes for 80% of money spent across a lifetime of a building from conception, further reinforcing the high demand in the maintenance of banking infrastructure. • Educating current and future generations on the benefits of Facilities Management The professional field of facilities management is growing rapidly worldwide, establishing itself as the source of strategic management for the coordination of modern business processes and support facilities. It is not only those who are currently within organisations that should gain knowledge in how to drive facilities management in the banking sector. Complex building systems and controls increasingly offer opportunities and challenges for the profession of facilities management. The industry can leverage new technologies to better manage facilities, but it also needs to ensure adequate training is in place to educate practitioners on new systems. In particular, the education field is moving towards a curriculum that works harmoniously with the needs of modern day organisational structures. According to The Market Intelligence Report 2011, about 50% of FM is in utilities, the rest are mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP), cleaning and security. The banking sector in particular requires all of these aspects to be addressed within the business structure. Programmes such as the Facilities Management course offered by Heriot-Watt University in Dubai are taught from the perspective of facilities management in complex businesses and are fully accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). The course equips future students with the necessary skills and competencies needed to drive facilities management effectively in a changing business world. BANK FACILITY MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE STREAMLINES VARIOUS DAY-TO-DAY BUSINESS OPERATIONS, ENHANCING THE OVERALL EFFICIENCY AND PRODUCTIVITY OF EMPLOYEES. Dr Jelena Janjusevic, assistant professor in Finance, Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University Dubai.A peek into some of the best practices by waste management fi rms NO TIME TO WASTE Sharjah-based Bee’ah wastes little time in adapting to COVID-19 and other waste management challenges p28 plus A SP EC IA L R E P O R T F R O M FACI LITI ES M A N AG E M E N T M I D D L E E A ST WASTE MANAGEMENTwww.fm-middleeast.com COMMENT May 2020 27 aste not, want not is an adage we have all heard. But what does it mean? It means, “if you use a commodity or resource carefully and without extravagance you will never be in need”, or in other words, If you don’t waste things, you are less likely to end up lacking. Managing waste now makes more sense during such times as we try to be more mindful towards the environment. The UAE has several initiatives in managing wastes. Due to population growth and economic activities, the quantities of wastes in the UAE have increased in the last decade. Most of the waste ends up in municipal landfills or dumpsites, where organic waste generates a large amount of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Currently, little of the waste is burnt and the rate of municipal waste recycling has been rapidly rising. Waste management in the country is coordinated through local authorities. Waste issues are handled through recycling and Want to enter the debate? If you have any comments to make on these issues, email the editor at rajiv.pillai@itp.com. VIEWP INT As countries and corporations come together to tackle wastes, we as individuals too need to recall and live by the adage, Waste not, want not RAJIV RAVINDRAN PILLAI Waste not, want not W About the author Rajiv Ravindran Pillai is the editor of facilities management Middle East. converting waste to energy and resources, new technologies and improved waste separation and collection systems. The UAE aims to reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management. Waste management firm Bee’ah Group CEO, Khaled Al Huraimel, reminds us that the average person in the UAE generates around 2.7 kg of waste every day – one of the highest per capita waste generation rates in the world. However, with the introduction of initiatives like Green Economy for Sustainable Development, UAE Green Agenda 2015-2030 and the UAE Vision 2021, there have been great efforts towards implementing a green economy in the UAE. Al Huraimel adds: “To fulfil these objectives, there is an urgent need for the public and private sector to complement each other’s efforts and find ways to reduce waste generation, treat existing waste and reduce landfill dependency.” As corporations and countries tackle the problem of waste, we as individuals should also think about reducing wastes and using only what is essential. KNOWLEDGE PARTNER www.fm-middleeast.com28 May 2020 Bee’ah claims to be the only integrated waste management company in the Middle East, managing three million tonnes of waste annually in the UAE alone, with a focus on realising zero-waste ambitions and a circular economy. The firm has adopted a twin-pillared strategy of digitalisation and sustainability to achieve these targets. With such responsibilities in hand, the company has wasted no time in coming up with new initiatives, especially during the ongoing COVID-19 scenario. In partnership with Sharjah City Municipality, Bee’ah’s workforce and advanced cleaning vehicles have been utilised to conduct emirate-wide disinfection. Bee’ah Group CEO, Khaled SHARJAH-BASED BEE’AH WASTES LITTLE TIME IN ADAPTING TO COVID-19 AND OTHER CHALLENGES AFFECTING THE WASTE MANAGEMENT SECTOR Al Huraimel, says: “We consider it our duty to pool our resources to help prevent, limit and contain COVID-19.” Bee’ah uses advanced cleaning equipment such as foggers and high- pressure spray cannons to sanitise Sharjah’s streets, buildings, public areas, residential and commercial zones. Al Huraimel adds: “We have attached high-pressure spray cannons on our vehicles that have a throw of 30-50 metres and can rotate 320 degrees. These cannons have a capacity of 4,000 litres of disinfectant, which is sprayed in a mist to kill airborne viruses and disinfect all surfaces it lands on. The disinfectant we use is locally made and is not harmful to people or the environment. “While our vehicles are on the streets, the disinfection reaches a lot further into public spaces. Our workers are working through the city, cleaning ATMs, phone booths, bus shelters, benches and more.” Bee’ah also disinfects all its waste bins daily and its city cleaning and waste collection vehicles after each shift, with its workers having been trained in health and safety measures. The firm is working with its suppliers to maintain ready supply of products and have increased its stock levels to avoid any potential disruptions. Al Huraimel says: “Throughout the operations, employee safety is a top concern that we are addressing through several means. In our worker accommodation camps, there are daily health checks and disinfection services. Bee’ah has also created quarantine areas and isolation rooms, equipped with amenities, entertainment and Wi-Fi, for workers, who are displaying symptoms or who have recently returned from overseas leave. “We have also changed the accommodation arrangements to reduce the number of people sharing a room and have limited the number of workers boarding each transportation bus so safe distances apart can be kept.” CHALLENGES The average person in the UAE generates around 2.7 kg of waste every day – one of the highest per capita waste generation rates in the world. In the wider Middle East region, the urban waste generation rate is over 150 million tonnes per annum. However, with the introduction of initiatives like Green Economy for Sustainable Development, UAE Green Agenda 2015-2030 and the UAE Vision 2021, there have been great efforts towards implementing a green economy in the UAE, says Al Huraimel. He adds: “To fulfil these objectives, there is an urgent need for the public and private sector to complement each other’s efforts and find ways to reduce waste generation, treat existing waste and reduce landfill dependency.” For these reasons, Bee’ah’s Waste Collection and City Cleaning division offers systematic and sustainable NO TIME TO WASTEKNOWLEDGE PARTNER www.fm-middleeast.comMay 2020 29 solutions for the private sector. Some of its most notable commercial clients include Dubai Airports, Emirates Group, Dubai World Trade Centre, Burj Khalifa, Jumeirah Lake Towers and TECOM Group’s 11 business communities. The firm has also expanded into new geographies. In January 2020, Bee’ah won the waste management contract for Egypt’s new Administrative Capital, one of the largest urban development projects in the world which is expected to house about 6.5 million people. Similarly, Bee’ah is also actively expanding into Saudi Arabia, having won various municipal waste management contracts which the firm will be announcing shortly. AMBITIOUS PLANS To fulfil the objective of 100% waste diversions from landfills, an Emirates Waste to Energy Company (EWTE) was founded between Bee’ah and Masdar in 2017. The plan is to set up waste-to- energy projects across the UAE & MENA region and diversify clean energy sources. The Sharjah Waste to Energy Facility will be complete and running by 2021 as the first of its kind in the UAE, as well as the first venture of the EWTE, says Al Huraimel. The plant will process 37.5 tonnes of residual solid waste per hour and more than 300,000 tonnes per year. The plant will be able to produce up to 30 megawatts of energy, which is enough to power up to 28,000 homes in Sharjah and displace almost 450,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year. Al Huraimel says: “As we continue the journey to complete waste diversion, the reliance on landfills is reduced. Bee’ah has already been able to transform Al Saj’ah landfill, one of the largest landfills in the world into the only fully engineered landfill in the region, which complies with international standards. “Speaking more broadly of our journey, Bee’ah was founded with a mandate to pioneer sustainable qualities of life across the region. We realised early on that this had to encompass wider smart city solutions, founded on the twin pillars of sustainability and digitalisation.” Bee’ah is a pioneer in digital transformation. Its new headquarters will be the first fully AI integrated building in the region, developed in partnership with Microsoft and Johnsons Control. This office of the future will be a blueprint for smart and sustainable cities of the future. The company also founded the region’s first sustainable transport company, ION, in partnership with Crescent Enterprises to find disruptive green solutions for this crucial sector, from electric vehicle ride-hailing services to developing the infrastructure for UAE’s fleet electrification. Its digital arm, EVOTEQ, is catalysing digital transformation through disruptive platforms. EVOTEQ is leading the largest municipality digital transformation project in the region and implementing a raft of smart city innovations. Its Consultancy, Research & Innovation (CRI) division now leads research in the environmental sector, implementing new technologies in the environmental sphere. Bee’ah Institute of Environmental Management and Sustainability (IEMS) Academy, sits within the CRI, and is currently rolling out tools to facilitate remote collaboration and learning. BEST PRACTICES There are several good practices to be learned from Bee’ah as a waste management firm. Bee’ah’s Waste Collection and City Cleaning division caters to millions of residents, collecting waste from bins and other collection points across the UAE. Using a smart and eco-friendly fleet of over 1,200 vehicles with back-end automated route optimisation, Bee’ah boosts resource efficiency and reduces fuel and manpower hours. The waste is then transported to Bee’ah’s fully integrated advanced Waste Management Complex that processes over three million tonnes of waste annually. Through advanced recycling and material recovery facilities, Bee’ah recovers recyclables and valuable resources that can be plugged back into the economy. Through such efforts, Bee’ah has helped Sharjah achieve the Middle East’s highest waste diversion rate at 76%. Upon completion of Bee’ah’s waste-to-energy plant in 2021, the diversion rate will reach 100%, making Sharjah the first zero-waste city in the Middle East. The facilities include the Material Recovery Facility, Industrial Waste Water Treatment Plant, Car & Metal Shredding & Recycling Centre, Tyre Recycling Facility, and Construction & Demolition Waste Recycling Facility. The latest facility, the Industrial Waste Water Treatment Plant, was launched in May 2019 to treat 300m3 of wastewater daily of industrial-contaminated water and produce clean water that can be returned to the water cycle, with minimal impact on the environment. The water can then be used for irrigation or agricultural purposes. Bee’ah is also in the process of building new facilities, such as a Refuse-derived Fuel Facility, Pyrolysis Facility, Wood Waste Processing & Recycling Facility and Commercial and Industrial Waste Recycling Facility. The company recently formed a joint venture with Italian company Ambienthesis to form B&A Industrial. The company will provide end-to-end integrated management of industrial and hazardous waste. Al Huraimel concludes: “We will continue to explore new technologies that further enhance our operations, both here in the UAE and further afield in the region.” Bee’ah’s Waste to Energy Facility in Sharjah to be complete by 2021.Next >