Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/maintaining-a-safe-and-healthy-environment/5015477/
What is maintenance?Maintenance of the facility involves having and keeping the building, grounds, furnishings, and equipment in good shape. Few building inspectors specialize in early education and child care facilities. Their attention is focused on generic issues of life safety, applying national or local codes. While fixing any violations of local codes identified by building inspectors must have priority, directors need to apply their knowledge about how the facility is used to fully address maintenance issues. Maintenance may require fixing what was never very attractive and functional to serve the program better. Good maintenance is holistic: addressing health, safety, and aesthetics �" how the place looks, feels, smells, sounds, as well as injury control.
Competent maintenance requires thoughtful planning related to four elements:
• Outside structures and features of the property
• Interior structures and furnishings
• Mechanical components
• People and procedures for maintenance
Outside Structures and
Features of the Property
Starting from the farthest perimeter that affects the program, plan for maintenance based on the location of the facility in the community, any vehicles the facility uses, and all aspects of the property used by the program. Start by looking for problems that may need to be solved related to traffic patterns, pollution ...