Mark your calendars: Join us for 2023 Facilities Ice Cream Social on Thursday, July 20
Get ready for an afternoon filled with friendly competition, laughter, and camaraderie!
We're excited to announce our summer event, the Facilities' Ice Cream Social 2023, a fantastic opportunity for all staff members to come together and enjoy a fun-filled event while indulging in delicious cold treats.
Whether you're here during the day or evening shift (and night!), mark your calendars for Thursday, July 20:
- Day shift: 11:30 am–12:30 pm | Orchard Commons
- Evening shift: 7:00 pm–8:00 pm | Orchard Commons
- Night shift: 11:30 pm–12:00 am | UBC Life Building
We have a range of exciting activities planned, including:
- Giant Connect-4
- Ladder Toss
- Corn Hole
- Mini-Golf
- Outdoor Badminton
If you're interested in lending a hand and making this event even more memorable, please reach out to Caroline MacLeod at caroline.macleod@ubc.ca, who is coordinating the volunteers.
Vehicle operators are responsible for driving safely on campus
Using a UBC vehicle comes with many responsibilities. We encourage you to review the rules and responsibilities of operating a UBC vehicle that can be found in the Facilities Fleet Policy (available in the Facilities shared drive). As a reminder:
Driver responsibility: As a driver, you are responsible for ensuring you have read and understand the processes outlined in the fleet policy, including the following:
- Maintaining a valid driver’s license,
- Obeying traffic laws and parking restrictions,
- Driving sustainably,
- Ensuring the vehicle is inspected regularly,
- Removal of waste,
- Reporting all damages and
- Securing all materials inside the vehicles.
Distracted driving: Although the summer months have less activity and pedestrians, please ensure you obey all traffic signs, slow down and watch your surroundings.
Key roadways to avoid: Please avoid driving down University Boulevard and Main Mall. Unless your work is being conducted on these roadways, our drivers should avoid driving on these roads. These are designated for foot traffic.
Parking: Please use designated parking stalls and spaces for parking Facilities vehicles. Do not park in restricted or handicapped areas as well as avoid parking in loading bays unless loading or unloading materials. If you receive a parking ticket, as a driver, you are responsible to pay for it.
Please contact your Head or Manager to discuss any concerns or questions.
Let’s keep our vehicles in good working condition and remember that when operating a UBC vehicle, we are representing our community.
For more information on driving safely on campus, visit the Safety & Risk Services website.
Supporting building users and academic research through air fan system upgrades in the Chemistry Physics Building
In February, there was a critical failure to a supply fan in the Chemistry Physics Building, leading to the shutdown of fumehoods and directly impacting research.
Building Operations Trades sprang into action to weld the fan back together to limit the impact and buy time to implement a permanent solution. A few months have passed and with the help of Infrastructure Development’s Project Services and our local contractors and suppliers, a new fan wall has been installed.
The new Hunt Air Fan Wall fan system is more energy efficient and provides operations and maintenance benefits. The handover demonstration is scheduled for July 12 at 9:30 am. Please contact your head if you would like to attend.
Special thanks to Building Operations, Energy & Water Services, Infrastructure Development, and all across Facilities who were involved with this process.
Successfully averting a campus-wide electrical failure
Earlier this month, a keen-eyed Energy & Water Services (EWS) Subhead Electrician observed odd noises at the main campus electrical substation yard. Within minutes, the Head Electrician came to the site and witnessed the BC Hydro-owned meter equipment — which is connected directly to both of the main campus 69,000-volt power line — smoking and visibly arcing.
Through evening discussions with BC Hydro, UBC was formally authorized to disconnect the metering equipment for worker and public safety while emergency plans were being developed. After concerns that the equipment could explode and cause injury to anyone within the area as well as damage to nearby equipment, including the two 100,000 litre oil tanks for the Campus Energy Centre, UBC successfully bypassed the BC Hydro meters the following day.
Kudos to the EWS electrical team for developing an innovative plan, obtaining the necessary components and safely bypassing the faulty equipment averting a potential electrical failure that would have affected the entire campus.
A special thank you to Scott Stevens, Mark Marynick, Dennis Lauinger, Rob Schwarz, Brad Haywood, Ger Coppinger and Stan Takenaka for their quick response, teamwork and ingenuity. Great work!
Who to contact for clerical support?
A contact list (attached) has been developed to support our Facilities team in identifying who to contact for clerical support.
For all other inquiries, please contact clerk.buildingops@ubc.ca
The Centre's Heart Health Fair was a success!
Last week's Heart Health Fair at The Centre was very well attended. It was a great opportunity for participants to learn more about their cardiovascular health and for us to collaborate again with the UBC Pharmacists Clinic. We have received a lot of positive feedback from those who attended.
For those who were unable to register for this health screening event, we will be hosting another health fair on October 10 & 11 with a focus on Diabetes Awareness. Mark your calendars and stay tuned for more information as registration details will be available closer to date!
For questions in regards to the health screening events, contact Lori Takenaka, Safety Advisor, Facilities at lori.takenaka@ubc.ca or 604-822-6732.
Kudos
Job openings
All positions at UBC are available on the UBC HR Careers website, or through the career application in your Workday account. Please note that applications will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on the day prior to the posting end date. The following VPFO positions are currently open:
- Trades 2 - Carpenter (Construction Office) (JR13288) – 6/27/2023
- Municipal Engineer (JR13272) – 6/28/2023
- Millwright (JR13319) – 6/30/2023
- Head Service Worker (Night Shift) (JR13349) – 7/4/2023
Don't forget to apply as an internal candidate! Please review Apply for an Internal Job Posting in the Workday Knowledge Base for instructions on how to apply. Reminder to attach a copy of your resume when you apply for a career opportunity in Workday.
Building Safety Capacity: UBC Facilities Health & Safety Program Manual
UBC Facilities Health & Safety Program Manual has 16 elements and is the foundation on which health and safety processes and procedures are then developed.
The UBC Facilities Health & Safety Program was recently updated and reviewed by the Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committees within Facilities. Below is a list of the key changes:
- Emergency safety contact information
- Addition of the following courses:
- Heat Stress Awareness
- Cold Stress Awareness
- Noise Awareness
- Supporting Mental Health in the Workplace for Managers and Supervisors
All Facilities staff are encouraged to review this document, which can be found on UBC Facilities Shared Drive and the UBC Facilities website.
For questions regarding the UBC Facilities Health & Safety Program, please contact Lori Takenaka, UBC Facilities Safety Advisor at lori.takenaka@ubc.ca.
Weekly Emergency Tip: Keep your vehicle fueled or charged
Always keep your gas tank at least half full or battery half charged.
During a disaster, gas stations and electrical infrastructure may not be working for days. For information about emergency car kits, visit Government of Canada’s Get Prepared website.
For more information about emergency preparedness, visit ready.ubc.ca/get-prepared/
Helpful resources from UBC HR
UBC HR is organizing some workshops to help faculty and staff better understand their strengths and how to leverage them at work. Please note that registration for the August workshops is not yet open but will be soon.
You are also welcome to sign up for the following monthly newsletters for helpful professional development insights:
- The Leaders Edge: Leadership, learning and development resources and insights for UBC leaders, managers and supervisors. Subscribe now
- The Learning Link: Learning and development opportunities relevant for your professional and personal growth at UBC. Subscribe now
Managing your mental health
HR has collected mental health resources to help you manage your ups and downs.
As a manager or leader, you play an important role in supporting your mental health and that of your teams. Complete the new required training: Supporting Mental Health in the Workplace for Managers and Supervisors.
Representatives are always available for a confidential conversation:
- Monica Haab (monica.haab@ubc.ca): Building Operations, Energy & Water Services, Customer Services & Informatics, and Infrastructure Development
- Gregor MacDonald (gregor.macdonald@ubc.ca): Custodial Services and Municipal Services
Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) offers an extensive suite of services to support you – from providing wellness coaching or advising on family issues to offering legal support. Access the EAP confidential services through LifeWorks, by calling 1-866-424-0770.
In case you've missed it
In case you've missed it Here is a quick recap of key events and information that you may have missed. For more details, please click on the links below or refer to our weekly portfolio newsletter, VPFO Update.
