Business View Oceania | Volume 3, Issue 6

43 44 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 3, ISSUE 6 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 3, ISSUE 6 New Zealand’s locally-owned fire protection experts, that Kiwis trust. Trusted by Kiwis for more than 40 years, FSS are on a relentless mission to transform the fire protection industry by providing remarkable solutions, state of the art technology and unrivalled levels of service. If you are interested in streamlining your fire protection requirements and want to develop a partnership that is mutually open, honest and transparent then we would love to talk. 0800 11 46 11 | www.firesecurity.co.nz ARGEST detail while on the job. In response to these changes, Argest has already begun to spend more time assisting clients in consulting matters. Since inspection costs will no doubt rise as standards increase, the company will provide more close-analysis services to identify costly areas of a system, then propose alternative measures to increase cost-efficiency. It is also important during this process that building owners, managers and stakeholders can take on increasing responsibilities surrounding documentation, data reporting and facilities management; Argest’s consulting services will help to make sure buildings have appropriate plans to support this. Scammell is confident that Argest is leading the pack in terms of positive feedback and reputation. “I was talking to one of our competitors as you do, because you’ve got industry forums and you bump up against each additions, upgrades or removals of upgrades to systems must meet the current safety standards of the Building Act. This means that a separate consulting process has to go ahead for all new, additional or developed systems and that they must be tested, inspected and maintained in accordance with their installation standards. This requires consistent staff training, covering general refreshers, practical experience and legislation updates. Scammell explains, “We not only have to keep up with the latest standards, but we also have to be cognizant of all the past standards because older systems need to comply with what they were consented for, which could be 10, 20 or 30 years old.” To delegate some of the load and make sure all bases are covered, Argest coordinates subcontractors and specialist companies with IQ (Independently Qualified) persons who can carry out complex inspections. Greenstar buildings, held under the Green Building Standards, are also under the Argest umbrella. Scammell predicts the company will have more to do with Greenstar Facility Management in the future, as the Emissions Trading Scheme gains more traction throughout the country. Argest refocussed its work schedule in response to the emergence of COVID-19. As has been the case for businesses around the world, management of health and safety, essential practices and client interactions have all become more complex with the introduction of COVID-19 related restrictions. Argest has worked to tackle this challenge by introducing home- based work environments for many of their staff, and supplementing staff who could not carry out their usual duties, such as specialised inspectors, with development and training periods. The company has also worked throughout lockdown with essential service providers, including supermarkets and police stations, maintaining their essential systems under strict health and safety regimes according to COVID-19 protocols. Speaking about valuable and long-term business relationships, Scammell identifies large contractors across New Zealand as being incredibly important to the company. “One of our largest contractors is for all the state schools across New Zealand – that’s over 25,000 different inspections required every year. So we coordinate that through four major subcontractors, probably the largest being JCI Wormald, dormakaba, AHI Carrier and KONE. We’ve had those relationships for 15-plus years.” Health and safety changes in the future are likely to have a significant impact on Argest, Scammell says. Over the next three to five years, given the continued increase in focus on health and safety regulations throughout the compliance industry, penalties for non- compliant systems under the Building Act will also increase, as will the expectations on local authorities to enforce them. For Argest, this means more standards to comply with, and requires their staff to be even more attentive to HVAC/Hydraulic and electrical provider in NZ. www.aquaheat.co.nz 0800 278 269 Installation Maintenance Services, 24 Hours a Day Planned Preventative Maintenance Asset Lifecycle Management Refurbishment and Replacement Facilities Maintenance Proud supporter of Argest For more information