What Are O&M Manuals?
Operating & Maintenance Manuals (O&M Manuals), also known as Builders’ Manuals and Handover Manuals, provide a building owner / occupier with details of each building element for efficient operation, effective maintenance to ensure longevity, decommissioning and final demolition of a building or structure.
The maintenance of building elements is heavily regulated, with specific requirements set out in the Australian / New Zealand Standards. There are too many to list here, but some examples are below:
- AS 1851-2005: Maintenance of fire protection systems and equipment
- AS / NZS 2293.1 and 2-1995: Emergency evacuation lighting for buildings – Design installation, operation, inspection and maintenance.
- AS / NZS 3666-2002: Air-handling and water systems of buildings
- AS 4032.1-2005: Water supply – Valves for the control of heated water supply temperatures (Thermostatic Mixing Valves)
O&M / Builders’ Manuals should be clear and concise, with a simple table of contents so they are easy to navigate. At Dewick & Associates, we believe the following sections should be included in all handover documentation:
- Preliminaries / introduction
- Detailed project, emergency and manufacturer contact lists
- Technical descriptions of systems and operating Instructions
- Safety in maintenance guidance and preventative maintenance log sheets
- Fault finding instructions for each system
- Schedules of equipment and manufacturer’s literature
- Space for insertion of certificates, commissioning reports, as installed drawings
O&M Manuals and Handover Documents are often provided in various formats including hard copy folders, digital format and via online portals. Make sure you know such requirements before you make a start, as this will save you valuable time and money.
Author: Louise Gardner, General Manager of Dewick & Associates