In the world of facilities management, few issues loom as large - and carry such far-reaching consequences - as statutory compliance. At Litmus FM, we see this time and time again. Whether it’s healthcare, education, corporate offices, or large public venues, compliance is not just a regulatory necessity - it’s a moral and operational imperative.

There have been high-profile public facilities and spaces in the media over the past year that have faced various operational issues – such as the failure of the air conditioning plant - due to non-compliance. These seemingly isolated problems stem from a much bigger root cause - a lack of deep understanding and management of the statutory compliance of assets.

This is where many organisations fall down. Compliance isn't just a checklist or a folder of certificates stored in a back office. It’s about knowing your assets inside and out: what assets you have, what condition there are currently in, and whether each one meets the standards required to ensure its safe and efficient operation. When this insight is missing, it opens the door to risk - both to an organisation’s reputation and, more importantly, to the safety of the public.

Public venues in particular are under intense scrutiny because the risks are amplified where the public are involved. A malfunctioning system or overlooked safety feature doesn’t just mean an inconvenience - it could mean injury, liability, or in worst-case scenarios, tragedy. Compliance failures here aren’t just costly; they’re unacceptable.

So, what’s the solution? It starts with visibility. We place a heavy emphasis on asset intelligence. This means going beyond the surface and conducting deep-dive reviews of the entire building or estate - auditing systems, checking certifications, and identifying potential areas of weakness before they become critical. If you don’t know exactly what you’ve got, and how you maintain it, how can you ensure it is fully compliant?

Facilities managers must move from a reactive to a proactive mindset. It’s not enough to carry out firefighting in response to problems as they arise; they need to be anticipated.

Managing multiple assets across a large number of sites can be challenging. Often this can involve the work of several engineers, suppliers and specialist contractors, all servicing individual asset elements. This fragmented approach increases the risk of non-compliance, making it nearly impossible to manage effectively across multiple assets and engineers.

One of the best ways to co-ordinate this is digitally. The use of digital asset registers, compliance dashboards, and real-time monitoring tools mean that everyone can access the data and statutory maintenance records easily, update them live, and view the performance and operational history of individual assets. Investing in technology, training, and processes that bring a higher level of clarity and control is a worthwhile exercise.

Leadership also plays a vital role. Compliance needs to be championed from the top down - not delegated or buried in operational silos. When executives understand the risks of non-compliance and the reputational and financial damage it can cause, compliance transforms from a cost-centre into an efficient value driver.

A robust, embedded approach is essential in every sector - especially those involving public interaction. We don’t believe in box-ticking. We believe in building trust, safety, and performance through genuine levels of statutory and regulatory compliance. It’s not about passing an audit; it’s about knowing your buildings and its assets so well that there’s never a doubt they’ll perform as intended.

For further information please contact us.

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