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Association Outline

Outline of Services

Outline of Business

History

　A comfortable environment created through
　a wide range of business and footwork
　The business area covered by building maintenance is limitless. Building maintenance engineers trot around a world of limitless potential showing their fancy footwork.

　The rapid development of communication and information technologies has changed the whole aspect of buildings. As forefront bases for production have moved from factories to city centers, the maintenance and management of buildings has become an increasingly crucial factor in every industry. Efficient building functions for production, matters of comfort regarding the building environment for workers, and the maintenance and management of all facilities and building environments are all essential factors today to improve the productivity of Japan's industries. In this situation, the building maintenance industry is steadily improving its management skills to meet the needs of new building environments.

　The building maintenance business can be broadly divided into two categories: operational management and maintenance of buildings and facilities; and environmental management to provide users with safety, comfort and convenience. The former deals with "things" (assets) and the latter deals with "people" (life and health).

　"Building maintenance" is used as a general term for these services.
（PDF） Setup of Building Maintenance Operations and Major Qualifications

Outline of Services

●Cleaning Management
●Building Facilities Administration
●Security and Disaster Prevention
●Environmental Sanitation Control

Cleaning Management
Creating a clean environment that is beautiful to look at and comfortable to be in


　Cleaning management services cover not only floor surfaces but also three-dimensional elements, such as walls, doors, office fixtures and equipment. They are designed to maintain a balance between good appearance and proper sanitation according to the special features of each room.
　The elements involved in cleaning management vary depending on the use of a building. In addition, it has to be conducted to satisfy the special properties of the diverse range of flooring, walling, metallic and stone materials in use today.
　The basic method of cleaning management has recently evolved from "post-cleaning" to "preventive-cleaning." This involves applying treatment before dirt accumulates and taking steps to prevent dirt from entering the building in order to maintain a good appearance and proper sanitation. The "dry method" that avoids the use of liquids is perhaps the cleaning method most suitable for contemporary buildings.
　In this way, today's cleaning management services amount to more than just an accumulation of simple cleaning work; they require professional knowledge and management skills. Some of the 600,000 "clean crew" members are trained to become "building cleaning technicians," qualified cleaning management service professionals.
　To improve quality, the "Building cleaning management inspector" system was also initiated in 2001.

Building Facilities Administration
Revitalizing a building by pumping in a totally fresh kind of power
　Building facilities administration services are designed to operate, monitor, inspect, improve and maintain the large number of equipment items installed inside a building and also analyze and preserve their records. Most current building equipment items are computerized and automatically controlled and monitored by a central control panel.
　Every operator must be legally qualified in order to operate the various types of building equipment, including electric and ventilation-related equipment. As building equipment is rapidly being computerized and systemized, it is becoming ever more important to possess integrated knowledge about all types of equipment, as well as the skills to control the organic relationship between them.
　In order to meet this trend, the "Building facilities administrative engineer" (1st class, 2nd class) certification examination was introduced in 1996, based on the technical skills test program. Both professional knowledge regarding all types of equipment and the management skills to control them in general are becoming essential requirements for building facilities administration.

Security and Disaster Prevention
Creating and maintaining the all-important safety of buildings and people
　Security personnel are assigned to buildings to carry out daily security and fire protection services.
　As with many other types of building equipment, the trend today is for security and disaster prevention equipment to become increasingly automated and systemized. This is increasing the importance of services for keeping watch and patrolling, monitoring, and controlling disaster prevention monitoring devices at the disaster-prevention center in order to provide a prompt and appropriate emergency response to any abnormal circumstances. It's essential today for workers at the disaster-prevention center to possess both technical knowledge and managerial skills.
　The security business can only be operated by certified security companies who uphold the standards established in the Security Service Law, including the education of security guards.
　Fire control services include the drafting of a fire defense plan and the inspection and maintenance of all fire defense facilities. This service is conducted based on the stipulations provided in the Fire Defense Law.
　The building maintenance business carries out these security and fire control services in an integrated manner as part of regular management, such as building facilities administration and cleaning management.

Environmental Sanitation Control
The constant provision of amenities to artificial spaces inside buildings
　Environmental sanitation control services are designed to keep the interior environment of a building-a collection of artificial spaces-hygienic and comfortable. The relevant environmental standards are established in the Building Sanitation Law. The services include measurements and inspections to ensure that all the standards are being met, and coordination of efforts to meet those standards.
　With regard to air quality and climate, regular measurement is carried out of various elements, including air-borne dust, temperature, relative humidity, airflow, and levels of CO and CO2.
　Regarding potable water, the measurement of residual chlorine and water quality inspections are conducted on a regular basis, as well as the cleaning of potable water tanks and water pipes.
　All drainage facilities are also inspected regularly and drain tanks and cesspools are cleaned.
　Regarding the control of unsanitary rodents and insect pests, research is carried out on their ecology so that they can be dealt with in a standardized manner.
　According to the Building Sanitation Law, any company dealing with these services, including cleaning, that satisfies certain standards can register with the Prefectural Governor. Registration has become an indication of a healthy business.