Facilities Management is a people-led discipline operating in high-variability environments: changing occupancy, ageing assets, time-critical faults and constant interface with contractors and building users. Many FM incidents are less about a missing policy and more about human factors: the conditions that shape decisions and behaviour on the front line. For senior leaders attending the FM Forum this month, the opportunity is to build a safety culture that reduces risk without adding bureaucracy or burning teams out…
Fatigue and workload: the hidden risk multiplier
Fatigue is one of the most under-addressed safety issues in FM. Out-of-hours call-outs, reactive maintenance spikes, lone working and weekend cover can create a pattern of cumulative fatigue that increases error rates and slows response.
Best practice starts with visibility. Track overtime, call-out frequency, and repeated “hotspot” assets that generate reactive workload. Use that insight to rebalance rotas, build planned maintenance resilience and reduce avoidable demand. Where resources are constrained, the goal is not perfection but more reducing the likelihood of high-risk work being carried out when people are least able to do it safely.
Skills gaps and competence: reduce reliance on heroics
Many FM teams are working through skills shortages, increased reliance on contractors, and a mix of legacy and newer building systems. Under pressure, organisations often default to “get it done” behaviour, with informal knowledge filling the gaps. That’s where risk grows.
Leading FM functions are investing in competence clarity: who is authorised to do what, when escalation is required, and what “stop” looks like. Micro-training (short, frequent refreshers) and task-based competence checks are replacing one-off annual training that doesn’t reflect the work reality.
Behavioural safety – without blame
Behavioural safety can be powerful, but only when it’s not used as a stick. The most effective safety cultures focus on system design, not individual fault-finding. If teams routinely bypass a permit-to-work step, the first question should be: what is forcing that behaviour? Is the process too slow for reactive work? Are tools unavailable? Is sign-off unclear? Is the workflow designed for ideal conditions, not real ones?
Best practice is to remove friction: simplify permits for low-risk tasks, provide clear decision trees for escalation, and ensure the right equipment is available where work happens.
Designing safer systems that don’t add admin
The strongest safety improvements in 2026 are operationally lightweight:
- Pre-task briefings for high-risk work, kept short and consistent
- Standard job packs for repeat tasks (method, hazards, PPE, isolation steps)
- Clear isolation and lock-off procedures aligned to site reality
- Near-miss reporting that leads to visible action, not paperwork dead ends
- Risk-based supervision, focusing time on the highest-consequence work
Digital tools can help, but only if they reduce effort. If reporting takes longer than fixing the issue, it won’t stick.
Culture is what happens on the busiest day
A safety culture is defined by decisions made when the site is under pressure. FM leaders who reduce incidents will be those who design systems around human reality: manageable workload, clear competence, low-friction processes and a culture that supports people to pause, escalate and do the job safely.
Are you searching for Health & Safety solutions for your organisation? The FM Forum can help!
