How To Keep on Top of Compliance In Facilities Management

What is FM Compliance and Why it Matters

FM compliance covers the legal obligations of organisations in relation to health and safety (H&S), environmental practices, buildings maintenance, and industry best practices. 

The following list highlights just 10 regulations you need to comply with:

Building Safety Act 2022: introduces the ‘Golden Thread’, which supports the design, construction, and management of buildings.

Health and Safety at Work Act 1974: requires workplaces to provide H&S training, welfare provisions, and a safe working environment.

PUWER (Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations): ensures all workplace equipment is suitable, safe, and properly maintained.

COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health): requires employers to assess risks, prevent or control exposure, and provide information, instruction, and training to employees.

Building Act 1984: secures the health, safety, welfare, and convenience of people who are in or about a building.

Fire Safety Act 2021: requires formal risk assessments for the structure and external walls of buildings, and entrance doors.

Electricity at Work Regulations 1989: covers regular scheduled inspections and testing, with immediate maintenance for any reported faults.

Gas Safety Regulations 1998: requires scheduled inspections and maintenance to ensure equipment is safe for anyone coming into contact with it. 

Energy Performance of Building Regulations 2007: requires inspections on air conditioning systems. 

Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012: requires identification of any asbestos materials and mandates its safe disposal.

FM compliance isn’t just about ticking boxes to confirm you’re doing the right thing. It comes with real business benefits: 

• Ensures a safe working environment to reduce the risk of injury and death.
• Provides better visibility and understanding of every asset.
• Focuses precious resources in areas where they’re most needed.
• Addresses potential issues earlier to prevent catastrophic failures.
• Avoids sanctions, like fines, penalties, and prison sentences. 
• Prevents contractual breaches and reputational damage.
• Supports SSIP accreditation and PQQ success.

For operations leaders, these benefits directly support measurable outcomes such as reduced downtime, higher equipment utilisation, and smoother supply chain continuity. In environments where a single equipment failure can halt production or delay logistics schedules, compliance and efficiency go hand-in-hand.

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The Top Challenges Facilities Managers Face

Unfortunately, FM compliance can come with several challenges. For example:

Training requirements: knowing what the legislation requires and ensuring your team has the right knowledge to complete tasks in accordance with it.

Accurate data: to make informed decisions about maintenance tasks, you need real-time information and historic data about every asset.

Supplier management: it doesn’t matter if you outsource maintenance to a third-party, you remain legally responsible for ensuring your business is compliant.

Resource allocation: knowing how to effectively deploy limited resources - whether that means scheduling engineers to service a fleet of forklifts, ensuring production-critical machinery is maintained, or balancing compliance work alongside tight service delivery SLAs.

Sustainability goals: taking the organisation’s environmental strategy into consideration when implementing new equipment and carrying out maintenance.

Inclusive workspaces: from accessibility needs, to DEI considerations, and hybrid work, work spaces need to be optimised and comfortable for all.

Overall experience: the need to balance legal obligations with employee expectations, so you create an environment people actually want to work in.

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5 Practical Ways to Stay on Top of FM Compliance

1. Centralise your data and documentation

Asset management provides you with a complete picture for each piece of equipment, so you can understand its lifecycle, performance, and profitability - ensuring nothing is overlooked. With this rich information stored all in one place, it means:

• You don’t need to chase for updates, because you can track tasks and follow-up actions.
• It’s easy to see where you can optimise maintenance and safeguard long-term value.
• Standardised storage makes it easy to find key information you're looking for.
• Audits are effortless, because documentation and certifications are easily accessible.
• Communication is simpler, because teams can find the documentation they need to conduct risk assessments, inspect equipment, and complete services.

2. Automate maintenance schedules and reminders

Use a Computer-Aided Facility Management (CAFM) system to plan ahead, get timely reminders, and keep your equipment in tip-top shape. By facilitating planned preventive maintenance (PPM), it means you can:

• Shift from reactive to proactive maintenance to service equipment exactly when needed.
• Track multiple assets with ease across factories, warehouses, or logistics hubs - from fire safety equipment to production machinery and materials handling vehicles.
• Avoid inefficiencies that are inherent in manual and paper-based processes.
• Ensure maintenance tasks are carried out consistently and thoroughly every time.
• Avoid costly repairs associated with catastrophic failures.

3. Keep a digital audit trail

Regular facility audits are crucial for risk management, but they take up a lot of time and effort -- unless you maintain a digital audit trail. Remaining 'audit ready' means your company is always prepared for regulatory reviews or external audits, which: 

• Reduces the time, effort, and stress associated with audit preparation. 
• Tracks potential issues with mitigating actions to demonstrate ongoing compliance.
• Gives assurance to key stakeholders that workplaces are safe and optimised.
• Supports continuous improvement to enhance the work environment.
• Helps you adapt to changing regulations and evolving risks. 

4. Make compliance part of everyday workflows

Use a CAFM system and your team will actively demonstrate compliance every day without thinking about it. With compliance embedded into the rhythm of the business, rather than be approached as a 'one and done' exercise, it means you:

• Improve H&S across the organisation to prevent accidents.
• Become more resilient with standardised processes, documentation, and audits.
• Create a more productive working environment with spaces optimised for every person.
• Streamline information, which supports collaboration and data-driven decision making.
• Avoid fines, penalties, legal disputes, and reputational damage.

5. Use real-time dashboards to spot risks early

Business intelligence will help you to unlock real-time insights and provide complete visibility into your operations, so you can monitor performance at a glance, spot trends early, and tackle inefficiencies before they escalate. It means you:

• Get comprehensive reports and KPI updates direct to your inbox. 
• Know how to optimise service delivery and drive your business forward.
• Allocate resources effectively to stay on top of your budget.
• Prevent downtime by implementing early interventions before failures occur.
• Prove your operational excellence with clear, customised data.

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How Service Geeni Makes Compliance Simple

Our intelligent CAFM software helps you streamline maintenance, ensure compliance, and control assets across single or multiple sites. Now, you can manage assets and maintenance with greater speed, clarity, and control, while automatically generating maintenance schedules, centralising documentation, and recording audit trails to make compliance simple. 

Choose Service Geeni when you want to:

Simplify facilities management: automate PPM, assign reactive jobs efficiently, improve SLA compliance, and boost first time fix rates.

Manage complex infrastructure: including lighting, fire safety, lifts, production-critical machinery, warehouse equipment, and materials handling vehicles – whether operating in a single facility or across a multi-site network.

Support mobile teams: our mobile app helps field engineers stay connected with real-time access to job details, updates, and essential forms and documentation while they’re on the go.

Unlike other CAFM providers, our platform is configurable and tailored to how you operate. That means no unnecessary features – just the tools you need. And we're based in the UK, with real people available to support your implementation and ongoing optimisation. It’s how we can respond to 100% of issues in under 30 minutes!

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Your FM Compliance Checklist

Building and structural 

• Building condition inspections – for example, roof, walls, windows, foundations.
• Accessibility compliance – for example, Equality Act.
• Asbestos register maintained and regularly updated.
• Lifts are serviced and certified.
• Structural integrity checks scheduled – for example, load-bearing structures and flooring.

Health and safety

• Fire safety systems inspected and tested – for example, extinguishers and sprinklers.
• Emergency exits clear, well-lit, and properly signed.
• First aid stations stocked and accessible.
• Workplace risk assessments completed and documented.
• Accident/incident reporting procedures in place and regularly reviewed.

Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing

• HVAC systems inspected, cleaned, and filters replaced.
• Electrical safety testing – for example, PAT and fixed wiring inspections.
• Plumbing systems checked for leaks, water quality, and legionella testing.
• Generators and backup power systems tested regularly, along with production machinery, forklifts, conveyor systems, and other operationally critical equipment..
• Gas safety inspections carried out by certified professionals.

Fire safety

• Fire drills conducted regularly with records kept.
• Fire evacuation plans posted and reviewed.
• Fire wardens trained and appointed.
• Fire suppression and sprinkler systems tested.
• Emergency lighting systems checked and operational.

Environmental and sustainability

• Waste management procedures – for example hazardous waste.
• Recycling and sustainability initiatives documented.
• Energy efficiency compliance – for example, metering and audits.
• Water conservation measures in place and reviewed.
• Environmental impact assessments updated as required.

Security and access control

• Security systems maintained and functional – for example, CCTV and alarms.
• Visitor access control procedures documented and followed.
• Key/ID badge logs maintained.
• Data protection measures in place for security recordings.
• Security personnel trained.

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FAQs: Facilities Management Compliance

Why is compliance important in facilities management?

FM compliance is important because ultimately, it protects people from harm by improving working conditions and reducing the risk of accidents, injuries, and illnesses for employees and visitors. 

What are the biggest risks of falling behind on FM compliance?

In a worst-case scenario, failure to meet your FM compliance obligations could result in severe injury or even death. As well as having that on your conscience, it’s also going to land the organisation with hefty fines from regulatory bodies, legal proceedings – and you personally could find yourself facing a prison sentence.

How often should compliance checks be done in facilities management?

The frequency of your FM compliance checks depends on how often equipment is used and what specific legislation dictates. To provide a rough indication:

Fire safety: monthly checks for fire alarm systems.

Environmental: monthly checks for specific areas, like the handling of hazardous chemicals.

Gas safety: annual inspections by a Gas Safe-registered engineer.

Electrical Fixed Wire Testing (EICR): every five years. 

Asbestos certification: every ten years. 

How can a digital platform help with FM compliance?

A digital platform, like a CAFM, helps with your FM compliance in 5 key ways:

1. Centralises your data and documentation.
2. Automates maintenance schedules and reminders.
3. Keeps a digital audit trail.
4. Makes compliance part of everyday workflows.
5. Uses real-time dashboards to spot risks early.

What records do I need to keep for FM compliance audits?

Check specific regulations as these may dictate certain records you need to keep. However, as a general rule, you want to retain information that evidences your FM compliance. For example:

• Logs for H&S, fire safety, and statutory checks.
• Monitor inspection schedules and service intervals.
• Asset history with condition ratings and engineer activity.
• Service history, with parts usage and performance data.

Can Service Geeni help me manage FM compliance across multiple sites?

Absolutely! Our CAFM platform is designed for multi-site operations, which means you can access real-time asset tracking, centralise maintenance management, automate compliance checks, and take advantage of real-time reporting.

The software offers features, including asset histories, digital compliance record-keeping, a mobile app for field engineers, and customisable KPI dashboards to monitor equipment status and adherence to regulations at each location. 

How can I reduce the admin time spent on compliance?

The key to reducing the time you spend on FM compliance is automation. With a CAFM, you can automate a range of admin tasks, including job scheduling, asset management, tracking maintenance history, preventative maintenance, and reminders.

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Final Thoughts: Compliance Without the Chaos

For asset-heavy organisations, compliance isn’t just a safety net – it’s a foundation for operational excellence. By embedding compliance into everyday workflows, you reduce downtime, extend asset lifecycles, and keep your operations resilient.

Compliance doesn’t have to cause you a headache. Choose a CAFM and you can stay in control and make compliance effortless, because it becomes part of the rhythm of the business:

• Information is clearly visible to everyone who needs access.
• Knowledge is shared freely with engineers out in the field.
• Catastrophic equipment failures and risks can be avoided.
• Internal audits can be run anytime to identify areas for continuous improvement.
• Time-sapping external audit preparation becomes a thing of the past. 

With Service Geeni, compliance doesn’t have to be complicated. See how our platform helps you stay ahead – book a demo today.

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