Maintenance work order priority: emergency, urgent or routine?

For staff, tenants and facilities teams: triage a building problem as emergency, urgent or routine, contact the right people, and log the work order.

Maintenance work order priority: emergency, urgent or routine?RequesterFacilitiesSAFETY FIRSTREPORT AND LOGFIX AND CLOSEYesNoYesNoWater leak or floodYesNoPower or electricalYesHeating or coolingNoYesNoYesNoYesNoSomething elseRequester spots a facilitiesproblemFor staff, tenants and facilitiesteams: decide if a building problem isan emergency, urgent or routine, whoto contact, and how to log it.Response targets below are commonexamples. Use the targets in yourown policy or lease.Is anyone hurt or inimmediate danger?For example fire, smoke, someoneinjured or trapped, live wiresexposed, or a structural collapse.Call emergency services firstUse your local emergency number,for example 911 in the US or 999 inthe UK. Get people out of dangeronly if it is safe to do so.Tell facilities once everyoneis safeEmergency handled byemergency servicesCheck for gas, water andpower hazardsDo you smell gas orhear a hissing noise?Get everyone out and call thegas emergency lineReady.gov advises: open a window,get everyone out quickly, and call thegas company from outside, forexample a neighbour's home.In Great Britain, HSE lists the gasemergency number 0800 111 999. Ifyou know where it is, shut off the gasat the meter control valve.Only a qualified professional shouldturn the gas back on.What kind ofproblem is it?Is water spreadingor near electrics?Shut off water at the valve ifyou know where it isKeep people away from water nearsockets, panels or equipment, andtell facilities the water is nearelectrics.Contain it with towels or abucketIs there sparking,burning smell or afull outage?Keep people clear of the areaIs the space unsafe orunusable?For example no heating in freezingweather, or overheating in a serverroom or with vulnerable people.For example a dripping tap, a stuckdoor, a broken light in an office, orcosmetic damage.Report it to facilities as anemergencyPhone, do not just email. Out ofhours, call the on-call or emergencymaintenance number in your buildingguide, lease or intranet.Example target: someone on sitewithin 1 to 4 hours, or as your policystates.Report it to facilities asurgentPhone or use the urgent option inyour work order system. Exampletarget: attend within 24 hours.Log a work order in thesystemGive the exact location (building,floor, room), what is wrong, when itstarted, photos, your contact numberand access times.Routine requests go here first.Emergency and urgent calls arelogged here too, after the phone call.Example routine target: 5 to 10working days.Review and confirm thepriorityCheck the request against yourpriority matrix. Change the priority ifthe facts differ from the report, andtell the requester.Is it in scope forfacilities?Redirect to the right teamand tell the requesterFor example IT equipment, alandlord's responsibility, or acontractor under warranty.Assign a technician orcontractorSchedule the work with therequesterAgree access, any disruption, andwhether parts need ordering. Give anexpected completion date.Complete the work andrecord what was doneRecord time, parts, cost and the rootcause if found. Add before and afterphotos.Did the requesterconfirm it is fixed?Reopen the work orderClose the work order

Safety first

  1. Requester spots a facilities problemRequester

    For staff, tenants and facilities teams: decide if a building problem is an emergency, urgent or routine, who to contact, and how to log it.

    Response targets below are common examples. Use the targets in your own policy or lease.

  2. Is anyone hurt or in immediate danger?Requester

    For example fire, smoke, someone injured or trapped, live wires exposed, or a structural collapse.

  3. Call emergency services firstRequester

    Use your local emergency number, for example 911 in the US or 999 in the UK. Get people out of danger only if it is safe to do so.

  4. Tell facilities once everyone is safeRequester
  5. Emergency handled by emergency servicesRequester
  6. Check for gas, water and power hazardsRequester
  7. Do you smell gas or hear a hissing noise?Requester
  8. Get everyone out and call the gas emergency lineRequester

    Ready.gov advises: open a window, get everyone out quickly, and call the gas company from outside, for example a neighbour's home.

    In Great Britain, HSE lists the gas emergency number 0800 111 999. If you know where it is, shut off the gas at the meter control valve.

    Only a qualified professional should turn the gas back on.

    Then go to step 16, Report it to facilities as an emergency

  9. What kind of problem is it?Requester
  10. Is water spreading or near electrics?Requester
  11. Shut off water at the valve if you know where it isRequester

    Keep people away from water near sockets, panels or equipment, and tell facilities the water is near electrics.

    Then go to step 16, Report it to facilities as an emergency

  12. Contain it with towels or a bucketRequester

    Then go to step 17, Report it to facilities as urgent

  13. Is there sparking, burning smell or a full outage?Requester
  14. Keep people clear of the areaRequester

    Then go to step 16, Report it to facilities as an emergency

  15. Is the space unsafe or unusable?Requester

    For example no heating in freezing weather, or overheating in a server room or with vulnerable people.

    For example a dripping tap, a stuck door, a broken light in an office, or cosmetic damage.

Report and log

  1. Report it to facilities as an emergencyRequester

    Phone, do not just email. Out of hours, call the on-call or emergency maintenance number in your building guide, lease or intranet.

    Example target: someone on site within 1 to 4 hours, or as your policy states.

    Then go to step 18, Log a work order in the system

  2. Report it to facilities as urgentFacilities

    Phone or use the urgent option in your work order system. Example target: attend within 24 hours.

  3. Log a work order in the systemFacilities

    Give the exact location (building, floor, room), what is wrong, when it started, photos, your contact number and access times.

    Routine requests go here first. Emergency and urgent calls are logged here too, after the phone call. Example routine target: 5 to 10 working days.

  4. Review and confirm the priorityFacilities

    Check the request against your priority matrix. Change the priority if the facts differ from the report, and tell the requester.

  5. Is it in scope for facilities?Facilities
  6. Redirect to the right team and tell the requesterFacilities

    For example IT equipment, a landlord's responsibility, or a contractor under warranty.

  7. Assign a technician or contractorFacilities

Fix and close

  1. Schedule the work with the requesterFacilities

    Agree access, any disruption, and whether parts need ordering. Give an expected completion date.

  2. Complete the work and record what was doneFacilities

    Record time, parts, cost and the root cause if found. Add before and after photos.

  3. Did the requester confirm it is fixed?Facilities
  4. Reopen the work orderFacilities

    Then go to step 23, Schedule the work with the requester

  5. Close the work orderFacilities

Outcomes

Emergency handled by emergency services

You get here from step 4, Tell facilities once everyone is safe.

Redirect to the right team and tell the requester

For example IT equipment, a landlord's responsibility, or a contractor under warranty.

You get here from step 20, Is it in scope for facilities? (No).

Close the work order

You get here from step 25, Did the requester confirm it is fixed? (Yes).