Risk Management Surveys

Risk Management

Risk Management Surveys (RMS) are onsite assessments offered by AHT that identify potential risks related to the environment, fire protection, and safety & health (S&H) at facilities and buildings complexes.  RMS assessments document the level of risk within a facility, identify any conditions that present a risk exposure, and develop appropriate recommendations to mitigate each identified risk condition.  AHT is a leader in providing guidance pertaining to RMSs, monitoring RMS performance and completion of corrective actions, and reports on the completion of surveys to its clients at various levels.  The completion of RMSs is a mandatory requirement for building code compliance.  

There are a number of considerations that influence the criteria used to determine if a building should be surveyed, and at what frequency.  Generally speaking, this includes applicable regulatory policy and guidance documents, square footage, number of occupants, building height, tenant mission, and the relative asset value of the building or space.  In some instances, square footage tends to be immaterial, in others it may be the primary determining factor. Therefore, when determining a facility’s need for a survey,  AHT provides an in depth analysis from multiple perspectives in order to make the correct business decision. 

While each Risk Management discipline may have a slightly different set of criteria to include/exclude a building from a survey, AHT provides the minimum criteria for the selection of buildings to survey for environmental, safety and health, and fire protection programs. 

Initial Surveys Building Selection Criteria

AHT helps lead in determining the criteria for an initial survey to establish a historic reference point for identified risk conditions. These findings can also be used to help determine the need for future cyclical surveys.   

Commercial or Federally Owned Buildings & Structures

Initial RMS surveys for each program area (environmental, health & safety, and fire protection) are usually required to be performed at active and occupied buildings (including delegated buildings). For unoccupied buildings, initial RMS surveys are required if the building has one or more of the following aspects: asbestos, chemical contaminants, hazardous material storage, laboratory, fuel storage tanks, potential explosive storage, or lead-based paint. Initial surveys of federally owned buildings are to be performed within one calendar year of occupancy. At locations where an RMS survey has been previously conducted, the requirement for completing an initial survey will be considered satisfied as the most current survey will serve as the initial survey.

Leased Facilities

Initial environmental RMS surveys are not required for leased spaces but may be voluntarily performed should it be deemed appropriate. Initial RMS surveys for the fire protection and safety & health program areas are required to be performed at all active and occupied controlled leased spaces where the lease period exceeds one year and in accordance with the criteria below.  Surveys are not required for any space that will be leased for less than one year. Initial surveys of leased space are to be performed within one calendar year of occupancy. At leases where an RMS survey has been previously conducted, the requirement for completing an initial survey will be considered satisfied. The most current survey for a facility will serve as the initial survey.

Initial Fire Protection Survey Space Selection Criteria:

      • A lease in which the total rentable square feet (RSF) is greater than 15,000 RSF
      • A lease in which any portion of a leased space is located on or above the sixth floor
      • A warehouse lease in which the total RSF of leased space is or equal to or greater than 40,000 RSF
      • In buildings with leased space(s) where a Fire Protection and Life Safety Evaluation report has been provided and accepted by the facility fire protection office within the last 5-years, this report may be utilized as the baseline fire protection facility survey report for the purpose of scheduling surveys.

Complexes

AHT has conducted locations with multiple buildings or structures such as Land Ports of Entry, Federal Centers, and Commercial Campuses  that also meet the aforementioned criteria, an initial survey is required for each building with a discrete building number within the complex.

Child Care Centers

Our personnel have also done initial surveys  (environmental, health and safety, and fire protection) which are required at all child care centers in owned and leased buildings regardless of square footage or location within the building.

Cyclical Surveys Building Selection Criteria

The scheduling of Cyclical surveys is governed by established frequency criteria within each of the program areas, from findings from the initial or most recent survey, or lease actions.

Federally Owned Buildings and Structures

Cyclical RMS surveys are usually required at all active and occupied buildings (including delegated buildings) that are greater than 1000 GSF including individual buildings on a complex or campus. This excludes vacant buildings or structures, parking lots, land, antennas, etc. For the buildings or structures that are 1000 GSF or less, cyclical surveys are required only if they have one or more of the following aspects: asbestos, chemical contaminants, hazardous material storage, laboratory, fuel storage tanks, potential explosive storage, or lead-based paint. Environmental, fire protection, and safety & health RMS surveys are required to be performed at federally owned buildings at least once every five years with the exceptions as outlined in the Frequency Criteria Exceptions section below. All surveys may be performed more frequently for any reason when deemed prudent to do so by a facility manager. 

Leased Facilities

Cyclical environmental RMS surveys are not required for leased spaces but may be voluntarily performed should the region deem this appropriate. Cyclical RMS surveys for the fire protection and safety & health program areas are required to be performed at all active and occupied leased space at least once every eight years with the following exceptions as outlined in the Frequency Criteria Exceptions section below.

Cyclical Fire Protection Survey Space Selection Criteria:

      • A lease in which the total rentable square feet (RSF) is greater than 15,000 RSF
      • A lease in which any portion of space is located on or above the sixth floor
      • A warehouse lease in which the total RSF of leased space is or equal to or greater than 40,000 RSF

Cyclical Safety Survey Space Selection Criteria:

    • Safety RMSs are required for all occupied leased spaces.
    • Any unoccupied leased space with any of the following risk aspects: asbestos, chemical contaminants, laboratory, fuel storage tanks, storage of hazardous or explosive materials, lead-based paint.

Complexes

At locations with multiple buildings or structures such as Land Ports of Entry and Federal Centers that also meet the aforementioned criteria, a cyclical survey is required for each building with a discrete building number within the complex.

Child Care Centers

Fire protection surveys are required to be performed annually at all Child Care Centers in owned buildings and leased space, regardless of square footage or location within the building, with the exceptions as outlined in the Frequency Criteria Exceptions section below. All surveys may be performed more frequently for any reason when deemed prudent to do so by a facility manger.

Frequency Criteria Exceptions

Greater Frequency Adjustment

In locations where a significant number of risks were identified in the most recent RMS survey, regions may elect to perform the next survey for any program area at any owned building or leased space on a more frequent basis if it is deemed prudent to do so by a facility manager.

Less Frequency Adjustment 

There will be no frequency adjustments allowed for environmental or safety surveys.  For fire protection surveys, in the absence of high-risk findings identified through previous surveys or other sources, regions may elect to extend the period between cyclical surveys. If the facility Fire Protection Program Office has determined that a reasonable level of safety has been achieved based on the documented analysis of risks for a particular building or leased space, the established survey schedule for Federally-owned facilities or Leased facilities may be extended one year at a time, but cannot exceed 10 years. 

Deviations from the 5-year frequency at buildings or 8-year frequency at leased buildings should only be considered when both of the following conditions occur:

    • The most recent fire protection survey indicates that the facility has no identified fire risk conditions having a Risk Assessment Code (RAC) of 1, 2, or 3, and
    • The most recent fire protection survey indicates that the facility has a Building Fire Risk Index (BFRI) of 15.0 or greater (where applicable).