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Facilities Management

Permits & notices

Introduction

Before doing work that could be dangerous or disrupt UVic operations, consult with your FMGT representative. Depending on the type of work, you may also need to:

  • consult with or provide written notice to other authorities, including:
    • Campus Security
    • municipal authorities
    • government agencies
    • utility companies
  • perform or review a hazard assessment
  • receive written permission from FMGT or another department or agency

Make sure you understand the terms used in these documents.

What is this?

These web pages are based on the UVic Health, Safety and Environmental Handbook for University Contractors, the authoritative guide to the responsibilities of contractors working at UVic. The content has been simplified and optimized for viewing on mobile devices and quick reference.

Download the handbook (1MB PDF)

Confined spaces

Before entering a confined space (for example: sanitary and sewer manholes, thermal heating and electrical vaults, and lift stations):

  • review hazard assessment, controls and work procedures for the space
    • Facilities Management can provide these on request
  • inform Facilities Management in advance
  • supply their own safety equipment

Excavation

Before doing any excavation on the UVic campus:

  • consult with Facilities Management
  • consult with relevant municipalities and utility companies
  • consult with BC 1 Call (optional)
  • submit a Notice of Project

Excavation sites must be blocked off with barricades or strong barrier. If they're open after dark, they must be well lit.

Fire systems

Before doing any work that requires fire safety systems to be disconnected or masked:

  • submit documentation to Facilities Management with:
    • the duration of the interruption
    • details of the project
    • fire watch procedures
    • a commitment to ensuring that the fire system will be brought back online by a stipulated time
  • wait to receive written permission to proceed

Facilities Management will disconnect the system and notify you when you may proceed.

Hot work

"Hot work" refers to any work that produces open flames, heat, sparks, or dust that may affect a fire safety system. For example, welding, soldering, brazing, grinding, and thawing pipes are hot work. Before doing hot work:

  • request a permit from Facilities Management
  • provision safety equipment and personnel to make sure no fire may be started

Only do hot work in spaces that are (or have been made) fire safe.

Lock-out/tag-out

When applicable, the contractor must have a hazardous energy control program. This program must be available to the FMGT Representative upon request.

Sometimes lock-out/tag-outs impact UVic operations. These may include lock-out/tag-outs for boilers, electrical panels and other institutional infrastructure. In these cases, you must make arrangements with FGMT at 250-721-7616.

If the work of a contractor and UVic personnel overlap and lock-out is needed, a pre-job meeting must be held. The contractor, the FMGT Representative and any other appropriate stakeholders will discuss the specific responsibilities of all parties. UVic personnel must be the first to install and the last to remove their locks. Both parties must ensure that the equipment or machinery can be operated safely.

Road & exit closures

Work can require partial or complete close of a roadway, secondary road, access route or building exit. In advance of the project, the contractor must provide information about this work in writing, including:

  • length of the disruption
  • alternate routes
  • a brief project description

The plan must be approved by the Executive Director of Facilities Management and the Director of Campus Security Services.

Rooftop access

Access to all rooftops of UVic buildings is restricted and controlled by FMGT. Rooftop key access must be arranged with your FMGT Representative via our reception desk in the Saunders building.

Before getting a key, contractors must review the rooftop safety assessments, including any pertinent engineering drawings and current inspection reports. All contractors must provide their own safety equipment and documentation.

Find out more about building access.

Service shutdowns

A service shutdown is as a total stoppage of the distributed service to a particular area. To arrange a service shutdown, send a request to FMGT.

You must include:

  • type of service interruption
  • requested start date and time
  • duration of interruption

We need advance notice to arrange a service shutdown.

It can take at least 48 hours to receive a response indicating whether the proposed shutdown has been approved.