Zone Maintenance
In July 2009, the Physical Plant department was reorganized into a Zone
Maintenance structure. Prior to this change, UVM's maintenance
approach, like many other universities, was rooted in a 1960's model of
stand-alone craft shops with specialized master craftspeople. Zone
Maintenance is a systematic approach which assigns a team of
multi-disciplined craftspeople to specific buildings and areas of
campus. Each zone has a Manager and a team of personnel who are highly
technically trained, more customer-focused, quicker to respond, and
more effective in providing maintenance services for our ever-changing
campus environment.
Click on a building to view its zone's page:
Each Zone provides the following maintenance services:
- Carpentry & Painting - building and repair of walls, ceilings, cabinets, stairs, floors, trim, and some furniture, flooring, sheet rock, door hardware, insulation,
exterior siding and windows, bookshelves, exterior fences, and exterior and interior masonry maintenance and repair.
- Electrical - emergency, routine work and preventive maintenance on electrical panels, switches, receptacles, light fixtures, electric heat, electric motors.
- Heating & Ventilation - routine and emergency repairs and preventive maintenance on all equipment and systems.
- Plumbing - installation, repair & maintenance on drinking fountains, showers, drain lines, faucets, garbage disposals, toilets,
hot and cold water lines, water valves, submersible pumps, steam machines, water softener units, hot water heaters, dish machines and the like.
- Air conditioning & Refrigeration - repair and maintenance on air conditioning systems for computer rooms, PBX equipment and buildings, walk-in coolers
and freezers, refrigerated water coolers and air dryers, ice machines, dehumidifiers and humidifiers, heat pumps, cooling towers and the like.
Zone Maintenance has achieved the following:
- Our staff are more localized and
focused in their efforts. Staff were relocated physically closer to the
buildings they support so service is provided in a more
efficient way.
- We've reduced vehicles in our
department fleet and shortened travel time between jobs.
- We provide better customer service
through quicker response and increased accountability.
- There is increased "stewardship" for
the buildings as staff remain focused in their zone. We've increased reliability of UVM's mechanical infrastructure as
a result.
- Better coordination of work among
different craftspeople.
- Greater emphasis on preventive
maintenance (PM) and reduction of deferred maintenance (DM)