Maintenance Resource Guide

House maintenance officers keep their houses safe and functional. If the house maintenance officer at your house is absent, here is a guide to their general duties and some general resources on house safety.

General Maintenance Duties

• Perform minor repairs & routine maintenance around the house.
• Supervise, inventory, and stock the house's tool and work rooms.
• Work closely with the ICC Facilities Administrator (staff person) to ensure house is in good condition.
• Serve as the house's representative to the ICC Facilities Committee. Maintenance officers are strongly encouraged to attend all committee meetings.
• With the help of the Labor Organizer, organize and supervise house Labor Holidays. A sample list of Labor Holiday projects is available on ICC's website.
• Assist the ECC officer in checking house members out of their rooms, noting damages on the check-out form and setting up and needed repairs.
• Ensure the house is kept up to fire & building code safety standards. Remedy safety hazards in the house. Notify the office of any inspectors that visit your house.
• Prevent pipes from freezing during freezing weather.
• Perform other tasks as assigned by the house, ICC Facilities Coordinator, or Facilities Administrator.

Other Duties

• Know where the following items are:
  • main GAS shut-off*

    * Note that if you ever turn the gas off, you'll need to re-light your gas appliances (central heat, stove/oven, water heaters), otherwise they'll leak gas which can blow up your house. (You probably don't have any electric-iginition appliances, but if you do, those appliances won't need to be re-lit.)

  • main ELECTRIC shut-off
  • main WATER shut-off
  • breaker box(es)
  • gas appliance shut-offs*
  • sewer & grease trap clean-out locations
  • roof drains / downspout locations
• Replace heater filters every month from October to April (and air conditioning filters from April to October if your house has central AC).
• Let house members know that they're responsible for washing their window unit AC filters every month. (Explain that the AC's will chill better, use less electricity, last longer, and provide fresher air when their filters are washed regularly.) Because some members won't wash their AC filters, once a semester wash all the filters yourself.
• If you ever change a lock, give a key to the house Membership Officer and to the ICC Membership Administrator. If you ever change the combination to a door lock, give the new combination to the ICC Membership Coordinator.
• Take hazardous materials (paint, chemicals, fluorescent lights) to the ICC Facilities Administrator, who will take them to the City's Hazardous Waste Collection Facility. (Don't just throw hazardous materials into the trash)

Safety & Liability

ICC never expects you or any member to do anything which puts your safety in jeopardy, but accidents can occur when using tools and performing maintenance work. Therefore, you assume all risks associated with acting as house Maintenance Officer, and you agree to hold ICC harmless for any injury you sustain as a result of your work as Maintenance Officer.

If you believe any repair or maintenance activity poses a risk to your safety, don't do it. Fill out a Maintenance Request Form instead and give it to the Facilities Administrator.

• When hammering or using power tools, wear safety glasses and ear plugs.
• When drilling, also use a dust mask.
• When cleaning any dusty area, or mixing powders, wear safety glasses and a dust mask.
• The power drill is the only power tool you are expected to have proficiency with. Get training from the Facilities Coordinator or Facilities Administrator before using it.

Dangerous Activities

ICC will never require you to do any of the items listed in this section. However, you may choose to do so voluntarily, provided you are completely confident that you can do so safely, and provided that you assume all risks of doing so (even if you've had training on the activity by an ICC officer or staff person). Otherwise, fill out a Maintenance Request form and give it to the Facilities Administrator.

Dangerous activities include:

• using any power tool besides a drill
• making any electrical repairs
• repairing a broken or cracked window

Prohibited Activities

You may not do the following under any circumstances:

• do any maintenance work that requires you to climb higher than 15 feet, even on a ladder
• attempt to repair or adjust any gas appliance (e.g., water heater)

Meetings

Maintenance officers are encouraged to attend ICC Facilities Committee meetings. The committee is composed of house Maintenance Officers, delegated Board members, and the ICC Facilities Coordinator (who is chosen in an annual ICC-wide election.) Suggested meeting schedule: one meeting every two weeks, with the first 1/2 hour being required, and devoted to business; and the following 1-1/2 hours being optional, and devoted to training or group projects.

Repairs

• Keep a house Maintenance Request sheet (MR sheet) publicly posted so members can list what repairs or improvements need to be done. (Headings should include Name, Problem {inc. room #, if any}, Date Reported, and Date Addressed, at a minimum.)
• When someone posts a request on the MR sheet, examine the problem area yourself, even if you don't think you have the skills to deal with it yourself.
• If you can take care of the problem yourself, do so, and write in the date you took care of it on the MR sheet.
• If you do not have the skills to perform a requested repair, ask the Facilities Administrator or ICC Facilities Coordinator for guidance. (S)he will either help you, or have you fill out an ICC Maintenance Request Form (MRF) and turn it into the Facilities Administrator. When the Facilities Administrator takes care of the problem, (s)he will return a copy of the MRF to you indicating what (s)he did. When you get the form back, write in the date the problem was fixed on the MR sheet.
• When possible, be available to let contractors into the house or to explain problems to contractors.
• Request service from the laundry equipment company when a washer or dryer has a problem.

Tools

• Maintain the tool closet: keep it clean & organized, and stocked with the required tools. (The ICC Tool Policy is located in the Facilities section of the Standing Rules.)
• Your house determines its own tool use standards. Your house could choose to have its tool closet unlocked and accessible to members at all times, but remember that you and your house are responsible for all missing tools. Most houses keep their tool closet locked, and when someone needs a tool, you get it for them; record their name, date, and the tool name on a checkout form posted to the inside door of the tool closet; make sure they return it; and mark them off on the form when they do.

House Systems

• Work closely with the Kitchen Manager to ensure that kitchen equipment is inspected and maintained regularly.
• Work closely with the Facilities Administrator to ensure routine inspection and maintenance of all house systems (pumps, water heaters, plumbing, gas lines, ductwork, etc.).

Fire Safety

Fire prevention and safety is your NUMBER ONE concern. If you do NOTHING ELSE as Maintenance Officer, do your Fire Safety duties.

Most of the houses in ICC are made primarily of wood and endure lots of flammable activity (smoking, candle- and incense-burning, cooking, messy or negligent members). It is therefore important that we take every precaution to prevent fires and that we have plans for action if one does occur.

Smoke alarms

Most people who die in fires do so from smoke and carbon monoxide inhalation in their sleep, not from the fire itself. Smoke alarms are of vital importance in saving lives.

Check/test all smoke detectors once each semester. You need to personally perform the check yourself; you can't just take a member's word for it that their smoke detector works. A good time to check smoke detectors is when residents are moving in and out. Make every effort to have the member let you into their room; you should rarely need to enter someone's room when they're not there. Make sure the detector is (1) mounted securely to the ceiling, and (2) makes that annoying sound when you press the Test button.

While you're in their room, look for and fix other fire hazards such as:

• unsecured electrical outlets
• outlets missing plastic covers
• power cords or extension cords running through doorways or windows, or across doorways
• extension cords longer than six feet or plugged into one another
• too many items plugged into an electrical outlet
• more than 1800 watts of electrical items in the room, including the AC and the lights -- especially if hot plates & electric blankets are used (1800 watts is a rule of thumb; actual wattage limit may be higher or lower depending on the circuits in the house)
• light bulbs exceeding wattage recommended by fixture
• banned items: electric heaters (except oil-using, enclosed kind; ask Facilities Manager for details) and open-flame heaters
• papers or flammable items on or near heating vents
• extreme messiness (esp. excessive papers or newspapers)
• blocked escape windows or doors (e.g., blocked by bicycles)

If you discover and fix any of the last four problems, be certain to discuss this with the member, so they don't make the same mistake in the future.

TIP: When you're in a member's room, it's also a good time to wash their AC filter (if they have a window unit).

Throughout the semester, promptly replace any reported nonfunctioning alarms and batteries.

Fire extinguishers

Check semesterly.

• You should have fire extinguishers in the kitchen, the laundry area, and in each hallway.
• They should be mounted on the wall
• The green tag on the extinguisher should indicate that it has been inspected within the last year.
• The gauge on the extinguisher should not point to either the "overcharged" or "recharge" zone.

If any of the above is not in order, or if a fire extinguisher is used, report the problem to the Facilities Administrator immediately.

Escape Plans

Each floor of your house should have clearly visible, permanently mounted maps indicating all fire exits on that floor. It would be really nice if there were one in each room.

Fire Exit Signs

Check semesterly to ensure that all are lit up and functioning. Replace burned-out bulbs promptly. ALL FIRE EXITS SHOULD BE CLEARLY MARKED.

Panic Bars

Those funny bars on some bedroom and exterior doors are called panic bars or panic hardware. These doors should never be locked and in fact should have had all locks removed. When necessary, security for doors with panic bars is provided by an alarm.

When one inserts a key into the bar, and turns it so that the small circle next to key hole turns red, the alarm will go off if the bar is pushed. This means people can get out in a fire and will also be alerted if someone is trying to break into the room when there is no fire. To turn the alarm off, turn the key until the color green shows in the circle.

Please contact the OM if one of these bars is not functioning properly.

Prevention: Your Job

In addition to the other items on this page, as Maintenance Officer you should take care of the following things:

• Exit halls, doorways, and stairways must be clear of all debris at all times. The same goes for areas around furnaces, heating vents and water heaters. Any ICC staff member or officer can and will fine your house if we see any of these areas blocked or cluttered in any way. Keep an eye out for this in your house and address it immediately if you see it. Windows should open easily.
• Repair any holes in walls and ceilings.
• Ensure that laundry room is being kept clean (no lint near or under dryers).
• Ensure that no flammable materials (gasoline, thinner, paint, fuel, etc.) are stored in the basement, or in the same room as clothes dryers, water heaters, or furnaces. They must always be properly stored in an area designated for flammable items and properly sealed.
• Repair any exposed or damaged wiring, or dangling electrical fixtures (or report these to Facilities Manager).
• Report any fuses or breakers that frequently blow or trip to the Facilities Administrator.
• Keep all bar-b-que grills and pits away from the building at all times.

Prevention: Your Housemates' Responsibility

Educate your house about individual fire prevention:

Electrical

• Immediately report any exposed or damaged wiring, dangling electrical fixtures, or outlets or switches that are missing covers to your Maintenance Officer.
• Never run a power cord or extension cord through a doorway or window! Also, don't run them across doorways (even if they're taped down).
• Extension cords can't be longer than six feet and can't be plugged into one another.
• Don't plug too many things into electrical outlets. Hot plates, space heaters, and electric blankets are not allowed in bedrooms if they exceed wattage restrictions. (As a rule of thumb, everything in your room, including the lights and the AC, should use no more than 1800 watts total.)
• When replacing dead light bulbs, read the fixture and make sure that you don't install a bulb that draws too many watts. (Some fixtures are marked "60-watt maximum".)
• Electric heaters are dangerous and banned in ICC (except oil-using, enclosed kind; ask Facilities Administrator for details).
• Extension cords must be thick enough to support the things you're plugging into them. Don't place them under rugs or in places where they're subject to damage.

Other

• Never leave stuff burning (candles, incense, cigarettes) in rooms and be careful even when in the room & burning stuff.
• Keep papers and other flammable items away from heating vents and heaters.
• Escape windows and doors in your room can't be blocked by anything (such as bikes).
• No flammable materials (gasoline, thinner, paint, fuel, etc.) may be stored in the basement, or in the same room as clothes dryers, water heaters, or furnaces. They must always be properly stored in an area designated for flammable items and properly sealed.
• Put out grease & gas fires with a fire extinguisher or baking soda, NOT water.

Safety Hazards

Remedy any of the following problems:

• DEBRIS and bicycles in places where people could trip over them; low overhanging branches; bicycles chained to banisters.
• BANISTERS and RAILINGS loose or missing, especially in places likely to be slippery.
• TRIPPING and SLIPPING HAZARDS: loose, unattached wires, cords or ropes; loose carpet or carpet unattached at doorways; unlit steps; broken or loose thresholds on doors.
• ANIMAL FECES in common area.
• LIGHTS in halls, stairways burned out.
• BROKEN GUTTERS OR DOWNSPOUTS cause water damage AND can fall on people's heads.
• ABSENCE OF DEADBOLT LOCKS on each member's room door.
• Perimeter DOORS that don't lock securely.
• Broken WINDOWS, ground-floor windows that don't lock securely.
• Dirty refrigerator DRIP PANS OR COILS.
• Blocked or dirty RETURN AIR DUCTS.

Maintenance Fines

The Facilities Administrator will fine your house for the following problems. Your house can choose to pass the fine along to you, since it's your job to remedy these problems.

• Safety and Equipment Hazards: $5 fine applicable for each instance:
  • any smoke detector missing, not mounted to ceiling, or not functioning
  • bicycles or other obstructions on handrails
  • obstacles in doorways, hallways, escape windows, or fire exits
  • animal feces in common area
  • dirty refrigerator drip pans or coils
  • dead light bulb in Fire Exit signs
  • blocked or dirty return air ducts
• Fire Hazards: $20 fine applicable for each instance:
  • materials around heat sources such as furnaces, hot water heaters, wall heaters and space or area heaters
Fire Extinguishers: $50 fine applicable for each instance:
• fire extinguisher discharged for any reason other than to put out a fire
• Tools: $10 fine applicable for each instance:
  • required tool missing or damaged (see Standing Rules for more details on Tool Policy)