We have spent a good part of this year's "Getting it Right" column addressing the critical role training plays in a successful commissioning process (see April, May, June, and July 2002). Traditionally, this training has been focused on the people responsible for operating and maintaining the commissioned systems following construction completion and turnover to the owner. This month, we are going to explore the importance of training the building occupants and users as well.
For example, when an occupant complains about being hot when his space is 75 degrees F, he isn't going to feel "served" if the response from the O&M staff is, "That may be the best you can expect because the design engineers didn't intend for the system to cool below 75 degrees." Similarly, if a research scientist loses the contents of an incubator during a power outage, she isn't going to be made happy by the news that, "The building design did not include providing backup power to the laboratories."