Category: Service

Collaborative Working to Ensure Passenger Safety at the UEFA Europa League Final in Dublin

Posted on by daireleonard

Last week, as the city geared up for the UEFA Europa League final between Atalanta and Bayer Leverkusen, Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail) and OCS security services were busy implementing increased security measures to ensure the safety and smooth transit of the large crowds expected at the Aviva Stadium.

The team had been working closely with Iarnród Éireann for over two months assisting and advising on the development of a comprehensive security plan to manage the influx of thousands of European football fans.

Our security colleagues play an essential role in assisting with crowd control measures and managing the flow of spectators in stations and onboard trains, which is vital for the safety of all attendees using the train services on match days. The key to a successful matchday for both Iarnrod Eireann and OCS is close collaboration with various stakeholders, and listening to their views, concerns and suggestions.

Last weeks success was the result of this collaboration. Our transport security team are experienced and trained to manage any situation that might arise, and last weeks deployment was the perfect example of ensuring passenger safety through correct crowd control processes.

The matchday operation commenced around 3 pm following a final brief, as pictured, with the customer and senior management, with passenger volumes starting to noticeably increase closer to 5 pm. We deployed an additional 22 static officers across several stations in the Lansdown area to ensure smooth access and egress, and to assist with station bag searches where required. Additionally, we increased our onboard presence by 25% to tackle any potential anti-social behaviour and confiscate any open alcoholic beverages.

As with many large-scale sporting events, local councils working in conjunction with Iarnrod Eireann and An Garda Síochána had implemented essential matchday practices, including traffic restrictions and the closure of Landsdown Road station as an added safety precaution due to the very different spectator profiles in attendance. An Garda Síochána had put in place a comprehensive security plan for the UEFA Europa League Final, that included a significant presence of uniformed security personnel, along with specialist units.

Fortunately, there were no incidents reported and by all accounts provided by our security team, both sets of fans were incredibly well-behaved and fully enjoyed the night and the atmosphere. For our team, this meant a short debrief at midnight before heading home after a truly successful night.

Hosting prestigious events such as the Europa League Final is an honour for Dublin City, and it’s an event that residents look forward to hosting and welcoming football fans from around the world. This is why ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience for all attendees is of the utmost importance and our team of dedicated security personnel are always glad to play their part in making it a success.

Keeping things fresh: How our Ireland Catering team delivers fresh food and even fresher concepts to customers.

Posted on by daireleonard

Our mission is to make people and places the best they can be, so what better way than to continuously deliver fresh, nutritious food offerings for our customers?

We serve thousands of meals annually, and our focus is always on delivering healthy and enjoyable dining experiences. So how do we do it?

At the heart of our continuing catering success is Jason Le Lievre, Culinary Director at OCS Ireland. Jason focuses on partnering with local food suppliers whose stories align with our values and mission, to be the best. He strongly believes in the power of local connections and the quality of local Irish produce. Our commitment to sustainability means sourcing responsibly, minimising food waste, and supporting eco-conscious practices.

Developing new and exciting menus is challenging, but our catering team are bringing fresh food concepts that offer healthy and nutritious options to our customers every day. Our menus are reflective of the seasons and brought to life by the talent within our team. By using seasonal ingredients our menus capture the essence of each time of year, further celebrate local produce, and deliver the freshest flavours to our customers.

Jason’s passion lies in crafting new food concepts that not only consider produce, nutrients and flavour but also cost. With correct craftsmanship, technique, and imagination our team can create memorable dishes without compromising on quality.

“Our team has the talent, technique and imagination to continually push the boundaries on our menus.”

Jason Le Lievre

Culinary Director, OCS Ireland

As Culinary Director, Jason is always seeking inspiration, which means keeping up to date with the latest food trends by eating out, talking with industry colleagues, reviewing social media content and devouring as many cookbooks as he can get his hands on. Below is just a sample of some of the incredible catering offerings that he has served up across our customer sites.

Irish Catering services creations

Fore-ward Thinking: Security swings into support NIHE Charity Golf Day!

Posted on by daireleonard

When asked by our customer, Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE), last summer to take part in an upcoming Charity Golf Day our security team were thrilled to support. OCS provide security services at NIHE sites across Northern Ireland and has become a trusted partner, as such, we knew we wanted to sponsor the event in aid of Age NI.

Every two years, the NIHE’s fundraising committee selects a chosen charity to support through fundraising events within the organisation, and for 2023/24 and 2024/25 their chosen charity is Age NI – a leading charity in Northern Ireland dedicated to improving the quality of life for older citizens, fostering a society where we can all thrive as we age.

In attendance from the OCS team were Vincent Galvin, Key Account Manager and Alan Kelly, Security Operations Manager who managed to dig out the clubs from the back of the shed and dust them off. They certainly looked the part and helped raise much-needed funds for Age NI, but the less said about their performance, the better.

We thoroughly enjoyed being a part of this event and supporting our partner NIHE.  Collectively we managed to raise a total of £8,260 for Age NI through the event.

It is truly gratifying to be able to support our customers in their efforts to boost social and charitable initiatives within their local communities. Events like these are integral to our own commitments to social value and community empowerment.

We are delighted to be able to support Age NI and all of the important work that they do across Northern Ireland.

I would like to thank everyone who donated and got involved in our fundraising, and also the fundraising committee and the colleagues who were involved in organising these fundraising activities.

Grainia Long

Chief Executive

Our mission is to make people and places the best they can be. This means supporting our customers by delivering the best services possible but also helping them achieve their wider Environmental, Social and Governance goals.

Age NI is a fantastic charity that is essential for the older community in NI and OCS was privileged to support this event.

Aine Mulcahy

Managing Director OCS Ireland

Unity: Arthur McKay to operate under the OCS banner

Posted on by ameliaroberts

The OCS TRUE values – Trust, Respect, Unity and Empowerment – have been the driving force for us as we have transformed as a business following the merger of OCS and Atalian Servest.

Arthur McKay, a leading building support service organisation, was an Atalian Servest company that provided smart and integrated services to over 1,000 client sites around the UK. As part of the consolidation of our operations and unifications of our purpose and vision, Arthur McKay is no longer existing as a separate entity and is instead operating under the OCS banner.

We will continue to provide the same services and solutions – mechanical and electrical solutions, fire protection services, networks and FM services, to name just a few. Our 1,500 colleagues from Arthur McKay will continue to utilise their specialist knowledge and skills to ensure that customers benefit from a solution tailored to their specific needs.

The unification of Arthur McKay and our Hard Services division is an exciting change and one in which we hope will take us one step closer to achieving our mission of making people and places the best they can be.

Interested in Hard Services?

Contact our team today to talk through your maintenance, minor works or capital projects requirements.

Mobilising cleaning team at short notice for stadium gig

Posted on by ameliaroberts

The customer

The Coventry Building Society Arena is owned by the Frasers Group, and hosts a multitude of events throughout the year. From being the home stadium for Coventry City FC to hosting live music concerts, exhibitions and conferences, the venue is a continual hive of activity.

The challenge

In the summer of 2022, the facility underwent some major redevelopment work to refurbish the boardroom and executive boxes. With the final stage of work still ongoing and a board event due to take place in the new area in under a week, the Arena’s incumbent cleaning contractor wasn’t able to fulfil a deep clean – leaving the Arena with a serious challenge. 

While the OCS team had worked with Frasers Group before, we had never worked on the Coventry Building Society Arena, and were asked to mobilise a team of eight cleaners within three days to conduct a Saturday deep clean.

 

The solution

By using our time and attendance software system, we were immediately able to contact all staff in the local area across all of our divisions to gauge availability to work at the Arena on the Saturday. Very quickly, we were able to mobilise a team ready to ensure the new facilities were spotless. 

With rubble still on the floor, the team was on-site for around five hours, cleaning everything from walls, windows and floors to big screens, coordinating with and working around the builders as the last stages of building work were completed

The outcome

The cleaning work was completed more quickly than the customer expected, and when they arrived to inspect the site, they were incredibly impressed. As they’d never worked with us before, they didn’t know what to expect, and they were hugely grateful – not only that we’d been able to mobilise a team so quickly, but also because of the quality of the job. 

By ensuring the facility was clean, safe and hygienic, the event the Arena had booked in for 36 hours later was able to go ahead. 

Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail look forward to commencing a three year contract with OCS

Posted on by daireleonard

We are pleased to announce that OCS Ireland has been awarded a new three-year contract with Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail), the national railway operator of the Republic of Ireland.

A subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann, Irish Rail is a vital component of the nation’s transportation infrastructure, responsible for providing passenger rail services across its extensive Commuter, Intercity, and Dart networks. It also manages Rosslare Europort running passenger and freight sailings between Ireland and the continent and oversees all internal freight railway operations in the Republic of Ireland.

In partnership with Translink, Irish Rail also operates the Enterprise service connecting Dublin and Belfast. Irish Rail achieved a commendable milestone in 2019 by carrying 50 million passengers, its highest-ever total. The company is set to recover this total post-COVID by 2024 and has plans to increase it further.

Under the new Managed Cleaning Services contract, OCS will assume the responsibility for maintaining a superior level of cleanliness within Irish Rail’s network of train stations, depots, and trains. With a commitment to utilising cutting-edge cleaning equipment and innovative techniques, we aim to ensure that the passenger experience aligns with the high standards upheld by Irish Rail.

We are dedicated to enabling our customers to be their best. The new contract strengthens our existing partnership with Irish Rail, complementing the Security Services contract we have delivered for them since 2014. Our ability to offer an integrated suite of services underscores the confidence that Irish Rail places in OCS to manage critical operational aspects, enabling them to focus on their core competencies.

We take immense pride in our role in this important partnership and will remain committed to supporting Irish Rail in achieving its operational goals.

Iarnród Éireann is an invaluable national asset and a cornerstone of our interconnected transport framework. We eagerly look forward to commencing our Managed Cleaning Services contract and contributing to their strategic goal of accommodating 80 million passengers by 2030.

Áine Mulcahy

Managing Director, OCS Ireland

Nick Ackroyd re-joins OCS as Divisional Sales Director for Cleaning

Posted on by ameliaroberts

We are delighted to announce that Nick Ackroyd has recently re-joined OCS as our Divisional Sales Director for Cleaning.

Nick brings a wealth of experience and expertise in facilities services, spanning Aviation, Cleaning, Security, and Facilities Management. With a career that includes significant roles at ABM UK, Virgin Atlantic Airways, and previous positions here at OCS, Nick’s extensive background makes him a valuable asset to our team.

“We are pleased to welcome Nick back to OCS. His depth of industry knowledge, commitment to excellence, and past contributions to our organisation make him an exceptional fit for our new vision and mission.”

Andrew Sugars

Chief Commercial Officer

Nick’s return to OCS comes at a pivotal time for our company. As we have recently merged and established a new vision, mission, and a set of core values, Nick’s experience and industry knowledge will be invaluable in helping us navigate this exciting phase.