Archives

From Basic to Best-in-Class: How to Create Great Workplace Lactation Facilities

As we move toward sharing space at work again, employers often ask us: how can we support our baby-feeding employees? The answer: employers who establish breastfeeding-supportive climates offer comprehensive plans that include policy, procedure, culture of belonging, access to experts, encouragement, community and facilities. In this piece, we’ll examine facilities and identify ways to elevate […]

Ohio State University Pledges $20M More for Safety and Security

The Ohio State University will invest an additional $2 million per year over the next decade to enhance safety and security on and around campus, President Kristina M. Johnson and Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther announced Sept. 24. The additional investment is expected to be at least $20 million, and the university’s total safety and security […]

How Facilities Managers Can Deal with Labor Shortages During the Holidays

This upcoming holiday season will be ripe with challenges for facilities managers, who will be dealing with a labor shortage that will prove to be problematic not only for regular staffing but also for contract maintenance service providers and skilled tradespeople. From multi-location restaurants and retail chains to distribution and fulfillment centers, operational managers need […]

National Lab Quantifies Potential Dangers of Poor Air Circulation

Poorly circulated room air raises the potential exposure to contaminants by up to six times, according to a new report from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab). The researchers say the experiments quantify the effects of overhead heating on room air mixing, with implications for COVID-safe meetings and classrooms.

OSHA Launches Heat Stress Initiatives

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) September 20 announced “enhanced and expanded efforts” to address worker exposures to excessive heat and heat-related illnesses. The agency will develop a National Emphasis Program (NEP) and workplace heat standards, according to a White House announcement of interagency efforts to address heat hazards.

Report: U.S. Public School Facilities Face ‘Staggering’ Annual Funding Gap

The United States faces a projected shortfall of a staggering $85 billion in public school facility funding every year, according to a recent report. The report, 2021 State of Our Schools Report: America’s PK-12 Public School Facilities, was released by the 21st Century School Fund, the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), and the National Council on School Facilities. In addition […]

How Can OSHA Even Require Vaccines?

How is it that President Joe Biden can order the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to establish an emergency rule that requires employers to vaccinate all their employees or test them for COVID-19? Is this normal? How does OSHA even have that kind of authority?

KPI

The Main Facility Management KPIs and Metrics You Should Track

As buildings become more complex, facility managers will need to leverage the best techniques available to handle the various challenges of keeping their facilities functional, safe, and liveable. But first, they’ll need to identify the unique issues in each property, then determine the most efficient ways to track and tackle them.

washing hands

The Need for Speed: Paper Towels vs. Air Dryers in Restrooms

Two-thirds of consumers believe that drying their hands with 100% recycled fiber paper towels is more efficient and more effective than drying their hands with a jet air dryer with a HEPA filter, according to a new report from GP PRO. GP PRO, a division of Georgia-Pacific, recently conducted a survey of 500 consumers. Specifically, […]