Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
Washington State is providing assistance to eligible building owners that comply with energy performance standards in advance of mandatory deadlines. Early compliance will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save energy consumption, which also will save operating costs. The Clean Buildings law, which authorized the program, requires certain commercial buildings to comply with state energy performance standards. […]
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it is investing $185 million to equip, rebuild, and modernize facilities and essential services in rural areas of 32 states. According to the federal agency, the investments will benefit 3 million rural residents. “The Biden-Harris Administration has made investing in infrastructure improvements a priority,” says USDA Deputy Under […]
Robots have been useful in taking on dangerous tasks and replacing humans in hazardous situations and unsanitary environments. Moreover, robots have slowly but steadily entered the commercial buildings space, supporting humans by taking on repetitive and tedious tasks. That’s according to a new report from Guidehouse Insights. The report explores the market for robots in […]
Returning to the office is causing a growing rift between workers and managers, according to a new report from NEXT Energy Technologies Inc. The report shows most employees (74%) are willing to leave their jobs if existential issues like health and sustainability are not adequately addressed in the workplace. NEXT says it surveyed more than 450 […]
The U.S. Department of Labor has announced funding opportunities for more than $21 million in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) training grants for nonprofit organizations. The first availability will provide $10 million under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 for Workplace Safety and Health Training on Infectious Diseases, including the Coronavirus grants. To be eligible […]
Seventy-five percent of U.S. facility managers say COVID-19 has caused them to permanently rethink how their facility operates, according to survey findings released by Honeywell. The report also says nearly 6 in 10 respondents are more likely to invest in indoor air quality optimization and other healthy building solutions, while 7 in 10 are now […]
In response to the EPA’s request for comments on the Risk Management Program (RMP) regulations and related goals, on June 16, 2021, former EPA Administrator and New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman, retired generals Russel Honoré and Randy Manner, former EPA Official Robert Bostock, and former National Security Council and Senate Intelligence Committee staff member […]
Are you prepared to fully reopen your facilities during an ongoing, if waning, pandemic and the threat of wildfires this summer? States and localities are rolling back pandemic precautions as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccinations roll out across the United States–President Biden pledged May 4 that 70% of American adults would receive at least one vaccine dose […]
As companies, organizations, and governments increasingly embrace going green, facility managers have been tasked with finding ways to make their operations more energy efficient. To help highlight the progress of energy-efficient buildings across the country, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released its annual “Top Cities” list. The new 2021 ranking names the cities […]
The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International, Yardi, and Brightline Strategies have released findings from the second in a series of nationwide commercial real estate COVID-19 impact studies. Capturing the latest U.S. tenant sentiments as COVID-19 cases decline and vaccinations accelerate, the Q2 2021 BOMA International COVID-19 Commercial Real Estate Impact Study reveals that optimism around […]