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Creating a Safe Workplace for Winter: Preventing Slips, Trips, and Falls

While some might enjoy walking in a winter wonderland, if facilities managers aren’t careful, their employees’ journey could include slip, trip, and fall injuries, which can be costly for employers and employees. However, there are ways to be prepared for what Mother Nature has in store. What Are Slips, Trips, and Falls? The Occupational Safety […]

North Carolina Awards $35M in School Safety Grants

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s Center for Safer Schools has awarded $35 million in safety grants to 230 school districts and charter schools. The funding will be used for safety equipment, training, and services for students in crisis. Safety equipment covered by this grant includes items such as cameras, vape detectors, radios, and […]

Back to Basics: 4 Types of Sprinklers to Consider for Your Facility

Back to Basics is an article series that highlights important, but possibly overlooked, information facilities management professionals should know. Whether facilities professionals are renovating an existing facility or doing new construction, installing the right type of sprinklers not only protects your facility from fires but also helps your organization adhere to federal, state, and local […]

Study: Geothermal Heat Pumps Represent Major Opportunity for U.S. Building Decarbonization

A new analysis from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) found that, coupled with building envelope improvements, installing geothermal heat pumps in around 70% of U.S. buildings could save as much as 593 terawatt-hours of electricity generation annually and avoid seven gigatons of carbon-equivalent emissions by 2050. “To put that in context, 593 terawatt-hours is about 15% […]

EPA Awards Nearly $11M to Help Community Buildings Combat Wildfire Smoke

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has selected nine applicants throughout the West to receive nearly $11 million in funding through the Wildfire Smoke Preparedness in Community Buildings grant program. The new federal program aims to enhance community wildfire smoke preparedness by providing grants to states, federally recognized Tribes, public preschools, local educational agencies, and […]

The Case for Integrating UV Phone Disinfection Systems in Public Spaces

Editor’s note: FM Perspectives are industry op-eds. The views expressed are the authors’ and do not necessarily reflect those of Facilities Management Advisor. It’s 2024 and we can safely say that public spaces are back—or, more accurately, the “public is back in spaces!” Though COVID and the flu season are in full effect, people have been back […]

How to Create Easy-to-Use Preventive Maintenance Checklists

Preventive maintenance (PM) checklists are essential tools in the effective management of building maintenance and facility equipment. Their primary purpose is to methodically guide maintenance tasks, ensuring that all necessary steps are performed in a timely and consistent manner. Let’s dive straight into essential elements and best design practice to discover how to create clear […]

New York Offers $100 Million Under Clean Green Schools Initiative

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced $100 million is now available through the Clean Green Schools Initiative. The funding will support under-resourced public schools with projects to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, improve environmental sustainability, and decarbonize school buildings. “Creating a safe and healthy learning environment is critical to providing our children the best education […]

12 Facilities Management Certifications to Consider for 2024

As we entered 2024, many facilities professionals made New Year’s resolutions to boost their careers. Some will be going back to school to get a college degree in facilities management or a specialty such as sustainability or operations management. Others will be taking classes, or simply studying on their own, so they can gain the […]

Top 10 States for LEED Buildings in 2023

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has released its annual list of U.S. states leading the way on green buildings, and New York topped the list for the first time during a record-breaking year in 2023. The USGBC ranking is based on Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified gross square footage per capita over […]