Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
In a March post, we examined the four categories of employers that OSHA will hold responsible for safety on a multiemployer facility. Today, we will take a more detailed view of the responsibilities of “controlling employers,” who carry a higher compliance burden than other employers at the worksite.
Facility managers know the joys of dealing with their cable and internet provider. A phone call for a simple service request usually entails navigating automated menus, redirected calls, and when you finally get someone on the line, a hard sales pitch to expand your service package. However, one rather enterprising Spectrum employee in Riverside, California […]
Since humans first appeared on the planet, our lives have been heavily dictated by the natural rhythms of the day/night cycle. The ability to control fire allowed our ancestors to extend certain daytime and work activities into the evening, but it wasn’t until the invention of modern electrical lighting that people were able to shift […]
There can be a substantial disconnect between what a security firm offers in terms of staffing a facility with its officers versus what the client actually wants. Some facility managers may have misguided expectations regarding what they can get for the fees they are willing to pay, while on the flip side of the coin, […]
Fatigue often goes underrecognized as a risk factor in many work environments. Workers are at a higher risk of suffering fatigue-related incidents in environments containing key factors such as long working hours, on-call work, seasonal highs, shiftwork, physically and mentally demanding work, boring and monotonous work, safety-sensitive work, and driving operations.
As the technology advances, more facilities are exploring cloud video surveillance to bolster their security platform. The video surveillance as a service (VSaaS) market is expanding, and systems are being used successfully in commercial markets with multisite requirements.
While some facilities rarely see clients or customers because they have no need to come to the site, other buildings for public agencies and private sector companies get a lot of foot traffic. It’s important to set up zones of access based on the need to control how nonemployees go to certain places inside the […]
Back pain, whether chronic or acute, is one of the most common (and complained about) ergonomic injuries. While they may not be the source of the issue, there’s a good deal of blame to be placed at the feet of changes in chair design over the years. As a facility manager, you’re quite likely to […]
If you have forklifts at your facility and have an opinion on the rules that govern their safe operation, now is your chance to weigh in with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). OSHA is seeking comment and information about possible deregulatory action involving general industry, construction, and maritime standards for forklifts and other […]
In 2017, there were 10,000 deaths caused by natural disasters worldwide. Many of those occurred while people were in their workplaces. In addition, research shows that the number of recorded natural disasters has increased over the past century. So, it’s still critical, perhaps now more than ever, that our facilities and employees are well-prepared for […]