Archives

Back to Basics: Should You Repair, Restore, or Replace Your Roof?

Back to Basics is an article series that highlights important, but possibly overlooked, information facilities management professionals should know.  As buildings age, facilities professionals must decide whether they want to continue making repairs to roofs, restore an existing roof, or purchase a new roof. Before making this decision, facilities professionals should consult with someone who […]

For Business Resiliency, Detect Threats in Real Time

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues and various stages of reopenings occur, the threat landscape is dramatically expanding, which is compounded by global geopolitical issues such as the war between Russia and Ukraine. This perpetual state of volatility impacts the ways businesses operate and their ability to plan ahead to mitigate risks. According to Ontic’s 2022 […]

NSC Survey: Workplace Safety Issues Correlate with Depression, Anxiety

As the country observes Mental Health Awareness Month in May, the National Safety Council (NSC) has announced that the results of its Workforce Trends Indicator Survey show feelings of depression and anxiety were strongly correlated with how safe a respondent felt at work.  Respondents who felt unsafe at work were nearly three times more likely […]

ENERGY STAR Awards Honor Sustainability Efforts of Over 200 Organizations

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) have announced the winners of the 2022 ENERGY STAR Awards. These 210 organizations, which represent the top ENERGY STAR partners, are making important contributions in support of America’s clean energy transition. They come from 37 states and span nearly every sector of the economy, including Fortune 500 […]

olar Panel Array, Parking Lot

Planning for No Power: Experts Provide a Look at Microgrid Solutions

What would you do if the power went out for 2 hours, 2 days, or even 2 weeks? This question was posed during a recent Facilities Management Now webinar, featuring Norman Campbell, Federal Team Manager of Go Electric, and Tony Mayfield, Senior Consultant and Managing Partner at On-Target Innovations. In the virtual forum session, titled […]

back to school

Report Examines How U.S. Schools Tackled Air Quality During COVID

The Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council has released a new report detailing how K-12 school districts around the country have continued to manage indoor air quality (IAQ) within their schools during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The report, which was co-authored with researchers from Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and developed […]

Cleaning for Health Can Be Cost-Effective Using an Outcome-Based Approach

One of the highest costs of facilities management is cleaning and maintenance. And in today’s world, there is an increased emphasis on cleaning for health. As a result, it has become a non-negotiable budget item for facilities managers. What Is Cleaning for Health? Pre-pandemic, if a facility appeared clean, it was deemed clean. Now, spaces […]

Establishing Strong Procedures for Facility Management

There’s no area of facility management that isn’t guided by one procedure or another—from attending to an endless stream of work orders to fixing a faulty HVAC unit or ordering a new batch of spare parts. Procedures are fundamental in facility management, but to do justice to this post, let’s start by briefly distinguishing between […]

First Aid Kits: Update Yours to Meet New Industry Standard

A first aid kit can be easy to ignore. It’s quiet, unobtrusive, and often hiding in plain sight. But it’s more likely to be used than you might think. There were 2.7 million workplace nonfatal injuries and illnesses reported by private industry employers in the U.S. in 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor […]

Air Quality ‘Report Card’ Ranks Most Polluted and Cleanest Places in U.S.

Countless studies have found that good indoor air quality is critical for facility occupants’ health. But are your facilities, themselves, located in a region with a dangerous amount of outside air pollution to combat? The American Lung Association has released its 23rd annual “State of the Air” report card, which tracks and grades Americans’ exposure […]