Category: Maintenance and Operations

A Closer Look at the Robotics Safety Process

Industrial robots can extend or enhance productivity at your facility, as well as perform dangerous or repetitive workplace tasks, thereby protecting the health and safety of your workers. Robotic systems are becoming more collaborative and mobile in nature. The future of robotics involves more collaborative robots, or “co-robots,” rather than fixed industrial robots isolated from […]

PUMP Act Compliance: How to Create Lactation Space at Your Facilities

On Dec. 29, 2022, President Joe Biden signed into law the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act, a.k.a. the PUMP Act. This new legislation requires employers of all kinds to provide break time and adequate facilities for employees to pump breast milk. This means that workplaces—from retail stores and restaurants to warehouses and […]

K-12 School Leaders Converge on D.C. for Clean Energy Symposium

More than 50 school leaders from 16 states recently traveled to Washington, D.C., for the first-ever Clean Energy Schools Symposium—a national meeting of school decision-makers who have flipped the switch to clean energy and are actively inspiring and supporting other schools across the country to do the same. National clean energy nonprofit Generation180 hosted the […]

Spring Cleaning with a Twist: Rediscovering Citric-Acid-Based Solutions

If Google Trends is any indication, spring cleaning is on just about everyone’s mind. Back on December 20, 2022, so few people were doing searches using the term “spring cleaning” that Google declared “there was not enough data [searches] to measure the term.” Jump ahead to March 6, 2023, and the number of people searching […]

DOE Offers States $50M to Boost Smart Manufacturing Facilities

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $50 million in funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for states to ensure that smart manufacturing technologies and high-performance computing are more accessible by domestic manufacturing firms. The State Manufacturing Leadership Program aims to remove existing barriers that prevent innovative, data-driven tools and technologies from being used by small- and medium-sized […]

6 Timeless Skills Every Successful Facilities Manager Has

“Join the FM world—it is far more than what you may think it is!” Those are the upbeat words of Liz Bishop, an assistant facilities manager for Austin-based tech company Bazaarvoice. And she makes an excellent point—there’s no denying that facilities management is a challenging but rewarding career. As the business world evolves, so does […]

Over 200 Organizations Win ENERGY STAR Awards for Sustainability Efforts

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy have announced the winners of the 2023 ENERGY STAR Awards. These 220 organizations, which represent the top ENERGY STAR partners, are making significant contributions in support of the clean energy transition. They come from 37 states and multiple economic sectors, including Fortune 500 companies, […]

A Changing Office Environment: Hoteling vs. Hot-Desking

While the COVID-19 pandemic forced many to work remotely, the post-pandemic era has led to the creation of a hybrid model whereby employees come to the office sometimes and work remotely other times. As companies look to downsize facility office spaces and save money, the traditional office model, whereby employees have their own full-time desks, […]

Boston Red Sox Leaders Showcase Fenway Park Improvements

Prior to Major League Baseball’s 2023 Opening Day, Boston Red Sox leaders hosted a tour to preview offseason improvements made to Fenway Park. On March 28, Red Sox President & CEO Sam Kennedy and COO Jonathan Gilula led a tour with Boston Mayor Michelle Wu to officially unveil updated spaces and amenities for players and fans […]