Category: Maintenance and Operations

A Guide to Effective Facility Master Planning

Creating a facility master plan is a bit like piecing together a puzzle—there are a lot of moving parts to consider. Whether you decide to bring in external help or lean on your internal team, the key is to ensure your plan accurately reflects your facility’s current state, anticipates future changes, and outlines a clear […]

Adidas Faces More OSHA Fines for Warehouse Hazards

Athletic apparel and shoemaker Adidas America Inc. faces $396,377 in new Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fines for failing to correct fall hazards at its Chester, New York, warehouse, which was originally cited in March 2022, the agency announced August 9. The company previously paid $17,403 in penalties. OSHA also issued the employer a Failure to Abate […]

Back-to-School Projects to Prepare Your Educational Facilities

Facilities managers are busily getting their schools, colleges, and universities ready for classes to resume. No matter the type of educational facility they manage, all need to be properly maintained. That’s why we’re reviewing several back-to-school projects that facilities managers should ensure are on their checklists for clean and safe buildings for the new academic […]

Increasing Access to Menstrual Products in Public Facilities

Do your facility’s restrooms comply with current—and growing—legal requirements for free access to menstrual care products? Recent legislation on menstruation by state and federal legislatures has brought attention to the rising issue of menstrual equity and period poverty in the United States. Period poverty, which is characterized by inadequate access to menstrual products and insufficient […]

The Role of People Counters in Smart Building Management

Smart building technologies have revolutionized how facilities managers approach efficiency, safety, and productivity. The increasing popularity of smart buildings has illustrated a pressing need to adapt to the changing needs of individuals and businesses in an ever-evolving industry. Among the many innovations that have gained traction in recent years, people counting systems have emerged as […]

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Plan to Decarbonize Buildings in America

As a nation, our buildings will play a pivotal role in achieving our clean energy future. Buildings are where we live, work, and play—so it makes sense that we spend 90% of our time in buildings and that our buildings use a substantial amount of energy. Residential and commercial buildings are among the largest sources […]

New Study Finds Building Collisions Kill A Lot More Birds Than Initially Thought

Is your facility a bird-friendly building? If not, what steps can you take to help protect the winged wildlife? A research study published in PLOS ONE has uncovered alarming new evidence that building collisions are killing significantly more birds than previously estimated—well over 1 billion annually in the United States alone. The research, conducted by scientists at American Bird […]

National Lab’s Building Research Helps U.S. Navy Boost Energy Efficiency

With more than 500,000 buildings and structures at more than 500 domestic and international naval sites, the U.S. Navy has an opportunity to achieve significant energy and cost savings by increasing efficiency. To get there, high-quality and consistent data is essential. Research recently completed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) could provide the complex […]

8 Ways to Assess Your Readiness for a Power Outage

Would you be ready for a power outage at your facility if it happened today? Before the power goes out, you need to assess whether your facility can ensure business continuity during an outage. Power outages can be less stressful and manageable with the right prep. Here are 8 questions facilities managers should ask themselves […]

DOE Funds $190M for Clean Energy Upgrades at Public Schools

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced selections for the 2024 Renew America’s Schools Prize and Grant, a three-phase, $190 million investment to help K-12 public schools make energy upgrades that will decrease energy use and costs, improve indoor air quality, and foster healthier learning environments for students and teachers. Funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, […]