Category: Safety

Back to Basics: Noise Exposure and Safety in the Workplace

Back to Basics is an article series that highlights important, but possibly overlooked, information facilities management professionals should know. Do you work in noisy facilities or around loud equipment? All of the human senses must be protected from hazards and damage in the workplace, including hearing. According to OSHA, the CDC estimates that about 22 […]

Louisiana Offers Schools $21M to Beef Up Perimeter Security

The Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) is launching a program to fund single-points of entry on school campuses. The agency will direct $21 million through the upcoming Stronger Connections Grant program. “We intend to use one-time funds to harden the perimeters of our schools,” said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley. “These funds will […]

Dollar General Facing $1 Million in New OSHA Fines

Discount retailer Dollar General faces over $1 million in new Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fines for violations at four stores in Florida and Georgia, the agency announced March 13. OSHA inspected stores in Ocala, Florida, and Columbus, Georgia, finding repeat violations, including blocked exits and fire extinguishers, locked exit doors, and improperly stacked […]

Orkin Ranks Top 50 Termite-Infested Cities in the U.S.

Miami has overtaken Los Angeles for the No. 1 spot on Orkin’s annual Top 50 Termite Cities List. Tampa and Washington, D.C., rank third and fourth, respectively, with Raleigh rounding out the Top 5 this year. Orkin also provided tips to help prevent termites from destroying your property. The new Top 50 list is based on data from the […]

How Chaotic Would the World Be if Facilities Managers Suddenly Vanished?

Just imagine: Buildings crumble, processes are out of control, people aren’t safe, and equipment isn’t taken care of. It may seem like a sequel to The Day After Tomorrow, but this would be a harsh reality if facilities managers were to suddenly vanish. How chaotic would the world really be without facilities managers? This article […]

N.Y. Schools Awarded $31.4M for Tech and Security Upgrades

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the approval of 61 Smart Schools Investment Plans focused on reimagining education in an evolving age and boosting school security. The approved plans, totaling $31.4 million, are part of the $2 billion Smart Schools Bond Act, a sweeping education technology program established in 2014. “Inefficient technology was a huge […]

Making the Case for Automated Parking Systems

When people recall their experiences in traditional parking garages, rarely do pleasant images come to mind. Instead, thoughts often center upon dank, dimly lit, multi-story structures with creaky elevators, and repeatedly circling multiple floors for that elusive parking space that usually takes far too long to find. Today, however, there is a way to eliminate […]

4 Ways to Prepare Your Facility for Spring

As we head into spring, be sure to welcome employees and customers with a property that not only looks clean but also is clean. Snow, ice, salt, and calcium can leave their mark on a facility, whether it’s a shopping center, a college or hospital campus, an office complex, an amusement or a recreational park, […]

3 Reasons Your Facility Should Make Its Elevators Touchless

When I visited a resort casino in my region, I noticed it added touchless features to its elevators, which bring guests from the parking garage to the casino level. A sticker on the wall in the garage’s elevator lobby instructs visitors to wave their hands near a small black box near the buttons to call […]

Campus Safety: How UNM Used Architecture and Design for Crime Prevention

The design of indoor and outdoor spaces has the power to shape not just how we use an area, but also how we feel about it. Design can help inform whether someone wants to meet friends or move through an area quickly. It can even discourage crime. Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) is a […]