Category: Safety

Improving IAQ Decreases Health Risks and Boosts Efficiencies

One of the biggest challenges for building owners and facility managers is maintaining healthy indoor air quality (IAQ). This is especially difficult during the winter months, as everyone spends more time indoors with the windows closed. The result is indoor pollutants having less chance of escaping through ventilation and a better chance of irritating building occupants. […]

U.S. Green Building Council Applauds Biden’s National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has applauded the Biden administration’s National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan, which includes a strong focus on improving indoor air quality (IAQ) and ventilation in buildings. “As states loosen masking requirements, the White House is exactly right to prioritize indoor environmental quality in homes and buildings,” said Elizabeth Beardsley, Senior Policy Counsel […]

Watch: Ohio State University Highlights Safety and Security Efforts

As part of its work to improve safety and security on and off campus, Ohio State University has announced new surveillance upgrades, ongoing collaboration with local officials, and widespread availability of personal safety devices. In a Health, Safety, and Well-being Update video on March 1, President Kristina M. Johnson said the university is installing surveillance […]

As COVID Cases Trend Downward, So Do Americans’ Handwashing Habits

Handwashing frequency has decreased 25% among American adults compared to when COVID-19 first hit, according to the latest Healthy Handwashing Survey from Bradley Corp. Specifically, in spring 2020, Americans were washing their hands an average of 10.5 times per day. This January, that number dropped by one-fourth to 7.8 times per day. While the adult […]

Workers Worldwide Worry About Office Air Quality

Nearly three out of four (72%) surveyed office workers express concern about their building’s indoor air quality (IAQ), according to a new report from Honeywell. Titled “Workplace Air Quality: A Global Concern Emerges,” the report presents the findings of Honeywell’s second annual Healthy Buildings Survey, which recently queried 3,000 office workers in buildings with 500-plus workers in ASEAN, Germany, India, the Middle East, […]

How Authorities Are Tackling Security for Super Bowl LVI

Before Super Bowl LVI kicks off on Sunday, Feb. 13, a massive coalition of federal, state, and local officials is hard at work to help ensure the safety and security of employees, players, and fans during the big game. U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas recently traveled to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, […]

Be Prepared for New Enhanced 911 Regulations

Kari’s Law and the Ray Baum’s Act are two pieces of federal legislation concerning Enhanced 911 (E911) services. These are advanced services for 911, the universal telephone number used in the United States for emergency services. Facilities management professionals should understand these laws to ensure that their facilities are compliant. These laws were discussed during […]

Vast Majority of Workers More Wary of Offices Amid COVID-19 Variants

With the rise of new COVID-19 variants, 87% of workers have heightened concerns about working in an office building, according to a new survey. Honeywell released initial findings from its second annual study on workers’ perceptions and feelings on the health and safety of their workplace. Conducted by Wakefield Research, the study surveyed 3,000 office workers […]

OSHA’s Next Move: Agency at Work on Permanent COVID-19 Safety Standard

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is moving forward with plans to issue a permanent rule aimed at requiring employees of large employers to either be vaccinated against COVID-19 or face weekly testing. OSHA announced on January 25 it is withdrawing the emergency temporary standard (ETS) it issued on November 5 and that […]

Preparing the Workplace and Campuses to Meet COVID-19 Challenges

Facility management professionals should advocate that their workplaces and college campuses reconsider their physical spaces and invest in technology to help create safer environments. This would allow workers and students to feel safe to return to in-person experiences after they were forced to go remote because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Those suggestions were detailed during […]