Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), business and/or facility owners have a responsibility to provide a safe and healthy workplace. While this is straightforward on its surface, what many facility managers may not realize is that maintaining a safe work environment at their (or their organization’s) facilities can extend beyond their front door and […]
With facilities across the country slowly reopening, workers are returning to a changed landscape with new procedures and office norms. This means that companies must review their emergency preparedness plans and adapt them to the realities of the pandemic.
September is right around the corner, which means that National Preparedness Month (NPM) will soon be in full swing. The National Safety Council (NSC) uses this time to foster awareness around the ways you can prepare yourselves and families for any disaster that could impact your facilities, homes, and communities. The NPM theme for the […]
Due to increasing COVID-19 case counts across many states, public health officials are recommending source control measures to reduce disease transmission, including mandatory mask use in public places. Unfortunately, these measures rely upon the user’s effective compliance, both in work and in social settings. Growing evidence suggests that aerosols may play a part in the […]
With an estimated 2.7 billion people (or 80% of the global workforce) having been affected by COVID-19-related lockdowns, returning to work isn’t an event; it’s a process of recovery, efficiency and resilience. For businesses to survive the present and thrive into the future, they will need to adopt technological advances that will help them work […]
Water intrusion can cause a host of issues impacting buildings and the health of the people who use them. Facilities managers, in particular those at hospitals and other medical facilities that serve potentially vulnerable populations, must be aware of this sometimes-invisible threat and take steps to protect against fungal exposure.
The Massachusetts High Technology Council, a regional industry group, recently examined issues involved in reopening businesses and asking employees to return to work in the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. A new report in the New England Journal of Medicine summarized their conclusions.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have updated their recommendations for reopening offices during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their guidance includes wearing cloth masks throughout the workday; maintaining social distances of six feet, including in elevators; positioning workstations six feet apart or installing plastic partitions; and removing communal coffeepots.
Building owners and facility managers reopening vacant buildings as stay-at-home orders expire may need to flush plumbing fixtures weekly to prevent harmful organisms, such as the Legionella bacteria—which can cause Legionnaire’s Disease, a bacterial pneumonia—from growing in plumbing, according to a pre-press research study.
What did you see when you walked into your facility this morning? Were there cords snaking across the floor, remnants of a spill from a couple of days ago, or overflowing trash cans? Or did you observe a strong sense of order, with clear walkways, properly stored tools, well-lit and clearly marked stairways, and hazardous […]