Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
Welcome to the inaugural installment of “Faces of Facilities,” a new Q&A series profiling facilities management experts. Stan Robinson, Director of Facilities at Roanoke City Public Schools (RCPS), joins us as our first interview guest. In his role at the K-12 school district in Roanoke, Va., Stan manages 36 facilities and dozens of team members. […]
With COVID-19 cases surging and the fear of contracting the next highly transmissible contagion widespread, American workers are placing a renewed emphasis on cleaning, according to a new survey by the Cleaning Coalition of America. The survey finds that U.S. workers increasingly value enhanced cleaning of the workplace and feel safer seeing professional cleaners on site—a […]
A new national survey of K-12 teachers, commissioned by Global Plasma Solutions (GPS), shows that more than two-thirds are turning down or turning off portable, in-room, HEPA air purifiers (one of the most frequently deployed technologies) as a result of the noise they can generate in classrooms. Turning the portable units down or off reduces […]
The Biden administration’s U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has confirmed the first six industry partners to participate in the Cold Climate Heat Pump Technology Challenge. The challenge, which was announced in May at the White House, aims to reduce the carbon footprint of cold-climate heating solutions by improving the efficiency and affordability of new heat pumps in the field. Through […]
Before the COVID-19 pandemic made its way across the world, a handful of physical access control manufacturers were working on creating a frictionless authentication process that would involve a hassle-free and touch-free experience. Fast-forward to 2021, where we’re almost two years into this virus that has made everyone wary of door handles and nearly every […]
Anyone paying attention to the security industry of the past decade can tell you that the way we implement and carry out our tactical security programs is very different today than it used to be. Technology has brought massive changes into the physical security space, with smart cameras replacing eyeballs for surveillance, our cell phones […]
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has released the Fall 2021 Better Buildings, Better Plants progress update. The report highlights more than 250 manufacturers and water utilities that have introduced energy efficiency and decarbonization measures, cumulatively saving $9.3 billion in energy costs and 1.9 quadrillion British thermal units (Btus)—more energy than the state of Wisconsin consumes […]
When it comes to restroom breaks, office workers in the U.S. say that touchless restroom fixtures are the No. 1 feature that would make them feel safer when using their workplace restroom, according to a new survey. In the Healthy Handwashing Survey, conducted by restroom equipment manufacturer Bradley Corp., touch-free washroom fixtures received the highest safety ranking, […]
As we move toward sharing space at work again, employers often ask us: how can we support our baby-feeding employees? The answer: employers who establish breastfeeding-supportive climates offer comprehensive plans that include policy, procedure, culture of belonging, access to experts, encouragement, community and facilities. In this piece, we’ll examine facilities and identify ways to elevate […]
This upcoming holiday season will be ripe with challenges for facilities managers, who will be dealing with a labor shortage that will prove to be problematic not only for regular staffing but also for contract maintenance service providers and skilled tradespeople. From multi-location restaurants and retail chains to distribution and fulfillment centers, operational managers need […]