Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
ASHRAE has announced its newly approved standard for airborne infection risk mitigation in indoor spaces. ASHRAE Standard 241, Control of Infectious Aerosols establishes minimum requirements to reduce the risk of disease transmission by exposure to infectious aerosols in new buildings, existing buildings, and major renovations. Infectious aerosols are tiny, exhaled particles that can carry disease-causing pathogens […]
Hall County, located in northeast Georgia, has completed comprehensive energy and infrastructure renovations on its Hall County Government Center with partner Trane Technologies. The upgrades are expected to help slash the facility’s annual energy usage by 35%. Working consultatively with the Hall County construction and facilities teams, Trane identified and implemented energy efficiency and indoor […]
As a new academic year begins, the Biden administration has issued a back-to-school fact sheet highlighting guidance and resources available to help protect students and staff from COVID-19 spread and keep schools safely open all year long. The fact sheet calls for vaccination, testing, and improved indoor air quality. It also notes actions the administration […]
A nongovernmental task force recently recommended that building owners begin taking four steps to address SARS-CoV-2 infection risks in schools and workplaces: verifying building systems are performing as designed, increasing outdoor air ventilation, upgrading air filtration, and deploying portable air cleaners where needed. The Lancet COVID-19 Commission’s Task Force on Safe Work, Safe School, and […]
Mold can happen to any building at any time if the conditions are right. Mold is three things: persistent, resourceful, and low maintenance. It requires very little to live and can sneak right into any type of facility if given the opportunity. Once it starts growing, it can quickly become a large-scale problem and begin […]
Boosted by smart cities, the healthcare sector, and industry partnerships, the global facilities management (FM) market is poised to surpass $2 trillion by 2027, according to research from Global Market Insights Inc. Furthermore, a growing focus on optimization of building performance has positioned facilities management as a key maintenance tool. Evolution of Building Maintenance Demands […]
Countless studies have found that good indoor air quality is critical for facility occupants’ health. But are your facilities, themselves, located in a region with a dangerous amount of outside air pollution to combat? The American Lung Association has released its 23rd annual “State of the Air” report card, which tracks and grades Americans’ exposure […]
As part of the new Biden-Harris Action Plan for Building Better School Infrastructure, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has released a Request for Information (RFI) for a $500 million grant program from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for K-12 public school energy upgrades. According to the DOE, the program will help deliver cleaner and healthier classrooms, […]
The COVID-19 pandemic heightened awareness of how building systems operate and impact occupant wellness. The average person is reading articles, watching videos, engaging in social media exchanges, and asking pointed questions. They want to know what building owners and facility managers are doing to provide healthy spaces to live, learn, work, and visit. Smart buildings […]
The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) and five other groups formed a new international association on indoor environmental quality (IEQ). The Indoor Environmental Quality Global Alliance (IEQ-GA) will serve as a platform for the exchange of indoor environmental knowledge and information and will promote education and research into the health and environmental quality in buildings.