Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
Several years ago, a restaurant worker died while performing one of his regular tasks—cleaning a restaurant’s kitchen floor. To clean the floor more effectively and efficiently, he decided to combine two incompatible cleaning agents: concentrated chlorine bleach and an acid-based cleaning solution. An example of an acid-based cleaning solution is ammonia; however, reports of the […]
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 […]
Based on inspections over the last several years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has found many chemical storage and distribution facilities “are not developing safety precautions; instituting maintenance, monitoring, and employee training measures; and preparing risk management plans to remain in compliance with Clean Air Act (CAA) and Emergency Planning and Community Right to […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) should establish federal workplace standards regarding ventilation, appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), physical distancing, and other basic public health precautions in anticipation of future surges in COVID-19 infections, according to a group of public health experts. In a report titled “Getting to and Sustaining the Next Normal: A Roadmap […]
The Department of Labor’s (DOL) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has announced an enforcement memorandum for a short-term increase in highly focused inspections directed at hospitals and skilled nursing care facilities that treat or handle COVID-19 patients. For two years, millions of the nation’s healthcare workers have been battling the coronavirus. Many have endangered […]
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 […]
Editor’s note: The Supreme Court’s recent rulings on vaccine mandates for large employers and healthcare workers are sure to impact facility operations. In this article, a legal expert provides an in-depth look into the justices’ decisions and offers some predictions. It snowed in Washington, D.C., over Jan. 6 and 7, and all federal buildings were […]
The U.S. Supreme Court’s rejection of a major part of the Biden administration’s plan to boost the vaccination of workers against COVID-19 means many large employers can stand down on their plans to comply with a rule requiring the shots or testing, but they are free to institute their own mandates as long as such […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires employers to comply with the regulations put into place to ensure workers’ occupational safety and health or else receive penalty fines. The main method to assess a company’s compliance is by conducting an inspection. There are four main stages of an OSHA inspection: the credential presentation the […]
Have you had to delay your return-to-office (RTO) date due to surges of COVID-19 in your community? If your employees have already returned, are you worried about the spread of the Omicron variant? Are you skeptical about the value of indoor air quality, or instead, have you wondered about adding portable air cleaners? Have you […]