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Modern office with an open floor plan

How an Office Space Impacts Employee Experiences

A recent study by Clutch revealed that the majority of employees prefer private offices to open floor plans or cubicles. Businesses save a significant amount of money with open floor plans versus private offices, though, and many believe the open environment contributes to an atmosphere of community and collaboration. In this article, we explore how […]

Male janitor with green cleaning supplies near wet floor sign

The Benefits of Green Cleaning Your Facility

Cold and cough season is officially here. As a facilities manager, it’s important to implement a rigorous cleaning plan at your building to remove dust, allergens, and infectious agents. It’s equally important to maintain well-stocked restrooms and break rooms, with soap and paper towels, to promote handwashing—one of the first lines of defense we have […]

Workers fleeing from an emergency in their facility.

Emergency Action Items Help You Be Ready for Anything

Consider for a moment, what’s your worst-case scenario? Fire? Explosion? Flood? If you’re just thinking of the disaster itself, you’re not thinking broadly enough: the true worst-case scenario is a disaster for which your facility and your workers are completely unprepared.

OSHA Enforcement Roundup: Falls, Excavations, and … Rhinoceroses

What have OSHA’s compliance officers been up to lately? Take a look at some of the more significant enforcement cases from the past several months to find out. From the usual suspects like fall hazards and excavations to some less typical cases, recent enforcement activity illustrates the importance of a strong safety and health program […]

Emergency eye wash

Eyewash Stations: Do You Know the Requirements?

While the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has few specific requirements for eyewash stations, there are good best practices available under American National Standards Institute (ANSI) voluntary standards. Experts at Safety.BLR.com® were recently asked a question about proper installation of eyewash stations—read on to see what they had to say and how it can […]

Green Energy Concept Demand Response

Demand Response (DR): Reduce Costs; Stay Productive

As a facilities manager, you know that decreasing the energy consumption of your building is good for the planet and the bottom line. You may have already deployed effective strategies, including purchasing energy-efficient equipment and promoting a culture of conservation within the workplace. But did you know that there may be additional incentives for businesses […]

First Aid cabinet

Facility First Aid Kits: Should You Stock OTC Meds?

Facilities management professionals are often tasked with the proper supply of on-site first aid kits. When it comes to keeping medications stocked, there may be some question as to whether you should include over-the-counter (OTC) medications, and if so, which ones.

Construction Worker wearing personal protective hearing protection in a high noise area.

The Impacts of Hearing Loss on Safety

Hearing loss is a common disability, affecting about 48 million people in the United States. The impacts of hearing loss on the workforce are far-reaching, and can result in lost productivity, lower wages, and increased safety risks.

Could Machine Learning and Wearables Improve Flu Forecasting?

The effort to curtail the impact of influenza just got a shot in the arm with a research award from a division of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) to a company that’s testing a machine learning model to improve flu forecasts based on data gathered from wearable devices.

vaping devices or electronic cigarette on a wooden background

If Your Employees are Vaping at Work, How Do You Handle the E-Cigarette Waste Stream?

If your employees are vaping at work, you may wonder what your facility’s obligation is for managing the e-cigarette waste even if your company isn’t a retailer or manufacturer of e-cigarettes. Is there any federal or state agency guidance on how to manage this waste stream? Experts at Enviro.BLR.com® were recently asked this question—read on […]