Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
There comes a time in every elevator’s life when it no longer makes financial or logistical sense to continue repairing the same components year after year. Service calls get expensive, replacement parts become harder to find and the time the elevator spends out of service ends up exceeding its time in operation. In most cases, […]
It’s getting to that time of year, when the temperature drops below freezing and the pipes at your facility are at risk. Most people, including most facility managers, are aware of this risk with respect to ordinary plumbing found in bathrooms and kitchens. But, have you considered whether your property’s sprinkler system is at risk?
As a facilities manager, are you looking for ways to lower your monthly water bill? Bathrooms use 30%–40% of the water in a typical commercial building, so they’re the first place you should look for inefficiencies. Other building uses that consume the most water are cooling and heating, landscaping, and kitchen and laundry facilities. It […]
As winter approaches and temperatures drop, workers or tenants at your facility may start to bombard you with complaints about the temperature. Invariably, the follow up questions will surely relate to whether or not you allow the use of portable space heaters in the colder areas of your building. So, should you?
On October 21, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced updated COVID-19 guidance, specifically the definition of “close contact.” The expanded definition states that the 15-minute exposure period should be measured based on a cumulative amount of time over 24 hours and not just a single 15-minute interaction.
Did you know that products to sanitize, disinfect, and sterilize surfaces are considered pesticides and are regulated by the EPA under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)?
The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) issued emergency regulations for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) exposures in the workplace. The regulations include a requirement for remote work, when feasible. Michigan becomes the second state, following Virginia, to issue emergency COVID-19 regulations.
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 […]
Effective managers continually source innovative solutions and implement them. This requires a ready eye and ear for opportunities. Access control is the next opportunity that is almost literally knocking at the door. The access control model pre-COVID is gone. Smart solutions in touchless access control like mobile access, cloud-based systems, video intercom, and facial recognition […]
Smart technology has been making impacts on business worldwide, and its use in streamlining efficiencies in hazardous and solid waste management should be of great interest to environment, health, and safety (EHS) and facilities management (FM) professionals.