Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
Step into any hospital or healthcare facility and you’ll be surrounded not only by clinical, administrative, and operational staff, but also by patients, visitors, and vendor representatives. With so many people traversing the hospital daily, protecting them can feel quite challenging. Until recently, almost anyone could enter a hospital with relative ease. Today, while many […]
In honor of Net Zero Buildings Week June 13-17, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) highlighted a milestone reflecting the growing demand for net zero buildings: The organization announced nearly 100 net zero certifications have been earned under the LEED Zero program, representing more than 23 million square feet of space. One-fourth of LEED Zero […]
How much time and money do you and your organization lose every year—or every day!—because someone has been unable to make a decision? It turns out that facility managers may have more influence on decision-making than you realize! As an architect and Certified Facility Manager with over 30 years’ experience helping people make facility-related decisions, […]
“What can we do?” This is among the most common questions I get after a major incident of violence. It’s not uncommon for there to be a heightened interest for a while, then things go back to “normal.” However, things feel different this time. As I’m writing this article, the news playing in the background […]
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 […]
Buildings are more complex machines than most people realize. Understanding how to read a Building Management System (BMS) to troubleshoot maintenance issues is in itself complicated and often difficult. Most tenants don’t know how to effectively read their energy or water utility data, nor do many have interest in these items unless they are the […]
Since 1996, National Safety Month has been observed and promoted each June by the National Safety Council (NSC) to raise awareness of the importance of keeping each other safe, from the workplace to anyplace. There are increased unintentional injuries and fatalities during the summer months, and according to the most recent data available, more than 4,100 […]
Universities across the country are embracing solar energy to help power their campuses, become more sustainable, and save money. Proving that point, here are three major announcements U.S. universities made in late May alone. Brigham Young University–Hawaii Brigham Young University–Hawaii announced completion of a campus-wide renewable energy system that includes rooftop solar, carport solar, and […]
The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) and ISSA–The Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association announced the launch of the Healthy Workplaces Coalition, a new coalition of more than 40 national organizations, industry leaders, and trade associations collaborating to support and advance federal policy aimed at helping businesses and organizations better afford and implement health and safety improvements […]
In the 1950s, benzodiazepine drugs were first introduced by pharmaceutical manufacturers. These drugs were found to treat a wide range of problems, including anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia, muscle spasms, nervous tics, even ringing in the ears, better known as tinnitus. By the 1960s, the most famous of all the “benzos,” as they were called, was […]