Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
On this latest episode of FMA Shorts, Tom Heneghan, manager of Preparedness Education and Youth Preparedness at the American Red Cross, underscores the importance of emergency plans amid worsening natural disasters. This clip was taken from a webinar titled, “Weathering the Storm: How to Prepare Facilities for Natural Disasters.” The full session is available for […]
No building is completely safe from natural disaster. Even facilities that are carefully maintained and safeguarded by rigorous safety precautions may still experience the results of fire or flooding. Such unwelcome events can compromise not only the infrastructure of the facility, but also the contents inside—with damage potentially extending to electronics, office supplies, furniture, and […]
Building drawings and facility information have long been undervalued, often relegated to storage rooms or legacy systems, considered a necessary cost rather than a strategic asset. However, this information is far more than a historical archive. It is the foundation for ongoing operations, informed decision making, and long-term resilience. As buildings age and evolve, the […]
There is no such thing as perfect, airtight security. This is a hard truth that facilities managers have to accept. Any security setup is going to have gaps somewhere. Our job is to minimize those gaps to reduce the odds of a malicious actor slipping through and help keep the facility safe amidst a rising […]
Facilities managers face daunting challenges in the calmest of times, but even more so as emergencies like natural disasters are becoming more frequent. But with the right tools, like a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS), FMs can centralize all the information they need in one accessible place. CMMS are likely to become used more in […]
Industrial personal protective equipment (PPE) has undergone a remarkable evolution in recent decades, transitioning from basic protective gear to sophisticated, essential equipment that does more than just sit on one’s head. Helmets, safety harnesses, and clothing have evolved into interconnected systems capable of real-time monitoring, data collection, and predictive analytics. Today’s PPE landscape is transforming […]
As the Atlantic hurricane season intensifies, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) is urging petroleum and chemical facilities to prepare now to help prevent catastrophic chemical releases during the season and to ensure the safety of workers, emergency responders, and surrounding communities. In May, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicted […]
Facilities today face increasing challenges, from managing security across sprawling campuses to ensuring operational efficiency in the face of rising costs and evolving threats. Meeting these demands requires smarter, more adaptable tools, and video surveillance has emerged as a critical solution. Driven by advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), cloud technology, and innovative hardware, surveillance systems […]
Just as commercial real estate (CRE) began to recover from the impacts of COVID-19, the industry is now entering a new era of financial pressures. Driven by an uncertain economy, aging infrastructure, extreme weather events, and a more conservative insurance underwriting landscape, property insurance premiums are climbing at an alarming rate. In Q1 2024, commercial […]
Emergencies in the healthcare service industry—natural disasters, infrastructure failures, or cyberattacks—can occur at any moment. To navigate these disruptions, organizations rely on emergency management (EM) plans. A powerful yet often underutilized tool in these plans is your computerized maintenance management software (CMMS). A CMMS can help facilities create comprehensive emergency plans (including ensuring the plan […]