Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
It’s here! It’s finally here! After brutal temps pummeled much of the country during winter, March 20th marks the first official day of spring. For facilities managers, the warmer weather provides opportunities to tackle tasks delayed during the cold and to give everything a nice refresh. However, the new season also poses some challenges like […]
As a wildland firefighter who has spent multiple seasons on firelines across California and the western United States, I have seen firsthand that many commercial structures are lost to embers long before the main fire front ever reaches the building. Recent data suggests that model is increasingly insufficient. Facilities managers are now operating in a […]
The $3 trillion global facilities management (FM) industry supports employee and occupant experience, business continuity, enterprise resilience, and more. The field is also constantly evolving and adapting to economic shifts, digital transformation, and other factors. According to the recent JLL Global State of Facilities Management Report, three key trends for industry stakeholders to stay on […]
Cold snaps don’t always arrive with a major storm. A quick drop in temperature after a mild stretch can be enough to stress vulnerable piping, especially in perimeter zones and low-circulation spaces. For facilities management teams, a frozen or burst pipe can turn into tenant disruption, safety exposure, and avoidable downtime in a matter of […]
U.S. Steel Corp. faces $118,214 in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fines for seven serious violations and one other-than-serious violation related to an explosion at its Clairton Coke Works plant last August, the agency announced Feb. 18. OSHA investigators concluded that U.S. Steel and MPW Industrial Services Inc., the cleaning services contractor, exposed workers […]
Facilities Management Advisor’s “Under Construction” series highlights some of the latest, most interesting facility project announcements every month. World Trade Center Office Tower Financial services giant American Express has revealed plans to build a new state-of-the-art global headquarters at 2 World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan—marking the final office tower to be built at the World […]
Have you ever strained to understand an announcement in an airport or missed critical instructions over a facility’s intercom? These moments of audio confusion are more than minor frustrations. In environments where safety, efficiency, and coordination are vital, the clarity of sound systems is a direct contributor to operational performance. The requirement for precise, intelligible […]
Workplace violence is often viewed as an HR, legal, or security issue. But long before a concern reaches those departments, the earliest signs frequently appear in the spaces facilities managers oversee every day. Because they move throughout the building, interact with staff and contractors, and understand the normal rhythms of a workplace, facilities teams are […]
Disasters rarely arrive with warning, and their aftermath can escalate quickly without the right response. Tornadoes, for example, strike Texas more frequently than almost any other state, often with devastating results. In one recent year, these storms caused over $229 million in damage across the U.S., with many commercial properties hit especially hard. Businesses that […]
Water systems are among the most essential—and least visible—components of any facility. Pipes, valves, pumps, and recirculation loops work quietly behind walls and below floors, delivering water for sanitation, heating, cooling, and daily operations. Because these systems often function behind the scenes, they tend to receive less attention than HVAC or electrical systems—until a failure […]