Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
When something goes wrong in a building, the facilities team isn’t always the first to know. Often, it’s an administrative assistant, business services officer, executive assistant, or local office employee who sees the problem first. They hear an alarm. They discover a leak. They know employees can’t get through a door or that a scheduled […]
In remembrance of the attack on the World Trade Center 25 years ago, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Research Library and Archives has released “NFPA and the World Trade Center: 25 Years Later,” a collection of materials from the tragedy of September 11, 2001. The compilation provides a multi-faceted overview of the events that unfolded, focusing […]
More than 10,800 K-12 schools representing 7+ million students across the United States now use solar energy, helping schools lower electricity costs, invest more resources in students, and strengthen their communities, according to a new report from clean energy nonprofit Generation180. The sixth edition of Brighter Future: The State of Solar & Battery Storage in U.S. […]
Didion Milling Inc. has now implemented all nine safety recommendations issued to the company by the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) following an investigation into a fatal May 2017 explosion at Didion’s Cambria, Wis., facility, the board announced Aug. 12. The explosion killed five employees and seriously injured 14 others. The board issued nine […]
During my years as a teacher and school principal, I learned that having an emergency operations plan and being prepared to respond to an emergency are not always the same thing. Most districts have emergency preparedness procedures that include conducting drills, working closely with first responders, and investing time preparing for emergencies. Those efforts certainly […]
Summer 2026 has made an already familiar problem nearly impossible to ignore. In early July, a heat dome fell over the central and eastern United States, breaking daily temperature records from Newark to Boston, with heat indices reaching 115°F in some areas, according to the National Weather Service. The same week, grid operator PJM Interconnection […]
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has released the K-12 Cybersecurity Foundations Resource Package, a comprehensive collection of guides, videos, and supplemental materials to help K‑12 schools and districts prevent, mitigate, and respond to prevalent cyber threats. Based on current cybersecurity best practices and frameworks, the resource package outlines cost-effective, actionable, and customizable steps that […]
Managing swimming pools for multifamily communities, associations, country clubs, hotels, gyms, and other commercial facilities requires more than maintaining clear water and opening each day. Successful operations depend on disciplined systems that protect swimmers, extend asset life, and prevent safety incidents, whether operating seasonally or year-round. More often than not, safety incidents and operational disruptions […]
Healthcare facilities are designed to heal people. Yet for many healthcare workers, safety has become an increasingly urgent concern. Hospitals and healthcare campuses today face a complicated environment. Teams are managing higher patient volumes, workforce shortages, increased visitor traffic, and growing concerns around workplace violence. Security leaders are being asked to do more than respond […]
Walk through almost any facility and you’ll see hard hats, safety glasses, first aid kits, and other personal protective equipment (PPE) in use every day. The gear is there, employees are trained, and everything appears to comply. But here’s the question many employers never ask: Is compliance enough? What some facilities managers don’t realize is […]