Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
As we recently closed out Building Safety Month in May, it served as a great reminder for facilities managers to evaluate their passive fire protection systems. While active systems like sprinklers and alarms often get the spotlight, passive defenses—specifically fire door assemblies—are equally important for compartmentalizing smoke and flames to save lives. Over the past […]
Editor’s note: FM Perspectives are industry op-eds. The views expressed are the authors’ and do not necessarily reflect those of Facilities Management Advisor. For decades, facilities management has remained relatively static: protect the building envelope, manage HVAC, and ensure critical safety equipment, such as fire extinguishers, are maintained. However, the landscape is shifting. As infrastructure becomes more […]
With the Atlantic hurricane season officially underway, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) is urging chemical facilities to prevent major chemical releases that could result from high winds and other extreme weather events. Although the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has predicted a below- normal hurricane season this year, the threat posed […]
Hurricanes, tornados, and severe thunderstorms are just a few examples of extreme weather events that can cause structural damage and significantly disrupt operational continuity. Downtime, lost production, critical infrastructure damage, and threats to human safety are all serious possible outcomes. Mitigating these risks can be done in several ways, but one of the most important […]
Unplanned downtime is one of the most expensive problems a facility can face. According to ABB’s Value of Reliability report, two-thirds of companies deal with unplanned downtime at least once a month, at a median cost of $125,000 per hour. Electrical system failures are a leading contributor to that figure, yet the vast majority are […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
On February 4, the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) released a new safety video on its investigation into the fatal combustible dust explosions and fires at the Didion Milling facility in Cambria, Wisconsin, on May 31, 2017. Five of the 19 employees working on the night of the incident were killed. The other 14 were […]
The New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education has awarded $244.4 million in capital facilities grant funding from two state-backed, revolving bond programs for higher education. A total of 92 projects across 23 colleges and universities have received funding to address deferred maintenance, enhance campus safety, and upgrade student facilities. Sheryl Stitt, executive […]