Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
The U.S. Department of Education announced eight new grant awards totaling more than $37 million over five years under the Supporting America’s School Infrastructure (SASI) program and one new grant for $10 million over five years under the National Center on School Infrastructure (NCSI) program. According to the department, this $47 million investment bolsters the capacity of states to […]
In 2023, facility and maintenance managers saw the emergence of advanced technologies and artificial intelligence, new environmental sustainability regulations, and higher-than-ever customer expectations. With so many conflicting priorities, it is easy for facilities professionals to feel their heads spin. In a recent survey of manufacturing and facilities management companies, maintenance professionals report a heavy focus […]
What constitutes a zero-emissions building? The Biden administration is working to create a national, standardized, and verifiable definition for all stakeholders. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has developed Part 1 of a draft national definition for zero-emissions buildings and is now seeking feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders through […]
The Seattle Convention Center (SCC) announced that its Summit building has earned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) as part of the council’s New Construction (v3) rating system. Opened in January 2023, Summit nearly doubled the center’s capacity by adding 573,770 square feet of event […]
While sports fans know that the University of Connecticut (UConn) is known as the “Basketball Capital of the World,” the university has recently been recognized on the national level for its ongoing commitment to sustainability by being ranked as one of the top 25 schools on The Princeton Review’s Top 50 Green Colleges list for […]
Fatal work-related injuries increased by 5.7% in 2022, according to the latest figures released December 19 by the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Fatal work injuries increased from 5,190 in 2021 to 5,486 in 2022. The national fatal work injury rate was 3.7 fatalities per 100,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers—up from 3.6 per […]
Deferred maintenance, a common challenge in facilities and plant management, involves postponing necessary repairs and upkeep due to constraints like budget or resources. The delay often leads to an accumulation of tasks, exacerbating issues and inflating future costs. The significance of deferred maintenance spans across diverse organizational settings, impacting operational reliability in manufacturing plants and […]
As facilities managers or field experts, new challenges arise as the world grows more interconnected and data-hungry. These include the need to handle massive volumes of data, increase efficiency, and embrace cloud computing. Since the world is moving more quickly, businesses that do not adapt risk losing their ability to succeed and the possibility of […]
Back to Basics is an article series that highlights important, but possibly overlooked, information facilities management professionals should know. Before Jack Frost comes knocking on their doors, facilities managers should ensure their commercial facility’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are in tip-top shape. A failed HVAC system can not only lead to discomfort […]
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced a proposal to strengthen its Lead and Copper Rule that would require water systems across the country to replace lead service lines within 10 years. The agency is also proposing additional improvements to protect public health, such as lowering the lead action level and improving sampling protocols used by […]