Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
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 […]
Amid growing concern about Legionnaires’ disease, especially with recent outbreaks in New York City and parts of Ohio, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) is offering guidance to help mitigate risks and support building safety. Legionnaires’ disease, a serious form of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria, is most commonly associated with water systems […]
U.S. employers spend $58.78 billion annually on worker injuries, insurer Liberty Mutual announced July 15 with the release of its 2025 Workplace Safety Index. The top 10 causes of serious workplace injuries account for over 86%, or $50.87 billion, of the total cost. Liberty Mutual has compiled its index for 25 years, identifying the top 10 […]
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) announced that it has launched a formal investigation into the fatal explosion and fire at the Horizon Biofuels facility in Fremont, Neb., that occurred on July 29. The blast fatally injured three people—a father and his two young daughters—who were in the facility at the time […]
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 […]
The Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS) has released the seventh edition of its Safety and Security Guidelines for K-12 Schools, which offer comprehensive information on practices for securing school facilities from subject matter experts across the education, public safety, and industry sectors. The new release—including updates to the Safety and Security Guidelines and the School Safety and […]
In the rapidly evolving urban landscape, parking buildings are vital components of a wide variety of facilities, and—as their functional importance grows—so does the complexity of designing and building them, especially in earthquake-prone regions. Updates to seismic codes significantly affect how structures are designed, budgeted, and constructed. These regulations, implemented to improve public safety, reshape […]
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 […]
Is it time for your healthcare facilities to invest in more security measures—or risk losing essential workers? Nearly two in five healthcare workers in the U.S. say they have considered leaving their positions due to safety concerns, with almost half (45%) likely to leave their job in the next 12 months, according to new research […]
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 […]