Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
As facility professionals, we pay close attention to newsworthy workplace disasters. Based on the scale and severity of these incidents, perhaps we assume they could not occur in our own organizations—after all, this is what we work to prevent. But the fact is, disasters can happen anywhere.
It’s important for facility managers to be ready for any emergency, and that includes preparing for weather emergencies. So, when that dreaded alert from the National Weather Service pops up on your computer or phone: “Area Flood Warning” predicting storm activity such as high winds and heavy, sustained rainfall for your area, will your team […]
With more than 2,000 estimated growing facilities in the U.S., and with 5 times more employees than the coal industry, the cannabis (Marijuana) business is booming. Thirty-four states, along with the District of Columbia (D.C.), have medical marijuana statutes on the books. In addition, 10 states and D.C. have also approved it for recreational use, […]
It’s no secret that ergonomics programs often struggle to make an impact. All too often, they start off with a flurry of training and assessments and then fizzle out when people realize that there’s more talking about ergonomics than implementing ergonomics improvements. The ergonomics program starts to feel like more cost than benefit to management, […]
The 2019-2020 flu season appears to be off to an early start, though we’re a long way off from the peak, which is typically hits in February. This can be a high-risk period for workers in healthcare facilities where sick people may be streaming in because of an extensive community outbreak. Healthcare employers are required […]
With more than 1 million people employed in warehouses and storage facilities in the United States, warehouses play a critical role in the flow of goods and services that fuel our economy. But the work can be hazardous, and vigilance is required. Here we’ll review the hazards facilities managers should be aware of, alongside solutions, […]
Hurricanes present wide-ranging hazards for facility managers and their teams to navigate during and after they strike populated areas and critical infrastructures.
Healthcare workers experience a disproportionately high occurrence of assaults compared to the U.S. workforce as a whole. These assaults are most common in hospital facilities but also occur in smaller clinics, psychiatric and social service facilities, nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, homes visited by workers, and during transportation of patients. The wide variety […]
There are always chemicals present in facilities, and it’s incumbent on the facility manager to inform their employees or tenants of potential hazards. It’s not always clear, however, which chemicals are required in a communication plan. Experts at Enviro.BLR.com® were recently asked the best way to determine what chemicals are considered “hazardous” when creating a […]
In the 20+ years I have been engaged in helping organizations develop and maintain their risk management framework, I have come to understand that risk assessment is the backbone.