Category: Safety

slips, trips, and falls

An Expert’s Advice to Stop the Slip at Your Facility

We’ve had our first measurable snowfall here in the northeast, and there’s been wet weather across much of the country. While wet floors are only one component, it’s always good to revisit the problem, as slips, trips, and falls can be a perpetual thorn in the side of facilities management professionals. The hazard is so […]

Tarp covering damaged roof

‘Blue Roof’ Recommendations from OSHA

The recent hurricane season has apparently prompted OSHA to issue a fact sheet on safely installing plastic tarps on damaged roofs. Reinforced plastic tarps, commonly referred to as a blue roof, provide temporary protection for buildings following severe weather.

The Cost of Catastrophe: Make a Business Case for Better Equipment

Ask yourself: What could you do with $32 billion dollars in your business? A lot, certainly—but not if you’re forced to sink the entire amount into settling federal, state, and local claims for environmental damage from a preventable chemical catastrophe and paying the medical costs of workers or civilians killed or injured by the incident. […]

Voters Weigh in on Medical, Recreational Marijuana in 4 States

Voters in four states had the opportunity to weigh in on the issue of marijuana use when they went to the polls November 6, and the results will have an impact on employers. In Missouri and Utah voters approved measures to allow the medical use of marijuana. Voters in Michigan and North Dakota voted on […]

Industrial garbage bin blue construction debris container filled with rock and concrete rubble.

Should You Test Your Building Materials for PCBs?

During a recent panel discussion, “Managing PCBs in Buildings: Renovations, Transactions, Demolition, and More” at the Connecticut Business & Industry Association (CBIA) Energy & Environment Conference on May 18, 2018, in Farmington, Connecticut, the discussants tackled the question of whether to test or not to test for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The panel, comprised of three attorneys […]

Woman reporting suspicious behavior to her supervisor

Encourage Speaking Up to Prevent Mass Shootings

Remember the parable of the blind men and the elephant? Each individual formed an false conclusion about what an elephant is based on the limited information they gathered. The man touching the elephant’s tail concluded that an elephant is like a rope, while the man touching its tusk believed that the elephant was more like […]

Predict and Prevent Active Shooters by Listening for Leaks

A hazard assessment is one of the most important tools for preventing injuries, illnesses, and fatalities at your facility. They help analyze potential situations to determine the risks they pose, and provide your (or your tenant’s) security team with the data to decide how best to contain and control those risks. Unfortunately, one increasingly common […]

Fixed Ladder with fall protection

Standards for Fixed Ladders Change This November

November 19, 2018, is a key date for facility managers with existing outdoor fixed ladders that extend more than 24 feet (ft) above a lower level. Ladders that were in place prior to that date must be equipped with at least one type of fall protection device that will prevent workers from falling. Ladders erected […]