Category: Sustainability/Business Continuity

Back to Basics: 4 Earthquake Safety Tips

Back to Basics is an article series that highlights important but possibly overlooked information facilities management professionals should know.  While some Americans may think earthquakes only happen in California and Hawaii, a recent earthquake in the Northeast and its aftershocks—the biggest earthquake in the area since 1884—prove earthquake preparation is important for everyone, including facilities […]

Workplace Trends Report: Majority of Employees Consider Going to the Office a ‘Waste of Time’

Nearly 60% of employees received some form of return-to-office (RTO) mandate in 2023, with the percentage of fully remote employees dropping to 33% last year (from 44% in 2022). Yet, more than half (54%) of employees surveyed in the Appspace 2024 Workplace Experience Trends & Insights Report agree that going to the office “feels like a waste […]

Webinar Watch: FM NOW Sessions on Healthy Buildings

On Wednesday, April 24, join your colleagues and expert panelists for our FM NOW: Healthy Buildings virtual summit! This FREE event will include two back-to-back webinars covering sustainable buildings and top contractor risk management megatrends. Can’t make it to the webinars? No worries! All registrants will also receive a link to on-demand recordings. Opening Keynote […]

Biden Admin Finalizes New Lightbulb Efficiency Standards

On April 12, the Biden administration finalized congressionally mandated energy efficiency standards for the most common residential and commercial lightbulbs. The standards will go into effect in July 2028 for newly produced bulbs. Over 30 years, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) projects the standards will save Americans more than $27 billion on their utility bills […]

The Future of Smart Buildings: Trends and Tech for Facilities Managers

Smart technology has been on the rise in recent years. Data collected by Google shows that 61% of people now own a smart device like a virtual assistant, smartwatch, or smart TV. The trend towards increased smart-tech adoption applies to businesses, too. Google data shows that industry leaders are 1.5 times as likely to utilize […]

Is Your Facility Blackout-Ready? Ensuring Safety and Continuity During Power Failures

Between extreme weather events, an aging power grid, and the transition to renewable energy, power interruptions are becoming a much greater risk in all parts of the country. Many will remember the highly publicized 2013 Super Bowl blackout when the power shut down the biggest game in American sports for 34 minutes, plunging the New […]

U.S. Government Works to Ban ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Federal Buildings

In a move aimed at better protecting the health of custodial staff, federal employees, and the environment, the Biden administration is directing government contractors to purchase cleaning products for federal buildings that are free of toxic “forever chemicals.” This change is the result of a collaboration between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the […]

U.S. Green Building Council Seeks Public Input on New LEED Certification

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has opened the first public comment period for its draft Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design version 5 (LEED v5), the latest iteration of the globally recognized green building certification. Although the update initially focused on operations and maintenance of existing buildings, it has since been expanded to include […]

Higher Ed Facility Investments Jump 26%, but Campus Challenges Remain

In a “seismic shift,” higher education institutions upped their facility reinvestment game by more than 26% year-over-year in 2023, according to a new report from Gordian. The 11th edition of the “State of Facilities in Higher Education” report reveals the significant facility investments over the past year have reduced the spending shortfall to 34%, closing the […]

State Farm Stadium: Star Player for Men’s March Madness Final Four

Glendale, Arizona’s State Farm Stadium, home of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals, is about 10 miles from downtown Phoenix and will be the home of the ultimate thrill of victory and the agony of defeat for the remaining four teams of March Madness, as the NCAA Basketball Men’s Final Four and championship games will be held […]