Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) released its annual ranking of U.S. states leading the way on green building, with Massachusetts topping the list. The USGBC ranking is based on LEED-certified gross square footage per capita over the past year. The LEED rating system is the world’s most widely used green building program and was created […]
If you have forklifts at your facility and have an opinion on the rules that govern their safe operation, now is your chance to weigh in with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). OSHA is seeking comment and information about possible deregulatory action involving general industry, construction, and maritime standards for forklifts and other […]
Although the EPA is at the moment essentially crippled in the midst of the ongoing government shutdown, we have a few enforcement items that to report from late 2018. Our latest roundup of five cases includes RCRA, EPCRA, and TSCA violations, several of which were related to negligent activity within facilities.
Thanks to recent innovation pairing mineral fiber ceiling panels with phase change material technology (PCM), architects, designers, facilities managers, and other key players in construction and renovation projects are rethinking the role ceilings play in supporting environmental objectives—especially energy savings. As a space warms—typically during the day when it is occupied or receives sunlight—the crystalized […]
Predictive maintenance is nothing new to many facilities managers. Today, building managers, facility operators, and others are discovering how beneficial and cost-efficient it is to know what is happening inside their infrastructure and how their operations are running—and when disaster might strike. Shutting down operations for hours, days, or weeks in the middle of peak […]
Disasters are, for the most part, unpredictable, but there are steps that you can take that will improve your chances to survive and get back in business faster. Some of these measures require purchases while others can be completed in-house with the staff and materials at hand.
Office vacancy rates have climbed sharply in the wake of the pandemic as many firms downsized office space due to remote work. Nationally, the United States office vacancy rate hovered around the high teens by late 2023 (nearly 17%–20%, up from roughly 9% pre-pandemic). Major city centers have been hit especially hard. These elevated vacancies […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) again cited discount retailers Dollar Tree and Dollar General for blocked exit routes in their stores. On April 24, the agency announced it’s seeking $770,136 in penalties for hazards related to obstructed exits, unsafe storage of materials, fire, and other hazards at Dollar Tree stores in East Providence and Pawtucket, Rhode […]
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has awarded $243.7 million in Airport Infrastructure Grants under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The $243.7 million includes 150 grants in 37 states to modernize airport infrastructure and improve runway safety. “We saw a record number of passengers fly during the recent holiday season, and we can […]
Colgate-Palmolive has signed a 20-year virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) for a solar energy project outside of Waco, Texas. With start-up anticipated in 2025, the 209-megawatt (MW) Markum Solar Farm is expected to produce the equivalent of 100% of the company’s U.S.-based operational electricity needs. This news follows the company’s announcement in 2022, when it shared that […]