Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has released the Anonymized Threat Response Guidance: A Toolkit for K-12 Schools, a new resource to help K-12 schools and their law enforcement and community partners create tailored approaches to addressing anonymous threats of violence, including those received on social media. The toolkit outlines steps school leaders can take to […]
The cicadas are coming! The cicadas are coming! Some facilities professionals will indeed experience a “cicada-geddon,” a term coined by John Cooley, a University of Connecticut cicada expert. According to The Associated Press, two broods of cicadas—13-year and 17-year varieties—will be coming together for the first time since 1803, meaning trillions of them will come […]
Artificial intelligence (AI), particularly generative AI (GenAI), is quickly and quietly revolutionizing facilities management. More and more, facilities managers are harnessing AI for rapid, informed building operations decisions and leveraging GenAI to boost operational efficiency. Rooted in automation, AI’s potential to save thousands of working hours across an entire workforce has mass appeal, helping to […]
It’s never too early to think about public safety. Football season might’ve just begun, but federal authorities and other officials are already tackling emergency preparedness for Super Bowl LVIII. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the National Football League (NFL), Allegiant Stadium, and Super Bowl LVIII partners recently held a new tabletop exercise in Las […]
Upon entering the third year of the pandemic, Americans are not only more sensitive to germs in public restrooms, they now hold higher standards for the cleanliness, condition, and technology used in these shared spaces, according to the annual Healthy Handwashing Survey from Bradley Corp. conducted in January. Despite ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks, most Americans have […]
Did you know that nearly a third of non-residential building fires are caused by cooking? In 2022 alone, the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) recorded 129,500 non-residential fires, totaling nearly $4 billion in losses. Busy commercial kitchens, packed with countless pieces of equipment, are especially vulnerable—and a lack of routine maintenance makes that vulnerability all the […]
Have you heard of the term “indiscriminate disinfecting?” What about the term “hygiene theater” or “Safety First”? These are all terms that have evolved since the beginning of the pandemic. Because the pandemic has likely changed professional cleaning forever, these are terms that facility managers (FMs) who work with and hire cleaning professionals need to […]
A Wisconsin federal judge has sentenced six Didion Milling Inc. officials for their role in a fatal explosion at a facility operated by the corn milling company in 2017. “These defendants put Didion workers in grave danger, and five people tragically lost their lives, devastating their families and their community,” said U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. […]
Based on inspections over the last several years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has found many chemical storage and distribution facilities “are not developing safety precautions; instituting maintenance, monitoring, and employee training measures; and preparing risk management plans to remain in compliance with Clean Air Act (CAA) and Emergency Planning and Community Right to […]
These days, it seems everyone is exploring the potential of AI—even our government. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced its first “Artificial Intelligence Roadmap” and three pilot projects that will deploy AI in specific mission areas. The announcement follows President Joe Biden’s 2023 executive order directing the federal government to help advance […]