Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced $288 million in Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding to construct sustainable buildings at the DHS St. Elizabeths headquarters campus in southeast Washington, D.C. The announcement came a day after the one-year anniversary of the IRA, the largest climate investment in U.S. history. The […]
From combat engineer to custodial manager, Marcus LaPointe has worn many proverbial hats throughout his career. However, he encourages aspiring facility professionals to get their start in the trades—”any trade.” It’s timely advice, given that reports show a grave need for all types of skilled trade workers. As for LaPointe, he now works as an […]
Industrial robots can extend or enhance productivity at your facility, as well as perform dangerous or repetitive workplace tasks, thereby protecting the health and safety of your workers. Robotic systems are becoming more collaborative and mobile in nature. The future of robotics involves more collaborative robots, or “co-robots,” rather than fixed industrial robots isolated from […]
The rainy season in California begins each year in October. When it started in October 2021, nearly half of the state was experiencing “exceptional” drought. This is the most severe category of drought. As for the rest of the state, 87% faced “extreme” drought, the second-most severe category. But flash forward three months, and it […]
In Massachusetts, the Baker-Polito administration recently announced investments totaling more than $120 million to four public colleges and universities to renovate and expand campus facilities that further students’ skills in STEM fields. An additional $400 million will be invested over the next five years for critical building infrastructure. Salem State University, Massasoit Community College, Springfield […]
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is awarding $970 million in grants to help modernize 125 U.S. airports across 46 states, Guam, and Palau. The funding comes from the Airport Terminal Program, one of three aviation programs created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. According to the FAA, the program focuses on making the passenger experience better, improving […]
Cintas Corp. is nearing completion of a multi-year, company-wide LED lighting transition project to help reduce facility-focused energy use and support the company along its “Path to Net Zero,” a major part of Cintas’ environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals. Headquartered in Cincinnati, the Fortune 500 company provides a wide range of products and services […]
As workplaces continue to bring workers back to the physical workplace in a post-COVID-19 environment, even if it’s only part time, they must ensure compliance issues are addressed. The cost of not doing so jeopardizes not only company assets but also, and more importantly, the safety of those in the workplace, including employees, contractors, and […]
The Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) requires pictograms on labels to alert users of the chemical hazards to which they may be exposed. Each pictogram consists of a symbol on a white background framed within a red border and represents a distinct hazard(s). The pictogram on the label is determined by the chemical hazard classification.
If Google Trends is any indication, spring cleaning is on just about everyone’s mind. Back on December 20, 2022, so few people were doing searches using the term “spring cleaning” that Google declared “there was not enough data [searches] to measure the term.” Jump ahead to March 6, 2023, and the number of people searching […]