Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
Editor’s note: FM Perspectives are industry op-eds. The views expressed are the authors’ and do not necessarily reflect those of Facilities Management Advisor. With the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) expected to stay on the rulemaking sidelines over the next few years, states are moving in different directions regarding workplace safety. Some are tightening their […]
As we recently closed out Building Safety Month in May, it served as a great reminder for facilities managers to evaluate their passive fire protection systems. While active systems like sprinklers and alarms often get the spotlight, passive defenses—specifically fire door assemblies—are equally important for compartmentalizing smoke and flames to save lives. Over the past […]
Walk onto any industrial facility floor, and you’ll likely spot layers of personal protective equipment (PPE) safeguarding workers: hard hats for maintenance crews, safety glasses in mechanical rooms, hearing protection in high-noise environments, flame-resistant clothing in hot work zones, and self-retracting lifelines and harnesses at elevated sites. The equipment is visible, essential, and mandated by […]
Large commercial building projects, such as data centers, warehouses, distribution centers, and office parks, can be among the most complex and hazardous worksites. The leading safety hazards in construction are well known. The industry’s “fatal four” safety hazards are caught-in or -between hazards, electrocution, falls, and struck-by hazards. (The Occupational Safety and Health Administration [OSHA] […]
Your organization operates in a world where threats come from multiple angles and the damage from any kind of physical or cyber breach can be significant and long-lasting. Every facility visit, every meeting, and every interaction, physical or virtual, carries its own unique security and compliance implications and risk. Because of that, your organization cannot […]
A new report from Avetta offers insights into how organizations are improving safety outcomes across increasingly complex global operations. Chiefly, it shows that while foundational supply chain risk management capabilities and improved visibility both contribute to fewer serious health and safety incidents, the most significant improvements—up to 97% lower workplace fatality rates—occur when these capabilities […]
Workplace safety programs have never been more sophisticated, yet when something actually goes wrong, many still fall short. Organizations have invested heavily in prevention, from training protocols to compliance systems. But when an incident actually happens, many are still unprepared for the most critical moment: the response. There’s a growing disconnect between the protections employers […]
As the latest season of “The Pitt” wrapped, viewers watched a familiar pattern unfold: healthcare workers navigating not only high-stakes care, but sudden, escalating workplace violence. Nurse Emma Nolan is first grabbed during a tense interaction, then later attacked in a confined patient room with no ability to call for help. In a separate incident, […]
Industrial facilities depend on effective thermal management to keep people safe, equipment running reliably, and energy use under control. For decades, jacketed insulation systems have been the default solution for managing surface temperatures on hot and cold process equipment—particularly in food and beverage environments where consistency, sanitation, and employee safety are closely linked. But as […]
Back to Basics is an article series that highlights important, but possibly overlooked, information facilities management professionals should know. Many workplaces are staffed by workers with different employers—a host company, contractors, and staffing agencies. If you own or operate a facility, you have complete responsibility for the health and safety of your own employees and a […]