Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
Amid growing concern about Legionnaires’ disease, especially with recent outbreaks in New York City and parts of Ohio, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) is offering guidance to help mitigate risks and support building safety. Legionnaires’ disease, a serious form of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria, is most commonly associated with water systems […]
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) announced that it has launched a formal investigation into the fatal explosion and fire at the Horizon Biofuels facility in Fremont, Neb., that occurred on July 29. The blast fatally injured three people—a father and his two young daughters—who were in the facility at the time […]
There is no such thing as perfect, airtight security. This is a hard truth that facilities managers have to accept. Any security setup is going to have gaps somewhere. Our job is to minimize those gaps to reduce the odds of a malicious actor slipping through and help keep the facility safe amidst a rising […]
The Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS) has released the seventh edition of its Safety and Security Guidelines for K-12 Schools, which offer comprehensive information on practices for securing school facilities from subject matter experts across the education, public safety, and industry sectors. The new release—including updates to the Safety and Security Guidelines and the School Safety and […]
In the rapidly evolving urban landscape, parking buildings are vital components of a wide variety of facilities, and—as their functional importance grows—so does the complexity of designing and building them, especially in earthquake-prone regions. Updates to seismic codes significantly affect how structures are designed, budgeted, and constructed. These regulations, implemented to improve public safety, reshape […]
Is it time for your healthcare facilities to invest in more security measures—or risk losing essential workers? Nearly two in five healthcare workers in the U.S. say they have considered leaving their positions due to safety concerns, with almost half (45%) likely to leave their job in the next 12 months, according to new research […]
Industrial personal protective equipment (PPE) has undergone a remarkable evolution in recent decades, transitioning from basic protective gear to sophisticated, essential equipment that does more than just sit on one’s head. Helmets, safety harnesses, and clothing have evolved into interconnected systems capable of real-time monitoring, data collection, and predictive analytics. Today’s PPE landscape is transforming […]
Back to Basics is an article series that highlights important but possibly overlooked information facilities management professionals should know. Landscaping plays a major role in ensuring facilities look inviting and well maintained from the outside. However, landscapers are exposed to all kinds of different hazards on a daily basis, ranging from heat and weather hazards, chemical […]
As the Atlantic hurricane season intensifies, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) is urging petroleum and chemical facilities to prepare now to help prevent catastrophic chemical releases during the season and to ensure the safety of workers, emergency responders, and surrounding communities. In May, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicted […]
The manufacturing industry has long been characterized by its assembly line-style factory layout design. Improving the safety of factory workers has been a focus in recent years, which led to a shift in factory layout design. By rethinking the layout, it is possible to create a safer working environment for employees, reduce the risk of […]