Tag: facility safety

The Safety Blind Spot: Where Workplace Protection Plans Are Failing in Critical Moments

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 […]

A Closer Look at OSHA’s New Heat Hazards NEP

Summer is approaching, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has renewed its Outdoor and Indoor Heat-Related Hazards National Emphasis Program (NEP) of outreach and enforcement. The new NEP replaces and updates a 2022 directive aimed at protecting workers from outdoor and indoor heat-related hazards, directing agency resources to where they can have the greatest impact […]

TV Show ‘The Pitt’ Highlights Real-Life Rise of Workplace Violence in Healthcare

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, […]

Working Outside? Protect Yourself from Ticks!

Facilities management often includes landscaping and other outdoor maintenance. If you’ll be working outside this season, beware: Ticks are making their return fast and furiously. During Tick Awareness Week (May 3-9), the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) is warning about the potential health threats ticks pose and the best ways to keep these parasitic pests away […]

Back to Basics: Contractor and Temporary Worker Safety

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 […]

The Evolution of Security Operations in High-Risk, High-Visibility Environments

If you’ve ever worked security at a stadium or festival, you know how those large-scale venues bring people together. The bad news, however, is that they also bring complex risks. The crowds are larger, so threats can appear faster. Our standby techniques, like gates and guards, can no longer get the job done on their […]

OSHA Renews Heat Hazard Emphasis Program

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) renewed the agency’s Outdoor and Indoor Heat-Related Hazards National Emphasis Program (NEP) on April 10. OSHA updated its 2022 NEP to protect workers from outdoor and indoor heat-related hazards, directing agency resources to where they can have the greatest impact by focusing inspections and outreach on industries and workplaces where […]

Beyond Compliance: How Skilled Electrical Contractors Meet NFPA 70B and Evolving Safety Standards

Nearly every modern facility relies on electrical systems, whether it’s a data center, manufacturing plant, school, hospital, or public infrastructure. In all cases, reliability, safety, and uptime are critical. That’s why NFPA 70B, which moved from a recommended practice to a mandatory standard in 2023, has become a focal point for facilities managers across industries. […]

Beyond Facility Surveillance: The Rise of the AI ‘Video Supervisor’

For decades, video surveillance in facilities management has been a passive, “looking back” technology. We used it to investigate what had already happened—a slip-and-fall, a security breach, or a workflow bottleneck. But just as large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT redefined our interaction with text, a new generation of video language models (VLMs) is fundamentally […]

Common Overhead Door Failures That Create Safety and Compliance Risks 

Industrial facilities management isn’t just about keeping the lights on; it’s about ensuring the heavy machinery overhead doesn’t become a hindrance to safety or compliance. In high-traffic warehouses and logistics hubs, commercial doors serve as the primary gateways for revenue, yet they remain one of the most overlooked mechanical assets on the balance sheet. When these massive steel barriers fail, the impact goes beyond repair costs. Breakdowns can lead to […]