Tag: healthy buildings

National Survey Gauges Employee Concerns About Workplace Air Quality

In observance of the International Day of Clean Air on Sept. 7, Fellowes Brands announced results from a recent national survey that found only 36% of respondents describe the indoor air quality (IAQ) at their workplace as very clean. The survey of 1,120 American workers who work on-site and indoors for their employer also revealed that 91% of respondents agree clean […]

back to school

Back-to-School Resources to Combat COVID, Keep Classrooms Open

As a new academic year begins, the Biden administration has issued a back-to-school fact sheet highlighting guidance and resources available to help protect students and staff from COVID-⁠19 spread and keep schools safely open all year long. The fact sheet calls for vaccination, testing, and improved indoor air quality. It also notes actions the administration […]

Facility and HR Professionals Share New Psychology of Clean for Workplace Experience

More than two years since the COVID-19 pandemic made Zoom calls a reality and daily commutes infrequent, employers are still juggling their return-to-work options among fully remote, fully in-person, hybrid, flex space, and shared space approaches. And now, it’s a dual effort on the part of both HR managers and facility managers to retain current […]

COVID-19 Task Force Recommends Air Quality Upgrades

A nongovernmental task force recently recommended that building owners begin taking four steps to address SARS-CoV-2 infection risks in schools and workplaces: verifying building systems are performing as designed, increasing outdoor air ventilation, upgrading air filtration, and deploying portable air cleaners where needed. The Lancet COVID-19 Commission’s Task Force on Safe Work, Safe School, and […]

How Hard Facility Management Services Differ From Soft Ones

Facility management is not for the weak-willed—it is a tough job that demands a professional that is all things to all people: builder, fixer, tinkerer, mover, problem-solver, even confidante. The facility manager must navigate a schedule that serves up curveballs on an hourly basis and which is expected to run like clockwork. Part of what […]

Want Workers to Return to the Office? Try Making It Greener

Amid a heightened war for talent among companies post-pandemic, U.S. employees have higher expectations for green office spaces and want their employers to make eco-friendly practices a priority, according to new research. Hygiene and health company Essity recently conducted a survey of workers who have returned to the office at least part-time and found that […]

Digitizing Indoor Air Quality for Proactive Maintenance and Health

Buildings are more complex machines than most people realize. Understanding how to read a Building Management System (BMS) to troubleshoot maintenance issues is in itself complicated and often difficult. Most tenants don’t know how to effectively read their energy or water utility data, nor do many have interest in these items unless they are the […]

Industry Groups Join Forces to Launch Healthy Workplaces Coalition

The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) and ISSA–The Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association announced the launch of the Healthy Workplaces Coalition, a new coalition of more than 40 national organizations, industry leaders, and trade associations collaborating to support and advance federal policy aimed at helping businesses and organizations better afford and implement health and safety improvements […]

The Most Important Functions of Facility Management

In any building, the foremost objective of facility management is to provide a conducive environment that enables building users to gain the maximum benefits from being in that space. Achieving this objective requires a skillful administration of certain functions to optimize the four major areas of facility management—people, place, process, and technology. Facility management that […]

The Top Interior Design Trends of 2022

The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) has released its 2022 Trends Report, part one of the three-part Outlook Report revealing significant industry trends and implications, economic indicators, and shifts in the interior design profession. Compiled by the ASID’s research and knowledge team, the report finds that health and wellness continue to dominate both residential and […]