Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
For a large corporation, a safe and hygienic workplace is essential. In the United States, the standards of industrial cleaning are set out by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). These guidelines are strict to protect the safety of workers, so the process of industrial cleaning will often make use of harsh and potentially […]
In honor of Pride Month this June, it’s important for the facilities management industry to recognize and celebrate members of the LGBTQ+ community. As a gay male in FM, Jose Rosas Roque offered to share his story and provide insights on equality, pride, and general industry issues. The young professional urged the industry to embrace […]
An international survey of cleaners, commissioned by UNI Global Union, uncovers the significant challenges faced by cleaning professionals who work irregular and unsocial shifts. The survey, which received responses from over 2,500 cleaners in 32 countries across 6 continents, highlights the “detrimental effects” of nighttime on the health, well-being, and social inclusion of workers. The […]
With two years of experience in facilities management, Carla Gonzalez is relatively new to the industry. But she is already a strong leader, loves her job, and plays a major role in sustainability. Gonzalez is an operations manager at ESFM, the corporate integrated facilities management division of Compass Group USA. The company provides FM services […]
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 […]
When facilities managers think of protecting floors from rain, snow, ice, salt, soil, and other contaminants during the winter, they typically think of protecting their hard surface floors. However, carpeted floors—known as soft surface floors—can also take a beating during the winter months. And because so many of us spend more time indoors during the […]
As facilities managers and associates head into a new year, many are working to set goals that will cut costs, boost sustainability, and more. And learning how to meet those goals while maintaining a safe, hygienic workplace where building occupants can thrive might just be priority No. 1. One of the most efficient ways to […]
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced 26 Safer Choice Partner of the Year award winners across 14 states and the District of Columbia, recognizing their achievements in the design, manufacture, selection, and use of products with safer chemicals. The Safer Choice program helps consumers and purchasers for facilities, such as schools and office […]
Several years ago, a restaurant worker died while performing one of his regular tasks—cleaning a restaurant’s kitchen floor. To clean the floor more effectively and efficiently, he decided to combine two incompatible cleaning agents: concentrated chlorine bleach and an acid-based cleaning solution. An example of an acid-based cleaning solution is ammonia; however, reports of the […]
Have you heard of the term “indiscriminate disinfecting?” What about the term “hygiene theater” or “Safety First”? These are all terms that have evolved since the beginning of the pandemic. Because the pandemic has likely changed professional cleaning forever, these are terms that facility managers (FMs) who work with and hire cleaning professionals need to […]