Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
Contact with electricity or exposure to it remains one of the leading causes of workplace fatalities and injuries in the United States, according to an analysis recently released by the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI). ESFI gathered data on fatal and non-fatal occupational electrical injuries from the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and Occupational Safety […]
An incident unfolds in a parking garage. Someone is assaulted. A medical emergency occurs. The immediate response is to call 911, yet the call will not connect. This scenario is not hypothetical. Facilities managers and technology leaders regularly report persistent signal gaps in below-grade structures. One client described it as a recurring concern: not whether […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced on March 16 the launch of its “Safety Champions” Program, a new cooperative initiative designed to assist employers in developing and implementing effective safety and health programs. The Safety Champions Program encourages employers to take proactive steps, guided by a philosophy of continuous improvement, to prevent workplace […]
Repeated safety incidents are driving the healthcare worker burnout epidemic and threatening patient care across America. That’s according to a new report from Canopy, a safety platform provider that surveyed over 1,000 healthcare leaders and staff nationwide. The report found that more than one in four healthcare workers face safety incidents daily or weekly—a crisis […]
U.S. Steel Corp. faces $118,214 in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fines for seven serious violations and one other-than-serious violation related to an explosion at its Clairton Coke Works plant last August, the agency announced Feb. 18. OSHA investigators concluded that U.S. Steel and MPW Industrial Services Inc., the cleaning services contractor, exposed workers […]
Have you ever strained to understand an announcement in an airport or missed critical instructions over a facility’s intercom? These moments of audio confusion are more than minor frustrations. In environments where safety, efficiency, and coordination are vital, the clarity of sound systems is a direct contributor to operational performance. The requirement for precise, intelligible […]
Workplace violence is often viewed as an HR, legal, or security issue. But long before a concern reaches those departments, the earliest signs frequently appear in the spaces facilities managers oversee every day. Because they move throughout the building, interact with staff and contractors, and understand the normal rhythms of a workplace, facilities teams are […]
On February 4, the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) released a new safety video on its investigation into the fatal combustible dust explosions and fires at the Didion Milling facility in Cambria, Wisconsin, on May 31, 2017. Five of the 19 employees working on the night of the incident were killed. The other 14 were […]
California has reported the country’s first positive hantavirus rodent detection of 2026, a stark reminder that this relatively rare but deadly disease remains an active threat. The disease gained renewed attention last year following the tragic death of Betsy Arakawa, wife of legendary actor Gene Hackman, from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). “Rodent-borne diseases didn’t disappear after last year’s tragedy,” said […]
Back to Basics is an article series that highlights important, but possibly overlooked, information facilities management professionals should know. Are you and your employees prepared for cold winter temperatures and extreme weather hazards? Even if your facility or worksites are outside the country’s “snow belt,” you need to be mindful of cold-weather hazards. Workers unaccustomed to […]