Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
We recently examined uncommon workplace injuries, referred to as “serious injuries and fatalities” (SIFs). Professional safety groups like the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) and the National Safety Council (NSC) have researched SIFs for years and offer employers resources to prevent SIFs. But what about common workplace injuries like musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and slips, […]
Walk through almost any facility and you’ll see hard hats, safety glasses, first aid kits, and other personal protective equipment (PPE) in use every day. The gear is there, employees are trained, and everything appears to comply. But here’s the question many employers never ask: Is compliance enough? What some facilities managers don’t realize is […]
Editor’s note: FM Perspectives are industry op-eds. The views expressed are the authors’ and do not necessarily reflect those of Facilities Management Advisor. With the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) expected to stay on the rulemaking sidelines over the next few years, states are moving in different directions regarding workplace safety. Some are tightening their […]
A building’s public safety communication system passes inspection. The certificate of occupancy stays intact, the fire marshal signs off, and the facilities team moves on. Twelve months later, the same system fails recertification. Nothing was touched. Nothing was changed. And yet, somewhere between last year’s pass and this year’s test, the building quietly lost coverage. […]
Editor’s note: Originally published in 2024, this article is being reposted in honor of the upcoming holiday. In facilities management, workplace safety is key. But, hey, you aren’t always working—at least hopefully not! If you’re one of the millions of Americans set to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday, you should make sure to prioritize […]
Healthcare organizations have long operated under the assumption that safety is primarily a compliance requirement; something to document, monitor, and improve incrementally. However, it has become undeniable that safety has evolved into an essential constraint for maintaining workforce stability, operational continuity, and business performance. As care demand intensifies and workforce shortages persist, safety is becoming […]
Organizations operating across multiple buildings like schools, hospitals, military bases, or hotel properties face a simple reality: Fragmented communication creates risk. In an emergency, delays, confusion, or missed alerts can escalate situations quickly. End-to-end safety communication systems are emerging as a critical approach to reduce that risk, enabling organizations to prevent, respond to, and recover […]
Walk onto any industrial facility floor, and you’ll likely spot layers of personal protective equipment (PPE) safeguarding workers: hard hats for maintenance crews, safety glasses in mechanical rooms, hearing protection in high-noise environments, flame-resistant clothing in hot work zones, and self-retracting lifelines and harnesses at elevated sites. The equipment is visible, essential, and mandated by […]
Large commercial building projects, such as data centers, warehouses, distribution centers, and office parks, can be among the most complex and hazardous worksites. The leading safety hazards in construction are well known. The industry’s “fatal four” safety hazards are caught-in or -between hazards, electrocution, falls, and struck-by hazards. (The Occupational Safety and Health Administration [OSHA] […]
Your organization operates in a world where threats come from multiple angles and the damage from any kind of physical or cyber breach can be significant and long-lasting. Every facility visit, every meeting, and every interaction, physical or virtual, carries its own unique security and compliance implications and risk. Because of that, your organization cannot […]