Facilities Management articles for the week of 12/10/2023 - 12/16/2023

Unoccupied Buildings at High Risk for Legionella

n the facilities industry, one of the most important emerging stories involves RAAC – Reinforced Autoclaved Aeriated Concrete.

Read This » How to Handle a Workplace Accident

n the facilities management industry, workplace accidents, such as falls, chemical exposure, overexertion and electrocution, are all too common.  Employee safety is a top priority for employers, and safety measures are required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which is why many employers have a plan in place, if or when, an accident occurs.  Julie Sobelman, a senior environmental health and safety (EHS) consultant, says there are four broad issues when a workplace accident occurs.  First, the immediate needs of the injured, their families and potentially traumatized coworkers must be dealt with.

Read This » Navigating the Hurdles of Outsourcing

he myriad staffing challenges that maintenance and engineering managers have faced for years are just one reason that outsourcing remains a viable option in many facilities.

Read This » The Importance of Exit Interviews

urnover is inevitable in every industry, and when employees leave, it’s important to conduct exit interviews to learn how to retain employees, improve engagement and drive productivity.  In the facilities management industry, surveys show that 59 percent of facility managers said they conducted exit interviews, but only 41 percent acted upon the feedback they received and made changes based on the information.

Read This » Building Electrification Gains Momentum with Heat Pump Adoption

n the electrification push, heat pumps have emerged as “the enabling technology of widespread building electrification,” according to GreenTech Media as quoted in the Greenbuild whitepaper.   “Heat pumps use both refrigerant and electricity to transfer heat from the outdoor air (air-source heat pumps) or the ground (geothermal heat pumps) to the inside of a building, even in colder climates, and provide both heating and cooling functions,” the whitepaper reads.  More popular in the European market, heat pumps are gaining in popularity in the United States, but the pace of installation still lags.

Read This » 6 Steps for Cybersecurity Competence

hile it is important that facility managers understand the basics of their technology systems, they don’t need to be experts in IT or cybersecurity.

Read This » Navigating the Hurdles of Electric Vehicle Fleet Conversion

s government entities and institutional and commercial facilities strive to achieve decarbonization goals, one of the more significant pieces to the puzzle is the electrification of vehicle fleets. The vehicles comprising the fleets can be all kinds – from standard cars and trucks to garbage trucks and mobile elevated work platforms and utility vehicles.

Read This » DEI Efforts Continue to Attract Gen Z Workers

ithin the next five years, younger Millennials and Gen Z are poised to take over a majority of the workforce as baby boomers reach retirement age.  There continues to be a generational divide in the workforce, though.

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