FMLink In addition to the overall devastating loss of life and property, Hurricane Harvey struck a significant blow to the Houston area, home to the sixth largest import terminal in the world, as well as all the shipping lanes in the Gulf Coast area. Given the strong economic linkages between the Gulf Coast and the [...]

The Commercial Appeal A Kentucky woman who was among nine people sickened by Legionnaires’ disease after staying at a Graceland-area hotel later died as a result of the ailment, an autopsy report confirmed. Linda Gail Godsey, 62, a resident of Breathitt County, died on June 21, just days after she and three family members returned [...]

New Scientist A combination of rusty water and stainless steel taps, or faucets, can put people at risk of life-threatening legionnaires’ disease. It’s already known that rust particles in a water system, which can come from iron pipes, encourage the growth of Legionella bacteria. These bacteria cause legionnaires’ disease, which can involve headaches, muscle pain, [...]

IFMA’s FMJ Magazine Workplace violence is an all-too-common factor in modern society. Consequently, facility managers face an array of challenges to maximize safety and security of personnel. A recently formulated concept, Preparedness Without Paranoia, recognizes telltale signs of an evolving threat and empowers people to take effective action on their own.  READ MORE

Facility Executive Consistency in the hotel business is key. Hotels operate and build large brands off of the idea that they can be consistent in every aspect when delivering a guest experience. One way that hotels express this consistency is through the policies and procedures they utilize for maintaining guest security. Most hotels have their [...]

IFMA’s FMJ Magazine An emerging theme within the security industry, but less familiar in the facilities industry, is the value stream of security. Securing assets and protecting the people and processes of an organization is a critical business function that has come to be called enterprise security risk management. The most important word in the [...]

Buildings Out-of-the-way locations, extreme weather and short schedules impose difficult restrictions on roofing projects. FMs who are preparing for a re-cover or re-roofing installation may find their choices limited to certain materials or specifications that can stand up to their building’s unique challenges. Take a cue from these seven roofing projects, each of which required [...]

Facility Executive Facility management executives can realize dramatic reductions in energy consumption and operating costs by installing high performance equipment. But without proper maintenance and monitoring programs, those cost and consumption reductions could eventually fade away. Inevitably, the performance of high efficiency equipment will begin to decline due to environmental factors as well as normal [...]

Sourceable Following the Grenfell Tower tragedy in London and the 2014 Lacrosse apartment blaze in Melbourne, Australia, fire safety within multistorey buildings has been the subject of considerable public attention. For facility managers, this raises questions about the types of issues which can be overlooked and strategies they should adopt to ensure that risks within [...]

Press Release ATLANTA (August 08, 2017) – A new study from pest control leader Orkin finds that eight of 10 hotels have dealt with bed bugs in the past year, and 40 percent have treated for bed bugs in the past month. In addition to revealing that bed bugs are not a rare occurrence in hotels, [...]

Facility Executive The U.S. Department of Energy has selected Seventhwave and its partners to study and discover the energy and cost savings associated with integrated controls. With offices in Madison, Wisconsin, and Chicago, Seventhwave is a nonprofit firm providing energy efficiency engineering, education, research and program delivery.  READ MORE

FMLink Early detection of fire and smoke is understood to be essential to save lives, property and the environment. Modern technology such as video fire detectors, especially in high-risk places such as tunnels, manufacturing, public buildings or storage areas, enable a fast response to a potential fire. A new International Organization for Standardization technical specification [...]

Facilitiesnet Fire alarm testing and inspections have become big business. Fire alarms are a highly regulated and closely watched part of our everyday lives. The National Fire Protection Association, International Building Code and other code-writing bodies have long included the mandatory annual testing of fire alarm systems as a means of good and proper life [...]

Idaho Business Review    The hotel rooms at a new dual-branded Marriott Hotel near Los Angeles, which is scheduled to open 2018, will be framed, drywalled, carpet, and furnished 840 miles away in Bose, Idaho. The structure will be a modular hotel, made of blocks that were created over the course of six months on the [...]

IFMA’s FMJ Magazine Predicting the future of any industry is practically impossible; however, certain energy management trends within commercial buildings have the potential to shape the future of energy management and influence the role of the facility manager. Here are four worth watching.  READ MORE

The Associated Press via U.S. News & World Report  Health officials say five people have been diagnosed with Legionnaire’s disease in connection with an outbreak at the hotel at Graceland. The Shelby County Health Department said last week four people were diagnosed with the illness after staying at The Guest House at Graceland, located on [...]

Lodging Engineer Online trip advisory reviews have ushered in a harsh new business environment for hotels, motels and inns that live or die less night? . If a guest had a lousy night’s sleep due to exterior noise from traffic, railroads or activity at the swimming pool, do not be surprised if the manager is the last to know. Viral grousing has [...]

BUILDINGS After the unprecedented electoral victory of Donald Trump, the political climate in the U.S. has been in a state of flux. As the president fills in cabinet and department positions, enacts his agenda and navigates the tumultuous waters of the current political climate, the commercial building industry awaits Washington’s concrete actions and their wide-ranging [...]

FacilitiesNet One of the fastest elevators in the world carries passengers up to the 124th floor observation deck at the Burj Khalifa in Dubai in about one minute. Unbeknownst to most who tour the world’s tallest building, there’s a separate “fireman’s elevator” — the longest-traveling service elevator in existence and just one of the fire [...]

Hospitality Net The past several decades have seen an increased focus on the importance of sustainability and green practices by hoteliers worldwide. Today, sustainability has permeated nearly every aspect of the hospitality industry and has become a business imperative. Having said that, going green doesn’t mean giving up on luxury amenities.  READ MORE