The First Facility Management Blog

Plant closures will hit Doraville, GA, Oklahoma City, and Lansing, MI. This is in addition to closures that took place earlier this year in Linden, NJ, Baltimore, and at another plant in Lansing.

For the full report from Reuters, click here.

ANSWERS: The violations are given along with the regulation numbers that address them.

Workplace is a mess: 1910.22(a)(1)
Rats: 1910.141(a)(5)
LP forklift used in EE rated area (see sign): 1910.178(c)(2)(iv)
Propane tank lying on the floor: 1910.178(f)(2), 1910.110(f)(2)(i), 1910.110(f)(2)(ii)
Worker standing on the forks: 1910.178(m)(3)
Operator has dismounted the forklift without lowering the forks: 1910.178(m)(5)(iii)
Exit blocked: 1910.178(m)(14), 1910.37(a)(3)
Loose objects in the aisle: 1910.178(n)(14)
Transmission oil leak: 1910.178(p)(3), 1910.22(a)(2)
Propane leak: 1910.178(p)(4)
Headlight hanging down: 1910.178(h)(2), 1910.178(q)(1)
Extension cord on the floor: 1910.305(g)(1)(iii)(A), 1910.305(g)(2)(ii)

If you scored poorly on this quiz, you may want to revisit your knowledge of OSHA guidelines. MANCOMM and its partner company, American Safety Training, Inc., work together to develop and provide OSHA compliance safety products and training for both general industry and the construction industry. MANCOMM has produced a Forklift Video Training System and also publishes OSHA and Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations.

For TFM’s OSHA coverage, see “OSHA Compliance Made Easier” by John P. Kelly of BOMA International.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan unveiled the first working prototype of the $100 laptop Nov. 16 at the World Summit on the Information Society in Tunis, Tunisia. Annan was joined by Nicholas Negroponte, chairman and co-founder of the Media Lab at MIT, in presenting the laptop to the gathering.

The $100 laptop, first announced by Negroponte at the World Economic Forum in January 2005, is an ultra-low-cost, full-featured computer designed to enhance children’s primary and secondary education worldwide. It is a joint project of the Media Lab and the nonprofit One Laptop per Child (OLPC) association, which aims to equip the world’s school children and their teachers with a personal, portable, connected computer.

“The $100 laptop is inspiring in many respects,” says Annan. “It is an impressive technical achievement, able to do almost everything that larger, more expensive computers can do. It holds the promise of major advances in economic and social development. But perhaps most important is the true meaning of ‘one laptop per child.’ This is not just a matter of giving a laptop to each child, as if bestowing on them some magical charm. The magic lies within — within each child, within each scientist-, scholar-, or just plain citizen-in-the-making. This initiative is meant to bring it forth into the light of day.”

“Children are the greatest natural resource of any country, and educating these children is at the root of solving our largest and most complex problems,” says Negroponte. “Yet the best education may not come from sitting in a traditional classroom, but rather through independent interaction and exploration. The development of a $100 laptop will now make this possible for all kids — especially those in developing nations. It will redefine how we ‘learn learning.’”

OLPC is a Delaware-based, nonprofit organization created by faculty members from the MIT Media Lab to design, manufacture, and distribute laptops that are sufficiently inexpensive to provide every child in the world access to knowledge and modern forms of education. The laptops will be sold to governments and issued to children by schools on a basis of one laptop per child. These machines will be rugged, Linux-based, and so energy-efficient that hand-cranking alone will generate sufficient power for operation. Mesh networking will give many machines Internet access from one connection. The pricing goal is to start at approximately $100 and then steadily decrease.

The World Summit on the Information Society is the culmination of three years of planning, turning the global spotlight to developing strategies to bridge the digital divide and harness the power of information and communication technologies to spur progress towards the U.N.’s Millennium Development Goals. More than forty-five heads of state and delegations from more than 150 nations are among the 16,000 attendees.

The safety professionals at MANCOMM created this picture through extensive Photoshop retouching, so no workers or animals were actually endangered.

In the picture, how many Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) safety violations can you spot? Some of the violations are fairly obvious, but some will require a keen knowledge of OSHA regulations.

Consider yourself well-versed in OSHA matters if you can spot at least 10 violations – more are listed in the answers. Give yourself a pat on the back if you can quote the regulation number or numbers that address each violation. Answers will be posted on Monday, November 21.

MANCOMM and its partner company, American Safety Training, Inc., work together to develop and provide OSHA compliance safety products and training for both general industry and the construction industry.

For TFM’s OSHA coverage, see “OSHA Compliance Made Easier” by John P. Kelly of BOMA International.

Interesting article in USA Today.

More than half the people in a new survey about the upcoming cold and flu season say they are concerned about the possibility of a flu strain jumping from animals to humans. The results represent a big shift from a year ago, when only 1% of respondents to a similar question reported being worried about avian or bird flu. Both surveys were conducted by Opinion Research Corporation on behalf of Kimberly-Clark Professional.

Some of the other key findings in the new survey were:
• 71% of respondents believe frequent hand washing is the most effective way for people to avoid spreading cold and flu germs to others.
• 58% feel there are more important priorities in the world.
• 58% of respondents selected strategic placement of waterless hand sanitizers in public places and workplaces as the most effective way to encourage more frequent hand washing during cold and flu season.
• 51% of respondents expect to catch one or more colds this season.
• 37% of survey respondents say scientists should find a cure for the common cold because of the economic benefits that would result from reduced absenteeism at work and school.
• 12% expect to get the flu.

Workplace Worries
For working respondents, the top worry about getting the flu involved those closest to them, with a quarter saying that infecting friends and family was what bothered them most about getting the flu. Concern for the health of co-workers was minimal, with only 5% of employed respondents worried about passing germs to colleagues.

Forty-three percent of employed respondents said their primary defense against cold and flu germs in the workplace was frequent hand washing. Forty percent of employees reported bringing their own cold and flu “supplies” to work, such as facial tissue and waterless hand sanitizers. Eleven percent said they didn’t have either at work, but wished their employers would provide these products.

When employees take a sick day for the cold or flu, they appear to do just that. Sixty-three percent said when they were home sick they slept. Few workers reported giving in to other distractions such as surfing the Internet, shopping, or straightening up around the house.

When sick co-workers show up at the office, 46% of their colleagues say what they’d like to do most is send them packing. Twenty-eight percent stay as far away as possible, avoiding situations that involve close contact, such as meetings or lunches, as well as surfaces and objects touched by sick co-workers.

The Germiest Places
What is the most likely place to pick up cold and flu germs outside the home? Schools, according to 29% of respondents. This was followed by health care facilities, public rest rooms, public transportation, crowded elevators, offices or other workplace settings.

The survey also asked people to determine whether several statements were true or false. Here are the results:
• Nearly nine in 10 people said it was true that hand washing is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of germs. Correct, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and other sources.
• However, 43% thought the flu vaccine could give you the flu, which is not the case, according to the CDC.
• A third of those surveyed also thought antibiotics were a good way to treat colds and the flu. Wrong again. Colds and the flu are caused by viruses, so antibiotics don’t work to cure them.
• A quarter thought cold and flu germs could survive on surfaces for only a few minutes. Also false. Studies have shown that viruses can live two hours or longer.
• Seventy-six percent thought there was no such thing as a tissue that can kill viruses, a technology that does indeed exist.
• And the belief that a wet head in winter can give you a cold was held by 29% of people even though it also isn’t true.

The Brick Industry Association (BIA) recently announced the winners of its 2005 Brick in Architecture Awards. Each winning project demonstrated the importance of good design and the need to use environmentally friendly materials to create durable and sustainable structures.

Award winning projects include:
Project: RadioShack Riverfront Campus, Fort Worth, Texas
Architect: HKS, Inc.
The RadioShack Riverfront Campus, which replaced two high-rise buildings, was developed based on the company’s desire to be responsive to its business requirements, its employees’ needs, and, especially, the Fort Worth community. Serving as the corporate headquarters, the Riverfront Campus is at the center of the proposed Trinity River Project master plan expected to invigorate the downtown Fort Worth area.

Project: Riverfront Parking Deck, Wilmington, Delaware
Architect: Tevebaugh Associates.
The Riverfront Parking Deck was conceived as a unique design that would blend into the historic character of Wilmington’s Train Station District. The design team was charged to create a structure that a) maintained a low profile while allowing the 1.5 million Amtrak passengers per year to enjoy the river view from the train and elevated track platforms, and, b) create a visual, architectural link between the existing historic buildings—the Wilmington Station (now Amtrak), built in 1907, and the picturesque Baltimore & Ohio passenger station, built in 1888.

Institutional Category:
Project: Cornell University’s Alice H. Cook House, Ithaca, New York
Architect: Kieran Timberlake Associates LLP
The West Campus Residential Initiative (WCRI), which includes the Alice H. Cook House, was developed to provide housing for 1,250 undergraduate students in five college houses. The design team understood that architectural compatibility with the existing residential buildings was of utmost importance to the University. Since stone in the quantity and color to match the existing Collegiate Gothic residence halls was unavailable, the design team chose a specific type of brick that matched the Gothic stone in scale and pattern of the units, texture, and the ranges of value and hue.

Project: Life Sciences Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia Canada
Architect: Diamond and Schmitt Architects, Inc.
The University of British Columbia (UBC) Life Sciences Centre is a 565,000 square foot research-academic building, which complements and augments an existing medical complex on the campus. Home to the UBC Medical School, the Centre houses anatomy teaching labs, faculty offices, two large auditoria and two sky lit atria. Two of the mandates for the design team was (is this right as was or should it be were?) to ensure that the building would be sustainable and would provide the owner high performance with a long service life.

Special Feature Category:
Project: Hotel Valencia, San Antonio, Texas
Architect: 3D/International Architects
The lounge is the center of Hotel Valencia’s public spaces. Designing the lounge needed special consideration as it is aligned in between several structural columns and an emergency stair. The mandate for the design team was to utilize natural materials such as wood, concrete and brick to express a familiar material in an entirely different way.

Project: Buffer Ruled Wall, Tampa, Florida
Architect: MGA Group Architects, Inc.
The Screen/Buffer Ruled Wall was designed to create a beautiful piece of sculpture and to screen the owner’s yard from the street. Using Eladio Dieste’s building system as inspiration, which includes brick and steel reinforcing, the design team succeeded in creating a functional work of art. Brick, used for the screen, not only fulfilled the structural requirement, but also allowed the design team to emphasize the modulating waves.

A common theme among the winning projects was the need to utilize environmental-friendly materials to create durable and sustainable structures. Brickworks’ inherent durability and sustainability not only made it the leading material choice but it also enabled most of the winning projects to receive or register for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification, a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings.

Winners will receive a Brick In Architecture Awards plaque commemorating their participation in the 2005 awards program, and their work will be featured in the Brick Gallery.

Amusing and odd little news item in today’s Register.

American Society of Safety Engineers’ (ASSE) Practice Specialty Administrator Linda Tapp, ALCM, CSP, of Cherry Hill, NJ, recently pointed out how, with the workforce being more diverse than ever, it is important for facility managers to be aware and take actions to help provide a safe workplace for everyone—regardless of their age, language, body shape, or size. Tapp noted that today there are more women workers, workers with English as a second language, and older workers than ever before. The safety and health of a diverse workforce can be maintained through awareness and education about the different risks and needs of various groups, injuries, and illnesses.

A way to accommodate today’s diverse workforces is by applying good ergonomic principles. “Ergonomics is the science of improving employee performance and well being in relation to job tasks, equipment, and the environment,” Tapp says. “Ergonomics is a continuous improvement effort to design the workplace for what people do well and to design against what people don’t do well. The goal of workplace ergonomics is to minimize the effects of workplace stressors and adapt jobs to meet worker needs.

“Equipment should be designed to optimize human efficiency and reduce musculoskeletal strain,” Tapp continues. “By applying good ergonomic principles, employers can reduce injury rates, contain worker’s compensation costs, increase productivity, and improve product quality.”

As for the diverse workforce, Tapp provides tips on how to increase on-the-job safety for the young, the old, for those with language differences, for the larger workforce, and for pregnant workers. She notes that young workers are usually very eager to learn and to try new things, but their lack of experience can lead to injuries that could stay with them for a lifetime.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), every year approximately 100,000 teens aged 15 to 17 visit emergency rooms for work-related injuries. This means that approximately 42% of 16 and 17-year-old teens are in the labor force at any one time. Additionally, 80% of teens are employed at some time before they leave school.

“To decrease the chances of teen workers getting injured on the job, there are several things employers can do. First, interactions with supervisors can be increased so the supervisor can observe the teen working and then make corrections when work is not done safely,” Tapp says. “Instructions should be “hands-on” and procedures should be repeated. The more often and the more ways the employee hears something, the better. There should be a greater use of written procedures and checklists.”

As Americans get older, so does the workforce. In 2004, the number of workers aged 55 and older was 15.6% or about 23 million workers. However, statistics show that injury rates are higher for younger workers than older workers.

“Research studies have shown that as people get older they lose some of their strength and cardiovascular capacity, yet they do not experience a greater number of musculoskeletal disorders,” Tapp says. “But, if the older worker gets hurt, medical costs can be higher due to other factors. Fortunately, many of the changes related to aging can be prevented or delayed. Much of what we once thought normal for an aging person is now being disputed.”

As for language differences in the workplace, in 2000 and 2001, while overall workplace fatalities were falling, deaths among Hispanic workers were rising - by 12% in 2000 and 10% in 2001, mostly in the service and agricultural industries. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) data shows that about 25% of the fatalities they investigate are in some way related to language or cultural barriers.

Another problem area is illiteracy. There are many native born and immigrant workers who cannot read English or their native language. So, simply translating safety training materials and safety signs into other languages doesn’t always work, Tapp says.

As for larger workers, Tapp notes that 65% of Americans are overweight or obese. “Obesity can have serious effects for companies such as greater insurance costs due to associated conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, which can also lead to degenerative diseases of the hips, knees, and spine,” Tapp says. “Obesity can also have an effect on workplace safety. Personal protective equipment (PPE) to fit larger workers may not be available and in turn, they may not wear it properly or at all. Some equipment, like fall protection and ladders, may have weight limits.”

There are about one million working pregnant women at any one time. Pregnancy changes balance, reach distance, and lifting. “Additionally, hormonal changes that occur with pregnancy effect ligaments and joints which can cause postural problems, backache, and impairment of dexterity, agility, coordination, and balance,” Tapp notes. “For pregnant women, employers can assign less physical tasks, restrict lifting, adjust work and breaks, and vary the employee’s tasks if possible.”

By implementing good workplace design principles and programs to help older workers, younger workers, overweight workers, non-English speakers, and women workers, we are not only making the workplace safer for these diverse populations but for all employees as well, Tapp says.

Turner Construction Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Turner Corporation, has announced the findings of its survey of 665 building owners, developers, architects, engineers, corporate owner-occupants, consultants, and educational institutions on green building issues. Similar to the survey conducted in 2004, the 2005 Market Barometer again took a snapshot of the views of senior executives on the benefits and costs of green buildings. However, this year’s survey placed a special focus on green educational facilities – both K-12 and higher educational facilities.

The self-administered survey was conducted over the Internet by Bayer Consulting from August 12-26, 2005. For the purposes of the survey, green buildings were defined as buildings which use design and construction practices to reduce or eliminate negative effects on the environment and building occupants.

Greater Benefits for K-12 and Higher Education Students and Faculty
More K–12 school districts and higher educational institutions are recognizing that green facilities provide a more effective learning environment. The interest in green educational facilities is part of a broader recognition of the critical importance of the physical environment to the health and performance of students and teachers. Large percentages of executives at organizations involved with green K–12 facilities rated them more highly than traditional facilities on a range of benefits:
• Ability to attract and retain teachers (74%)
• Reduced student absenteeism (72%)
• Improved student performance (71%)

Improved student performance was cited as an important benefit of green construction, especially for K–12 facilities. Among executives involved with green K–12 facilities, 71% said that student performance was better than in typical K–12 facilities, including 24% saying that it was much better. These ratings are consistent with a number of studies that have found improved student test scores and other outcomes in facilities that incorporate green features.

Additionally, the ability to attract a strong teacher base is looked at as a benefit directly related to green building. Seventy-four percent of executives involved with Green K–12 facilities said that they made it easier to attract and retain teachers.

Executives were asked which green features of K–12 facilities were most important to providing benefits to students and teachers. Forty-nine percent of executives involved with K-12 facilities cited improved indoor air quality as the most important factor to their improved health and well-being, while 37% named increased natural lighting.

Executives reported that green higher educational facilities performed much better than traditional facilities on a range of potential benefits. Most of the executives at organizations involved with green college and university facilities also reported that the facilities generated more benefits relevant to higher education:
• Ability to attract and retain faculty (71%)
• Ability to attract students (70%)
• Student performance (59%)
• Ability to secure research funding (59%)

Educational Institutions Misperceive Total Cost
Executives remain concerned about the higher construction costs of green schools, often due to inaccurate estimates of the costs required to incorporate green features. The survey revealed that most educational institutions either don’t consider total long-term costs at all or else are much more heavily focused on initial construction costs. Only half the executives involved with K-12 facilities said that school districts typically considered total costs over the lifecycle of a new construction project. Similarly, 73% of executives involved with higher education facilities said they typically consider long-term costs. Even when these costs are considered, school districts and higher educational institutions usually give them less weight than they give to initial costs.

Cost of K-12 and Higher Education Institutions Less Than Many Anticipate
Most executives believed that green educational facilities have lower total long-term costs since they benefit from significantly reduced energy and other operating expenses. Seventy-three percent of executives who had been involved with green K–12 facilities expected their total costs over 20 years to be lower than for traditional facilities. Among executives who said that K–12 school districts typically considered total lifecycle costs, only 7% said that more emphasis was placed on total costs; 51% said that more emphasis was still placed on initial costs.

Similar to the results revealed by the K-12 executives, 80% percent of the executives involved with green higher educational facilities also said that their total 20 year costs would be lower. Even executives who had not been involved with green educational facilities agreed; 65% said that 20 year costs would be lower for green facilities for colleges and universities.

Despite the fact that almost three-quarters of executives said that colleges and universities typically considered total lifecycle costs when constructing new facilities, only 5% of these executives said that total lifecycle costs were seen as most important, while 57% said the greatest emphasis was still placed on initial costs.

“The overall message of these findings is that far more education and information are still required about the experience with green construction. Although most executives believed that green facilities generate a host of benefits to their occupants and also are less expensive over time, executives appeared to lack confidence that they can achieve these outcomes. Many executives don’t yet recognize the proven track record that exists for sustainable construction and the growing acceptance of green construction standards provided by the LEED Green building standards,” explains Rod Wille, senior vice president, sustainable construction, Turner Construction.

Promoting Green Policy
When asked to rate the importance of groups in making the decision to build a green facility, executives said that the superintendent and the board of education were the most important groups for K–12 facilities. While many executives did not think parents and local residents had a major influence on the decision to build green K–12 facilities, 75% believed these groups should have a voice in whether environmental impacts were considered when a school district was designing or constructing a new facility. Fifty-nine percent of executives who worked directly for K-12 school districts said that their school district had a policy encouraging green school construction.

With college and university facilities, the board of directors and the administration were seen as the most important groups influencing the decision to build green. Executives were much less positive about students playing a similar role. In fact, when determining the decision to build green higher education facilities, only 34% of executives stated that current and prospective students only influenced their decision.Sixty-six percent of college and university executives said that their institution had a green construction policy.

Greening Schools into the Future
Overall, the findings of the 2005 survey concluded that there is an emerging trend of green building in education. The survey again found that green activity was increasing and that executives had extremely positive views of the benefits of green construction—both on the health and productivity of school and building occupants and also on reducing long-term costs through achieving lower operating costs. However, concerns still remained over the perceived higher construction costs of building green.

Providing accurate information to school administrators, educational planners, and decision makers is essential to encourage more people—both in the private sector and the public sector—to reap the substantial benefits that green schools provide in improved student performance, increased worker productivity, and lower ongoing operating costs. With institutions working to raise educational standards in a time of budget constraints, the potential of Green facilities to boost student performance while saving money should be irresistible.