The First Facility Management Blog

Two manufacturing companies, in separate settlements, have agreed to pay civil penalties and take corrective measures to settle Clean Air Act violations resulting from explosions at two plants in 2002 and 2003 in Louisville, KY, and Pascagoula, MS, the Justice Department and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced in August (8/20/09).

D.D. Williamson and Co. and First Chemical Corp. have agreed in separate settlements to pay a combined total of $1,331,000 in civil penalties and to implement corrective measures to settle Clean Air Act claims resulting from a 2003 explosion at D.D. Williamson’s Kentucky plant and a 2002 explosion at First Chemical’s Mississippi plant (pictured above, left).

“T[hese] settlements are a forceful reminder to the regulated community that the failure to adhere to the Clean Air Act’s general duty obligations can lead to serious, even deadly, accidents and harm to the environment,” said John C. Cruden, acting assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s Environmental and Natural Resources Division. “These settlements also demonstrate the Justice Department’s continuing efforts to ensure the public safety, and protection of the environment, by holding industry to the duty to maintain safe facilities.”

“This case demonstrates that a failure to fulfill obligations under the law can have serious consequences,” said Stan Meiburg, EPA Acting Regional Administrator in Atlanta. “EPA will aggressively continue to pursue those who fail to comply with the laws that protect our environment, and we will hold them accountable.”

The complaints filed against both companies allege that they failed to adhere to the Clean Air Act’s general duty of care provision. The general duty of care requirement obligates companies handling extremely hazardous substances to take steps to identify and reduce the risks associated with the use of these chemicals, including providing layers of protection on their equipment, such as pressure relief valves, automatic shut-off valves, or temperature alarms; ensuring the mechanical integrity of their equipment and piping; and properly training employees to monitor and address emergencies.

D.D. Williamson
The complaint filed against D.D. Williamson, a caramel coloring manufacturer, alleges the company failed to comply with the Clean Air Act and its regulations. The 2003 incident at the plant resulted in the death of one employee and the release of an ammonia cloud in a nearby residential neighborhood. Specifically, the complaint alleges that D.D. Williamson failed to comply with the general duty of care imposed on users of extremely hazardous substances and also failed to comply with the chemical accident prevention provisions also known as the risk management program. The risk management program outlines specific safety management requirements for certain extremely hazardous substances, such as ammonia, that are used in amounts over specific limits.

D.D. Williamson, under the consent decree lodged with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, has agreed to pay $600,000 in civil penalties to be divided equally between the United States and the Louisville Metro Air Pollution Control District, which enforces the risk management program regulations. After the 2003 explosion, D.D. Williamson took steps to improve its Louisville plant by building a new facility that housed its manufacturing operations. Under the consent decree, D.D. Williamson is required to use an outside engineering consultant to complete a full hazard operability study of its manufacturing operations and implement the study’s recommendations, and to train its managers in process-hazard assessment techniques.

First Chemical
The complaint filed against First Chemical, which makes extremely hazardous mononitrotoluene (MNT), asserts the company similarly failed to meet the general duty requirement, leading to the 2002 explosion that resulted in the release of over 1,200 pounds of MNT into the air.

First Chemical, under the consent decree lodged with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, has agreed to pay the United States $731,000 in civil penalties, to complete an ongoing comprehensive hazard analysis of its MNT process and to implement all recommendations resulting from the analysis.

This Web Exclusive article is by Bruce Lang, vice president of marketing & business development at Southwall Technologies, Inc.

Initial revisions to the Department of Energy (DOE)’s Energy Star® window performance standards, which will be effective January 1, 2010, should make clear that generic low-e glass no longer represents a level of energy efficiency required to “transform the market,” a key charter of the agency’s Energy Star program.

Because generic low-e glass provides insulating performance of about R-4 in a world in which R-19 insulated walls are the norm, there’s a dramatic performance gap between what low-e glass provides and what green building practices promise in saving energy and reducing carbon emissions.

Despite heavily insulated walls and ceilings and the popularity of low-e glass, 25% to 35% of the energy used in buildings is wasted due to inefficient glass. So, it should come as no surprise that glass is responsible for >10% of the total carbon emissions in the U.S. annually.

The truth is that low-e glass thermal performance has reached practical limits. A low-e coating reflects heat, reducing heat transfer between panes of glass, and thereby improving insulation performance. The “e” in low-e stands for emissivity—the ability of a surface to radiate energy. Low-e coatings are rated for the amount of heat they radiate—the lower the number, the less heat is radiated and the better the insulation performance of the glass.

Coated glass is commonly available today with emissivity ratings below 0.03, and lowering emissivity from 0.03 to 0.00 will have a negligible incremental improvement on window performance. Clearly, further improvements in glass thermal performance will not come from improvements in low-e coatings. Low-e coated glass has become a minimum performance baseline and no longer represents a path to improved energy performance.

Generic low-e insulating glass, consisting of two pieces of coated glass separated by a sealed, gas filled air space (or cavity), achieves a maximum thermal insulation value of R-4. With further advances in glass coating technology expected to provide minimal performance improvement, the focus has now shifted from coatings to cavities. Just as the introduction of single cavity insulated glass provided a breakthrough in performance beyond monolithic glass, the introduction of multi-cavity constructions, consisting of two, or even three, insulating cavities, is providing the next performance breakthrough for insulating glass.

Two alternatives to generic low-e insulating glass are currently available that can meet Energy Star’s proposed Phase2 window performance standards scheduled to debut as early as 2013. One is triple pane glass, consisting of three panes of glass and two low-e coatings. By using a third pane of glass to create a second insulating cavity, triple pane low-e glass improves generic low-e insulating glass performance from R- 4 to R-9. The bad news is that triple pane glass is 50% heavier than standard insulating glass, requiring stronger window framing and increasing cost accordingly.

An alternative consists of suspending a low emissivity and solar reflective film inside of an insulating glass unit. Without the weight disadvantages of a third pane of glass, film can create two, three, or even four insulating cavities that maximize light transmission and provide conservation performance ranging from R-6 up to R-20.

Such internally mounted film does not replace low-e glass. It leverages the benefits of film based and glass based technologies to create a lightweight, multi-cavity insulating glass that offers a new level of performance. Most units fabricated today use low-e coated glass to minimize solar heat gain, while using film to maximize insulation performance, block UV radiation, reduce noise, and increase occupant comfort more effectively than low-e glass alone.

Film based, multi-cavity insulating glass has been saving energy in such landmark buildings as the Audubon Association headquarters in New York City, the Rotch Library at MIT, the Hoover Dam Visitor Center, and the Museum of Flight in Seattle.

On its Web site, the Standard Hotel in New York City’s Meatpacking District boasts of “337 guest rooms with insane views” and “wall-to-wall floor-to-ceiling windows that open.” And with prices that start at $320 per night (and go up to $705), guests expect to be treated like royalty. Except for one thing: they’d rather NOT be treated like the emperor (or empress) without clothes.

But when the High Line park opened earlier this summer (June 9, 2009), Standard Hotel guests were inadvertently providing “views” of their own by parading in various stages of undress in front of those open, glorious windows. Little did they know that those folks in the High Line park could see everything.

And despite being tagged “a brawny exhibitionist” by Justin Davidson in the February 2, 2009 issue of New York, the Standard Hotel is asking guests to take that tag a bit less literally.

From the August 25, 2009 Associated Press:

Guests at the Standard Hotel in Manhattan keep failing to close the curtains as they frolic naked in front of their rooms’ floor-to-ceiling windows, easily viewed from the High Line park below. The park recently opened atop an abandoned elevated rail line.

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn has called the hotel’s window action “unacceptable.”

Aaron Lipman works in the neighborhood and says the shows are “healthy and fun.” He says they’re like TV’s “Wild Kingdom.”

The hotel issued a statement Monday saying its managers will try to “remind guests of the transparency” of the windows.

The hotel won an award from the Municipal Arts Society of New York for best new building erected last year.

I think that says it all, but just in case you need something a bit more visual…

This past March, The Global Facility Management Association (Global FM) announced the first ever World FM Day, to take place today, August 28, 2009.

Global FM member organizations on five different continents—Africa, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America—are celebrating World FM Day by organizing luncheons, seminars, and workshops, or by undertaking other activities to celebrate and promote facilities management. In designating today as the first World FM Day, Global FM, which is based in Brussels, Belgium hopes to:

• draw attention to the aims, objectives, and progress of the facilities management profession around the world
• highlight the valuable contribution good facilities management has made and is making to sustainable global communities; productive, safe, healthy and secure work environments; and local and global economies
• give worldwide coverage to the ideals of facilities management, not only within the profession and industry, but also to governments and the general public.

When the event was announced in the spring, Global FM Chairman Steve Gladwin, said, “I am very proud that we will celebrate the first World FM Day this August with our friends across the globe, and it is a great sign of how Global FM contributes to advancing facilities management. It will be an exciting day for Global FM and the FM community, because we have the opportunity to showcase in various locations that facilities management is a critical, strategic business discipline, making a real contribution to the success of organizations.”

Individual Events, Common Goals
International associations including the Associação Brasileira de Facilities (ABRAFAC), the Association des Directeurs et Responsables de Services Généraux (ARSEG), the Association for Facilities Engineering (AFE), the British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM), the Facility Management Association of Australia (FMA Australia), FM-ARENA, the Hungarian Facility Management Society (HFMS), the International Facility Management Association (IFMA), and the South African Facilities Management Association (SAFMA) have planned public events to mark this first World FM Day.

In the U.S., IFMA invites its members and facility professionals in the international community to log into the IFMA Twitter site to share unique aspects of FM in their country and discuss global FM topics in IFMA’s first TweetWorldFMDay event. Follow the questions at http://twitter.com/IFMA or #worldfmday.

ABRAFAC in Brazil is holding a Happy Hour for its members, which will include the presentation of lifetime achievement awards to individuals considered the forerunners and “founding fathers” of the FM movement and community in Brazil.

In Hungary, HFMS is hosting a press breakfast in Budapest, which will include announcement of the Governmental Strategy for the Advancement of the Hungarian FM Industry 2009-2013, a members’ meeting, and video conferencing with BIFM in Britain.

More events can be viewed on the Global FM site.

A report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that workplace-related fatalities fell by 10 percent in 2008. Last year there were 5,071 fatal work injuries in the U.S., down from 5,657 deaths in 2007. The new fatality figure represents the smallest total since the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries program was initiated in 1992. The new rate is 3.6 fatal work injuries per 100,000 full-time workers, down from 4 fatal work injuries per 100,000 last year.

The construction industry saw a 20 percent decline in fatalities, though it remains the most dangerous sector to work in. Fatal workplace falls in all industries also saw a decrease of 20 percent. Workplace homicides fell by 18 percent.

There is, however, a disturbing increase in workplace suicides, which were up 28 percent from last year. Overall, 251 cases were reported in 2008, up from 196 cases in 2007. The 2008 workplace suicide total is the highest number ever reported by the fatality census.

What is the change in all these figures attributable to? The BLS points to the economy.

Average hours worked nationally fell by one percent last year, with some industries that have historically seen a large share of worker fatalities, such as construction, experiencing even larger declines in employment and hours worked. And of course, stories of mass layoffs in every sector of the economy have become commonplace, so it’s not hard to see how this could affect workplace fatality figures.

The BLS also points to government spending cutbacks as possibly limiting or delaying the reporting of these statistics by government agencies. So the 2008 numbers are largely attributable to declining employment and the ineptness of government bureaucracy.

What are you seeing at your facilities? Are there fewer workplace accidents? If so, perhaps this is one of the few good things to come out of this recession.

An advanced motor technology tax credit promoted by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) has been included in the recently introduced Senate tax bill S. 1639, the Expanding Industrial Energy Efficiency Incentives Act. Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Chairman of the Finance Subcommittee on Energy, introduced the bill before Congress adjourned for its August recess.

This tax credit provides $120 per horsepower to original equipment manufacturers and end users for the substitution of advanced motor systems with adjustable speed capability, like permanent magnet, electronically commutated, or switched reluctance motors, as well as other technologies as determined by the secretary of energy in redesigned equipment and appliances. The tax credit is estimated to provide between $400 and $600 million in direct tax incentives for the purchase of more efficient products.

“I am thrilled that the tax credit has been included in the bill,” said NEMA President and CEO Evan R. Gaddis. “These newer, high end technologies will provide enormous energy savings in the industrial sector.”

S. 1639 is likely to be adopted into the Senate’s comprehensive energy bill, which also contains NEMA’s “crush for credit” motor rebate program and NEMA’s motor assessment.

Philips Lighting Electronics recently expanded its family of Optanium 28 Watt T5 electronic ballasts to include a fixed output version designed to support recessed lighting applications within a broad range of commercial, institutional, and retail settings. It is suitable for both new construction and retrofit opportunities.

Philips Advance’s new high efficiency, fixed output electronic ballasts for 28 Watt T5 fluorescent lamp applications have been designed to complement the company’s existing range of Optanium 28 Watt T5 step-dim ballasts. Used in tandem with the step-dim versions, the new fixed output ballasts will help support a facility’s full range of lighting needs and ensure even lighting output in neighboring ambient spaces that don’t require more complex step-dim capabilities.

Designed to offer maximum versatility and design flexibility, the new fixed output ballasts are available in both a popular .95 ballast factor “energy saving” version as well as a 1.15 ballast factor version, ideal for applications that require higher light levels. Operating from any line voltage switching device, the ballasts’ programmed-start circuitry provides extended lamp life in frequent switching applications, such as those associated with the use of occupancy sensors or motion detectors. The ballasts additionally feature IntelliVolt® multiple-voltage technology and auto restart, as well as safety features such as lamp End-Of-Life (EOL) protection circuitry, which safely removes power from the lamp upon failure and helps to minimize maintenance concerns.

Are unsightly garbage cans junking up your visual landscape? You can now camouflage your cans by dressing them up in an attractive covering!

That’s the concept behind Can Clothing, invented by Boris Saynov of Rosedale, NY. Designed for outside garbage and recycling bins, Can Clothing lends a “stylish” appearance to refuse cans.

Can Clothing is fashioned from a heavy duty plastic, canvas, or waterproof vinyl material and is offered in various shapes including circular, rectangular, and square in order to accommodate the variety of trash/garbage cans. They work equally well for business or industrial containers.

To facilitate security of the units, the perimeter of each Can Clothing is lined with high tensile elastic or bungee cord to fit snugly around the opening of the container. Strips of the hook and loop fasteners commonly known as Velcro® are integrally attached to further secure the Can Clothing to the handles of the trash bin. The Can Clothing line is offered numerous motifs from illustrated leaves for Autumn, holiday themes and even spring and summer flowers.

Boris Saynov explains, “Can Clothing is an easy way to make an outside space more pleasing. It is easy to install and easy to remove for cleaning purposes. Can Clothing is machine washable and can be used for long term repeated use.”

With the fall semester set to begin, AT&T is working with Penn State to expand wireless broadband access to visitors on more than 23 campuses and University locations with AT&T Wi-Fi service. Under a new three-year contract, visitors coming to these 23 Penn State campuses will now be able to access the Internet from any Wi-Fi enabled device.

AT&T has begun rolling out Wi-Fi service to Penn State’s campuses, starting with University Park and Altoona. Prospective students, parents, conference attendees, and other visitors will be able to access AT&T’s Wi-Fi network and connect to the Internet while on campus from their mobile devices or laptops. Visitors will have unlimited access if they are an AT&T customer with a service plan that includes Wi-Fi, or they will have the option of all-day access for $5.99 per day.

“While most universities today only offer Internet services for authorized students, staff, and faculty, we recognized an increasing need among visitors for wireless Internet access on campus and wanted to make the service available to everyone,” said Jeff Reel, an Information Technology Services director at Penn State. “Whether it’s a prospective student, a visiting parent, or any other campus visitor who needs an instant Internet connection, anyone can now use AT&T Wi-Fi to stay connected on our campuses.”

Once the campus Wi-Fi networks are deployed, AT&T Wi-Fi Services will provide ongoing support for the University with 24/7 network monitoring, along with repair, maintenance, and call center support.

In addition to the Wi-Fi deployment, AT&T recently expanded 3G mobile broadband wireless coverage in and around State College. Since 2008, more than 30 cell sites in the area have been upgraded with 3G technology to help address the growing demand for advanced wireless data products and services as more and more people’s lives become increasingly mobile.

Photo Credit: Penn State Department of Public Information

As the World Workplace 2009 Conference Expo brings workplace trends and innovations to Orlando this year, the city’s own rich architecture and cutting edge facilities will be on full display. Workplace professionals from around the globe will meet in Orlando Oct. 5-6, 2009, to experience the city firsthand during exclusive tours of Walt Disney World Resort, Lockheed Martin, Darden Restaurants Corporate Headquarters, JetBlue University, Lincoln Plaza, and the Orange County Convention Center.

The International Facility Management Association’s World Workplace conference annually offers attendees the opportunity to see the facilities that help define the conference’s host city, and there is no more iconic area of Orlando than Walt Disney World Resort. During a three-hour tour, Disney institute facilitators will take attendees through a variety of locations for an up-close look at the park’s innovation. Tour sites are scheduled to include Disney’s Central Shops, where the “can-do people” create everything from parade floats to Audio-Animatronics figures; Main Street, U.S.A.; and the “utilidor” system of tunnels housing support systems underneath the Magic Kingdom.

Lockheed Martin’s Lake Underhill Facility in east Orlando contains 15 separate buildings totaling more than 1 million square feet. The campus serves as the global headquarters for simulation, training and support, providing strategic logistics systems and flight, ground, maritime and civil training solutions to customers worldwide. The Lockheed Martin tour will feature a common area of the campus known as “the spine” — a nearly one-quarter mile long, climate controlled thoroughfare connecting all the facility’s major buildings. The Lake Underhill Facility has been selected as a showcase for energy, water and overall operational efficiency, and Lockheed Martin is currently pursuing ENERGY STAR® labeling and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design® certification.

Headquartered in Orlando, Darden Restaurants is a Fortune 500 company that owns and operates more than 1,700 restaurants, including Olive Garden and Red Lobster. The company is relocating from multiple buildings to a new 470,000 square foot, three-story restaurant support center and separate data center located on a 57-acre site. Tour attendees will be some of the first to see the new structures, which features multiple test kitchens; employee fitness and wellness centers; a single stream recycling program; and bioswales to collect water runoff into five retention ponds.

“One of the most exciting elements of the new Darden Restaurants Corporate Headquarters LEED Gold certified building is that we have been able to decrease our carbon footprint by 23,000 square feet with a move from 11 buildings to one state-of-the-art facility,” said Darden Restaurants Maintenance Coordinator Kevin Lemay, who will help conduct the tour. “To support our focus on sustainability, other elements include Summit HVAC systems, ILC lighting controls and non-potable waste water. In addition to enjoying the tour, conference attendees are certain to come away with new ideas and best practices they can incorporate into their own facilities.”

JetBlue University, which is responsible for the orientation and training of all employees of JetBlue Airways, will offer a tour of facilities including the simulator center and hangar. Tour attendees will be able to review the building control systems — including fire, high expansion foam, lighting and HVAC controls — as well as flight simulators and aircraft TV installations. A limited number of tour attendees will be allowed to ride in a flight simulator.

Orlando’s Lincoln Plaza, another facility available for touring, is a prime example of energy and water efficiency. The LEED certified property initiated a sustainable purchasing program to include materials such as paper, equipment and low-mercury lamps. Lincoln Plaza has increased its ENERGY STAR score from 69 to 84; instituted a multi-pronged recycling program; and reduced overall water consumption through low-flow aerators and sub-metering.

Playing host to this year’s conference is the Orange County Convention Center. Owned and operated by the Orange County government, the convention center was awarded a US$2.5 million grant from the state of Florida to help install a 1-megawatt rooftop solar photovoltaic system, which uses solar cells to convert light into electricity. It is the largest photovoltaic system of its kind in the southeastern United States. Tour attendees will visit key locations such as the exhibit hall, meeting rooms, back-of-house service areas, mechanical rooms and control locations, including the climate change education center, which will address the convention center’s solar project.