The First Facility Management Blog

According to the results of a study conducted in the UK on behalf of Kohler Mira Limited, soaping up during the work day can increase productivity and creativity for employees. Over a two month period, participants in the study were asked to take shower breaks during the course of the day, and results showed improvement across a range of areas, from mood to productivity.

From the Western Mail (5/20/09):

Employees taking shower breaks at the four businesses—advertising agency Home (in Leeds), The Chancery Restaurant (in London), architects and designers 3s (also in London), and lingerie company Simone Perele UK (in Surrey)—saw an increase in productivity and creativity of 42% and 33% respectively.

During a control period of four weeks, staff recorded how they were feeling throughout the working day, Lucre said.

Workers then spent a further month taking a minimum of one shower break a day, while filling in questionnaires rating among other criteria if they felt more productive or creative.

Sam Walsh, an employee at Home who participated in the study, said: “I found that showering gave me some peace and quiet, being away from the ringing phones in the office was great for mulling over ideas.

“As well as helping me get a fresh perspective on things, I also found it a great pick-me-up on the days when I felt tired.”

Employees generally felt that they had done a better job during the showering phase, with a 16% increase, and 23% felt they were in a better mood.

Nicholas Patterson, general manager of The Chancery, said: “Our hardworking staff members are on their feet for long shifts in what is a hot and hectic environment.

“Shower breaks made sure they took time away from the restaurant to refuel. And freshening up their feet with a shower also offered them physical benefits which made them work more effectively in the restaurant.”

Should these results become a mainstream aspect of modern business, employees will be singing in the shower AND whistling while they work. (Well, it’s healthier and more hygienic than a cigarette break, isn’t it?) And for those of you in industrial facilities, perhaps your emergency eye wash station will be the most popular spot on campus now (for an entirely different reason).

Kohler Co., a global company focused on kitchen and bath design and technology, was chosen by the Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense program as the Manufacturing Partner of the Year.

“Kohler is honored to be recognized by the EPA for the company’s efforts promoting the WaterSense program and overall water efficiency,” said Shane Judd, senior product manager for water conservation at Kohler. “Public education, along with new water efficient products and building design methods, are critical to contain water use. Kohler has responded to this need by developing new products that use less water, but don’t sacrifice performance.”

EPA launched the WaterSense Awards program last February, honoring work performed during 2007. The new awards recognize WaterSense partners who helped advance the overall mission of WaterSense; increased awareness of the WaterSense program in a measurable way; and demonstrated overall excellence in the water efficiency arena.

Kohler displays the WaterSense logo in product literature, on its Web site, at trade shows, and regularly conducts continuing education courses on water efficiency. These courses are hosted across the country, where architects, designers, builders, and plumbers learn from Kohler trained associates the importance of specifying water saving products inside the home, and the ultimate benefits to the end customer.

Moreover, the company’s spokesperson, Ed Del Grande of Ed the Plumber on the DIY Network, tours the United States talking about high efficiency toilets, conducting interviews on reducing water use, and promoting WaterSense for audiences at national trade shows.

One of the accomplishments by Kohler in 2007 was the promotion of WaterSense toilets at the Charmin Holiday Restrooms in New York City. A combination of high efficiency toilets and low flow faucet aerators saved New York more than 500,000 gallons of water in a six week period.

“Kohler understands that using water more wisely is an imperative element to sustainable design, and choosing water saving plumbing products is easy and can have a huge impact on water consumption,” added Judd.

WaterSense, the EPA’s voluntary public/private partnership program, seeks to protect the future of the nation’s water supply by promoting water efficiency and enhancing the market for water efficient products, programs, and practices. Plumbing fixtures and faucets that qualify for the WaterSense label assure consumers of actual water savings and strict performance standards.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized its first WaterSense Partners of the Year on October 9 in Las Vegas, NV. The four organizations and individuals chosen represent the best of WaterSense’s four partner categories, according to the Agency. The awards recognize their efforts for increasing water efficiency across the United States.

The Winners

Promotional Partner of the Year: The Saving Water Partnership

In 2000, Seattle Public Utilities and 17 other local utilities formed the Saving Water Partnership to promote efficient water use in Seattle and King County, WA. In 2007, the Saving Water Partnership incorporated WaterSense labeled products and outreach into its local water efficiency campaign through public service announcements, outreach to plumbers, and public events.

Manufacturer Partner of the Year: Kohler Co.

Kohler contributed to building the WaterSense “buzz” through its active promotion of WaterSense labeled products on the trade show circuit, on its Web site, and through publicity events, including the Charmin Holiday Restrooms in New York City’s Times Square. In partnership with Procter & Gamble, Kohler provided 20 WaterSense labeled toilets in luxurious portable restrooms strategically placed for shoppers in one of Manhattan’s busiest areas during the 2007 holiday season. As a result, an estimated 500,000 visitors in Times Square experienced firsthand the high performing, water efficient WaterSense labeled toilets.

Retailer/Distributor Partner of the Year: Ferguson

The company uses point of purchase displays and has made an effort to work with municipalities to stay abreast of rebate programs. Ferguson has educated its staff of 22,000 associates in 1,400 service centers located in all 50 states about the benefits of water efficiency and WaterSense labeled products.

Irrigation Partner of the Year: Timothy Malooly

Malooly has worked as a practitioner in the irrigation industry for 26 years and is president of two Minnesota-based irrigation firms: Irrigation Consultants & Control, Inc., an irrigation design, consulting and technology company, and Irrigation By Design, Inc., an irrigation installation and service company. These companies have been responsible for design and/or installation of water-efficient irrigation systems for a variety of projects, including the first residential project to receive Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program, Russia’s Grizzly Coast exhibit at the Minnesota Zoological Garden, and master planned community projects such as the Spirit of Brandtjen Farm in Lakeville, MN.

Looking To 2009

EPA announced the first annual WaterSense awards program in February 2008, with applications due in April 2008. The new awards program was designed to recognize WaterSense partners who helped advance the overall mission of WaterSense; increased awareness of the WaterSense brand in a measurable way; and demonstrated overall excellence in the water efficiency arena.

Later this year, WaterSense will announce 2009 Partner of the Year categories, eligibility requirements, and evaluation criteria. After evaluating the 2008 application submissions, EPA may revise the evaluation criteria for 2009, but they are likely to be similar to those used in 2008.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 36 states will experience non-drought-related water shortages in the next 10 years. And, increasingly, facility managers are implementing ways to reduce water consumption in their buildings. This includes plumbing fixtures that use less water to function than in previous years. In terms of toilets, the The National Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct) required plumbing fixture manufacturers to reduce toilet water consumption from 3.5 gallons per flush (gpf) to 1.6 gpf. This helped the movement to reduce water usage.

However, there is another toilet technology that uses even less water per flush–High Efficiency Toilets (HETs). These fixtures — defined as a toilet that consumes a minimum of 20% less water than the 1.6 gpf models mandated by EPAct, that is, a maximum of 1.28 gpf — entered the U.S. market in 1998. And with the ongoing pressure to continue conservation efforts, facility managers may want to look at HETs (available from some manufacturers in dual flush models) for their next restroom renovation or new construction project.

When shopping, the EPA’s WaterSense voluntary product-labeling program can be a starting point. The program, launched in 2006, contains a specification for HETs. There are currently HETs from 25 manufacturers that have made the WaterSense list; among this list are American Standard, Kohler, TOTO, and Zurn.

American Standard has made available a white paper “High Efficiency Toilets (HETs): Why ‘Flushing with Confidence’ is Here to Stay”, which provides an overview of why HETs were developed, how American Standard developed its models to achieve powerful flushing performance, and how these low-flow fixtures can aid in water conservation efforts.

Authored by C.J. Lagan, compliance engineering manager for American Standard Brands, the 3-page document can be downloaded, free of charge, at this Web link.

The paper reviews the flushing technologies developed by American Standard, including the company’s methods to harness gravity, use larger flush valves and trapways, efficiently size water spots and well contours, and create water flow dynamics that contributed to performance of the company’s HET collections.

Do you have HETs in your facility? Have they performed as well as previous models? If you don’t have them in your facility, would you consider them?