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Top Facilites Management Trends for 2019

2019 Facility Management Trends

If you ask the average facilities manager how technology is impacting their field, you're probably going to get a favorable response. In fact, managers surveyed on the subject almost unanimously expressed the opinion that their use of technology is only going to keep growing. New trends in facilities management show that the scope of a manager's responsibility is expanding, and technological innovations are rising to meet these new challenges. Some of these trends include:

1. The internet of things

The internet of things (IoT) is a shorthand term for connected devices that are capable of collecting and sharing data. These devices have IP addresses, just like conventional computers, for connecting to the internet. More and more of these Internet-enabled devices are being developed to help streamline the way that facilities managers track and monitor their assets -- everything from tracking stock, to determining which parts of a given facility get the most use (and require the most attention). Many sectors are already seeing a big boost in efficiency from the IoT, and that trend is likely to continue into 2019.

2. The use of social media feedback

If you think a social media presence is optional for facilities management, think again. More and more companies are seeing the value of staying connected to customers through social media platforms, and facilities managers are no exception. Connecting to customers can offer invaluable feedback when it comes to seeing where you are doing well, and where your service can be improved. Plus, interacting with customers online offers countless opportunities to make an impact far beyond what your services alone can do, and helps you create the impression of integrity, approachability, and transparency.

3. Expanding the concept of retail space

The demand for inexpensive, easy-access medical services is causing more and more walk-in clinics to open in shopping centers. Retailers are seeing the benefit of offering food services in their stores when it comes to drawing in customers. More and more businesses are striving to become centers of their communities, offering their customers experiences beyond shopping. What do these things have in common? They all represent the expanding scope of facilities management. While many managers have experience in maintaining medical facilities, retail spaces, or restaurants, 2019 is going to see a lot more crossover between different sectors. This means needing to comply with additional safety and health regulations and find new ways to effectively manage the expanding needs of these blended facilities.

4. Using the blockchain

The blockchain is good for more than cryptocurrency. It is effectively a way to maintain a continuous ledger, and facilities managers are seeing the value in it when it comes to tracking supply chains, processing work orders, processing and tracking payments, tracking maintenance and management needs, and increasing transparency. Though its use is still in its infancy, expect to see more and more businesses demanding it in 2019.

5. Expanding automation

Facilities management is already a demanding field, and the increasing scope of what it requires means that it takes a superhuman effort to keep things running smoothly. According to a survey of facilities managers across sectors, programs that aid with work orders and ticketing rank as the third most valuable technology tool. Self-handling software can automatically create invoices, schedule field service appointments, direct work orders, and more, dramatically reducing the workload placed on managers and allowing them to focus on the areas that require their attention the most.

6. New approaches to sustainability

Energy efficiency is key. Not only are energy costs a significant part of a facility's budget, but responsible approaches to energy management also create a selling point for sustainability-minded customers. Batteries can help reduce the financial impact of peak demand charges and cut down a facility's carbon footprint at the same time. Chemical and refrigerated battery storage can help maintain battery effectiveness and increase longevity, further reducing energy costs. If 2019's facilities management trends could be summed up in a few words, they would be efficiency, transparency, and sustainability. New software applications can dramatically reduce the tedious, time-consuming work of processing work orders, generating invoices, and manually scheduling service calls, particularly as more retail facilities begin expanding the type of businesses they host. Social media and the blockchain can help increase transparency. Batteries and battery storage can help reduce energy demands, leading to financial and carbon savings. Expect some very exciting innovations in all of these areas as the field of facilities management continues to change and grow.

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Cleaning Procedures for Green Buildings

Cleaning products like ammonia and bleach are effective in killing germs and getting rid of dirt and dust. However, they also can pose a serious risk to people's health. Rather than jeopardize the integrity and wellness of your building, you can protect the health of people inside of it while disinfecting and keeping the premises sanitary by utilizing green cleaning procedures.

What is Green Cleaning?

Green cleaning involves using cleaning products, equipment, and supplies that pose no risk to the environment or human health. More facilities managers are adopting green cleaning procedures because studies have shown that most people spend close to 90 percent of their time indoors. As such, they need to be able to breathe air that is clean and safe rather than laden with chemicals and residue from cleaning products.

In fact, scientific studies have shown that the quality of indoor air is often just as polluted and toxic as the outdoor air in urban areas. People who breathe in residue from spray cleaning products and chemicals stand a greater chance of developing respiratory illnesses. This chance is magnified if the building does not have a good ventilation system in it.

Even if your building has a high-quality ventilation system, you may still want to adopt and use green cleaning procedures. You will protect the respiratory health of people in your building while still getting the clean and sanitary conditions you are expected to maintain as a facilities manager.

Steps for Green Cleaning

You might be wondering what green cleaning procedures involve and how different they are from the procedures you use now to clean your building. In reality, green cleaning is not all that different from regular cleaning. Your primary goal is to clean the premises albeit while reducing or eliminating indoor air pollution.

You can start by purchasing and using green cleaning products. These products range from recycled and soluble paper towels to carpet deodorizer and paint that are free from toxic fumes and dangerous chemicals.

Most green cleaning products today are denoted by the Greenguard certification, which means they are guaranteed not to release volatile organic compounds or VOCs into the air. They also are formulated to avoid polluting the soil, water, and other elements in the environment.

Another green cleaning tip involves using magnetic door mats at or near the entrances of your building. These specially designed mats draw dirt and dust from the bottom of people's shoes.

Less dirt and dust tracked into the building means that you have to use fewer indoor cleaning products like bleach or ammonia. Your floors stay cleaner and require less scrubbing and mopping because of these mats.

Even so, you still might want to dust mop the floors in your building on a daily basis. Rather than use a harsh chemical-laden floor cleaning product, you should use one that is water-based. A water-based cleaner protects the indoor air quality without compromising the cleanliness of the floor.

Likewise, you can avoid using an excess amount of cleaning products by using a sustainable floor coating on your building's floors. The sustainable floor coating protects your floor and prevents dirt and debris from becoming ground in them.

Your floors will require less maintenance and will not need to be spray buffed, burnished, deep scrubbed, or stripped as often. You avoid using an excess amount of chemicals on the floor while also reducing labor costs for your building.

Finally, you should switch to using a high-efficiency filter in your vacuums. Most carpets can hold up to 10 times their weight in dirt and debris. This residue gets grounded into the carpeting and is difficult for standard vacuum cleaners to pick up and remove. You may have to use harsh chemical-laden products like sprays and foams to loosen and remove the debris.

A high-efficiency vacuum filter, however, is powerful enough to remove the dirt and dust without the use of foams, sprays, and other carpet cleaning chemicals. The filter also traps the debris and prevents it from being spit back out by the vacuum into the carpeting. High-efficiency filters are typically certified green and ideal to use when you are adopting green cleaning procedures for your building.

As a facilities manager, you are expected to keep your building sanitary and clean at all times. You do not have to use products that contain harsh chemicals that could harm people's health as well as the environment. You can get the sanitary conditions you want and maintain them easily when you use green cleaning procedures in your building.

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A Brief History of Daylight Saving Time

Daylight Saving Time impacts everyone who has to live by a schedule, from students, to farmers, to facility managers. Every year, we lose one hour of sleep in the spring, only to gain it back come autumn. How did the whole process of springing ahead and falling behind begin, and does it benefit us?

The History of Daylight Saving Time

Benjamin Franklin is sometimes credited as the "inventor" of Daylight Saving Time, after he penned a satirical letter to the editor of the Journal of Paris in 1784. In his letter, "An Economical Project for Diminishing the Cost of Light," he jokingly suggested making people get out of bed earlier in order to save on candles. In 1905, an Englishman named William Willett campaigned for the adoption of what he called "summer time," or moving clocks forard by 80 minutes during the months of April through October. Sadly, he died in 1915 without ever seeing his idea put to use. For the real creators of Daylight Saving Time as we know it, look to Canada and Germany.

Daylight Saving Time, or DST, got its start in Canada in 1908. People living in Port Arthur, Ontario, turned their clocks ahead by an hour on July 1st, 1908. Gradually, other areas of Canada began to follow suit. By 1916, the practice of DST was established in bylaw. Still, despite DST's success in Canada, it didn't really catch on until Germany decided to adopt the practice. Two years into World War I, the German Empire employed DST in order to lengthen the workday by an hour and thereby reduce the use of indoor lighting and save fuel. Other countries embroiled in WWI followed suit, though most of them dropped the use of DST after the war.

When World War II began, the practice was re-adopted and stopped at the conclusion of the war. In the US, some areas continued to use DST even after the practice was officially halted, resulting in a chaotic patchwork of areas with different times. In 1966, DST in the US was finally given some consistency with the Uniform Time Act, which both standardized DST and gave states the option of remaining on standard time year-round. Today, Arizona (with the exception of the Dine’é reservation), Hawaii, and overseas US territories do not observe Daylight Saving Time.

The Modern Impact of DST

Though Germany originally instituted Daylight Saving Time as a means of conserving fuel otherwise spent on indoor lighting, it's debatable whether following DST actually has any tangible energy benefits. As many facility managers can attest, changing the clocks doesn't really result in lower energy consumption. A study by the US Department of Transportation found that the total energy savings due to DST only amounted to about one percent. Unfortunately, the increased use of electric heating and air conditioning more than makes up for that savings. There is also evidence to suggest that gasoline consumption increases during DST, as people take advantage of that extra daylight hour for leisure activities.

DST can affect more than just energy use, too. Facility managers may find themselves dealing with clocks that need to be manually adjusted, and some automated systems that need extra attention navigating the time change. There's some evidence to suggest that DST impacts the body's circadian rhythm, triggering underlying health conditions and resulting in more accidents by sleep-deprived people. Workplace accidents and employee absenteeism often increase briefly right after the time changes, until employees are able to adjust to the new schedule.

Contrary to popular belief, Daylight Saving Time has nothing to do with farming. (In fact, many farmers were strongly against it!) If you live and work in an area that uses Daylight Saving Time, you've probably noticed some of the impact it has on you and your workplace. Though it has its roots in conserving energy for the war effort, it is debatable if DST still provides a benefit to either businesses or residential areas.

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Pest Management Solutions for Facility Managers

The cleanliness and integrity of your facility depend in part on an effective pest control plan. As the facilities manager, you must ensure that pests of all kinds cannot compromise the health and safety of your building. With these pest control management strategies, you can fulfill an important facilities management duty and protect both your customers and staff from exposure to harmful pests.

Appreciate the Threat of Uncontrolled Pests

Pests do not care what kind of building they enter. If there is an entry point and plenty of warmth, shelter, and food inside, they will eagerly find a way into the building where they will reproduce at an alarming rate.

Further, muggy and warm weather that hallmarks the onset of spring and early summer create the ideal conditions in which pests of all kinds can thrive. Once the weather turns sunny and warm, you need to be on the lookout for all kinds of creatures that can get inside of your building including pests like:

  • Bees
  • Wasps
  • Ants
  • Lady bugs
  • Mosquitoes
  • Termites
  • Spiders

These creatures will eagerly take their place inside your building alongside year-round pests like mice, rats, and roaches.

Identifying an Infestation

Along with recognizing what kinds of pests can come inside of your facility, you also need to know how to spot an infestation if or when one occurs. Pests give themselves away with a host of signs that should be easy for even the untrained eye to spot. Some of the ways that you can tell you have a pest infestation include:

  • rodent droppings
  • shed skin
  • chewed up materials like paper and cardboard
  • holes in the walls, door frames, and window sills

You can also discover an infestation by actually seeing pests crawling on the floors, walls, and inside cupboards and drawers.

Proactive Pest Control Measures

As a facilities manager, you can take proactive measures to eliminate pests and prevent future infestations. First, you should take note of the landscaping outside of your building. Overhung trees and shrubs create ideal environments for pests to take refuge and use as a launching point to get inside of your building. You should trim overgrown vegetation particularly trees and shrubs that are growing close to or alongside of your facility. With this step, you eliminate the shelter that pests need to get close to and inside of your building.

Second, you should avoid over watering your landscaping. When you over water the lawn, flower beds, and trees, you create puddles that are ideal in which for pests to live and lay eggs. As they reproduce, chances are the pests will eventually find a way indoors.

Further, you should rethink where you put flowering plants in your lawn. You do not want to put flowers and flowering shrubs and trees to close to the building. Bees, wasps, and other insects that are drawn to the flowers will have an easy way to fly into the building through doors and windows.

Likewise, overusing mulch also creates a draw for pests. Pests of all kinds including rodents love the smell, warmth, and feel of mulch. While mulching your lawn helps keep it green and healthy, too much mulch can draw in pests that you may find difficult to eliminate.

Finally, you can stay on top of a pest infestation by using minimally toxic pest control products. You can use pheromones that disrupt pests' natural mating processes. Likewise, rodent traps can be effective in getting rid of mice and rats. However, if you are not up to doing your own pest control, you may want to consider hiring a professional pest control service.

These strategies help you accomplish one of the most important duties you will have as a facilities manager. Keeping pests under control and ideally eliminated protects the integrity and health of your building. It also safeguards people who work and do business inside of the building from encountering potentially dangerous pests.

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Tax Law Implications for Facility Managers

The newly passed federal tax law brought swift reaction from CEOs and business owners across the company. This new law aims to save American businesses money while laying the foundation for their growth and prosperity. In particular, the new tax law is expected to make these notable impact with facilities managers.

Investment in the Business

The upcoming tax cuts will allow business owners and CEOs the opportunity to put more money back into their businesses. Until recently, many corporate owners and executives had to save money to pay their yearly taxes. They had little money left over to sink back into their businesses or to share with their employees.

The new tax law, however, will save American businesses more than $400 billion over the course of the next decade. This staggering amount of money means that more CEOs and small business owners will have more cash to reinvest into their companies. Since they are paying less in taxes, they also will have more revenue to share with employees in the way of bonuses or wage increases.

Debt Reduction

The high tax rates of the past put a tremendous burden on business owners who wanted to pay off their corporate debts. Many of them could only pay the minimum balances or face carrying their debts over from year to year. The value and integrity of their businesses suffered because of this financial burden.

The corporate tax cuts should allow more business owners to pay off their debts faster, however. As the corporate tax rate drops from 35 percent to 21 percent, more owners will have extra money in their cash flows. They can use this cash to pay off what they owe and free themselves from crippling corporate debt.

Freeing themselves from debt also should allow business owners and CEOs to expand their businesses and inventory lines. They will have the financial resources to expand their companies into new markets, improve their existing structures, and offer more products and services to customers.

The tax cuts will allow them to expand their brands to new audiences. The tax cuts also have convinced companies like Apple to move their operations back to the U.S. instead of staying situated in countries like China. The influx of companies coming back to the U.S. is expected to generate more revenue for the American economy and increase American consumer confidence.

Increased Hiring

The new corporate tax law aims to make it easier for American businesses to create more jobs and hire more people. In the last decade, businesses cut jobs and laid off workers to save money. The high corporate tax rate made it difficult for them to create new positions and to pay to hire more people.

As the tax rate drops by 14 percent, American companies are expected to have more money left over in their coffers.

Many corporate executives have already announced their intention to hire more workers for the new positions that the businesses plan to create. Many of the new jobs expected to come from the tax cuts will be full-time positions with benefits like 401ks and health insurance. They also will pay more than the federal minimum wage. The influx of workers going back into full-time jobs is expected to strengthen the economy.

The Trump federal tax plan is perhaps the most lauded piece of legislation to go through Congress in recent years. It has already been well-received by American CEOs and business owners.

However, the new federal tax cuts are expected to have several noteworthy implications for facilities managers across the country. The tax savings will translate into extra savings that will allow more workers to be hired and companies to be expanded to new markets. Facilities managers along with business owners and CEOs will experience the impact of these tax cuts savings over the course of the next decade as businesses save more than $400 billion in taxes.

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OSHA Announces Delay of Electronic Filing Deadline

Long Island Workplace Safety

Obama-era safety regulations, like OSHA’s “Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses”, have been coming under strict scrutiny in the new Trump administration. The final rule’s electronic filing components, which went into effect at the beginning of this year, have been highly criticized, challenged in court and now delayed. Under such conditions, facility managers are questioning the best course of action in pursuing compliance.

Filing Date Extended

In May of 2016, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a new rule labeled “Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses”. The new regulations require employers with 250 or more employees to electronically file all recordable injury and illness information. The rules took effect in January 2017 and mandated that establishments file their submissions for 2016 by July 1, 2017. Additionally, employers with 20-249 employees that are considered “high hazard industries” by OSHA are required to file. The purpose of such electronic filing is to create a publicly available database that discloses each employer’s compliance with safety rules.

The Controversy

Recently, OSHA issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and suggested extending the deadline for electronic reporting by five months. This would push the deadline until December 1st. The statement provided the reasoning for the extension would be to “allow affected entities sufficient time to familiarize themselves with the electronic reporting system which will not be available until August 1.” OSHA’s statement, along with pressure from the National Federation of Independent Business, suggests that the group intends to rework certain aspects of the rule. The National Federation of Independent Business has strongly urged OSHA to push the compliance date into mid-2018. The postponement would give OSHA time to reconsider and revise the final rule.

This all comes following a lawsuit that was filed against OSHA’s rule by the National Association of Manufacturers and other businesses. The lawsuit alleges that OSHA lacks the statutory authority to enforce the rule and that the real-world impacts and costs are too high to implement. Most importantly, the agency runs the risk of sacrificing employee and employer privacy. Linda Kelly, the National Association of Manufacturers Senior Vice President, explains “manufacturers take pride in creating safe workplaces and are supportive of regulations that increase transparency, but this regulation does neither, and we look forward to fighting this in the courts.”

Their requests for a preliminary injunction were denied by the courts, but the issues brought up by the plaintiffs can still be brought back to court. A similar lawsuit against the new regulations has been brought to the Oklahoma federal court arguing that they would violate employer’s First and Fifth Amendment rights.

OSHA’s new regulations are being heavily criticized by a large portion of the business community. Additionally, OSHA has failed to develop and launch a platform or website designed for uploading reports. The postponement of the filing date coupled with the fact that OSHA is not yet accepting any electronic submissions points to a possible revocation or major reconsideration of the rule itself.

What Facility Managers Can Expect

Around 466,000 employers will be affected by the electronic filing requirement under OSHA’s new rule, but facility managers remain unsure how to proceed with the swirling controversy. Union groups and workers safety organizations worry that the pending lawsuits combined with the unpredictable Trump administration may not adequately defend the rule. Attorney Joseph P. Paranac, Jr. explains “while some advocates may be worried about the grant program, it’s too early to mourn the initiative’s demise…companies should refrain from overreacting to reports…Instead, organizations may wish to continue to keep track of developments and consult with the legal or other advisors before committing financial or other resources to a course of action.”

It is too early to speculate about the future of the final rule, and the courts have also conceded that the complaints against the initiative may be changed with OSHA’s reworking of the final rules. For these reasons, the best course of action for facility managers is to consult with advisors and identify the steps and costs required to comply with the current rules. It is best to hold off on immediate implementation.

Edwin G. Foulke Jr., former head of OSHA, strongly believes Trump’s administration will re-examine the final rule. His feelings are validated by many in the business community, while others think it’s too soon to disregard the now in-place regulations. With such confusion, most experts agree that the best course of action for facility managers is to plan for the costs and developments of compliance but hold off on immediately implementing them until further details emerge.

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Fighting Germs in Your Facility

Fighting Germs in Your Facility

Each year, somewhere between 5% and 20% of the population will come down with the flu, and around 200,000 people will be hospitalized because of the virus. Health epidemics such as these cost the U.S. economy billions of dollars per year. 

Fighting infection is crucial to maintaining workers’ personal health, as well as the company’s financial health. Illnesses occur year-round, but certain illness-causing germs, like the common cold and influenza, peak during the winter months when we spend more time indoors in close quarters. In the United States, flu season typically stretches from November to April, peaking in January or February.

The CDC reports that 80% of illness-causing germs are spread through touch, which makes cleaning and disinfecting a critical part of preventing illness and outbreaks. Here are some ways that your staff can keep germs at bay.

Thoroughly Clean Public Areas

Frequently touched surfaces like handrails, doorknobs, and keypads are the most common ways to spread germs. Stair railways, faucets, phones, and elevator buttons should also be disinfected. Conference tables should be wiped down before each meeting. Tables and chairs will also need to be cleaned on a regular basis. These public spaces are easily overlooked, but they can be an easy way for viruses and germs to spread through a facility. Wipe out potential virus hangouts by wiping them down with alcohol-based cleaners and disinfectants often. Cutting corners when cleaning gives germs free reign to continue to grow.

There are sneaky ways that the flu virus can spread around your building. It is imperative that building managers and staff frequently check ventilation and HVAC systems to make sure they are clean and free of debris. It is also highly recommended that your cleaning crews vacuum with HEPA filters to help keep air clean.

Remind staff to check the outside areas around cooling towers and drains and on the roof for pools of water, which can collect pathogens that then travel into your building through ventilation systems. Another hidden area that it is important to clean regularly is bathroom exhaust fans. Make sure that the fans are working correctly and are pushing containments and polluted air out, and not sending them further into the restroom.

Choose the Right Disinfectant

Not all disinfectants and antibacterial sprays have the same effect and work across the board. Did you know that there is a difference between cleaning and disinfecting? Cleaners physically remove germs with soap and water or detergent, but don't necessarily kill germs. Disinfectants kill top-layer germs, but don't necessarily clean the area. A combination of both - clean first then disinfect - is the best method for reducing the risk of the infection spreading.

 Select products with labels that claim to kill bacteria and viruses like influenza and rhinovirus - the leading cause of the common cold. Always refer to the product label and follow the manufacturer's instructions for use and contact time, or the length of time the disinfectant needs to remain wet on the surface to properly kill germs. It is vital that regular cleaning and disinfecting takes place for the most effective protection from the flu. Luckily, the flu virus is not very hardy. The CDC reports that the virus can only live and remain infectious for 2 to 8 hours. Regular cleaning and disinfecting will help keep the flu at bay.

Promote Hand Washing & Provide Hand Sanitizer

Office common areas, such as break rooms and conference rooms, are at increased risk for harboring cold and flu causing germs because they are high access areas where employees come together and likely share and spread germs. Cleaning surfaces, such as countertops and tabletops, and break room appliances, such as microwaves and refrigerator handles, with sanitizing wipes drastically reduces potentially harmful germs and bacteria count. Reducing germs is a group effort, so make it as easy as possible for building occupants to keep facilities clean.

Install hands-free antibacterial hand gel dispensers throughout the facility. Post signs that remind patrons to regularly wash hands. The CDC calls clean hands the most important factor in preventing the spread of germs. Educate all employees on the importance of proper hand washing. Post reminders in restrooms for employees and visitors alike. Make sure that hand soap and paper towels are readily available in every public and employee restroom. It is a good idea to post additional signs by pools, hot tubs and saunas that discourage users from jumping in if they have open scrapes or cuts.

These easy tips make a big difference in fighting germs and staying healthy. Step your germ-fighting game up a notch by establishing a comprehensive cleaning plan, choosing the right cleaning product for your facility and involving everyone in germ prevention.

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Smart Sensors Will Bring Facilities Management Into a New Era

Long Island Smart Buildings

New technologies mean that complete building automation is coming sooner than most think. These innovative developments will usher in a new era for facility management, allowing large scale networking and digitization to manage commercial buildings.

The impact that the Internet of Things on the facility managment industry is wide sweeping. It will allow the delivery of a whole new range of solutions and services to facility managers that are revolutionary in their application.

A recent article from Facility Executive explains that "smart sensors" installed throughout modern buildings will aggregate data that will help FMs manage their spaces with mush greater efficeincy.

"The digital transformation in commercial buildings has already started and is gaining momentum. Facility managers will be among the first to benefit from the IoT revolution in driving down operating costs while improving safety and security. As smart sensors are key enablers for building intelligence, the process of identifying and selecting the proper sensors is critical. New types of smart sensors, with compelling advantages, are emerging and deserve special attention."

To read more on the subject, head over to Facility Executive's website to read the complete article.

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Pest Control Tips For Your Long Island Property

Pest Control Long Island

It’s critical to take control of potential pest issues on your property proactively and to eliminate unwanted rodents and insects before the problem becomes serious.

The first step in limiting the pests that can annoy your tenants is to stay up to date on the pest issues that are common on Long Island. Talk to your fellow facility and property managers to discuss what’s been “bugging” them since all pest problems are regional in nature. Its very common for a property to get hit by the same infestation as neighboring building.

A recent article from the facilitiesnet website explains:

"Once you have an idea of the season’s big pest, do some basic research on “how to get rid of Pest X.” This simple effort can help you prepare for these pests before they damage your property or annoy your tenants. If you’re not entirely sure of the pest you’re seeing, visual guides are available on many insects and rodents, allowing you to ID the pest on your own"

For more insight on how to keep mice, ants and other pests away from your properties, read the full article on the facilitiesnet website.

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HVAC System Fires On The Rise: What You Need To Know

HVAC Maintenance Long Island

The primary job of all facility, property, and energy managers is to keep their buildings' occupants safe. In January 2017 there have been no less than six reports of fires related to faulty HVAC systems. The silver lining to these bad reports is that none of these incidents led to any serious injury or death.

However, these fires have raised the question of what facility professionals can do to ensure their properties' HVAC systems are safe and operating properly. If your maintenace is overdue, this post is a reminder to have your system inspected to make sure its is not only running efficiently, but also safely.

For specifics on these recently reported HVAC files, read the complete article on the Energy Manager Today website.

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