Author: MaintenX

Office design is a facet of management that is often overlooked and yet makes a large impact on the efficiency of the company and morale of employees. An office space that is designed well can motivate workers, while a poorly designed office space will not serve the needs of the business and could decrease in efficiency. Some of the design of an operation is the responsibility of the architects of the building, but a good facility manager can help a building become as effective as possible.

One of the best ways for a facility manager to improve office design is to understand the amount of space necessary for the employees to do their jobs. If there is not enough space for workers to perform their duties, they will feel cramped, which could lead to workplace accidents. On the other hand, you don’t want too much empty space and waste potential for the facility. It can be difficult to find the right balance, but it is useful for maximizing office space efficiency.

The layout of the office is also an important part of the design. This arrangement can have a big impact on the productivity of the office. For instance, the location of the company printer can be too close to neighboring employees and cause a noisy disturbance, or it can be positioned in a place that increases ease of use. Employee desks can be designated with individual cubbies or can be located near coworkers to encourage social interaction. How the facilities manager lays out the office can greatly improve efficiency.

When it comes to executing an office design plan, the best way to get effective results is to ask employees for their input. While a facility manager has a good high-level overview of the work that happens in an office, individual workers know at a first-hand, granular level what works and what doesn’t. Employees will be able to give specific recommendations for how they can accomplish the most work in their space. Collaborating with employees can certainly create the best office design for everyone, but it can also help with employee relations. Having open communication with employees also fosters professional relationships and increases morale.

Office design is important to any corporate facility by increasing the efficiency inside of it. With these helpful tips, you’ll be able to maximize your office space.

The best time to prepare for a severe storm is before it happens. By preparing for a disaster ahead of time, you will be able to minimize the damage your facility faces and get your business back up and running sooner. Here are a few ways to prepare your facility before a major storm hits.

Design a disaster plan

It is important to design a comprehensive disaster preparedness plan. This should include all departments of your company and outline procedures in the event of an emergency. Business continuity, crisis communication, and resource management should all be included in this plan. Not only should you talk through this plan with employees, you should also conduct a disaster drill. This will give your team familiarity and knowledge of potential problems, allowing them to mount a quick, efficient and appropriate response during a real emergency. This reduces the amount of time and thinking required when a crisis happens and increases the speed with which you get back in business.

Conduct preventative maintenance

One of the best things you can do for your facility during the stormy season is to schedule preventative maintenance on the facility systems and equipment. This regularly scheduled maintenance will ensure your building, and its contents are in top working order. Preventative maintenance can fix minor issues before they turn into major problems after. Although it’s important to partake in preventative maintenance year-round, it’s especially important before a storm hits.

Prepare the facility  

Finally, if there is cause for concern over a major storm in your area, take the necessary precautions and prep your building. Cover windows and doors with custom-cut plywood. This will prevent broken glass from strong winds and flying debris. Remove breakable objects from high shelves and place hooks on cabinets and drawers to prevent them from flying open. Be sure to have bookcases and display cases bolted to wall studs to prevent damage as well. To prevent flooding damage, place applicable furniture and machinery on wooden pallets.

With these helpful tips, your facility will be prepared for a major storm. With proper prep, you will be able to recover quickly from severe storms and return to your normal business operations quickly.

With the Atlantic hurricane season already underway as of June 1 and continuing through the end of November, it’s important to make sure your facility or business is prepared for severe storms. There are many factors to consider when assessing the risk your facility faces during a hurricane. Following are a few tips to ensure that your company is more than prepared in the event of an emergency.

Prepare a plan

The most important thing a company or facility needs to limit the risk from a hurricane is a plan. Those who have a robust disaster preparedness plan are able to decrease dangers brought on by severe storms, return to normal business operations faster and suffer less downtime in the workplace. If your company is serious about preparing for a severe storm or hurricane, it’s important to include a representative from every department to help create this crisis plan. This will ensure everyone’s needs are covered. After drafting the plan, be sure to train staff and management how to execute the plan in the event of a disaster. Your plan should include crisis communications, business continuity, and even evacuation routes, if necessary.  

Practice the plan

Once you have created your disaster plan, it’s important to run through it with employees. Although having a disaster drill may seem silly, practicing it gives you and your team a familiarity and knowledge of potential problems to allow you to mount a quick, efficient and appropriate response. This reduces the amount of time and thinking required when a crisis happens and increases the speed with which you get back in business.

Prep the facility

At the beginning of every hurricane season, you’ll want to prep your facility for high winds and heavy rain. Be prepared to cover windows and doors with plywood to protect them from flying debris. It is also a good idea to bolt bookshelves, display cases, and other large furniture to wall studs to prevent damages. Moving furniture and other important machinery onto wooden pallets can help limit the risk of water damage from flooding too.

Stay informed

Thankfully, technology today gives up the ability to predict the path and severity of hurricanes. It’s important to stay informed of the hurricane’s intended path so you can make the necessary preparations accordingly. If a minor hurricane or tropical storm is projected to hit your area, you may not need to pull out all the bells and whistles to prep your business. However, if it is a major storm and is projected to be a direct hit, then you will certainly want to take more extreme precautions.

With these helpful tips, you’ll be able to eliminate a lot of the risks a hurricane can pose on your facility.

 

Running a business includes a lot more than high sales and customer traffic. It’s important for business owners and facility managers to maintain a well-run store too. An essential part of that equation is the safety and security of the establishment. Following are a few ways you can make your facility safer and keep employees and patrons out of harm’s way.

Security System

All business and facilities should have a security system installed into their establishment. Alarm systems, surveillance cameras, and individual door alarms are all a good idea. In today’s technologically-advanced environment, security features are easy to come by and can prevent the risk of crime in your store.

Preventative Maintenance

Preventative maintenance is one of the most important ways to keep a facility, and its tenants, safe. This solution allows you to perform regularly scheduled maintenance to keep all aspects of the building in tip-top shape and working at peak performance. Repairing cracks in concrete, removing overgrown landscaping and fixing leaks can all help limit potential hazards. Preventative maintenance also needs to be completed on equipment and facility systems. Whether it is appliances, air conditioning units or heavy duty machinery, having these items regularly serviced can prevent breakdowns and injuries later on.   

Safe Standards

There are many safety standards in place that need to be followed in order to protect your company’s employees and tenants. A lot of these procedures can be found through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) website. Examples include wearing proper safety gear, marking wet floors with caution signs and proper ladder safety. It’s important to not only read the various safety manuals put forth by OSHA, by train your employees and managers accordingly. Following this practices will ensure you have a safe workplace and a sound business.

Overall, it’s important to maintain a safe environment for employees and tenants. In addition to adhering to safe practices, preventative maintenance is also an excellent way to keep your workplace safe.

With the summer heat already here, your company’s air conditioning unit is the crown jewel of the facility. You’ll want to keep your customers and employees comfy all summer long. So when it comes to installing a new Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) unit, you want to make sure it’s done right the first time. Here a few things to consider when installing a new unit.

Install the Right Sized HVAC Unit

Simply installing a large air conditioner doesn’t mean you will have a more frigid space. In fact, an inappropriately sized air conditioner can be less effective and waste more energy (and money). In order to help you with your sizing needs, you can visit the Energy Star website to figure out the perfect sized air conditioner for your business or facility.

Preventative Maintenance Plan

When you’re investing in a new air conditioning unit, you’ll want to make sure you keep it working efficiently. Not only will this maintain your system’s peak performance, it will also save you money. It’s important to find a preventative maintenance plan to provide regular inspections, cleanings, and filter changes.

Efficiency is Key

More efficiency means more money in the bank. The Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) is the unit of measure that determines air conditioning and heat pump cooling efficiency. Today, the minimum SEER a unit can have is 13. So, when looking to install a new air conditioning unit, look for one with a SEER of 13 or higher. This will ensure you get the coolest air for your money.

Upgrading

It’s silly to assume that you should get the same size air conditioning unit when you are in the market to replace your company’s system. If you have made changes in your facility in order to increase energy efficiency, you might be able to continue your savings with a small HVAC unit. These upgrades include installing energy efficient windows, adding extra insulation or relying on ceiling fans, among others. Be sure to talk to your facility manager or technician to find out the best plan for your business.

These are all things to consider when installing a new air conditioning unit. With these helping tips in mind, you’ll be sure to find the perfect unit for your company.

“Going green” is a popular trend in facilities management that involves utilizing equipment and better practices to use less energy and make the facility more environmentally friendly. However, you may think these enhancements are too expensive. But, these upgrades can actually save you money. Not only can they help you cut costs on electricity bills, going green can put cash in your pocket through various rebates and incentive programs.

When planning to upgrade your energy or water systems, companies often overlook a major resource— efficiency rebates. There a variety of different incentive programs. Some ask you to install certain products into your workplace and get money back. Others reward you for how much energy savings are achieved.

In addition, many states offer tax incentives for cutting your company’s energy costs. It is recommended that you check with your energy provider for information on these programs. They typically know all about the tax breaks that might be available to your company. Agencies including the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S Green Building Council, and Green Shield can also offer you more information. Tax incentives are available by implementing energy efficient lighting, upgrading Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) units, and improving building exteriors.

When it comes to helping the environment and saving money, setting up your facility to be efficient and eco-friendly makes sense. With these programs at your fingertips, efficient upgrades become more palatable to even the most money-saving facilities manager. Use these helpful tips to go green with ease.

Every year, Florida is susceptible to hurricanes. The Atlantic hurricane season starts on June 1 and continues through November, bringing the risk of winds, rain and flooding. Hurricane winds can certainly wreak havoc, but the impact from water intrusion can be particularly devastating. Still, you can take measures ahead of time to lessen the impact of flooding.

Fix foundations. If your facility has a leaky foundation with cracks, it will be important to fix them before a major storm. These cracks, even if they are small, can allow flood waters to penetrate the building. Even if flood waters don’t overflow a building, mold can grow where the flood waters did go.

Buy backflow valves. If your sewer system floods, you don’t want backed up sewage and flood water overflowing your toilets. By installing backflow or gate valves on your pipes, you can prevent this from happening.

Clean your gutters. It’s very easy for rain gutters to get clogged with debris from trees and leaves. These blockages can prevent the flow of water and allow excess water to get underneath your shingles and sheathing. Making sure your gutters are clear, especially before hurricane season is a good idea.  

Create flood barriers. It’s important to keep water from entering the facility through windows and doors. Depending on the elevation of your building, you might consider installing flood barriers. In the event of a potential hurricane, it can be a good idea to install flood skirts and use sandbags to block entry points along windows and doors.

Raise machinery. To prevent equipment damage, place machinery, furniture and other items on pallets to get them off the ground to make sure they are too high for flood waters to reach.

It’s important to protect your company’s bottom line from water intrusion during a storm, which requires preventative measures. To help your business remain open, or to quickly re-open after severe weather, follow these helpful tips.

Every company wants to create a safe and efficient workplace for all employees, keeping workplace injuries to a minimum. While accidents do happen, many on-the-job injuries are preventable. In addition to proper training, workplace injuries can often be avoided by ensuring your company has correct preventative maintenance. Here are a few tips to help your business stay injury-free.

Equipment – Many workplace injuries are caused by mishaps with the equipment that employees use. This is especially true in more labor-intensive professions, such as construction, manufacturing, and heavy industry. Although teaching proper handling protocol for these machines is important, making sure equipment is working properly is just as important. If the machinery breaks down or built in safety mechanisms fail, then the risk of injury increases. By having regular preventative maintenance completed on equipment, machines will be properly repaired before there is ever a breakdown. These regular checkups will also cut down on repair costs.

Floors – A lot of workplace injuries result from slips, trips, and falls. There are several measures that can be taken to reduce the risk employees face when it comes to these accidents. Conditions that tend to increase these injuries are spills on the floor, broken or cracked flooring materials and cluttered walkways. All of these issues can be easily prevented.

Apparel – Making sure your employees are dressed properly can also reduce on-the-job injuries. For example, for heavy-lifting jobs, it’s important for workers to wear steel toe boots with lots of ankle support. Depending on the profession you are in, protective eyewear, gloves, closed toed shoes and other appropriate safety gear is an easy way to prevent injury.

Cars – In many professions, employees are expected to drive on the job. It is important that company vehicles are in their safest condition when employees are operating them. Performing all preventative maintenance on the car is a great way to reduce injury risks. If driving is a major part of the job, having employees participate in regular eye exams can also be a good preventative measure.

With these helpful tips, you’ll be able to take preventative steps to minimize workplace injuries.  

Business inspections are completed to ensure the workplace is safe for customers and employees. But for management teams and business owners, building inspections can create a lot of anxiety. By being prepared for these inspections, you can reduce that anxiety and pass the inspections with flying colors.

Roof: One of the first things building inspectors check is the roof. It’s important to maintain your roof and replace it when necessary. Don’t mess around with any leaks or other damages you find. You’ll want to get those fixed right away. Roof issues can be a major hazard to employees and customers and can hurt your business.

Electric: Exposed and faulty wiring can lead to fire hazards and electrical shocks. An inspector will have a field day with your property if you have electric issues.

Plumbing: Leaky pipes or malfunctioning toilets can also be a major red flag to inspectors. These issues can also lead to water damage to the building. You’ll want to ensure you have plumbing issues fixed before an inspector arrives.

Fire Alarms: In a public building, fire safety will also be an important item for inspectors. Make sure all smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, fire alarms and exit signs are in working order.

Kitchen: When it comes to restaurants, kitchen inspections are extremely important. You’ll want to make sure you are meeting all sanitation codes and operating the kitchen as its intended. Take extra precautions an ensure everything is clean and properly functioning. By performing regular, scheduled maintenance on all equipment, and maintaining proper cooking and cleanliness techniques, you can be sure that they are in perfect working order for an inspector.

Employees: You will also want to ensure your employees are following all regulations and rules. This is especially important in restaurant settings.

Inspections can be stressful, but with these tips, your building or facility will be sure to pass.

When natural disaster strikes, everyone and everything is affected – including businesses. After a disaster, companies can face a lot of downtime while facilities are repaired and equipment is replaced – which obviously hurts your bottom line. To lessen the impact of a disaster, you should prepare your facility ahead of time, by creating a disaster preparedness plan.

A disaster preparedness plan is a comprehensive document that incorporates the needs of all departments and outlines the steps needed to manage a disaster. A strong disaster plan will help you to prioritize tasks and roles. When a crisis hits, you may not have any warning. Regardless, if your company has an effective plan in place and your staff is knowledgeable about the plan’s procedures, you will be able to respond to the disaster faster and more effectively.

A company can also prevent damages by preparing their facility for a storm. It’s very important to make sure your buildings are up to code with local authorities. Disaster mitigation can include bolting tall bookcases or display cases to wall studs to keep items from falling and breaking during high winds. Protect breakable objects by securing them to a stand or shelf using hook-and-loop fasteners. Be sure to install latches to keep drawers and cabinets from flying open. These preparations will help protect the interior of your facility.

Precautions can be taken to protect the exterior of your business too. In the event of a major storm, install closable shutters to protect windows from damage caused by debris blown by a hurricane, tornado or severe storm. Use plumber’s tape to wrap around a hot water heater to secure it to wall studs. It is also a good idea to prepare custom cut plywood to cover doors and windows before the storm arrives.

It is always a good idea to have a plan in place to mitigate the damages that can be inflicted to your business following a natural disaster. With these preparation tips, you’ll be able to minimize the impact a storm can have on your facility.