With the expansion of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program, hospitals will for the first time be able to benchmark their energy performance against others nationwide on a scale of 1-to-100. The best performing hospitals can qualify for an Energy Star Label.
Hospitals use more than twice as much energy per square foot as office buildings. In total, hospitals consume almost 50 billion kilowatt hours of electricity and spend close to $3 billion each year on electricity alone. Hospital energy costs can run as much as 8 percent of operating expenses. If all hospitals improved energy efficiency an average of 30 percent, the annual national electricity savings would be nearly $1 billion, and 11 million fewer tons of carbon dioxide would be emitted.
To earn an Energy Star Label, a hospital must be among the top 25 percent nationwide in terms of energy performance (earning a benchmarking score of 75 or greater) and must maintain an indoor environment that conforms to industry standards.
To apply for the Energy Star Label, hospitals should first benchmark their performance using the Portfolio Manager on the Energy Star Web site. Hospitals that score 75 or greater on the 1-to-100 scale meet the Energy Star energy performance target. The hospital’s indoor environment must also be verified as meeting industry standards for lighting levels, ventilation, thermal comfort and control of indoor air pollutants.
Last year alone Energy Star helped businesses and consumers save more than $5 billion in energy costs while reducing greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of 10 million cars.
By going to their website, hospitals will be able to analyze the energy performance of their buildings, set goals for improvement and track their progress online using EPA’s portfolio manager.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2002, OSHA’s record keeping requirements changed. That’s important for facility executives to be aware of: Each year OSHA assesses fines in excess of $155 million for non-compliance issues. Even industries considered “low risk” — like building management — are on OSHA’s radar screen.
OSHA requires that most industries (this includes building management) with 11 or more employees keep a standardized record of job-related illnesses and injuries. In past years, this information was recorded on OSHA’s Form 200 (Log and Summary of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses) and the OSHA Form 101 (Supplementary Record of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses). To make the recordkeeping log more user friendly, OSHA has created the following new documents:
Another change: Prior to 2002, companies that employed 11 or more people were required to post OSHA Form 200 next to the OSHA safety poster (Form 3165 or state equivalent) for the entire month of February. Failure to do so would result in a $1,000 fine. Beginning in 2002, OSHA requires that Form 300A be posted instead of Form 200. Additionally, Form 300A must be posted for three months (February through April).
The safety poster and Forms 300, 301 and 300A are available at the OSHA website or by contacting the local OSHA office. OSHA-approved state plans area can be accessed through the OSHA Web site. State plans must be as inclusive and encompassing as Federal OSHA, and many are more demanding, so it is important for facility executives to be aware of those requirements.
— David A. Casavant is the president of the Carlyle Consulting Group, based in Lake Worth, Fla., a consulting and training firm specializing in corporate real estate and building management concerns.
The Institute of Real Estate Management’s (IREM) Income and Expense Analysis report offers facility executives an opportunity to compare their buildings against others in their region and across the country. For the report that is due out later this year, IREM is looking for buildings to add to its database. Everyone who contributes data receives a free copy of the report. All data is verified. Data can be submitted online or by calling 800-837-0706, extension 6025.
