5 Minutes with ...
David McCormick
Director of Operations, Facilities Management Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.
The number of government green building programs has nearly tripled in the last three years to more than 113 municipal programs, according to a recently updated Government Green Building Programs Inventory. The report is a national inventory of local government green building programs, including the type of policy, whether the policies are mandatory or voluntary and the sectors to which they apply. It also describes the performance standards used and what, if any, incentives are offered.
Facility and maintenance managers need to know how the proper design and efficiency of operating and maintenance procedures can minimize indoor air quality (IAQ) problems, and at the same time conserve energy, improve morale, and contribute to higher worker productivity. In this 60 minute webinar, attendees will learn:
While the likelihood of a chemical, biological or radiological attack is difficult to predict, the damage could be extensive. How well prepared are your facilities against the threat of a chemical, biological or radiological attack?
A colleague of mine likes to remind anyone within earshot of the benefits of considering issues “from 35,000 feet.” The phrase usually gets lost in a tide of similar business jargon and loses its impact.
Still, it’s a powerful idea in terms of the “big picture” challenge facing facilities managers. I talk regularly with managers about a project they’re involved in or an issue they face that week or month. Toward the end of conversations, I like to ask what other issues or projects are priorities at that moment. The list is always lengthy, and it comes with a tone of exasperation.
They — not to mention their departments and organizations — could benefit from a wider view of the situation. That’s easier said than done. A 2006 report from APPA described managers’ predicament this way …
The proliferation of green products is a boon to facility executives who are involved in green building projects – or who simply want to make buildings a little more environmentally friendly than they would otherwise have been.
But the flood of claims about environmental benefits presents a challenge: Facility executives have to figure out which ones are valid.
That’s not always easy to do. Third-party certification programs are one valuable resource. Now a new testing method promises to be another tool for manufacturers to show that their products offer environmental benefits ...
A bridge collapses in Minneapolis. An underground steam pipe explodes in New York City. Levees break in Louisiana. An army hospital in Washington, D.C., deteriorates to the point of threatening patient health.
As tragic as they are, such events throw a spotlight on the need for organizations — states, municipalities, universities, hospitals — to properly care for their assets, including buildings, roads, bridges, and pipes.
They also help remind those in charge and the public about the generally deplorable condition of many of these assets, which traditionally suffer from “out of sight, out of mind” syndrome ...
Originally published in 2003, and revised in 2006, the ASHRAE GreenGuide serves as a reference manual for HVAC&R designers, providing them with guidance on green design, including project design through construction, operation and maintenance to demolition. ASHRAE GreenTips are sidebars containing information on techniques, processes, measures or systems. Also included is a list of other sources for reference.
