For most building occupants, the roof of their building is out of sight and, therefore, out of mind. They take for granted that a roof is serving its intended function — until it fails and a leak occurs. In a recent Facility Maintenance Decisions article, Mike Spach explains why a comprehensive inspection program can benefit departments, […]
Boilers and water heaters are complex systems to operate and can be just as complex to maintain. Because of the potentially high costs related to each of these functions, maintenance and engineering managers are under mounting pressure to ensure the efficiency of both the maintenance and the operation of these systems. In a recent Facility Maintenance […]
The United States Pharmacopeia (USP) announced recently that it is postponing the official dates of pending revisions to the following three standards until further notice as a result of pending appeals to provisions on these standards: Revisions to: USP <795> Pharmaceutical Compounding – Nonsterile Preparations USP <797> Pharmaceutical Compounding – Sterile Preparations New chapter: USP […]
Part 1: Defining and Identifying High Energy Buildings in the US The architectural and engineering community in the U.S. has engaged in designing energy-efficient buildings and helping building owners optimize energy performance in existing buildings since the American Society for Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) introduced Standard 90.1 – Energy Efficient Design of New […]
Replacing a chiller or air handler with a more efficient unit is a complex process with many moving parts. But such projects are essential for institutional and commercial facilities looking to improve energy efficiency, control utility costs, and operate more sustainably. In a recent Facility Maintenance Decisions article, Casey Hester explores some of the challenges […]
With the opening of Inspira Health’s new full-service hospital in Mullica Hill, NJ quickly approaching, ENR New York spotlights the benefits of the project’s integrated project delivery (IDP) approach.
In the May/June issue of Tennessee Public Works Magazine, Mike Bernard, PE, recaps Metro Nashville’s phased conversion of two gaseous chlorine water treatment plants into on-site-generated sodium hypochlorite treatment plants.
Emergency equipment receives much attention, but normal power infrastructure requires scrutiny, too The reliability of a hospital’s normal power system depends upon many factors, including the system’s physical equipment and their arrangement, and facility professionals’ knowledge, training and informational tools. In hospital and other health care facility electrical power systems, much of the operational focus […]
CMS issued a February 1, 2019 update (Ref: QSO19-06-ALL) to the State Operations Manual (SOM) Appendix Z emergency preparedness interpretive guidance to clarify CMS requirements pertaining to alternate source power and emergency standby systems. The clarifications (in red) are easy to find within the 56-page document. In its Memorandum Summary, CMS stated “We are updating […]
The discussion below is an update to our more comprehensive previous analysis entitled CMS Emergency Preparedness Final Rule Could Require More Equipment on Generators. The Emergency and Standby Power Systems portion of the CMS Emergency Preparedness Final Rule (CMS EPFR) discussed “specific compliance with NFPA 99, NFPA 101 and NFPA 110 for generator design, location, […]
