4 Ways to Save Time and Money on Lighting

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By Guest Contributor Andrea Vollf

The famous phrase used by Benjamin Franklin in Advice to a Young Tradesman, “Time is Money”, has never been as accurate as it is in today’s world. While we watch all the changes that are happening in the economy worldwide, causing people to lose their jobs and homes, technology continues to evolve and new products that can save us time and money keep popping on a daily basis.

In the commercial arena, we are noticing a lot of improvements in the energy sector, especially when it comes to lighting as it represents up to 40% of a typical building’s overall energy costs. Building owners, facility managers, even outside contractors performing custodial tasks, have one goal in mind: reduce energy costs without compromising the overall performance of the building. If you are looking for a better way to save time and money with repair and maintenance costs, those are the things you should be focusing on:

  1. Adopt a more energy efficient lighting system— Since governments around the world have passed measures to phase out incandescent light bulbs for general lighting in favor of more energy-efficient lighting alternatives, the market started focusing more on halogen, CFL, and LED lighting solutions. While compact fluorescent lighting can save up to 75% of energy consumption when compared to incandescent lighting, you can bring your energy costs down even further by replacing your current CFL lights with LED (Light Emitting Diodes) bulbs. For a better understanding of how much you can save by replacing your current lighting with LED, take a look at this calculator provided by livingled. Continue reading “4 Ways to Save Time and Money on Lighting”

2 Keys for Protecting Fleets from Freezing Temperatures with Fleet Maintenance Software

 

As the “polar vortex” continues to pummel large parts of the U.S. with freezing air from the North Pole, standard winterization measures may prove inadequate to protect fleets from record-breaking low temperatures.

In order to keep vehicles running in weather cold enough to freeze boiling water in midair, fleet managers must ensure that batteries, fluids and tires are adequately maintained and protected.

For companies that use fleet maintenance software to organize their maintenance, special winterization schedules can be created to cope with the unusual challenges brought on by unpredictable conditions like the polar vortex.

+Keep Batteries Warm Continue reading “2 Keys for Protecting Fleets from Freezing Temperatures with Fleet Maintenance Software”

Osha site safety : Safety and Health Regulations for Construction

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OSHA estimates that 3,945 workers died in 2012, 775 or 19.6 percent of whom were working in the construction industry when they experienced accidents linked to falls, struck-by objects, electrocution and caught-in/between hazards also known as the Fatal Four. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, three out of these fatal four accidents were linked to Construction deaths.

But do these needless accidents and injuries have to happen? Per OSHA, if workplaces strive to prevent these Fatal Four, 435 workers’ lives will be saved annually. How can employers accomplish this? It’s by ensuring strict compliance with OSHA standards and regulations, training employees, and creating a culture of safety.

The 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 1926 is the OSHA Standard governing the Construction industries. The CFR is basically a codification of all OSHA standards (the 29 CFR 1926 is one of these codes); each volume is updated every year. The code encompasses everything employers and workers need to know about the Construction industry, from operating cranes and forklifts to fall protection and material handling to name a few.

One can refer to OSHA’s Outreach Training (which students can take online or in a classroom) which is voluntary Continue reading “Osha site safety : Safety and Health Regulations for Construction”

2 Ways to Minimize IT Outage Costs with CMMS Software

Exponential growth in technology has made IT uptime mission critical for facilities managers, and not just those who work in traditionally data-intensive industries like finance, telecommunications, and e-commerce. A recent survey revealed that growth has been strongest in industries like hospitality, public works, and transportation, which have seen their dependence on data centers more than double since 2010. And fully 92% of decision makers at major companies have said that they will “definitely or probably” expand their IT infrastructure.

This means that facilities managers who may have little prior experience with the demands of IT maintenance must contend with the huge consequences associated with failures in these systems: data center downtime alone can cost nearly $1,000 per minute at a minimum, and can reach as high as $16,000 per minute in the worst cases. Continue reading “2 Ways to Minimize IT Outage Costs with CMMS Software”