Health & Safety
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Many operators don’t know who’s in their building: Envoy
Disparate systems make it harder to establish real-time visibility, better visitor verification and a single identity record across sites, the workplace management technology company says.
By Joe Burns • Sept. 25, 2026 -
Kevin Dietsch / Staff via Getty Images
Data center backup power contributes to health risks: report
Federal regulatory actions are allowing data center on-site power plants and other power plants to release dangerous emissions with fewer checks, according to the Environmental Protection Network.
By Robert Freedman • Sept. 22, 2026 -
Spencer Platt / Staff via Getty Images
Brown University adds 700 cameras in wake of deadly shooting
The school also added or enhanced the use of blue light phone stations, card-swipe readers and panic buttons, it says.
By Robert Freedman • Sept. 21, 2026 -
Retrieved from U.S. Government Accountability Office.
Facility problems led to 3.5M lost school days: GAO
Water intrusion, extreme temperatures, indoor air quality and structural problems forced schools to close the most in the 2024-25 school year, the U.S. Government Accountability Office found.
By Robert Freedman • Sept. 18, 2026 -
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Heading off gas risk from damaged chimneys
Wear can cause poisonous carbon monoxide and mold-causing water to enter buildings, chimney specialists say.
By Joe Burns • Sept. 16, 2026 -
Andrew Harnik / Staff via Getty Images
Emergency Kennedy Center closing tests court order
Renovation work won’t proceed without his name on the wall, President Trump says.
By Robert Freedman • Sept. 16, 2026 -
Brandon Bell / Staff via Getty Images
On-site power, storage raise data center fire risk tenfold, insurer says
Batteries can raise safety issues, particularly if they’re lithium-ion and don’t have an adequate perimeter around them, insurers say.
By Robert Freedman • Sept. 14, 2026 -
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The ‘next 9/11’ may not look like 9/11, former FDNY fire chief says
Prepare for a new generation of threats, including climate disasters, says Joseph Pfeifer, who went on to found FDNY's Center for Terrorism and Disaster Preparedness.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Sept. 11, 2026 -
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NYC biometric bill could harm building security, critics say
“Ban the Scan” could expose companies to lawsuits for their access control and workplace management efforts, a security association executive says.
By Robert Freedman • Sept. 3, 2026 -
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Use daily communications to test emergency alert capabilities: K-12 tech experts
Treat communications as safety infrastructure and work with IT departments to ensure systems work as needed, these experts say.
By Joe Burns • Updated Sept. 1, 2026 -
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OpinionThe accountability gap in facility management
Facility managers are increasingly accountable for security outcomes across multiple sites even when the systems responsible for delivering those outcomes remain largely outside their control.
By Tim Garrett • Aug. 25, 2026 -
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What we know about the hacking campaign against US water systems
Threat groups with suspected links to Iran have targeted vulnerable programmable logic controllers, the devices used to monitor and control industrial systems, including those of water utilities.
By David Jones • Aug. 25, 2026 -
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Frisco, Texas, uses mapping, digital twins to boost emergency services, building management
The city created an indoor mapping system to help responders during school emergencies, but the system has since expanded to help asset management and more, an IT expert says.
By Joe Burns • Aug. 24, 2026 -
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The IRS has made its facilities more secure, but a watchdog won’t disclose how
The agency launched a security review in late 2022 after Congress increased IRS funding by $80 billion to step up tax enforcement, sparking concerns over employee safety.
By Robert Freedman • Aug. 21, 2026 -
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Skilled labor demand is exploding. AI is both a cause and a solution: NFPA
A survey by the National Fire Protection Association found that while AI is putting pressure on an already stretched fire and safety workforce, it is also making their jobs easier.
By Joe Burns • Aug. 19, 2026 -
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OpinionHow hotels can prepare for hurricane season
Annual property inspections can help hotels identify weather-related maintenance issues before they become costly losses, writes a senior director at an insurance research company.
By Ross Haigler • Aug. 19, 2026 -
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Could climate change lead to increased FMLA use? Attorneys are afraid so.
Facilities could see employees stay home under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act if wildfires continue to exacerbate indoor air pollution, legal specialists say.
By Ryan Golden • Aug. 18, 2026 -
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Absent a national standard, Mayo Clinic creates its own safety policy for lithium batteries
Lithium batteries are everywhere in the facility today, from laptops to hand tools to mobile floor-cleaning robots to energy storage systems, Mayo employees told a healthcare conference earlier this month.
By Brian Martucci • Aug. 17, 2026 -
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Initiative will pay cybersecurity vendors to protect rural water systems
A trade group and cybersecurity experts have announced a partnership to help small water utilities protect their systems from hackers.
By Eric Geller • Aug. 14, 2026 -
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Fires, floods and more: Severe weather impacts millions of students
Creating a management plan for energy efficient indoor air quality and modernizing school HVAC systems can minimize weather-related disruptions that last year impacted 9 million students, according to UndauntedK12.
By Kara Arundel • Aug. 12, 2026 -
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Cybersecurity, life safety, patient privacy requirements among NFPA’s Health Care Facilities Code updates
The 2027 updates, which reflect changing expectations and realities of those facilities, can eventually get adopted into law, experts said.
By Brian Martucci • Aug. 11, 2026 -
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Wildfire plans a must in today’s climate, air monitoring expert says
The increasing frequency of wildfires requires new, more complex ways of operating facilities, says Sissi Liu, CEO of Metalmark.
By Joe Burns • Aug. 10, 2026 -
Retrieved from U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board.
Corroded sprinkler heads triggered catastrophic 2024 Georgia chemical plant fire: report
More than 1,100 sprinkler heads were corroded when water leaked onto reactive chemicals, causing a toxic reaction that forced 90,000 people to shelter in place, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board says.
By Robert Freedman • Aug. 7, 2026 -
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Bed bugs spreading in unexpected places: Orkin entomologist
Outbreaks in atypical facilities like offices, although rare, can cause outsized operational and reputational damage if not addressed quickly, a specialist says.
By Joe Burns • July 23, 2026 -
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Fenway Park tackles modern security in historic venue
A partnership with Johnson Controls has helped the ballpark protect the stadium during games and events without losing its historic charm, says Ryan Kozul, senior director of ballpark operations.
By Joe Burns • July 22, 2026
