On May 8, the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) joins Global FM and other organizations around the world to recognize FMs and share well-deserved thanks for keeping our facilities healthy, safe and productive.

FM organizations on six continents celebrate World FM Day by holding public events such as staff luncheons, panel seminars and workshops, social media chats, client networking events and more. Global FM’s World FM Day site offers resources and links to events connected to FM around the world, as well as the World FM Day 2024 marketing pack in numerous languages.

IFMA's World FM Day site encourages FMs and FM supporters to take part by posting on social media, hosting an event, sharing resources or telling your FM story online or in-person:

• Thank facility managers by posting a #WorldFMDay or #InspireIntegrateInnovate #IgniteYourFMCareer message.
• Submit content, resources and links to celebrate facility managers and the profession.
• Host an event to celebrate with your customers, coworkers or members.
• Share information about FM, such as IFMA's page on FM or the "This is FM" video.

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Marmoleum Solid contributes to the well-being of individuals by bringing nature inside, creating healthy spaces to work, learn, heal and play. The Solid collection is minimalistic, pure and timeless, providing a long-lasting foundation that never goes out of style and mixes well with other interior finishes. Made from natural, renewable and recycled materials, Marmoleum is unique, as carbon dioxide emissions are absorbed by its raw materials. The combined photosynthesis of all plants used in Marmoleum achieves CO₂ uptake that is greater than the CO₂ emissions resulting from production and transportation.

Marmoleum relieves the environment of carbon dioxide, and it is climate-positive from cradle-to-gate, without offsetting. Marmoleum’s natural ingredients provide it with inherent anti-microbial and anti-static properties that won’t diminish over time, contributing to a healthier indoor environment. Marmoleum Solid’s Topshield Pro finish provides the best in durability, with lasting wear performance and improved stain-resistance, including those from hand disinfectants.

As more employers are examining their workplace health protocols to minimize the risk of airborne infectious diseases such as Covid-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections, AIHA – the association for scientists and professionals committed to preserving and ensuring occupational and environmental health and safety in the workplace and community – has announced the launch of a comprehensive new resource that employers and employees can utilize to address current and future health threats.

AIHA’s Healthier Workplaces and Schools eBook is available in English and Spanish to view and download at no charge on AIHA’s Commit to C.A.R.E. website. It is designed to help workplace decision-makers properly assess their specific risks and includes a practical approach to help mitigate the risk of spreading airborne infectious diseases in workplace settings, a risk assessment quiz to determine an organization’s risk of airborne virus transmission among workers, and specific actions to help manage these risks.

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Standalone wireless system FirstLink by Bodine integrates all necessary emergency lighting components and monitors the status of the lighting system at all times, helping you maintain code compliance with virtually zero effort. The FirstLink emergency egress system comprises enabled exit signs, wall packs, emergency LED drivers and the FirstLink app installed on a mobile device. Instead of staff shuffling around a facility, climbing ladders, and pushing buttons to test individual units, FirstLink components automatically perform all required testing. The app downloads the status of all devices and creates an easily exported report. A wireless mesh network ensures reliable connections, even during the loss of individual devices. If the app can communicate with just one device, the status of all devices can be read. Once the status is downloaded, the data is uploaded to the cloud. 

FirstLink emergency lighting system components can be easily installed by a contractor or end-user, making it field-install friendly. FMs can quickly add new products, accessories and features without updating the existing FirstLink hardware in the building. The easy-to-navigate FirstLink smartphone application allows users to configure a system, view and export results, change testing schedules, and more. For a painfully funny look at why you need Bodine’s FirstLink, check out this video as well: “Emergency Lighting Testing — Before FirstLink."

Piles of cardboard and paper waste littering America’s landfills represent $4 billion in lost economic value, according to a new analysis by researchers at DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) that appears in the journal Waste Management Bulletin. "Paper and cardboard waste in the United States: Geographic, market, and energy assessment" is the latest effort by the NREL researchers to focus attention on what is clogging the country’s landfills. They previously examined what could be done with food waste disposed in landfills and the mountains of plastic waste tossed in the garbage.

The studies aim to guide policymakers toward sustainable waste management and to help researchers consider the potential impact of implementing new waste management technologies. An NREL analyst noted, "Improved strategies for managing paper and cardboard waste can provide substantial energy, environmental, and economic benefits. To realize these benefits, it’s important to characterize the waste resource comprehensively." This study maps where cardboard and paper waste has been landfilled. Of the estimated 110 million metric tons of paper and cardboard waste tossed out across the United States in 2019, approximately 56% was landfilled and 38% was recycled. The rest was burned. This category of waste constitutes about a quarter of municipal solid waste and includes everything from newspapers and magazines to books and napkins, from junk mail and photographs to pizza boxes and milk cartons.

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Thick and dirty evaporator and condenser coils cause HVAC systems to work harder and use more energy, decreasing efficiency and increasing operating costs. Properly cleaning coils has always been a challenge. Either there's too much pressure that damages coils and fins or too little water volume that can't penetrate thick coils.

The CC-400 CoilPro from Goodway combines 400 PSI of cleaning power with a 3 GPM+ flow rate to deliver exceptional cleaning results for even the thickest, dirtiest coils, without damaging fins. It includes a sectional three-piece wand, which allows for better cleaning behind coils and sprays with a 90-degree nozzle attachment, making the CC-400 ideal for cleaning hard-to-reach coils. Plus, its innovative chemical integration technology provides the ability to easily apply chemicals like Coilshine to deliver enhanced cleaning effectiveness. The best part? All this innovative cleaning technology is in one small, handheld design.

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Workplace equity can’t wait. That is a key tenet of NextUp, whose members and partners are a collective force for eliminating barriers for women in the workplace, championing more diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace cultures. With a mission to “Advance All Women in Business,” NextUp intends to improve leadership capabilities for all and to generate more diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace cultures. The solutions and benefits that NextUp offers have been adapted to promote allyship, better support the needs of women of color, and transform corporate cultures.

Since joining NextUp in spring 2023, Lisa Baird, president and CEO, has been focused on advancing all women in business. In a wide-ranging discussion with Eileen McMorrow, Lisa Baird reveals her interest in workplace equity and how she believes NextUp can be a resource to the commercial facility management, planning, design, architecture and real estate professions. Part I of our interview appears here.



NextUp Membership is open to individuals or members of a partner organization. When you join NextUp through The McMorrow Reports + FMLink, you are entitled to 20% off an individual membership when you enter the code NextUp24McMorrow at checkout. Visit NextUp for more information.

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Anchored by the theme “Design Takes Shape,” this year’s NeoCon will provide a platform where diverse perspectives converge to foster enrichment and growth across a wide range of topics and disciplines of interest to architects, designers and FMs. Registration is now available for the sessions, which will be held both in-person and virtually.

More than 50 CEU-approved programs and workshops will feature speakers from leading associations, universities, A&D firms, and top media outlets, as well as experts in workplace, sustainability, emerging technology and more. The McMorrow Reports + FMLink team will attend NeoCon, and Founder and Editor-in-Chief Eileen McMorrow will manage the Best of NeoCon awards program for the 33rd year. The editorial team recommends the following onsite CEUs and virtual sessions related to education and government facilities management and design:

• Body and Mind: How Neurodiversity is Expanding Our Approach to Inclusive Design
• Celebrating Campus Heritage Through Contemporary Interiors
• Designing Quality Schools for All Communities
• PFAS and the Built Environment: The Science Behind “Forever Chemicals”

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A new study published in the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC) demonstrates that viral particles spread to many restroom surfaces during toilet flushing, regardless of whether the toilet lid is up or down. In this analysis, the only meaningful way of reducing viral contamination was through disinfection of the toilet, toilet water and nearby surfaces.

According to the study, "Impacts of lid closure during toilet flushing and of toilet bowl cleaning on viral contamination of surfaces in United States restrooms," scientists have long known that the process of toilet flushing can aerosolize pathogens expelled into the toilet bowl by an unhealthy individual. The aerosol plume created from the force of flushing can travel five feet or more, spreading pathogens to floors, walls, sinks and other nearby surfaces in a bathroom. Prior studies have found that closing the toilet lid can help reduce the spread of bacterial pathogens, but until now, there has not been a report of whether the same is true for viral pathogens, which tend to be much smaller than their bacterial counterparts.

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GSA's Green Proving Ground program, in collaboration with Pacific Northwest National Labratory (PNNL), has released LED Lighting and Controls Guidance for Federal Buildings to increase sustainability and reduce taxpayer costs. In September 2022, Congress passed the Bulb Replacement Improving Government with High-Efficiency Technology Act (BRIGHT Act) requiring federal buildings to use the most life-cycle cost-effective and energy-efficient lighting products.

Lighting systems have a tremendous impact on building energy use. Depending on a building’s age and lighting system, lighting consumes between 10% and 25% of a building’s electricity. Conversions to LED lighting typically save 50% of electricity over a fluorescent baseline, and lighting controls can save an additional 80% of lighting energy. Topics discussed in the guide include: Financial inputs for lighting decisions; LED lighting and system features; Steps for designing a lighting control system; Energy-savings capabilities; and Enhanced performance capabilities.

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This week's Featured Book from FMLink Books is part of a collection of peer-reviewed books curated by the FMLink editorial team to provide facilities, engineering and A&D professionals with access to publications relating to the State & City Codes topic.

Stay compliant by referencing the complete Florida Fire Prevention Code, featuring NFPA 1, Fire Code and NFPA 101, Life Safety Code, complete with amendments tailored to Florida. This comprehensive resource comes with self-adhesive index tabs for faster flipping. The document helps fire marshals, building owners, engineers and others accurately apply and enforce vital safety requirements to protect people and property in the state of Florida. The Florida Fire Prevention Code is adopted by the State Fire Marshal at three-year intervals as required by Florida Statutes. This complex set of fire code provisions is enforced by the local fire official within each county, municipality and special fire district in the state. Additional local amendments may also apply only to your community.

This and other State & City Codes titles are available to purchase on FMLink.