Security & Life Safety
Fire code updates demand steady upkeep
Although they increasingly rely on professional service providers to keep up with the complexities of compliance, owners/managers ultimately carry the responsibility for life safety and bear the brunt of enforcement.
The rise of the hybrid office
Ultimately, the hybrid office will have at its heart a planning principle based on people rotating in and out of the office, with flexible schedules they have more control over than ever.
Examining ergonomic impacts to sanitation staff
Increased cleaning frequencies and heavy waste removal due to the use of more disposable commodities means the bodies of essential workers are taking a beating.
How will campuses change because of COVID-19?
Colleges and universities are questioning how much space will be needed in the future campus, how it will be operated, and how to make our built environment more healthy, sustainable and resilient.
Closing the FM skills gap during COVID-19
It is critical that FMs be part of a back-to-work strategy to voice their ideas, suggestions and areas for improvement that can all be applied going forward.
Circadian lighting improves seniors’ daily routines
Circadian lighting plays a special role in facilities management as long-term care homes and schools increasingly look to enhance wellbeing among seniors and children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Virus hastens new tower at St. Michael’s Hospital
A much anticipated, and unfinished, addition to St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto was fast-tracked to keep pace with a fast-moving pandemic.
Designing for wellbeing in residential healthcare
One area where cohesive design is becoming increasingly important is residential healthcare, which encompasses memory care and mental health.
Working at home full time undesirable for most
The office remains a preferable environment for the majority of workers who find working from home every day an unfavourable option.
Pandemic spurs case for workplace technology
Workplace technology like occupancy analytics will take on greater relevance as facilities strive to become more productive and healthy.
A new home for first responders in Delta, B.C.
The facility brings together a multi-purpose satellite fire station, a live-fire training building, and a municipal emergency operations centre.
Cleaning schools in the age of COVID-19
Schools have the duty to prevent and control infectious diseases. The COVID-19 pandemic makes the process of cleaning schools even more imperative.
Lessons for upgrading older schools
When planning retrofits or renovations for older schools, administrators have the chance to implement green, sustainable and high-performance design solutions.
Improving safety programs on campus
National Safety Month is an excellent reminder to conduct an audit of existing infrastructure and determine where upgrades can be made.
Ontario Fire Code to add steeper fine bracket
More stringent fines and an extended period for prosecutions are slated to come into force 30 days after the Ontario legislature adopts the Budget Measures Act.
Visitor management on the modern campus
Many campuses are vast in size — the University of British Columbia, for example, occupies more than four square kilometres of land. Within these campuses
Women’s College Hospital redeveloped
The redevelopment of Women's College Hospital helped support its mandate as Ontario’s first outpatient-only, women-focused hospital.