Health & Safety

Energy storage prompts battery of precautions

Energy storage prompts a battery of precautions

In step with the projected surge in energy storage installations, fire safety advisors are actively working to help clean tech adopters understand and mitigate the risks.
Dim future for fluorescents and metal halides

Dim future for fluorescents and metal halides

Fluorescents and metal halides will be further marginalized in the lighting market with pending amendments to Canada’s regulations governing products containing mercury.
New oversight regime set for Ontario elevators

New oversight regime set for Ontario elevators

A new oversight regime for Ontario’s elevators and escalators will come into force on March 1, bringing shorter timelines for rectifying an extensive list of designated high-risk deficiencies.
Pandemic paperwork piles up with new vaccination attestation protocols

Pandemic paperwork piles up with new protocols

Pandemic paperwork is becoming more voluminous for commercial landlords as a growing list of influential tenants ask for proof that building personnel have two valid COVID-19 vaccinations.
Downtown Toronto office workers consider returning to their offices

Toronto office workers inform recovery plans

Based on survey findings, downtown commercial landlords are beginning the pandemic recovery process with a tenant base that generally looks favourably on the area and their experiences within it.
New flat rates for Ontario elevators licenses

New fee model for Ontario elevator licenses

The flat license rate will penalize mid-rise and high-rise owners with extra costs if an elevator passes the periodic inspection and does not require a follow-up. It will be a bargain if just one follow-up inspection is required.
Fire code updates demand ongoing vigilance

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.
COVID-19 related investment announced in fall economic statement

COVID-19 related investment unveiled

The commercial real estate, facilities management and construction/retrofit sectors appear poised to capture a share of the spending announced in the Canadian government’s fall economic statement.

GBAC STAR accreditation to steer reopenings

The new GBAC STAR accreditation program is taking the complication and uncertainty out of reopening large Canadian commercial facilities.
criminal trespass

Alberta cracks down on criminal trespass

Along with measures to discourage spurious lawsuits, the legislation has implications for commercial real estate operators and any organization with potential scofflaws among its employees or membership.
Ontario Fire Code

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.
cannabis

Cannabis legalization calls for drug policies

How can companies adapt to the monumental change of cannabis legalization? The short answer is to implement a drug policy.
construction site security

Site security comes under renewed scrutiny

Construction site security is under renewed scrutiny after a member of the public gained access to a downtown property and scaled a crane.
hot weather plans

Hot weather plans get a workout in summer 2018

Workplace health and safety practitioners advise that measures to safeguard building services personnel from heat stress should be fairly straightforward.
child care

More landlords use child care to bolster amenities

Corporate tenants are increasingly demanding child care in their buildings to help female employees go back to work after maternity leave.
accessibility

Accessible fire safety tips for property managers

Accessibility advocates see the built environment as a laggard when it comes to fire safety, especially for people with disabilities.
harassment

Workplace harassment not limited to Hollywood

Cultural attitudes are shifting such that workplace harassment is becoming impossible to ignore, including in condo communities.