Sep 22

Preventing the Spread of H1N1 Virus – Precautions for Facility Managers

The H1N1 Virus or Swine Flu outbreak of pandemic influenza has caused illness, hospitalization and even deaths all across the US this year.  The World Health Organizations have raised phase 4 pandemic alerts and according to Disease Control and Prevention, the most effective method of prevention is taking precautionary measures in hygiene.

Facility Managers are training staff on proper methods of using disinfectants to help eliminate the spread of infections in working environments.  Maintaining clean and sanitized buildings can help reduce the risk of flu outbreak and the spread of H1N1 virus.

Part of the effort is educating the public about the importance of sanitizing and cleaning high traffic public areas.  Many companies are using environmentally friendly disinfectant cleaners to wipe all areas throughout their facilities like the Washington Metro.  The Washington Post claims “Good personal hygiene can cut the risk of spreading and catching the virus.”

Employers and their cleaning staff play an important role in protecting employees’ health and safety.  Educating staff with verbal and written work instructions can help prevent the influence of H1N1 virus and the risks associated with outbreaks within facilities.  In addition, maintenance staff can help by ensuring timely preventive maintenance on air handling equipment that can improve indoor air quality and help prevent the virus from spreading.

Tracking the progress of cleaning staff can be easily accomplished with Cleaning Service Software while maintenance staff can use their Facility Maintenance Software to ensure filters are changed regularly and that vents are free from contaminants to improve indoor air quality.

The right preventive measures can help minimize the spread of H1N1 virus this year.

Sep 22

CMMS: Ideal for Streamlining Standards and Procedures

There are many different maintenance standards in our industry such as the GSA 5850, APPA, or RS Means.  Each has their pros and cons, but regardless of which one you choose to meet your facility’s needs, these standards can significantly improve your internal procedures.

Your choice in CMMS should help you utilize the standards and procedures that ensure each employee is following the same set of instructions.  This would include things like frequencies of your preventive maintenance, scheduling, tools, instructions and the type of equipment readings you expect.

When you receive a Preventive Maintenance service notification from your CMMS, you will have the ability to print out all of the information related to that service.  This saves you the time and effort of looking in a spreadsheet or manual for the service instructions, tools and other information.

As a Facility Manager, you can also rest easy knowing that your employees have everything they need to complete their task.   A good CMMS will assist your facility with the best return on investment for the equipment purchased.

Sep 22

Go Green with Paperless Facility Management

Reducing paper consumption has gained in priority for many facilities trying to improve their “Green” initiatives.  One effective way to “Go Green” in your facility operations is to go paperless.

Mobile technology, such as cell phones or “Smart Phones”, can mean no more hand written inspection forms or work order “tickets”.  Mobile technology used by today’s Preventive Maintenance Software and Cleaning Business Software reduces the duplication of effort and improves work quality.  This provides more immediate access to information and helps your managers spend more time creating solutions instead of charts.

Tracking work performance can be updated in real time and Client Requests can be sent to supervisors in the field so clients can be taken care of immediately.  Failed inspections results also get sent to supervisors automatically.  This makes corrective action response time a lot faster, which makes clients a lot happier.

Sep 18

Why Use Preventive Maintenance Software?

Preventive Maintenance Software packages are designed to help you manage the maintenance of your facilities, buildings assets and equipment.  Using preventive maintenance software allows you to improve daily and long-term maintenance operations.

Optimal ROI is achieved when your assets are running properly.  Preventive Maintenance Software programs increase productivity through work scheduling and performance monitoring.  This reduces repair costs and production downtime, providing consistent performance of critical assets.

Preventive Maintenance Software can help reveal potential breakdowns before they happen so they can be prevented and also helps to record all essential information such as purchase dates, service contracts and dates for equipment replacement.  Inventory Control tracks all tools and assets necessary to achieve high performance levels.

Basic functionality will include automated work orders, scheduling preventive maintenance, tracking assets and creating purchase orders. Other features include using hand-held pda devices as well as barcode scanning.

Preventive Maintenance Software will improve customer satisfaction and increase production capabilities within your organization.

Sep 03

What is Green Cleaning?

As the buzz words ‘Green Cleaning’ are receiving more and more attention, we thought it would be beneficial to stop and see what all the hype is about.

What is Green Cleaning?  It is simply a growing trend, using methods and products that are environmentally friendly.  Chemicals and ingredients used in green cleaning help preserve the quality of human health and the environment, avoiding the use of chemically-reactive and toxic ingredients.   These products may have various toxic chemicals that emit volatile organic compounds that can cause respiratory and dermatological problems among other adverse effects.

As we learn more about the harmful effects of these toxic chemicals, the commercial green cleaning industry and need for LEED compliance and green-based buildings is growing rapidly.  Utilizing tools like Janitorial Management Software to track utilization and provide new work instructions, companies are providing efficient, eco-friendly products and services to their customers.

Green cleaning also describes the way cleaning products are manufactured, packaged and distributed.  When the manufacturing process is environmentally-friendly and the products are biodegradable, then the terms “green” or “eco-friendly” are used.

Maximizing recycling initiatives, while reducing water & electricity consumption through proven techniques helps save time, money and energy.  Green Cleaning is an exciting way we can help preserve the earth for future generations to come!