Cleaning tools cart wait for maid or cleaner in the hospital. Bucket and set of cleaning equipment in the hospital. Concept of service, worker and equipment for cleaner and health

Eliminating biofilm from your health care facility

March 27, 2019

Biofilms—the scourge of healthcare facilities everywhere—are colonies of microorganisms that form protective coatings for microbes. Biofilms shield these microbes from heat, ultraviolet light, cold, disinfectant chemicals, and antibacterial drugs—all the things health care facilities use in their ongoing efforts to …

Categorized: Buildings, Cleaning, Environmental, Health Care Facilities

Meeting table/desk top view, businessman talking about business plan, progress report for business work, financial report, status, tablet, coffee, on the table, discussing with colleague at office

Define Success of Next Project with a Well-Written SOW

March 20, 2019

A Scope of Work (SOW) is a formal agreement between a service provider and the customer. It specifies all the criteria of a contract, detailing exactly what is expected of the vendor, and giving direction and purpose to every facet …

Categorized: Facilities Management, Professionalism

SCAM CONCEPT

The Top Cyber Scams of 2019

March 13, 2019

We’ve written about cyber scams before, but criminals are always trying out new approaches in their tireless effort to trick their way into our computer systems and bank accounts. While consumers have become savvier about cyber scams, people are also …

Categorized: Facilities Management, Information Management

Portable electric generator running in the cold winter.

How to Safely Use Portable Generators

March 6, 2019

Even though spring is around the corner, March is the snowiest month of the year for many locations in the US. A bad snowstorm can often lead to loss of power that could lead to rise in the use of …

Categorized: Emergency Preparedeness, Environmental

Businesspeople walking down office staircase

Categorized: Facilities Management, Professionalism

Seismograph with paper in action and earthquake - 3D Rendering

Categorized: Buildings, Disaster Preparedness, Emergency Preparedeness, Facilities Management

Woman exterminator in work wear spraying pesticide or insecticide with sprayer

Bed bugs at work!

February 13, 2019

Your facility may seem like an unlikely place for a bed bug infestation. After all, the top three places where bed bugs are found are single-family homes, apartments, and hotels. However, these nocturnal critters are master hitchhikers—they attach to luggage, …

Categorized: Buildings, Facilities Management, Maintenance

Back view business woman raising hand for asking speaker for question and answer concept in meeting room for seminar

Wrong thinking may lead to the right solution

February 6, 2019

At Vanguard Resources, we’re just as interested in the “manager” portion of the Facility Manager title as we are in the “facility” part. One thing any manager has to deal with at some point in their job is to come …

Categorized: Facilities Management, Professionalism

View of approaching rain storm, rainy clouds over the city, poor weather forecast. Malaysia, Cyberjaya. Tropical cyclone in asia.

Eco-friendly Roofing Options, Part Two: Blue Roofs

January 29, 2019

Last week we covered the benefits of green roofs; this week we’re going to focus on blue. The idea behind a blue roof is similar to a retention pond—except that the pond in question is on your roof. Also known …

Categorized: Buildings, Energy Efficiency, Environmental, Facilities Management, Maintenance, Sustainaibility

A portion of the new Vancouver Convention Center environmentally friendly, lush, 6 acre green roof.

Eco-friendly Roofing Options, Part One: Green Roofs

January 23, 2019

Vegetative, or green, roofs have been around for years, and have long offered promises of energy savings, reductions in storm-water runoff, beautification, and LEED points. However, many facilities have hesitation going green. This is partially due to fear of the …

Categorized: Buildings, Energy Efficiency, Environmental, Facilities Management