Beyond ASTM Phase 1: Do You Need the Protection of a More Robust Environmental Site Assessment?

  |  July 16, 2019

Purchasing or leasing a commercial property is a big decision, and you deserve to have a clear understanding of exactly what you’re buying. While your bank will require you to conduct an ASTM Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) to identify environmental issues associated with your new facility, this evaluation may not be comprehensive enough....
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Earning the LEED IAQ Credit – Building Flush-out or IAQ Testing?

  |  July 15, 2019

Building flush-out or IAQ testing? This is the question many project teams ask when trying to determine how to successfully achieve the LEED IAQ credit under Version 4. In this post we’ll take a look at the key requirements and the pros and cons of these two options.   LEED v.4 IAQ Assessment Overview Leadership...
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The Importance of Tabletop Exercises — and How to Do Them Properly

  |  June 4, 2019

If your biotechnology organization has a thoroughly developed business continuity plan or crisis management plan, you might think you’re well prepared for the unexpected. However, how can you really know your plan will work? While there’s no foolproof way to ensure your research facility or commercial laboratory is 100 percent safe from vulnerabilities and disaster...
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Safe Removal of Mercury-Containing Flooring in School Gyms

  |  May 21, 2019

Products such as thermometers, thermostats, fluorescent light bulbs, and some electrical switches have long been known as potential sources of mercury. In recent years another mercury-containing product – polyurethane flooring – has garnered public attention and concern. Some polyurethane or rubber-like floorings manufactured from 1960 to 1980 contained mercuric acetate. These floors are most often...
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Why Your College or University EH&S Program Needs a Gap Assessment

and   |  April 16, 2019

Colleges and universities face a wide-range of occupational health and safety risks and environmental compliance challenges. With so many institutional operations and changes, it’s all too easy for even the most carefully developed environmental health and safety (EH&S) programs to become out of date and out of compliance, creating potentially dangerous and costly gaps. These...
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Mold and Moisture Control During Construction

  |  March 22, 2019

Water use is an integral component of every construction project, and the focus should be on how to prevent it from impacting porous and finished building materials and affecting systems performance. There are three key phases common to all construction projects during which moisture and mold issues are most likely to occur: Transport and storage...
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8 Common Myths and Misconceptions About Commissioning a New Building

  |  February 27, 2019

The commissioning process is an opportunity for building owners to verify that their newly completed building was designed, constructed and delivered as promised. Most often performed by a third party, commissioning provides quality assurance that building owners are receiving exactly what they paid for. This is especially important because once the building is delivered and...
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Clinical Laboratories: Using BSL-2 Plus When Working with Pathogens Transmitted via Inhalation

  |  February 1, 2019

Clinical laboratories, such as public health or academic labs, commonly conduct procedures involving pathogens that are infectious via inhalation. These pathogens present a significant risk because in addition to getting the individual working with them sick, it can then be quickly transmitted to others. To prevent infection, it is recommended that such work be conducted...
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