Tag Archive for: why hdpe

Important Facility Management Goals and Objectives for Facilities of All Types

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Managing a facility isn’t the easiest job in the world because there are many responsibilities involved. Whether your facility is a school, gym, or office building, it’s important to take note of issues and objectives so all your occupants are happy. Here are a few important facility management goals and objectives that are suitable for all types of facilities.

Communication with Stakeholders and Occupants

To set facility management goals, it’s crucial to keep an open line of dialogue with stakeholders and occupants to ensure that everything is running as smoothly as possible. Open communication allows you to learn how the facility is perceived daily, along with some recommendations to make the facility a more comfortable environment. Design a system where occupants can easily send in their opinions and recommendations so you can ensure that all occupants are comfortable and happy with their surroundings.

Provide a Safe and Healthy Environment

It’s important to include potential health risks in your facility management goals to contain and correct these risks in your facility. Bathrooms are good areas to keep up with for cleanliness. It’s a room that’s visited by all, so make it as pleasant as possible by keeping it stocked with plenty of toiletries and air fresheners.

Because moisture is a common occurrence in bathrooms, be aware of any mold growth. Inspect the stalls to make sure they’re free of mold. However, depending on the material, it may already be too late. Invest in some high-density polyethylene (HDPE) stalls to not only prevent mold growth but because HDPE plastic doesn’t require any repainting or touch-ups, no harmful VOC emissions reduce the quality of your air. HDPE materials are even resistant to scratches, dents, and graffiti. They’re also more durable than most plastics, so they’ll last much longer.

Be Mindful of Deficiencies

As a facility manager, it’s important to notice any issues or deficiencies within your facility. It’s always good to perform a routine check every three to six months to make sure everything is in working order. Not only will this be effective in keeping everything running smoothly, but you’ll be able to spot any mechanical issues that could become more severe if left unchecked. Including preventative maintenance in your facility management goals is a more cost-effective alternative than a full repair or replacement.

Improve and Endorse Energy Efficiency

Taking steps to make your facility more energy efficient is important. Review the data on your facility’s gas, electricity, and water expenses to find out what’s costing the most and how you can reduce wasted energy. If you have room in the facility budget, invest in some energy-efficient light bulbs and give your building equipment a tune-up. Inspect for any leaks and seal them to prevent further energy waste.

Want to learn more about the many ways you can improve the air quality and energy efficiency of your facility? Download our eBook, Sustainable Building Products: How to Make Your Facility Eco-Friendly from Top to Bottom today.

Restroom Requirements for Commercial Buildings

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Whether you’re the proud manager of a commercial facility, or you’re in the process of designing your building, there are a lot of legal requirements that you need to adhere to for the benefit of the facility’s occupants. More importantly, your facility’s restrooms need to meet certain standards involving architectural planning and health code standards. Here are a few tips to help you meet these OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) specific requirements for commercial buildings that ensure your occupants can have a safe and sanitary restroom.

Planning Your Toilet Facilities

When you’re planning your facility’s restrooms, there’s a lot that you need to factor into the designs. It’s always best to have an idea of how many employees or occupants are going to be in the facility on a daily basis. Generally, 1-15 occupants legally require at least one toilet per each gender-designated restroom. If the occupancy is between 36 and 55 individuals, then that number jumps to three toilets per restroom.

While many people enjoy the single occupant restroom, it can cause frustration and complaints, so if you’re planning your facility from the ground up, a multiple occupant restroom should be heavily considered. If you expect a possible influx of occupants due to company growth, choosing a multi-toilet and urinal restroom is a wise choice. Make sure to include a designated handicapped stall to be ADA compliant.

Ensuring Occupant Privacy

Relieving oneself is a private matter, so taking the necessary steps to ensure privacy is important. Single-toilet restrooms should have a door that can be locked from the inside. Multiple-toilet restrooms should feature stalls and partitions that provide the necessary privacy. Non-ADA stalls should be at least 60 inches in width and a minimum of 55 inches high, but not limited to 72 inches in height.

Sanitation Standards

Hand washing stations are also a requirement in your restroom. Signs indicating the requirement to wash hands can be helpful in reducing health risks of spreading germs and infections. For a multi-toilet restroom, more than one hand washing station should be made available to the occupants. Soap dispensers should be checked sporadically throughout the day and refilled if necessary.

A thorough cleaning should be conducted daily to ensure that any germs or bacteria are eradicated. It’s imperative to combat mold growth because it can reduce the air quality and result in respiratory issues for the occupants. Due to the constant exposure to moisture and humidity, various restroom components can actually harbor mold growth.

Whether mold has already sprouted inside your stalls, partitions, or vanities, or you’re simply looking for preventative measures, there have been great results with the implementation of HDPE (high-density polyethylene) solid plastic materials. Not only are HDPE materials impervious to mold growth, they’re also impact-, dent-, and graffiti-resistant. Due to their solid construction and homogenous coloring, they don’t require repainting. These low-maintenance stalls can actually help you keep your air quality in good standing while providing the utmost privacy and security for your occupants while they’re using the restroom.

 

Following these guidelines will help ensure that your restroom is OSHA and ADA compliant. If you’d like to learn more about designing your restroom, or the best materials to use, download the Restroom Design for Commercial Facilities or Choosing Bathroom Materials eBooks, courtesy of Scranton Products.

5 Types of Locker Materials Compared

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Designing a facility and choosing the right materials is never an easy process. There are a lot of factors to be considered before ultimately deciding on the materials. This is especially important when it comes to choosing your facility’s lockers and storage compartments. Choosing the wrong material can be costly due to the poor quality or the overall weakness of the material.

Here are five different types of locker materials and how they compare.

Metal Lockers

Metal Lockers, or more specifically, cold-rolled steel, have been the standard for high schools for generations. They’re easily paintable to choose the optimal color for your facility’s décor, and they’re strong and reliable. But while metal lockers are widely popular and very common, it doesn’t mean that they’re the best choice for your facility.

The sad truth is that metal lockers appear to be a great option on the surface. However, down the road, they can be a costly choice. The metal can easily dent and scratch, and if located near a water source, they can even rust. The maintenance alone can outweigh the cost of the lockers. Not to mention, the sound of these lockers opening and closing isn’t the easiest on the ears.

Phenolic Lockers

Phenolic plastic lockers have proven to have their advantages when put to the test against metal in that they’re a little more durable and easier to clean. However, most phenolic plastic features a kraft paper core that’s susceptible to mold growth. Once the interior is compromised, a costly replacement is required.

Wood Lockers

Nothing beats the rustic aesthetic of wood. This material has been utilized for centuries and is still widely used today. But when it comes to locker materials, wood doesn’t rank high on the list of quality. Of course, wood has its classic appearance, but unfortunately, man-made products outweigh wood in durability. Wood can chip, or worse, become water logged. In order to prevent the wear and tear, it’s best to avoid wood altogether when it comes to locker materials.

Laminate Lockers

Laminate is one of the stronger materials in this list because it’s proven itself to be more durable than metal and wood. It doesn’t dent like metal or become water logged like wood. However, depending on their location, it can delaminate and become susceptible to a variety of wear and tear. In that case, maintenance and repairs can become costly.

HDPE Plastic Lockers

HDPE (high-density polyethylene) is a solid plastic that’s highly durable. It’s impact-, dent-, scratch-, and graffiti-resistant. Due to the solid plastic construction, it can even resist mold growth. Another huge item in the pros column is that this material features a homogenous color that doesn’t require any repainting, making this one of the more sustainable and low-maintenance materials available.

The choice of locker materials in your facility is entirely your call. However, you know the benefits and drawbacks of each of these materials, so make your choice wisely.

Would you like to learn more about the benefits of choosing HDPE lockers? Check out this free eBook, The Ultimate Guide to HDPE Plastic Lockers, courtesy of Scranton Products.