Facilities Management - News

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BLS shows unemployment pervasive

WASHINGTON, D.C.—In 2010, 12.4% of families included an unemployed person, up from 12% in 2009, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports. The proportion of families with an unemployed member in 2010 was at its highest level since the data series began in 1994. Of the nation's 78.2 million families, 80% had at least one employed member in 2010, down from 80.4% in 2009. For more information, see www.bls.gov

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Data-driven metrics helps

ATLANTA—Guidance to specifying engineers and designers on how they can use building data to improve building operations, energy efficiency, comfort and sustainability will be developed through newly funded research from ASHRAE.

Research Project 1633, “Data and Interfaces for Advanced Building Maintenance and Operation,” will result in development of a set of standard data-driven metrics, interfaces and dashboards for advanced building operation and management.

For more information, see www.ashrae.org

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People would use external defibrillators

WASHINGTON, D.C.—A Dutch study published online in Annals of Emergency Medicine reports that less than half (47%) of people in a public place with access to an automatic external defibrillator would be willing to use it, with more than half (53%) unable even to recognize one ("Public Access Defibrillation: Time to Access the Public").

Just over one-third (34%) of participants stated that anyone is allowed to use an AED, with nearly half (49%) believing only trained personnel may use it.  The most frequently mentioned reason given for not using an AED was not knowing how it works (69%), following by fear of harming the victim (14%).  Only 6% of study participants spontaneously mentioned AEDs in response to a question about what should be done as quickly as possible for someone suspected of being in cardiac arrest.

For more information, see www.annemergmed.com

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Small businesses hire new workers

PRINCETON, N.J.—Half of small-business owners (51%) who employ people other than themselves hired new workers in 2010, according to the Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index survey.

However, of these, 42% hired fewer new employees than they needed—likely a major reason job growth was so anemic last year. Of course, an additional factor is that 48% of small businesses with more than one employee did not make any new hires in 2010.

For more information, see www.gallup.com

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