Key takeaways:
We are currently seeking facility managers and FM technicians to participate in professional interviews. Our goal is to develop a practical framework that owners and designers can use during programming to improve long-term safety. We are specifically interested in:
Interested professionals are encouraged to contact the authors at nicholas.tymvios@bucknell.edu or jake.smithwick@charlotte.edu to schedule a session.
The following is an explanation of the study.
The lifecycle of a constructed facility is characterized by a significant duration imbalance: while the planning, design, and construction phases are relatively brief, the occupancy phase typically accounts for more than 95 percent of a building’s total lifespan. Throughout this extended period, facility managers (FMs) and technicians are tasked with ensuring the structure functions correctly and efficiently through regular operations, maintenance and repair (OM&R) activities.
However, despite the occupancy phase dominating in terms of time and human activity, safety research and professional focus have historically prioritized the short-term construction phase, creating a critical gap in occupational safety and health (OSH) for the personnel responsible for a building’s longevity. To bridge this gap, researchers are increasingly advocating for the implementation of Prevention through Design (PtD), an initiative focused on eliminating hazards and minimizing risks to workers early in the design process, tailored specifically to the needs of the FM industry. By integrating facility management expertise into the earliest stages of a building’s conception, the industry can transition from a reactive safety model to a proactive one that safeguards workers for decades.
A review of OSHA incident summaries over a 10-year window (2014–2023) highlights the significant risks associated with two common maintenance touchpoints: skylights and HVAC systems.
In nearly every case, these incidents occurred while personnel were performing routine, essential tasks to maintain building operations. The data suggests that design decisions made years prior are primary contributors to these outcomes.
The reported numbers likely underrepresent the true scale of the problem due to current incident coding practices. OSHA categorizes incidents based on the employer’s North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code rather than the specific task performed. For example, a fall during a roof repair by a direct employee of a hospital is coded under “healthcare” rather than "construction" or "maintenance". This classification gap makes it difficult to accurately quantify maintenance injuries, secure funding for prevention or influence policy decisions.
Research reveals a persistent disconnect between design intent and operational serviceability. In a survey of 240 facility professionals, 65.8 percent reported the need for retroactive modifications after occupancy to address built-in safety hazards.
The ability to influence safety performance is at its peak during the earliest stages of a project. As a project progresses toward occupancy, the cost of making changes increases exponentially while the opportunity to eliminate hazards at the source diminishes. Once a building is completed, FMs are often restricted to lower-tier “hierarchy of controls” such as signage, administrative procedures or personal protective equipment (PPE), measures that are inherently less effective than elimination or engineering controls. Furthermore, because FM departments are often viewed as “cost centers”, spending on safety upgrades frequently conflicts with institutional mandates to minimize operational expenses.
The construction industry has long recognized the value of Prevention through Design (PtD), and it is time to apply these principles to the OM&R phase. The objective is to design hazards before they become a technician’s daily reality. This requires integrating FM expertise into the design review process to provide “operational intelligence” that designers may not possess.
Practical examples of PtD for maintenance include:
The buildings we maintain often outlast the teams that designed them. As systems become increasingly complex, with the integration of photovoltaics, battery storage and EV infrastructure, the hazards will only grow in sophistication. The personnel responsible for the longevity of these structures deserve a seat at the table when the decisions that define their daily safety are made.
About the authors: Nicholas Tymvios, PhD, is an Associate Professor at Bucknell University. Jake Smithwick, PhD, FMP, is an Associate Professor at UNC Charlotte. Their research focuses on occupational safety in facility operations, maintenance and repair.
