Every time I visit a washroom, it’s interesting to see whether they have paper towels or hand dryers. This is because I’m interested in the benefits and drawbacks of each as well as whether I’ll end up with dry hands when I’m done.
Personal preferences aside, there is a lot of debate about this issue and even a lot of somewhat conflicting research and studies.
It seems to come down to three different decision factors: Operational, Health & Safety and Environment. Each of these things may drive your decision and it may not be the same as your colleague. Making the best decision for your situation is the goal and we’ve compiled some information that will make your decision a little easier. The real problem is that it depends on what your goals are and what ‘research’ and opinions you listen to. And I haven’t seen one definitive source. I’ve included a list of resources at the end of this article.

I had the privilege of speaking at The Facilities Show in May. My seminar is based on a cover article I wrote for Building Operations Management Magazine called ‘Sparring Partners’ (email me for a copy of the article) and focused on the 3 ways we fail to develop a strong partnership with our service providers and what has to change in how we procure services, structure contracts and financial models and manage performance.
Recently, I was invited to be on the panel at the opening session of
I learned about the Middle East Facility Management Association (





