Perhaps most critical, but certainly not most important, is a feature on choosing strategies to prevent hospital acquired infections. Based on recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control, it offers environmental infection-control strategies and engineering controls to prevent and reduce the incidence of health-care associated infections. With more than 100,000 people a year dying from infections they’ve acquired in hospitals, the importance of such information cannot be overstated.

In the Industry News pages, you’ll also find strategies for preventing lead poisoning in children, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and a case being made for green building as a driver of environmental, social, and economic improvement in North America.

“While there has been a dramatic decrease over the last two decades in the number of children affected by lead-poisoning, there is more work to be done, and the EPA is continuing its efforts to take on this preventable disease. New rules “require contractors to be trained, and to follow simple but effective safe work practices to protect children from dangerous levels of lead.”

Exposure to lead can result in health concerns for both children and adults. Though it was banned in 1978, the new rule requires workers to follow lead-safe work practices to reduce potential exposure to dangerous levels of lead during renovation and repair activities.

Though not slated to take effect until 2010, the EPA will conduct an extensive education and outreach campaign to promote awareness and foster adoption of the new measures.

In other EPA news, BOMA International has been recognized with a 2008 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year award for Excellence in Program Delivery for its outstanding contributions to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by promoting energy management in commercial buildings.

Buildings are the largest source of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, accounting for 39 percent of such emissions in the U.S.

Green buildings, however, can reduce CO2 emissions by 40 percent as compared to conventional buildings. Green buildings also conserve water, improve human health, increase productivity, and cost less to maintain and operate, making them a highly cost-effective way to immediately make dramatic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

BOMA International is being honored for helping building owners and managers reduce energy use by promoting energy management practices through the BOMA Energy Efficiency Program (BEEP), an operational excellence program that teaches commercial real estate professionals how to reduce energy consumption and costs with proven no- and low-cost strategies.

“Partners such as BOMA International are raising the bar for energy efficiency, teaching customers that their decisions can make a difference,” said Robert J. Meyers, principal deputy assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Air & Radiation. “BOMA International is doing an excellent job to transform the market for energy-efficient products, services and programs that help Americans save money and protect our environment.”

This is reinforced by a report from the Secretariat of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), a Montreal think tank that says, continually improving how we locate, design, build, operate, and retrofit buildings can significantly improve the wellbeing of North America.

Substantial research supports the health and productivity benefits of green features, such as day-lighting, increased natural air ventilation and moisture reduction, the use of low-emitting floor carpets, glues, paints and other interior finishes and furnishings.

In the United States, the annual cost of building-related sickness is estimated to be $58 billion.

Hopefully, you’ll find information on the following pages that will help reduce these costs, in both money and heath.

Thanks and good luck.