Facilities Services Weekly

Announcements

Football Training Dates Announced

Go ahead and mark your calendars to attend one session of football training if you work to support game days. Please note the location change from the FSC to the SU for the first shift sessions. Email [email protected] to sign up for the session of your choosing. 

Wednesday, August 26 Times/Locations 
0830 – SU 362A/B 
1000 – SU 362A/B 
1400 – SU 362A/B 
1700 – FSC 101/102 
2200 – FSC 101/102 

Thursday, August 27 Times/Locations 
1030 – SU 362A/B 
1400 – SU 362A/B 

FS Wellness Fair

Mark your calendars for our 2026 Facilities Services Wellness Fair on Thursday, August 20th from 11a to 2p in FSC 101/102. Vendors will be on site for personal training, spiritual wellness, information on MedSpa services and nutrition, and more! Come and go as your schedule allows. Questions? Reach out to [email protected].

Quarterly Departmental Meeting 

Our next Quarterly Departmental Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, August 13th at 4 p.m. Go ahead and mark your calendars now. If you have questions you’d like to submit for consideration, please send them to Sam at [email protected] or to Mike Brady.

Building Services

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• No report received

Operations

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Moving & Event Services

• No report received

Sustainability

Grow Lab:

• What improved last week?
  • Ella D. Was a guest speaker / taught a compost activity @ UT Gardens Plant to Plate summer camp, educating 28 kids and 4 counselors.  The new Operations Specialist, Michael Lay, started at the Compost Facility last week. The Grow Lab Increased volunteer participation in Garden Workdays. Assistance given to SPEAK garden for continued need of weed removal. Many more crops harvested from Grow lab and SPEAK garden .  
• What declined last week?
  • At the Grow Lab, the No Mow Pollinator Slope was partially mowed by a private landscaping company. Some of our native pollinator plants were mowed down before the company could be corrected.  
• Where is attention needed this week?
  • The Grow lab is continuing work on invasives removal on pollinator slope with challenge of removing invasive species while trying to control erosion on slope with removing said invasive as well as erosion caused by climbing on the slope to get to the plants that need removed.

Recycling:

• What improved last week? 
  • Another full tractor-trailer load of OCC cardboard was successfully shipped, continuing strong commodity recovery and landfill diversion efforts. 
  • Recycling collection routes remained on schedule with no major service disruptions. 
  • Commodity recovery remained strong across multiple material streams, supporting both sustainability goals and recycling revenue. 
• What declined last week? 
  • Seasonal fluctuations in campus occupancy continue to affect the generation of some recyclable materials. 
  • Staffing capacity remains a constraint for expanding proactive recycling outreach and special collection services while maintaining daily operations. 
• Where is attention needed this week? 
  • Continued preparation for increased campus activity and higher waste volumes as the fall semester approaches. 
  • Monitoring recycling contamination to maintain commodity quality and maximize rebate values. 
  • Continued planning for equipment upgrades and operational improvements that increase diversion and collection efficiency. 
• What changes are happening this week? 
  • Continued coordination for fleet modernization and sustainability initiatives. 
  • Ongoing evaluation of operational technology and equipment improvements to support long-term recycling and diversion goals. 
  • Planning efforts continue for future automation and infrastructure enhancements within the Office of Recycling. 
• Key Metrics 
  • Old Corrugated Cardboard (OCC):  38,500 lbs (19.25 tons) shipped. 
  • Mixed Paper: 7,860 lbs (3.93 tons) shipped. 
  • Mixed Plastics: 2,450 lbs (1.23 tons) shipped. 
  • Total Recyclables Marketed: 48,810 lbs (24.41 tons). 

Maintenance & Repair

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Housing

What was accomplished? 

• Making our last push before the students come in this weekend.  

Athletics

What’s Improved?

• HVAC, at TBA was improved for the last show temps were regulated nicely.  
• HVAC, at Pratt Pavilion improved with ERU repairs.  
• New RGBA Lighting installed at Regal Soccer. 

What’s Declined?  

• Nothing declined.

This Week’s Attention? 

• Preparation for upcoming football season. 
• Preparation for upcoming events all over zone.  
• Preparation for camps at Lindsey Nelson.  
• Preparation for a rental swim meet at Allan Jones.  

What Changes Are Happening This Week? 

•  No changes happening.

Dining

What’s Improved?

• At RTD – Cleared extractor fault and drain, replaced POD walk-in freezer compressor, investigate BCX oven not steaming issue, repaired pulper drain handle, repaired Salvajor food processor, fixed dishwasher drain problem, replaced hood lights. 
• At Stokely – Rodded floor drains, restarted ice makers, replaced steamer burner assembly and steam valve, repaired 3-compartment sink faucets and sprayers, replaced POD freezer coil heaters, repaired main walk-in cooler in basement. 
• At Student Union – Repaired Rational oven, cleaned and re-applied caulk around hot wells, replaced wall receptacles, repaired CFA walk-in freezer door, repaired sinks in Choolah, repaired BOG ice makers, chargrill thermopile and gas tubing replacement. 
• At Mables – Replacing dishwasher pump seal, gaskets and o-ring – complete rebuilt 
• At Vol. Hall – Complete PM on AAON make-up air unit, new belt, filters, cleaned coils, greased bearings. 

What’s Declined?  

• No noticeable decline observed.

This Week’s Attention? 

• Making sure all equipment gets necessary attention before opening.

What Changes Are Happening This Week? 

• No changes at this point.

Zone 4

• No report received

Zone 5

• No report received

Zone 6

What was accomplished? 

• Last week we worked on pulling strainers at Mossman and cleaning gutters at Claxton.  

What’s getting attention this week?

• This week we are dealing with condensation issues at Hoskins library and pulling More strainers at Mossman. 

Zone 7

• No report received

Zone 8

What declined last week?  

• Our chill water loop from the Plant Biotech is having issues, especially in the Animal Science and Food Science buildings.  We also had a power flicker that caused many different issues in several buildings.

Where is attention needed this week?  

• We will work with our AC shop to try to improve our chill water situation on the Plant Biotech loop.  We also continue to work through many controls issues with drives after last weeks power flicker.

What changes are happening this week? 

• We will continue to prepare as Fall semester ’26 rapidly approaches.

Building HVAC

What improved last week? 

• SERF AHU-4.  

What declined last week?

• nothing

Where is attention needed this week?

• SERF, Student Aquatics, Brenda Lawson, Arena, Stadium. 

What changes are happening this week?

• Coil replacements, CHW coil repairs, split system installs, VRF system repairs, water leak repairs, and refrigerant system repairs. 

Any critical repairs or outages that were addressed?

•  SERF AHU-4, Claxton AHU-104, Arena AHU-3. 

Building Electrical

What improved last week?

• Serf new power feeds for labs and implementing a plan for Nielsen Physics Temp AC power.

What declined last week?

• Working on campus with standard pole lights that are out. 

Where is attention needed this week?

• Completing Serf power drops and power for the new furnace.

What changes are happening this week? 

• Dividing teams so we can have extra tech working on newer work orders. 

Any critical repairs or outages that were addressed?

•  Planning the power feeds for the Temp AC for Neilsen Physics. 

Building Plumbing

What improved last week?

• Teamwork and successful completion of jobs. 

What declined last week?

•  Insufficient staffing. The team is actively working to fill open positions, focusing on hiring experienced candidates and prioritizing critical senior roles.

Where is attention needed this week?

•  Fulfilling vacant positions with experienced candidates.  

What changes are happening this week? 

• No changes.

Any critical repairs or outages that were addressed?

• A water outage at Hoskins Library was addressed. 

Lock & Key Services 

What improved last week?

• The cores and Keys have been installed and delivered to housing for Torch Bearer 

What declined last week?

• Overall work order count declined due to prioritizing campus move in and rekey requests.

Where is attention needed this week?

• Prioritized work order flow to catch up on Lock and Key maintained needs of the campus. 

What changes are happening this week? 

• No major changes happening this week.   

Comm & Info

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WOM & IT

What was implemented or improved last week? 

• Work Order Management and Building Services are compiling a database of spill kit locations for easy access to FS and Emergency Management staff 

Calls for service last week: 

• WOM processed 245 requests for service last week. 
• FS IT processed 120 requests for service last week. 

Where is attention needed this week?

• FSShare is scheduled for retirement this Friday, August 7^th. 

Training

What did we learn last week? 

• 34 people, or 5% of the department, attended Tech Week sessions last week!  We had 17 different sessions over the course of the week, and the best attended session was The Student Union’s Geekiest Corner – The VolTech presentation by David Alcorn. Thank you to everyone who came to hear our campus partner speak on the benefits of buying your tech from them. If you enjoyed TechWeek, please take a moment to thank Angelina, Beth, and Hope for the work they did to put on a wonderful event. We hope to see you back again next year, with more friends and coworkers, to learn about technology!  

What challenge can training help us solve? 

• With KUB Natural Gas Leak Detection and Football training coming up, we can help get you ready for all the different requirements of your job. Please let us know what job skills your teams need to gain proficiency in so we can assist in finding the appropriate training resources.  

What do employees need to know this week? 

• This week you can participate in KUB Natural Gas Leak Detection training! Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, from 8:30 to 10:30 at the KUB Middlebrook Pike Campus. Interested in signing up? Let us know at [email protected].  

What best practice should we share across teams? 

•  Do you have an onboarding practice you use for your new hires that you think others in the department should also use? If so, let us know! We’d love to help share the things that work well with everyone. 

Utilities & Energy

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A/C Utilities

• What improved last week?
  • Replaced 40 hp cooling tower motor at Music 
  •  Repaired Magnolia/Dogwood cooling towers 
  • Conference Center – installed isolation valves for new chiller installation 
  • Plant Bio – rebuilt condenser water pump no. 3 
  • TBA – installed 60 hp motor and VFD 0n ahu. No. 8 
  • Strong – installed control board on chiller no. 1 
• What declined last week?
  • Humanities – cooling tower fan assembly failure 
  • Mossman – chiller no.1 failed I/O board 
• Where is attention needed this week?
  • Mossman – chiller repair 
  • Campus chiller plants and cooling towers 
  • SMC – heating water pump motor installation 

Electrical – High Voltage Utilities

• No report received

Plumbing Utilities

• What improved last week? 
  • The team successfully completed all work at the Humanities building while also attending a training class. The SERF gas line project has been completed, and work has begun on the shed located up the hill. 
• What declined last week?
  •  Nothing has declined. The team continues to work diligently to stay on top of work orders. Overall, teamwork remains strong, and collaboration has been excellent. 
• Where is attention needed this week?
  • Install the cleanout and cover at the Arena, install the water meter at the Arena, and prepare the trailers for the Sorority project.
• What changes are happening this week?
  • Staying on top of work orders and completing jobs efficiently and promptly. 
• Any critical repairs or outages that were addressed?
  • Hess Hall, Min Kao, and Hodges Library.

Steam Plant

• What improved last week?
  • Continued work with contractors on new boiler installation. Addressed packing issue on DA tank drain valve. Cleaned / replace air filters on air compressor. Cleaned and replaced condensate strainer. Replaced pressure regulators on softeners. Repaired valves for brine draw on water softeners.
• Where is attention needed this week? 
  • Will work on cleanup and improvement projects around the plant. Working on leak on hdpe piping and air regulator for on control valve for DA over flow  
• What changes are happening this week?
  • Working on any issues that arise and working with contractors on the new boiler. 
• Any critical repairs or outages that were addressed?
  • Repair on hdpe piping

Building Automation Systems

• What improved last week?  
  • Graphics alterations and programming issues at SMC. 
  • Mossman Phoenix Hoods 
• What declined last week?  
  • Old Invensys systems. 
  • Mossman Labs Strobic SP low 
  • TBA Air Handlers 

• Where is attention needed this week?  
  • Prep for students returning 
  • Meter repairs at Neyland 
  • A&A work orders 
  • Parking and Transit’s office HVAC control repairs. 

• What changes are happening this week?  
  • Hesler Phoenix valve issues are being addressed. 
  • Mossman Lab heating issues 
  • Monthly Meter Readings 
• Any critical repairs or outages that were addressed?
  • SMC NAE repaired 
  • Fume hoods at SERF and Mossman Repaired 
  • Stokely Family Residence Hall issues on 7^th floor. 
  • Andy Holt Tower’s cooling issues 

Electrical Control and Fire Alarms

• What improved last week?
  • Finishing up Fire alarm and sprinkler testing before classes start back  

• What declined last week? 
  • Batteries and smoke detector issues 

• Where is attention needed this week? 
  • Assisting contractors with fire alarm and sprinkler testing 
  • Continue working on leak detection at IAMM 
  • Traffic signal install at Volunteer and Pedestrian walkway 

• What changes are happening this week?
  • New Traffic signal cabinet 

• Any critical repairs or outages that were addressed? 
  • Correcting Deficiencies at multiple buildings. 

Commissioning

• No report received

Chemical Treatment

• What improved last week?
  • Housing Closed Loop system health, equipment installs for TBA, SERF 

• What declined last week? 
  • Not declined more than it already is, but Nursing loop is being opened to Claxton chilled loop 

• Where is attention needed this week? 
  • Chill water closed loops for TBA, Claxton, and SERF  

• What changes are happening this week?
  • Ability to feed chemicals into buildings that need it. As well as extra makeup water capacity in Claxton loop to prevent “drying” out the system. JARTU cooling tower monitoring/feeding install  

• Any critical repairs or outages that were addressed? 
  •  Claxton 

In-house Construction

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• New projects received: 5
• New estimate requests received:  5
• Construction Projects of Note:
  • Wrapping up these projects before the arrival of students: 
    • Stokely Hall Dining Area refresh 
      • Replace soffit laminate over food wells, expand seating, lighting 
  • Classroom Renovations-Min Kao Engineering (8 rooms), Claxton Education Building (3 rooms) and Morgan Hall (1 room) 
    • Painting, carpeting, lighting, seating, sound panels and graphic 

Safety

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Safety at a Glance – July Review 

July’s Injury and Accident report 

Below is a summary of the on-the-job injuries and vehicle accidents reported during the month of July compared to the same period last year. As the data shows, the number of reported incidents has increased, with vehicle accidents seeing a significant rise. 

Type of Action	July 2026	July 2025
Reported Injuries	9	6
Reported Auto Accidents	6	2
Reported General Liability	0	0
Reported Near Misses	9	0
Reported Safety Concerns	2	0
Reported Safety Suggestions	1	0

As we continue preparing campus for the return of students and the start of the fall semester, it is important that we do not let the increased workload compromise safety. Please take a few extra moments before driving to walk around your vehicle, check your surroundings, and ensure your intended path is clear of people, equipment, or other obstacles that may not have been there when you parked. 

Every injury and accident is preventable. By staying alert, avoiding distractions, and taking the time to perform a quick safety check before starting work or operating a vehicle, we can help protect ourselves, our coworkers, and the campus community. Let’s make safety our priority as we finish the busy summer season strong. 

What Improved last Week? 

• A new ladder was installed on the pressure washing truck, providing safer and more secure access to the truck bed and reducing the risk of slips and falls. 

• Hazardous waste collection at Steam Plant Hill has been successfully completed, improving housekeeping and reducing potential environmental and safety hazards. 

• Utilities personnel enhanced their knowledge and skills in excavation and trench safety by attending specialized training, strengthening safe work practices and regulatory compliance in the field. 

What Declined last week? 

• Driving Safety: The number of vehicle accidents increased this month, highlighting the need to refocus on safe driving practices. Before moving your vehicle, take a moment to walk around it, check your mirrors, and be aware of pedestrians, equipment, and other obstacles. Eliminating distractions and remaining attentive while driving can help prevent unnecessary accidents. 

• Timely Incident Reporting: Please remember that all on-the-job injuries and vehicle accidents must be reported within 24 hours. Reporting requirements include notifying CorVel or the State, as applicable, and completing the Risk Management report in Origami. Prompt reporting ensures employees receive the appropriate care, allows investigations to begin while details are fresh, and helps us identify opportunities to prevent similar incidents in the future. 

Where is attention needed this week? 

• Hazardous Materials Management: Ensure all hazardous waste, universal waste, chemicals, and compressed gas cylinders are properly stored, labeled, handled, and disposed of in accordance with university policies and regulatory requirements. 

• Equipment Training: Employees who operate or may be required to operate an aerial lift or forklift must receive the appropriate training before use. If you or a member of your staff needs training, please contact Troy Soumeillan to schedule a session. 

What Changes are happening this week? 

Introducing the Facilities Services Near Miss Reporting System 

Have a near miss, safety concern, or safety suggestions? Let FS Safety know by scanning the QR code. 

A near miss is an unplanned event that could have resulted in an injury, illness, or property damage but did not. 

All reports are anonymous. Please provide a clear description of the issue and include the location (building and room number) so we can investigate and address it promptly. 

Safety is everyone’s responsibility. We know you’re busy, so we’ve made this reporting process quick and easy. Taking just a minute to help prevent the next incident.