MSite has launched a futuristic fingerprint reader to transform the site entry experience for construction workers. The company is the leading developer of access control and workforce management solutions in the UK. While most fingerprint readers on contemporary construction sites only have a red/green (stop/go) function and often malfunction due to dirt on hands, the new MSite fingerprint touch screen system from HRS combines a rugged, all-weather fingerprint sensor with an intuitive, interactive touch screen to revolutionise the access algorithm. Identification speed is specifically designed for the foibles and harsh environments of the construction industry and takes less than a second, while the MSite fingerprint touch system can match up to 10,000 fingerprint templates. It can also be reconfigured through the MSite website to ask users if they are entering or leaving the site before they finish the transaction. The touch screen system is the latest option to the market leading MSite portfolio and supports access control, time and attendance modes and accepts user input to confirm that they have received the safety messages before proceeding to the site. This is said to be of great health and safety benefit as it ensures that Health and Safety Directors get the latest procedural messages across to the workers on the ground. It even gives users feedback about why they may have been denied access, such as an expired accreditation. The system is available in multiple languages to cater for the construction industry’s diverse workforce as well as wall-mounted and desktop-free; and wireless, cable connected or via 3G/4G, and can be loaded with a main contractor’s bespoke questions. Simon Appleton, MSite’s Head of Product Design, commented: “The MSite touch screen represents a huge leap forward in the technology required to make fingerprint reading in the construction industry a quick and accurate event. “The touch screen element also adds a whole new dimension of interactivity between individuals arriving and leaving site and the management team.”

Building product manufacturing firm Alumasc has reported a record order book and a fifth successive year of profit growth. Alumasc generated a £92.2 million revenue for the year to June 30 2016, which was a 2% increase on last year’s figure of £90.3 million, while profit before tax increased by 59% to £7.7 million (from £4.8 million in 2015). The order book at the end of the financial year was £26.6 million. Throughout the year, Alumasc completed its strategic re-focusing on Premium Building Products, Systems & Solutions with the £4 million sale in June this year of its last remaining engineering business, Dyson Diecastings. All the company’s niche operations are now related to the building trade. Solar Shading & Screening revenue increased by 8% to £17.4 million, while operating profit rose by 3% to £1 million, with Levolux trading ahead of expectations. Roofing & Walling performed strongly although revenue was down 1% to £40.1m and operating profit down 11% to £4m reflecting the completion of the £12m Kitimat project in 2014/15 and government cuts to the Eco and Green Deal schemes. Otherwise, roofing sales remain good and following investment in new sales resources and products, walling is gaining traction in new build and beginning to develop new export markets in the Middle East. Revenue from Water Management increased by 2% to £27.6 million, while operating profit rose by 7% to £3.5 million, primarily driven by Alumsac Water Management Solutions. The Gatic engineered access covers business has recently won a number of significant projects, mainly for export markets. As part of growth plans, a lease on premises at Goole was signed in July 2016 and the new facility will be available for occupation in late 2017. Chief executive Paul Hooper said: “We believe all our businesses have significant growth opportunities because of their strategic positioning in growing market niches and international potential.”

Construction services firm J Tomlinson has moved its West Midlands office from Birmingham to a bigger facility near Sutton Coldfield. The move comes after expansion in the region on the back of a number of major contract triumphs. J Tomlinson Chief Executive, Mark Davis, said that J Tomlinson has worked in the West Midlands for a number of years, and on the back of a growing portfolio of projects and an increasing reputation in the region, opened an initial base in Birmingham last year. Davis continued: “Since then, as a result of further expansion, the company has outgrown the space and we are delighted to have opened a new headquarters at Canwell near Sutton Coldfield, which will allow us to continue to serve our existing clients and to work with additional public and private clients in the West Midlands as we continue to broaden our portfolio.” The company’s Construction Managing Director, Martin Gallagher, will head up the new office. J Tomlinson is based primarily in Nottingham and works throughout Yorkshire, the East Midlands and the West Midlands. Earlier this year, the company increased its turnover to £84 million from £54 million two years previously and now employs over 400 staff. The firm is working on a significant number of projects in the West Midlands, among which is the appointment to a four year framework contract by Warwickshire Police and West Mercia Police which is now part of a joint property vehicle with four other public sector bodies known as Place Partnerships, which cover minor building works, reactive repairs, maintenance and covering servicing. In 2015, the company secured a five year contract to replace bathrooms and kitchens in approximately 1,600 properties in Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Walsall, Stoke and Coventry for housing organisation Midland Heart, and has a gas servicing and repair contract with housing provider and social organisation Bromford, providing services to over 10,000 properties.

Construction companies are leading the way in the adoption of drone technology, with 17% of construction firms having used drone technology. An estimated half a million UK business use the technology for commercial purposes, which has contributed to a soar in profits. DronesDirect.co.uk, one of the UK’s leading drones e-tailers, conducted a study of 3,045 UK adults which showed that 586,430 Britons have used drones for commercial purposes. The study was published in the UK Drone Usage Report 2016. The construction industry is leading the way in adopting this type of technology, using drones to monitor projects and scope out work. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are being used in more and more commercial situations, including product delivery, landscape surveying and filming. Leading the uptake of their use is the media industry, with 63% of companies using the technology, most commonly for taking aerial photography or videography. Coming in second place for commercial drone usage were facilities management firms (39%), with Mitie recently unveiling plans to use drones for accessing problems such as pest control in high rise buildings. Oil and utilities firms are driving the uptake of commercial drones, with 34% of firms such as Shell and BP currently using UAVs to inspect off-shore pipelines and oil rigs. The agricultural industry has also been quick to use the remote flying technology in their processes, with 18% of firms using them to assess crop growth and to distribute pesticides and fertilisers. The UK police and fire services have also used drone technology in their rescue operations as UAVs can offer alternative angles from which to access and observe crime scenes, while they can also be used to access the safety of hazardous sites. Surveillance (32%) is amongst the most common commercial uses of drones, following photography. More than one in five (21%) is using a drone for security purposes in the workplace.