28 June 2016 | Jamie Harris To celebrate the ninth annual World FM Day on Wednesday 13th July, FM World will once again be painting the picture of a typical day in FM – by giving FM professionals their own 15-minute slot to explain exactly what they’re up to at that
Book Course HSL is to run a 1 day course on Machinery Series – Designing & Specifying Safety Related Control Systems. 14 July 2016 Introduction Control systems for machinery, whether electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic or combinations there-of, are often required to perform safety-related functions. There are regulatory requirements for these
The full smart meter rollout has been hit with another delay, as the smart meter network operator missed its deadline for go-live. The Data and Communications Company (DCC) was expected to go live on 30 September, after several delays since its original date in December 2015. The
A new low carbon teaching building designed by Austin-Smith:Lord, which was the first in the UK to achieve an ‘Outstanding’ rating under the BREEAM (2014) design and construction assessment process, has been awarded a prestigious Green Gown Award. These awards recognise the exceptional sustainability initiatives that are being undertaken by
All it took was a faulty boiler in a school in Manchester to destroy an entire basement, thus calling for a complete reparation of the entire location. Stretford Grammar School have been using the help of Sika to transform its basement from a water-logged concrete mess into a brand new
With Construction News revealing this week that work at Hinkley Point C will boost the South West construction market by £500m over the next two years, we are delighted to announce that David Sutton, Delivery Director at EDF, will be discussing the economic value of Hinkley Point C at the
Addison Saws, the West Midlands-based cutting and sawing technologies specialist, has been appointed as the sole UK distributor for Simonds International’s bandsaw blades building tools. “Having sold Simonds’ woodworking and metalworking blades for more than thirty years, we are delighted to have been appointed as their official UK agent,” comments
The annual search for the North-east’s top tradespeople and businesses is once again underway, launching officially at a special event being held at Trinity Hall on Thursday 19th January 2017 at 6pm. The launch event, held in association with main sponsor Stewart Milne Group, will highlight the benefits and opportunities
R&M recommends systematic digitalization / Manual management of the increasing number of physical connections in digital data networks is now almost impossible. Wetzikon, London – “Digitalization of the economy without a sufficient network infrastructure is as like a railway without tracks,” says Andreas Rüsseler, Chief Marketing Officer for cabling specialist
Predicting the energy future Anyone who predicts the future risks winding up with egg on their face. This is as true in energy as anything else – just look at how the rapid roll-out of renewables caught everyone by surprise. As such, the best tactic is often to avoid predicting
28 June 2016 | Jamie Harris To celebrate the ninth annual World FM Day on Wednesday 13th July, FM World will once again be painting the picture of a typical day in FM – by giving FM professionals their own 15-minute slot to explain exactly what they’re up to at that time. In a special live blog we’ll be asking one FM every 15 minutes to answer the following questions: 1. Where are you right now? 2. Who are you with? 3. What are you doing? We intend to showcase the variety of people, projects and proceedings that UK facilities managers are involved in on a typical working day. There are 40 slots in total, starting with 08:00-08:15 and ending with 17:45-18:00. We’re inviting readers to sign up with us now for their own 15 minutes. Here’s how it will work on the day: Ten minutes prior to your allotted time, we’ll call or text you for your answers, offering you the chance to send us a picture of you in action. As you will be ‘live’ for those 15 minutes, we may also ask some follow-up questions if you’re up for it (what have you got planned later today, what’s your message to FMs across the world on World FM Day, etc.) It’s up to you if you want to add this extra detail. We’ll then publish all of this, together with commentary, to our live World FM Day blog. What we’ll need up front: 1) Your mobile number 2) Your email address 3) Your Twitter handle (if you have one) You’ll also need to choose your preferred slot from the list below. (Please note, we may have to move people around in order to get a good balance of FM job roles. If we need to do that, we’ll ask you first.) If you’d like to take part, please email editorial@fm-world.co.uk in the first place. The web address for the live blog will be published in the FM World Daily prior to the day itself. You can scroll through last year’s World FM Day live blog here 08:00 – 08:15am 08:15 – 08:30am 08:30 – 08:45am 08:45 – 09:00am 09:00 – 09:15am 09:15 – 09:30am 09:30 – 09:45am 09:45 – 10:00am 10:00 – 10:15am 10:15 – 10:30am 10:30 – 10:45am 10:45 – 11:00am 11:00 – 11:15am 11:15 – 11:30am 11:30 – 11:45am 11:45 – 12:00pm 12:00 – 12:15pm 12:15 – 12:30pm 12:30 – 12:45pm 12:45 – 13:00pm 13:00 – 13:15pm 13:15 – 13:30pm 13:30 – 13:45pm 13:45 – 14:00pm 14:00 – 14:15pm 14:15 – 14:30pm 14:30 – 14:45pm 14:45 – 15:00pm 15:00 – 15:15pm 15:15 – 15:30pm 15:30 – 15:45pm 15:45 – 16:00pm 16:00 – 16:15pm 16:15 – 16:30pm 16:30 – 16:45pm 16:45 – 17:00pm 17:00 – 17:15pm 17:15 – 17:30pm 17:30 – 17:45pm 17:45 – 18:00pm Source link
Book Course HSL is to run a 1 day course on Machinery Series – Designing & Specifying Safety Related Control Systems. 14 July 2016 Introduction Control systems for machinery, whether electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic or combinations there-of, are often required to perform safety-related functions. There are regulatory requirements for these control systems and established approaches for dealing with their design, which are laid out in European Standards. This course will help delegates understand how to specify and design safety related control circuits which comply with the requirements of both the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 (Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC) and the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations. It explains how these, and other regulations and standards are applied to real-life situations, through the use of examples of how to and how not to do it. The course provides methods and templates developed at HSL to help engineers comply with the relevant requirements effectively and efficiently. The course concentrates mainly on the approach laid down in EN ISO 13849-1:2008, but also gives objective advice on the relevance of other standards such as EN ISO 13840-2: 2012, EN 62061:2015, and other Safety of Machinery standards, such as EN ISO 14119: 2013 on interlocking devices. The course will also explain the changes in the recently updated standard EN ISO 13849-1: 2015. Course includes Relevant standards including EN ISO 13849-1:2006 & 2015, and EN 62061:2015, EN ISO 14119: 2013 Safety integrity levels, performance levels, categories, what they are what they aren’t and the difference between them Circuit design Demonstration of interlocking and other safety devices Potential user interference and misuse of safety devices Who should attend? Electrical, control and project engineers, whether they be original equipment manufacturers or users involved in specifying control systems on customized machinery / assemblies or significantly modifying control systems on existing machinery / assemblies. Venue The course will be run at the HSL laboratory in the spa town of Buxton. Buxton is in the heart of the Peak District and has good links to mainline train stations and Manchester International Airport. Details of hotels in the Buxton area can be found at www.visitbuxton.co.uk Cost The cost of the course is £425 per person (includes course notes, lunch and refreshments). Book Course Please note the invoice option is not available within 4 weeks of the course date, or for overseas customers. For further dates and additional information email: training@hsl.gsi.gov.uk or contact the Training & Conferences Unit at HSL directly on +44 (0)1298 218806. Back to Health & Safety Training Courses Back to the top Source link
The full smart meter rollout has been hit with another delay, as the smart meter network operator missed its deadline for go-live. The Data and Communications Company (DCC) was expected to go live on 30 September, after several delays since its original date in December 2015. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) have not yet confirmed a new date but the infrastructure is vital to connect smart meters to business systems of energy suppliers, network operators and other authorised service users of the network. A spokesperson for the DCC said: “The national data and communications infrastructure is in the final stages of testing and is making good progress. We are working hard to deliver the network at the earliest possible opportunity to the energy industry.” The government has set out deadlines for using the DCC and meter installation as part of its plans to ensure a “timely” rollout, and ensure both energy suppliers and distribution network operators are ready to commence the rollout from the DCC go-live date. All domestic suppliers are required to be using the DCC by 1 August 2017, while large suppliers will also have to install 1,500 SMETS2 meters by 1 February 2017. A BEIS spokesperson said: “Smart meters will enable suppliers to deliver innovative products and services and help consumers to bring down their energy bills. This new infrastructure will make it easier for consumers to switch and is in the final stages of testing.” The industry is already concerned about meeting the target of offering a smart meter to every household in the UK by 2020. Consultancy firm KPMG has warned that the current installation rate would need to increase five-fold in order to meet the target. KPMG power and utilities director Amy Marshall said: “The number of smart and advanced meters operating in UK homes and small businesses now stands at 4.2 million, as the race towards hitting the 2020 government target intensifies. “Once the DCC, which will deliver the infrastructure to support the mass roll out, goes live we expect to see installation rates increase rapidly. Based on the smart meter figures released this week, almost one million meters will need to be installed every month between now and the end of 2020 to ensure all 53 million homes are ready by 2020. “This is a huge challenge for the industry, with an average of less than 200,000 meters currently being installed per month by large suppliers in 2016.” Source link
A new low carbon teaching building designed by Austin-Smith:Lord, which was the first in the UK to achieve an ‘Outstanding’ rating under the BREEAM (2014) design and construction assessment process, has been awarded a prestigious Green Gown Award. These awards recognise the exceptional sustainability initiatives that are being undertaken by universities, colleges and the learning and skills sectors across the UK and Ireland. The South Lanarkshire College Low Carbon Teaching Building was successful in the Built Environment category with Judges commenting: “It has inspired students and other users to adopt more sustainable behaviours and approaches, reflecting the College’s philosophy to “mainstream sustainability”. In addition to Solar PVs, an energy-efficient external envelope, and a ground source heat pump, innovative features include solar chimneys; recycled paper insulation; re-used cycle racks from the Commonwealth Games and an integrated bicycle repair station. This is a step change in design to produce a low-energy, low-carbon, low-resource building, informed by helpful lessons learned from the College’s own award-winning, low-energy, low-carbon house initiative.” Meanwhile, pupils have started to occupy a new £30 million secondary school in Carmarthenshire designed by the firm which has been rated BREEAM excellent at design stage. The Bro Dinefwr school at Ffairfach near Llandeilo will cater for 1,200 pupils in the area, including a 200-pupil sixth form and a 30-place specialist provision for children with additional learning needs. It was delivered in partnership with the Welsh Government through its 21st Century Schools programme. Austin-Smith:Lord Partner, Iain Wylie commented: “These education projects reflect the integrated approach to sustainability that we apply to all our work across different sectors of the built environment. With each new project, we develop our knowledge and expertise in passive sustainable design, embracing and incorporating the latest technologies, where appropriate.”
All it took was a faulty boiler in a school in Manchester to destroy an entire basement, thus calling for a complete reparation of the entire location. Stretford Grammar School have been using the help of Sika to transform its basement from a water-logged concrete mess into a brand new water proof center to lead the way to making the school a more environmentally-friendly location. The councillors of Trafford Borough oversaw the repairs that were completed by Grade 2 contractors, who applied an easy-to-use concoction created by Sika to apply directly to the affected walls themselves. The solution’s extra added strength is due to its mixture with concrete so as to ensure that it protects the walls from future damp as much as possible. It has even been approved by the British Board of Agrement (BBA) as a solution of long-lasting impact to ensure that the basement location of the school remains safe from all future possible mold attacks. Another Sika product (405) was used to mend the roof that was falling apart under the constant strain of adverse weather conditions. It was also rid of blemishes and should ensure the safety of the school roof for the full duration of the building’s lifetime, as is also the case with the Sika 1 solution. With its properties designed to withstand extreme temperatures and ultra-violet (UV) rays, Sika 405 was a further long-term solution to the school’s building renovations. Steve Parry, an RM of Structural Repairs, was adamant that these solutions would satisfy all parties concerned and would prove a significant step forward to reducing the impact of the school on the outer environment. It is equally hoped that the pupils of Stretford Grammar School will have benefited from witnessing these important refurbishments and will have seen this as an education to how schools and communities can work together to reduce their carbon impact on the atmosphere.
With Construction News revealing this week that work at Hinkley Point C will boost the South West construction market by £500m over the next two years, we are delighted to announce that David Sutton, Delivery Director at EDF, will be discussing the economic value of Hinkley Point C at the South West Construction Summit on the 09 June at Ashton Gate Stadium, Bristol. The Somerset site will help the South West to become the UK’s fastest-growing region in terms of construction activity in 2018, with output set to grow by 2 per cent in 2017 and 1.3 per cent in 2018, according to forecasts. Hewes & Associates predicts that work at Hinkley will add between £400m and £500m to industry activity in the region during 2017 and 2018. The predictions indicate that the South West will make up 7.4 per cent of the UK’s total construction output by 2018 – up from 6.9 per cent in 2016 and therefore the South West Construction Summit is your opportunity to hear from a representative of EDF who is directly involved with the Hinkley Point C project and the Q&A session will provide answers to your questions about the development. The South West Construction Summit will explore ways to address the obstacles that potentially impact the future success of the UK construction industry, whilst focusing on three intrinsically linked key themes: Skills and Image, Productivity and Sustainability – delivered by 12 leading construction exponents in the region. The Summit will highlight how the industry can approach and resolve these pressing issues through the experience and learnings from the prominent speaker line-up. Speakers include: Mike Borkowski – Southern Construction Framework Alexis Field – Highways England Nathan Waller – Natwest Bank John Boughton – Willmott Dixon Emma Osmundsen – Exeter City Council David Sutton – EDF Energy Councillor Paul Smith – Bristol City Council Leif Tarry – CITB A full Speaker Programme is available to download from: www.constructingexcellencesw.org.uk/summit By facilitating knowledge exchange and networking with influential regional construction leaders, the Summit provides a platform to identify improvements throughout the South West construction industry, whilst also creating an opportunity to acquire crucial information from industry experts on how they have overcome key issues, through process, product innovation and enhancing perceptions. Entry into the South West Construction Summit costs just £95+VAT and includes; parking, lunch and refreshments throughout. For more information, or to book your place, visit: www.constructionsummitsw.co.uk The South West Construction Summit is followed on the same day by the South West Built Environment Awards – celebrating the best projects, people and products in the South West region. Submitting an awards entry is FREE and can be done online via: www.constructingexcellencesw.org.uk/presentations/awards For help in getting involved in either event please call 01743 290001
Addison Saws, the West Midlands-based cutting and sawing technologies specialist, has been appointed as the sole UK distributor for Simonds International’s bandsaw blades building tools. “Having sold Simonds’ woodworking and metalworking blades for more than thirty years, we are delighted to have been appointed as their official UK agent,” comments Addison Saws’ managing director, Gary Knight. “As the oldest cutting tool manufacturer in North America, Simonds enjoys an enviable reputation for the quality of its products,” continues Gary Knight. “Thanks to our many years spent working with the brand, we have an unrivalled knowledge of the Simonds product range – including its Bi-Metal, TCT, Carbon and ‘Red Streak’ wood-cutting blades.” The appointment of Addison Saws by Simonds occurred after the bandsaw blade manufacturer’s previous UK distributor ceased trading. We are proud to be working with Simonds Building Tools. “We are proud to be working with Simonds building tools to ensure that UK woodworking and metalworking companies can continue to buy their superior quality bandsaw blades which are manufactured to the most stringent quality standards,” adds Gary Knight. “We have invested in significant levels of stock to ensure continuity of supply.” Contact details for bandsaw blade suppliers and users Saw blade suppliers wishing to stock Simonds blades – and bandsaw blade users wanting details of their nearest Simonds stockist – are asked to call Addison Saws on 01384 264 950 or email sales@addisonsaws.co.uk
The annual search for the North-east’s top tradespeople and businesses is once again underway, launching officially at a special event being held at Trinity Hall on Thursday 19th January 2017 at 6pm. The launch event, held in association with main sponsor Stewart Milne Group, will highlight the benefits and opportunities available to businesses who take part in Trades Awards 2017, as well as offering general hints and tips to any company considering entering for the first time. The Trades Awards launched in 2012 to reward excellence within the trades and construction industry. Now entering its fifth year, the ceremony continues to be the largest construction event in the North-east, with 13 award categories open to trades businesses of all sizes and disciplines. The awards are run by creative marketing agency, Mearns & Gill. Michael Wilson, Managing Director of Mearns & Gill said: “Thanks to the incredible continued support from the local trades and construction industry, the Trades Awards 2017 has already received the highest number of registrations to date. “The launch event is a chance for potential applicants to hear first-hand from previous award winners how winning a Trades Award has positively impacted their business, and we would encourage anyone with an interest in entering this year to join us on Thursday.” Neil Thomson, Construction Director of Stewart Milne Homes comments, “Construction is a hugely exciting and dynamic industry to be in, and Aberdeen and the North has some of the most highly skilled workers in the UK. “It’s important that we reward and recognise their hard work and commitment, both to motivate them to help the industry flourish and to attract new, up and coming talent into the trade. I’m already looking forward to meeting this year’s potential applicants, and hearing about some of the wonderful success stories that Trade Awards 2017 discovers.” The Trades Awards 2017 launch event is free to attend, and is open to anyone with an interest in entering or supporting this year’s awards. For more information, or to secure your place, contact Isla Stewart on isla.stewart@mearns-gill.com or call a member of the team on 01224 646311. For further information on Trades Awards 2017, including the full list of categories and remaining sponsorship opportunities, visit www.tradesawards.com.
R&M recommends systematic digitalization / Manual management of the increasing number of physical connections in digital data networks is now almost impossible. Wetzikon, London – “Digitalization of the economy without a sufficient network infrastructure is as like a railway without tracks,” says Andreas Rüsseler, Chief Marketing Officer for cabling specialist R&M AG, in his market outlook. R&M, the globally active Swiss developer and provider of cabling systems for high-end network infrastructures based in Wetzikon, expects to see an increase in demand for integrated solutions for network infrastructures in 2017. “Cabling with copper and fiber optic systems is still required as the physical foundation for digitalization – in the same way that tracks are required for transportation by rail. But these days it is more than just a question of cabling,” says R&M CMO Andreas Rüsseler. The building and network infrastructures themselves have to be digitized. “First of all, the basis of a network needs to have the right dimensions and level of reliability in order to cope with the wide-ranging applications of the future,” says Andreas Rüsseler. He adds that, given the high expectations for the age of the digitized economy, it is easy to forget that network installations are just as necessary as apps, computers, data centers, and the billions of things that are connected to the internet – the Internet of Things. Rüsseler even believes that the trend toward digitalization is even making the economy fully dependent on tight-knit, fast, interruption-free network infrastructures. A market study conducted by IT consultancy company Capgemini confirms this trend, revealing that digitalization is the topic currently at the top of the agenda of more than half of all CIOs. And it looks set to stay there for the foreseeable future. R&M is now increasingly recommending that planners, investors, and network operators include the physical level of a network, i.e., the cabling, in the digitalization process from the outset. By this, R&M proposes that a full virtual profile should be stored for each network. The type, function, and status of every connector and cable should be recorded digitally and managed centrally, with control being fully automated via a web application. According to R&M, if this is not the case, it will become impossible to manage the increasing volume of network information and increasing number of network connections brought about by the ubiquitous Internet of Things, cloud services, and the growing demand for bandwidth. R&M’s main market – the structured cabling market – alone is growing by about three percent every year. Hardware manufacturer Cisco estimates that 50 billion sensors will be connected to the Internet of Things by 2020, while chip manufacturer Intel predicts that, by 2030, some 200 billion items, appliances, devices, machines, and buildings will have an internet connection. “Someone is going to have to manage all of these connections and devices,” says Andreas Rüsseler. On this basis, R&M is expecting to see growing demand for integrated network solutions based on comprehensive planning that include the technology and software for digitalization, monitoring, and management, as well as cabling systems. R&M already has an appropriate solution in the form of R&MinteliPhy. This network monitoring system monitors cabling across all distances and in all magnitudes, and also enables three-dimensional digital representation of the data center infrastructure. “We are gradually adding software and services to our cabling portfolio,” explains Andreas Rüsseler. R&M is building up the expertise needed to be able to manage and support IT processes relating to infrastructure. The company is also working on further developments, with the aim of making the management of data networks more user-friendly. R&M identifies data centers as the area where the greatest demand currently lies. “Hyperscale data centers spanning an area equal to football fields cannot be monitored manually. Spatially distributed data centers belonging to cloud providers and other companies also require fully automated infrastructure management that can be managed centrally – known as AIM. This is exactly what is provided by R&MinteliPhy. This level of automation is only possible on the basis of a digital profile of the infrastructure,” explains the CMO. R&M also sees its AIM solution – R&MinteliPhy – as a component of a superordinate Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) system. “Without digital planning, stocktaking, and online management of the entire data center, it is no longer possible for IT providers to present services with high availability. Detailed information and status updates in real time are an absolute requirement,” says Andreas Rüsseler. In this regard, R&M advocates full and continuous monitoring that covers every level of data transmission, from the connector to the application. “What use is there in monitoring the higher layers of a network if somewhere a network connector has been disconnected or inserted incorrectly and nobody has noticed?” asks Andreas Rüsseler. With reference to market statistics, R&M points out that operational errors and other such faults at the passive network infrastructure level are behind more than half of all data center failures. The company believes that this problem alone is reason enough for real-time monitoring of cabling to be introduced. Causes of damages, delays, signal losses, and high consumption data can be identified quickly online by referring to the digital profile of a process or infrastructure. Digital information about the infrastructure therefore becomes a key factor in success. AIM is indispensable from a business perspective, too, in that it makes it possible to view and analyze the life cycle status of assets in use at any time at the click of a mouse. Digital information about the infrastructure therefore becomes a key factor in success, proving essential to long-term value creation, strategic decision-making, and agile reactions to changes on the market, according to R&M. AIM facilitates universal planning, while also simplifying organization and business processes. The CMO points out that: “These are the exact same areas identified by Capgemini as obstacles standing in the way of digitized IT organization.” Information on how to create digital profiles for network infrastructures is available in issue 51 of R&M’s specialist magazine “Connections.”
Predicting the energy future Anyone who predicts the future risks winding up with egg on their face. This is as true in energy as anything else – just look at how the rapid roll-out of renewables caught everyone by surprise. As such, the best tactic is often to avoid predicting at all, or take a conservatively pessimist line. For medium sized UK businesses, that’s often grim resignation to ever-increasing energy prices eating away at the bottom line. I’ll stick my neck out though and say this: the energy future for UK business could actually be very bright indeed. Medium sized UK business – vital to the economy but more exposed than the big multinationals – can vastly reduce the impact of energy costs and insulate themselves against the risks inherent in energy price shocks. All it takes is to take three words to heart: reduce, generate, store. Reduce Reducing energy use should be the first priority for any business. No Kw is greener or cheaper than the one unused. Investments such as LED lighting, efficient boilers and variable speed drives can save huge amounts of money and energy. Back when it was known as DECC, the department estimated 18-25% energy savings were possible for SMEs with an average payback period of less than 1.5 years. Generate But efficiency only takes you so far. Companies can take matters into their own hands by using on-site generation to partially cover their energy needs, reducing the amount needed to be purchased. This could be diesel generators, but is increasingly including clean power sources such as solar, wind or combined heat and power biomass systems. For now, this is the domain of the most forward-thinking companies, but solar PV costs have declined so rapidly in recent years that it will be a feasible and attractive option for many businesses. Some might protest that the roll-back of subsidies such as the Feed-In Tariff (FIT) scheme undermine this. But that’s a setback that should quickly be overcome as panels get cheaper and finance gets smarter. Store The real game changer though, has been the advent of storage. In 2016, we’ve seen commercial and domestic storage make huge strides. Look at Tesla’s Powerwall or AES Storage’s commercial-scale project in Kilroot. As with solar, battery prices are falling and companies are scrambling to develop and commercialise different business models. Storage is the missing piece of the puzzle for UK businesses. You can reduce energy usage and create your own but there will be excess energy because of the intermittency of renewables. Storage can hold that otherwise wasted energy and discharge it when required. The energy future for medium sized UK businesses is one that includes energy reduction, generation and storage. By diligently taking advantage of available tax incentives such as Enhanced Capital Allowances and Annual Investment Allowances, combined with intelligent financing designed to deliver savings greater than repayments, it’s possible for UK businesses to begin that transition now. Doing so means lower costs, greater resiliency and a future-proofed business. That’s my prediction.
