Alcohol and drugs in construction industry under the spotlight Published:  30 June, 2016 Most people in the UK construction industry have concerns over the effects of drugs and alcohol on the industry’s workforce, according to a new survey by the Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS). The CCS has launched a new ‘Spotlight on…’ campaign to raise awareness of the drugs and alcohol across the workforce, after a recent survey of over 1,300 people working across the industry found that 59% are concerned about these issues. The survey, which was carried out in May 2016, also found that 35% have noticed their colleagues under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and 25% agreed that consuming drugs or alcohol had caused them to be tired at work. Sixty-five percent of those questionned said they have never been tested for either substance, while 39% believe their workplace could tackle these issues better. Many contractors, suppliers and industry clients undertake rigorous and regular measures to tackle this issue including a zero tolerance policy and random testing, providing information on drugs and alcohol through toolbox talks, site inductions and resources such as on-site posters. A number of Scheme-registered contractors have provided case studies on how they tackle this issue, all of which are available on the CCS Best Practice Hub. These include commentary from: A-one+ Integrated Highways Services Ardmore Construction Ltd Ballymore Bowmer & Kirkland Interserve Jerram Falkus John F Hunt Demolition John Sisk & Son Mick George Mulalley & Co. Edward Hardy, chief executive of the CCS, said: “Maintaining a safe working environment is of the utmost importance for any employer; this not only applies to the workforce, but also the surrounding public and anybody else who may be affected. “Spotlight on… drugs and alcohol is an essential read for everyone, as the Scheme’s latest industry survey revealed 59% of respondents agree that drugs and alcohol are issues of concern. It is clear action must be taken across the industry to ensure workforce safety, health and wellbeing on sites and in companies throughout the UK.” More information on the campaign can be found here: https://www.ccscheme.org.uk/   Source link

Napit is inviting installers nationwide to join them as they continue on their tour of the country with Napit Expo… On the Road 2016. Providing technical knowledge, insight, facts and opinion on vital industry topics and the latest industry regulations and standards. The free roadshow has six events remaining starting on 26 October in Surrey, then onto Wrexham, Bristol, Chelmsford, Plymouth and Southampton throughout November. Discover all dates on the Napit Expo website  www.napitexpo.co.uk.   Brought to you by the Napit Trade Association, the presentations are hosted by a selection of highly qualified technical experts including Napit’s group technical director and trade association chairman, Frank Bertie, who will be addressing an overview to the upcoming 18th Edition of the Wiring Regulations, alongside guest panelists from the IET who will answer any questions. Bertie will also be talking through Certification and Documentation for installation completion, addressing how to fill them in correctly and demonstrating live how the digital version works on Napit Desktop. As well as Frank, Paul Chaffers, Napit regional manager, will be speaking fresh from delivering his Full Metal Jacket presentation at the ELEX shows. At Napit Expo you will find him discussing consumer units as well as RCDs, and offering his technical insight within dedicated Q&A sessions. Paul Chambers, Napit regional manager is also on hand, helping to clear the mist on EICR code dilemmas and applications. Within his code breakers seminar, he will explain the meaning behind them and the influencing factors in categorising installation coding. At selected venues there will also be a guest speaker from the CITB, offering their expertise and answering any questions during the CDM and risk assessment seminars.  Source link

A leading academic has warned that the UK’s decision to leave the European Union will hinder the transition to smarter grids. Siemen’s professor of energy systems at Newcastle University, Phil Taylor, said the UK has “diminished its ability to use interconnectors” for system balancing and made decarbonising our energy system harder. Taylor said leaving the EU would diminish our ability to negotiate good prices, and our use of interconnectors will be “less flexible and more expensive.” “I think that’s really a bad thing for prices, but it’s also a really bad thing for system balancing. We are trying to move towards an energy system where we have less spinning reserve and less capacity margin which is expensive and carbon rich by replacing that with flexibility of all sorts, I feel like we have almost certainly diminished our ability to use interconnectors to help us with that balancing,” he added. In April National Grid’s head of strategy, markets and regulation, European business development, told the Energy and Climate Change Committee that the UK would have to try “even harder to be influential” but that looking at the example of Norway, which isn’t in the EU, it is possible to achieve. Taylor also said that it is an “absolute proven fact that island power systems and smaller power systems are harder to decarbonise” while keeping the grid stable. He also expects the ‘out’ vote to cut academic institution’s research incomes by as much as 20 per cent, while accessing the “very vibrant energy research community” in Europe will be harder. Newcastle University is one of 13 universities across the world with ‘global principle partner status’ with multinational company Siemens. Taylor warned the UK is now in a weaker position to convince such companies that it is a good place to invest in energy research and development. He also called for the government to quickly demonstrate that it is still committed to solving the energy trilemma, provide consistency for energy policy and negotiate deals with Europe for trading and collaboration. Source link

Three high-profile national organisations have pledged their support for an innovative scheme designed to attract new talent into the built environment industry. Digital engineering hub BIM Academy, Sunderland-based engineering consultancy Desco and NBS, which provides technical information, specification and Building Information Modelling (BIM) tools to construction industry professionals, have all signed up to become new sponsors of PlanBEE. The scheme was launched last year when Gateshead College and Ryder Architecture formed a powerful alliance with a network of architects, designers, contractors and engineering specialists. Together they developed a unique, flexible training programme designed to attract and retain the brightest new talent in the region, plug skills gaps, and create a more flexible workforce capable of working across various construction disciplines. The first tranche of students enrolled onto the programme in September 2016 and all have been retained, with a second cohort set to start in the autumn. Rather than follow a traditional training model where students complete their qualifications while working in one company, PlanBEE gives trainees the chance to work across several companies and therefore gain a more rounded understanding of the built environment industry. Students will now benefit from a wider range of expertise with Desco, NBS and BIM Academy on board. Newcastle-based BIM Academy, which was established in 2010 through a joint venture between Ryder Architecture and Northumbria University, is looking to take on at least one student from the new cohort who start in September. The organisation helps companies to understand the value of building information modelling (BIM), which can help industry risk-assess projects at an early stage by generating 3D models of buildings before construction takes place. Peter Barker, MD of BIM Academy, said: “BIM Academy are delighted to become a sponsor for PlanBEE as it allows us to share our expertise in the new world of digital construction with the next generation seeking to enter the increasingly diverse and exciting built environment sector.” Paul Baker, technical director at Desco (Design & Consultancy) Ltd said: “We are pleased to support PlanBEE, an inspirational, sector-wide partnership that is helping to shape future talent and inspire people to consider a rewarding career in construction. As an award-winning MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing) design consultancy, we are proud to be part of an initiative that showcases the industry and benefits of working across several construction disciplines.” Helen Whitfield, chief operating officer at Newcastle-based NBS, said: “We’re delighted to sponsor a scheme that allows companies and students to explore the potential of using digital technologies on construction projects. There aren’t many courses that combine the digital world with construction and this gives students a chance to learn several disciplines that will stand them in good stead for their chosen career in the built environment industry.” Working with Gateshead College, the PlanBEE group has created a bespoke higher level skills programme that provides budding professionals with study and off-the-job training at the college’s construction facility on Team Valley, along with a job working with some of the region’s leading companies. It has been tailored specifically for and by the North East construction sector, providing students with a starting salary of £10,700 per year, a professional qualification and a guaranteed job opportunity on graduation. Established by Ryder Architecture, the scheme has already attracted some high-profile names, including Brims Construction, Sir Robert McAlpine, Xsite Architecture, Robertson, 3e Consulting, Cundall, Arup, FaulknerBrowns, Sadler Brown Architecture and Tolent. Chris Toon, deputy principal at Gateshead College, said: “We are thrilled to have BIM Academy, Desco and NBS on board at PlanBEE, which is tailored for and led by the specific needs of industry. We are working closely with the sector to ensure that the training provides companies with vital skills that enable them to become more productive and competitive, both now and in the long run.” Helen Whitfield, communications director at Ryder Architecture, added: “PlanBEE allows companies to benefit from a greater convergence of skills traditionally sat within the disciplines of architecture, urban planning, engineering, surveying and landscaping. Employers have been saying for quite a while now that the industry needed a new way of working and PlanBEE moves away from traditional, unfit-for-purpose training models to one which directly benefits industry and students.” Over the course of time, PlanBEE aims to address deep-rooted skills shortages in the built environment industry. The Construction Skills Network’s most recent ‘Insight’ report said an extra 179,000 UK construction jobs will need to be filled from 2017-2021 to meet rapid growth in demand for infrastructure and housebuilding across the country. For more information about the programme, or to get involved, visit http://www.gateshead.ac.uk/planbee/ or contact Helen Whitfield at Ryder on 0191 269 5454.

The kitchen is where you prepare food. Since you need to eat food to stay alive, selecting a good kitchen could be viewed as starkly as life or death. For this reason, when you remodel it, you have to get it right. To help you out, here are some kitchen makeover ideas for your renovation.  Minimise and hide the appliances  Minimalism is home design’s biggest trend. There are many ways to go minimal with your kitchen, but one of the best is to cut down on the number of appliances you have in the room, and better camouflage the ones you keep. Many houses will come with washing machines and/or tumble dryers built into their kitchens. As Apartment Therapy points out, this combination is very common in Europe, but quite rare in the United States. While doing your laundry and your cooking in one room can seem convenient, moving your washing machine out of your kitchen frees up space for more storage, space to add design features, or simply more room to spread things out in true minimalist fashion. Professional movers have detailed how moving a washing machine from one room to another can be a complicated process: it involves removing the machine from the room’s plumbing, draining any excess water, and tying it to a trolley in order to move it around the house without scratching the floor, or even straining your back. Your washing machine can find its new home in a dedicated utility room, a shed (which you can now christen a “utility shed”), or garage without causing any disruption to your routine. Other appliances it is worth thinking hard about removing include microwaves, which nearly always detract from the look of a kitchen, and may lead to bad eating habits. Disposing of a microwave altogether is the only option if you want to get rid of it, as there are no other rooms it could fit into. Perhaps a better plan is to integrate your microwave into the kitchen a little better. Houzz has some ideas on how to do this. Most of them involve putting the appliance inside a cabinet, and therefore out of the way, again minimising the layout of your kitchen and creating valuable space. Lighten your colour palette for a more modern feel  You can make all the space you like in your kitchen, but a bad colour scheme could still make it feel cluttered and claustrophobic. There are several good options you can make when it comes to kitchen colour schemes. Ideal Home’s number one recommendation is to “make a splash” with an accent colour. Keeping all cabinets and surfaces white against a bright blue back wall, for example, will bring light into your kitchen without completely sacrificing colour and character. Red and lime green are more popular accent colours. Instead of a colour, one exposed brick wall can achieve a similar effect in a more rustic, authentic way. Feature wall or not, the most important thing to do with your kitchen colour scheme is to pick paler, lighter shades. Like removing unnecessary appliances, this will make the room feel more spacious, and more modern. Change your kitchen’s flooring  Replacing your flooring is a simple way to make a big difference to your kitchen. Most homeowners stick to lino, wood or tiles, but replacing these materials with something more unique will help keep your kitchen fresh. Bamboo, cork, and rubber tiles, as recommended by Freshome, have become popular alternative floorings in recent years. Bamboo is eco-friendly and very attractive, but it can sometimes dent easily. Cork is similar, and it can come in many different textures, making your kitchen floor even more unique. Rubber feels soft, is naturally resistant to water and fire, and is very easy to clean. Switch to any of these flooring materials and you will find your kitchen completely transformed.