A conservatory roof manufacturer and installer has appeared in court after a worker suffered serious injuries in a fall from a conservatory roof. The 59 year old worker from Bolton suffered a fractured skull which resulted in a bleed on his brain and a shattered eye socket in the incident
Browser does not support script. Contact us The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has given an initial reaction to today’s Queen’s Speech. Of particular interest to the RIBA: National Planning and Infrastructure Bill – including new legislation for neighbourhood planning Education for All Bill – commitment to lay
Almost three quarters (72 per cent) of building services firms say they actively manage occupational health, according to a new survey from the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA), the BESA and Constructing Better Health. Of those that said they managed occupational health (OH), some 82 per cent cited a ‘moral duty’
The inclusion of deleterious or prohibited material clauses for building contracts and professional appointment documents is common throughout the construction industry. While it is thought that these types of clauses will differ slightly from contract to contract, the common intention behind all of them is to prohibit the use of
Redrow West Country, the award-winning housing development company has recently celebrated their topping out of their Plymouth development, Vision. The new development has been valued at £70 million and has been seen as a major investment by Redrow to in order to regenerate a historic part of the city. The
Particles of very small dimensions that produce cell death in malignant tumors are tested and can be very useful in combating the more aggressive forms of the disease. Nanotechnology has been used for a few years now in the field of medicine, mainly in medicinal labs with electrospinning equipment or
North East civil engineering firm, Seymour Civil Engineering, has taken further steps towards securing its future success, with the appointment of four new company directors. All hailing from existing roles within the company, Adam Harker has been named as Contracts Director, Simon Rodgers as Commercial Director, Stuart Dickens as Construction
Government data reveals despite rise in successful planning applications, some areas are lagging behind. If you’re looking for your next property development project, stop and read this post before spending any money. Commercial finance brokers Pure Commercial Finance has uncovered government data which reveals the areas in England where you’re
A conservatory roof manufacturer and installer has appeared in court after a worker suffered serious injuries in a fall from a conservatory roof. The 59 year old worker from Bolton suffered a fractured skull which resulted in a bleed on his brain and a shattered eye socket in the incident which occurred at a property in Newton Le Willows in June 2015. The incident was investigated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) which prosecuted Phil Coppell Ltd for serious safety failings and failing to report a previous incident in 2013 when the same employee fell off a roof and lost consciousness, and another employee suffered multiple broken ribs in a fall through a skylight. Manchester and Salford Magistrates Court heard that two workers had been carrying out repair work on the roof of the conservatory. Whilst working alone on the roof the employee lost his footing and fell approximately 2.5 metres onto a patio area below. There were no preventative measures in place to prevent the risk of a fall from height. An Improvement Notice was served by HSE during the investigation and the company subsequently developed a barrier for use as edge protection. Phil Coppell Ltd of Cemetery Road, Radcliffe, Greater Manchester pleaded guilty to a breach of Regulation 6(3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and breaches of Regulation 3(1) of the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995, and Regulation 4(1) of the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013, and was fined £40,280 and ordered to pay costs of £1,464.70 Speaking after the hearing HSE inspector Christine McGlynn said: “This incident could have been avoided if the company had learnt lessons from two previous similar incidents in 2013. The risks of working from height are well known and there is plenty of guidance available. “Employees of this company were exposed to the risks of falls over a prolonged period of time. Generally work of this nature is at the rear of premises and is not visible or easy to monitor, however this prosecution should highlight, in particular to other companies who carry out work on conservatory roofs, that they should have in place control measures to prevent the risk of falls” For more information on what employers need to do to protect employees when they work at height please visit: http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/safetytopics/workingatheight.htm Notes to Editors: The Health and Safety Executive is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice, promoting training, new or revised regulations and codes of practice, and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement hse.gov.uk More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: legislation.gov.uk/ Further HSE news releases are available at www.press.hse.gov.uk. Journalists should approach HSE press office with any queries on regional press releases. Source link
Browser does not support script. Contact us The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has given an initial reaction to today’s Queen’s Speech. Of particular interest to the RIBA: National Planning and Infrastructure Bill – including new legislation for neighbourhood planning Education for All Bill – commitment to lay foundations for educational excellence in all schools RIBA Chief Executive Alan Vallance said: “The overuse of pre-commencement planning conditions has long frustrated our architect members, so we are pleased to see government listening to the concerns of our profession and taking action on this issue through the National Planning and Infrastructure Bill. “We are also interested to see government’s focus on empowering regions. Improving infrastructure is key to ensuring that communities all over the UK can unlock even greater potential and help rebalance our economy – we will be watching how these plans develop. “We are pleased to see the £150 million investment for schemes in areas most affected by flooding and will continue our work with government, through such programmes as the Cumbria Floods Partnership, to ensure that this money is used to support more sustainable flood resilient measures.” “The government’s new proposals to encourage excellence in schools are to be encouraged, but the important role of well-designed school buildings should not be overlooked. As our recent ‘Better Spaces for Learning’ research report shows, current funding and procurement structures are inefficient and wasteful and far too many pupils and teachers are struggling to learn and teach in school buildings that are damaging to their health and attainment. We urge the Government to review the Education Funding Agency’s current school building programme to make sure it delivers consistently good results and better value for the tax payer.” “We welcomed government commitments to review space standards, sustainable drainage and carbon standards as the Housing and Planning Act concluded its passage last week. But given the scale of the housing crisis, a strong emphasis on encouraging the building of well-designed and affordable homes is a notable omission from today’s speech.” ENDS Notes to editors 1. For further press information contact Melanie Mayfield in the RIBA Press Office melanie.mayfield@riba.org 020 7307 3662 2. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) champions better buildings, communities and the environment through architecture and our members www.architecture.com Follow us on Twitter for regular RIBA updates www.twitter.com/RIBA @RIBA Posted on Wednesday 18th May 2016 Source link
Almost three quarters (72 per cent) of building services firms say they actively manage occupational health, according to a new survey from the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA), the BESA and Constructing Better Health. Of those that said they managed occupational health (OH), some 82 per cent cited a ‘moral duty’ as a key reason for doing so, while over half (51 per cent) said it also helped to show the sector was ‘a great place to work.’ Many respondents also said that managing OH led to a more productive workforce, with better staff retention (77 per cent), and less absenteeism (84 per cent). The main on-site occupational health hazards identified by respondents were manual handling (96 per cent), noise (94 per cent), and asbestos (93 per cent). According to ECA Director of Business Paul Reeve: “The findings of this survey will help us and our stakeholders to understand much more clearly what the real occupational health issues are in our sector. The sector already has an exceptionally good safety record and this data should help the sector to further increase cost-effective occupational health provision. “The response to this survey has yielded some very useful data but we are also mindful that, generally speaking, those who responded may already be ‘switched on’ and there is much more to do across the sector”. Tim Rook, BESA Director of Technical, comments: “We are encouraged by the results of this survey because it shows that employers take occupational health issues seriously. However, while it is correct to say we have made impressive strides forward on safety, we still have some way to go on health. “We have a growing skills shortage. Improving our image and really caring about our workforce, whether in the office or on site, is essential if we are to attract the diverse workforce we need to deliver projects to a high standard and meet ambitious future construction targets.” Gerard McLaughlin, Operations Director of Constructing Better Health, adds: “This survey reflects a generally positive attitude towards occupational health. However, the incorrect perception still remains within our industry that, a focus on ‘safety’ in relation to accidents and incidents is meeting all the requirements of good health and safety practice. “We need to promote training and increase the number of qualified ‘in-house’ occupational health professionals with a real understanding of work-related health. With the input of trained work-related health specialists, we as an industry can progress good practice, supported by evidence-based standards in order to improve and to maintain wellbeing within the workforce.” Noting there are widely differing definitions of ‘occupational health management,’ the survey also offered a suggested ‘working definition’ (see Notes to Editors below), with which nearly 8 in 10 firms ‘agreed entirely’, and just 3 per cent of respondents disagreed. Further survey findings will be released shortly. The findings come as the entire industry met last week in London to discuss what next steps can be taken to tackle ill-health and disease in construction. Source link
The inclusion of deleterious or prohibited material clauses for building contracts and professional appointment documents is common throughout the construction industry. While it is thought that these types of clauses will differ slightly from contract to contract, the common intention behind all of them is to prohibit the use of unsuitable or dangerous materials during construction projects. Partner at Rosling King LLP, Jonathan Hyndman has been exploring the central legal issues that construction contract parties must consider when negotiating what provisions are being made for prohibited materials. Deleterious material is defined as those which are capable of causing damage or harm to an individual, the environment or to buildings and infrastructure. While there is legislation in place to limit or prevent the use of known hazardous materials, it is inevitable that is legislation will require addition as more deleterious materials are identified. In some cases, when the material is used, it is not known to be problematic and it is only later that more harmful effects become known to us. An example of this is the fatal use of asbestos in building projects and the use of polyethylene cores in cladding products. Concern over a material’s suitability or reliability can also be cause to warrant its prohibition on a project. Therefore, it is vital that developers, consultants and contractors consider the specific circumstances of the individual project while exploring and negotiating the scope of the obligation not to specify or use prohibited materials. When it comes to the law it is vital that, when negotiating a contract, the extent of the definition of prohibited materials in the construction contract is considered. At the moment there is no standardised industry form and contracting parties are free to be as broad or as narrow as they see fit when drawing up a contract, with due regard to the nature and circumstances of the project.
Redrow West Country, the award-winning housing development company has recently celebrated their topping out of their Plymouth development, Vision. The new development has been valued at £70 million and has been seen as a major investment by Redrow to in order to regenerate a historic part of the city. The Exeter based house builder, Redrow has built hundreds of homes in this region hand has created more than 10 communities. In order to celebrate the topping out of their latest development, Redrow welcomed guests from across the housing and construction industry in order to mark the end of the largest city regeneration schemes to take place in the South West of England. Construction on this development first started in 2007, with the intention of delivering a range of stylish one and two bedroom apartments as well as 2, 3 and 4 bedroom houses to Devonport. It has also been shown that Vision has strengthened the economy of the area by providing new shops and offices as well as a new market hall. The Plymouth project has been seen as a major investment by Redrow in order to reinvigorate the historic part of the city. The site where the development took place was former and run down Ministry of Defence land. This site has now been completely transformed into a thriving new city centre community. It is thought that the newly completed Vision project is now home to 1,000 residents, including a 464 homes and a 42-flat Extra Care housing block catering for older people. Vision has delivered a collection of new and much needed stylish homes in Plymouth as well as contributed to the economy in the South West by employing 50 different contractors to work on the project at any one time. It is thought that this project led to the daily sustaining of 80 jobs by Redrow. On top of this, Redrow’s Section 106 contributions have generated £3.7 million to be invested in education, transport and roads. These improvements include new buses for route 34 as well as additional support for public areas such as Granby Green.
Particles of very small dimensions that produce cell death in malignant tumors are tested and can be very useful in combating the more aggressive forms of the disease. Nanotechnology has been used for a few years now in the field of medicine, mainly in medicinal labs with electrospinning equipment or nanofiber fabrication, to implement certain techniques useful to medicine. Worldwide the most usual malignant tumors are those of breast, prostate, cervical, colorectal, lung and stomach. In some countries alone, 20,444 new cases are diagnosed each year, and it is usually the third leading cause of death after heart disease and diabetes mellitus, according to expert Dr. Abelardo Meneses García, director general of the National Institute of Cancerology of Mexico. The diagnoses are not yet done in a timely manner because “unfortunately the size of mammary gland tumors that reach our institutions vary between five and six centimeters in diameter, which remains a problem,” lamented Dr. Meneses. Nanotechnology applied to medicine emerged from diverse fields of research, so it is a product of interdiscipline and has increased the quality of research to make better diagnostics, treatments, monitoring and control of biomedical systems. The dimensions in which nanotechnology moves are very small, as a nanometer is one billionth of a meter. However, in various areas of health it has allowed better results in medical treatments. “When we talk about nanotechnological materials, we are referring to those who can conventionally change their chemical and physical properties, which makes them more resistant, light and soluble,” said Horacio Astudillo, a researcher at the Translational Research Laboratory. “Since 2008 we started to test molecules such as resveratrol and we began to test it with nanotechnology in tumor cells in the United States,” he said. Dr. Raquel Gerson, an oncology specialist at ABC Medical Center, explained that triple negative breast cancer is the most aggressive of breast tumors (20 percent belong to this subgroup), making them more resistant to chemotherapy. Nanotechnology has contributed greatly to cancer treatment because it can provide us with vehicles for the transportation and arrival of drugs into those tumors, Gerson explained.
North East civil engineering firm, Seymour Civil Engineering, has taken further steps towards securing its future success, with the appointment of four new company directors. All hailing from existing roles within the company, Adam Harker has been named as Contracts Director, Simon Rodgers as Commercial Director, Stuart Dickens as Construction Director and Karl Brennan as Pre-construction Director. Karl, who has been with Seymour Civil Engineering for 13 years, previously as the company’s bid coordinator, said: “I’m delighted to have been appointed in this new position. It’s fantastic to have been rewarded for my commitment to the business. It’s also testament to one of Seymour’s key values, ‘A People Business’. Seymour is excellent at fostering an environment that provides opportunity. “A major part of my new position as pre-construction director will be looking at how Seymour engages with clients and stakeholders and how those relationships develop throughout the lifecycle of a project. “Seymour has always been a client focused contractor, and as a result will have been successfully trading for 40 years next year, but placing a continued importance on maintaining strong relationships, and promoting sustainable outcomes above short term gains, significantly contributes to a positive and robust future for the company.” Adam added: “I feel honoured and privileged to be promoted to director. It’s coming up to 10 years that I have been with the company and throughout that time the firm has assisted me to develop and grow. It’s now my turn to help take the business forward. “I see the appointment of a board of directors as a real statement of intent by our Managing Director Kevin Byrne. It shows his drive and determination to see Seymour grow and continue to establish itself as the leading multi-discipline civil engineering company in the North East. With the new directors in place I can only see the business going from strength to strength in the coming years.” Speaking about the latest appointments, Managing Director Kevin Byrne, said: “As Seymour approaches its 40th anniversary I felt this was the perfect time to undertake the re-structure and introduce the board of directors to assist with making the vision we have for the company a reality. “I will be working closely with the new directors to identify both strengths and challenges within the business, allowing us to prioritise time and focus attention on the key areas. “As a team I am confident we will be able to lay the foundations for Seymour’s sustainable and structured growth going forward.” Based at Seymour House on Hartlepool Marina, Seymour Civil Engineering has enjoyed a successful year, securing and completing a number of major projects across the region. Most recently the firm celebrated a landmark contract win securing civil and infrastructure work for the £18 million exhibition development at Beamish Museum. The firm has recently started work on the £3.4 million regeneration of Church Street and Church Square in Hartlepool, working in partnership with Hartlepool Borough Council, The Tees Valley Combined Authority, The Heritage Lottery Fund, and Re-form Landscape.
Government data reveals despite rise in successful planning applications, some areas are lagging behind. If you’re looking for your next property development project, stop and read this post before spending any money. Commercial finance brokers Pure Commercial Finance has uncovered government data which reveals the areas in England where you’re least likely to get your planning permission application accepted. In the year ending 31st March 2017, the least likely place to get a major planning application granted was in Epsom and Ewell where just 38.46% were approved. This was closely followed by Spelthorne and Bournemouth which had 50% and 52.08% success rates respectively. In terms of small-scale, minor developments, Harrow, Enfield and Newham all saw less than two thirds of applications approved by local planning departments. On a whole, government statistics reveal planning applications have fallen by a quarter over the last decade, but success rates have risen from 82% to 88%. Therefore, on average, it appears easier to get planning permission than 10 years ago, which raises questions over the low success rates seen in the Surrey district of Epsom and Ewell. During the same period, there were 18 places in England where 100% of major development planning applications were granted, including the City of London, Wigan and Copeland. Pure Commercial Finance specialises in financing commercial development projects and has drawn attention to this data as part of its campaign to help investors learn more about the development process. Ben Lloyd, Co-Founder and Managing Director at Pure Commercial Finance, said: “Commercial property finance is our bread and butter and we help arrange funding for development projects across the country on a daily basis, so we were intrigued to see where these were most likely to get permission and at what rate. “We are pleased to see a number of planning bodies across the country are keen for the redevelopment and expansion of property on offer in their areas, and are delighted to provide our current and future clients with an insight into this data. For further insights into the data analysed and to read the full report click here.
