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Manchester aluminium diecasting producer Presbar Diecastings Ltd, has been fined £140,000 after a worker suffered life threatening injuries when he became trapped in a machine. Manchester Crown Court heard that on 7 July 2015 the worker had entered the middle of the aluminium diecasting machine between the furnace pot and the front bar
Modular off-site construction methods hold potential to solve the UK’s crippling housing shortage, according to a report by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IME). The report, entitled “The UK House Building: Manufacturing Affordable Quality Homes” is urging the Government to provide greater incentives for the offsite construction of homes. Lead
Jonathan Hyndman, Partner at Rosling King, a UK based law firm, wrote a report on the current status of retentions. Cash retentions are very common in the construction industry, with approximately £3 billion of outstanding retentions in the UK at any one time. Developers enjoy having an element of protection
SEED Madagascar, a small UK based charity, are one of the nation’s most important contributors to the island and have been helping its people and its wildlife for nearly 20 years. However, as 92% of the population live below the poverty line of $2 a day, there is always a
Vital market intelligence every week Estates Gazette subscribers benefit from vital market intelligence that allows them to find new opportunities and make informed business decisions. Take advantage of our introductory offer. Try 4 issues for £1. Subscribe Source link
Manchester aluminium diecasting producer Presbar Diecastings Ltd, has been fined £140,000 after a worker suffered life threatening injuries when he became trapped in a machine. Manchester Crown Court heard that on 7 July 2015 the worker had entered the middle of the aluminium diecasting machine between the furnace pot and the front bar to clear a build up of metal. Whilst carrying out this routine procedure the robot arm started to move, the worker tried to move out of the way but was trapped by the ladle containing 400 degrees centigrade molten metal attached to the robot arm. He suffered a cardiac arrest and fourth degree burns. A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found the machine had only been partially guarded making access to the ladle possible. This was despite there being a risk assessment in place at the time of the incident identifying the hazard of contact or entrapment with the ladle. Presbar Diecasting Ltd of Store Street, Manchester pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. The company was fined £140,000 and ordered to pay £9,788.56 costs and £120 victim surcharge. Speaking after the hearing HSE Principal Inspector Mike Sebastian said: “A man suffered life changing injuries which could have been prevented if the machine had been properly guarded. Employers should ensure that they regularly check, assess and review the guarding on their machinery to ensure that all access to dangerous parts in prevented.” For more information and guidance on workplace equipment go to: www.hse.gov.uk/work-equipment-machinery/puwer.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 press.hse.gov.uk Journalists should approach HSE press office with any queries on regional press releases. Source link
Modular off-site construction methods hold potential to solve the UK’s crippling housing shortage, according to a report by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IME). The report, entitled “The UK House Building: Manufacturing Affordable Quality Homes” is urging the Government to provide greater incentives for the offsite construction of homes. Lead Author of the report and Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Dr Tim Fox said “The UK is in the middle of an acute housing crisis. Current annual construction levels are typically less than half of the estimated 250,000 new homes this country needs built every year through to at least the 2030s. The new Government needs to demonstrate real ambition, leadership and innovation, not make small piecemeal changes, if it is going to solve the UK’s housing crisis. Overhauling the way the UK constructs homes could be the quickest and most effective way of doing this.” Off-site construction technologies have advanced greatly in recent years and can offer shorter build times, better quality, better energy efficiency, less waste, and lower costs for buyers. “I’ve always believed there must be a way to get better quality and build quicker,” says Tom Bloxham, chief executive of Urban Splash While timeframes are project dependent, most estimates are that off-site-built homes can be produced in about half the time of traditional construction as the house itself can be built in the factory while foundations are being laid on site. Developers also cite the reduced requirement for scarce skilled labour, fewer construction accidents and more consistent quality of build compared to traditional construction. So is now the time for off-site construction to hit the mainstream? Bloxham thinks so, saying production line precision means his homes are both “extraordinarily” airtight, which improves their energy efficiency, and highly customisable. With his 43-home scheme in New Islington, Manchester, all sold and occupied, he is now aiming to ramp up production to several thousand a year. “We’ve shown there’s a demand for it, we’ve shown the quality is really good, and now it’s building the capacity,” he says. This will be discussed in greater detail by James Walsh, Lead Designer, Anyo Architects at Explore Offsite Housing – he will be speaking about ‘Modular Design: How to use modular techniques to solve the housing shortage.’ James Walsh will be joined at Explore Offsite Housing by an outstanding speaker line-up that includes: Brian Ham, Executive Director of Development, Home Group; Jenny Coombs, Project Director, Local Partnerships ; Paul Williamson Managing Director: Modular Construction, Swan Housing; Peter Andrew, Deputy Chairman, Home Builders Federation; Stephen Haigh Chief Executive, Live Verde; Sir Edward Lister, Chair, Homes England; Bjorn Conway, Chief Executive Officer, Ilke Homes and more. For the full list of speakers go to: http://www.exploreoffsite.co.uk/2018-events/explore-offsite-housing/conference-speakers/ Explore Offsite provides positive return-on-investment and are some of the most well-attended events dedicated to the offsite manufacturing and construction industry. Why should you Exhibit? Strengthen your brand positioning, generate sales leads, build relationships with prospects, advance the sales cycle, increase awareness, generate publicity and many more! For more information on package prices click here Alternatively, contact Julie Richards on 01743 290001 or email julie.richards@radar-communications.co.uk. Tickets cost just £225 + vat for a two-day ticket and £125 + vat for a one day ticket. This ticket price includes entry into the conference and exhibition, lunch and refreshments. Book your place online today: http://www.exploreoffsite.co.uk/book
Jonathan Hyndman, Partner at Rosling King, a UK based law firm, wrote a report on the current status of retentions. Cash retentions are very common in the construction industry, with approximately £3 billion of outstanding retentions in the UK at any one time. Developers enjoy having an element of protection against faults arising during the rectification period and late completion given by the deduction and the retention of a percentage of the value of the works from interim payments due to the contractor during the construction phase. Contractors have been encouraged to price the risk of their retention not being released into the contract sum because of the persistent failures to release them on time and sometimes at all as a result of simple breach of contract or the insolvency of the party holding the retention. The Construction (Retention Deposit Schemes) Bill, introduced as a Private Members’ Bill, was read on the 9th of January in the House of Commons for the first time, following the Carillion’s collapse which brought into perspective the importance of the proposed legislation. What Bill will do is it will introduce a secondary legislation that requires cash retentions to be paid into a Government approved scheme. This means that even though the party to whom the retention is due would still be encouraged to complete work on time and to fix defects, in the event of the retention holder’s insolvency, the retention would be in a Government approved scheme and would be available for downstream release before any creditor distribution. The construction industry has showed its support for the proposal, which is needed in relation to deposits paid by tenants of shorthold tenancies to landlords for example. However, for Carillion’s subcontractors and suppliers, this protection of retentions against upstream insolvency in the construction industry will come too late.
SEED Madagascar, a small UK based charity, are one of the nation’s most important contributors to the island and have been helping its people and its wildlife for nearly 20 years. However, as 92% of the population live below the poverty line of $2 a day, there is always a need for more people to join in and help. SEED have been building schools, which are part of an ongoing project that wants to increase education possibilities in the country, wells, and toilet facilities, which help deal with hygiene and disease. Four in ten children in rural areas die before the age of five from diseases that could have been easily prevented, such as diarrhoea. The charity needs more volunteers to help with these projects and hopes that the construction industry could lend a hand. Volunteers can choose between a two and a three week placement where they will work on a variety of community construction projects. The team is composed of Malagasy guides and an international group coordinator and volunteers can get involved in activities such as digging foundations, bricklaying, building classroom furniture, excavating a well, or anything they might find interesting or are good at. “Having worked with SEED Madagascar on a number of water, sanitation and building projects, I have first-hand experience of how much difference those with building skills can make in the country. I swapped knowledge with local tradesmen who taught me about their building materials and methods. It was a fascinating and supremely rewarding experience. Whether you can spare a couple of weeks, fund someone’s trip or simply make a donation, this is an incredible cause to get behind,” said Ross Chamberlain, Director of Blueprint Construction & Development Ltd. If you work in the construction industry and would like to be part of SEED Madagascar by either becoming a volunteer or making a donation, contact the charity on 020 8960 6629 or by email on info@seedmadagascar.org. This can be your opportunity to help and give back, while experiencing the landscapes of Madagascar with stunning beaches, coral reefs, and jungles.
