After steadily increasing for three months, pending home sales in the United States let up in May with the first year on year fall for almost two years with all four major regions seeing a decline. The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward looking indicator based on contract signings from
Book Course HSL is to run a 1 day course on RPE Fit Test – Introduction. 3 November 2016 Introduction Tight-fitting Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) needs to fit the wearer’s face well in order to work correctly and provide the expected protection. As faces come in all shapes and sizes,
Savills Studley has strengthened its commercial real estate structured financing capability with the addition of Cara Leonard, an experienced hotel investment banking recruit who will join the group’s Hotel Investment Banking platform as Senior Managing Director in Los Angeles. Cara will be part of Savills Global Hotel Group led by
Breedon Aggregates is set to dispose of about a dozen readymix sites to clear the way for its proposed acquisition of Hope Construction Materials. Above: Breedon says it still expects to complete Hope acquisition this summer Breedon struck a deal in November 2015 to take over Hope Construction Materials from
SELECT, the campaigning trade body for Scotland’s electrical sector, is going live on YouTube to help FICA apprentices and the electricians of the future. On behalf of SJIB, they have created a series of detailed instructional videos that will benefit young people during the apprenticeship training. The videos, which can
Milwaukee has just launched its second generation of M12 Fuel, which is expected to be even more capable, compact, and powerful than before. The new range presents completely redesigned and updated M12 FUEL Drill Driver, M12 FUEL Percussion Drill, and M12 FUEL ¼ Hex Impact Driver, which are replacing the
Lighting control experts TheisCraft has supplied DALI, 1-10v and Phase dimmed scene control system to the boutique style Mandrake Hotel situated in the heart of London’s West End. Working closely with electrical contractors CAG, the two companies designed a bespoke solution for The Mandrake which included controls in all areas
Inverclyde Council has given planning permission to Riverside Inverclyde (RI) Property Holdings, the organisation charged with delivering the economic redevelopment of Inverclyde in the west of Scotland, for a new food and drink incubator in Greenock. The incubator will be the first of its kind in Scotland and will help
After steadily increasing for three months, pending home sales in the United States let up in May with the first year on year fall for almost two years with all four major regions seeing a decline. The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward looking indicator based on contract signings from the National Association of Realtors fell by 3.7% to 110.8 in May from a downwardly revised 115 in April and is now 0.2% lower than May 2015. But even with last month’s decline, the index reading is still the third highest in the past year, but declined year on year for the first time since August 2014. According to Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, pending sales slumped in May across most of the country. ‘With demand holding firm this spring and homes selling even faster than a year ago, the notable increase in closings in recent months took a dent out of what was available for sale in May and ultimately dragged down contract activity,’ he said. ‘Realtors are acknowledging with increasing frequency lately that buyers continue to be frustrated by the tense competition and lack of affordable homes for sale in their market,’ he added. Despite mortgage rates hovering around three year lows for most of the year, Yun explained that scant supply and swiftly rising home prices which surpassed their all-time high last month are creating an availability and affordability crunch that’s preventing what should be a more robust pace of sales. ‘Total housing inventory at the end of each month has remarkably decreased year on year now for an entire year. There are simply not enough homes coming onto the market to catch up with demand and to keep prices more in line with inflation and wage growth,’ Yun pointed out. Looking ahead to the second half of the year, Yun believes that the fallout from the UK’s decision to leave the European Union breeds both immediate opportunity as well as potential headwinds for the US housing market. ‘In the short term, volatility in the financial markets could very likely lead to even lower mortgage rates and increased demand from foreign buyers looking for a safer place to invest their cash,’ he said. ‘On the other hand, any prolonged market angst and further economic uncertainty overseas could negatively impact our economy and end up tempering the overall appetite for home buying,’ he added. In spite of last month’s step back in contract signings, existing home sales this year are still expected to be around 5.44 million, a 3.7% boost from 2015. After accelerating to 6.8% a year ago, national median existing home price growth is forecast to slightly moderate to between 4% and 5%. A regional breakdown of the figures shows that the PHSI in the Northeast dropped 5.3% to 93 in May, and is now unchanged from a year ago. In the Midwest the index slipped 4.2% to 108 in May, and is now 1.8% below May 2015. Pending home sales in the South declined 3.1% to an index of 126.6 in May but are still 0.6% higher than last May. The index in the West decreased 3.4% in May to 102.6, and is now 0.1% below a year ago. Source link
Book Course HSL is to run a 1 day course on RPE Fit Test – Introduction. 3 November 2016 Introduction Tight-fitting Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) needs to fit the wearer’s face well in order to work correctly and provide the expected protection. As faces come in all shapes and sizes, each wearer needs to be supplied with a facepiece which matches their face. Fit testing demonstrates how well a facepiece matches the individual’s face; it is used to select a facemask which is a good match for them. HSE’s relevant Approved Codes Of Practice (ACOP) require that fit testing be carried out as part of the initial RPE selection process, to ensure that the wearer has the correct facepiece. This course will explain the importance of fit testing, the responsibilities of employers and introduce the various fit testing methods. Practical sessions will cover the essential skills of pre-use checking and correct donning of facepieces, before going on to provide opportunity to practice fit testing using the 2 methods which are extensively and almost exclusively in use in the UK. It is therefore ideal for those new to, or relatively new to, practical fit testing and also suitable for those with responsiblility for correct selection of respiratory protection. This is in an introductory course which will provide a good foundation on which to build practical fit testing skills. To become a competent fit tester will require considerable additional practice and experience. Our Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) fit testing - Advanced course is suitable for those who are well on the way to becoming competent fit testers and are possibly considering applying for accreditation under the Fit2Fit scheme. All course presenters are Fit2Fit accredited fit testers, some were actively involved in the development of the Fit2Fit scheme. This Introduction Course includes: Understanding the importance of fit testing Principles of fit testing methods Essential pre-use checking and correct donning of facemasks Responsibilities of employers and fit testers Qualitative fit testing using Bitrex or Saccharin Quantitative fit testing using the Portacount Who should attend: Individuals who are new to or relatively new to practical fit testing and those with responsibility for correct selection of respiratory protection. More information on the Fit2Fit scheme is available at http://fit2fit.org/index.html 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.visitpeakdistrict.com. Cost The discounted cost of this course is £495 per person (includes course notes, lunch and refreshments). Comments & Feedback “The team/trainers were fantastic and brimmed with knowledge, not just the technical elements, but down to earth ‘working’ solutions that can be applied in the workplace. In one word fantastic. I would thoroughly recommend HSL, a great organisation! Please keep providing training, there is no service/training provider like the HSL.”Richard Browne (CARE UK) Book Course Please note the invoice option is not available within 4 weeks of the course date, or for overseas customers. If you are selecting the invoice option for payment, it will be mandatory to input a purchase order/reference number as we are unable to process booking forms without this. 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 Source link
Savills Studley has strengthened its commercial real estate structured financing capability with the addition of Cara Leonard, an experienced hotel investment banking recruit who will join the group’s Hotel Investment Banking platform as Senior Managing Director in Los Angeles. Cara will be part of Savills Global Hotel Group led by George Nicholas. Prior to joining Savills Studley, Cara was the strategic head of the structured finance platform at Lowe Enterprise Investors (LEI) where she was responsible for sourcing, underwriting, structuring and negotiating debt and preferred equity investments in hotels. In that role, she also led portfolio and asset management and played a key role in capital formation and investment strategy. While at LEI, Cara also served as the portfolio manager for the firm’s hospitality fund and led investor marketing for the firms comingled funds and separate accounts. Previously she worked at Canyon-Johnson Urban Funds and practised law as an associate on the Joint Venture/Acquisitions team at Cox, Castle & Nicholson LLP focusing on real estate joint venture transactions, acquisitions, dispositions and structured finance. Cara graduated from University of California, Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Science and a Juris Doctorate. George Nicholas, Global Head of Hotels at Savills, comments: “We are excited to have Cara join the team, where she can leverage off the local and global relationships of Savills Global Hotel Group and exploit our unmatched access to Asian debt and equity capital through our network of 133 offices in Asia Pacific and 24,000 directly employed staff. “Cara’s full-time focus on lodging finance, coupled with her deep understanding of structuring and owner-related issues provide borrowers with finger-on-the-pulse pricing and an ally in their deal.” Source link
Breedon Aggregates is set to dispose of about a dozen readymix sites to clear the way for its proposed acquisition of Hope Construction Materials. Above: Breedon says it still expects to complete Hope acquisition this summer Breedon struck a deal in November 2015 to take over Hope Construction Materials from India’s Mittal family for £336m. After an initial investigation, the Competitions & Markets Authority (CMA) has said there are no concerns about competition in aggregate supply being damaged by the merger but there were some concerns about ready-mixed concrete (RMX) supply. It has told Breedon to address this or face a detailed investigation. It has just one week, until Tuesday 19th April 2016, to offer undertakings that might be accepted by the CMA. This is not expected to be a problem for Breedon. It said that it was ready to propose disposing of approximately 12 to 15 sites. The CMA said that Breedon and Hope operate more than 200 RMX sites across England, Wales and Scotland and are currently major competitors. The CMA said that the merger “gives rise to competition concerns in relation to 27 RMX sites, meaning that customers might face higher prices as a result of the merger in the local areas surrounding these sites”. Sheldon Mills, CMA senior director of mergers, and decision-maker in the initial investigation, said: “Ready mixed concrete is an essential product for a wide range of construction projects of all sizes in the public and private sectors. The vast majority of the merger raises no concerns but there are a number of areas where the companies compete strongly with each other for customers and the concern is that loss of such rivalry could lead to price rises for customers. The businesses may now resolve these concerns or face a detailed investigation.” In response, Breedon issued a statement saying that the CMA’s initial verdict was much as it had been expecting and it would be proposing remedies. “This outcome is in line with Breedon’s expectations and the company now has a short period during which to offer remedies to address the CMA’s outstanding concerns. Subject to agreement with the CMA on appropriate remedies, Breedon expects to complete the acquisition later this summer in line with previous guidance.” This article was published on 12 Apr 2016 (last updated on 12 Apr 2016). Source link
SELECT, the campaigning trade body for Scotland’s electrical sector, is going live on YouTube to help FICA apprentices and the electricians of the future. On behalf of SJIB, they have created a series of detailed instructional videos that will benefit young people during the apprenticeship training. The videos, which can be found on YouTube or on SJIB’s website, are particularly aimed at those facing the Final Integrated Competence Assessment (FICA) to help them join the ranks of qualified electrician. However, the information that the videos provide is of value to existing electrical professionals as well. The series of ten videos focus on the test sequence and specific tests required to verify that a new electrical installation complies with BS 7671:2008 (as amended). “Inspection and Testing is vital. It is about verifying that an electrical installation is safe before it goes into use, and the regulations require that the person verifying it is suitably competent,” explained Fiona Harper from SELECT. According to SJIB, Inspection and Testing is one of the most difficult FICA part to learn and young people have been looking on YouTube for help; “that was when we decided to use that medium to provide clear, accurate, accessible and authorised guidance for our candidates,” said Fiona. Candidates can use the training videos before they are subjected to a regime in which they face a gruelling two days of practical simulations of various aspects of electrical installation in a modern and up to date environment. They also have a written test that consists of a series of multiple choice questions, which will help assess their ability to safely and effectively carry out their future profession. The assessment centres for the FICA in Scotland are located in Aberdeen, Cambuslang, and Edinburgh. SELECT has 1200 member companies, which account for around 90% of all electrical installation work carried out in Scotland. Their collective turnover is approximately £1 billion and they provide employment for 15,000 people.
Milwaukee has just launched its second generation of M12 Fuel, which is expected to be even more capable, compact, and powerful than before. The new range presents completely redesigned and updated M12 FUEL Drill Driver, M12 FUEL Percussion Drill, and M12 FUEL ¼ Hex Impact Driver, which are replacing the original brushed motor versions. The M12 FUEL Drill Driver and M12 FUEL Percussion Drill are the only 12V tools on the market with an all metal 13mm chuck, which gives them the right amount of power to perform a wide range of applications. A POWERSTATE Brushless Motor is featured on each one of them, making them deliver up to 1700 RPM’s and 44 Nm of peak torque. Both tools are extremely portable and easily accessible in tight spaces, weighing in at only 1.2kg with battery and 167.7mm in length. They are the most capable, lightest weight, and most compact tools in their class, offering optimal solutions for Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, Remodelers, and Maintenance workers. The new M12 FUEL ¼ Hex Impact Driver delivers 20% faster application speeds compared to the previous model, with an output of more than 147 Nm of torque. The same Brushless Motor allows it to deliver up to 0-3,300 RPM with constant power output to drive screws faster. The tool comes with a four-mode DRIVE CONTROL feature, which provides users with the versatility of switching between modes in order to match the power and speed to the application at hand. It provides unmatched access in tight spaces and less fatigue, due to its 1.1kg weight and 131mm length. “Milwaukee Tool revolutionised the professional power tool market when we first created the 12V sub-compact space with the introduction of the M12 ™ system,” said Bela Berecz, Product Manager for Milwaukee Tool. “Ever since, we’ve continued to remain on the forefront of incredible technology advancements that have ultimately reshaped users’ expectations of cordless power tool capabilities.”
Lighting control experts TheisCraft has supplied DALI, 1-10v and Phase dimmed scene control system to the boutique style Mandrake Hotel situated in the heart of London’s West End. Working closely with electrical contractors CAG, the two companies designed a bespoke solution for The Mandrake which included controls in all areas of the hotel as well as providing a modular wiring solution for the hotel’s bedrooms. Set to be London’s most fashionable new hotel, the facility includes 30 bedrooms, three suites and a penthouse apartment all in a boutique style that features a traditional frontage, designed and lit by dpa lighting consultants. The main bedrooms are located on the upper floors overlooking the central courtyard with the reception, bar, restaurant and lounge at ground floor level around the central courtyard, with a function suite in the basement area. The lighting plays a fundamental role in emphasizing the perception of the space, creating focal points and cutting out discrete shadows of mysterious and sensual pockets of darkness. TheisCraft and CAG adopted a number of sustainability measures that were incorporated into the design, including the use of absence/presence detection, lighting controls, time controlled events and 3W emergency fittings and an emergency monitoring system. The lighting control panels incorporated lighting circuits with DALI technology, 1-10V, DMX and switching along with emergency monitoring in accordance with EN50172, which tracks the performance of every emergency light fitting. Each panel was custom designed to provide an electrical distribution board style solution so that it has the isolation for each area protected by RCBO & MCBs for circuit protection. The panels are then closely matched to the circuits and type of control needed for the type of luminaire and control method for the area and the style of each part of the hotel. The control plates for the lighting scenes and blinds have been metal flat plate style finished in various colours to suit the mood of the hotel and are monitored by the Head End PC. Graham Dear of CAG commented “We appointed TheisCraft as they could supply a bespoke solution, including the modular wiring, for both blind and lighting control throughout the hotel. The project involved lots of complex panels which they designed to control scenes in each of the bedrooms and bathrooms, in addition to the blinds in the penthouse suite. Lighting throughout the hotel can also be controlled via a Tablet controlled device which connects to the “Cloud’ based App which was an added bonus for the hotel”. The project also included a pre-wired metal conduit modular wiring solution which could be easily connected via a plug and play connection system for all bedrooms and corridors. This system meant the project could be finished quickly and to deadline without any extra manpower.
Inverclyde Council has given planning permission to Riverside Inverclyde (RI) Property Holdings, the organisation charged with delivering the economic redevelopment of Inverclyde in the west of Scotland, for a new food and drink incubator in Greenock. The incubator will be the first of its kind in Scotland and will help the food and drink sector to double its turnover to £30 billion by 2030. Baker Street Food & Drink Enterprises will be located at the corner of Greenock’s Baker Street and Drumfrochar Road and it is part of a £3.5 million project, which includes a road realignment delivered by Riverside Inverclyde for Inverclyde Council. Six manufacturing units ranging from 45 to 95 square metres will also include shared office space, storage unit, research and board room facilities for its tenants, showers, and changing areas. The incubator aims to entice the growth of small and medium sized food and drink businesses, together with the growth for the businesses located at Baker Street. “We have already seen interest in the incubator from businesses and expect to see further demand as the project develops. Alongside the road realignment project, this popular and busy corner of Greenock will have a completely new feel and flow and we look forward to getting started with this project,” said Fiona Maguire, Chief Executive of Riverside Inverclyde. “This incubator offers Inverclyde some exciting opportunities, not least to grow the number of local producers but hopefully to see some of the early companies grow to be success stories and offer employment opportunities,” added Dr Gerry McCarthy, Chair of Riverside Inverclyde. The Baker Street incubator has received a funding of £900,000 from the Scottish Government’s Regeneration Capital Grant Fund and the development is due to start this summer, with the completion date set for early 2019.
