The Occupational Safety and Health Consultants Register (OSHCR) have decided to explore the 5 biggest health and safety risks in 2018 that could damage the UK workforce and businesses. AI Introduction The introduction of automated intelligence in workplaces may cause your employees anxiety and other mental health conditions linked with
TEOCO, the leading provider of analytics, assurance, and engineering solutions, has announced the launch of a new indoor wireless planning tool, ASSET Indoor, created in partnership with UK based technology company Ranplan Wireless. The product is an all in one solution for coordinated HetNet planning, optimisation, and simulation, which allows
Over the last five years, we have seen interesting changes to the hospitality industry. As development consultants, we help organisations deliver built projects across a range of sectors. The leisure industry is one of the key areas in which our business operates, and it is really growing for us. The
ECS Engineering Services has been appointed as Principal Contractor for the South East by the Environment Agency, under the MEICA (mechanical, electrical, instrumentation control and automation) Framework. This builds on the existing relationship that has seen ECS deliver maintenance services for over 15 years. Under this agreement, ECS can be
Volumetric offsite methods offer complete solutions to housing, hospitals, student accommodation, office buildings and schools. Amongst other advantages, volumetric offsite construction brings to the factory all critical activities linked to the structure, mechanical and electrical work as well as to the exterior and interior finishes, including special equipment. A Volumetric
The building services and construction products supplier Midland Fixings held a Man Vs Food challenge as part of their 2018 corporate social responsibility (CSR). The challenge took place at its Beeston-based headquarters and six members of staff participated in it. The participants had to eat as many sausage rolls as
Hill’s Panel Products (HPP) is supplying and manufacturing furniture and fittings for hundreds of new apartments in Manchester city centre. Together with Beech Design & Build, a leading landlord and developer of apartments for young professionals, students, and visitors, they are working on a series of apartment schemes. HPP could
The Occupational Safety and Health Consultants Register (OSHCR) have decided to explore the 5 biggest health and safety risks in 2018 that could damage the UK workforce and businesses. AI Introduction The introduction of automated intelligence in workplaces may cause your employees anxiety and other mental health conditions linked with the fear of losing their job in front of a robot. This has been a popular topic this year and it is a potential factor that contributes to a rise in workplace stress and anxiety. Remote and Freelance Employees The ability to hire a remote or freelance employee is a great opportunity because they can work from anywhere in the world using the internet. Although this is a great opportunity for employers, problems may arise when the remote staff will pop in and out of the office without being properly briefed in regards to health and safety procedures. Influx in Digital and Technology Careers Tech based careers are already very popular and they will continue to grow this year as well. However, the fact that the employees spend a lot of their time sat in front of a computer can cause poor eyesight and obesity. A screen or laptop that has not been set up to comply with health and safety standards may cause neck and muscles strain along with repetitive strain disorder. Additionally, careers that involve minimal movement can lead to an unhealthy lifestyle and teamed with a poor diet, obesity. Antibiotic Resistance This year Aussie flu took the UK by storm and many people got affected by it. Healthcare professionals have warned businesses about antibiotic resistance and how certain infections are becoming harder to treat year on year. Machines and Risk of Injury Using machines in the workplace should be done only by those fully trained and equipped to operate it. OSHCR warns of the potential risk to the health and safety of employees when training is not properly in place.
TEOCO, the leading provider of analytics, assurance, and engineering solutions, has announced the launch of a new indoor wireless planning tool, ASSET Indoor, created in partnership with UK based technology company Ranplan Wireless. The product is an all in one solution for coordinated HetNet planning, optimisation, and simulation, which allows communication service providers (CSPs) to design better mobile connectivity in and around buildings. “We are very excited to partner with Ranplan, leveraging their innovative indoor wireless expertise that offers significant benefits to the market while solving a number of historical issues,” said Aloke Paskar, Executive Vice President. “As technology has developed, in-building connectivity has become a crucial part of day-to-day life, whether that is at home, in an office or even at a stadium. Users want better connectivity, good quality service and high data rates – and ASSET Indoor will allow our customers to plan for just that.” ASSET Indoor comes with a few unique capabilities, including the Smart CAD (Computer Aided Design) extract tool that helps reduce design planning and optimisation time by up to 50% by automatically recognising and extracting features in a CAD drawing to create a 3D building environment in minutes; a true HetNet design tool that can model simultaneously the indoor and outdoor environments; accurate coverage predictions given by 3D multi-path ray tracing algorithms, which result in precise high performing designs and ensure systems are future proofed; and capacity planning and simulation to UE level that considers user density, distribution, and application or service types when planning network capacity requirements. “ASSET Indoor solves a number of in-building planning pain points including the length of the planning process, inability to analyse both interior and exterior network coverage, and accurately predicting network coverage and simulating capacity,” said Alastair Williamson, CEO of Ranplan. “As we continue to commercialize our suite of tools and having won a significant number of customers globally, our partnership with TEOCO provides an excellent platform where we can expand our footprint globally. This is a significant step for the market.” The ASSET Indoor offering includes ASSET Indoor for detailed planning and design optimization, ASSET Indoor tablet for site surveys and simple designs and ASSET Indoor Manager for in-building system workflow and project management.
Over the last five years, we have seen interesting changes to the hospitality industry. As development consultants, we help organisations deliver built projects across a range of sectors. The leisure industry is one of the key areas in which our business operates, and it is really growing for us. The ‘Air BnB’ effect, as it has been coined, has changed the way people look at hotels. There is much more choice available now, and consumer trends suggest that travellers are booking places which offer more homely and comfortable features in increasing numbers. This is true for business travellers as well, who might be staying away for work, and like the idea of having more than just a room to reside in. Apart-hotels and the serviced apartment sector is expanding, with companies like Staybridge Suite hotels pursuing major growth plans in this area. The company reports that globally, there are 250 Staybridge Suite hotels open, with a further 151 hotels opening in the next three to five years. What is the appeal? More space seems to be key. Travellers benefit from relaxed suites, with fully-equipped kitchens, separate working areas, entertainment and free Wi-Fi. They get the comfort of home, with the benefit of hotel-standard services. Communal areas follow suit, providing further usable cooking, dining and eating spaces, which during the evenings become the setting for hotel organised-socials. For developers, dual-brand hotels – which see hotel companies combining their offerings, so that apartment-style hotels are partnered with more conventional hotels, allowing an element of shared services – are an appealing prospect. Companies are able to share the cost of construction as well as operational expenses, resulting in development savings as well as increasing the likelihood of achieving economic feasibility on a project. The future… The dual-brand offering, which in itself is not a new idea, looks set to increase in popularity. This is arguably the hotel industry’s response to the ‘Air BnB effect’ and to a rise in demand for serviced apartments. Dual-brand hotels will be new to many cities in the UK, although the trend is growing here, following huge success throughout Europe and America. Manchester has recently started construction of its first Crowne Plaza/Staybridge Suite, which is planned to open later in 2018. The Global Serviced Apartments Industry Report 2016/2017 comments that “the future is no longer just a serviced apartment sector or a hotel sector. It is no longer binary. Hotels are introducing apartment-like hotel rooms with apartment style facilities and amenities.” Our experience… Within the leisure sector, we have significant experience in delivering hotels, including multiple projects under the Ibis brand across Wales and the South West and a £16.5 million hotel development in Liverpool that was ultimately operated under the Novotel brand. We are working on a 17 bed extension on the Holiday Inn Express in Colliers Wood, and a refurbishment of the Holiday Inn Express in Cardiff, which we’re doing the contract administration and cost management for. We are also excited to be part of the development of South Wales’ first co-branded hotel, which combines an apart-hotel with a traditional hotel. It’s an interesting time for the leisure industry, and it’s fantastic to be part of a positive movement which responds to consumer demand and provides an elegant solution, which benefits both the developer and the end user.
ECS Engineering Services has been appointed as Principal Contractor for the South East by the Environment Agency, under the MEICA (mechanical, electrical, instrumentation control and automation) Framework. This builds on the existing relationship that has seen ECS deliver maintenance services for over 15 years. Under this agreement, ECS can be assigned directly to projects at all the Environment Agency’s 600+ sites in the South East, ECS also assumes responsibility for maintenance, servicing, repairs and emergency call-outs. The appointment complements other framework agreements ECS has with the Environment Agency. Dave Searle, ECS’s Project Manager for the South East, says: “We have worked with the Environment Agency for many years on a wide range of project types and sizes. This new appointment reflects our ability to deliver a true turnkey solution using our design expertise with in-house fabrication facilities, project management and site engineers.” ECS Engineering Services is headquartered centrally in Nottinghamshire and works all over the UK utilising smaller, local delivery centres, delivering high quality, reliable and cost-effective engineering solutions. It specialises in the bespoke design and construction of water, energy and environmental projects. About ECS Engineering Services ECS Engineering Services has over 20 years experience in delivering high quality, reliable and cost effective engineering solutions, specialising in bespoke design and construction of water, energy and environmental processing and management projects. In conjunction with key supply partners, ECS has the expertise and capacity to design and install a wide range of water control engineering projects. With in-house fabrication services, which have CE Marking approval to EXC3, well equipped and highly skilled engineers can also complete structural steelwork, bespoke fabrication work and access metalwork to the highest standard. With a complete range of site services available, ECS offers a full turnkey project managed service for mechanical and electrical installations including managing civils contractors and supplying pipework, control and automation work to ensure that every installation is installed and commissioned to the highest standard. Existing clients include the majority of the UK Water Utility companies, Government Agencies and Internal Drainage Boards.
Volumetric offsite methods offer complete solutions to housing, hospitals, student accommodation, office buildings and schools. Amongst other advantages, volumetric offsite construction brings to the factory all critical activities linked to the structure, mechanical and electrical work as well as to the exterior and interior finishes, including special equipment. A Volumetric approach ensures better quality control, but also limits the work to be carried on site to groundwork and foundations, connection to services, and minor finish work. As a result of this, volumetric offsite methods have the potential to help achieve a waste reduction of up to 90% on site compared to traditional construction. By bringing most trades within a controlled factory environment it has been proven that the generation of waste can be limited to less than 1.8% of the total weight of materials processed, and that appropriate recycling measures can limit the waste sent to landfill to less than 0.6%. Volumetric modular manufacturing is based on a lean design and procurement process that optimises the use of materials and ensures better management of resources. Utilising flexible modular construction systems, projects can be undertaken on designated sites that are unsuitable for conventional building developments. Offsite construction enables much of the work to be completed prior to delivery, controlling costs and minimising disruption on site. As a sustainable form of construction, modular buildings offer a unique approach to recycling. By reconfiguring used buildings they are able to breathe new life into existing structures, preserving the embodied energy from the original manufacturing phase and significantly reducing the use of materials. Modules are designed to be dismantled, relocated or recycled at any stage during their lifespan; this approach is integral to the build process, removing the requirement for demolition and in turn minimising the need for disposal in landfill sites. Prefabrication techniques produce a low-energy approach coupled with fast-track construction processes, both equating to minimised carbon emissions. Oliver Lowrie, Director for Ackroyd Lowrie is an architect and co-founder of Ackroyd Lowrie. He will be discussing ‘Optimising design for Volumetric production’ at Explore Offsite Outlooks. Oliver will be joined at Explore Offsite Outlooks by an outstanding speaker line-up that includes: Andrew Orriss, Sales Director – SIG360; Ben Lever, Future Skills Manager – CITB; John Eynon, Engagement Lead – BIM Alliance; Alan Clucas, Director – Explore Manufacturing – Laing O’Rourke… and more. For the full list of speakers go to: http://www.exploreoffsite.co.uk/2018-events/explore-offsite-outlooks/conference-speakers/ This one-day conference and exhibition will create a platform for clients and their professional advisers, contractors and project managers and offsite technology suppliers to network with industry experts to discuss the latest developments in digital construction for the offsite sector. The Explore Offsite Outlooks conference and supporting exhibition is taking place on 28 February 2018. Tickets cost just £125 + vat and includes entry into the conference and exhibition, lunch and refreshments. There will also be an optional guided tour of the BRE Innovation Park. To find out more or to secure your place at Explore Offsite Outlooks go to: www.exploreoffsite.co.uk/book
The building services and construction products supplier Midland Fixings held a Man Vs Food challenge as part of their 2018 corporate social responsibility (CSR). The challenge took place at its Beeston-based headquarters and six members of staff participated in it. The participants had to eat as many sausage rolls as they could in one minute. The winner was Dan Kirk, purchasing assistant at Midland Fixings, who managed to eat 5 sausage rolls. This was the first event of the company’s 2018 CSR programme and it raised more than £1,150 for Alzheimer’s Research UK. “The challenge was lots of fun and all for a great cause. It was a close one at the end but I was determined to win! Not only was it fun to take part in but I think the rest of the team enjoyed watching it too – it definitely provided some entertainment for a Friday lunchtime,” commented Dan Kirk. A new charity fundraiser will be organised by Midland Fixings on the 7th and 8th of March, where a team of enthusiastic cyclists will take part in a 350 km cycle challenge in the Pennines. This time, the funds raised will be donated to Breast Cancer Care. “The Man Vs Food challenge was a great way to kick off our 2018 CSR programme – especially as the team loves food. It was for a worthwhile cause and really brought all the staff together to create a sense of community and excitement,” said Adrian Fowler, the managing director at Midland Fixings. “Since the challenge on Friday we’ve had lots of sign-ups for our next challenge of pedal the Pennines and we are hoping to raise even more money for our chosen charity.” Midland Fixings has been operating in the UK for more than 40 years and it currently has 50 members of full time staff. It provides tailored solutions and products to meet the challenges faced by building services contractors in the Mechanical and Electrical sectors. The company has its own in-house engineering design team and fabrication workshop, which provide solutions for residential schemes, food manufacturing plants, and water and energy systems.
Hill’s Panel Products (HPP) is supplying and manufacturing furniture and fittings for hundreds of new apartments in Manchester city centre. Together with Beech Design & Build, a leading landlord and developer of apartments for young professionals, students, and visitors, they are working on a series of apartment schemes. HPP could potentially provide products for contracts covering between 1,500 and 1,700 apartments. Until now, the company has supplied kitchens, bedrooms, and bathroom furniture and fittings in a few key city centre locations including Portland Street, Princess Street, and Cross Street. The products the company supplies include Avanti doors, HPP’s own manufactured range of Glide sliding doors, PVC-edged Aspects doors, vinyl-wrapped Aspire doors and products by brands such as Egger, Kronospan, XyloCleaf, Blum, and Sensio. Shaun Nolan, HPP’s national contracts manager, explains the type of materials and products they have used: “The carcass materials for rooms have predominantly been made using XyloCleaf products. The kitchens have bespoke designs with built-in handles and strip lighting. For the bedrooms, we have again used a lot of XyloCleaf products for boards and doors, and BLUM fixtures and fittings. We also supplied sliding doors from our Glide range, which are manufactured on-site to any size and specification.” HPP is a distributor of leading brands that offers services such as product sourcing, development, design, manufacturing, and cost control. Moreover, HPP also schedules meeting with the client and provides him with the right alternatives. “Architects and specifiers may have particular ideas of what they want but sometimes this cannot be manufactured at the right cost. With 200 or 300 apartments, the price must be right. HPP can provide alternatives that can be manufactured at the right cost and still provide the desired look and feel,” explained Shaun. “We can produce prototypes, ensure the finished article looks right and then begin full manufacturing.” Since its launch in 1991, HPP has managed to expand its range of products to more than 6,000, including full and processed sheet material, vinyl wrapped furniture doors and furniture fittings. The company’s head office and manufacturing site are located in Oldham and a second distribution Sheffield is currently being extended.
