A Helensburgh-based contracting company has been fined after a worker hit an underground cable and suffered burns to his hands and face whilst working on a primary school refurbishment project. Hamilton Sheriff Court heard that on the 1 September 2011 the incident took place at a construction site at Heatheryknowe Primary School in East Kilbride. A worker for Stewart and Shields Limited was digging holes to erect a fence when he struck a 430v underground electric services cable causing minor flash burns to his hands and face. The Health and Safety Executive investigated the incident and found that site reports containing information about ‘buried services’ were made available to the company but they had failed to provide this information to workers or clearly mark where the power lines were situated underground. They should also have also ensured that workers using digging devices were adequately trained. Stewart and Shields Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 34(3) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 and Section 33(1)(c) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and were fined £7,500. HSE Inspector Graeme McMinn said: “There is an obligation on contractors to ensure that workers are informed of the dangers from buried underground services, and the need to ensure those services are located, checked and clearly marked. For further information and guidance please visit: http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/hsg47.htm Notes to editors: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) 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: www.legislation.gov.uk/  and guidance at HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk   Journalists should approach HSE press office with any queries on regional press releases. Source link

Installers must be registered for all areas of gas work undertaken, says APHC Published:  20 June, 2016 Following the sentencing of a Chelmsford gas engineer for conducting dangerous gas work in rented homes, APHC is urging installers to ensure they are competent and Gas Safe Registered for all work they undertake. Although James Wilkinson was Gas Safe Registered for some types of gas appliances, he did not hold the required qualifications and was not competent to carry out work on gas warm air units, an HSE investigation has revealed. After doing so at five rented homes in Chelmsford, he left one gas installation in a hazardous condition on more than one occasion, which the building’s tenants were later alerted to by their carbon monoxide alarm. John Thompson, chief executive at APHC, said: “This case, which all too easily could have resulted in tragedy, highlights the importance of installers being Gas Safe Registered for all areas of gas work they undertake. We must also do more to protect homeowners by raising awareness of the importance of qualifications in specific areas of gas competence, in order to avoid similar occurrences.” Source link

©AFP The head of Kremlin-backed oil major Rosneft said on Tuesday that low prices will not last, as the price of Brent crude climbed to a fresh high for the year. Igor Sechin, a close ally of Russian president Vladimir Putin and the head of Rosneft, told the FT Commodities Global Summit in Lausanne that a price of at least $50 a barrel was needed to avert future supply shortages. More On this topic IN Commodities “The oil price is growing. I think everyone is expecting the successful outcome of our work,” Mr Sechin said. “We will need higher price levels than $45 or even $50 a barrel.” Russia is set to meet next week in Doha with Opec kingpin Saudi Arabia and other big oil producers to discuss an output “freeze” — the first significant concerted action to reverse a near two-year old price collapse. Mr Sechin did not directly address the meeting in Doha but said there were signs already that the market is tightening as US output declines. “US tight oil is decreasing despite preferential tax treatment,” Mr Sechin said. “Shale oil will struggle to spread as they don’t have such favourable conditions as the Americans have.” Ahead of the Doha meeting, crude oil has risen, with momentum accelerating on Tuesday as Brent crude jumped 1.5 per cent and set a new high of $43.58 a barrel for 2016. The benchmark has risen from a low of $37.27 a week ago on hopes of a production freeze deal being agreed, but remains well shy of the $115 a barrel peak in mid-June 2014. Also weighing in on the need for a production freeze was the head of Iraq’s state oil selling company at the FT conference. Falah Alamri, director-general of the oil marketing company of Iraq, said: “They should do this deal as this is the only way to support the oil price.” He added: “Everybody needs it and Iraq supports this deal.” The meeting in Qatar will bring together countries from de facto Opec leader Saudi Arabia to Russia and Venezuela to try to freeze output in a bid to hasten the end of an oil glut. “Demand is increasing and supply is decreasing as American shale oil especially is falling. The timing is right. A deal would now be effective,” said Mr Alamri, who is part of the Iraqi delegation going to Doha. His comments come even as Goldman Sachs, an influential bank in the commodities market, and other market analysts warn the meeting could fail to tighten an oversupplied market. A sticking point among producer nations has been Iran’s participation in any deal as well as the level at which production should be frozen. “The details are still up for debate,” Mr Alamri said. He said Iran has the “right” to increase production to pre-sanctions levels. You need JavaScript active on your browser in order to see this video. Iraq is pushing for a freeze at January levels. Data show the country, which has been the main source of output growth over the past two years, pumped 4.5m barrels a day — a historically high rate. Saudi Arabia’s deputy crown prince in recent weeks has cast doubt on the kingdom’s involvement saying it would only take part if its regional rival Iran also complied. Tehran has repeatedly said it will not restrain its production as it recovers from years of sanctions against its oil industry. However, a senior Opec delegate said last month that the compliance of Saudi Arabia, the cartel’s largest producer, was not contingent on Iran. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2016. You may share using our article tools. Please don’t cut articles from FT.com and redistribute by email or post to the web. Source link

In an eMoov poll of the best universities where UCAS entry level and property price are concerned, Leeds University achieved the best balance for those considering an investment for their child or a uni-let investment. The average house price across the top 100 universities comes in at £319,963 with the University of Leeds the top ranking university in the UK. With an average entry requirement of 436.5 UCAS points and an average price paid of just £95,310, the University of Leeds offers a property price per a UCAS point of just £218. The University of Sunderland places second in the table. Although the average UCAS entry tariff is just 290.5 points, the 8th lowest in the top 100, the average price paid around the campus is just £65,201. This equates to a price point of just £224 for every entry point required. In contrast, the Imperial College London comes in at 100th due to the inflated price of property surrounding its Kensington campus. Although the prestigious institution requires students to achieve 566.9 UCAS points on average, the third highest in the top 100, the average price paid for property around the campus is a staggering £2.5m resulting in a property price per a UCAS point of £4,431. The other universities making the top 10 where affordability is concerned are the University of Bradford (£269), the University of Leicester (£301), the University of Hull (£305), the University of Manchester (£308), the University of Dundee (£313), the University of Strathclyde (£315), Aston University (£320) and Newcastle university (£349). Founder and CEO of eMoov.co.uk, Russell Quirk, commented: “University is often the first life step for those leaving home to study and the cost implicated in doing so are high, with many not paying off their student debt until years after graduating.   “Investing in a property for your child can be one way of reducing the cost and can act as an additional source of income for years to come. When looking for somewhere to stay at university, as with a job, properties close to the campus are always going to be a more attractive proposition and so buying in and around the university can help ensure interest in a property from the get go. “This research highlights where across the nation offers the most attractive proposition for a uni-let in terms of close proximity to the university, an affordable property price, as well as a good level of education where the university itself is concerned.” Source link

Working together with Saville Napit has recently conducted training with Savills Lettings team in its latest efforts to educate industry stakeholders on electrical safety.   As one of the UK’s leading accredited membership scheme operators, Napit is committed to improving electrical safety; with one of its primary focuses being on improving standards in the private rented sector. Charlotte Howard, lettings director at Savills commented on the Electrical Safety Awareness Training Course: “At Savills we are dedicated to providing our staff with Continued Professional Development opportunities to keep them up to date with the latest information which affects our industry. The electrical safety training we received from Napit was invaluable in updating our team on the rules and regulations around electrical safety in the private rented sector. At Savills we advise all Landlords that we require an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) to be completed every five years for privately rented properties as this is the only way a landlord can protect their tenants and themselves and ensure their electrical installation is safe. The training provided a very useful insight into what to look out for on the reports we receive as well as providing some training to assist with visual electrical checks and hands on practice in completing a checklist with some interesting images.” Moving forward, Napit is dedicated to providing further training to letting agents as a gateway to improving electrical standards in the private rented sector which is important following a report published in 2014 suggested that 16% of private rented sector tenants in England have experienced problems with electrical hazards. With Napit’s expertise, letting agents will gain up-to-date knowledge of the rules and regulations surrounding electrical safety checks in the private rented sector, advice about to what to look out for when electrical reports are received and guidance on conducting basic visual and operational checks of an electrical installation. Mike Andrews, the chief executive of Napit commented: ‘We are delighted to have had the opportunity to work alongside Savills. Through working together and sharing knowledge, we at Napit are committed to raising awareness about current issues in the industry. Letting Agents are a key gateway to improving electrical safety standards, particularly within the private rented sector. We at Napit want to embrace this and continue to be a driving force for positive change in the years to come’. If you are a letting agent and would be interested in finding out more about the training that Napit provides, please contact Napit’s head of external affairs, Charlotte Lee, either by telephone on 0345 543 0330 or email charlotte.lee@napit.org.uk. Source link