One in six Britons who have undertaken a DIY project at home in the last year have injured themselves in the process, costing the NHS an estimated £222 million from A&E visits. The main culprits behind the injuries from home DIY projects were power tools, ladders and general tools. The
The Heatherwood Hospital in Ascot is to receive a £98 million transformation from Kier. The new 11,500 sq m site will specialise in planned, non-emergency procedures, while offering state-of-the-art outpatient and diagnostic facilities for cardiology, radiology, lithotripsy, children’s clinic, physiotherapy and orthodontics. “This latest win is a hugely important milestone for
A multi-use development in London has chosen VolkerFitzpatrick to deliver £27 million worth of construction works. The firm will refurbish and extend 77 Coleman Street, constructing 8,000 ft 2 of office space and over 16,000 ft 2 of retail and leisure space. “We are delighted to have been selected by
A school for children with special needs in Orpington has received a nice donation which will help it to transform its outdoor play area. Riverside School, which offers support to children and young people with a range of complex needs, received a cheque from Bellway Thames Gateway to help kickstart
Newly formed Linear Design & Construct (LDC) has announced significant appointments to its core team as it looks to establish a foothold in the principal contracting marketplace. John Gilchrist, MCIOB, brings 13 years of construction industry experience, the past nine of which were with Kier Scotland, to his role of
One in six Britons who have undertaken a DIY project at home in the last year have injured themselves in the process, costing the NHS an estimated £222 million from A&E visits. The main culprits behind the injuries from home DIY projects were power tools, ladders and general tools. The research, undertaken by the team at www.MyJobQuote.co.uk, surveyed 2,802 people aged between 18 and 65 years old. Respondents all stated that they lived in their own home, whether owned or rented. The research found that 64% of respondents have undertaken a form of DIY or home improvement on their property within the last year, all of whom were under the age of 65. Of those that had partaken in DIY in the past year, one in six (17%) were found to have caused injury to themselves in the process. The injury was so severe for 26% of these that they had to visit A&E to treat the injury, whilst a further 5% called an ambulance to be taken to hospital. The results indicate that 2.8% of Britons aged 18-65 have ended up in A&E as a result of a DIY injury, whilst less than 1% have been taken to hospital in an ambulance. Using NHS statistics on the average cost of visiting A&E (£143) and the cost of getting an ambulance to hospital (£259)*, along with the most recent ONS data for the population of 18-65 year olds in the UK (40,762,058), the results indicate that DIY injuries cost the NHS £222,322,225 in hospital visits last year. The leading five causes of the injuries were revealed to be: Contact with a power tool – 23% Fell from a ladder – 22% Contact with a non-power tool – 17% Electrocuted myself – 10% Incident with a Lawnmower – 6% Asked if they had missed any time off work as a result of their DIY injury, as many as three fifths (60%) said that they had missed at least one day, with the average found to be three days. Unfortunately 12% said the injury had caused long-term damage, and a further 6% said that they were unable to return to work for at least one year. “DIY naturally comes with its own set of risks as the equipment used, such as power tools and ladders, can be dangerous if not used properly. Obviously accidents happen and can sometimes be unavoidable, but a high number of these accidents could be averted with the proper precautions, thus alleviating the strain and cost on the NHS. Always wear protection, such as goggles or a mask and gloves where necessary, take extra care when using power tools and dealing with electrics and never go up a ladder without someone holding the base for you,” commented on the findings Lisa Evans, spokesperson for www.MyJobQuote.co.uk.
The Heatherwood Hospital in Ascot is to receive a £98 million transformation from Kier. The new 11,500 sq m site will specialise in planned, non-emergency procedures, while offering state-of-the-art outpatient and diagnostic facilities for cardiology, radiology, lithotripsy, children’s clinic, physiotherapy and orthodontics. “This latest win is a hugely important milestone for healthcare delivery in the south of England. It is testament to the drive, energy and passion of the team at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust that this new build hospital will help transform delivery of healthcare to residents of Ascot and the surrounding area,” said Jonathan Payne, managing director for Kier Construction Thames Valley and director at Kier Buildings. Kier was awarded the build contract by Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust through the ProCure21+ framework. “Working collaboratively with the trust over the last three years, we have also delivered a new maternity unit and emergency assessment centre for Wexham Park Hospital. Alongside our local supply chain, we have extensive experience delivering healthcare projects and we look forward to playing a pivotal role in the transformation of Heatherwood Hospital,” added Jonathan. The new hospital is expected to double the services of the existing facility within its first 10 years, offering six operating theatres and 48 inpatient beds, plus 22 day case cubicles. A primary care hub and private patient unit will also be located on site. “We are delighted that we can now deliver our vision for the Heatherwood site. The new hospital will ensure we can offer local patients the best care in the best environment and it is a key part of our strategy to remain an innovative and outstanding trust well into the future. We can’t wait to get started,” commented Frimley Health chief executive Neil Dardis. The transformation work is due to begin on site this month, with completion scheduled for the end of 2021.
A multi-use development in London has chosen VolkerFitzpatrick to deliver £27 million worth of construction works. The firm will refurbish and extend 77 Coleman Street, constructing 8,000 ft 2 of office space and over 16,000 ft 2 of retail and leisure space. “We are delighted to have been selected by Kajima, to deliver this exciting project in central London. Utilising our high quality construction and fit out capabilities, 77 Coleman Street will be a significant addition to our portfolio of multi-use developments in the capital,” said Stuart Deverill, managing director of VolkerFitzpatrick’s Building division. VolkerFitzpatrick’s involvement in the project includes fiting the office spaces out to a CAT A specification, including the shell and core structures, ceilings, floors and installation of key services. Meanwhile, the retail and leisure units will feature a complete base build, concrete walls, flooring, lighting and installation of fire alarms. The units will be fitted with retail frontages at ground floor level and terrace areas will be constructed around the upper floors. A new four-metre high reception and breakout area will also be delivered as the building’s main entrance and a new public street, named Nun Court, linking Coleman Street with Moorgate. “This is a technically complicated development and a really important project for us in terms of the expected quality and programme, so we’re delighted to place its delivery into the reliable hands of the VolkerFitzpatrick team,” commented James Starkey, project director for Kajima. The multi-use development project was first launched in April 2018, and is scheduled for completion in Q4 of this year.
A school for children with special needs in Orpington has received a nice donation which will help it to transform its outdoor play area. Riverside School, which offers support to children and young people with a range of complex needs, received a cheque from Bellway Thames Gateway to help kickstart the refurbishment of the school’s playground facilities. Members of staff at the developer’s divisional office, off New Mill Road in Orpington, raised £1,000 through auctions, raffles and dress down days. Their efforts were then matched by the housebuilder, resulting in a donation of £2,000 for the school. Sue Crane, School Business Manager at Riverside School, said: “We are so grateful that Bellway has chosen to make this generous donation to our school. “The money will help to fund brand new equipment for our outdoor learning area, which will be extremely beneficial to the children. “The children love learning in the outdoor environment, and they are already looking forward to using the new equipment when the refurbishment is complete.” Emma Hamlett, Sales Director for Bellway Thames Gateway, said: “We are so pleased to be able to help kickstart the refurbishment of the school’s new playground facilities. “At Bellway, we are committed to support the communities in which we build, so when we found out that Riverside School was in need of a funding boost, we were delighted to help.” Bellway Thames Gateway is building homes across London, Essex and Kent. More information on the homes available can be found at bellway.co.uk. CAPTIONS Getting behind Riverside School – left to right – Lynda Garwood, of Bellway, Sue Crane, Riverside School’s Business Manager, and Bellway’s Jemma Livesey
Newly formed Linear Design & Construct (LDC) has announced significant appointments to its core team as it looks to establish a foothold in the principal contracting marketplace. John Gilchrist, MCIOB, brings 13 years of construction industry experience, the past nine of which were with Kier Scotland, to his role of Contracts Manager for LDC. In this role, John will be responsible for the delivery of projects to the highest standards of safety and quality. In addition, he will oversee all LDC delivery teams and the management of client relationships. Joining John is Andrew Reid, MRICS, who takes on the role of Senior Quantity Surveyor with responsibility for project commercial and contractual control, as well as cost planning, market testing and procurement. Andrew joins from Morgan Sindall where he was involved in a number of major Scottish public sector projects. Ronnie Wilkinson has also been appointed Health, Safety & Environmental Manager for Linear Group, to ensure the maintenance and continual improvement of the high level systems and culture. In this role, Ronnie will work alongside the teams in LCD and sister company, Linear Projects, to ensure the ongoing commitment to best practice and the adherence to the highest standards. Commenting on the new additions, Ryan Broadley, Managing Director, said, “As part of our growth ambitions, these appointments are a highly significant development as we focus on establishing Linear Design & Construct. John and Andrew both bring exceptional experience and track records to the team and I am delighted that we have been able to secure such high calibre talent at this early stage. In addition, having Ronnie’s expertise available to the team is a vital element of our offer and delivery.” Established at the end of 2018, Glasgow-based Linear Design & Construct (LDC) is set to provide intelligent design and construction solutions through collaboration from project inception to aftercare. As a principal contractor, the business will strive to ensure the right expertise to inform the right solution, tailored to the specific requirement of its clients. A robust approach and proven experience means LDC can minimise complexity and deliver efficiency which has long term benefit to both client and project.
