Building services provider J S Wright has launched a new maintenance company to serve homeowners and property managers in London. Wright Maintenance will service and repair heating, plumbing, ventilation and electrical systems for the entire life of any residential building, whether or not the equipment was installed by J S
A look at how some building contractors may choose to hire fire fighting equipment for their future projects. Modern Sites Although it could be argued that building sites abound with potential health and safety issues for all personnel working in such areas, it has to be said that many of
The UK has been embroiled in a housing crisis for quite some time, and London has taken the brunt of the impact in many respects. While many people are eager to live and work in the capital, there’s unfortunately not enough room or opportunity for everyone. Space is limited and
The former Royal Infirmary hospital in Edinburgh is going under restoration work, with the UK construction giant Balfour Beatty landing the contract for the project. The £70 million works will be completed to deliver a new major education hub for the University of Edinburgh. “We have a long history of
It is one of the great hidden secrets of the construction sector, an issue that many people in what is still a male-dominated industry are reluctant to acknowledge, let alone talk about and act upon. But mental health problems are not unusual across the wider spectrum of society and it is only to be
An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) reveals how energy efficient a property is. If you are a former or current renter, you may have already seen one. They’re often provided by letting agents to assess the potential cost of energy bills — but, they can help any UK resident to carefully
Building services provider J S Wright has launched a new maintenance company to serve homeowners and property managers in London. Wright Maintenance will service and repair heating, plumbing, ventilation and electrical systems for the entire life of any residential building, whether or not the equipment was installed by J S Wright. Landlords, property management agents, housing associations, care providers, and homeowners will benefit from 24-hour repair service and preventative maintenance and service plans delivered by mobile engineers. The Wright Maintenance management team will be led by associate director Toby Guise, head of quality Ben Wright, and service team leader Steve Brown. Marcus Aniol, managing director of J S Wright, said: “We launched our new company to build on the success of our maintenance department in meeting the many requests we were receiving from landlords and occupiers of new-build apartments across London to service and maintain the equipment we had installed and for which they had become responsible.”
A look at how some building contractors may choose to hire fire fighting equipment for their future projects. Modern Sites Although it could be argued that building sites abound with potential health and safety issues for all personnel working in such areas, it has to be said that many of the modern-day construction sites spare no expense when it comes to HSE regulations. Indeed, carpenters, bricklayers and other trades have commonly seen going about their daily tasks on new housing development or shopping mall project can rest assured that the main contractor will make sure all health and safety measures have been implemented. And just like most large building contractors or even small subcontractors will prefer to hire various equipment to get their work done such as compressors, dumper trucks or power tools as opposed to purchasing them, the same could be said for state-of-the-art fire alarms and fire extinguishing products. However, contractors that fail to consider all the options available to them with regards to wireless alarm systems and fire extinguishers, as well as related signs, could end up with inferior fire protection gear. Safety First Regardless of how much pressure a leading building contractor may be under to get their latest city centre project completed and handed over to the client, it is absolutely vital for these types of companies to ensure the safety of all people working on their sites. Of course, not only will major firms involved in various commercial and domestic construction works comply with the HSE in order to avoid being penalised or even shut down but most of these firms will do so just for ethical or moral reasons. One growing trend, however; with regard to the procurement of fire prevention is hiring the equipment for fire safety planning. Indeed, as construction sites are continuously in a state of change and development, the type of fire fighting systems needed at various phases will often be different from the start of the projects. One main reason for this is that there will be a wide range of materials not only used to carry out the work but also materials that make up the structure of the buildings. Builders that appreciate the benefits to be gained from renting fire alarm systems and associated equipment should be able to source a number of firms suitable for their needs. Expert Advice Building contractors that prefer to stick with what they know best – building properties, are likely to look for providers of wireless alarms and fire extinguishers and other health and safety products from firms that are experts in this field. Fortunately for firms in the building game that do not wish to waste time deciding on the most appropriate fire safety products for their sites, there are plenty of well-established firms with fire protection solutions that offer a consultation service for all their clients. Of course, building site managers that could do with some advice on where best to place things like fire extinguishers or fire exit points do need to ensure they get this aspect right. That being said, with today’s extremely strict HSE regulations in place, there is very little chance of a building site not being up-to-scratch regarding health and safety concerns. And just like it is very important to keep all working areas on a construction site free from hazardous materials whenever possible, building site managers would be wise to attend as many HSE workshops as they have time for. Hire Equipment Tradespeople that have used a variety of hire tools and other equipment over the years will appreciate how some of the gear they have used have not been very good due to a lack of maintenance carried out by the hire company. Of course, if we are going to hire extremely important equipment such as fire alarms and extinguishers, it would go without saying that all such gear needs to be properly cleaned and checked by the firm we deal with. There are in fact many benefits to hiring equipment for construction sites. And by looking on the internet for extremely useful resources, construction bosses should be able to get a better idea regarding the pros and cons of renting machinery and power tools as well as fire protection equipment and systems.
The UK has been embroiled in a housing crisis for quite some time, and London has taken the brunt of the impact in many respects. While many people are eager to live and work in the capital, there’s unfortunately not enough room or opportunity for everyone. Space is limited and the costs of living are high, and many have now begun to wonder if London is even close to a plan that will resolve the issue. Consequently, it’s worth posing the question; can the housing crisis in London be solved? Political Factors As most people well know, politics absolutely influences the housing landscape. This is especially true of London, where numerous reports indicate that Brexit is dampening the appeal of the capital completely. Rent rates have shot up to unprecedented levels, and crime and pollution have also played their parts in putting a dent in the London housing market. Solutions can only be found here amongst the squabbling MP’s in Westminster. It’s the first place where answers should be found and enacted. There isn’t any one cause at the heart of London’s housing crisis; unfortunately, there’s an entire list of them. Only when a good Brexit deal is secured, and crime and pollution get lower, will the London housing crisis slowly begin to dissipate. Outsourcing Services London real estate is a turbulent terrain, and many who work in this industry tend to tally up a bad reputation. While those on the commercial side seem to be rather savvy thanks to consultancy companies like Avison Young, those on the residential side of things face a different reality. However, those in business can help would-be buyers find a new place to call home! While housing development businesses are starting to buckle under the weight of their obligations, they can possibly alleviate some of their problems by outsourcing select services; such as finance and funding. That way, they can run their operations in a more smooth and efficient fashion and get people into homes quicker. It lightens up the workload and frees up room for them to focus, instead of being bogged down and overwhelmed by processes they just can’t keep up with. Micro Homes Micro homes aren’t known to many just yet. However, it’s quite feasible that they soon will be more popular, particularly among the younger generations looking to get their start after moving out of their parent’s home. After all, it’s been stated that micro homes could well solve the London housing crisis in totality, giving people a space to bunker down in the capital. These micro homes are, perhaps obviously, incredibly small. However, the smart features and innovations within them still allow the residents to have a diverse lifestyle; such as by utilising foldable furniture. They can come with communal areas located elsewhere in the residential building too, but obviously, these homes aren’t quite for everyone. There’s a severe lack of space that some might call oppressive, especially if they’re claustrophobic. Consequently, it’s hard to imagine micro homes swooping in and saving the day alone, though they could certainly help with the housing crisis on some level.
The former Royal Infirmary hospital in Edinburgh is going under restoration work, with the UK construction giant Balfour Beatty landing the contract for the project. The £70 million works will be completed to deliver a new major education hub for the University of Edinburgh. “We have a long history of restoring listed buildings, including the National Museum of Scotland and the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh. Combining the latest construction techniques and technologies, we look forward to sympathetically restoring Edinburgh’s Old Royal Infirmary hospital for the wider benefit of the community,” commented Hector Macaulay, Balfour Beatty’s Managing Director of Scotland and Ireland. The Edinburgh Futures Institute development will include multiple teaching and learning facilities, function areas, and work spaces for staff, students and the general public. For the development, Balfour Beatty has to restore and connect six wards in order to unlock the building’s wide corridors to create free-flowing areas in the University’s Grade- A listed Old Royal Infirmary hospital building, spanning over 21,000 square meters. They will employ 170 people at construction peak. To enhance the restoration process, Building Information Modelling (BIM) and augmented and virtual reality technologies will also be utilised. Work will commence on the project in spring 2019, and is expected to be completed ahead of the start of the academic year in 2021.
It is one of the great hidden secrets of the construction sector, an issue that many people in what is still a male-dominated industry are reluctant to acknowledge, let alone talk about and act upon. But mental health problems are not unusual across the wider spectrum of society and it is only to be expected that these issues will be present in what is an increasingly complex, and therefore stressful, working environment. In the electrical sector alone, a profession which becomes more technologically challenging with each passing year, the ElectricalIndustries Charity estimates that more than a quarter of a million people are suffering from mental health concerns. But, alarmingly, it also calculates that 95% of them often lie about how they are feeling, or don’t tell anyone that they are struggling. So, issues which can adversely affect both work and home life remain buried under a blanket of silence. This does not surprise me. In my time in the industry, I have come to understand that the often-robust atmosphere of the workplace does not encourage confessional communication and that men – however sweeping this may sound – remain unconvinced about the virtue of talking about their personal problems. This is also one of the reasons why socially responsible companies like ours are putting in place training, procedures and processes which will help identify individuals who are trying to cope with the burden of sensitive emotional issues and reach out a helping hand. In association with the Scottish Association for Mental Health, we have instituted awareness raising programmes for senior management and senior site personnel to help them identify potential problems among the electricians, plumbers and joiners within our 65-strong workforce. The training does not by any stretch of the imagination make us experts, but it does help make participants sensitive to the need to reduce stigma surrounding the subject and to deal with any potential for discrimination. Stress is not the only signifier. Properly trained, team leaders can be on the lookout for other symptoms of anxiety, depression, alcohol problems and even deep-seated clinical issues such as bi-polar behaviour. Identification and monitoring are only the first steps. The ability to recognise problems allows them to be referred to the correct authorities such as GP support, NHS facilities, telephone counselling and helplines. But we also have to be aware that, since sufferers may be shy or wary about opening up about mental health concerns, it is also a difficult conversation for the responsible person in the office or on the site to initiate. That is why it is important to offer training primarily to people within the organisation who already have a strong rapport with the workforce under their care and who are confident enough in themselves to be able to broach what may at first seem to be unpalatable subjects. Raising the issue must not be seen as any kind of insinuation and it will require a significant degree of sensitivity from an empathetic and communicative listener to elicit a positive response from the person being approached. It is also important to emphasise across the company that an open-door policy means what it says and that employees should have no concerns about bringing personal issues to their line manager, senior management or even directors. Toolbox Talks are a valuable vehicle for raising a particular subject directly with the workforce. These short presentations focus on single aspects of workplace health and safety, such as working at height, and there is no reason why mental health should not be an ideal candidate for discussion. At M-Pact, we intend to continue to develop awareness raising through HR committee meetings, in-house training and perhaps, further down the line, more in-depth courses such as the EIC’s Mental Health First Aider Training. It may seem to be something of a belt and braces approach in a company which already takes great pride in the work it does with its employees to ensure their physical and mental wellbeing. But the EIC figures show that in 2018 alone, more than 400 people in the electrical sector attempted to commit suicide. Some of them succeeded. Preventing even one such situation makes any amount of effort on our part worthwhile. Martin Robertson is Health and Safety Manager at M-Pact Group.
An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) reveals how energy efficient a property is. If you are a former or current renter, you may have already seen one. They’re often provided by letting agents to assess the potential cost of energy bills — but, they can help any UK resident to carefully budget. Here, we explore their significance in more detail. Who produces an EPC? EPCs are issued by qualified assessors. Before a certificate is produced, they inspect your home, calculate the amount of energy used per m², and observe its carbon dioxide emissions (per year). This is primarily based on the energy that you use for lighting, hot water and heating. Afterwards, they match your home’s efficiency to the EPC colour-coded scale. Your property is then graded with an energy efficiency level between A and G. A represents the lowest range of running costs (92/100 and above), while G is used for the highest (1-20/100). Your EPC is valid for 10 years. With it, you can learn how green your living space is. What are its benefits? You can use your EPC to improve the energy efficiency of your home. In the UK, this record typically displays two ratings columns. One presents the current grade of your home; the other suggests an attainable higher figure. Almost always, the latter presents how much you could possibly save in energy costs. This can benefit you as an individual and wider society. From an environmental perspective, it could motivate people to become more conscious of their energy consumption. It may also enable people to reduce their bills. In addition, with a high EPC rating, Britons stand to heighten the value of their property. So, its rewards can be enjoyed by all. How Can I Improve My Rating? If your EPC rating isn’t as high as you would like it to be, don’t worry. There are easy ways to improve it. And they can improve the comfort and value of your property, too. Thermal insulation is usually the best place to start. Double glazed windows, for example, could raise your home’s heat retention rate. Loft and wall insulation can help with this, too. With these modifications, you may be able to lower your energy use. This can increase your EPC rating and limit your monthly outgoings. Additionally, through regular boiler checks, you can make sure that your living area is as energy-efficient as possible. With simple steps, you can strengthen the green value of where you live. An EPC can be a valuable tool — one that can enable us to save both money and the planet. Now that you know how, you could very well maximise your home’s energy efficiency. This is an exciting time for smart power consumption.
