Andrew Jones, Harrogate MP and Transport Minister, became a construction apprentice for the day at Harrogate building company, Derry Construction Limited. Organised by CITB and Derry Construction, the minister became a joinery apprentice to demonstrate his support for apprenticeships and find out more about the training and skills involved in modern
As a supplier to manufacturing companies for the production of various fasteners and fixings, Stainless Band is in a period of rapid growth. In order to maintain customer satisfaction throughout this growth, the UK based company is taking significant steps to ensure that the service it provides will not only
A Wiltshire bakery has been fined for safety failings after a worker was injured with a powered bowl mixer. Swindon Magistrates’ Court heard how an employee of Haydens Bakery who manufacture confectionary items, caught his wedding ring on an unguarded attachment of the rotating shaft on a powered bowl mixer.
Communication is one of the most important issues in the workplace. Good communication is the key to a successful business because it helps everyone to feel heard and engaged at every level. As a result, everyone benefits from a positive, encouraging and successful environment. Here are four ways that companies
QOB Interiors are fit-out specialists and have been awarded a ‘gold’ level performance for their work on the fit-out of One Carter Lane. This project was Europe’s first to be awarded the WELL Building Standard. This building standard represent the attempt to deliver workplace environments that are healthier and happier.
Gatemore Capital Management LLP has called for DX Group Plc to hold an EGM. The intention behind this is to propose that Chairman Bob Holt, and Paul Murray, The Non-Executive Director are replaced by four new board members. It has been suggested that the new appointments need to be four
Auckland house sales activity quietened in April after a busy March, with only a marginal increase in the average price, and sales numbers down significantly. The latest data from agents Barfoot & Thompson shows that the average price in April was $878,599, up 0.8% from March and up 8.6% compared
Book Course HSL is to run a 1 day course on Improving Your Health Related Risk Assessments. 17 November 2016 It is now widely recognised that occupational disease causes far more harm in Great Britain than accidents relating to safety failings. Good quality risk assessments for health related issues are
©Bloomberg Randgold Resources shares fell sharply from record highs after the miner said it had endured one of its “toughest quarters in years”. The Africa-focused gold miner has been one of the beneficiaries of renewed investor interest in precious metal stocks this year, buoyed by gold’s perceived status as a
The APL Awards 2017 has announced its Supreme Winner in their annual awards ceremony that has been sponsored by Bradstone. The award ceremony took place on Friday 17th March at The Brewery, London. The event is intended to celebrate the outstanding landscape that has been created by members of the
Andrew Jones, Harrogate MP and Transport Minister, became a construction apprentice for the day at Harrogate building company, Derry Construction Limited. Organised by CITB and Derry Construction, the minister became a joinery apprentice to demonstrate his support for apprenticeships and find out more about the training and skills involved in modern construction. At Derry Construction in Harrogate yesterday, Mr Jones was given a tour of the site and workshop, introduced to the various stages of the manufacturing process and tried his hand at the different stages in production. He also met with three of Derry Construction’s four apprentices currently undertaking joinery training to hear about how they became apprentices and their experience to date. Mr Jones commented: “I really enjoyed experiencing first-hand what a joinery apprenticeship involves. Apprenticeships play a vital role in providing lasting and successful careers in construction and apprentices bring many benefits to employers like Derry Construction. It’s never been more important to support and encourage more young people and employers to participate in and develop apprenticeships.” Maria O’Sullivan, CITB’s regional area manager said: “Apprenticeships are increasingly important with 230,000 new roles coming into the construction industry in the next five years. Apprenticeship numbers are on the rise but we need even more. CITB has launched a new recruitment campaign called Go Construct to promote construction careers and help bolster those numbers. “I hope that by working with the minister and Derry Construction today, we can encourage other employers in the region to support more apprenticeships or take on an apprentice for the first time.” Derry Construction is a committed supporter of apprenticeships, with current apprentices making up over 20 per cent of its workforce. Shane Derry MD, Derry Construction commented: “Apprenticeships are vital to our success. There is simply no substitute for the on-site experience an apprenticeship offers. Having a strong apprenticeship programme give us the opportunity to build and continue to grow the skilled workforce that gives us that competitive edge crucial to our business success. Mr Derry, who is also the Harrogate and York Association’s President for the National Federation of Builders, said: “I think Mr Jones enjoyed his time on site and hope he can continue to work hard with CITB to ensure ongoing backing for this important industry and the skills we need to grow.” CITB is working to improve the image of apprenticeships, support progression routes in the sector and increase employer participation in apprenticeship delivery. To find out more about construction apprenticeships and opportunities in the sector go to: www.gocontruct.org Source link
As a supplier to manufacturing companies for the production of various fasteners and fixings, Stainless Band is in a period of rapid growth. In order to maintain customer satisfaction throughout this growth, the UK based company is taking significant steps to ensure that the service it provides will not only continue at a high standard, but will improve. To further the service to its customers, Stainless Band has expanded its multi-lingual sales team, including new Commercial Manager, Andrea Olsson. Andrea, who brings more than 15 years of experience in international sales and account management, will work with key customers and ensure that all customer relationships are nurtured in a way that are mutually beneficial. The versatile products that Stainless Band is capable of processing allows the company to fulfil the requirements of fastener and fixing manufacturers to produce a wide variety of end-use products. Serving a range of industries including Automotive, Construction, Petrochemical and Technology, end-use items manufactured using Stainless Band products includes hinges, angle brackets, toggle latches, joist hangers, computer brackets, sign fixings, hanger rails and much, much more. Advancements in the industries served by Stainless Band mean that the product requirements of its customers are constantly changing and evolving. By ensuring that Stainless Band changes and evolves with its customers, whilst ensuring that quality and service remains at a high standard, the company will maintain growth and continue to exceed the expectations of its customers in the fastener and fixing industry. For more information on Stainless Band, please call +44 (0) 1274 566 831 or visit www.stainlessband.co.uk.
A Wiltshire bakery has been fined for safety failings after a worker was injured with a powered bowl mixer. Swindon Magistrates’ Court heard how an employee of Haydens Bakery who manufacture confectionary items, caught his wedding ring on an unguarded attachment of the rotating shaft on a powered bowl mixer. He suffered injuries to his ring finger which required partial amputation. An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident which occurred on 3rd March 2015 found that the company had modified the machine by adding a securing clip to a rotating shaft but failed to identify and address the additional risk created. Haydens Bakery, of Hopton Estate, London Road, Devizes, Wiltshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 and Regulation 3(3) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and was fined £40,000 with £5,950 costs. For further information on machinery safety visit: http://www.hse.gov.uk/work-equipment-machinery/ 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. www.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
Communication is one of the most important issues in the workplace. Good communication is the key to a successful business because it helps everyone to feel heard and engaged at every level. As a result, everyone benefits from a positive, encouraging and successful environment. Here are four ways that companies can boost communication through office design. Design Seating with Collaboration in Mind Open-plan offices help with communication and the flow of ideas amongst employees. This is particularly true when senior staff are part of the open floor plan since it helps all staff tune in to the office vibe and makes teams more cohesive. It also makes people seem more approachable and arrangements like cluster desks and bench seating where people face each other can help with collaboration. However, some staff don’t appreciate the lack of privacy and the open plan layout can be seen as intrusive by more introverted employees, leading to a reduction in concentration. In this case, it’s a good idea to create some separate private spaces for quiet work or adopt a policy for allowing people to work from home when they need to work undisturbed. Online collaboration platforms like Slack, Trello and Basecamp are good at keeping teams connected and up to date with projects. Allocate a Dedicated Communication Area A special area dedicated to teamwork doesn’t necessarily have to be within the confines of a meeting room. It could be an island or shared table in an open-plan office, independent of the normal work environment, yet centrally placed and defined as a ‘communication lounge’ for brainstorming, informal team meetings and project coordination. High padded seating, shelving units or moveable partitions can create an effective acoustic barrier if necessary. Synergy Vision, a medical Communications agency, installed breakout spaces in their new premises when they relocated. The padded and cushioned seats are part of the open plan seating area but high-backed and enclosed to create privacy. Consider Every Space a Workspace In modern offices, hallways and staircases can function as extensions of the workspace. Studies have shown that people are more innovative and open to ideas when in motion. This means effort should be put into the design of every single space, particularly hallways and landings where employees can think from a fresh perspective away from their desks. They can have chance meetings, allowing them the welcome opportunity for face-to-face contact with colleagues, which can create more of a bond as well as aiding inter-team communication. Hallways are being made wider and furnished with sofas, whiteboards and other places to encourage conversation. EDC, a communications group, moved six creative businesses under one roof in London’s West End. A new structural opening and new staircase were constructed between the two floors to allow the companies to easily come together around the central meeting areas and meeting rooms. The interior designers gave the space a shabby chic vibe and created lots of inspiring breakout areas in the walkways and open spaces. Embrace New Technology Phones are becoming a thing of the past in the office as we now rely more heavily on digital technology. Work is becoming more collaborative and video-conferencing from a variety of locations around the world is the main way to communicate between international offices. Encourage this by setting up the best facilities you can for your staff and make it easy for them to communicate by providing the best Wi-Fi connection, webcams and other amenities. Companies are now adding nooks and crannies with seats and a place to plug in and charge your smartphone where filing cabinets would have existed before. Helix Property fitted a bespoke new seating area that included wireless charging points. Verisk Analytics installed a comprehensive audio visual system including interactive screens with full laptop connectivity. This was complemented by meeting rooms fitted with a room booking system to allow for a simple and efficient procedure to managing meetings between teams. Their Training Room provided an interactive whiteboard and repeater screens to cater for the larger open planned teaching area. As you can see, wireless connectivity enables staff to work anywhere, giving them an excellent way to change their scenery and have impromptu meetings using a laptop. This is aided by an increasing emphasis on digital storage and online collaboration, as well as interior design that complements these trends and boosts workplace communication.
QOB Interiors are fit-out specialists and have been awarded a ‘gold’ level performance for their work on the fit-out of One Carter Lane. This project was Europe’s first to be awarded the WELL Building Standard. This building standard represent the attempt to deliver workplace environments that are healthier and happier. ONE Carter Land is a London office space that is used by the multi-disciplinary engineer Cundall. Locate opposite St Paul’s Cathedral in the centre of the city of London, the 15,400 sq. ft. office located at One Carter Lane takes up the entire ground floor of the building that was originally built in the mid-nineties. The office will now have new workspace for more the 180 employees. Cundall has chosen to create a project that would hopefully ensure that its staff are happy and healthy, making them as productive as possible. This can also act as a showcase for its collaborators. The company has pursued the WELL Building Standard as part of the company’s aim to improve productivity. A performance based system has been initiated by the International WELL Building Institute which measures human health and wellness on the basis of seven categories of building performance which are: air, water, light, nourishment, fitness, comfort and mind. The space was designed by architects Ben Allen and saw QOB Interiors install the challenging fit-out in accordance with the stringent tolerances of the commercial Cat-B office fit-out as well as focusing on the most sustainable and environmentally-friendly materials. In order to meet the fit-out brief every aspect had to be considered carefully. This includes the materials used, the lighting, heating and open space which all had to be evaluated in terms of the impact on post-occupancy use before the design was finalised. At the Cundall offices, all furnishings, insulation, interior paint as well as the adhesives, oils, waxes and finishes were used because of their low or zero VOC, formaldehyde and toxic content. There was also a variable volume air distribution to improve air quality in high density areas. This air system is controlled by CO2 sensors.
Gatemore Capital Management LLP has called for DX Group Plc to hold an EGM. The intention behind this is to propose that Chairman Bob Holt, and Paul Murray, The Non-Executive Director are replaced by four new board members. It has been suggested that the new appointments need to be four completely independent board members. Gatemore has an interest in this decision because they hold 11.3% of DX’s common stock, making it the largest single stockholder. The share value of DX has declined by 90% after profit warnings were issued in both November 2015 and February 2017. The company has tried implementing an integration plane, called OneDX, and has failed to see any real improvements. Since this, the current board members have failed to find any other successful strategic alternatives. Because they are seemingly unable to find any solutions, it is agreed amongst the largest shareholders of DX that a board level change is required. Gatemore has been working alongside the businesses other large stakeholders in order to look for candidates for the position. These four candidates have been fully vetted and it is thought that they could lead DX in the right direction. These four candidates could also make up one of the more well-rounded boards within the UK’s delivery sector. All of the candidate have previous experience in transport as well as in business turn-around and should be well equipped to explore more strategic alternative for DX which would hopefully see the business improving. It is also important that Gatemore and the other major stakeholders are putting forward candidates that are entirely independent of Gatemore and the other major stakeholders of DX. The candidates for these new board members are Ronald Series for the position of Chairman, Lloyd Dunn, Paul Goodson and Russell Black as the Non-Executive Directors. We hope to see these appointments bringing new opportunities for DX and its shareholders.
Auckland house sales activity quietened in April after a busy March, with only a marginal increase in the average price, and sales numbers down significantly. The latest data from agents Barfoot & Thompson shows that the average price in April was $878,599, up 0.8% from March and up 8.6% compared to April 2015. ‘Auckland house prices have pulled back from breaking into new territory. For the past year we have been looking at monthly year on year increases of around 12%,’ said Peter Thompson, Managing Director of Barfoot & Thompson. He pointed out that sales numbers at 944 for the month were also down significantly, falling 29.6% on those for March and down 11.8% on those for April last year. It means that in April the firm sold the lowest number of homes we have sold in an April in four years, and the likely cause of this was caution around current pricing and the low number of properties on the market, restricting choice. The data also shows that the median sales price for the month at $820,000 was up 2.8% on that for March and also up 8.8% on that for April last year. ‘In part, the climb in the midway price point (median price) can be attributed to the low number of homes sold in the month for under $500,000. In April only 7.1% of all homes sold were in this price category compared to 10.9% in March,’ Thompson said. He also pointed out that while house sales above the $1 million mark were the second highest for seven months, overall, activity in April could best be described as restrained. New listings in April at 1,496 were down 20.2% on those for March and down 5.3% on those for April last year. April’s new listings were the lowest in an April in three years. ‘For the third consecutive month the number of properties on our books at month end declined, and at 2,846 fell 8% below where they were at the end of March. The number of homes on our books at the end of April was the lowest they have been in an April for more than 15 years,’ Thompson explained. ‘While choice across all price segments was low, interest in top end homes remained high, and 355 properties, or 37.6%of all homes sold, attracted a price in excess of $1 million,’ he added. BOOKMARK THIS PAGE (What is this?) Source link
Book Course HSL is to run a 1 day course on Improving Your Health Related Risk Assessments. 17 November 2016 It is now widely recognised that occupational disease causes far more harm in Great Britain than accidents relating to safety failings. Good quality risk assessments for health related issues are central to effective health risk management. However, there is often less confidence and understanding amongst general health and safety practitioners when it comes to the ‘health’ side of health and safety. This course is designed to help the general H&S practitioner better understand the ‘invisible’ risks associated with hazardous substances, noise and vibration and aims to provide a more confident approach to these issues. The course will explain how to conduct risk assessments to meet legal requirements. More importantly, the course will explain how risk assessment should fit into an overall risk management programme. We aim to debunk the myth that risk assessment is a pointless, bureaucratic burden by showing that effective actions to reduce harm, and protect the health of workers, should all flow from an effective risk assessment process. Risk assessment to meet the requirements of: The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations The Control of Noise at Work Regulations The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations The role of risk assessment in effective health risk management: How to identify health risks How to prioritise action How to ensure effectiveness of risk assessment Anyone responsible for managing health and safety risks in the workplace would benefit from attending this course. The course will be run at the Health & Safety 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 The cost of this course is £450 per person (includes course notes, lunch and refreshments). 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 Unitat HSL directly on +44 (0)1298 218806. Back to Health & Safety Training Courses Back to the top Source link
©Bloomberg Randgold Resources shares fell sharply from record highs after the miner said it had endured one of its “toughest quarters in years”. The Africa-focused gold miner has been one of the beneficiaries of renewed investor interest in precious metal stocks this year, buoyed by gold’s perceived status as a haven from economic turmoil. More On this topic IN Mining But Randgold said operational issues at two mines led to a fall in production in the second quarter of the year. Net income fell 8 per cent quarter on quarter in spite of a higher average gold price. Shares in the company fell more than 11 per cent in morning trading in London. The FTSE 100 miner said it expected to meet its targets for the year, which include producing at least 1.25m oz of gold, after production of 573,000 oz in the first half. “All our teams have been reworking and optimising their mine plans to ensure that we end 2016 within guidance,” said Mark Bristow, chief executive. “We’re intensifying our focus on critical operational issues to ensure that we deliver a substantial second-half improvement.” While Randgold did lift gold sales 2 per cent quarter on quarter, production fell 4 per cent on the same basis after a mill breakdown at Tongon in Côte d’Ivoire and lower grades and recoveries at Kibali in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Costs per ounce of gold recovered rose as a result. Net income for the first half of the year was $123m, 11 per cent up on the same period in 2015. The miner’s targets for this year also included keeping its cash cost of production under $630/oz. In the first half of the year cash costs were $687/oz. Before Thursday’s results Randgold’s shares had risen 35 per cent in the past three months and more than doubled this year. They surged after the UK voted in favour of leaving the EU in June. Tyler Broda, analyst at RBC Capital Markets, said in a research note: “The operational momentum at Randgold continues to slow. Although the market was expecting weak performance at Tongon and potentially at Kibali, both of these mines were worse than we had expected. “The key question for investors today will be how much could the stock derate as we expect consensus forecasts are likely to fall.” 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
The APL Awards 2017 has announced its Supreme Winner in their annual awards ceremony that has been sponsored by Bradstone. The award ceremony took place on Friday 17th March at The Brewery, London. The event is intended to celebrate the outstanding landscape that has been created by members of the APL. The Creative Landscape Co was announced as the Supreme Winner for its project Garden for Country Cottage and Barn which is found in South Stoke, Oxon. The design by Creative Landscape Co was also announced as the winner of the Overall Design and Build category of the ceremony. The purpose of the garden was to create the right outdoor space that can meet the needs of modern family life as well as maintaining the cottage style of the garden and make sure it is in keeping with their surroundings. The clients needed a garden within an existing walled area that could connect the cottage and barn as well as needing a space for their family and dog. The judges for the APL Awards have stated that the design as properly suited to the scheme and also uses the structural planting in a way that gets the most out of the garden. This project was difficult as the wall of the house provided an angle that changed the symmetry and geometry of the space so finding a solution that looked good and was harmonious with its surroundings was a challenge. This year the APL Awards experienced a record number of applications for the judges to take a look at. That judging panel included Richard Barnard who was chief judge and was working alongside Bob Sweet, Steve Smith, Robin Templar-Williams and Phil Tremayne, the APL’s National Business. At the awards ceremony, 330 audience members heard the winners being announced and also listened to the Landscape Designer Adam Frost.