An industrywide survey has revealed low carbon composition and greater sustainability were the key factors for customers when specifying building products. The poll, which garnered responses from nearly 400 representatives from across the construction sector, was created to coincide with the launch of Futurebuild 2023. The responses were
Pan-European commercial interiors specialist Agilité Solutions has marked its continued growth with the expansion into London and its first hire in the city – as the company celebrates its fourth year of trading and expected turnover in 2022 exceeding €40 million. With existing bases in Paris, Milan, and Luxembourg, as
Goodman to redevelop Vauxhall aftersales warehouse in Luton, Bedfordshire Proposals for up to 1.2 million sq ft of high-quality industrial and logistics space Strategically-located site ideally placed to serve Greater London and the Midlands, with 27.7 million consumers within a two-hour drivetime* Pre-let opportunities from 200,000 sq ft up to 1.2million
Warwick Estates has created a jargon-busting guide to the complex and often confusing vocabulary and language used when marketing and selling new-build homes in the hope of giving buyers more confidence and knowledge while navigating their purchase. While there are some pieces of new-build jargon that most people will be
With the construction industry at a crossroads when it comes to tackling big ticket issues such as net zero, it is clear that old methods of working are no longer passing muster. Kriston Harvey, director at national engineering consultancy Rodgers Leask, believes that the best way to put projects in
GRAHAM has reported “strong and sustainable” financial growth in its latest published accounts for the financial year (up to 31st March 2022) as revenue reached £948m. This marks a £141.9m (17.6%) increase in the leading contractor’s turnover from the 2021 reporting period (2021 – £808.1m). In the same period, profit
Partnership between Siemens Digital Industries and Smart Infrastructure businesses accelerates factory towards net zero Sustainability milestone paves way for UK manufacturing sector Siemens’ Congleton factory is on track to achieve carbon neutrality this year – eight years ahead of its original target. The operation, which manufactures more than 1.2m controls
ROCKWOOL has entered a research partnership with Swansea University to develop CCUS technology ROCKWOOL has announced it is partnering with the Energy Safety Research Institute (ESRI) at Swansea University to research the capture of carbon dioxide. Researchers are aiming to develop new carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) technologies that
HS2 Ltd recently celebrated innovations to improve health and safety at works sites across Britain’s largest construction project. HS2’s health and safety campaign, Safe at Heart 2022 Inspiration Awards, chose three winners after receiving over 100 submissions from across the project, which now supports more than 25,000 jobs. Entries were
Prologis UK, one of the UK’s leading developers of logistics property, has added two new hires to its Capital Deployment and Leasing team, as it looks to further grow its UK team and drive ambitious growth plans. Jason Pickering has joined as a director in the Capital Deployment and Leasing
An industrywide survey has revealed low carbon composition and greater sustainability were the key factors for customers when specifying building products. The poll, which garnered responses from nearly 400 representatives from across the construction sector, was created to coincide with the launch of Futurebuild 2023. The responses were among discussion points at an exclusive industry event, ‘Role of Specification in Meeting Net Zero’, which was held at the EDGE Showroom in London to promote next year’s Futurebuild – the premier showcase for product innovation in the construction industry. Designed to gain insights into people’s appetite for innovation in the building sector, the survey showed most respondents (61.5%) believed ‘resistance to switch from traditional technologies,’ was the main barrier to developing smarter, cleaner working practices. Martin Hurn, Futurebuild’s Event Director and host of the launch event that included presentations from a panel of building industry experts, said: “From my point of view, the take away from this fantastic event was the need for the building supply chain to come together and take a stand for a better built environment. The time for road maps is over. We need to take action now to really drive the built environment towards the government’s net zero goal.” Speakers at the Futurebuild launch event included Dr Gavin Dunn, CABE CEO and chair for Future Homes Standards; Dr Oliver Jones, Research Director, Ryder Architecture; Chaline Church, Founding Partner for 540 World; and Duncan Baker-Brown, Director at Baker-Brown Studio. The expert panel fielded questions from a host of specially-invited attendees from across the building sector. The findings from Futurebuild’s innovation survey proved a key discussion point, along with issues such as the Future Homes Standard, building material reuse and the circular economy.Poll respondents included input from senior architects, local government employees, housebuilders, manufacturers and contractors. Other results revealed most respondents (60%) were actively sourcing new innovations in renewables such as solar PV panels, heat pumps and biomass heating systems, as a way of achieving greater sustainability. In terms of developing clean technologies, 67% of respondents felt that government support was necessary to the process. By way of a conclusion to the panel’s discussion, it was agreed that better engagement between manufacturers, architects and specifiers was key to innovating products that led to a more sustainable built environment. “We’re all on a journey to achieving the government’s net zero goal by 2050,” Martin Hurn continued. “I believe forums, such as the one we provided for industry delegates are a vital part of that journey. The solutions exist within the supply chain to create a better built environment. It’s now about giving those innovative brands the platform to really showcase their products, solutions and innovations. Futurebuild 2023 will be that platform.” To download Futurebuild’s ‘Barriers of Specifying Innovation’ survey and view the full results, click here
Pan-European commercial interiors specialist Agilité Solutions has marked its continued growth with the expansion into London and its first hire in the city – as the company celebrates its fourth year of trading and expected turnover in 2022 exceeding €40 million. With existing bases in Paris, Milan, and Luxembourg, as well as a planned expansion into the US and Germany, the London headquarters will further support clients in the UK, that are looking to establish or grow their presence in mainland Europe. The expansion of Agilité — which provides office, retail, and hospitality construction and fit-out work across the continent — follows 30% year-on-year growth and has included an extensive branding project to reshape its core principles, service set, and visual identity. Operations in London are headed by development director Kirsty Shearer, with her local team bolstered by the appointment of assistant project manager, Kiran Kondrapu – a qualified civil engineer with a master’s degree in construction project management. The company has also expanded its international remit, with the recent opening of a Luxembourg office and recruitment of several new colleagues across its French, Italian, and Luxembourg bases. “Agilité has completed 151 projects since its inception in January 2018, amounting to 120,000 sqm of work, delivered across 11 countries – and a large number of those clients have a base of operations in the UK.” explained Kirsty Shearer. “While we’ve had a presence in London since our inception, formalising this with our first UK hire is a crucial part of our business strategy. Currently, we’re managing the delivery of 14 Lids’ stores in the UK – 12 completed, two in progress – and retail rollouts are something we expect to increase in the coming months – therefore, it makes sense for us to have a permanent base in the UK.” The Yorkshire-born founder and CEO of Agilité Solutions, Neil Coales, credits loyal customers — who account for 65% of the company’s order book — as the driving force behind its rapid expansion: “When we launched Agilité, the strategy was always to have a seamless pan-European business that could be operational in multiple locations for multiple customers. “We don’t want to have an office in every country, rather we identify locations that best support our clients’ growth plans and the strong local supply chains we are building. The pursuit of quality is as much our goal as the overall expansion, which is why we allocated €1 million in investment in our people and systems (in 2021) as part of a five-year plan – it’s critical to our success.” Agilité’s thriving client portfolio includes brands such as LVMH, Lids/NBA, Booking.com, Deutsche Börse, Fred Perry, Five Guys, and The Instant Group, as well as several major multinationals in the tech and finance sectors. The news follows a successful year of trading in 2021, which saw a 30% growth in turnover and headcount, as well as exponential growth in revenue — amounting to €35million by the end of 2021, with a forecasted increase to €45million by 2022.
Goodman to redevelop Vauxhall aftersales warehouse in Luton, Bedfordshire Proposals for up to 1.2 million sq ft of high-quality industrial and logistics space Strategically-located site ideally placed to serve Greater London and the Midlands, with 27.7 million consumers within a two-hour drivetime* Pre-let opportunities from 200,000 sq ft up to 1.2million sq ft Vauxhall’s aftersales warehouse in Luton, Bedfordshire, is set to be transformed into a 1.2 million sq ft industrial and logistics park. Goodman plans to redevelop the 60-acre brownfield site into a state-of-the-art commercial park, providing space for customers operating across the manufacturing, distribution and logistics sectors. Adjacent to Junction 11A of the M1 and just 17 miles from the M25, the site’s strategic location makes it ideally placed to serve Greater London and the Midlands, with 27.7 million consumers accessible within a two-hour drivetime*. The scheme can offer bespoke property solutions of scale and flexibility within a market which has limited availability of large-scale space. Customers will also benefit from the Borough’s local talent pool. With transportation and logistics accounting for 10.8 per cent of jobs in the area, compared to the national average of 5.1 per cent, Luton provides a large available workforce and strong skills base.** Goodman’s vision for the site is to deliver a high-quality commercial park, combining sustainably-designed warehouse space with extensive landscaping to provide customers with modern facilities in an attractive workplace environment. Goodman will take a circular approach to construction, minimising waste and use of resources. This will include reusing existing materials wherever possible, from the recycling of metal roof and wall cladding to the use of recycled aggregates on-site. The development will also utilise renewable energy sources, including full rooftops of solar photovoltaic panels, rainwater harvesting and electric vehicle infrastructure. This latest commitment builds on Goodman’s wider investment in the Bedfordshire region. It has recently completed the second phase of Bedford Commercial Park, a 45-acre development and joint venture with Bedford Borough Council. Nigel Dolan, Development Director at Goodman, said: “Luton’s excellent connectivity, large labour pool and strong performance across sectors including technology, research and development, transport and logistics, makes it an ideal location for investment. “In line with our brownfield development strategy, Goodman will redevelop this site and create a highly sustainable business and employment destination of exceptional quality, while placing our customers close to large consumer populations and a readily available talent pool. We look forward to driving supply chain efficiencies for our customers in this prime location.” Work is expected to start in 2023, subject to planning. For more information, please visit the website for further details. *Source: Esri & Michael Bauer Research **Source: ONS
Warwick Estates has created a jargon-busting guide to the complex and often confusing vocabulary and language used when marketing and selling new-build homes in the hope of giving buyers more confidence and knowledge while navigating their purchase. While there are some pieces of new-build jargon that most people will be aware of and understand, such as Showhouse and Freehold/Leasehold, there are others that are less familiar albeit no less important. Understanding their meaning will make the process of buying a new-build home much easier and less stressful. Off-plan If you’re buying off-plan, it means you’re buying a new-build home that has not yet been built, so you’re literally buying it based on the plans and blueprints alone. You will usually be shown a show house so you have a good idea of what your property will eventually look like. Reservation fee To secure a new-build home, even off-plan, you have to pay a reservation fee so that nobody else can buy it while you get your finances in order to pay the deposit. This fee will be paid back to you when you pay your deposit. Deposit Just like with any house purchase, the deposit is how much money you have to pay at the point of exchanging contracts. The rest of the money is then paid through a mortgage. Schedule of works Before the building process even starts, you might be able to request a schedule of works from the developer. It will tell you all of the details about the building process, including timelines and who is responsible for each stage. Anticipate legal completion date (ALCD) This is the date that the developer anticipates the building will be completely finished. First fix Refers to the first stage of construction, usually the structural element of the build before plastering and decoration takes place. Second fix Second fix is when all plastering or plaster boarding is complete, appliances have been installed and connected, plumbing is complete, and things like skirting boards, doors, baths, and sinks have been installed. Shortstop / Longstop date Two important dates along the new-build timeline. The shortstop date is an estimate of when the developer hopes to finish the build. The longstop date is when the developer must finish the build. Completion on notice As a buyer, completion on notice means the building is fully completed and you have ten days to complete your purchase, pay the money you owe (including legal fees), get your keys, and move in. Defect liability period When you move in, the developer is liable for any defects or problems with the building for a set period of time. This is called the defect liability period and will be detailed in the smallprint of your contract. Ground rent (England and Wales only) If you’re buying the property on a leasehold contract, you will likely have to pay annual ground rent to the freeholder. Snagging This is the process of identifying and fixing minor issues with the new-build property, such as poor door hanging, shoddy painting or plastering, and poorly fitted windows. The developer will be liable to fix these issues for a set period of time after purchase. Aftercare Some new-build developers offer aftercare which means you can call them for help with any problems you have with the property. Alternatively, the developer will put you in contact with an external aftercare provider. Some developers offer no aftercare at all.
With the construction industry at a crossroads when it comes to tackling big ticket issues such as net zero, it is clear that old methods of working are no longer passing muster. Kriston Harvey, director at national engineering consultancy Rodgers Leask, believes that the best way to put projects in a place to succeed is through a collaborative approach, both with clients and throughout the supply chain. The idea of taking a more collaborative approach to construction is not exactly revolutionary – Sir John Egan’s Rethinking Construction white paper laid a blueprint for it nearly a quarter of a century ago – but in an industry with deeply entrenched behaviours, old habits die hard. For the industry to get into a scenario where collaboration is truly valued in achievement of issues such as net zero, there needs to be a seismic shift away from a “lowest price wins” mindset. While it is understandable for clients to sway towards the cost factor, it can permeate throughout the supply chain, so it is the responsibility of all within the supply chain to rethink our approach of how we work together – once one supplier starts putting price before progress, the domino effect begins. Key to this is valuing relationships between supply chain partners and holding each other to a high standard. For Rodgers Leask, the strength of our relationship with a certain partner is valued significantly higher than the cost of working with them, and it’s the same with clients we work for. This is proven through 90 per cent of our work now being repeat business and our level of service proving that there is an alternative framework for success achieved by offering quality over lowest cost. Whether it is an old or new client, forming strong relationships is an absolute cornerstone of working in a collaborative way, and that starts with early engagement. Key engineering constraints can be missed unless picked up right from the start, so having that early conversation can save clients significant amounts of time and money by preventing them from being led down the garden path. It’s fairly common practice for multi-disciplinary consultancies to be asked for high-level advice at the very start of a scheme, so having that open and trusting relationship means that clients quickly understand all the things they need to be thinking about and make informed decisions moving forward. It really comes down to a simple case of earlier engagement creating a better result all round. A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY APPROACH Collaboration from a supply chain perspective is especially important when you are dealing with projects that span the whole breadth of engineering disciplines. The vast majority of projects Rodgers Leask works on – such as the Becketwell regeneration in Derby city centre and our continuing work with Rolls-Royce Submarines – have multiple disciplines involved, and this is where clients can unlock some value in terms of collaboration by bringing everything under one roof. From a client’s perspective, this minimises the external points of contact and brings an ease of communication that can help projects run more succinctly. Meanwhile, the consultant can leverage economies of scale, meaning that a multi-disciplinary firm can give clients more bang for their buck while overseeing a collaborative approach in the supply chain. This is particularly pertinent with private sector clients, where the absence of more formal procurement routes mean that relationships are forged more strongly and repeat work is more common. TOGETHER, EVERYONE ACHIEVES MORE While collaboration in the supply chain may be easier to achieve with private sector clients, it is arguably more important to achieve in the public sector, where every penny is monitored and every process is scrutinised. With public sector procurement routes dictating how projects are awarded, there is often a significant weighting towards cost when it comes to consultant appointments via a traditional tendering process. However, there are ways in which consultants can work collaboratively before entering the procurement process to ensure that local authority clients are getting the best of both worlds. Consortiums are becoming increasingly popular, and Rodgers Leask has recently found success on the ESPO 2664 Property, Building and Infrastructure Advice and Management Services framework by leading a cross-disciplinary group of four consultants. Working as one collaborative group – featuring project manager and cost consultant Bentley Project Management, architect Whittam Cox and mechanical and electrical engineers CPW – will mean that that public sector bodies can rapidly access all four practices’, bringing better value for money, fewer contact points and – crucially – a more efficient way of working. With the Construction Playbook and Mosey Report pointing firmly towards more collaborative approaches being the construction industry’s future, the time has never been more right for consultants to look at their attitudes towards working with both clients and the supply chain. Only by doing this can we look to not only tackle the big challenges of the day, but also deliver best value for clients looking forward. For more information on Rodgers Leask, please visit https://rodgersleask.com/.
GRAHAM has reported “strong and sustainable” financial growth in its latest published accounts for the financial year (up to 31st March 2022) as revenue reached £948m. This marks a £141.9m (17.6%) increase in the leading contractor’s turnover from the 2021 reporting period (2021 – £808.1m). In the same period, profit before tax was recorded at £19m – a 54% increase from 2021 (2021 – £12.33m) – while the corresponding profit before tax margin rose by half a percent to 2% (2021 – 1.5%). Cash at bank and in hand also increased to £127m (2020 – £118.9m). This figure has enabled GRAHAM to further improve its supplier payment statistics and to continue to invest in the training and development of its 2,200+ staff cohort. Each business unit, comprising of building, civil engineering, interior fit-out, facilities management and investment projects, remained profitable throughout this latest financial year. Looking forward, GRAHAM has also secured a record work pipeline of £1.9bn, expanding its portfolio of major projects across the UK and Ireland, and earning selection to a number of leading national frameworks. The strong financial performance has been achieved despite the very many challenges faced by the construction industry as a whole, not least the reorientation of market conditions resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic and rising inflationary pressures. Concerted efforts Commenting on the latest figures, Andrew Bill, GRAHAM Group Chief Executive Officer, emphasised the disciplined approach to work winning, the continued cultivation of long-term client relationships and the concerted efforts of the workforce as instrumental to the Group’s performance. He said: “GRAHAM is pleased with these latest published accounts, which demonstrate our commitment to strong and sustainable financial growth in the face of considerable economic challenges for the construction industry and wider society. We have adopted a pragmatic, sensible and selective approach to winning work, coupled with a focus on risk management. Real collaboration with our clients and partners, based on trust and transparency, has also been central to realising our Group objectives. It goes without saying that the immense efforts of our staff, supply chain and subcontractors, who continue to innovate and strive for excellence, is the platform that underpins our continued high performance.” For more information on GRAHAM, please visit: www.graham.co.uk
Partnership between Siemens Digital Industries and Smart Infrastructure businesses accelerates factory towards net zero Sustainability milestone paves way for UK manufacturing sector Siemens’ Congleton factory is on track to achieve carbon neutrality this year – eight years ahead of its original target. The operation, which manufactures more than 1.2m controls and drives each year, is inching its way to the major milestone after deploying a range of sustainable solutions for energy generation and demand with support from Siemens’ energy and performance services business, Smart Infrastructure. These include generating 75kw of renewable energy through a hydro-electric plant at Havannah Weir on the river Dane and using carbon neutral, certified biogas to power its on-site gas engine. These measures alone saved over £250,000 pounds a year and took the 80% power-independent factory off the grid. Beyond these innovations, Siemens Congleton adopted a building management system which automatically adjusts to drive energy efficiency improvements, while modern windows and LED lighting have reduced the total energy bill by 13% and 30% respectively. Combined with reducing waste to landfill to zero and EV charging for staff and visitors, the Cheshire site is eight years ahead of Siemens’ original 2015 commitment to ensure carbon neutral operations by 2030. Commenting on the achievement, Andrew Peters, Managing Director of Siemens Digital Industries Congleton, said: “Siemens believes that sustainability is a force for good and can deliver value for all its stakeholders. We want to help customers achieve sustainable growth and to transform their industries through decarbonisation. The first step of that is for us to achieve these ambitions in our own operations. “I am delighted that by leveraging a culture of continuous improvement and sustainability – the vital components to Siemens’ Congleton’s long-term success – we have achieved carbon neutrality, a major milestone in our ambitions to reach net zero emissions by 2030.” The 50-year-old Siemens Congleton factory began its sustainability journey in 1990 when it began manufacturing drives to meet the demands of industry. In 2018 the factory became fully digital by embracing lean manufacturing methods to achieve continuous improvement and by adopting leading-edge Industry 4.0 processes. Using advanced manufacturing methods include Virtual Reality, Digital Twin, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Advanced Robotics, Cloud Technology and Additive Manufacturing, it has mastered producing up to 50,000 variations of its products to fulfil the shifting demands of its customers and markets, increased productivity by driving down costs, and improved efficiency. In 1990, 400 workers made 50,000 variable speed drives and controls a year. Today, a similar number of workers produce 1.2 million electrical devices – including 600,000 variable speed drives (VSDs). What is more is that it has been achieved within the same physical footprint. The factory is bounded by industrial units and housing estates, with no room to expand, meaning Congleton has one of the highest productivity rates per m2 of any Siemens’ sites. Faye Bowser, Head of Siemens’ Energy & Performance Services GB&I, said: “The climate emergency puts the demand on businesses of all sizes and sectors to really accelerate their efforts for decarbonisation. But a challenge is that often decarbonisation isn’t their core business. So, at Energy and Performance Services we make it our business to use our skills, our knowledge and our tools to help our customers transition to net zero in a way that contributes to their business priorities. “Despite us being from the Siemens family, we have approached working with Congleton the same we do with any organisation. It has been fantastic. In Andrew Peters you have a leader in a business which has put continuous improvement and sustainability at the heart of their long-term success. Our job was to apply those components to their energy system and their energy strategy. What we ended up with is an engineered roadmaps to net zero that considers timelines, finance, digital services, all there to safeguard business continuity, and to have a method to continuously identify more opportunities to reduce carbon on site.” The Congleton factory is leading the way for Siemens which has committed, as a global organisation, to ensure all its operations are carbon neutral by 2030 and for all production facilities and buildings to achieve net zero-carbon footprint by 2030. In the UK Siemens’ progress has been recognised by The Carbon Trust, an expert partner for supporting organisations to achieve science-based targets. In June it awarded Siemens its Route to Net Zero Standard tier one certification for ‘Taking Action’. Commenting on this milestone achievement, Olivia Whitlam, Head of Sustainability, Siemens Plc said: “Siemens is taking a holistic approach to achieving net zero and we are pleased to be guided by the Carbon Trust who helps us monitor our progress each year. “We have 8,600 people spread across offices and 11 manufacturing sites across the UK and we are creating innovation up and down the country with sustainability at the core of our operations and services. Our Congleton factory is paving the way for sustainability whilst setting a great example on how manufacturers can join this amazing journey to net zero.” Congleton’s trailblazing story will be shared at Siemens’ two-day conference and exhibition, Transform 2022 at Manchester Central on July 12 and 13. The event will bring together hundreds of industry leaders, influencers and regulators from across the UK and Ireland to collaborate and solve some of the most pressing organisational challenges. To register for Transform 2022 visit: https://new.siemens.com/uk/en/company/fairs-events/events/transform-2022.html
ROCKWOOL has entered a research partnership with Swansea University to develop CCUS technology ROCKWOOL has announced it is partnering with the Energy Safety Research Institute (ESRI) at Swansea University to research the capture of carbon dioxide. Researchers are aiming to develop new carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) technologies that can assist the UK in achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Researchers at ESRI have been working on a process called Pressure Swing Adsorption to separate carbon dioxide from a mixture of gases. To date, this has been shown to work under laboratory conditions and so the next step is to investigate how it works in a real-life industrial process. Over the next 12 months, researchers will be experimenting with different adsorbent materials and operating conditions to determine the most effective method for removing carbon dioxide. Isolating carbon dioxide from a mixed gas stream is an important step in developing opportunities for use or long-term storage. Darryl Matthews, Managing Director of ROCKWOOL UK, said: “Alongside ROCKWOOL membership of the South Wales Industrial Cluster, I am delighted we’re partnering with Swansea University to pilot new technology designed to capture CO2 emissions and are excited about its potential in supporting the drive to net zero.” The demonstration unit is being developed as part of the £11.5m Reducing Industrial Carbon Emissions (RICE) project which has been part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government and is aimed at the deployment of industrial scale demonstrations of new technology. Darryl continued: “Taking these important steps to understand how we can develop CCUS technology further is another important piece of the decarbonisation puzzle for us as a business. ROCKWOOL has long been committed to operating sustainably and, in December 2020, announced commitments to accelerate the decarbonisation of our business, with specific long-term targets verified and approved by the Science Based Targets initiative.” Professor Andrew Barron the Principal Investigator of the RICE project summarised the achievement: “With 2050 arriving fast, the time for research is over, it is imperative to get new technology onto industrial sites in order to demonstrate viability. Partners such as Rockwool are vital in achieving this goal.” In 2020 the ROCKWOOL Group announced ambitious, science based global decarbonisation targets that have been verified and approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). The targets, which supplement existing sustainability goals, amount to an ambitious one third reduction of the ROCKWOOL lifecycle (Scope 1, 2 and 3) greenhouse gas emissions by 2034 while at the same time continuing the reduce the carbon intensity of production. These commitments build on the manufacturer’s existing status as a net carbon negative company, in that over the lifetime of its use, the building insulation ROCKWOOL sold in 2021 will save 100 times the carbon emitted in its production.
HS2 Ltd recently celebrated innovations to improve health and safety at works sites across Britain’s largest construction project. HS2’s health and safety campaign, Safe at Heart 2022 Inspiration Awards, chose three winners after receiving over 100 submissions from across the project, which now supports more than 25,000 jobs. Entries were submitted under Safe at Heart’s three categories: I Care; You Count; and We Matter. A simple innovation introduced by the occupational health team of HS2 contractor EKFB won in the I Care category. Ahead of building the 80km central section of Britain’s new high speed railway between London and the West Midlands, main civil works contractor EKFB needed to install a series of batching plants along the route to supply concrete to work sites beside the line. Each of the four plants arrived as giant kits to be assembled on site. Fixing together all the parts of each batching plant involved tightening over 2000 bolts with spanners and powered torque wrenches. Eagle-eyed Tim Callow and Bill Strachan of EKFB’s safety, health & welfare team saw an opportunity to boost the health and safety of workers building the plants by radically reducing their exposure to handheld power-tool vibrations. Insulating the tool with a rubberised sleeve reduced by 95% the vibration transmitted from tool to hand. In a UK-first, HS2’s Chilterns Tunnel contractor, Align, won in the We Matter category by deploying robotic technology that has boosted worker safety, quality and efficiency on the production line making the tunnel’s concrete ring segments. The segment production line’s health and safety has been enhanced through the automation of two stages of manufacture. The first sees a robot deployed to clean and oil the segment moulds before wet concrete is poured into them. By automating this role workers’ exposure to the dust during the cleaning process is eliminated. A second robot smooths the top surface of the mould, boosting product quality and homogeneity as well as freeing up worker time to add the human touch to the finishing process that automation might miss. Elsewhere on the HS2 project, the introduction of innovative hearing protection at London work sites; and creation of HAZID* which gives workers a simple and easy-to-follow framework to create higher-quality risk assessments was recognised in the You Count category. Technical Services Delivery Director, Emma Head said: “We received over 100 entries for our Health & Safety awards, which is impressive and shows how much great work is already happening across HS2 to embed Safe at Heart into everything we do. “We’ll take the improvement in practices from this year’s entries and winners, and look at how we can implement them elsewhere on the project. “As a massive and long-term programme that is forecast to support around 34,000 jobs at peak construction, there’s an opportunity not just to see these innovations and initiatives implemented route wide on HS2, but also to affect long term change across the construction industry.”
Prologis UK, one of the UK’s leading developers of logistics property, has added two new hires to its Capital Deployment and Leasing team, as it looks to further grow its UK team and drive ambitious growth plans. Jason Pickering has joined as a director in the Capital Deployment and Leasing team, following six years at Cushman & Wakefield. With extensive experience in industrial and logistics capital markets, and a specific focus on South East and national developments, he will be helping Prologis to continue expansion plans in London and development of urban logistics offering. Ryan Gordon also joins the company as a Capital Deployment and Leasing director, after working for Stripe Street for eight years. There, his role as an agent for Aldi Stores UK aided in the supermarket’s expansion, with a particular focus on site acquisitions in London and the South East. Alongside his experience as an agent, Ryan is a chartered surveyor, and has an in-depth knowledge of the land acquisition and property development process from start to finish. In their new roles, both Jason and Ryan will focus on land and investment acquisitions in Prologis’ strategic priority regions within London and the South East, using their complimentary skills and 14 years of combined experience to support the firm’s ambitious growth plans. Paul Weston, Regional Head of Prologis UK, said: “It’s great to have Jason and Ryan join our business, both highly qualified to drive forward our significant growth ambitions for London and the wider South East of the UK. In 2022 we have announced six new hires who will focus on the region and will soon be moving into new London offices to provide the team with an exciting new collaborative hub. “I’m looking forward to working with Jason and Ryan and supporting their career aspirations here at Prologis”. Both Ryan and Jason will be based in Prologis’ London office. RE: IMAGE Left -Right / Jason Pickering, Ryan Gordon. Prologis UK