If you’re hurt at work, it can be scary and you might not know what to do next. However, the steps you take immediately following an injury are important. The following are the steps to take if you are hurt at work and some other things to know in general
Doors and windows are vital to your home for lots of reasons. They need to keep the weather out, provide security and of course compliment the aesthetics of the property as a whole. Because of all this, they can also be a costly purchase, and most people would agree that
Winvic Construction Ltd, a leading main contractor that specialises in the design and delivery of multi-sector construction and civil engineering projects, is designing and constructing a second city centre build-to-rent (BTR) project for PLATFORM_ . The Winvic team has started on site at the Sheffield scheme and handover is scheduled
On behalf of Network Space, Yorkshire company, Harris CM is on site delivering 116,600 sq ft of prime industrial space across four high specification units at Woodhouse Link, close to junction 31 of the M1 in Sheffield. Ready for occupation in early 2022, Woodhouse Link will be capable of fostering
Responding to May’s announcement by Housing Minister Christopher Pincher of the 14 places that have been appointed to test the application of the government’s new design code, Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Chief Executive Victoria Hills said: “The Government’s announcement on the 21st of May the 14 places which will
Tricas Construction has been awarded the contract to deliver a new construction project in Telford. The £10.7 million project will bring 88 residential plots to a site in Old Park, for The Wrekin Housing Group. Tom Broadway, operations manager at Tricas Construction, said: “Tricas are well placed to deliver an
Following the publication of the Building Safety Bill today, I am sharing commentary from Scott Steedman, Director-General, Standards at BSI. He said: “We welcome the new measures set out in the government’s Building Safety Bill. The Bill provides a new regulatory framework that will steer the improvement of practices in
RMI contractors’ output in 2020 fell due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. While most social housing providers have been able to maintain essential responsive repair services, the provision of planned maintenance has been impacted. Capitalised RMI expenditure for the year was £1.6bn, against a £2.4bn forecast for the
Mecalac Construction Equipment UK has launched an exciting new football-themed promotion. Intended to inspire the atmosphere of team spirit and competition this summer, All to Play For will bring together operators and owners from across the UK and Ireland, highlighting their place within Mecalac’s global team. Running until mid-July, All
Business is evolving step by step, and some people seek opportunities in each situation. Learn the features of the top post-COVID business scopes.
If you’re hurt at work, it can be scary and you might not know what to do next. However, the steps you take immediately following an injury are important. The following are the steps to take if you are hurt at work and some other things to know in general if you find yourself in this situation. The Most Common Workplace Accidents and Injuries You can get hurt in any work environment, although some are more dangerous than others. For example, construction is known for being a particularly risky field for injuries. Construction workers face what is called the Fatal Four by OSHA. The Fatal Four are falls, getting hit by something, electrocution, or being caught between objects. Even in an office environment that’s seemingly safe, however, you can still get hurt. Some of the most common workplace and work-related accidents include: Car and vehicle accidents: When you drive as part of your job, you’re exposed to roadway risks. You could also be hit by a moving vehicle on a job site, for example, if you work in construction. Sometimes, if you’re hurt in a car accident, you may be able to pursue compensation beyond workers’ compensation. Slip and falls: Slip and fall accidents are very common and stem from workplace hazards like wet floors. When you fall, you can experience soft tissue damage, broken bones, or even traumatic brain injuries. Fall from a higher elevation: Falling from a ladder, scaffolding, or platforms can lead to severe injuries. OSHA does require fall protection for workers who are at certain heights or who use particular types of machinery. Electrocution: If you’re working around wiring or cords, you’re at risk of electrocution. Hitting underground cables or working near power lines can also cause this type of injury. Being hit by objects: Whether it’s a flying, rolling, swinging, or falling object, this scenario can cause blunt-force trauma including internal injuries and eye injuries. Entanglement: Heavy machinery has the potential to trap employees and lead to crushing or tearing injuries. Repetitive motion: These types of injuries don’t stem from one particular situation. Instead, they’re caused by repetition and doing the same tasks over and over again. Carpal tunnel syndrome is an example. So, if you face the above situations or any other type of injury, what are the next steps? Report the Injury If you’re hurt in any way at work, the first thing to do is report the injury and then get an accident report. Your company may have a specific protocol for reporting injuries, but the big takeaway, regardless of specifics, is making sure that you do report it right away. Go to your supervisor and be clear as far as what happened and the details surrounding how you were hurt. You need to make sure that your employer does create an official accident report, which becomes your paper trail to show that you reported your injury. You should get a copy of the report too. Of course, if your injury needs immediate treatment, that’s your priority. In some states, you’re required to provide written notice of your injury. You should check to see what the requirements are where you live. Get Medical Attention If you’re ever hurt at work, you should see a doctor or health care provider as soon as you can. If you need to, go to the emergency room. There are a couple of reasons this is important. First, you want to make sure that you don’t have any underlying injuries you aren’t yet noticing. When you’re in any type of accident, it’s common to experience an adrenaline rush. That can mask pain or symptoms you might have. A doctor can make sure that you don’t need treatment. The other reason is that, again, this is part of building a paper trail. Even if you think you’re fine overall and don’t need medical attention, get it anyway. Tell Your Co-Workers What Happened If you file a claim for compensation, having told your coworkers what happened at the time of the accident can be helpful. You want to have witnesses, and you also want to help protect them from being in a similar situation. Take Videos and Photos If you’re able to do so, take videos and photos of the scene where your accident occurred. Keep these for your records. Try to take them from different angles, and a video can be even more helpful than photos sometimes, although ideally, you want both. Keep An Accident Journal From the time your accident occurs, create a notebook where you keep all of the relevant information related to your injuries and what happened. You want to document everything, including your medical visits, expenses, how long you’re out of work and symptoms you experience. You should include details about any out-of-pocket expenses you incur because of your injuries, including mileage. Filing a Workers’ Compensation Claim Depending on your situation, you might end up filing a workers’ compensation claim. The process is similar to filing other insurance claims, and it’s a request for benefits, not a lawsuit against your employer. The first step is to notify your employer, and they have to offer you a claim form. Without completing this claim form, your employer doesn’t have to provide benefits. You need to keep a copy of this form for your own records, and you can mail it or hand-deliver it to your employer. You may need an attorney, depending on how complex your case is. If you don’t understand anything that’s happening, it’s a good idea to go ahead and get in touch with a lawyer. If you already took the steps above, then it can help your workers’ compensation claim process. Finally, be careful if you’re talking to an insurance adjuster. They are trained to take statements that they can then use against you. This is another way an attorney can help you if you get hurt at work.
Doors and windows are vital to your home for lots of reasons. They need to keep the weather out, provide security and of course compliment the aesthetics of the property as a whole. Because of all this, they can also be a costly purchase, and most people would agree that it makes sense to invest in top quality options rather than cutting corners and feeling the consequences further down the line. But what about the hardware that secures doors and windows in place; is it still worth pushing the boat out in this instance? Here is a look at why you can definitely justify spending more rather than only being interested in economizing. Wear and tear is inevitable In terms of practicality, doors and windows are certainly a very functional part of the average house, which of course means that they have to put up with a lot of punishment day after day. Constant contact from humans, with doorknobs being yanked by excited kids and windows being flung open when the toast burns for the umpteenth time, means that wear and tear can take its toll on the hardware. When lower tier materials are used, this obviously increases the likelihood of faults and outright failures occurring. The old adage of ‘buy cheap, buy twice’ rings true here, so avoid wasteful spending if you can. Replacement is straightforward Another piece of good news about high end window and door parts, like those sold by Reflect Window, is that installing them is no harder than installing any other piece of hardware in this context. So long as you have the right tools to hand, you should be able to swap out worn components for fresh, sturdy replacements without needing to call out a specialist to take care of this. Even relative DIY novices can get to grips with well made hardware. Style is worth paying for While there are some budget-friendly hardware products which manage to look much more expensive than is actually the case, in reality you can easily tell the difference between parts that are at the higher end of the price spectrum because of the care, attention and material quality that has been ploughed into their design and production. This is not just about the way that the components look, but also about how they feel. Even if they look good on the outside, a quick touch of a cheaper handle or latch will instantly reveal its lower end nature. And as this is something you are going to be touching almost every day, spending more to improve the experience is certainly a consideration. Variety comes at a price Enter into any number of public buildings or mass-built homes and you will notice something of a cookie-cutter approach in terms of the hardware used on doors and windows. A handful of standard designs are reproduced over and over again, to the point that things can start to seem a little bland even if you cannot put your finger on exactly why this is. With high end hardware, variety is very much on the cards, and you can choose everything from ultra-modern examples to newly made options which have nevertheless been produced to fit in with design trends from bygone eras. Finishes are fabulous The final thing to think about when browsing high end hardware for doors and windows is the kind of finish you want. Variety will once again come into play, and whether you want a matte black look or one that veers towards polished brass or shiny plated metal, you should have your needs satisfied. Hopefully you now appreciate the advantages of investing in quality hardware. The only challenge you face now is choosing which to pick. Whether you rely on personal preference, professional reviews or customer feedback, do your research and you should be able to get hardware that ticks all the boxes.
Winvic Construction Ltd, a leading main contractor that specialises in the design and delivery of multi-sector construction and civil engineering projects, is designing and constructing a second city centre build-to-rent (BTR) project for PLATFORM_ . The Winvic team has started on site at the Sheffield scheme and handover is scheduled for summer 2023. The development on Sylvester Street, Sheffield is situated between the The Moor shopping centre and the A61 ring road and is adjacent to Porter Brook. It comprises 335 apartments and also features community roof terraces, shared social areas to the ground floor and two commercial spaces totalling 7,650 sq ft. Winvic will construct the seven and fourteen-storey complexes using a steel frame together with car parking and covered cycle storage. The façade will be made up of three types of brick built with projecting piers and header features, ensuring the external aesthetics are in-keeping with the surrounding area. A local artist – working with the Sheffield City Council – will incorporate street furniture and artwork in and around the newly formed cycle way and footpath which runs along the site adjacent to the Porter Brook; this will include a viewing area over the brook. The other BTR scheme that Winvic is currently constructing for PLATFORM_ is located on Dumballs Road, Cardiff and comprises 206 one-bed and two-bed apartments over two tower blocks. Works started on site in January 2021 and the steel frames of the north tower – climbing to eight and 12 storeys – and the south tower – reaching eight and nine storeys – have been erected. Two commercial spaces totalling 6,500 sq ft will be found on the ground floor as well as 2,100 sq ft shared resident spaces, including a lounge and gym. Furthermore, Winvic will fully fit out the apartments, create rooftop terraces and construct surface car-parking for 39 vehicles and storage for 192 cycles. Mark Jones, Winvic’s Director of Multi-room, commented: “We’ve been working in partnership with PLATFORM_ for some time in preparation for both projects and we’ve built a strong relationship due to our shared vision of quality accommodation through good design that’s simply done right. With over 7,000 multi-room beds developed to date and a further 3,000 plus under construction, the expertise of our teams will make the road to handover a smooth one on these prestigious schemes.” Matt Willcock, Development Director from PLATFORM_, added: “We’re looking forward to launching both PLATFORM_ Sheffield and PLATFORM_ Cardiff. The buildings will not only help redevelop the local areas but will provide much needed housing to cope with high demand. Winvic has experience in delivering high quality residential apartments and we are confident that they will be able to deliver our vision for these BTR developments.” For more information on Winvic, the company’s latest project news and job vacancies please visit www.winvic.co.uk. Join Winvic on social media – visit Twitter @WinvicLtd – and LinkedIn.
On behalf of Network Space, Yorkshire company, Harris CM is on site delivering 116,600 sq ft of prime industrial space across four high specification units at Woodhouse Link, close to junction 31 of the M1 in Sheffield. Ready for occupation in early 2022, Woodhouse Link will be capable of fostering approximately 200 new jobs. Network Space has secured its first letting at its speculative multimillion-pound Woodhouse Link development, with BLE Smoke and Fire Curtains Ltd is taking the 31,200 sq ft Unit 3 on a 15-year lease. A second unit is also under offer Jason Adlam, CEO at Harris CM, said: “This project is an impressive industrial development and we look forward to working with Network Space on our first contract together. “The scheme demonstrates the importance of Sheffield’s industrial and manufacturing sectors and provides further opportunities for our workforce and supply chain, with a significant proportion being South Yorkshire based.” Simon Peters, Development Director at Network Space, explains: “Woodhouse Link is designed to meet the shortage of quality industrial space within the Sheffield City Region, where it is evident that new supply is struggling to keep pace with strong demand. “We’ve already had a lot of interest in the development and we are delighted to welcome BLE as our first occupier. Woodhouse Link offers a great central location and with a further unit under offer and strong enquiry levels in the remaining space we could be fully let before this speculative development completes.” Woodhouse Link lies close to junctions 31 and 33 of the M1, to the east of Sheffield and on the south side of Rotherham, within the Advanced Manufacturing and Innovation District and close to the Advanced Manufacturing Park at Waverley. The development has planning permission for 24/7 operation and is suitable for manufacturing or distribution uses. The detached and self-contained units all provide secure storage yards and parking, 8 to 10 metre high eaves, integral offices and are designed to a high sustainability standard, including EV charging points, and to a BREEAM Very Good rating. BLE has taken unit 3. Part of the family owned Lowe & Fletcher Group, the company has designed, made, installed and maintained innovative, bespoke smoke and fire curtains for buildings around the globe for the last 40 years, providing life-saving protection for millions of people in commercial buildings, stations, airports and hospitals. The expansion to Woodhouse Link reflects the continued growth of the company. Nigel Ward, Managing Director from BLE said: “This purpose build facility in such a great location will offer the company an exceptional base for our fast growing business. “The integral office will be to headquarter standard, in keeping with our brand and helping us to add the best talent to our team. The flexible design and high sustainability standards are ideal for our needs.” With unit 3 now let and a further unit under offer, only units 1 and 2 remain available providing 48,900 sq ft and 13,200 sq ft respectively. Avison Young and CPP have been appointed to market the site. Toby Vernon, Director at CCP introduced the deal. He said: “Demand for quality units such as those at Woodhouse Link is going from strength to strength. We saw a record take up in 2020 and high demand for space has continued in 2021. Occupiers want modern, efficient buildings that will stand the test of time, which is one of the reasons demand is so high, evidenced by the letting to BLE.” Rob Oliver, principal from Avison Young said: “We have always known this development will be well received by the occupational market, so we were delighted, but not surprised, to have two units under offer before speculative construction began. “Well designed and highly specified they suit the demands and expectations of today’s occupiers who want accessible and cost effective premises which facilitate efficient operations, present the right impression to clients and the workforce and meet their environmental agenda.” The project team includes DLA Architecture, Spawforths planners, Tetra Tech and CJR Midlands M&E engineers, Walker Sime QS and project management and Gateley legal.
Responding to May’s announcement by Housing Minister Christopher Pincher of the 14 places that have been appointed to test the application of the government’s new design code, Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Chief Executive Victoria Hills said: “The Government’s announcement on the 21st of May the 14 places which will take part in a six-month testing programme for the National Model Design Code is a pragmatic way of identifying problems that may arise in the application of the code and will also hopefully provide some potential solutions. “The RTPI has no doubt that only a multi-disciplinary approach – involving planners, architects, developers, ecologists, highways authorities and communities – will lead to effective delivery of quality design outcomes. These pilot programmes should help to identify how these relationships will work in practice. We will keep a close eye on the results. “However, what is already clear is that substantial extra investment into the planning system will be needed if planners are to play their part fully – almost 90% of our members have told us that they want to prioritise ‘beauty’ in their work but lack the policy support and resources to do so. “As part of our submission to the 2020 Comprehensive Spending Review, we said that a Design Quality Fund of £81 million was needed to support cash-strapped local authorities through design training, specialist expertise and design-focused policy. “These pilot programmes are an encouraging start but it is only through significantly increased funding for local authority planning teams that the government’s ambitions for Design Codes in every council will be realised.”
Tricas Construction has been awarded the contract to deliver a new construction project in Telford. The £10.7 million project will bring 88 residential plots to a site in Old Park, for The Wrekin Housing Group. Tom Broadway, operations manager at Tricas Construction, said: “Tricas are well placed to deliver an exceptional construction project for The Wrekin Housing Group, given our experience building for several other high profile housing associations. It fits perfectly with our growth strategy and will be the first of several planned schemes in Shropshire over the coming months.” Graham Hopewell, contracts manager at Tricas Construction, said: “We look forward to delivering a modern construction project for The Wrekin Housing Group. The 100-week programme will bring 88 plots, comprising of a mix of 2-, 3- and 4-bedroom homes all for affordable rent and will be highly energy efficient, as we draw on our experience with the Grosvenor Road pilot scheme.” The Old Park project represents part of a £170 million investment by The Wrekin Housing Group to deliver affordable housing in the Telford and Wrekin borough. Jane Kind, development manager at The Wrekin Housing Group said: “The project forms part of an ambitious development programme for the Group which will see us developing 1,400 new homes across the region. We remain committed to providing high quality, sustainable homes for local people and creating vibrant communities. “At Wrekin, we are committed ensuring people have access to good quality, affordable housing. Developments like the one at Old Park not only deliver safe and secure homes for families, but also create apprenticeships and other opportunities through the local supply chain.”
Following the publication of the Building Safety Bill today, I am sharing commentary from Scott Steedman, Director-General, Standards at BSI. He said: “We welcome the new measures set out in the government’s Building Safety Bill. The Bill provides a new regulatory framework that will steer the improvement of practices in the design, construction and building management sector, particularly in relation to safeguarding the safety of residents in high-rise residential properties. “BSI is working closely with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and the new Building Safety Regulator to support the implementation of the Bill in our role as the UK National Standards Body. Our Built Environment Competence Standards programme, launched last year, will support the new legislation, along with the industry training and qualification schemes that will follow and provide a basis for third party accreditation of building safety competence at all levels and across all roles, functions, tasks and activities. We will be publishing specific standards aimed at the competence requirements of the three key roles regulated under the Building Safety Bill, which are those of Principal Designer, Principal Contractor and Building Safety Manager. “Over time we expect that the combination of the new Bill and the competence standards will bring a much needed change of culture to the entire Built Environment sector and long term benefits to the public, living and working in buildings, to the workers in the sector and to the building owners.” Please do let me know if you have any question about the Build Environment Competence Standards programme.
RMI contractors’ output in 2020 fell due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. While most social housing providers have been able to maintain essential responsive repair services, the provision of planned maintenance has been impacted. Capitalised RMI expenditure for the year was £1.6bn, against a £2.4bn forecast for the year as of January 2020. This was because of lockdown restrictions and social distancing measures, limiting the ability of workers to carry out planned maintenance works. Between 2000 and 2018, the level of social housing RMI contractors’ output had been on a downward trajectory. In 1997, £9.3bn of RMI work was carried out on five and a half million social homes but by 2010 there were less than four million. A key reason for the year-on-year decrease in output between 2016 and 2020 was the annual 1% cut in rents brought about by the government in 2016, which lead to falls in rental income and hence less to invest in property. The impact of the arrival of the pandemic in Q1 2020 does not show up in the annual financial accounts of housing associations and the housing revenue accounts (HRAs) of local authorities for 2019/2020. However, once published later in 2021, the 2020/2021 annual accounts are expected to show a fall in revenues and expenditure. The falls in revenues are indicative of the increase in rent arrears, due to both the furloughing of tenants by their employers and the inability to work due to covid-19 infection or the loss of jobs. Social housing tenants in employment typically work in sectors that have proved vulnerable to the impact of the pandemic such as public transport, healthcare, hospitality and retail. However, with the fall in infections, the success of the vaccination roll-out programme and the easing of restriction, over the medium-term landlords will be able to recover lost income from rent arrears. Abdul Tantouch, Research Analyst at AMA Research comments “other than the negative impact of Covid-19 on planned maintenance expenditure by social housing providers, since 2018 the key issue within the social housing RMI sector has been the high level of investment in fire remediation works in the wake of the Hackitt report into the Grenfell Tower tragedy. Estimates of the final costs of removing unsafe cladding and implementing other fire safety measures range from £10bn up to £15bn. For many housing associations, fire safety works are continuing throughout 2021 and possibly into 2022. Over the longer term, the main driver for RMI growth is likely to be decarbonisation programmes, underpinned by the government’s commitment to the 2050 net zero carbon target.” Lockdowns, and other measures to limit the spread of the virus, have resulted in much RMI work being suspended due to the risk of maintenance staff being in close contact with people in their homes. While most landlords have been able to maintain emergency repair services, planned maintenance/improvement works have had to be suspended. Over the next year or two growth is expected to resume, mainly underpinned by ongoing fire remediation works. Over the next couple of decades, decarbonising social housing stock is expected to be the key growth driver.
Mecalac Construction Equipment UK has launched an exciting new football-themed promotion. Intended to inspire the atmosphere of team spirit and competition this summer, All to Play For will bring together operators and owners from across the UK and Ireland, highlighting their place within Mecalac’s global team. Running until mid-July, All to Play For offers entrants the chance to win a whole host of prizes. Simply take a picture alongside your Mecalac machine, upload it to social media and use the hashtag #TeamMecalac. Dealers from across the UK will be helping to promote the initiative, filming trick shots with Mecalac branded footballs. Nottingham Forest Women’s Academy player Amelia, whose club is one of the elite pathways to England football, is also throwing her support behind the promotion and will be showing off her skills through a series of short clips. Paul Macpherson, Commercial Director at Mecalac Construction Equipment UK, commented: “All to Play For is an initiative to get dealers and their customers feeling part of the Mecalac team. All participants have a chance of winning some great prizes – just upload a photo using the hashtag and you’re in with a shot!” To see Mecalac’s football-themed video, scan here:
Business is evolving step by step, and some people seek opportunities in each situation. Learn the features of the top post-COVID business scopes.