Choosing the correct ladder for any given job can often be a bit of a minefield as there are so many different pieces of equipment for various working-at-height tasks. Hopefully this guide can be of some help should you need any pointers when selecting the correct solution. Choosing the correct
Murphy Plant, part of the specialist engineering and construction company J. Murphy & Sons Limited, is continuing to make major investments in temporary site welfare facilities with AJC EasyCabin. Their latest order comprises twenty 20ft static units and five 12ft mobiles. Murphy Plant now has over one hundred EasyCabin welfare
UK metal bending expert, Barnshaws Sections Benders, has supported two marine projects by providing precision-curved, rectangular hollow section (RHS) to support contractor Leisure Structures. The work was part of the recent interior refurbishments of the Celebrity Summit and Celebrity Millennium cruise liners. Barnshaws delivered a tonne of precision-curved stainless steel
As part of its continued commitment to helping make easier work of complex health and safety legislation, Bureau Veritas has launched a brand new package enabling customers to combine inspections in order to optimise efficiencies and, in turn, reduce costs. Now available nationwide, the Comply in One offering means customers
NATIONAL property developer Sladen Estates has announced the appointment of Mark Nicholson as a development director. Mark brings with him 15 years’ experience in the property industry, working across multiple sectors from industrial to residential, accruing particular success in the student accommodation sector. Mark said: “Sladen Estates is working on
Leading independent construction, property and management consultancy, Rider Levett Bucknall (RLB UK), has announced changes to its UK board including the appointment of Andrew Reynolds as Chief Executive and Dean Sheehy as Operations Director as it sets out its ambitious long-term growth plans following on from another successful year where
Stephen George + Partners (SGP), one of the UK’s leading architectural practices, is celebrating the start on site of its first airside project to be under construction. A ground breaking ceremony marked the official construction start of the £7million 54,000 sq ft maintenance hangar and 15,500 sqft workshop facility at
A recent study has found that males are more likely to be victims of household crime. Data uncovered shows that during the first quarter of 2019, males experienced more household crime, with over 20,000 reported cases, as opposed to females, who reported just over 13,000. The research, found by More4Doors,
Before we go into the specifics, there are a number of key points that you need to acknowledge when it comes to dealing with undeclared rental income: It is now more important than ever to ensure your tax affairs are up to date. Government systems are much improved and offer
Warehouses can be a common target for criminals – if they are not properly secured, they represent an opportunity for someone to get in and steal stock, equipment, or even sensitive data such as financial information. Thankfully, however, with warehouse security there are many small changes that you can make
Choosing the correct ladder for any given job can often be a bit of a minefield as there are so many different pieces of equipment for various working-at-height tasks. Hopefully this guide can be of some help should you need any pointers when selecting the correct solution. Choosing the correct material. The two materials that ladders and access equipment tend to come in is aluminium or fiberglass, as you can see here. Aluminium ladders tend to be slightly lighter than the fiberglass ones. It can be a misconception that the aluminium ones are sturdier than the fiberglass ones as they are both tested to the same standards for durability and weight loading. The reason fiberglass ones were introduced was that they are non-conductive, usually to 30,000 volts, which obviously makes them ideal for any work that is being carried out around electricity. If you are purchasing a ladder for standard work, or DIY, then an aluminium one will suffice. Choosing Class It is important to make sure you choose an item that is certified to the correct classification for the job. This has become a bit of a grey area since the new standards for ladders came into play this year. Ladders used to be organised into three classifications (Class 1 – Industrial, Class 2- Trade and Class 3 – Domestic) This has now been changed and has been somewhat simplified into two classifications EN121 Non-Professional, and EN131 Professional. If a ladder is being used to carry out work in a professional environment, then it is essential to have the EN131 Professional classified equipment, anything that is sold as EN131 professional should be clearly marked as such on any labels on the equipment. The EN131 Non-Professional, as the name suggests, is suitable for anything that is for infrequent home use and DIY etc. It is important to make sure you are working with the correct equipment and classification, not only as it is the safest and best practice for yourself or your employees, but failure to do so can lead to problems with the HSE. Duration of Task Ladders are a practical solution for low risk and short duration tasks. It is recommended not to be on a ladder for a job that takes more than 30 minutes. If you are working on a job that you think will take longer than this, there may be more appropriate solutions, such as a ‘hop-up’ low level platform, or something like a podium step. These would be more suitable as they have a sturdy, larger platform to work off rather than the rungs of a ladder. Height Required Depending on the kind of job you are doing, different types of ladders will be most suited. If it is higher work, such as working at gutter height or fascias, an extension ladder would suit best. These generally come in a two section or three section model, the three section ladders close down to a smaller size so they can be easily transported or stored. If you are working lower than gutter height, for example decorating, home renovations or simply changing a lightbulb a step ladder would suffice and would be the best solution for the job. Step ladders come in two varieties, swingback and platform, as the name suggests a platform stepladder has a platform at the top for more comfortable standing, swingback stepladders have a top tread, which is not for standing on! You should actually never stand on the top three steps of a swingback stepladder. If you have a wide range of tasks in hand a combination ladder is ideal. Combination ladders can easily be turned into step ladders, extension ladders and stairway ladders very easily, giving you a range of available heights to work from, our personal favourites are the Little Giant Combination ladders or the ZargesSkymasters. As mentioned above if you are working at height for longer than 30 minutes at a time you should take a look at a podium steps, hop ups and towers, as well as permanent solutions over portable. Don’t forget to carry out a risk assessment for your work, once you hit heights over the average gutter height ladders may not be the perfect solution. Conclusion Hopefully throughout this simple guide you received the information you were looking for and are now on your way to becoming a ladder expert! Whichever product you go for in the end, ensure you are working safely and taking no unnecessary risks.
Murphy Plant, part of the specialist engineering and construction company J. Murphy & Sons Limited, is continuing to make major investments in temporary site welfare facilities with AJC EasyCabin. Their latest order comprises twenty 20ft static units and five 12ft mobiles. Murphy Plant now has over one hundred EasyCabin welfare cabins in their fleet. These new units will be deployed around the country as replacements for rehired equipment from their supply chain. Commenting on this most recent investment, Managing Director at Murphy Plant, Mike Carpenter said, “The reliability of our current units have been excellent and our team consistently comment on the high quality of the finish. “AJC’s Sales Manager, Mark Samuel, has been an excellent support to ensure that users have a working knowledge of the units. AJC has visited a number of our major sites and projects.” Murphy Plant have been partnering with AJC for a number years. They make reference to AJC’s on-going progress in respect of innovation and manufacturing the most eco-efficient welfare products as a key element in this on-going relationship. Mike continued, “I’d like to think that the original EasyCabin Murphy mobiles in the Murphy-green branding set precedence for a number of companies purchasing similar units. As ever, the after service provided by AJC has been excellent, whether its queries with the units, spare part requirements, or developmental suggestions for improving the products. They are extremely responsive and continually looking to improve. “We find AJC easy to do business with and they always deliver new assets exactly on schedule,” concluded Mike. The units have been delivered to Murphy Plant dressed in the iconic Murphy green livery, ready to be sent to sites throughout the country. Murphy Plant is responsible for the day-to-day enablement and operation of plant, equipment and transport for J. Murphy & Sons Limited. The team offer everything from small electrical drills to a 135 tonne crawler-crane, as well as specialist equipment within rail, pipelines, tunnelling, marine and ground engineering. EasyCabin is the brand name for static and mobile welfare accommodation units manufactured by AJC Trailers Limited. The company has been producing a range of mobile units since 1964 and presently operate from a modern 32,000 sq. ft. plant, based in Luton, Bedfordshire.
UK metal bending expert, Barnshaws Sections Benders, has supported two marine projects by providing precision-curved, rectangular hollow section (RHS) to support contractor Leisure Structures. The work was part of the recent interior refurbishments of the Celebrity Summit and Celebrity Millennium cruise liners. Barnshaws delivered a tonne of precision-curved stainless steel to create two modern, curved canopies forming the entrance to the ship’s restaurants. Though more commonly associated with curved structural steel and aesthetic metal elements in the construction industry, Barnshaws is seeing growing involvement in the marine sector. Its wide range of specialist bending machines, its branches in the West Midlands, Manchester and Scotland, combined with its EXC class 4 for steel fabrication, means the business is well-placed to meet the volume and quality demands of the industry. Leisure Structures reached out to Barnshaws to provide five stainless steel 200 x 100 mm RHS sections at six metres in length curved to a 8980 mm radius. Having worked with Barnshaws in the past, the contractor was well aware of the high-quality workmanship the business could provide. This was particularly important as the curved stainless-steel elements of the canopies would be visible to passengers on both vessels, so it was imperative that rolling and transportation left minimal marking on the steelwork. Each section was ‘protection wrapped’ during the metal bending process to ensure the best possible finish. The Celebrity Summit and Celebrity Millennium were fitted out in Alaska and Singapore respectively. Both are sister ships of the Millennium-class, operated by Celebrity Cruises. The Summit’s two GE gas turbines allow the ship to reach 24 knots and carry 2,218 passengers; while the Millennium relies on the same turbines to carry 2,138 passengers while attaining the same top speed. Stuart Anderson, Sales Manager at Barnshaws, said: “As a group, we have previously supplied high-quality fabrications to support the offshore industry. Supporting cruise liners was new to us, but we have employed our steel curving experience and extensive in-house capabilities to deliver these sections within the project timeframe.”
As part of its continued commitment to helping make easier work of complex health and safety legislation, Bureau Veritas has launched a brand new package enabling customers to combine inspections in order to optimise efficiencies and, in turn, reduce costs. Now available nationwide, the Comply in One offering means customers can benefit from combined inspections nationally across multi-site operations in order to ensure economies of scale along with the same level of technical excellence. Comply in One works whereby the Bureau Veritas team will work closely with a client to identify all areas of their compliance needs that are suitable for a combined approach and deliver the according solution. In the case where clients have various deadlines for services and locations, the team can even bring compliance inspections in line, or bend and flex delivery to reflect the risk profiles. For fast-moving businesses the commercial benefits include a typical 20%-30% cost saving compared to standalone inspections, reduced disruption, detailed holistic reporting helping to simplify analysis and the peace of mind afforded by full compliance in a shorter time. This is, of course, supported with the same best-in-class technical excellence. Ahead of the launch, Bureau Veritas invested heavily in upskilling all appropriate consultants to ensure a consistent pedigree of expertise in all individual remits. All assessments are subsequently independently audited and verified by the business’ technical, quality and risk division. Testament to the benefit of this innovative approach Comply in One was previously piloted at one of the UK’s leading high street banks which used five services including asbestos, fire, water, property compliance and even fabric condition survey. The result was compliance cost reductions of a fifth, while follow up verification on identified repair works meant that the number of clear reports increased by 30% over a five year period. This latest launch follows on from the previous introduction of Building in One; Bureau Veritas’ ground breaking cloud based software system that enables businesses to define, plan, schedule and monitor all regulatory compliance, and store documents in a centralised location using one, simple to use platform. The result is a true one-stop-shop for businesses seeking to try and make easier work of the increasingly complex compliance minefield. Vicky Shah, Retail and Hospitality Lead at Bureau Veritas, comments: “Amid the difficult current landscape, we know from talking to customers that they are already facing many challenges in terms of the turbulent economy, legislative upheaval and tight deadlines. With Comply in One, therefore, our remit is to lessen the compliance burden by enabling a combined approach in order to reduce disruption and, in turn, costs, while helping to ensure consistency of service. “As demonstrated in our work with one of the UK’s largest banks, this approach can make a huge difference not just in terms of efficiencies but hugely simplifying the entire compliance process – from initial inspection through to verification and ongoing monitoring – for all involved. We really see this approach, particularly when used with our complementary Building in One offer, as a game changer in the compliance sector and would actively encourage all customers to take advantage of this service today.” Comply in One is currently available in three flexible packages covering health and safety, electrical and fire safety. To find out more about Comply in One or Building in One from Bureau Veritas’ call 0345 600 1828 or visit www.bureauveritas.co.uk
NATIONAL property developer Sladen Estates has announced the appointment of Mark Nicholson as a development director. Mark brings with him 15 years’ experience in the property industry, working across multiple sectors from industrial to residential, accruing particular success in the student accommodation sector. Mark said: “Sladen Estates is working on some really transformative schemes at the moment and I’m thrilled to join the team at such an exciting time. I’m looking forward to drawing on my previous experience and contributing to the delivery of high standard developments throughout the UK.” Mark will be working with the development team on the delivery of developments across Sladen Estates’ portfolio, with particular focus on private rented sector (PRS), build-to-rent (BTR) and student accommodation. The company currently has a forward development portfolio of £800m, including HMRC’s new 276,600 sqft East Midlands regional centre at Unity Square, Nottingham. Nick Sladen, chief executive of Sladen Estates, said: “Mark’s experience speaks for itself and we’re very pleased to welcome him into our senior team as we expand and celebrate our 20th anniversary. We very much look forward to working with him on the delivery of various projects throughout the country.” Celebrating two decades in business this year, Sladen Estates is a commercial property development company operating nationally in the industrial, offices, retail, PRS and student accommodation sectors. For more information, please visit www.sladenestates.co.uk.
Leading independent construction, property and management consultancy, Rider Levett Bucknall (RLB UK), has announced changes to its UK board including the appointment of Andrew Reynolds as Chief Executive and Dean Sheehy as Operations Director as it sets out its ambitious long-term growth plans following on from another successful year where it has seen gross turnover increase by 40% from 2017/18 to 2018/19. The new structure reflects the changing shape of the industry and ensures the longevity of RLB’s leading and sustainable position within it. Andrew Reynolds, Chief Executive of RLB UK and Global Board Director, said: “RLB UK today is a completely different size and scale to where we were five years ago, and we continue to evolve to remain future fit. We have always prided ourselves on being an independent, employee-owned business– offering independent advice to our clients and at the same time offering an opportunity for every member of our staff to become an owner in our company. We believe it is this autonomous structure that has underpinned our success combined with a passion to deliver the best outcomes for our clients and a commitment to driving best practice in everything we do.” Dean Sheehy, Operations Director, added: “With the amazing talent we have nurtured and attracted at RLB, over the last five years we have grown our turnover from £42m to £80m, increased our profit fivefold and doubled our team in the UK to 675. I am extremely proud of what our business has achieved. Our industry is ever-evolving and we have made changes to our structure to ensure we will make the most of the opportunities the next decade brings, setting ourselves ambitious targets to secure the longevity of our business.” Over the next ten years RLB UK’s targets include growing turnover to £150m (2019 £80m) and achieving sustainable profit margins whilst remaining an independent employee owned organisation. Andrew Reynolds added: “Building a business for the future is one thing. However, growing a business that is focussed on delivering success for clients in a shifting industry whilst upholding our cultural ethos, of devolved ownership for staff and opportunity for people to thrive in tomorrow’s industry, is something quite different. Being independent has enabled us to build a ten year plan to achieve this ambition.” As part of the changes, RLB UK has announced the following appointments to its main board: Andrew Reynolds, Chief Executive; Dean Sheehy, Operations Director; Mark Weaver, Commercial and Technical Director; Stuart Stables, Finance Director; Ann Bentley, Non-Executive Director. These changes will come into place with immediate effect.
Stephen George + Partners (SGP), one of the UK’s leading architectural practices, is celebrating the start on site of its first airside project to be under construction. A ground breaking ceremony marked the official construction start of the £7million 54,000 sq ft maintenance hangar and 15,500 sqft workshop facility at Norwich International Airport for Rigby Group plc, owners of Regional City Airports. The new hangar facility, which is designed to service two Boeing 737 aircraft, will accommodate the expansion of KLM UK engineering group, providing additional capacity to offer aircraft maintenance and repair services to customers worldwide. Ian Yallop, Chairman of SGP: “We have been able to apply our extensive experience of large and small-scale industrial units to the project at Norwich Airport, to create a facility that meets KLM UK’s engineering needs as well as reinforcing Norwich Airport’s position as a leader in aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul.” “The design of this type of project is very technical and requires a detailed knowledge of airport operations. CAA requirements are focused on safeguarding flights and we had to think in a new way – working from the sky downwards and taking into account a range of variables including radar requirements, wind shear and navigation systems. The workshop is 7.5m to its haunch and the hangar 13.0m and will be constructed using a Twin-Therm wall system, with Euroclad cladding, profiled to break up radar bounce back. This is an important milestone for SGP and although we have worked on several masterplans and designs for other regional and national airports, this is the first that has reached construction stage. We are looking forward to expanding this new and fascinating sector.”
A recent study has found that males are more likely to be victims of household crime. Data uncovered shows that during the first quarter of 2019, males experienced more household crime, with over 20,000 reported cases, as opposed to females, who reported just over 13,000. The research, found by More4Doors, also discovered the areas which saw the most crime in Q1 of 2019. The South East of England was the worst, with over 4,400 reported crimes, while the North East only had 2,008 reported household crimes during the same period. When studying victims of household crime, those who were employed experienced the most, with over 21,000 cases reported by those in full or part-time work, while students were the least likely to be burgled, with just 368 reports during the first quarter of the year. When looking at age ranges, those who were aged between 45 to 54 experienced the most crime, with those aged between 16 and 24 experiencing the least. The study has also revealed that those who live in a semi-detached house are the most likely to experience household crime. It was found that over 10,000 semi-detached homes were victims of crime, compared to flats which saw just 5,000 reported crimes in the first three months of 2019. Terraced houses also saw a high number of household crimes, as did detached residential properties. The study also looked at homeowners versus renters and found that those who own their property experienced the most household crime (over 21,000 reports) while renting tenants experienced just over 11,000 cases. These alarming statistics come just weeks before Christmas, the time of year when both homeowners and renters should be a lot more vigilant when it comes to crime. Ensuring your home is properly secure during this time is essential. Burglars are well aware that while you are out enjoying the season’s festivities, there are plenty of expensive Christmas presents nestled under your tree. Leaving doors or windows unlocked are prime opportunities for those who prey on homeowners or renters leaving their home security to chance. More4Doors, a door handle and door locks retailer, has a number of tips on ensuring the security of your home this festive season. Keep doors locked at all times, even when you are in the house. If you are upstairs, burglars can easily sneak in unnoticed, so make sure you keep exterior doors locked at all times. This should also apply to large windows which can be climbed through, especially any which are just above extensions or conservatories. Make sure all your household locks are working properly. Any fault on a door lock can be an opportunity for a burglar. Even if it just needs a small fix, it’s worth sorting. If possible, add more than one lock to your exterior doors for added security. Check all windows are locked shut before leaving the house. It can be easy to miss an open window and leave it open. Don’t leave mail or flyers hanging out the letterbox. This can be a signal to burglars that you aren’t home. Don’t forget to check the locks on your garage are working properly. These are prime targets for burglars as many homeowners generally don’t have good working locks on garage doors or side doors. Try not to leave boxes out near your bins. An empty TV box or games console packaging is a clear indication to burglars that you have items in the home worth stealing, so make sure you dispose of these a little more discreetly.
Before we go into the specifics, there are a number of key points that you need to acknowledge when it comes to dealing with undeclared rental income: It is now more important than ever to ensure your tax affairs are up to date. Government systems are much improved and offer greater visibility on individuals who are not up to date. If you have only recently acquired a rental property, it may be possible to get things up to date by completing relevant tax returns. The Let Property Campaign is helping individuals with many years of undeclared income. A property tax specialist will help you to get things up to date whilst also minimising the tax, interest and penalties due. They will also reduce the potential stress or worry, acting as a barrier between the individual and HMRC. If you own one or more rental properties, then you need to ensure they’re all correctly dealing with their tax situation. HMRC have become stricter on landlords and government systems have been improved recently to cross reference Land Registry records with tax returns to identify those who aren’t up to date. Most mortgage lenders are also requiring the submission of tax returns to them prior to making a mortgage or re-mortgage offer. You must submit your tax return by the 31st January following the tax year. This means that it is often possible to deal with tax issues up to 18 months or more after an individual begins receiving rental income. HMRC will also often accept tax returns going back at least one further year, but this is by agreement in each case. HMRC had started a project called The Let Property Campaign, which aims to encourage individuals to rectify their tax affairs. It has been ongoing for a number of years and offers an easier way to rectify your tax affairs, particularly where there may be a number of years to deal with. Individuals that come forward under the scheme are promised a ‘lower penalty’ than if HMRC raise an enquiry. There is no deadline for the campaign but acting sooner prevents any risk that HMRC will raise an enquiry first and put the case on a track that will likely result in higher penalties. Many landlords have come forward over the last few years to declare their tax affairs and get them up to date. Understanding the best approach and the way to minimise penalties and other potential payments comes from experience and understanding the attitude and approach of HMRC. It is therefore best to work with a property tax expert that has experience dealing with undeclared rental income and property tax investigations. Source:
Warehouses can be a common target for criminals – if they are not properly secured, they represent an opportunity for someone to get in and steal stock, equipment, or even sensitive data such as financial information. Thankfully, however, with warehouse security there are many small changes that you can make that will constitute a huge difference. With a secure warehouse staff will feel safer, and you can have the peace of mind that your property has many deterrents against crime. Here we take a look at eight changes you can make to improve security at your warehouse. Install CCTV There is no doubt that CCTV is one of the most effective security measures for warehouses. Not only does having CCTV cameras ensure that you have a visual record of what happens in and around your premises in the event of a crime taking place. It also acts as a brilliant visual deterrent against vandalism, theft, and antisocial behaviour. Make sure that when you have your CCTV installed you also put up plenty of signs, alerting people to their presence. Use out-of-hours security patrols Of course, it is often the case that warehouses are most at risk when there are no staff on duty. This provides the opportunity for criminals to observe the property without being noticed by anyone, and means they can gain access to premises unopposed. This is why it can be a great idea to work with an external security provider to have out-of-hours security patrols. Add motion detecting lights Motion sensing lights might not sound like much of a boost to your warehouse security, but you might be surprised at the difference that they can make. Often it is more than enough for criminals skulking around your property to see a light come on – it stops them from being able to work in the dark. Additionally, these motion detectors can provide alerts to security personnel so that they can investigate the situation. Get security feedback from your team Perhaps one of the most important things that every warehouse owner could do to improve security is to get feedback from the people who are working there all day. It is your staff who will understand best the security challenges that the organisation faces, and areas of risk and vulnerability. It is a great idea to regularly speak to staff or even give them the opportunity to submit written ideas on what could be done to improve security at your warehouse. Limit access with fencing Sometimes it is the obvious things that make a difference to security. Fencing is visually striking and shows any member of the public where they are permitted to go and where they are not. This is another example of a security that acts a simple deterrent in the fact that it tells any potential criminal that your warehouse takes its security seriously. Fencing can be installed at obvious parts of your property to make it appear inaccessible to individuals. Introduce RFID-enabled ID badges Many warehouses utilise RFID (radio frequency identification) in order to track goods and items – and just as RFID can be used to track stock as it moves through your ware house, it can also be used to track staff. This can be a very effective way to maintain security at all times, as well as preventing theft and ensuring best practice. IDs also help you to understand if someone is in a part of the building that they shouldn’t be. Promote cyber security Remember that security is not just a physical matter. It is also important for your business to be secure from a cyber perspective. This means taking care of passwords, and providing staff with training on how to be secure when using internet-enabled devices in your warehouse. Hire a security specialist Of course, if you have specific concerns over security of you have experience a number of incidents, then it can actually be best to work with an external security specialist. They will be able to recommend a customised security operation that is suited to the exact needs of your business. This can be the way to ensure that your business premises are as secure as possible.