Develop Training Ltd (DTL), a leading training provider to the construction sector, is working with Ridgewood Environmental Ltd to stress the need to prepare workers against the threat posed by asbestos in the ground. Ridgewood Environmental Ltd and third-party provider, DTL, have recently been approved by UKATA to deliver a
Staticus has been appointed as the façade contractor for Royal Mint Gardens, one of the most prestigious new luxury residential developments in London, located next to Tower Bridge and the Tower of London. It incorporates 263 high-specification apartments and facilities including a concierge lounge, pool, cinema and gym. Staticus is
Academics at Birmingham City University have formed a unique collaborative partnership with Corstorphine + Wright Architects aimed at giving students hands-on experience using cutting edge digital building technology as part of their degrees. First year students at the University’s School of the Built Environment have taken part in an industry
Most people want to have a leather furniture in their home. This is because it is believed the leather sofa gives your room a more regal look. Also, the leather sofas are quite classic that help enhance the look of your house. Leather sofas are a great addition to your
A lot of experts are predicting that there will be an availability of many companies for sale over the next decades. As such, it is a good time for you buy that business that you have been dreaming about running. However, before going ahead and buying a business, you should
OCS has been selected by Community Health Partnerships (CHP) to deliver comprehensive cleaning support under a three-year contract worth £50m. The agreement will see OCS providing the highest standard of cleaning services across 180 sites, supporting CHP tenants throughout England. Petra Moss, Managing Director for OCS Healthcare and Education said:
The UK’s first test standard for Heat Interface Units (HIUs), which is managed by the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA), has been revised and updated in response to growing demand from the district heating industry. Two UK-based test houses have now been approved to carry out testing to the standard
Make no mistake, climbing can be dangerous and, according to the Health and Safety Executive, falling from height remains one of the leading causes of work-related injuries and death. That’s why meeting the latest standards that ensure the safety of workers at height is so important. As one of the
Bristol’s iconic Whitfield Tabernacle, one of the most at risk Grade One listed buildings in the UK, has taken a big step towards being saved thanks to a partnership between Crossman Homes and the Whitfield Tabernacle Trust. The Kingswood building dating back to 1741 and widely regarded as the birthplace
The UK’s population is set to grow and reach over 70 million people, but will that result in the government having to make revisions when it comes to the amount that they need to invest into the nation’s economy? UK online investment and personal pension company, True Potential Investor, investigates
Develop Training Ltd (DTL), a leading training provider to the construction sector, is working with Ridgewood Environmental Ltd to stress the need to prepare workers against the threat posed by asbestos in the ground. Ridgewood Environmental Ltd and third-party provider, DTL, have recently been approved by UKATA to deliver a brand new Asbestos in Soils training course. In order to launch the training they are inviting employers to attend one of two free seminars on Thursday 8th November at DTL’s Derby centre. The seminars will allow employers to view some of the course content, meet the training team and ultimately find out if the training is suitable for their employees. Several external speakers will also be in attendance, including representatives from Tanglewood Environment and Dyne Solicitors who will be discussing legislation and duty of care for asbestos contaminated soil. Jim Donnelly, a training delivery manager at DTL, said: “The menace from asbestos in buildings is well known but it can also be hazardous when disturbed in the soil. Finding it beforehand is a challenge for construction site managers. The substance may be present as fragments of insulation materials visible to the naked eye or as micro fibres requiring scientific tests to confirm their presence.” He added: “People need the skills to conduct proper risk assessment and to implement a range of other steps depending on the nature and scale of the problem.” Those steps could include ensuring licensed personnel carry out remediation work, informing the Health and Safety Executive of the incident and providing protective equipment including respirators. Disposing of waste and decontaminating operatives may also be required, and air monitoring might be set up on site or near to neighbouring homes. At the seminars, representatives from Ridgewood Environmental and DTL will unveil their latest training course, UKATA Asbestos in Soils. The course, delivered by third-party provider DTL, is tailored towards supervisors, managers and CDM duty holders who may work on sites where asbestos is present. Attendees will be able to see course content first-hand, and ask questions of DTL’s expert trainers and delivery team. Date: Thursday 8th November 2018 Location: Develop Training, Derby Training Centre, Ascot Drive, DE24 8GW Seminar 1: 9:30 – 12:00 Seminar 2: 13:00 – 15:30 Both seminars will contain the same content. The seminars have already attracted attention from DTL’s existing high profile customer list that includes leading construction and utility firms, private companies and public sector organisations, with the morning session already almost fully booked. To book a free space, go to http://resources.developtraining.co.uk/asbestos_in_soils_seminars_nov2018
Staticus has been appointed as the façade contractor for Royal Mint Gardens, one of the most prestigious new luxury residential developments in London, located next to Tower Bridge and the Tower of London. It incorporates 263 high-specification apartments and facilities including a concierge lounge, pool, cinema and gym. Staticus is one of the largest façade contractors in Northern Europe and responsible for the iconic look of several new builds in London, Manchester and Liverpool. Over the next six months, the company will install more than 13,000 square metres of unitised façade Panels across the building. Unitised façade comprises pre-fabricated panels, designed and manufactured to order and delivered direct to site for faster installation; a cost-efficient method, and factory quality control, makes it increasingly popular in the UK. Established 20 years ago in Lithuania, Staticus owns a 14,000 square metre factory that can operate up to 12 production lines at the same time. The company is therefore ideally positioned to deliver the Royal Mint Gardens contract as a ‘one-stop-shop’ for façade engineering from initial concept and design to manufacture and installation. “We are both excited and deeply proud to be part of the development of this historic area in London, which is close to The Royal Mint, the origin of British coin production,” said Staticus’ UK MD Paulius Gurksnys. “We love to innovate and will realise this project with a number of unique solutions including frameless façade elements hanging on tension rods with horizontal glass fins and a spider glass fixing system. It is going to look very special indeed.” With offices in Lithuania, Norway, Sweden and now London, Staticus is growing its presence in the UK, with recent projects including the X1 Media City towers in Manchester and the Aspire Point Tower in Stratford, East London. Paulius continued: “We utilise advanced research, methods and technology to help create visually stunning smart buildings, where people can live and work in harmony with the environment. This latest project at Royal Mint Gardens is a real coup for Staticus and strengthens our position in the UK façade market.” For more information, please visit www.staticus.com.
Academics at Birmingham City University have formed a unique collaborative partnership with Corstorphine + Wright Architects aimed at giving students hands-on experience using cutting edge digital building technology as part of their degrees. First year students at the University’s School of the Built Environment have taken part in an industry sponsored module focussed on Building Information Modelling (BIM) techniques to equip them with industry standard skills. The initiative has seen students given students access to real-world BIM data, given site visits and guest talks to give them a direct insight into digital construction in the professional world. The dedicated project for the module has been Birmingham’s Pershore Street Residential development located at the heart of the city. Additional support given by Corstorphine + Wright Architects and Bouygues UK has seen students apply real-life project data in their studies and examine BIM related information in a practical context. Students were also given advice from experienced professionals in the module team including, James Gaytten; Micahla Decann; Dr. Monica Mateo Garcia and Dr. Alireza Rezaei. Erika A. Pärn, the module leader and Lecturer in Architectural Technology and at Birmingham City University, said: “The integration of BIM in existing curriculum has shown great potential as a method of educating students from a broad range of disciplines the new ways of working collaboratively in an industry confronted by the digital era. “As a previous industry practitioner and an early career academic researcher, I believe in a practice based approach in which a constructivist philosophical underpinning can be adopted. “The constructivist learning theory seeks to explain that learning occurs by constructing understanding. Subsequently students on this module have made sense of their experiences by process of constructing meaning with collaborative work though BIM.” The building plan has been designed to follow the existing pavement edge on both Pershore Street and Dean Street to reinforce the urban grain. Where this is not possible, along the existing retaining wall facing the Wholesale market, the building is set back to create a courtyard terrace that can be developed at a future time. Pershore street development is the first of its kind to provide private rental scheme post-recession and it is envisaged to reduce impact of housing shortages within central Birmingham location. The Pershore development was designed to feature 334 apartments. Mike Turner, Technical Director of Corstorphine + Wright Architects, said “we have developed a good relationship with BCU in the last few years where we are working closely with the University to develop new talent and support the University with a series of guest lectures and site visits linked with large scale construction projects we are working on within the City of Birmingham. “We have shared Revit models of these projects and are providing access to site visits for students via our contacts with the main contractors. Corstorphine + Wright have employed three students from BCU in the last three years and are currently looking to take at least one this year. It is our intention to provide graduate programmes to our new employees which will align closely with the requirements of CIAT to provide a pathway from University to full chartered membership of CIAT.” Students at School of the Built Environment have applied a range of BIM related activities with Pershore street development ranging from: re-designing apartment layouts; providing early cost estimates with BIM; developing clash detections; simulating the construction works with 4D BIM; and embedding BIM lifecycle information. The aim of the module has been to provide an applied and theoretical foundation for students to understand digital technologies, successfully execute the BIM process, facilitate its adoption and achieve interdisciplinary integration on a single project that simulates a residential project. Aldona Weber, a first year Architectural Technology student from Birmingham City University, said: “Leading a team with real-life industry BIM data was challenging and hence very interesting. “As an architectural technologist student, I work within 3D to represent the building design, however, as a team leader who decided to lead by example, I have learnt other dimensions to assist my group when needed. During three months of leading the team, I have seen an improvement in communication skills which inevitably had an impact on our final result of the assignment.”
Most people want to have a leather furniture in their home. This is because it is believed the leather sofa gives your room a more regal look. Also, the leather sofas are quite classic that help enhance the look of your house. Leather sofas are a great addition to your living room area owing to its classic look. Be it any kind of ambiance or atmosphere, these leather sofas can play a great role in offering the comfort and the retro-look. However, one of the major drawbacks is that these leather sofas are at constant risk of getting damaged. Wear and tear are some of the common issues in your house. If you do not take proper care of your leather furniture, there are high chances of it being damaged. Soon, the leather sofas in the living room can become worn out and even crack. This can play a great role in disturbing the look of your living room. These leather furniture cracks usually appear like the cracks in the human skin. Thus, it is necessary to protect the leather furniture from any kind of damage. Also, if these are not cleaned properly from time to time, the color may fade thereby spoiling the beauty of the furniture. How to take care of the leather sofa? It is very necessary to take proper care of your leather furniture in order to prevent it from damage and enhance longevity. Protecting leather sofas from damage require a brief procedure. These need to be followed from time to time to enhance the look and retain the natural beauty. Clean it One of the key steps for protecting your leather sofa from damage is to clean it regularly. You should strictly avoid washing it since it can lead to faster fading of colors. Instead, make sure to sweep and vacuum on a regular basis. Cleaning and sweeping for a temporary period of time will lower the risk of any unwanted scratches and scuffs. Use sofa cleaner One of the initial mistakes that most people tend to make is washing off the furniture with soaps and detergents. This can totally ruin the look of the leather furniture in the living room. There are several cleaners made for cleaning sofa are available in the market. You should use it for cleaning your sofas. In a piece of cloth, you should apply the sofa cleaner and then use it in a circular motion over the sofa. However, you should ensure that the total leather area is cleaned effectively. Watermarks are much visible on the leather furniture if not wiped off within time. So, to avoid that from happening you should wipe off the extra water from the sofa immediately after cleaning. Keep your sofa away from sunlight Too much of sunlight or direct exposure to it can lead to faster wearing out of your leather sofa. If you’re placing the leather sofa in living room, you should refrain from keeping it towards a window. The leather would immediately become dry. You should prefer keeping your sofa in a cool place where it is away from the foundations of too much heat and sunlight. Keep changing the cushions regularly If your leather sofa has interchangeable cushions, you should make sure that you change them regularly. The sofa cushions if placed in the same position for a long time, lead to efficient damage to your sofa. Experts would often recommend you to either shift them or change them regularly. However, if your sofa doesn’t have the option of interchangeable cushions, you can switch places while sitting. Keep away the sharp objects Leather furniture is at the high risk of being damaged due to sharp objects such as scissors and knives. You need to keep it away to protect the leather furniture. Also, lit cigarettes can also mean harm to the leather sofa. Nonetheless, there is nothing much to worry about since a leather expert can help to fix the burns and wears. 6. Sofa Covers A sofa cover is a practical and stylish solution to protect your furniture from spills, stains, and everyday wear and tear. To keep your sofa cover looking fresh, it’s important to follow a few simple care tips. Regularly vacuum the cover to remove dust and debris, and treat any stains immediately using a mild detergent or a fabric-specific cleaner. Most sofa covers are machine washable, so be sure to check the care label for washing instructions and recommended temperatures. Avoid using harsh chemicals, and air dry or tumble dry on a low setting to prevent shrinkage. By taking these steps, your sofa cover will stay in great condition, extending the life of your sofa. Leather sofas are one of your most valuable assets. Protecting them is pretty much important because you just can’t let your best leather furniture wear off easily. Your small mindful steps can play an important role in preventing damage to your leather sofa.
A lot of experts are predicting that there will be an availability of many companies for sale over the next decades. As such, it is a good time for you buy that business that you have been dreaming about running. However, before going ahead and buying a business, you should ask yourself a number of questions first. These questions will ensure that you are well prepared for your new role as a business owner. There are various questions which you should ask the business owner and seller about the business to know if the business is everything that you want. Here are some of the questions which you should ask and get answers about before buying a business for sale. Is buying the business a right decision for you now? The most crucial question to ask yourself is whether the business will be a good fit for you. If you want a business to pass the time with when you are bored, then you should consider getting a hobby instead of a business. On the other hand, if owning a business has been a long-term desire for you and if you have the right skills of running it then buying a business would be the best decision for you. Also, you should ask yourself if now the ideal time for you to purchase the business is. If you are sure about it, then you should go for it. Will your spouse support you in your decision? In one way or the other owning a business will affect your relationship with your partner. You will need to invest emotionally in time together with your partner when running the business. Hence your spouse needs to be mentally and emotionally prepared for the challenge. In fact, he or she may even want to run the business jointly. If you don’t discuss this beforehand, you will find that most of your problems are emanating from home instead of your business. During the first days of acquiring the business you will be required to work long days, so your spouse needs to understand that and support you. Who operates the business when the owners go on a holiday? One important question which you should not forget to ask is when was the last time the owners went for a holiday, how long were they gone, who was left to manage the business, and the challenges the business faced when they were away. This will show you how much the owner of the business is tied to the daily activities of the business. If an owner goes for vacations often, it means that the business is in good shape. But if the business faces challenges when the owner is not around, it show that the owner babysits the business too much. Are the numbers adding up? Many new owners don’t have an idea of what their returns are supposed to be. If you decide to be a somewhat absentee owner, will the business give the required return on your investment? And if you are a full-time owner, will the business give a return which will be worth your investment and time? You should also find out what can happen to the cash flow if the sales are below what is expected and also what can happen if the costs run above what you had expected. What’s the response of the customers? A step which many business buyers omit is asking the current customers about what they think about the business. Unless you know the customers who buy from you and why they buy from you will be flying blindly. Knowing what the customers think and why they buy from you will help you in offering quality services to them when you finally seal the deal and buy the business. How does the business market itself? For a business to be successful, it needs to have a growing customer base. So, you should ask the seller the strategies which they have used to market their business and generating inquiries to get new customers. When you are aware of the strategies which were used you will be in a position to know what you need to improve on so that you can have a growing client base. For example, if you are looking for a business for sale in Houston, there may be local marketing strategies and a local market that needs to be tapped into this. This can be dependent on the industry, of course, but you need to be aware of how the location impacts the business’s marketing. Owning a business is a desire which many people have. But before buying any business, there are various questions which you should first ask yourself and the owner so that you can understand how the business is run and how it operates.
OCS has been selected by Community Health Partnerships (CHP) to deliver comprehensive cleaning support under a three-year contract worth £50m. The agreement will see OCS providing the highest standard of cleaning services across 180 sites, supporting CHP tenants throughout England. Petra Moss, Managing Director for OCS Healthcare and Education said: “We are proud of the work OCS has already done with CHP but this contract marks a very significant step in that relationship. We share CHP’s desire to ensure the highest possible standards of cleanliness and are excited that the service we provide in its buildings enables clinical excellence to take place. This partnership is a positive milestone in our mission to ‘Improve Lives’.” Mark Day, Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Chief Executive at CHP added: “We’re delighted to be partnering with OCS across the country. Our ambition is to deliver the most effective and best-value space for patients; this contract is an important part of that.” Owned by the Department of Health, CHP is focused on delivering better value to the NHS and its partners against a landscape of unprecedented infrastructure challenges. Starting in September, the partnership between CHP and OCS will ensure that clinicians are able to provide community services within an environment that will speed recovery and prevent infections.
The UK’s first test standard for Heat Interface Units (HIUs), which is managed by the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA), has been revised and updated in response to growing demand from the district heating industry. Two UK-based test houses have now been approved to carry out testing to the standard – BSRIA and Enertek International – in addition to the Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE), which was previously the only organisation able to test to the new UK standard. HIUs extract heat from district heating networks to feed individual buildings and dwellings. How they perform is central to the overall efficiency of a district scheme. The Standard was developed, therefore, to help developers of UK heat networks procure HIUs based on comparative performance data. The availability of a UK standard has prompted considerable response from manufacturers with a significant number of HIUs already tested at RISE with several more already going through the process at BSRIA and Enertek. Testing to the standard is a two-stage process: The HIU has to achieve a UKAS or equivalent national accreditation through one of the three test houses and this result must then be verified by the Standard’s Steering Group before being published on the BESA website. Comprehensive The BESA Standard originally emerged from a heat network efficiency research project supported by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy. Testing to the Standard is helping to create a comprehensive product database and improve performance of UK heat networks. It is modelled on a well-established Swedish methodology, which was adapted to suit typical UK operating conditions, and makes it possible to compare products and equipment types so that network designers can evaluate the performance of individual HIUs against their design parameters. The test calculates the annual volume weighted return temperature (VWART) from the HIU and provides evidence of compliance with other performance and reliability metrics, such as domestic hot water response time. As part of the revision process, the steering group overseeing the Standard has been expanded and a technical sub-committee – comprising industry experts and the three test houses – has been set up. It will make recommendations to the steering group on developing the standard, including a planned expansion of the regime. An HIU Manufacturers’ forum has already had its first meeting at BESA’s headquarters in London and provided valuable feedback to the steering group. “One of the Standard’s great strengths is that it has been developed by users, for users,” said UK HIU Steering Group chair, Gareth Jones. “It provides users with a clear basis on which to evaluate HIU performance and is rapidly becoming the default point of reference for those making procurement decisions within the industry. “As a result, HIU manufacturers must now ensure that their HIUs perform well and we are seeing a significant increase in R&D. Ultimately this raising of standards will help improve the health of the heat network industry as a whole.” More information is available here.
Make no mistake, climbing can be dangerous and, according to the Health and Safety Executive, falling from height remains one of the leading causes of work-related injuries and death. That’s why meeting the latest standards that ensure the safety of workers at height is so important. As one of the industry’s best-practice leaders, MSA Safety, not only meet these latest standards, but also helped shaped them. The initial version of the updated standards relating to the test of vertical fall arrest systems (EN 353-1:2014) was released in October of 2014 and incorporated many amendments for guided type fall arresters when compared to EN 353-1:2002. MSA continually invests in testing its products and, when carrying out cold conditioning tests on its LadderLatch and TowerLatch systems, noticed an issue with the 2014 version of the standard. Tim Bissett, Technical Manager at MSA Latchways, explains: “When testing our LadderLatch, and TowerLatch systems before introducing them to market, we noticed a slight mistake in the 2014 version of the standard. “The test required the guided type fall arrester to be immersed in water and then subjected to a temperature of -30°C. Unfortunately, this didn’t represent real-life working conditions, so a request for a correction was made with the Standards Authority.” The outcome of this correction is the publication of EN 353-1:2018. It’s perhaps testament to MSA’s own diligent testing regime and decades of experience that it was able to assist in this issue. EN 353-1:2018 has now gone live. The new Personal Protective Equipment Regulations 2016/425 came into force on 21 April 2018, and combined with testing to EN 353-1:2018, MSA is delighted to announce its guided type fall arresters have successfully achieved EU type approval under the PPE Regulations. Of course, there can be no compromise when setting the standard for the safety of workers at height and the EU type-examination process for EN 353-1:2018 was suitably rigorous. It incorporated a number of dynamic tests that covered all eventualities and put all elements of working at height equipment through its paces. These included: Dynamic performance test – testing to check the maximum arrest force Cold condition testing – checking locking function in cold conditions Minimum distance test – testing to replicate the user falling close to the anchor line Fall back test – which replicates the user falling back and down Guide bracket test – testing the strength of the bracket and anchor line and the locking function of fall arrester in the event of a fall Sideways fall test – testing to replicate the user falling in a sideways direction Leaning angle test – testing the locking function of the fall arrester with the anchor line leaning forward and sideways Static strength requirements – testing to check the overall strength of the system Tim Bissett finished by saying: “As best-practice leaders for working at height equipment, we’re of course happy that we’ve helped put a robust compliance process in place. We’re confident that once again we’re exceeding standards that ensure the safety of everyone using our equipment for working at height.”
Bristol’s iconic Whitfield Tabernacle, one of the most at risk Grade One listed buildings in the UK, has taken a big step towards being saved thanks to a partnership between Crossman Homes and the Whitfield Tabernacle Trust. The Kingswood building dating back to 1741 and widely regarded as the birthplace of the Methodist movement will, under plans being put forward, be renovated and redeveloped as a community space. The site, previously owned by PG Group, has lain dormant for many years due to its challenging layout, complicated planning issues and viability concerns. Crossman Homes bought the land adjacent to the Tabernacle from PG Group in May and is planning to convert the existing Masters Church into 19 apartments and erect three new build homes. The company has pledged to assist in the renovation and rebuilding of the neighbouring derelict burnt out shell of the Whitfield Tabernacle working closely with the Trust which was formed in October 2017. Speaking after a recent meeting convened by Kingswood MP Chris Skidmore, Simon Ellis, Crossman Homes said: “We’re delighted to be part of this exciting development working closely with the Trust, Chris Skidmore MP and South Gloucestershire Council. Our involvement provides the first realistic proposition that this ‘at risk’ Grade One Listed building can be saved from collapse, bringing it back into good use for the community. We’re well placed to tackle this challenging site following our recent successful redevelopment of Wesleyan Chapel in Kingswood, Bristol.” Crossman Homes is working closely with South Gloucestershire Council planners to unlock the complicated site constraints with a view to delivering 19 apartments within the Masters Church conversion and three new houses on the site. This includes providing a new public park which Crossman Homes will gift back to the Council for locals to use and enjoy. Chris Skidmore, MP for Kingswood said: “I was delighted to bring both Crossman Homes and the Whitfield Tabernacle Trust together for the first time, in order to begin a dialogue about how to best progress the Tabernacle’s restoration. Already Crossman Homes is working on a plan for the Masters Church and the wider site, which should help transform this unloved part of Kingswood, but I am extremely keen as the local MP for Kingswood that we get a viable plan for restoring the Grade One listed Tabernacle that will have the support of the Trust and the local community together, so that we can finally end the situation of a worldwide historic site simply rotting away. I hope that this meeting will be the start of a conversation about how we can now move forward together, united behind a common vision of transforming Kingswood for the better, with the Tabernacle a vitally important part of this regeneration process.” Cllr Toby Savage, Leader, South Gloucestershire Council added: “I’ve been really impressed with Crossman Homes’ work on other sites locally, which bodes well for finally unlocking the potential of the Whitfield Tabernacle site to contribute towards an exciting future for Kingswood’s town centre. As a Council, we look forward to examining the specific planning proposals being submitted for this site.”
The UK’s population is set to grow and reach over 70 million people, but will that result in the government having to make revisions when it comes to the amount that they need to invest into the nation’s economy? UK online investment and personal pension company, True Potential Investor, investigates the effects of the growing population in the infographic below. You’ll discover the UK’s GDP, Great Britain’s Historic CPI inflation rate, the UK real households’ disposable income per head and much more when various generations were turning 16 years old and adjusting from education to work life.