The UK’s coal generation in the first quarter of 2016 has fallen by about 50% on the same period in 2015 which is a record low for the industry, according to the latest official figures. In the first three months of the year, coal fired plants generated 14.6TWh of electricity,
In this day and age, providing a physical service is no longer considered to be quite enough. Regardless of industry, it is increasingly the case that organisations can be seen to value partnerships as of near-equal import to other areas of service provision. Why, you might ask? Most specifically, this
In today’s society, items big and small are finding themselves imported and exported round the world at an alarming rate of speed and efficiency. A lot of the time, consumers and businesses are left feeling angry due to the unintentional state a product arrives in. If the item is of
Waste firm Sita UK has been fined £200k for safety failings after an employee was run over by a reversing telehandler. The employee set out to pass behind the 7.5-tonne telehandler when it was stationary but it began to reverse as he got to it. He was knocked to the
Sales of aggregates and ready mixed concrete softened slightly in the second quarter of the year but are still firmly ahead of last year’s levels. Sales of aggregates and ready mixed concrete softened slightly in the second quarter of the year but are still firmly ahead of last year’s levels.
The UK’s coal generation in the first quarter of 2016 has fallen by about 50% on the same period in 2015 which is a record low for the industry, according to the latest official figures. In the first three months of the year, coal fired plants generated 14.6TWh of electricity, compared with 29.5TWh in the first quarter of last year, while the coal industry’s overall generation fell to 15.8% from 30.8%. A market preference for gas and further plant closures were given as the reasons for the ‘record low’ by the Department of Energy and Climate Change. Already this year, a series of coal fired plants have left the main energy market or shut down, including Rugeley, Eggborough and Longannet. Meanwhile, Fiddler’s Ferry was saved from closure after the National Gird awarded it a black start contract. Gas generation saw a rise of 48% year on year, which is a rise from 23.7TWh to 35.0TWh, while its share of the generation mix also saw a significant rise from 24.7% to 37.8%. Price reporting company ICIS also reported that gas prices levelled out at around ten year lows in the year’s first quarter after a prolonged decline. There was a slight decrease in nuclear generation, falling from 18.2TWh to 17.3TWh, at the end of December after the closure of Wylfa in Wales. Overall, the period saw a 3.4% fall in electricity generation from 95.8TWh to 92.5TWh, while the renewables’ share of generation rose to over a quarter. Earlier in the month a Conservative think tank, Bright Blue, stated that the future of UK electricity will be secure without coal. The government has declared its intention to close all coal power stations by 2025, with its use being significantly restricted from 2023, but only if there is enough gas fired capacity available to ensure a secure supply.
In this day and age, providing a physical service is no longer considered to be quite enough. Regardless of industry, it is increasingly the case that organisations can be seen to value partnerships as of near-equal import to other areas of service provision. Why, you might ask? Most specifically, this could be attributed to an increased need for contractor management to ensure that all works are being provided in a manner that suits the overall vision of any given project, yet, there are many other contributing factors to consider also. Through works being provided simply as-is, with no communication of discussion, it is entirely possible that such works will be completed adequately; at the same time, however, this can often not be the case. As organisations increasingly recognise the level of concise expertise maintained within the supply chain, the want for tapping into such specialist expertise so too, grows – this being most aptly due to a perceived lack of expertise in comparison; or at least, in that specific area of work. While a project may look feasible from the top, the need for specific details in a project, such as architecture, design, mechanical works and more, to then be checked, is of increasing import. In fact, it could be argued that it is of incredible import that any issues of challenges perceived in such works be highlighted at the soonest possible stage to ensure a minimisation of any delays or complications in the project itself. Yet, this can only be achieved in one way – communication. Through proper communication between prime and sub contractor, organisations can see their own expertise and capacity expanded considerably with specialist expertise. This, however, can only be assured should such a subcontractors be involved at the very earliest stages of any given project, which is the very reason why organisations are increasingly seen to develop such partnerships whereby a supply chain isn’t just about the supply of material, or service, but of partnership in the deliver of a project. As such, the development of partnerships is nigh-on essential to the effective delivery of modern projects.
In today’s society, items big and small are finding themselves imported and exported round the world at an alarming rate of speed and efficiency. A lot of the time, consumers and businesses are left feeling angry due to the unintentional state a product arrives in. If the item is of a fragile nature, of course the common sense approach in this situation would be to wrap it appropriately, but it would surprise you the volume of people who just take the cheapest approach when sending away any item. This can all too often lead to disaster, but alas! Disaster and calamity can be averted if you take guidance on the following top six packaging tips. Recycling When packaging items, why not consider recycling boxes that have not been damaged? You should be careful with this tip however as many boxes and items of packaging will seem of a high quality, but exposure to certain weather conditions may have caused the material in them to break down, yet not visibly, over time. This includes only using ‘like new’ boxes. Immobilisation The best way to ensure security of fragile products is to ensure immobilisation. Making sure that certain products are unable to move within the packaging is making sure that nothing will break. The air spaces left in a box could be filled with packaging material to ensure items have no room to shake and break. Purchase in Bulk If you are going to be sending away more than one item, or if you yourself are a mass product producer, buying boxes and packaging in bulk will enable a more economically friendly solution. Correct Sizing This is an economically friendly tip as well because buying the right size of packaging will mean that you have less packaging material to purchase. Buying the correct size of packaging will also ensure a more secure form of packaging for your product. Stick to the Correct Dimensions When packaging, wrap the products you have in the appropriate fashion – you would not wrap a table like a lightbulb or vice versa. Only Purchase from Quality-Assured Firms Although you may instinctively be looking to save a bit of money when buying anything, purchasing cheaper and lower quality forms of packaging may result in tears if the packaging breaks downs. Searching Google for quality-assured firms will give you the best results, and also a range of reviews so you can find exactly what it is you are searching for. Although packaging is not at the forefront of anyone’s mind when dealing with industrial products, or any product for that matter of fact, it should be something every packager should consider to ensure high quality of their product and above all, security. By Lucy Miller at Smarter Digital Marketing for Ferrari Packaging & BDC Magazine.
Waste firm Sita UK has been fined £200k for safety failings after an employee was run over by a reversing telehandler. The employee set out to pass behind the 7.5-tonne telehandler when it was stationary but it began to reverse as he got to it. He was knocked to the ground and then run over by the rear wheel of the vehicle. His injuries caused him to be hospitalised for two months. Preston Crown Court heard that Sita UK had failed to provide adequate segregation between pedestrians and moving vehicles at its waste transfer station in Darwen, Lancashire. Sita UK Limited of Grenfell Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and was fined £200,000 with £11,998 costs. Health & Safety Executive inspector Stuart Kitchingman said after the hearing: “Employers need to look carefully at their workplaces regularly to make sure that pedestrian routes are clearly marked and physically separated from vehicle routes wherever possible. “The employee could have easily been killed and still has severe mobility problems as a result of the accident. He is unlikely to be able to work in the near future.”
Sales of aggregates and ready mixed concrete softened slightly in the second quarter of the year but are still firmly ahead of last year’s levels. Sales of aggregates and ready mixed concrete softened slightly in the second quarter of the year but are still firmly ahead of last year’s levels. Read Full Article: The Construction Index
