Voluntary adoption of the new carbon monoxide safety standard has been recommended for social landlords. The social landlords of Scotland have a good history of preventing carbon monoxide, gas and fire related injuries and fatalities; however the latest research shows that they could possibly do more to protect their residents. This is one of the major conclusions of a new practical health and safety guide published jointly by River Clyde Homes and HouseMark Scotland. The new report is entitled “Fire, Gas and Carbon Monoxide Safety Regulations: What Scottish social landlords need to know” and brings together guidance on all the relevant regulations in one comprehensive document. It reports that there were around 1,100 injuries and 29 deaths recorded as a result of fires in dwellings during 2013/14 compared with over 1,500 injuries and 76 deaths recorded in 2004/05. The data on carbon monoxide poisoning is less comprehensive, although the Health Protection Standard recorded 54 such incidents between 2002 and 2015. The study acknowledges that awareness and management of risk related to gas, fire and carbon monoxide poisoning has shown a significant improvement in recent decades, in particular in the social housing sector. However, it also states that although reported injuries, incidents and fatalities have decreased steadily over the last 30 years, the numbers are still too high. The report outlines significant variations in the way gas, fire and carbon monoxide risks are managed throughout the industry and calls for a more consistent approach. The guide particularly points out that there is no comprehensive requirement on housing association and local authority landlords to install carbon monoxide alarms in their properties, although this is now a requirement for private sector landlords. It recommends that social landlords should adopt these new CO safety standards on a voluntary basis to avoid them having to be enforced via new regulations.

Ainscough Crane Hire has provided lift support for the Queensferry Crossing. From its Falkirk depot, the Ainscough Crane Hire team has been helping to deliver the new Queensferry Crossing for Transport Scotland for the last three and a half years. Forth Crossing Bridge Constructors (FCBC) is the main contractor for the scheme in a joint venture with Dragados, American Bridge, HOCHTIEF and Morrison Construction. The new bridge is set to open next year and will form the centrepiece of an upgrade to the important cross-Forth transport corridor. The scheme was established after corroded cables on the existing Forth Road Bridge put the bridge’s future into doubt. The Queensferry Crossing will measure 2,637 metres in length and will be the second longest three tower cable stayed bridge in the world. The towers are 650m apart, with 146m of cable crossover, designed to stop the central tower swaying. Ainscough’s crane fleet has operated on site from the early stages of its construction. Most recently, Ainscough’s team has been working on the emerging road deck of the bridge. The scheme has brought with it various challenges including how to position a crane on the roadway, which is yet to be connected to the land. The solution to this was to lift a Liebherr LTM 1055-3.2, 55t all terrain crane onto a completed section of roadway using the tower crane connected to one the bridge’s 207m (679 ft) high towers. Having been stripped of its components that were not essential and positioned beneath the tower crane aboard a service barge, the crane was lifted into position and subsequently re-assembled for use in the bridge’s ongoing construction. Ciaran McNamee, Depot manager at Ainscough’s Falkirk Depot, commented: “The Queensferry Crossing has been a remarkable job to be involved with. We have had between four and six cranes on site every day for the last three and half years and have watched the bridge slowly emerge through the unified efforts of the contractors on site. “We are very proud of our involvement in the project and that we are helping to deliver this major piece of new infrastructure to the people of Scotland.”

Oil services provider Wood Group has reached a provisional agreement with unions on a compromise deal following a labour dispute involving workers on Royal Dutch Shell platforms in the North Sea. Over the summer, maintenance workers employed by Wood Group held a series of stoppages on Shell platforms, which was the first major strike by North Sea workers in nearly 30 years. The dispute concerned conditions and pay, and highlighted the growing labour tensions in the UK’s offshore energy industry as firms look to save money in the face of protractedly low gas and oil prices. Earlier in the week, Wood Group said that it had drawn up a “mutually agreeable proposal” with representatives of the unions that was “in the best interests of all parties.” The organisation added that the deal would be put to a ballot of members by the Unite and RMT unions next week. The dispute has been closely monitored as a test of the industry’s ability to cut North Sea labour costs, along with the unions’ appetite to resist cuts. A Unite spokesman said that the deal was “the best that can be achieved in the current circumstance,” while neither side would reveal details of the agreement. Employees of Wood Group working on Shell platforms had faced a 3% pay cut on average under the initial proposals that prompted the dispute, while unions claimed that some workers would suffer a 30% fall in earnings when benefits are included. In a statement, Wood Group said: “The new proposal recognises the skills, flexibility and capabilities of the incumbent offshore workforce, the challenges facing the industry and demonstrates collective leadership in shaping the future of the North Sea.” Paul Goodfellow, head of UK upstream operations for Shell, said: “Shell is pleased with this proposal and looks forward to working with Wood Group, Unite and the RMT to ensure that the North Sea remains competitive.”

An Aberdeenshire community group has secured a £4,000 boost from Scottish Water thanks to its green energy use. The water company paid £4,206 to Mearns Community Council as a share of the revenues raised from a wind turbine which was recently installed at its Laurencekirk wastewater treatment works. The payment is front ended for the community, which is the amount they would be expected to earn from the turbine at the plans over the next 20 years. Scottish Water Horizons installed the 80kW turbine and is a subsidiary of Scottish Water which aims to drive the company’s green agenda forward. It generates 160,000kWh every year and has the potential to offset approximately 60% of the treatment works’ electricity consumption per annum. Andrew Macdonald, head of Scottish Water Horizons, said that they are pleased to be sharing the benefits of this renewable scheme to improve facilities and wellbeing for the local community. Macdonald continued: “Investing in renewables supports economic growth, helps Scottish Water to become a low-carbon business and delivers tangible benefits for local communities over the longer term. “The turbine at Laurencekirk is one of several renewable technologies now operating on our assets, with several treatment works now generating at least all, and in some cases more, of the energy they need to operate.” Meanwhile, Chris Toop, General Manager of Energy at Scottish Water, said that Scottish Water really makes an effort to put community at the centre of its work, both in terms of the early stages of consultation, in terms of whether it’s appropriate to put these technologies on our sites. Toop added: “As we work through planning and implementation of the scheme and its great there is now the benefit to the local community at the end of that to be able to invest as they so wish.”

Highways England will host an exhibition and public drop in session on its plans to increase the capacity of the A1 carriageway near Gateshead. The proposals come after a recent £61 million project to increase the number of lanes from two to three between Coal House and the Metro Centre at junction 71. In total, eight miles of extra lanes have been added to the A1, while two new parallel link roads have been created along a stretch of the carriageway between Gateshead Quays and Lobley Hill. The plans have now been put forward to add more lanes to the current dual carriageway between Coal House (junction 67) and Birtley (junction 65). As part of the scheme, Allerdene Railway Bridge, which carries the A1 over the East Coast railway line, will also be replaced. Nicola Wilkes, Highways England Project Manager, commented: “These events are a chance for local people to meet the project team, find out more about the proposals and give us their feedback.” The events will be held over two days: From 1pm – 8pm at Chowdene Children’s Centre, Waverley Road on Friday, September 9. From 10am – 4pm at Birtley East Community Primary School, Highfield on Saturday, September 10. Earlier in the month, a campaigning councillor called for a Buckden bypass as part of the A1 upgrade. Buckden councillor Terry Hayward welcomed Highways England’s A1 East of England Strategic Study, which calls for major improvements to the key route through Cambridgeshire. The report says parts of the A1 in the region are amongst the worst performing along its entire length and described sections of its layout as “incoherent”. Cllr Hayward, who chairs the A1 Safety Group, said: “There is no alternative to a bypass for Buckden otherwise they would have to bash down an awful lot of houses and I can’t see that happening.”

The rural roads of North Yorkshire are set to receive a boost this month as North Yorkshire County Council will complete its biggest ever roads surface dressing programme. North Yorkshire is the largest authority in England and its 5,000 mile road network connects market towns, villages and major towns throughout vast rural regions. The overall road distance would more than stretch from England to Pakistan. The picturesque region attracts visitors from throughout the world and maintenance of the roads is a top priority for local authorities as they must be fit for purpose for residents, business and tourism. As a result, the region is increasing how much it spends on preventative road maintenance, which has bucked the national trend, in order to reduce the cost of pothole repair and reactive patching. By the end of this month, North Yorkshire County Council will partner up with contractor Ringway to surface dress approximately 400 miles of road, an unprecedented amount, as part of a process that combines chippings with bitumen. At present, the County Council currently spends around £65 million a year on road maintenance, which is a significant amount more than it has previously. The additional money comes from a £44m pot being spent between 2014-21 to bring more of the road network up to scratch, particularly across rural areas. Cllr Don Mackenzie, North Yorkshire’s Executive Member for Highways, commented: “Surface dressing also helps to keep roads safe, improving skid resistance. “In more urban, densely populated areas and on estate roads we are also now using a system called lock-chip, which binds the chippings to improve safety. “In addition, we aim to complete this programme every year before autumn when the weather deteriorates. This minimises costs and improves the life of the material.” Many businesses in North Yorkshire are situated along minor rural roads, so their upkeep is vital to the success of trade.

Rail Minister Paul Maynard has revealed further funding for the construction of new train stations to boost local economies, deliver higher quality journeys and link communities in England and Wales. The Department for Transport (DfT) said that the £20 million worth of funding would provide up to 75% of the construction costs for new stations or to re-open stations that have been shut down. The aim of the investment is to improve rail network access and create new travel, housing and employment opportunities. The first round of funding will help to construct new stations in London, Lea Bridge, Pye Corner, Devon and Newcourt, while stations are currently being delivered in Kenilworth near Coventry, Derbyshire and Ilkeston. Network Rail Director of Stations, Norrie Courts, commented: “These are important stations for passengers who rely on the railway every day, and the announcement of additional investment to undertake a further round of new stations is welcomed.” The DfT revealed that the already completed schemes have seen towns connected and homes constructed, which provided a boost to local economies. Maynard explained: “Through this fund, passengers will benefit from new connections and faster journeys, making it easier to get to work and visit friends and family. It will also provide a major boost for local economies and support the delivery of local housing developments.” The DfT has encouraged a number of organisations, including train operating firms and local authorities, to bid for work on the scheme. The deadline for bidders is 18 November, 2016. Successful projects are expected to be announced early next year. Meanwhile, the DfT has unveiled a shortlist of five potential routes for a Trans-Pennine road tunnel between Manchester and Sheffield. Ministers have said that this is the most ambitious road scheme since the construction of the first motorways 50 years ago, and both the DfT and Transport for the North (TfN) have identified the scheme as a priority in their strategic plans.

Welsh Water has announced that it will invest £21 million to improve the supply of drinking water in west Wales. As many parts of the water network in the area are coming to the end of their functional lives, the investment is a significant one which will see over 174km of water mains in the area replaced or cleaned in the next two year period. Among the first regions to receive investment will be Hermon, where more than £500,000 will be spent on upgrades to the water network, with a further £600,000 to be invested in the Eglwyswrw drinking water network. Another £650,000 is also set to be spent in the Pont-sian area in Ceredigion. The company’s widespread investment in the area will also see the replacement of over 5km of the drinking water trunk main in Cilgerran and Llechyrd. At the end of last year, Welsh Water experienced a burst on the network in Llechryd which left customers without water for a period. To reduce the risk of such supply disruption in the future, Welsh Water has invested £5 million to replace this strategic trunk main. This investment came as well as the £16 million already planned on improving the quality and resilience of the water supply throughout the region. Ian Christie, Welsh Water Managing Director of Water Services, commented: “With some parts of the water network laid over a century ago, the time has come for us to undertake some essential work to cleanse the pipes or where needed replace whole sections. “We are committed to providing customers with a first class supply and our work here, including the replacement of the Llechryd main after the recent burst, reflects this. Christie added that the company understands that such a major refurbishment may cause short term disruption, but he believes the long term benefits include reduced leaks, less interruptions to supply and high quality drinking water for the whole community for decades to come.