NASC Member Interserve Industrial Services Ltd have received the prestigious ‘Sword of Honour’ from the British Safety Council – for the second time – for safe working practices in the industrial services sector. Interserve was one of 61 organisations worldwide recently achieving the coveted accolade “for demonstrating excellence in the management of health and safety risks at work.” In order to compete for the ‘Sword of Honour’ an organisation first has to achieve the maximum five stars in the British Safety Council’s health and safety management audit scheme (in the period August 2014 – July 2015). In addition, they have to demonstrate to an independent panel of experts that they are “excellent in their health and safety management” throughout the entire business. Guy Bruce,Managing Directorfor Interserve Infrastructure and Industrial said: “Health and safety is our number one priority at Interserve and we drive continuous improvement through dedicated campaigns to change attitudes towards safety. This however has to be underpinned by strong and robust safety management systems. “To receive the prestigious ‘Sword of Honour’ award for the second year in a row shows that this approach is at the heart of our business. It is testament to the dedication of our teams, as well as to our continued commitment to enhancing our safety culture across Interserve.” Mike Robinson, Chief Executive of the British Safety Council, said: “Our warmest congratulations to 61 of our member organisations who have been awarded the ‘Sword of Honour.’ These awards recognise and celebrate the excellence of the winning organisations and their employees in managing health, safety and environmental risks. “All of the Sword and Globe winning organisations share a commitment and resolve to achieving the highest standards of health, safety and/or environmental management. We are delighted that they are partners in helping achieve our vision that no one should be injured or made ill at work.” Robin James, NASC Managing Director added: “Prestigious awards like this perfectly promote and demonstrate how the NASC’s high safety standards and constantly evolving safety and technical guidance are incorporated into our members’ businesses and daily operations – helping to make a potentially hazardous working environment as safe as possible. Well done to Interserve for this fine double ‘Sword of Honour’ achievement.” For details about becoming an NASC member and to find out more about SG4;15, TG20:13 and the NASC – the UK scaffolding industry trade body – please visit www.nasc.org.uk or email: enquiries@nasc.org.uk. And for more details on CISRS training, including a list of current providers, please visit: www.cisrs.org.uk

The Considerate Constructors Scheme – the national scheme established by the construction industry to improve its image – is getting ready to reveal the UK’s top performing registered companies of 2015. The Scheme, which registers around 600 companies every year, will be hosting the National Company Awards on 5th and 6th November, at the prestigious Plaisterers’ Hall in London. Only the very highest performing registered companies are considered for the awards. Simon Carr, Chair of the National Federation of Builders, and Peter Hansford, Government Chief Construction Advisor will be announcing whether each winning company has received a Bronze, Silver or Gold Award for their achievements. There will also be Runner-up Awards and winners for the ‘best of the best’ ‘Most Considerate Company’ Awards. Due to the popularity of companies registering with the Scheme, “value bands” have been introduced to enable companies to be assessed based on their turnover. Considerate Constructors Scheme Chief Executive Edward Hardy commented: “Every year, registered companies raise the bar to improve the image of construction even further. This year, we have seen the introduction of a large number of new innovative initiatives by companies – striving for even better performance throughout the industry. The National Company Awards are an essential part of recognising these outstanding achievements.” Companies registered with the Scheme voluntarily agree to abide by its Code of Considerate Practice. Any company of any size can register, including trade contractors and those who work within the supply chain. Companies with a turnover of more than £3.5m and managing sites with a duration of over six weeks need to register separately under the Scheme’s Site Registration. Follow the awards on Twitter at @CCScheme #ccsawards

National contractor registers its 3000th site – marking its continued commitment to improve image of construction. Morgan Sindall – one of the UK’s leading construction, infrastructure and design businesses – has been recognised for its long-term commitment to improving the image of the construction industry. The company, winner of over 300 Considerate Constructors Scheme National Site Awards, has become the third constructor to register 3000+ sites with the Scheme. The 3000th milestone registration was for the £30m redevelopment of 55 Colmore Row – a prestigious landmark in central Birmingham. The redevelopment is expected to be completed by Autumn 2016 and will provide 160,000 square feet of Grade A office space, including three new floors added to the top of the building. Morgan Sindall strives to care about its appearance, respect the community, protect the environment, secure everyone’s safety and value its workforce – the key principles of the Scheme’s Code of Considerate Practice. The company was one of the first constructors to join the Scheme in 1997 and became an Associate in 2007.  Associate Members are companies who have proved their commitment to the Code through a high number of consistently high performing registrations. Considerate Constructors Scheme Chief Executive Edward Hardy commented: “Morgan Sindall’s milestone achievement acknowledges the long-standing commitment they have made towards improving the image of the industry. “Through supporting the Scheme and its aims, they play a pivotal role in driving the industry forward and setting the standard for others to follow. The Scheme looks forward to recognising more milestone achievements with other contractors, as the industry and public continue to realise the benefits that being part of the Scheme brings.” Pat Boyle, Managing Director for Construction at Morgan Sindall said: “I am very proud to accept this milestone award on behalf of all of our employees, which demonstrates our on-going commitment to being a considerate constructor. “As an Associate Member, the Considerate Constructors Scheme is fundamental to the way we manage our construction projects and engage with communities. We strive to go above and beyond the Scheme’s Code of Considerate Practice and our ultimate aim is to leave a positive Morgan Sindall legacy long after project handover.” Ben Cushway, Contracts Manager at Morgan Sindall added: “The Colmore Row project team is delighted to be the 3,000th Scheme site registration for Morgan Sindall. Given the city centre location of the project, being a considerate constructor is paramount to its successful delivery. “The Scheme provides additional focus for us to consider the project’s wider impacts on the local community, our workforce and the environment. We take pride in working with the Considerate Constructors Scheme to continually improve and develop the benefits we provide to the local and wider community by offering a positive and safe experience to all.”

Maven Capital Partners, the leading UK private equity and property manager, is pleased to announce that it has completed the purchase of a 20,000 ft2 office building in Maidenhead. It is due to undertake a complete £5.5m refurbishment of the property which will result in a Grade A modern corporate HQ for the thriving Thames Valley market, which is seeing increasing demand from blue-chip companies for highly specified office space. Located in Vanwall Business Park, the site is only around 30 miles from central London, with excellent transport links to the city. It is ideally positioned for motorway and air travel, being in close proximity to the M40 and M4 motorways and Heathrow Airport, and will further benefit from the introduction of Crossrail to Maidenhead in the next few years. This is the 11th acquisition for Maven’s burgeoning UK property business, and the second office acquisition in the Thames Valley in the past 18 months, following the c. £4.8m purchase and redevelopment of Planar House (now known as ‘Eclipse’) in Marlow in 2014. The 27,000 ft2, two-storey Planar House has since undergone a multi-million pound ‘back to frame’ modernisation, including substantial external and internal improvements, including the installation of new external cladding, floor to ceiling glazing, new plant, passenger lift and air conditioning, new LED lighting and a new feature glass reception area. The upgrade has resulted in a Grade A EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) rating. There is a diminishing supply of modern and attractive office space in the Thames Valley market, which has been enjoying consistent growth since the financial crisis began to ease, reflecting the improving UK economy and increasing business confidence. As a result the market is seeing growing competition among tenants and rising rental rates. Maven has a fast growing, specialist property investment and development business, with executives based across the UK sourcing attractive property opportunities for investors. During the past three years the team has deployed approximately £40m of investor funds, in transactions including the development of four hotels and three student accommodation projects. Andrew Whiteley, Investment Director at Maven, who led the deal, said: “We are delighted to have sourced another high quality opportunity for our investors, as our property investment business continues to build momentum across the UK. The Thames Valley market is in rude health, as the UK economy continues its recovery, with a notable shortage of modern office space in the area following a period of very limited development of new office space. The increased competition for high quality premises is driving rising rental levels and presenting attractive opportunities for investors with the development and investment expertise. Given the increasing focus by businesses on finding a prime location and achieving energy efficiency, this project offers the prospect of a strong investor return”.

EasyGates have produced a 3D animated video posing the question ‘Is your automated gate safe’? The 4 minute video covers some general hazard areas and structural hazards that can be avoided with correct and proper installations. At a time when it is estimated that only 30% of the automated gates in the UK are installed to regulation standards, it could mean many gates in the UK could be potentially dangerous. Following a recent manslaughter charge to a gate installer for incorrectly installing automated gates and the current focus on gate safety following the Gate Safety Conference and Gate Safety Week last week, the release of the video comes at a poignant and relevant time. The video aims to help and support owners, occupiers, landlords and installers understand and acknowledge that they have a legal responsibility for the safety of their powered gates. And that it is always recommended that a competent expert is used to check and service automatic gates on a regular basis. The video looks at a number of hazardous situations including being hit by a moving gate, being caught or trapped by moving or stationary parts and being crushed against or trapped by an obstacle. Structural hazard scenarios are also covered with focus on how the outside elements can affect structure integrity and safety. Strong wind forces, cracks, bends, defective welding, suitability in the structure, water ingress, damage to cabling, control boxes and connections between components. EasyGates Managing Director, Tony Daniels-Gooding said: ‘We felt it was important to produce this video to show some example potential hazards automatic gates have and how with the correct installation, inspection and testing, that they can be used safely and efficiently. We all have a responsibility to each other and our customers in this sector to ensure automatic gate installations adhere to and meet regulation standards. EasyGates are ASO Safety Solutions UK competence partners, supplying a number of the core safety products to the UK marketplace and providing quality, safety and technical service to a wide range of customers. [wpdevart_youtube]youtu.be/TEA3tL0llhU [/wpdevart_youtube]

The third Gate Safety Conference took place on Wednesday 14th October 2015 in the West Midlands. Attendees from numerous industry sectors including property management, gate, garage door and facility management visited the one day event hosted by ASO Safety Solutions, supported by EasyGates.   The event took place during the DHF’s Powered Gate Group, Gate Safety Week and included guest speakers from across the industry addressing the ongoing issue of gate safety awareness.   Simon Mersch of ASO Safety Solutions opened the conference with some key industry facts and figures followed by EasyGates Stuart Roddy who recapped on the two previous conferences and discussed new developments in the UK door and gate market.   Bob Perry from the Door Hardware Association was joined by Neil Sampson of the Powered Gate Group to discuss the importance of Gate Safety Week, reasons, objections and participations.   The HSE’s Stuart Charles presented a hard-hitting and emotive detailed section on possible penalties and how they can be prevented, how the safety expectations have changed within the industry and what liabilities there are.   Tony Weeks, head of Technical Services at National Security Inspectorate presented on the NSi’s involvement in the UK gate industry and developments in the code of practice.   Michael Skelding and Nick Perkins of the DHF updated on the renewal of EN 12453 and the UK’s position on the international committee for standardisation. Nick discussed practical applications of solutions and technologies.   Marcus Horstkemper of ASO then discussed the different types of force limitation, signal transmission and closing edge safety devices.   Gte’s Christian Pfeiffer presented details on force testing and its role in gate maintenance with a demonstration.   EasyGates Managing Director, Tony Daniels-Gooding said: ‘The conference was very well received and attendees have expressed how worthwhile and interesting it was. Taking place during Gate Safety Week, it was an ideal time to highlight the importance and responsibility we all have in the industry to ensure we meet the requirements of contracting, installing and maintaining safe and proper gate installations.   EasyGates are ASO Safety Solutions UK competence partners, supplying a number of the core safety products to the UK marketplace and providing quality, safety and technical service to a wide range of customers.

An innovative conference for landscape professionals, ‘Soil – meeting the challenges of a changing landscape’, took place on 14th October at the Howbery Park Conference Centre in Wallingford, Oxfordshire to mark the UN’s International Year of Soils. Six industry experts, including conference organiser Tim O’Hare and past president of the Landscape Institute, Sue Illman, presented to 90 delegates, who included landscape architects, garden designers, landscape contractors, topsoil suppliers and tree nurseries.   The conference was the brainchild of soil scientist Tim O’Hare, who has provided soil science consultancy to some of the country’s highest profile public realm landscape schemes, including the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, The Garden Bridge, Jubilee Park, Chavasse Park, Battersea Power Station and King’s Cross Regeneration. His objective for the conference was to provide a platform for debate by the landscape sector on the issues around soil, to give delegates a practical soils tool kit to which they can refer when they next embark on a landscape project, and to ensure soil is elevated to its rightful place in the landscape hierarchy.   First to speak, on the significance of soil in Environmental Impact Assessments, was Senior Associate at Tim O’Hare Associates, Rob Askew. A nationally recognised and industry-accepted standard set of Significance Criteria to help assess the potential impact of infrastructure projects on Greenfield soil resources (topsoil and subsoil) does not currently exist. Rob presented examples of bespoke Significance Criteria for assessing agricultural land and soil resources, which have been used on recent major national Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) projects, including HS2 Phase 1 (London to Birmingham).   Sue Illman of Illman Young Landscape Design presented on the many aspects of Sustainable Drainage System (SuDS) design, and how soils are a fundamental part of their function. The presentation covered a number of practical aspects, including the need to understand the geology in SuDS design, the soils required for different sorts of SuDS, issues relating to contaminated land, and point source and blanket infiltration.   City silviculture and the dynamics of the urban landscape was the subject addressed by Johanna Gibbons. From John Evelyn to the rapidly evolving field of urban forestry and expanding urban populations, Jo drew from the foundations of the notion of sustainability rooted in forestry practice through to the current call to arms by pressure groups such as Trees and Design Action Group (TDAG) through publications such as ‘No Trees, No Future’. She argued for a cross disciplinary collaborative approach from soil science, community engagement, engineering and ecology in realising the value of the urban forest.   Tim O’Hare’s presentation ‘Practical applications of soil science for today’s landscape’ gave delegates useful, practical information they could take away and apply to their future landscape projects. Drawing on his 23 years’ experience working within the landscape industry he clarified some of the more common soil issues and misunderstandings that arise on projects, including ideas on tree pit design, his opinion on urban tree soil systems, soil requirements for species-rich grasslands, understanding soil pH, and the new 2015 version of BS3882.   With the engaging title ‘The Topsoil Journey – from lovely drop of gear to exact science’, George Longmuir reflected in his presentation on how natural topsoil was bought and sold in the past when greenfield sites were abundant, the ‘muck away’ influence, today’s established topsoil blending operations to produce BS3882 topsoil, and the future of designer soils to meet individual project requirements. The London Olympics was used as a ‘best practice’ case study.   John Melmoe, Commercial Director of multi-award winning landscape contractor Willerby Landscapes, gave the contractor’s perspective on selecting and applying the correct soils for the job, discussing the importance of pre-construction planning, advanced procurement, site testing of soils, correct handling, and hold points during installation. He highlighted projects where soils have had a significant importance and bearing on the contractor’s programme, including Jubilee Park, Chavasse Park, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park South Park and, more recently, Cubitt Park, King’s Cross.   One surprising theme that emerged from all of the presentations was the need to specify soils on a ‘project-specific’ basis and to not rely on the British Standard for Topsoil (BS3882).   Speaking after the conference, Tim O’Hare commented: “I am delighted with how well the conference was received by all the delegates. We have had tremendous feedback on the quality and relevance of the speakers’ presentations and I really do believe we have put soils back at the top of the landscape agenda. If this means that soils form part of the very early planning stages of future projects – as they should – then this conference will have achieved one of its key objectives.”