Union for energy workers, GMB, says that Jeremy Corbyn’s energy and environmental policy will not generate the power needed to heat homes, keep the lights on and the economy functioning. The Union was commenting on Corbyn’s energy and environment manifesto which was launched on September 7, outlining his target of generating 65% of energy in the UK from renewable sources by 2030. GMB National Secretary for Energy, Justin Bowden, said that GMB is looking forward to examining the details of how this policy will actually meet the energy needs of the UK. Bowden continued:  “Everyone gets how – over time – renewable energy sources have an important role to play in a sensibly conceived mixed energy policy. “However wishful thinking doesn’t generate the power we need to heat homes, keep the lights on and the economy functioning; this means that until there are technological breakthroughs in carbon capture or solar storage then gas and nuclear power are the only reliable, low-carbon shows in town for all those days when the sun doesn’t shine and the wind doesn’t blow.” He said that limiting the UK’s options on achieving energy self-sufficiency by banning fracking is short-sighted and naïve as gas is four times cheaper than electricity, the main reason why more than 80% of homes use gas for heating, and access to gas is a crucial element of every fuel poverty strategy. Bowden added: “While we are waiting with our fingers crossed for the technology to arrive, or quadrupling the size of the electricity infrastructure and asking everyone with a gas boiler to rip it out and replace it with an electric one, we should not be having to depend on Russia, Qatar, Kuwait or some combination of these regimes to supply us with gas to heat our homes and supply the gas for our crucial chemicals industry.”

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.”