IRWIN Tools is once again on the lookout for the UK and Ireland’s ‘Ultimate Tradesperson’ with the launch of its yearly ‘Nominate a Tradesperson’ competition. The company is seeking trade professionals to nominate colleagues or even themselves and share tales of how that person has gone the extra mile with their work, no matter how big or small the task. Throughout the world, tradespeople rely on IRWIN for high quality performance on jobs and now the firm is celebrating the best of the UK and Ireland. The winning application will receive £5,000 to help build their business, a paid apprentice for the whole of next year and a range of IRWIN products, including VISE-GRIP cutting pliers, WeldTec Circular Saw blades and IRWIN’s new Pro Comfort Screwdrivers. The winner is set to be confirmed at the Build Show on October 18 and 19 at Birmingham’s NEC and before this year’s successful candidate is revealed, there will be a monthly winner who will receive a prize package comprising of IRWIN tools up to the value of £660, along with an all-expenses paid trip to the Build Show to the value of £850. IRWIN’s Senior Brand Activation Manager, Amber Popowicz, commented: “We established Nominate a Tradesperson to find tradespeople who, through their skills and dedication, make a real difference. “This could be a tradesperson who has shown their commitment to instilling their skills in the younger generation by working with apprentices or someone who always goes above and beyond to deliver exceptional client service.” Last year’s winner was Stacey Greenwell, from Stoke-on-Trent who explained that she never dreamt of picking up such an award when she started her career 15 years ago. Greenwell said: “I started buying uninhabitable derelict properties and renovating them to provide affordable housing to help my local town. “It’s been such an experience to have won and it’s been great to have been recognised by such a long-standing company.”

Pugh & Co. Property Auctions has announced successful July property auction results, which the firm believes dismisses any potential Brexit fears. The auctions were held at the end of July at Manchester’s AJ Bell Stadium and Leeds United Football Club and saw more than 175 lots included in the catalogue, with a series of local authority, commercial and residential properties up for sale, along with several plots of land. Pugh’s sellers achieved over £12.8 million for the July auctions with a success rate of 78% for sales on the day. More than 560 people registered to bid across the two auction days, with several lots seeing bidding wars in the room and over the phone. At the auction in Manchester, Lot 14 – three flats in need of refurbishment – achieved more than double its guide price, while Lot 1 – Radcliffe Police Station – was sold for £50,000 more than its £100,000 guide price following huge interest in the room and on the phone on the day. At the Leeds auction, Lot 122a proved to be the most popular as several people in the room, along with 15 telephone bidders, were keen on the former bank in Nottingham. It was wold for £420,000 from a £100,000 guide price. Managing Director at Pugh & Co and auctioneer, Paul Thompson, said: “We were very pleased with the outcome of both auctions. Given the levels of uncertainty being seen across the property landscape it was an interesting test of the market post Brexit. “So to see the rooms full and sell close to 80% on the rostrum there was a clear message that property is still a sought after commodity and the market confidence see prior to the referendum is still in place.” The next auctions from Pugh & Co will take place on September 13 at the AJ Bell Stadium and September 15 at Leeds United Football Club.

Sufferers of asbestosis may now be entitled to compensation from negligent employers, the Court of Appeal has ruled. Following last week’s landmark ruling, those who suffer from the condition which is caused by asbestos exposure, could now be entitled to proportional compensation from as low as 2.3%, although this is dependent on how many years the claimant has worked at the company. The ruling states that even if the employer has not played a hugely significant role in the claimant contracting the condition, they may still owe them compensation. This ruling is liked to Albert Carder, a retired electrician who suffered asbestos exposure at the University of Exeter where he worked. His lawyers decided that although the exposure occurred earlier in his life, the university had been found to have contributed 2.3% toward the asbestosis. Insurers of the university argued that the exposure to asbestos at the university did not make a “discernible difference to his condition,” while the ruling of the High Court found that the damage and injury was actionable, and stated that even though the university only made a small contribution to the condition, there was still a case to be made against it. The Court of Appeal upheld the decision on appeal. Overall damages awarded to Mr Carder for his total asbestos exposure came to £67,500, of which the university contributed £1,713. John Hedley, Moore Blatch asbestos disease lawyer, represented Mr Carder in the asbestosis case and he commented: “This case has broader significance and could impact on a large number of other industrial disease and work related illness cases. “The Defendant is trying to appeal again following the Court of Appeal’s decision so we would assume that the insurers believe the issue is important enough to invest significant sums in legal costs in trying to win.”

Leading security and fire safety solutions provider for industry and businesses, Chubb Fire & Security Limited, has broken new ground with the opening of a high performance workspace in Blackburn. The scheme is set to transform the company’s existing office campus in Blackburn into an integrates, advanced and suitable space for Chubb, along with UK affiliate firms Carrier Controls Limited and Otis Limited; showcasing the capabilities of all three brands. Chubb operates under UTC Climate, Controls & Security, which is a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX). Chubb Fire & Security Managing Director, Alastair Reynolds, said that the opening of the new facility is an exciting event for the company. Reynolds commented: “With this new building we are creating a safer, smarter and more sustainable environment that will be a great place for our employees to work, and an asset to the local community in terms of our efforts to blend in with the local environment, and also the investment in Blackburn.” Barnfield Construction Contracts Director, Steve Riley, said that the firm is delighted to have secured the contract to construct the brand new 55,000 sq ft office space for a company as prestigious as Chubb. He added: “The first of the three former buildings has already been demolished to make way for Chubb’s brand new facility.” The project will see the three current Chubb buildings on the Shadsworth Business Park demolished, with employees relocated to a temporary site while the work is carried out. The end result will be a modern, high performance building for the company’s hundreds of employees to conduct their work in information technology, finance, supply chain and customer service. The site will also be used as the home for Chubb Community Care and Chubb Systems, which will include their engineering, development and research teams.

The proposed demolition of Chepstow Racecourse’s northern spectator stand and the construction of a new exhibition hall facility looks set to be approved. The racecourse is owned by Arena Racing, who submitted the application to replace the current stand which has been out of use for the last year as it was said to be unfit for purpose. The new building will be 16,275 sq ft in size and will be able to accommodate around 2,000 customers. It is also expected to bring with it two new full time positions, along with around 30 part time jobs on major race days. The new facility is to be constructed around a large central hall which would also be used for dog shows as a show ring, with the racecourse also being able to use it to provide race day hospitality. The application is set to be presented to Monmouthshire County Council on August 2, 2016, with a report to be presented to the planning committee that will meet the recommending approval. In the report, it states that the design of the new building will “complement and enhance the existing racecourse complex.” It also reads: “The addition of an exhibition hall within Chepstow Race Course is considered to have a positive impact upon the economy of Monmouthshire, supporting business and tourism within the county.” The application says that any impact of noise and highway safety can be managed adequately with conditions recommended to help control any of these issues that may arise. Chepstow Racing and Events also submitted a letter alongside the plans, stating that the new Kennel Club exhibition hall would make a major difference to the site’s facilities and allow it to compete with other venues nearby, while also “enhancing the customer experience and, in turn, increasing attendances.” The famous course first opened in 1920 and is home to the Welsh Grand National.

Social Democratic and Labour Party MP Margaret Ritchie has led calls for carbon monoxide protection for renters. Ritchie has tabled an Early Day Motion which demands that the government must ensure that renters throughout the UK are protected sufficiently from carbon monoxide poisoning. The MP for South Down in Northern Ireland has requested that the government regulates the installation of carbon monoxide alarms in every UK rented property. The motion came about after it was revealed that about 50 people die each year as a direct result of carbon monoxide poisoning, with Liverpool John Moores University recently carrying out a study which showed that those most at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning are low income households. Labour MP Barry Sheerman is Co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Carbon Monoxide Group (APPCOG) and he gave his support to the motion, stating that it serves as a reminder that more should be done to prevent carbon monoxide related deaths in the UK. Sheerman said: “By harmonising regulations for CO alarms across the nations of the UK, we can put an end to the needless suffering caused by CO poisoning. “The APPCOG has recommended that all homes in the private rented sector are fitted with standard-compliant CO alarms since the publication of our report Preventing Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in 2011, so we very much hope that the government will follow Scotland’s lead and ensure that householders in the English rented sector are provided with equal levels of protection.” The motion was triggered by the research undertaken by Liverpool John Moores University, as the legislation currently in place in England means that landlords only need to fit the carbon dioxide alarms in rooms with solid fuel burning appliances. Ritchie has worked hard and frequently campaigned for improved awareness and safety regarding the dangers associated with carbon monoxide and is now urging the government to take action.