In an effort to halt the growing numbers of tradespeople contracting fatal asbestos related diseases, one of the UK’s leading authorities on asbestos training is urging employers to deliver asbestos awareness training to all apprentices. Research has shown that younger people, if routinely exposed to asbestos fibres over time, are
Your warehouse floor is the center of activity and is likely the place where crucial parts of your company are run. Your warehouse is also the place where valuable equipment is kept, and the environment from where your workers interact with machinery. So, it stands to reason that your warehouse’s
A £50 million mixed-use development set to catalyse regeneration in Waterside area of Leicester has been completed by Morgan Sindall Construction. The main contractor has been working with developer Charles Street Buildings Group (CSB) and Leicester City Council on the four-and-half-acre site since 2018. Known as Great Central Square, the
Network Rail has announced that it will be completing maintenance and renewal work on the West Coast Mainline over 10 weekends between April and June in 2020. Engineers will refurbish or renew more than 17 kilometres of the track at 20 locations along the line, between Carstairs and the Scottish
In an effort to halt the growing numbers of tradespeople contracting fatal asbestos related diseases, one of the UK’s leading authorities on asbestos training is urging employers to deliver asbestos awareness training to all apprentices. Research has shown that younger people, if routinely exposed to asbestos fibres over time, are at greater risk of developing deadly asbestos related diseases than older workers. Providing apprentices with key information about asbestos at an early stage will enable them to challenge poor work practices and protect themselves. Craig Evans, Chief Operating Officer of the UK Asbestos Training Association (UKATA), urged: “With the death toll from occupational exposure reaching crisis levels in the UK, UKATA is calling on all employers of apprentices working in trades, to receive asbestos awareness training as soon as possible, whether that’s through a college or with their employer.” Apprentice electricians, plumbers, carpenters. joiners, heating and ventilation engineers, painters and decorators are just some of the 1.3 million tradespeople that are at risk from exposure to the killer building material. And the facts are startling: Asbestos kills around 20 tradespeople in the UK every week, making it the single biggest cause of work-related deaths (www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/tradesperson.htm) Electricians are almost 16 times more likely than the general population to develop the killer lung disease mesothelioma in their lifetime. (Occupational, domestic and environmental mesothelioma risks in the British population: a case-control study.) Asbestos exposure kills 4 plumbers every week (Health & Safety Executive) 598 carpenters and joiners died between 1991-2000 as a result of an asbestos disease 1 in 17 British carpenters born in the 1940s will die of mesothelioma (Cancer Research UK and Health & Safety Executive) The UK has the highest death rate from mesothelioma in the world. The risk is highest in people who were exposed to asbestos before age 30. (Institute of Cancer Research) Despite the well-publicised health risks posed by asbestos, a 2017 survey conducted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) of 500 tradespeople showed that less than a third were aware of the correct ways to deal with and handle asbestos in the workplace. Craig explained: “It’s never too early to deliver asbestos awareness training to your workforce. The statistics show that the earlier in a person’s career they receive the appropriate training, then the better protected they are against developing asbestos related cancers in later life. “A simple half day awareness course could prevent them from contracting a deadly disease and also ensure they don’t expose others to the dangers of asbestos.” To ensure young people have access to asbestos awareness training before entering the workplace, UKATA is supporting the Learning Occupational Health by Experiencing Risks (LOcHER) project. The LOcHER project idea originated within the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and aims to support colleges to help students develop valuable employment and life skills, so they feel equipped to lead change in their careers and the industries into which they progress. For employers whose apprentices are yet to receive asbestos awareness training, UKATA advises that they access UKATA approved asbestos awareness training, either with a local provider or online. “Asbestos awareness training is low cost and readily available. I urge all employers to book their apprentices on these half-day courses and provide them with a safe foundation for a long and safe career within the construction industry,” added Craig. UKATA approved asbestos awareness courses are available both online and in training centres throughout the UK. Alternatively, the training provider may deliver on site. To find a UKATA approved asbestos training provider near you, visit www.ukata.org.uk or for free advice call our team on 01246 824437.
Your warehouse floor is the center of activity and is likely the place where crucial parts of your company are run. Your warehouse is also the place where valuable equipment is kept, and the environment from where your workers interact with machinery. So, it stands to reason that your warehouse’s industrial flooring must remain in a good, clean condition, enabling workers to perform their duties, and their machinery to be used safely. Here, we’ll look at six reasons why it’s important to have high-quality industrial flooring. Some are more applicable to certain types of industrial flooring, such as resin or epoxy. The benefits of epoxy flooring, in particular, are many, and it’s one type of industrial flooring you should strongly consider. Keeping employees safe Uneven or loose flooring can lead to falls and trips, which could result in your employees taking time off work, and place an extra burden on other workers. It’s important that you adhere to the most up-to-date health and safety guidelines, such as ensuring an appropriate and safe working environment for your workforce to perform their daily duties. If your work environment is considered as being inappropriate for the duties being carried out, it could land you in a lot of trouble. Maintaining your equipment’s working order In addition to maintaining the safety of your employees, industrial flooring can help to ease the process of moving equipment from one part of your warehouse to another. If your flooring is found to be insufficient for heavy machinery or foot traffic, it will quickly wear down, resulting in additional costs for it to be replaced. Saving money By choosing a hard-wearing and appropriate industrial floor to begin with, you will have peace of mind that you will have flooring strong enough to tolerate heavy weight for a long, long time without needing regular repairs or replacement. Durability One of the main benefits of industrial flooring is its high level of durability over other solutions. This is because the flooring is stronger, and thus better able to tolerate force damage, such as cuts, chips, and cracks. They’re also mixed with a sealant component, which protects against moisture damage. So, you can spill various substances without being worried over whether there will be any signs of damage on the floor. Industrial floors have a far longer life than many types of floor material. Therefore, you can maintain the flooring easier and for longer without worrying about needing to replace it. While industrial flooring will initially cost you more than many alternative materials, this benefit makes for a more convenient material for many years to come. Low maintenance Industrial floors can be steam cleaned, disinfected, and washed to sanitize them without losing their robust properties. The floor can also tolerate petrol, solvents, alkalis, and acids. Variety Industrial flooring is a great choice if you want to give your floors a new look. You can choose from various colors capable of giving an elegant, smooth, and flawless shine. The flooring can feature personalized or traditional designs and patterns. The sheer number of choices makes it a cost-effective method of improving an office’s ambience.
A £50 million mixed-use development set to catalyse regeneration in Waterside area of Leicester has been completed by Morgan Sindall Construction. The main contractor has been working with developer Charles Street Buildings Group (CSB) and Leicester City Council on the four-and-half-acre site since 2018. Known as Great Central Square, the scheme is seen by the local authority as key to revitalising an under-utilised area of the city, while boosting the overall visitor economy and business community. A programme of highway works to construct a super crossing over Vaughan Way was carried out initially by Morgan Sindall Construction, to facilitate safe access for pedestrians and cyclists over the ring road, to the north west of the city centre. Included amongst the new development are two major new hotels, both operated by the Accor hospitality group. A 10-storey Novotel offers 154 bedrooms and a variety of indoor facilities including a gym, meeting rooms, and a ground floor bar and restaurant. While an Aparthotel Adagio boasts 95 luxury studio or one-bed apartments, spread over six floors. Another key building in the scheme is a new five-storey commercial development called No.1 Great Central Square, which provides 33,000 square feet of modern Grade A office space. It was handed over eight weeks early last November, allowing it to host the launch event of the prestigious Leicester Business Festival. In addition to the work carried out by Morgan Sindall Construction, CSB has carried out its own building work to renovate and repurpose the disused Great Central Railway Station, while also delivering a car park for the new hotels and office block. National property, construction and infrastructure consultancy Pick Everard worked in partnership with the main contractor throughout. During early excavation work, CSB commissioned University of Leicester Archaeology Services to assess the site. They discovered a significant number of Roman artefacts which have been preserved. The architects involved in the scheme were Stephen George + Partners which acted as master planners and designed the office and station; Leech Rhodes Walker which designed the hotels; and the Andrew Davis Partnership which designed the Great Central Square public realm. Richard Frape, Project Director at Morgan Sindall Construction, said: “Delivering a mixed-use regeneration scheme comprising leisure, retail and commercial space of this scale in less than two years has required a truly collaborative approach from everyone involved. The local authority and Charles Street Buildings have been great customers to work for and our consultants in the supply chain deserve credit too. “The finished project is one which evidences Morgan Sindall Construction’s ability to design and build both the flagship developments befitting of a city centre prime site, and the accompanying infrastructure work vital to ensuring they’re well-received and accessible. “We’re incredibly pleased to have completed on schedule for the start of the New Year and confident Great Central Square will play an important role in Leicester’s continued economic development for decades to come.” Joseph Murphy, director at CSB, said: “Having worked for a number of years through various possible use cases for the site, we’re naturally delighted that Great Central Square is finally complete. Building work concluded on several elements ahead of schedule, so we’ve already had healthy occupier interest in the commercial space. Public reception of the newly-opened hotels has been incredibly positive too. “The local authority has taken a holistic view to revitalising the Waterside area of Leicester, with the connectivity investment key to this. As a family business with deep local roots, we’re incredibly proud that this development can be the catalyst to drive this long-term strategy and we look forward to working with the council on future schemes in the city.” Leicester’s City Mayor, Sir Peter Soulsby, said: “I am delighted that the city council has been able work closely so with local developer Charles Street Buildings and contractors Morgan Sindall Construction on the major redevelopment of this important site. They have been thoroughly professional and a brilliant team to work with. “The ambitious scheme has helped to transform a long-neglected part of Leicester and, by incorporating major highway and public realm improvements, has created an attractive new gateway between the city centre and the Waterside regeneration area.” Graeme Milligan, Director at Pick Everard said: “We’re delighted that the scheme is now complete, creating 100 new jobs for the city. It’s a real regeneration success story for the city and I’m sure we’ll see a huge increase in tourists and businesses visit Leicester as a result.”
Network Rail has announced that it will be completing maintenance and renewal work on the West Coast Mainline over 10 weekends between April and June in 2020. Engineers will refurbish or renew more than 17 kilometres of the track at 20 locations along the line, between Carstairs and the Scottish border. A bridge near Beattock will also be replaced. Due to the amount of engineering work taking place, this will mean the short term closure of the railway. Buses will replace trains between Carlisle and both Glasgow and Edinburgh on weekends between Saturday, April 4, and Sunday, June 7. On most weekends, the closures will affect trains from mid-morning on Saturdays until the start of service on the following Monday. Over Easter and some weekends in May the closures will extend for longer, with buses replacing trains on Monday, April 13 and Mondays May 4 and 25.
