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The world can be a very noisy place. There are many industries that have areas that by necessity produce a great level of noise and yet also by necessity have areas close by that must be relatively free of noise. News only recently broke about the overhaul that is going to be given to London’s iconic Big Ben. It needs substantial remodelling of the interior as well as a thorough servicing of the clock. It will take roughly four years to carry out all this work and for the duration (save for New Year’s and some commemorative occasions) the clock will remain silent – not out of necessity, but because of the health and safety of those carrying out the work. If such concerns can mean the silencing of Big Ben, then they should certainly be considered across the board.

While the addition of acoustic doors cannot resolve the Big Ben situation, there are so many sectors which can benefit from them. Acoustic doors are basically designed to reduce the impact of noise on one area to another. There is, aside from a moral duty, these days a legal obligation to minimize the impact of noise on workers and the local environment. Acoustic doors, depending on their specifications, can reduce the noise level in a room by up to around 50 decibels. There are various types of door – each capable of a certain level of noise reduction, but they must be installed correctly to realize their potential. For instance, if there is just a 5mm gap underneath the door after installation of a 45db reducing model, then it will in fact only manifest in a 25db reduction in noise. That is a massive discrepancy and loss of potency, so it is vital that the job is done well.

When choosing acoustic doors you will also probably have some aesthetic concerns – let’s face it nobody wants to look at a monstrosity of a door, no matter how much it is protecting our eardrums. Therefore, it is important to make sure that the company providing the doors has a good range of different designs to fulfil functional and aesthetic desires.

Another important design feature of the best acoustic doors is a ‘non-slam’ mechanism. This is not only desirable from a noise reduction position, but also because slamming an acoustic door (or any door for that matter) can cause stress on the iron. Stress can cause weakness, weakness cracks and cracks loss of noise reduction. This is to be avoided at all costs, so non-slam is the way to go. While acoustic doors are often used in more typical industrial sectors like aviation, construction and manufacturing, there is also a great demand in less obvious areas like education, leisure and entertainment (soundproofing studios for instance), law enforcement (police interview rooms) and broadcasting.  There are so many different ever-growing calls for good acoustics and noise segregation, many of which can be met by the humble acoustic door.

Creating an eco-friendly garden building, when done right can be a smooth, successful process but there are couple of key things that are needed in order to achieve that. Throughout the construction phase, it is important to keep in mind the initial purpose of the building. A garden building can create many opportunities for different uses, one being solely for storage purposes; if that is the case, less work and environmental factors need to be considered. If you are planning on using your garden building as an additional living space, there could be further environmental implications. Here are some top tips for making a garden building more eco-friendly.

Design

When it comes to design, you firstly want to select the right kind of building to suit its usage. Whether it be a log cabin, garden office or even garden sheds from GBC, it all affects what needs to be done in order to make them environmentally friendly. As with anything, smaller spaces are much easier to heat than larger ones, which makes them not only cost effective but friendlier to the environment. By being mindful on the size of space you are choosing, will result in it being kinder to the environment. If you don’t require a vast amount of space, choose something more moderate sized.

Window placement

Where the windows are placed also plays a huge part on the eco-friendliness of your garden building. By working out the direction of natural breezes and the positioning of the sun throughout the day, you are able to optimise the amount of sun that will stream through the windows. This then acts as natural way to heat and light the space, which in turn should reduce the amount of energy required.

Insulation

Insulation is one of the top ways to ensure your building is more environmentally friendly. By ensuring the building is insulated both appropriately and correctly will provide huge benefits. Using good quality insulation should create a consistent heating effect, by keeping the area cool in the warmer months and trapping heat in during the colder months. This in turn should reduce the need to run any electrical or gas heating and cooling units regularly.

The use of eco-materials

Being mindful of the materials used to construct the garden building will contribute towards making it more eco-friendly. It wont always be possible but, in the instances that you can help save money and minimise environmental impacts, try and source recycled plastic, glass and timber. By doing this, the process should be much less damaging to the environment than purchasing the materials brand new.

Invest in solar panels Fitting solar panels to your garden building will certainly make your garden building more eco-friendly. Due to their initial cost they will be an investment, but dependent on what type of outdoor building you have, it could well be an option. As well as the huge environmental benefits, installing solar panels is a fantastic long-term financial investment within itself. There is a huge offering of solar panels on the market and in most instances the more powerful systems wouldn’t necessarily be required for a smaller garden building. In general, garden buildings require very little electrical power, therefore the output wouldn’t need to be huge, so a simple set of cost-effective panels should work sufficiently.

Working at height retains the undesirable title of number one cause of accidents in the workplace. Things are certainly improving in the UK however, thanks to the increasing number of employers and staff undertaking the appropriate PASMA and IPAF training programs that ensure they are fully versed in safe working at height practice. However, the fact that accidents still happen is due, in large to the many common mistakes that are made when working at height. Let’s take a good look at what to avoid in order to reduce the risks of accidents.

Failing to gauge the risk

One of the gravest mistakes is failing to properly assess the risks for any given job. This is why the ‘working at height for managers’ training programs are crucial as they are responsible for risk assessment. The sorts of risks that should be assessed include environmental and weather conditions; fragile surfaces and risks below the working platform; the risk of falling objects; the suitability of equipment and the strength of the structure.

Lack of appropriate training

As already mentioned, accredited training programs by PASMA and IPAF are the industry standard and having staff and managers that are appropriately trained is the single biggest factor in mitigating against risk when working at height. Failure to ensure appropriate training has been given is a horrendous and potentially costly and disastrous mistake.

Inappropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

PPE is a vital tool in the armoury of those working at height in all kinds of environments and conditions. The kind of PPE needed depends on the job specifics and again appropriate training will aid in the decisions to be made. A failure to insure guard rails are fitted on MEWPs (Mobile Elevating Work Platforms) has been the cause of many avoidable accidents and fall arrest cable systems could have prevented injuries occurring from some falls, where there is already a high risk. Where there are no rails or fall arrest system, clear painted lines should be present so that everyone is aware of where the edges lie.

Inappropriate respect paid to ladders

The humble ladder is probably responsible for more accidents when working at height than any other piece of equipment, although chances are the fault usually lies with the user. Failing to set the ladder at the correct angle and secure it properly is a major cause of accident and making it clear that there is a ladder set, when in a pedestrian zone could have prevented many accidents caused when the ladder has been knocked by a passer-by. The longer that a ladder is used, the higher the risk of an accident. Ladders are only suitable for quick jobs.

Other Common mistakes with MEWPs

• Failing to park them on firm, stable and flat terrain
• Failing to wear safety harnesses
• A lack of a trained operator at ground level
• Failing to respect environmental conditions and weather changes.

As you can see, there are a great number of avoidable mistakes that are involved in accidents when working at height. By far the biggest among them is failing to ensure that everyone on site is properly trained.

The simple and perhaps most honest answer to this question is: because warehouses are dangerous. Warehouses are usually filled with moving machinery, lots of people carrying out different tasks, all with a degree of risk of injury and often getting in each other’s way, to a degree. Warehouse managers have a grave responsibility to mitigate against these risks by making warehouses as safe as they possible can.

A very significant number of people who work in a warehouse will have experienced some sort of injury during the course of this year, so safety should be at the forefront of everyone’s mind when it comes to the working environment in a warehouse. It is not just down to managers. Employees, supervisors and managers must work together, ensuring they are correctly trained and familiar with all of the procedure and protocol that is in place to help make their warehouse a safe one.

Worse than the statistics surrounding warehouse injuries are those surrounding fatalities as fatal injuries in warehouse based enterprises exceed the national average across every industry. This alone should be enough for everyone to sit up and take warehouse safety incredibly seriously, but on top of that poor warehouse safety can lead to poor productivity, morale, increased downtime and time off work as well as a bad working atmosphere leading to difficulty in recruiting staff. Over the duration, the money and time spent on ensuring that the requisite training is given and the resources are spent on ensuring warehouse safety will be repaid in financial and human terms.

Leaving the potential hazards of heavy machinery, forklifts and the like aside for a moment, one of the most common cause of accidents in warehouses is from slippery floors or tripping over obstacles. Falls, trips and slips are rife in warehouses and can be easily prevented by good safety procedure. If a spill occurs it should be dealt with following established cleaning procedures as a matter of urgency and where possible, mats, platforms and dry standing places should be assigned. Aisles and exits should always be kept clutter free and floors should not be a dumping ground.

Moving onto a very serious safety area in the warehouse and forklift driving and safety signage. There simply has to be incredibly clear pathways marked on the ground and signs up warning of the risk of collisions in order to mitigate against the very real risk of collision with pedestrian employees, damage to inventory and property and of course to the forklift itself. Safety barriers and column protectors are important tools in the armoury of a warehouse manager looking to avoid damage to stock and injuries to staff. All forklift handlers should be properly trained that goes for anyone using cherry pickers – handlers should have the relevant PASMA or IPAF training.

Finally, there can be any number of hazardous or dangerous materials in a warehouse. Safety procedures must be as watertight as the containers used to store dangerous chemicals. Suitable PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) should always be used when cleaning up chemical spills or doing anything that could involve damage to hands, eyes or feet. Having procedure for safe disposal of hazardous materials is not only imperative from a safety perspective, but also environmentally.

• Strongest result of all 101 construction materials companies analyzed 
• Report especially recognizes strong corporate governance performance and improvement across all seven of the material ESG issues
• Leading the way in sustainable construction

Sustainalytics, a global leader in environmental, social and governance risks (ESG) and Corporate Governance research and ratings, published its latest LafargeHolcim ESG Risk Rating. Of all 101 construction materials companies analyzed, LafargeHolcim rated first. The company was also in the top 20% of all 12,000 companies assessed across all sectors.

Magali Anderson, Chief Sustainability Officer:  “We are very proud of this industry-leading ESG ranking. It positions LafargeHolcim as the number one construction materials company within Sustainalytics’ ESG Risk Rating, as well as the very first to rank below 20 in its “low risk” category. We are proud of the results of this assessment and are encouraged to keep on raising the bar to further accelerate the transition to sustainable construction”.

Géraldine Picaud, Chief Financial Officer: “This number one ESG rating within our industry by Sustainalytics is a clear sign of the resilience and long-term focus of our business. With ESG programs embedded across our growth strategy, this rating further confirms our commitment to being a responsible investment of choice. We are leading the way in sustainable construction, as evidenced by our allocation of approximately 50% of our R&D resources to low-carbon solutions.”

The Sustainalytics report states that the company is at low risk of experiencing material financial impacts from ESG factors due to its strong management of material ESG issues. The company is especially recognized for its strong corporate governance performance and its improvement across all seven of the material ESG issues and corporate governance factors that were analyzed. According to the report, LafargeHolcim’s strongest areas of ESG risk management are its global business ethics programs, its broad range of sustainable products & services and its responsible use of resources, notably in terms of water management.

LafargeHolcim’s ESG Risk Rating score for 2020 is 19.5 on a scale from 0-100 with 0 indicating negligible ESG risk. Sustainalytics’ ESG Risk Ratings are categorized across five risk levels: negligible, low, medium, high and severe.

Additionally, LafargeHolcim has been upgraded in the ISS ESG Corporate Rating issued in April 2020 to “Prime” status. This status is awarded to companies which fulfil ambitious absolute performance requirements and achieve a high ESG performance in their sector. Consequently the company’s tradeable bonds and shares meet responsible investment criteria.

The summary report and further information on ESG topics at LafargeHolcim can be found at: https://www.lafargeholcim.com/additional-esg-resources

Homeowners often have trouble with damaged drains. This is usually a result of the poor workmanship of drainage contractors.

The damaging effect of poorly constructed drains on a home’s livability has made it a source of concern for many people. This is why both existing and prospective homeowners seek to know how to choose a contractor for their home’s drainage system. To be able to select a better contractor to work on your home’s drainage system, consider the following points:

1. Get As Many Options As You Can

A tried and trusted way to get a drainage contractor is through a personal referral. Personal referrals are a vote of confidence for the services of the drainage contractor being referred. As such, they can be relied upon. A good way to get personal referrals is to ask colleagues and neighbors.

Another great way to find ideal drainage contractors is to search online. You can go through customer reviews, or find the contact details and office address of contractors to obtain further details about their operations. Other means by which you can find drainage contractors are phone directories and industry bodies. Industry bodies include the National Association of Drainage Contractors (NADC) and the Association of Drainage Authorities (ADA).

2. Interact With Prospective Contractors

A lot of unqualified drainage contractors would naturally tout themselves as the perfect choice. They might not even be local contractors, which can translate into increased service costs.

Interacting with them helps you to find out if they are the best fit for the work in your home. Find out about their emergency response times and their ability to meet deadlines. If an actual visit to their office is possible, then that is even better. This will allow you to confirm industry body registrations, licensing, job portfolio, and determine if you feel comfortable working with them.

3. Check Their Knowledge And Readiness To Answer Questions

During interaction with a prospective drainage contractor, you should be able to ascertain the extent of their knowledge. They must be able to pass on information about their business very easily, and they should also be direct with information. It shouldn’t feel as though they are hiding something. If so, that could be a red flag.

Consider their customer relations and customer care skills regardless of whether you are engaging in an online or physical interaction. You should feel comfortable in their office environment or while conversing over the phone. They should display a readiness to answer your questions. As such, they shouldn’t put you off at any point.

On physical visits, there should be vivid elements of the company’s branding. Good branding might attest to the fact that they take their business seriously. As such, they are likely to take your drainage work seriously too.

4. Full System Audit And Quotations

A drainage contractor that is ready to go through due process to handle your project is worthy of consideration. An ideal contractor would listen to your needs. Your briefing helps to guide them on whether they need to visit your property for a drainage system audit, or if they can give you a quote immediately.

Where a physical audit of the drainage system is needed, contractors will proceed to do a cost-free inspection of the drainage system. After that, they will give you a brief of their findings. Their explanation also should be simple enough for you to understand.

The contractor’s quotation should come along with the briefings. The quotation translates the job’s needs into financial costs. Items in the quotation should include details on material and labor costs. You’ll also have the option to buy these drainage materials by yourself. Online marts such as EasyMerchant are great places to make procurements of drainage material.

5. How They Want to Be Paid

The ideal drainage contractor should have a system by which they plan to get paid for the job. Typically for domestic drainage projects, a contractor would only request payment for the materials and collect the balance when the job is done. This is because most domestic drainage works don’t cost much. In some cases, contractors agree to get paid after the entire job is complete.

Also, they should have verified payment accounts as opposed to a requirement for cash payments because cash payments may be a red flag for a drainage contractor. In addition, they should be able to provide proof of any payment made, such as receipts.

6. Customer Perks

Drainage contractors have a lot of competition, so they try to throw in some extra perks for potential clients. Such perks include discounts, service guarantees, and free maintenance checks. While you can take these perks into consideration, be wary of unrealistic perks from desperate drainage contractors.

Takeaway

After carrying out all the necessary checks on various contractors, make sure to select the one you feel satisfied with. Such contractors must have satisfied your basic criteria and requirements.

Be sure to interact with shortlisted drainage contractors. Quantify their level of knowledge and customer service. Do take note of how they approach your project, and whether they do so in a systematic or disorderly way.

Weigh in on how the contractor plans to get paid. Make sure that they can also provide proof of payment for all transactions during the project. They should also offer some customer perks, but not unrealistic ones.

Choosing the right CIPP liner manufacturer is a crucial decision you need to make when sourcing for CIPP liners. The quality of the CIPP liners you ordered is majorly dependent on the type of manufacturer, which is why you must choose the right one. Below are ten things to look for when selecting the right CIPP liner manufacturer.

1.         Quality of Raw Material

When considering a CIPP Liner supplier, you should keep an eye out for the quality of the raw materials your potential manufacturer uses in making their CIPP liners.

If the manufacturers use quality and durable materials, automatically, you get high-quality CIPP liners. However, if they don’t, then there are high chances that the CIPP liners you get might be of lower quality and less durable.

The quality of the materials used in manufacturing the CIPP liners is one of the top signs for identifying the right manufacturer. To be sure of this, you can request to visit the manufacturer’s factory to see first-hand the production materials.

2.         Manufacturing Process

The manufacturing process adopted by a manufacturer is another way of knowing and choosing the right manufacturer. The right CIPP liner manufacturers would make use of a standard manufacturing process.

The production process shouldn’t be rushed, and they will also ensure that they follow all due diligence and safety guidelines. By observing the manufacturing processes and procedures of your would-be manufacturer, you would know whether they are the right company to handle your order or not.

3.         Product Quality

The quality of the CIPP liners you buy is paramount; this is why you need to be sure that the manufacturer you choose can and will deliver high-quality products.

The quality of CIPP liners would also affect your relationship with your customers and clients, whether you be a CIPP liner retailer or a CIPP liner technician. To ensure that the CIPP liners that your manufacturer supplies are of high quality, carry out a stress-test on the liners to evaluate the condition before accepting them.

4.         Manufacturer’s Credibility and Reliability

Another significant thing to consider when selecting the right CIPP liner manufacture is credibility and reliability. The right manufacturer is credible enough to source quality building materials to produce quality liners.

They should also be transparent in their business transactions and reliable enough to vouch for the products manufactured under their management. You will need a reputable manufacturer that will not disappoint on delivery days, and that is always accessible for any inquiries or concerns.

5.         Customer Service

It is not enough to have just any liner manufacturer at your beck and call. Your would-be manufacturer should be ready to forge a qualitative yet professional relationship with you.

You should choose a CIPP liner manufacturer who would be ready to provide top-notch customer service. Your needs should be important to the manufacturer; this is the true meaning of partnership.

The right choice of the manufacturer should be able to share knowledge and request feedback on how to serve your professional needs better.

6.         Specific CIPP Liners you Need

Your ideal cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) liner manufacturer should be able to provide varieties of liners that you would require. They should be able to provide all three types of lining resins- polyester, vinyl, and epoxy, without too much difficulty.

If your choices of lining resins are limited, it can also limit your operations, which in turn can affect your sales or service delivery.

7.         Budget

When trying to choose the right CIPP liner manufacturer, you should compare the price offers from all your potential manufacturers. The right manufacturer should be able to supply high-quality products for you at a relative price (not too low or too high, just the right price).

Before negotiating a price, first calculate all the costs involved and the profit value. The subsequent analysis after the price calculation would determine the right amount to offer the manufacturer.

8.         Production Capacity and Facility Size

When choosing the right manufacturer, you need to consider the manufacturer’s facility size. The reason is that the factory size would most likely affect the manufacturer’s production capacity.

If you would be ordering CIPP products in large quantities from the manufacturer, you need to be sure the manufacturer can produce the number you need; this would help you avoid disappointment.

9.         Competition

Another essential factor to consider when trying to choose the right manufacturer is competition. You can’t eliminate business competition, but you can determine how to reduce the effect of competition on your business.

If your potential manufacturer can’t guarantee the delivery of the exact quantity and quality of products, you need at any point in time due to conflicting interests, especially ones involving your competition, it is better to avoid such a manufacturer. Instead, go for a manufacturer that would be loyal to your brand.

10.  Capable Production Team

The right manufacturer for your use should have a capable production team. Some of the questions you need to ask include: do they have the necessary machinery to produce quality CIPP liners? Is the production team experienced in creating high-quality CIPP liners?

Asking these questions is important because the strength and expertise of the production team determine the quality of the end products.

Conclusion

With many manufacturers available, you need to be well-informed about how to choose the right CIPP liner manufacturer. The tips above would nudge you in the right direction, and help you make an informed decision on the best CIPP liner manufacturer to supply CIPP liners.

Building supplier Cemex has stated that its cement plant at South Ferriby could be mothballed by the end of this year.

Employees at the Lincolnshire base would be made redundant if the closure plans do go ahead.

Following an analysis of the firm’s European cement supply chain, the company said Covid 19 has not influenced the decision.

Other Cemex plants in the UK will remain open and customers will still be supplied, the company stated.

Cement wagon drivers at the plant are not immediately impacted but the intention is to “review the optimal haulage provision”, Cemex said.

“Commitments to the local community will be maintained, including the agreement to continue supplying clay from the quarry to the Environment Agency flood protection scheme; clay will continue to be moved for this until project completion.”

Leading construction and infrastructure player Aggregate Industries, working in collaboration with the A14 Integrated Delivery Team, has completed all major works on one of the UK’s largest infrastructure projects – Highways England’s A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon Improvement Scheme.

The improved road officially opened for traffic on 5th May – eight months ahead of the scheduled opening date.

Negotiating the supply of material and installation of such a major infrastructure project was a significant achievement for Aggregate Industries’ Asphalt and Contracting teams. In total, over 1.6 million square metres of road was constructed and surfaced, and 10 kilometres of non-motorised user pathways created.

This required more than 730,000 tonnes of asphalt to be manufactured at a purpose-built plant on site and laid to an industry-leading standard, along with in excess of 550,000 tonnes of low-carbon cement bound granular mixture (CBGM), manufactured on a mobile cementitious mixing plant by SiteBatch. These plants played a crucial role in minimising the carbon footprint of the scheme as deliveries were made on-site, requiring less vehicle movements on the Strategic Road Network. In addition, Aggregate Industries transported the aggregate used in its asphalt mixes by rail, further reducing its environmental impact.

To satisfy stringent noise restrictions where the scheme passes through built-up areas, Aggregate Industries utilised its unique ultra-low noise asphalt, 10mm SuperThin. This reduces noise levels by 7.8db(A) when compared with traditional hot rolled asphalt (HRA).

Paddy Murphy, Managing Director of Contracting at Aggregate Industries, said: “The early opening of the A14 to traffic is a monumental achievement. It is testament to the collaboration of all teams involved that we have delivered the UK’s largest, most prestigious infrastructure project to date in such good time, whilst meeting the highest safety standards.

“We’re also delighted that amongst the disruption caused by the coronavirus outbreak, we were able to continue to work safely by adopting stringent measures and sticking to social distancing guidelines. The resulting road ensures that deliveries of vital supplies and key workers will be able to reach their destination.”

Around 200 workers from Aggregate Industries were involved in this infrastructure improvement scheme and, over the course of the project, not a single lost-time injury was sustained by the workforce.

Chris Hudson, Managing Director of Asphalt at Aggregate Industries, said: “We demonstrated our commitment to the rapid and successful completion of this project when we invested in an asphalt plant solely dedicated to the A14. It is brilliant to see that this commitment has paid off. With the new, improved A14 up and running so far ahead of schedule, it will be a great boost to the local community.”

While all major works have been completed, some works on verges, pedestrian footpaths and landscaping will continue until 2022, requiring some overnight closures. Details of these will be made available on Highways England’s channels.

In March, the Government recently announced it is widening Permitted Development Rights (PDR) so developers can demolish empty buildings and replace them with good quality new build housing – without planning permission.

Consultation on the controversial move is currently being undertaken and a paper is due to be published in Spring 2020.

The new PDR is one of a number of planning freedoms aimed at speeding up housing delivery, and will apply to vacant commercial, industrial and residential buildings to be replaced with well designed, new residential units that meet national standards.

Here, Chris Nunn, Business Development Director at LOK Developments, part of Newcastle-based The Morton Group, talks about the benefits of the new planning freedoms based on his experience of converting office and other commercial buildings for residential use.

He said: “We have excellent experience on what can and can’t be achieved when converting office and commercial buildings into new residential accommodation.

“There are many significant benefits, including financial benefits, to using existing structures for development.

“As well as being an easy win in terms of planning regulations and permissions, it’s usually the case that considerable added value applies to a commercial building that is partly or completely vacant.

“There are tremendous benefits, too, when converting commercial buildings which have a concrete structure in terms of build cost.

“These concrete structures are usually robust in design, as the loading requirements of an office is greater than that of an apartment, so they can easily and cost effectively be built on to create higher or larger developments for residential occupancy.

“As a leading building contractor our delivery arm Kapex Construction has a wide range of experience on projects of this kind, we know full well what can and can’t be achieved in this arena.

“As a principle contractor we’ve converted former offices such as Eagle Star House, Eldon House in Gosforth into residential apartments, and have completed smaller scale residential projects such as Albert House, a conversion of a Grade II Listed building once used as offices for the Post Office in Durham City.

“We have learned that a full appreciation of the build costs, alongside choosing the right design and construction team, is the key to delivering high quality successful office to residential developments and ensuring we get these conversions right.

“Although they can be seen as controversial in some areas, the new PDR stipulates that through good design and placemaking, such as the introduction of tree-lined streets and low carbon emissions, the best developments will go some way to providing much-needed homes for people at a faster rate.

“We believe the new planning freedoms offers developers and their clients some tremendous and cost-effective opportunities for the conversion of commercial buildings into residential homes.”