PSBJ April 2020

Public Sector Build Journal April 2020

Healthcare

Education

Leisure

psbjmagazine.com

Issue 92

FIRE SAFETY AND SECURITY How campus management must improve their fire safety and security strategies to keep students safe

Housing

Professional tips on monitoring the impact of COVID-19

The long-term effects of substances on human and animal health

Flawless flat roof designs and the best course of action for effective drainage

End day-to-day damage by upgrading your interiors, with a great choice of resilient, easy-clean colours and patterns, while reducing costly repair and redecoration.

For more information call 0113 279 5854 or email sallyann@yeomanshield.com

www.yeomanshield.com

WELCOME NOTE

Editor

Rebecca Kemp

rebecca@crossplatformmedia.co.uk

Print & Digital Advertising Sam Ball

sam@crossplatformmedia.co.uk

Jim Moore

jim@crossplatformmedia.co.uk

Glenn Dixon

glenn@crossplatformmedia.co.uk

Print Design Manager Jack Witcomb

jack@crossplatformmedia.co.uk

Digital Design Manager Matt Morse

matt@crossplatformmedia.co.uk

How campus management must improve their fire safety and security strategies to keep students safe See page 18.

Production Assistant Philip Coyle

Welcome to the April issue of PSBJ...

Accounts

I want to open this issue firstly by wishing you all well. I do hope the consequences of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic have not struck too hard; whether they be health-related or, indeed, financial. In the wake of COVID-19, it’s clear that never before has there been a greater appreciation for our NHS and public sector workers. On behalf of the team at PSBJ, I’d like to offer thanks to the public sector; our thoughts go out to those selfless frontline staff and keyworkers – whether they be nurses and doctors or police officers and firefighters; and everyone risking their lives to save others – that are helping our nation to pull through this life-altering widespread virus.

philip@crossplatformmedia.co.uk

Jackie Dearman

jackie@crossplatformmedia.co.uk

Sales Support & Administrator

Klare Porter

klare@crossplatformmedia.co.uk

Publisher Sam Ball

sam@crossplatformmedia.co.uk Published by

Cross Platform Media Ltd.

Barham Court, Teston, Maidstone, Kent, ME18 5BZ psbjmagazine.com 01622 232725 crossplatformmedia.co.uk

PSBJ is a proud supporter of the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists.

Contributions are invited and when not accepted will be returned only if accompanied by a fully stamped and return addressed envelope. No responsibility will be taken for drawings, photographs or literary contributions during transmission or in the editor's hands. In the absence of an agreement the copyright of all contributions, literary, photographics or artistic belongs to Cross Platform Media Ltd. The Publisher accepts no responsibility in respect of advertisements appearing in the magazine and the opinions expressed in editorial material or otherwise do not necessarily represent the view of the publisher. The Publisher does not accept any liability of any loss arising from the late appearance or non publication of any advertisement.

Much of us have adopted a work-from-home strategy in recent weeks to stop the spread of COVID-19; however, understandably, remote working isn’t an option for all. In this month’s issue, we’ve talked to Tina Chander, Head of the Employment Team at leading Midlands law firm, Wright Hassall, about Coronavirus advice for employers. Here, Tina highlights everything you need to know about keeping staff’s wellbeing front of mind and operating during these difficult times. Turn to page 20 to read up on Tina’s advice. Meanwhile, on page 06 to 07, we’ve scrolled through the pages of Twitter to bring you COVID-19 responses regarding our NHS and public sector from the general public, architects and NHS workers themselves.

Elsewhere in this issue, Lucy Bilotto, European Marketing Manager at Altro, talks to PSBJ about aptly timed infection control in the form of biocides. Here, she brings together the latest research and information on using biocides in flooring and walling products. Turn to page 28 to learn more.

I hope you enjoy this issue. Don’t forget, you can also access all of the magazine’s features, product news and supplier information on PSBJ’s user-friendly and engaging website. Fully responsive, the website allows you to read all the latest stories on-the-go either on your phone or tablet. Simply visit www.psbjmagazine.com.

Rebecca

Rebecca Kemp • Editor • rebecca@crossplatformmedia.co.uk Find us on Social Media:      @psbjmagazine

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CONTENTS

06 News

A round up of the latest industry news, including charity events, awarded contracts, completed projects and much more.

08 Upfront

In 2019, Cambridgeshire County Council appointed Saunders Boston Architects to provide full architectural design and lead consultant services for a renovation at Waterbeach Community Primary School. Here, PSBJ looks at the project.

12 Housing

Victoria Ramwell from Kemper System explains why cold-applied liquid waterproofing can offer a durable solution for social housing projects.

14 Leisure

Safety, security and durability were the key criteria when choosing the doors for Newcastle University’s impressive multi-million-pound new sports hall facility. With this in mind, Hörmann UK’s SP 500 sports hall doors were specified.

16 Security

A series of Codelocks solutions have been employed to reinforce security at The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt (RJAH) Orthopaedic Hospital in Gobowen, Shropshire.

24 18 Education

After the recent events at Bolton University, where a student accommodation tower went up in flames, Karen Trigg of Allegion UK looks into how campus management must improve their fire safety and security strategies to keep students safe.

20 Legal & Business

In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic that’s making waves across the globe, Tina Chander, Partner and Head of the Employment Team at leading Midlands law firm Wright Hassall, looks at the disruption COVID-19 has caused business so far.

SETTING THE STANDARD FOR SCAFFOLDING SETTING THE STANDARD FORinSCAFFOLDING The NASC is the national trade body for access and scaffolding the UK and has been setting the industry benchmark for nearly 80 years. Our full contracting members are among the best The NASC is the national trade body for access and scaffolding in the UK and has been setting in the business, accounting for the vast majority of the UK’s scaffolding spend – with a total the industry benchmark for nearly 80 years. Our full contracting members are among the best annual turnover in excess of £2 billion – and are independently audited every year. in the business, accounting for the vast majority of the UK’s scaffolding spend – with a total annual turnover in excess of £2 billion – and are independently audited every year.

For demonstrably safe, skilled and compliant contractors it has to be NASC. For demonstrably safe, skilled and compliant contractors it has to be NASC.

www.nasc.org.uk www.nasc.org.uk

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CONTENTS

20

18 30 Technical Focus

12 26 MMC

32 22 Talking Point

Iain Cox, Chief Executive of the Business Sprinkler Alliance, stresses the importance of spending money on sprinklers for the nation’s schools.

24 Floors, Walls & Ceilings

Anthony Fawcett, Sales Manager (UK, North) for Armstrong Ceiling Solutions, gives eight top considerations when specifying ceilings for public buildings.

Sonia Travis, Head of Commercial Sales at Epwin Window Systems, discusses modern methods of construction (MMC) and reveals the findings of Epwin’s recently released survey.

28 Infection Control

Following the Coronavirus pandemic, we’ve talked to Altro’s European Marketing Manager, Lucy Bilotto, about biocide additives and their impact on infection control within sanitary environments.

Sufficient falls and drainage on flat roof designs are often complex. This month, we’ve talked to roofing expert Martin Bidewell from Sika Sarnafil to discover the technicalities and best course of action for effective and efficient drainage.

32 Sanitaryware

Anil Madan, Marketing Communications Manager – Specification – at Armitage Shanks, discusses the company’s ‘Creating Better Washrooms’ whitepaper.

34 Product Showcase

A dedicated focus of industry news, products and case studies to help specifiers and local authorities make informed decisions.

Cistermiser Keraflo

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CISTERMISER WASHROOM PRODUCTS 1. Infrared Taps – improve hygiene and reduce water consumption with our range of hands-free taps.

2. Infrared Urinal Flush Control (IRC®) – manages supply of water to a urinal cistern (PIR) to provide water only when it is needed.

3. Hydraulic Valve Urinal Flushing – patented mechanism prevents water waste and enables hygiene flush option for period of non-use. Fit and forget, quality and reliability.

KERAFLO manufactures proven products designed to be used within cold water Tank Management systems, including top-quality delayed action ’key shaped’ mechanical float valves and the Tanktronic system that electronically monitors water levels and temperatures.

4. Direct Flush – Infrared Sensor controlled urinal valve – automatically flushes urinals after use, ensuring the highest level of water with minimum volume of water.

5. Easyflush Direct – no touch sensor–activated toilet flushing technology.

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14/12/2018 12:06

05

NEWS

INDUSTRY UPDATES Amidst the disruption and concern the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has scattered across the nation, PSBJ takes a look at the response from public sector professionals, architect practices and the general public on its impact on the industry.

Our products are

We are all facing

Thank you to all the

now being used for

unprecedented times but

#PublicSector workers for

#NHSNightingale - The

#WereInThisTogether so

keeping this country going

conversion of the London

please wherever possible

during this #COVID19

ExCel into a hospital for the

remember #SocialDistanacing

#Coronavirus crisis, including

incredible NHS! Fantastic

#StaySafe and we’ll get

my wonderful wife. When this is

work by the #Unistrut team

through this together.

all over can we remember who

yesterday, thank you to all

#Coronavirus #COVID19

we relied on and support them

involved in this inspiring

#PublicSector #PrivateSector

when they have to demand

project #UKMFG #NHS

#Charities #GeneralPublic

#FairPay again

#COVID19 #Construction

Thank you

– @Unistrut_UK

– @WMPDigitalPCSO

– @EdTait

It is totally unacceptable of the Government to expect

To help those working in

A big shout out to all the

#PublicSector roles responding #PublicSector comms teams

at risk of serious illness – or

to #COVID19 #CoronavirusUK

who, like my team, are working

even death – by treating highly

it would be a BIG help

endless hours to inform, advise, infectious #COVID19 patients

@BorisJohnson if the daily

reassure and support their

without wearing proper

briefing was earlier in the day.

local communities #COVID19

protection

Already stretched teams are

#CommsHero

having to work late rewriting

KatieSandey

– @RebeccaDavisWME Technicians at UEA are now producing 500 litres of hand

– @TheBMA

–@

plans ready for the next day

06

#NHS staff to put themselves

I am increasingly worried about rate at which we

#COVID19 Hats off to all

are losing frontline staff to

our public sector colleagues

quarantine (something that

who are working tirelessly

will only be exacerbated by

during this public health crisis.

childcare issues now schools

sanitiser a day to support #NHS The pace and intensity is

are closed). @MattHancock

partners - thanks to the support unprecedented. We appreciate

and @NikkiKF we need rapid

of local distillery @Adnams

you! #PublicSector #LocalGov

#COVID19 testing for #NHS

#COVID19

#NHS #Police #FireServices

staff and contacts. And we need

– @uniofeastanglia

– @WeManageJobs

it now

– @drmarkporter

Voluntary service has

Every day hundreds of

@ONeills1918 as work begins

probably not been so popular

people die prematurely due

making scrubs for our #NHS

since WW2. I hope that this

to #diabetes and chronic

staff. This clothing will protect

popularity continues once we’re

disease, but no-one notices.

& save lives. As the orders come through these challenging times.

Why has it taken #COVID19 to

in it’s hoped those who lost

Many organisations, charities

make us realise that we need

their jobs last week will all be

and the #NHS would love to

to be innovating rapidly in the

back to work soon. #COVID19

count on our support long term.

#NHS to #savelives. After 20

#UTV

#COVID19

years, I am finally allowed to

– @sara_utv

– @BigWoofa

NEWS

A shout out to the ladies

email my patients The current situation within

Thank you to the 3,986

– @docdebbie

the #NHS is unprecedented.

nurses who have already

But we are fighting it – you

applied to return to nursing.

can help us at this time

Your support for our #NHS as

we packed our cars with

and #BeSafeAtHome

we fight #COVID19 is hugely

p.c.s, printers, shelving etc

#StaySafeAtHome avoid burns

appreciated.

to continue to work from

injury and reduce workload to

– @Helen_Whately

home. We are now spread

the NHS. Allow us to continue to fight and beat #COVID19

Just before #lockdown

across 150 miles, and may be As things get tense within

a little slower to respond than

#BurnsSafety @BritishBurn

the #NHS please remember

normal, but we are all here

@BAPRASvoice

to be kind to each other. Staff

#architect #dundee

– @BurnsUnitMft

and volunteers are doing an

#covid19

amazing job so let’s remind

– @ajfitchet

Having fought on the #FrontLines of Afghanistan,

ourselves of that Hospital #COVID19

– @physioLJ

I am now fighting on the

The single most important action we can all

#frontLines of the UK to

Nursing students are

take in fighting #COVID19

defend my fellow #Brits

being asked to make a vital

(coronavirus) is to stay at

from an invisible enemy

contribution at this time of

home in order to protect

which is going to KILL 1000s

national emergency. Your

people and save lives.

#COVID19. If my fellow

unions, @unisontheunion

#fitouttop500⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ #plastering

#NHS team can risk their lives @theRCN @unitetheunion will

#drylining #construction

to save yours the least u can

stand with you and support you

#building #interiors

do is #StayAtHome

all the way. #COVID19 #NHS

#plasteringLondon

– @docfawcett

– @StuartTuckwood

– @PWBDrylining

07

UPFRONT

GENERATING A SENSE OF PLACE FOR STUDENTS All images ©Richard Fraser

A well-designed school is an essential foundation for students to flourish in their learning, and through architecture, an environment is able to successfully contribute to a well-rounded and fruitful learning experience. In 2019, Cambridgeshire County Council appointed Cambridge-based Saunders Boston Architects to provide full architectural design and lead consultant services for a renovation to Waterbeach Community Primary School. practice, which T hespecialises in the education sector, designed the development with the aim of improving the existing school facilities, increasing the learning capacity to 630 places, and widening access to positive learning environments and better education opportunities for the local community.

To ensure that the school was able to stay open throughout the design and construction process and that there was no disruption to education, specific and exclusive approaches were applied. During the design stage, both Saunders Boston Architects and the lead contractor, Kier Construction, spent a considerate amount of time with the school in order to understand construction phases, scenarios and consequences on access and circulation.

As every learning environment is unique, it must be designed to suit those who will be using it; from teaching staff, and facilities managers to the

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students themselves. Utilising their experience in the education sector, the practice and Kier Construction worked with the headteacher of the school and the local parent community to facilitate a collaborative process and seamlessly deliver the design.

As the UK’s leading education building contractor, Kier Construction’s knowledge of the sector is unrivalled. Having delivered numerous school projects for Cambridgeshire County Council over the past 10 years, the teams fully understand how to balance the construction process with the needs of the school, minimising disruption while also delivering the best possible outcome for end-users and client alike, on budget and programme. Kier Construction’s long-standing relationship with Saunders Boston Architects also ensures that the detailed design development process is seamless and collaborative, with buildability and value engineering advice built-in to all stages of the process. 

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UPFRONT

UPFRONT As part of Saunders Boston Architects’ commitment to education and the community, the practice also worked with the school’s students from the outset, to develop the project and inspire future architects, highlighting the importance of innovation and sustainability through enhancement of their environment using technology and renewables. Through the use of technologies such as building

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information modelling (BIM) and virtual reality (VR), students were invited to visualise their dream school, and the practice was able to create on-the-go sketches, which supported their ideas and focused on creating a sense of community in the renovation.

The brief for Waterbeach Community Primary School included a refurbishment of the old entrance, classrooms and administration area. This was

delivered through the design of a new school wing incorporating a two-storey teaching block extension – consisting of 12 classrooms – a group learning room, an improved and extended main entrance, revised landscape and interior design. One of the key principles that defined the design narrative was the necessity to break the mould of the ‘classic’ educational design, which can often be seen as clinical and cold.

The architecture practice ensured that the pupils were at the heart of the design, as the main beneficiaries of the new environment. This meant that the visual impact of colour to create a vibrant atmosphere for learning was an overarching consideration.

Saunders Boston Architects produced a through-school design to ensure there were no differences in the facilities that the students have access to.

With the aim of generating a sense of place for the students, while providing elements to aid and inspire creativity and enthusiasm in the learning environment, all of the sensory components were considered, and carefully implemented in the design of Waterbeach Community Primary School. The focus on colour took the form of a rainbow theme, which weaves seamlessly throughout the interior and exterior of the school, and incorporates both colour and light in a playful twist. Acting as a prominent facade feature, the uniform light grey brickwork of the school is interrupted by a playful conglomeration of glazed bricks in colours of the rainbow.

The roof of the building is also clad with slightly textured panels, deliberately placed to emphasise the fun element of the building.

The grey tone of the cladding helps the building disappear into the sky like a magical illusion, scaling down the size of the building and making it appear less daunting for its students.

UPFRONT For continuity, the seven rainbow colours have also been used on window and door flashings inside the building.

These colourful elements reappear internally as multicoloured wall tiles, cubicle doors and coat hooks. The effect strives beyond the cosmetic enhancement – the use of colours has a significant impact on emotion and ability to stimulate participation and influence learning capacity. Commenting on the use of colour, Gaye Roberts from Cambridgeshire County Council, said: “The rainbow theme creates a fun and tasteful exterior to the refurbished areas of the school, and has encouraged the headteacher to consider rollingout the design though the rest of the existing building.”

Saunders Boston Architects holds a vast knowledge of the education sector and the design elements that are able to create the best possible environment for students. During the project, other key considerations included the influence of nature and its positive effect on children’s wellbeing. The classroom interiors were designed to be light, clean and minimal, which, alongside the connection to the outdoors, allowed them to be inexpensive and easily personalised by each group of students with the work generated in their lessons. The vinyl and the carpet on the floor have been designed as a curve which adds an element of creativity to the neutrality of the classroom,

while the large windows allow the students to breathe in the outdoors, and the elongated polyptych windows provide the visual link with the outside.

When considering the flow of students in between lessons and throughout the day, the practice incorporated an inspiring ‘Learning Street’ into its design, which also doubles up as a collaborative learning space. The ‘Learning Street’ connects all 12 classrooms and is naturally lit by two large skylights, which extend up to openable roof lights with ventilation louvres. The ceiling of the learning street is carefully designed with perforated plasterboard so that the larger street can be divided into smaller sections; allowing teachers to utilise the sections for break-out learning if desired, and creating a thoughtprovoking space for students to move through while digesting the knowledge from one lesson and preparing for another.

Commenting on Saunders Boston Architects’ work for the project, Jane Green, Headteacher at Waterbeach Community Primary School, said: “Ensuring that students feel inspired by their surroundings is of huge importance; it has been brilliant to see Saunders Boston Architects bring this vision to life for us. The rainbow theme running throughout the whole school connects us as a community and reflects the bright, ambitious learning attitude of our students.” 

www.saundersboston.co.uk

11

HOUSING

SOCIAL HOUSING: WHY CHOOSE LIQUID WATERPROOFING? Victoria Ramwell from Kemper System explains why cold-applied liquid waterproofing can offer a durable solution for social housing projects. considering product W hen specification for flat roof refurbishment or new-build projects on a social housing complex, streamlined planning is vital to ensure budget and time constraints are adhered to.

For many contractors working in collaboration with a county council, certain design elements will need to be taken into consideration during specification.

This is because many projects will need to accommodate a high number of residents in-situ during repair works; for example, so it’s important to devise a strategy that is careful to avoid any unnecessary disturbance without compromising

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the specification of products or installation quality.

Quick, easy application and a system that will stand the test of time are also key elements to consider. This is why, in many cases, cold-applied liquid waterproofing is often the preferred choice for housing projects.

Why specify a liquid system?

It can be argued the most desirable benefits of using liquid waterproofing for housing projects is its versatility and durability, as well as quick and easy installation methods. Liquid waterproofing can be used in new-build or

refurbishment projects, and offers a sound solution that can not only be installed on roofs but communal walkways, balconies and car parks – which reinforces its versatile qualities.

Cold-applied liquid installations are flame-free, meaning system applications do not require the use of hot works on site. This minimises the risk of any health and safety issues associated with products being applied using a blow torch or naked flame – especially beneficial for occupied housing blocks.

There are also quick-curing liquid products using PMMA technology on the market which can offer excellent membrane

performance and facilitates shorter contract possession times and fast project completion.

However, polyurethane systems are probably the most popular and more widely used chemistry type as they are versatile materials that can be used in a multitude of applications.

Specifying a liquid also means contractors can easily tackle complex details within the differing roof designs such as outlets and penetrations. This cuts down time on site and ultimately reduces overall costs, ensuring a completely seamless finish which is fully bonded and compatible with most substrates.

HOUSING

Which liquid to specify?

Installation benefits

Liquid waterproofing systems are made up of different chemistries, use alternative application techniques and have different curing times, meaning some are far better suited in certain applications than others.

There are both wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry systems available and when specified from a manufacturer with appropriate BBA certification, should offer a durable waterproofing solution for the client and end-user alike.

If specifying a liquid system, take the time to research which one is most suitable for your project. Consider requirements such as compliance with Building Regulations; for example, fire resistance, or specific performance characteristics, including the compatibility of the surfaces to be waterproofed, ability to withstand substrate movement, and resistance to damage from anticipated load levels or trafficking.

Independent product accreditation is used to effectively communicate suitability, so it is advisable to research the manufacturer’s current product certification.

Carrying out refurbishment works with minimum disruption while keeping costs down is key, especially in housing projects where residents will prefer to remain in their homes and having the premises empty is just not an option. Using a liquid waterproofing system means the contractor can be on and off site in the minimum amount of time, whilst avoiding the additional costs of temporary walkways and access arrangements.

Large expanses of sheeting materials on a roof area are not practical in many housing refurbishments and could offer health and safety issues depending on the location of the site. Highrise housing apartments; for example, could be subject to high winds on the roof area, and access to the roof could be restricted or unsafe for operatives that might be carrying lots of materials.

No hot works are required as part of cold-applied liquid waterproofing systems, further reducing potential health and safety risks, and with Kemper System; for example, there are no wait times between applications of resin. And because it is seamless, once cured, the system forms an elastomeric waterproof membrane

that cannot delaminate, is UV stable and creates a sturdy bond directly to the substrate.

Peace of mind Sustainable refurbishment, or newbuild homes, are a key element to decision-making for local councils and housing associations. When specifying any building material, how can they ensure the buildings will provide a home for the future?

Building designs, and the products specified to use within a refurbishment or new complex, must offer a durable, long-term solution, as well as address the immediate challenges on site.

There are many benefits of choosing a cold-applied liquid waterproofing system for flat roof repairs, and with quality application, this can ensure a sustainable refurbishment to serve a community for many years to come.

We must be aware of specification switching, which can often happen during housing projects because of budget or time constraints. Maintaining the specification on a project is often difficult, yet, the implications of not doing so can cause a single product or even an entire system to fail – therefore, raising liability issues.

It is always advisable to liaise with a trusted product manufacturer and sector associations for advice. Kemper System; for example, has a dedicated technical team to offer bespoke guidance on each individual project – as well as product training for operatives. 

www.kemper-system.com

13

LEISURE

HÖRMANN UK’S SP 500 SPORTS DOORS GET TOP HONOURS Safety, security and durability were the key criteria when choosing the doors for Newcastle University’s impressive multi-million-pound new sports hall facility. With this in mind, Darlington Door Services – the team commissioned to supply and install the doors – was quick to recommend Hörmann UK’s SP 500 sports hall doors. more than 30 years, F orDarlington Door Services has been an official partner of Hörmann UK, supplying a variety of both domestic and commercial doors to customers throughout Northern England. The team was recently commissioned by the contractor to supply and install four extremely durable and resilient up-and-over sports doors inside the university’s new £16m state-of-the-art sports facility.

For Newcastle University, the

new sports hall doors would need to be able to withstand both potential impact damage from ball games and sporting equipment, as well as being able to cope with high usage given the anticipated number of students and staff who will be using the new facility. Hörmann SP 500 sports hall doors were the obvious choice.

Specially designed for schools with recreational and leisure facilities such as university

sports halls, Hörmann SP 500 doors are sturdy in design, providing maximum security, safety and durability. Thanks to the elastic impact surface, Hörmann SP 500 sports hall doors provide a force reduction of more than 60% making them ideal for areas where ball games will take place. Additionally, the doors are fitted with a shockresistant safety track cladding with adjustable plastic rollers on ball bearings to reduce

wear-and-tear and ensure longer periods of maintenance-free use.

Steve Davies, Director for Darlington Door Services, said: “We have been working closely with Hörmann UK for more than 30 years, so we know that the doors are extremely reliable and offer exceptional performance.

For the last three decades that we have worked together, Hörmann UK has always delivered an exceptional level of service and is continuously improving its product offering to exceed industry standards. So, when we were approached by the contractor to supply doors for its impressive new multi-millionpound sports hall, Hörmann SP 500 sports hall doors were the ideal choice, exceeding the selection criteria and providing an exceptionally durable and safe solution.

“In terms of installation, these doors are also really easy and straightforward, with the added advantage of being supplied ready to fit for on-site infill,” continued Steve. “For this reason, the contractors opted to infill the doors themselves.

Once this was completed, we returned to site and made any necessary adjustments, adding the counterweights to ensure the doors operate safely and correctly. This was a great project to be involved in and both ourselves and the team at Newcastle University were delighted with the final results.”

Hörmann SP 500 doors also offer exceptional levels of safety, another very important selection criteria for Newcastle University.

Safety features include vertical and horizontal guide rails to ensure safe door guidance and buffer stops to slow the door down gently when opening and closing. The doors are also designed not to swing out when opened and will not protrude into the sports hall if left open.

In order to reduce the risk of foot injuries, the bottom edge of the door has also been equipped with an elastic trap protection over the entire door width, and double-sided latch locks prevent the doors from being unintentionally opened. The doors are installed flush against the wall to avoid sharp corners, and the recessed handles are also embedded into the door leaf preventing accidental injury. 

www.hormann.co.uk

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P O LY P I P E A D VA N TA G E

SIMPLE ‘CLICK’ CONNECTION

SIMPLE ELECTROFUSION WELD

B-s1, d0* FIRE CLASSIFICATION

MecFlow

CLICK. WELD. DONE. Introducing a new water supply system. One that’s quick to install with a unique and simple click and electrofusion welding system. One that’s material formulation achieves a fire classification of B-s1, d0* and is suitable for multiple water supply applications.

Designed and manufactured off-site through our Polypipe Advantage service, MecFlow is delivered in a kit, ready to install for a smart, quick installation.

MecFlow – The future of water supply *Fire classification rating according to EN13501, installed according to building regulations.

We recommend MecFlow be installed with our Firetrap sleeves.

For more information, visit polypipe.com/mecflow

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SECURITY

TAKING CARE OF THE HEALTHCARE SECTOR When our loved ones move into independent living or a nursing home, our main priority is to ensure that they feel safe and secure. Unfortunately, care homes face a number of security risks and are often targeted by criminals looking to steal personal belongings, expensive equipment and sensitive data. is paramount for S ecurity hospitals too and extends further than effective medical intervention and infection control.

CCTV, alarms and electronic door access control systems all provide a protected environment for patients, visitors and staff.

Offering a standalone access control and key management solution in aged care and hospital applications provides essential control in the protection of people and assets, whilst saving valuable

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time and costs for building managers and staff.

Requiring an affordable access control system that reinforces building security and is easy to use, The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt (RJAH) Orthopaedic Hospital chose Codelocks Smart Locks to help secure its facilities in the UK. With multiple options of code, card and phone entry, the smart locks make access convenient for hospital staff by removing the hassle of storing, issuing and replacing keys.

For restricted areas of nursing homes and hospitals, smart locks make it quick and easy to permit and limit staff and visitor access.

Using wireless technology, managers can programme the locks and issue codes using their smartphones which is fast, hygienic and particularly effective for managing high turnover of staff, as well as facilitating rapid access for external visitors.

Matthew Mackenzie, Building Team Leader of the RJAH Orthopaedic Hospital, said: “We have various buildings across the site that need to be secure, so it’s convenient that the lock enables quick and easy code changes to save time for staff around our busy site. It was easy to install and requires low maintenance, so has certainly freed up more time for our staff.

I’d highly recommend this lock to other building managers.”

Codelocks Smart Locks use sophisticated NetCode technology that allows audit trails to be viewed and downloaded and managers to keep track of who enters the building. Time-specific NetCodes

can also be generated and shared via email or SMS that automatically expire after a certain period, providing staff, patients and families with complete peace of mind.

Codelocks electronic and smart locks do not have to be hardwired into existing systems, meaning that they can easily be retrofitted. This is useful for hospital environments as deployments can be phased, with minimum disruption to operations, medical equipment and patients.

Keyless access locks can also be installed on cabinets, cupboards and lockers to help to restrict access to medicines, sensitive data records and staff and patient belongings. KitLock

by Codelocks is a convenient and stylish alternative to traditional key-operated locker locks that eliminate the inconvenience of coins and keys. The locks can be programmed with private codes that are unique to the user or with time-specific codes to grant temporary public access.

For facilities managers that require a keyless solution for internal and external applications to use with magnetic locks and electric strikes, door controllers are a compact, standalone solution with RFID functionality.

If you are looking to upgrade the security in your medical facility and lock down your access control system, take a step towards smarter security. 

www.codelocks.co.uk

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EDUCATION

CAMPUS FIRE SAFETY AND SECURITY – MAKING THE GRADE After the recent events at Bolton University, where a student accommodation tower went up in flames, Karen Trigg of Allegion UK looks into how campus management must improve their fire safety and security strategies to keep students safe. are more U niversities aware than ever of their responsibility to keep students safe and secure from all potential fire and security threats. However, after the recent events at Bolton University, where a fire ripped through the Cube building (an accommodation block that is home to more than 200 students) in a matter of minutes, there’s an apparent issue.

Two years after the Grenfell tragedy, this shocking case has once again brought to light the serious issue of fire safety standards in high-and low-rise residential buildings, but most recently in our universities. Now, there is mounting pressure on facility managers, security teams and the Government to not only reevaluate building design, but also fire safety and security protocols.

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Whilst the Government is banning combustible materials on new high-rise homes and has committed to replace aluminium composite material (ACM) panels on public sector high-rise residential buildings above 18m in height, there’s still thousands of existing buildings that fall outside the scope of the ban.

Alarmingly, the ban also fails to include 966 existing university and school building projects.

What’s more, other areas such as fire door hardware, evacuation and lockdown procedures and also campus security are all crying out for re-evaluation too. So where should facility managers begin?

A worrying situation A university campus is a complex environment. The size and complexity of the buildings

involved presents a challenge in itself. Adding to that, with student numbers rising, it would appear that facility managers have an increasing number of occupants to consider, and for that, safety protocols need to improve.

In the last five years, more than one in four universities have received complaints from students, staff or the public regarding fire safety or building evacuation procedures. Pair this with the state of student buildings, which in many cases are years old and not regularly maintained, it’s not surprising that safety standards need improving across the board.

Although facility managers may not have full control over the physical building itself, they do usually have jurisdiction for the interior. With this in mind,

it’s crucial for facility managers and security teams to invest in technology and infrastructure, such as door hardware and access control solutions, to maximise security and guarantee student safety and wellbeing.

First steps to fire safety To guarantee the safety of our students, it’s critical for facility managers to ensure that all buildings are well maintained by conducting basic risk assessments. This will involve completing a full evaluation of existing systems, such as fire doors and escape routes – reviewing what could be implemented to enhance facility and occupant safety.

Having a well-fitted fire door is a fundamental element of this.

Under the Fire Safety Order, universities and colleges must

EDUCATION demonstrate, that in the event of danger, it’s possible for people to evacuate a building as quickly and safely as possible – and the state of fire doors falls within this.

In the circumstance of a fire, to help contain it, it’s vital that fire doors are correctly installed and maintained. This involves making sure that the door hardware (including hinges, handles, door closers, locks and signage) is certified, functional, regularly serviced and maintained.

Educating staff and students on what to look out for when checking fire doors and how to spot any potential damage is also important. Simply putting up fire safety posters and guides can go a long way in helping students avoid easy mistakes (such as propping open fire doors) that could otherwise have detrimental consequences.

Integrated security From fire detection to cloudbased security systems, there’s a range of innovative technologies that can be integrated into a university campus. Advanced security systems have a huge number of benefits that universities simply can’t ignore.

With most universities being designed as ‘open environments’, where people can freely move about, the implementation of an integrated security system is key, especially when aiming to streamline the flow of movement without substituting security.

Today, with cloud-based access control, facility managers can simply issue and retract access credentials meaning entry can be allowed or denied based on person, access point or even time of day. In the event that someone has wrongly gained access to a facility, to preserve student, staff and even equipment safety, it’s essential to have an effective lockdown procedure in place.

To avoid any security risks, a lockdown strategy should be based on two critical factors, these being security layers and people and protocols. Regarding layers, every campus is made of the exterior (such as the parking area) and interior (like lecture theatres); therefore, the plan must cover this. There must also be trained people on site to make sure protocols are followed in the event of an emergency.

Furthermore, in the possibility of a safe escape, appropriate digital signage, which can switch between a number of escape routes and guide people towards the safest exists must be clearly seen and understood. Not only this, there must be a designated meeting place for students and staff to meet in the event of a fire.

Action is key As facility managers continue to see the importance of both fire and security elements, it appears more and more educational establishments are now integrating fire and lockdown into one critical incident plan.

It’s no doubt that the safety of students should be a constant goal for facility managers and security teams.

Through education, we can improve our investments into fire safety hardware, our understanding of effective lockdown procedures and our integration of increasingly holistic procedures and infrastructures. Only then can we be confident in our efforts to protect students. 

Sources: https://www.theguardian.com/ uk-news/2019/nov/15/fire-crewsbattle-blaze-at-bolton-studenthousing-building | https://www.gov.uk/ government/news/government-banscombustible-materials-on-high-risehomes https://b4ed.com/Article/1678-highrisk-buildings-still-clad-in-combustiblematerials | https://www.independent.co.uk/ news/education/education-news/ uk-university-applications-figures-risebrexit-ucas-eu-students-a8766631. html | https://www.independent.co.uk/ news/education/education-news/ uk-university-applications-figures-risebrexit-ucas-eu-students-a8766631. html | https://www.fmj.co.uk/ one-in-four-uk-universities-havereceived-complaints-over-fire-safetyand-evacuation-standards/ | https:// www.allegion.co.uk/en/firedoorsafety/ fitbritonandstaysafe.html | https:// www.allegion.co.uk/en/blogs/2018/ firedoorsafety_crucialchecks. html?year=all | https://www.allegion. co.uk/en/aboutus/ourglobalbrands/ isonas.html

www.allegion.com

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LEGAL & BUSINESS

CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK’S IMPACT ON BUSINESS OPERATIONS The coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19) has raised serious health concerns, with some countries imposing travel restrictions to tackle the spread of the illness.

UK, the Government I nhastheconfirmed that workers will receive statutory sick pay from the first day off work to encourage sick employees to selfisolate. Naturally, this has raised more questions about sick pay and working from home.

Reducing the risk to employees The sensible course of action for employers to take at this stage is to note the advice given by official bodies and ensure that this is shared throughout the workforce.

It may also be wise to designate an available space as an ‘isolation room’, to which sick employees could retire whilst calling NHS 111.

Other steps to take include: Update the contact numbers and emergency contact details of employees Ensure that managers are aware of the symptoms of the virus Disseminate information across management on issues such as sick leave and sick pay Ensure that facilities for regular and thorough washing of hands are in place Dispense hand sanitisers and tissues to employees.

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Given the advice around handwashing, it’s important that employers encourage their workforce to take extra care without the fear of being punished for taking slightly longer than usual.

What to do if an employee becomes unwell If an employee exhibits the symptoms of the virus, they should be removed from the proximity of other employees, placed in the designated ‘isolation room’ and encouraged to follow precautions.

Uncertainty over the exact nature of the symptoms may lead to some employees coming to work despite having contracted the virus, without necessary feeling unwell.

If this does happen, then an employer should contact the local Public Health England (PHE) health protection team, and they will discuss the details and outline any precautions which should be taken.

The position on sick pay If an employee is off sick with the virus then the legal situation regarding sick pay is the same

as it is with any other illness; however, the employee is now entitled to statutory sick pay from the first day of work, not the fourth.

The Government has stated that if NHS 111 or a doctor advises an employee or worker to self-isolate, then they should receive any statutory sick pay due to them or contractual sick pay if this is offered by the employer.

In some cases, employees may be able to work from home while in self-isolation. However, in many cases, if an employee cannot attend their place of work, they will be unable to work.

Ultimately, there is no obligation on an employer to allow an employee to stay away from work and, if the nonattendance causes issues or extends beyond an emergency precaution, then an employer is entitled to take disciplinary action.

No time to be divisive Employers must also take steps to ensure that no members of staff, customers or suppliers are treated differently because of their race or ethnicity.

Tina Chander is a partner and Head Of The Employment Team at leading Midlands law firm, Wright Hassall, and deals with contentious and noncontentious employment law issues. She acts for employers of all sizes from small businesses to large national and international businesses, advising in connection with all aspects of employment tribunal proceedings and appeals.

It may be appropriate to remind staff that jokes and banter can slip over the line to become unlawful harassment and/or discrimination, for which an employer may be liable.

Employers can avoid liability by proving they have taken all ‘reasonable steps’ to prevent such behaviour, which includes providing training to all staff. 

www.wrighthassall.co.uk

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TALKING POINT

FIRE RISK IN SCHOOLS AND THE NEED FOR SPRINKLERS Currently, sprinklers are mandatory in new school buildings in Scotland and Wales, but not in England and Northern Ireland. Yet observations on the incidence of fires relative to the population of school buildings indicates that the rate of fires in England is the same as in Scotland and Wales. With more than 600 fires in schools across Great Britain each year costing on average £2.8m for larger incidents (Association of British Insurers), Iain Cox, Chief Executive of the Business Sprinkler Alliance, stresses the importance of spending money on sprinklers, as the cost far outweighs the cost to repair or rebuild schools after fires. study by Zurich A 2019 Municipal, education insurer for half of the schools and universities in the UK, found that two-thirds of schools have ‘poor’ fire protection and are not properly prepared for a potentially damaging fire.

The insurer has stated that a change to Government legislation to make sprinklers mandatory will not only protect children in school, but will also contain a fire to the room it starts when it begins out of school hours.

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The Government is still considering the response to its call for evidence on Building Bulletin 100 (BB100) and the BSA wants the Government to explicitly maintain and enhance the “sprinkler expectation” in the revised BB 100 so that fewer schools are damaged and destroyed by fire. Better still, the Government should make property protection a consideration for the fire safety Building Regulations in order to effectively protect all buildings of significant social and/or economic value from fire.

School fires have a devastating impact on both a school and a community.

Measures such as sprinklers drastically reduce the amount of damage done when there is a fire, and enable schools to get up-and-running quickly, reducing the cost, both economically and socially, to the public. Schools are also vitally important to the community for events, meetings and activities. These can also continue with minimal interruption and without loss of rental income to the school.

Although retired, Iain Cox is still active in the fire safety sector, working in various bodies and committees to promote fire safety in general, especially promoting third-party certification and the greater use of sprinklers. He is Vice Chair of the National Fire Sprinkler Network and leads the Sprinkler Water Liaison Group.

Fire’s effect on education Fire can have negative effects on children’s productivity levels, especially if a costly refurbishment is necessary after a large fire. Not only does a considerable refit pose huge financial cost to the affected school, but it can also disturb children’s education, with low grades jeopardising a child’s career and potential.

When they do return, temporary classrooms are by no means ideal teaching conditions and do not encourage students to feel comfortable and secure

TALKING POINT in their learning spaces. And the bigger the fire, the more costly the refit, meaning students will be forced to spend more time in these uninspiring and possibly inapt temporary classrooms.

Combined with the added noise levels from construction equipment, this hardly makes for a productive learning environment for young students.

The Government acknowledges that missing lessons has an impact on attainment at key stages.

They track attendance and have commissioned reports to confirm it. The pursuit of parents who

take children out of education for holidays is backed by Government spokespeople affirming the detrimental impact on educational attainment of missing a single day of education. The impact of these fires and the disruption that they cause can reduce the results of the students, and the Government’s own statistics, therefore, affirm this.

Selsey Academy On 24th April 2019, the Selsey Academy opened the doors to its rebuilt premises after a fire devastated the original, unsprinklered school in August

2016. In the interim, pupils were taught in temporary classrooms in four locations in the Selsey area and then temporary school Portakabins until the new school was completed. Sadly, the trust that runs it has confirmed the new school has been rebuilt without sprinklers.

The lack of sprinklers in the replacement school has nothing to do with risk but instead may well have more to do with who will pay for this active fire protection in the first place.

Sprinkler installation costs are normally overstated and their

effect understated. They benefit the users of a building, not who constructed it in the first place.

Fire can have a lasting and devastating impact on both schools and communities and must be avoided. Schools should be designed to withstand the risks they will be exposed to – whether that is fire, flood, theft, earthquake or storm, etc. Too often a building is conceived without due consideration as to the impact of those risks over the life of the building.

From disruption to education, to its impact on finances, fire in schools must be avoided.

Although sprinkler systems are a celebrated solution to resolve this crisis and are mandatory in new school buildings in Scotland and Wales, their effectiveness has not led to successful implementation across all UK schools. How many more fires need to occur and children’s educations disrupted before sprinkler installation becomes a prerequisite of school design and safety?



www.business-sprinkler-alliance.org

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FLOORS, WALLS & CEILINGS

HELPING THE PUBLIC TO LOOK UP Anthony Fawcett, Sales Manager (UK, North) for Armstrong Ceiling Solutions, gives eight top considerations when specifying ceilings for public buildings.

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buildings are P ublic among those which have particularly onerous design requirements. Local authority clients must often find themselves torn between conflicting objectives – to provide a building that a wide variety of local taxpayers can be proud of, but at a price that is not going to give their constituents a reason for complaint.

Local pride can be for multiple reasons – the look and function of a building or it being pioneering in some way, such as St Sidwell’s Point in Devon – the world’s first Passivhaus leisure centre – which is currently under construction.

The task at hand becomes even more complex when it is a refurbishment, particularly of a historic building such as a town hall or church, when what is required to bring it up to 21st-century standards can risk alienating local people with long memories and great affection for the original.

Keeping designs simple, safe and sustainable but that cater for all the senses for as long a low-maintenance design life as possible is a challenging brief for any architect long before they need to consider elements such as design standardisation to reduce cost, complexity and build time.

Acoustics are a primary consideration, and the issues here can be complex. For example, a public space like a library requires a

sense of privacy and concentration while a busy, more open public space such as a county hall atrium needs sound absorption to reduce background noise. Then you have buildings with multiple spaces, performing multiple functions, but the same ceiling aesthetic may be required throughout.

So, elements for consideration are: 1. Any space will have an optimum reverberation time (RT) requirement, depending upon its use and size and what its main activity is; for instance, concert halls. Providing too much sound absorption, and hence having a very low RT, can be just as acoustically damaging and undesirable as having insufficient sound absorption when an excessively long reverberation time will result.

2. Calculate the reverberation time of space by using a mathematical model based upon the ‘Sabine’ formula, which takes into account the significant surfaces of a space, their respective sound absorption coefficients and the space dimensions. An acoustic module available from some manufacturers enables a simple indicative calculation to be made.

Once the total sound absorption present in a space (from both planar surfaces and objects) has been calculated, an estimate can be made of the space’s probable

FLOORS, WALLS & CEILINGS reverberation time. The installation of ceiling clouds and canopies in a reverberant space can significantly reduce the reverberation time and contribute to the reduction in background noise.

3. Fire resistance in a suspended ceiling can only be achieved by a combined tile and grid system as there is no such thing as a fireresistant tile or grid. Depending upon national legislation, the type of structure to be protected (wood, concrete or steel) and a manufacturer’s product offer, ceiling systems can typically provide at least 30 and more than 60 minutes’ protection. Full details of the ceiling type and construction, protected structure and tested time are given in fire reports available from the manufacturer.

4. The increased use of concrete thermal slabs as heat sinks rules out wall-towall ceilings. But not having an acoustic ceiling will mean higher reverberation times and unacceptable noise levels. The installation of canopies in a reverberant space, in sufficient numbers and layout to satisfy both technical and aesthetic considerations, can significantly reduce the reverberation time and contribute to the reduction in background noise and people’s comfort and wellbeing.

5. It is now possible to calculate (according to ISO 14021) exactly what degree of recycled content a ceiling tile comprises, and recycling schemes such as those for end-oflife tiles from refurbishment and strip-out projects, both of which divert waste from landfill, will increase this ratio exponentially.

Some ceiling tiles comprise more than 70% recycled material, and some ceiling systems are capable of achieving an Ecopoints rating of 0.16.

6. According to a Brinjac Engineering study (2006) on the environmental effect of high-light reflectance ceilings, the use of a 90% light reflectance ceiling tile combined with indirect lighting

can provide cost savings of up to 20%, equating to as much as an 11% reduction of the energy buildings use, compared with a standard 75% light reflectance tile. Canopies installed over a public space such as an art gallery or library can improve the light reflection over it and provide improved user comfort without affecting other areas.

7. Standard ceiling tiles can not only be used to hide or integrate service elements such as lighting fixtures, loudspeakers, air diffusers, chilled beams and sprinkler systems, but provide minimal grid visibility for a clean and monolithic ceiling finish. The

system can also be integrated into canopies to offer design solutions for thermal mass and is flexible enough to allow the re-configuring of space layouts and service element positions without moving ceiling panels.

8. Consider the building’s natural surroundings and local environment, and in accordance with the current trend towards inside/outside living, design the ceiling with colours, shapes and textures to reflect this, even ‘layer’ the ceiling with canopies at varying heights to perhaps mimic an undulating landscape. 

www.armstrongceiling solutions.co.uk

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MMC

MODERN METHODS OF CONSTRUCTION IN SOCIAL HOUSING Epwin Group, a leading manufacturer of PVC-U windows, doors and fascia systems, recently conducted research including a survey of UK social housing professionals, on the use of modern methods of construction (MMC) in social housing. Here Sonia Travis, Head of Commercial Sales at Epwin Window Systems, discusses MMC, the survey and some of its findings.

Shelter claims T hethatcharity in order to alleviate the crisis, three million social homes must be constructed over the next 20 years, so it is unsurprising that social housing providers are feeling the pressure to find new ways to quickly deliver affordable homes.

The Government certainly sees MMC as a way of modernising the construction industry and increasing productivity, with off-site manufacturing technology laid out as a strategic area of focus in its ambitious Construction Sector Deal.

MMC in social housing Some of the larger social housing providers have committed to the use of MMC by making significant investments in state-of-theart manufacturing facilities, whilst others are partnering with modular manufacturers on developments of all sizes.

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It’s possible that MMC has now reached that commercial tippingpoint that makes it viable and scalable, which is unsurprising given the reported benefits, such as the speed of delivery, cost savings, reduced wastage and improved quality.

Undoubtedly, there is an appetite for MMC out there; however, the pace feels slow, and until the industry matures, many social housing providers may be simply unwilling to take the risk of investing time and money into something they consider unproven.

Reported drawbacks to MMC, and, therefore, barriers to uptake, include the high cost to set-up, the need for economies of scale to make it a financially viable option, negative consumer perceptions of modular or ‘prefab’ housing, and the difficulty in accessing finance for MMC developments.

The survey To better understand the uptake of MMC in social housing, attitudes and perceptions of these construction methods and plans for future use, we surveyed social landlords in late 2019.

How widespread is the use of MMC? It is initially encouraging that 52% of respondents’ organisations have constructed homes using MMC. However, the relatively small size of these developments (42% of respondents have constructed fewer than 100 MMC homes), and the low percentage of MMC construction versus traditional methods (for 65% of respondents, MMC homes represent 0-10% of their total construction output), perhaps offers a truer reflection of the maturity of the market.

In my opinion, these smaller developments could suggest

that social housing providers are testing out the use of MMC before using these methods more widely.

The use of MMC looks set to become more widespread over the coming years, with 100% of those who have constructed homes using these methods stating that they are increasing the number of MMC developments over the coming years. In fact, 70% of these respondents stated that they will be increasing the number of MMC homes by at least 50% year-onyear for the next five years.

It is also interesting to note that there is a correlation between those who have constructed higher numbers of homes using MMC, and a higher percentage increase in planned MMC developments.

In my opinion, this could suggest that larger developments are offering housing associations the economies of scale, which make MMC developments more financially viable.

Is further uptake of MMC imminent?

80% of respondents who are yet to develop using MMC will be using these methods to some degree within the next five years.

Of the 20% who don’t have plans to use MMC in the near future, reasons given include that some developments are

MMC too small to be cost-effective and that MMC suppliers aren’t keen on working on small developments.

Barriers to MMC The most significant perceived barrier to MMC by some margin is the immaturity of MMC manufacturing. Capital investment came in second place, and concern about costeffectiveness in third.

In my view, these are all linked.

MMC requires volume and continuity of demand to offer economies of scale; however, because the market is immature, inefficiencies and inexperience mean that costs can be inflated.

These issues explain why some social housing providers are setting up their own factories or buying their suppliers, as this ensures stability and scalability of supply.

Negative consumer perceptions about MMC homes and difficulty in gaining finance for MMC developments were considered to be the least important barriers.

Benefits of MMC Speed of delivery was ranked as the biggest benefit, with quality of construction coming a close second.

Given the shortage of homes in the UK, and the levels of output needed to meet current and future demand for housing,

it is unsurprising that speed of delivery is viewed as such a significant benefit.

Furthermore, because the homes are precisionmanufactured in a controlled environment, there are fewer snagging or longer-term build issues post-completion than with traditional construction.

This is a significant benefit for social housing providers who are responsible for maintaining the asset post-completion.

It is interesting that over 60% of respondents ranked cost savings as being the least important. In my opinion, this is either a reflection of the immaturity of the market or because cost savings with MMC are associated with economies of scale, and many of the survey respondents’ MMC developments are relatively small.

Greater cost savings could be imminent. Because MMC allows for the faster delivery of homes, reduces defects, improves as-built performance and reduces maintenance costs, as the industry matures, there is a good chance that build costs will come down significantly over the coming years.

For more information on Epwin’s MMC in social housing research or to download the full report, please visit the below website. 

https://buildingforthefuturemodularhousing.epwin.co.uk/

INFECTION CONTROL

UPDATE ON BIOCIDES: THERE IS NO ‘SILVER BULLET’ In recent years, the arguments for and against the use of biocides have intensified. Some pro-biocide organisations (typically manufacturers utilising biocides in their products) are making bolder claims than ever before. In the absence of firm evidence to support these claims, however, there are concerns that these additives may be having no positive impact on infection control, says Lucy Bilotto, European Marketing Manager at Altro.

the same time, newly A tpublished research is painting an increasingly worrying picture regarding the long-term effects of these substances on human and animal health, and on the environment. These issues are being debated widely by academics and regulatory bodies throughout the world.

Pro-biocide claims Organisations on both sides of the divide agree on the need for effective infection control, particularly in sites such as hospitals and commercial kitchens. Those for and against the use of biocides differ, however, on the best practice recommended for hygiene in these environments. They also disagree about the effectiveness (and, therefore, the advisability) of using biocides.

For some years, organisations backing the use of biocides in areas where infection control is paramount have argued that a range of silver-based additives used in products for the healthcare environment are capable of slowing the growth of bacteria, mildew and mould.

The process they describe is one in which silver ions block the ‘food’ required by the bacteria by interfering with the surface of the microbes and coating them.

These organisations argue that

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incorporating silver ions into products used in the hospital or commercial kitchen will reduce the spread of infection.

Anti-biocide arguments Organisations opposed to the use of biocides, however, argue that the use of these substances needs much tighter regulation because the extremely widespread (and largely uncontrolled) use of these chemical additives in the world today leads to antimicrobial resistance.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has identified antimicrobial resistance as a major risk to human life and is urging countries to collaborate in a global action plan to tackle the problem. The WHO factsheet explains that antimicrobial resistance happens when microorganisms (such as bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites) change when they are exposed to antimicrobial drugs (such as antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals, antimalarials and anthelmintics).

Microorganisms that develop antimicrobial resistance are sometimes referred to as ‘superbugs’.

As a result, the medicines become ineffective, and infections persist in the body, increasing the risk of spread to others.

Antimicrobial resistance occurs naturally over time, usually through genetic changes.

However, the misuse and overuse of antimicrobials is accelerating this process.

The extremely widespread use of biocides threatens to speed up antimicrobial resistance because increased exposure means increased opportunity for genetic mutation within the bacteria. WHO stresses that this is not a problem of the future, but an immediate health risk.

Data published by WHO’s Global Antimicrobial Surveillance System group in January 2018 revealed “widespread occurrence of antibiotic resistance among 500,000 people with suspected bacterial infections across 22 countries”.

The most commonly reported resistant bacteria include E.coli and Salmonella, among others.

Genesis Biosciences, a company involved in the development of new ‘ecobenign’ antimicrobial products, explains that a key problem with today’s most commonly used biocides is the long-term contact between biocide residues and the bacteria they are designed to kill. The company states that: “Because the residues contain sub-lethal concentrations of the biocidal product, the targeted bacteria are becoming more

resilient against the products used to treat them”. In other words, the more ‘competitive’ bacteria (often those associated with serious health problems) are not entirely destroyed by the biocide. Instead, they can remain in contact with the biocide over an extended period of time, if traditional hygiene processes are not followed stringently.

This close contact between the bacteria and the chemical designed to kill it creates an ideal environment in which the bacteria can mutate and develop resistance. We all remember the claims about 99.9% of germs being killed by strong cleaning fluids. It is now understood that it is the remaining 0.1% of bacteria that is the long-term risk factor. A particular concern is that use of products containing biocides could lead to a harmful relaxation of cleaning regimes in areas where hygiene is critical, if reliance on the infection control capabilities of the products leads to complacency.

In recent years, a number of scientific studies have contributed towards a better understanding of the processes of mutation involved in the development of antimicrobial resistance as a result of biocide use, in addition to the environmental impact of biocides leaching into water resources.

A research project carried out at the University of Cardiff, for example, concluded that “exposure to triclosan (0.0004%) was associated with a high risk of developing resistance and crossresistance in Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli (E.coli)”. The recommendation of the Cardiff research team is that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and European Union Biocidal Products Regulation should demand information from manufacturers on antimicrobial resistance and cross-resistance in bacteria after the use of their products.

Regulatory decisions The United States regulatory body has already taken action regarding biocides.

On 9th September 2016, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the incorporation of triclosan and 18 other antimicrobial chemicals in household soap products.

In 2017, it banned companies from using triclosan in over-thecounter healthcare antiseptic products without premarket review. The reason given was that manufacturers had failed to provide the FDA with sufficient proof that triclosan was safe and effective in the light of research into long-term health risks, such as antimicrobial resistance.

European regulatory bodies are also taking action. The Biocidal Products Committee (BPC) of the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) has been examining the use of silver copper zeolite, silver sodium hydrogen zirconium phosphate and silver zeolite in a range of different products.

Decisions are still pending for floor- and wallcovering products but, on 17th October 2018, the ECHA BPS decided not to approve the use of silver compounds in disinfectant products.

The committee opted for ‘non-approval’ as there was insufficient evidence to suggest that biocides were effective under dry conditions. The BPC of the ECHA stated, for example, (with regard to silver sodium hydrogen zirconium phosphate): "Generally, the antimicrobial effect of polymer materials containing silver active substances is dependent on how much of the silver is released.

A precondition for the release of silver is a solvent, i.e. a liquid which the material comes into contact with. A dry polymer material surface will not release any silver ions and thus will not exert an antimicrobial effect."

In other words, whilst the committee accepted that biocides might be effective if a surface is immersed continually in a solvent solution, and remains

wet for a period of time, it was not proven that biocides had any antibacterial effect where surfaces are dry. In the absence of this proof, the committee decided not to approve the use of biocides in the disinfectant product category.

Whilst a decision is yet to be made regarding floor- and wallcoverings, the decision regarding disinfectant products has important implications.

Flooring and wallcoverings are typically employed in environments that are predominantly dry, particularly in healthcare sites. So there is every reason to believe that the ECHA BPC will reach a similar non-approval decision regarding the use of biocides in floorand wallcoverings, within the next two to three years, when scientific examination of other product categories reaches completion.

Altro’s policy For manufacturers, such as ourselves, the decision to include or remove biocides has been at the top of the agenda for nearly a decade, so our policies reflect our response to the latest research from academics and regulatory bodies. Traditionally, customers have been keen to have antibacterial additives included in wall- and floorcoverings. In an

INFECTION CONTROL

industry sector where research and technology are advancing rapidly, it is understandable that suppliers and specifiers welcomed this apparent opportunity to solve major issues.

Our technical teams follow scientific and regulatory evidence relating to our products on an ongoing basis; however, as part of our duty to customers and endusers. So a key question for us has been whether it would be better to remove biocides from all of our product ranges, irrespective of customer demand.

A breakthrough in recent years has been the development, by scientists, of new testing protocols for biocides which are revealing new insights and calling earlier findings into question. Responding to the latest evidence from teams of academics and bodies such as the ECHA BPC, we decided back in 2012 that inclusion of biocides could be discontinued in our resilient flooring ranges as they had no positive impact on hygiene. Use of biocides in Altro wall cladding products was also reviewed. In 2012, we decided to exclude biocides when designing new Altro wall cladding ranges and began to supply specific geographical markets (notably, the USA and Nordic markets) with biocide-free materials. Today, we do not include any biocides in our products.

In conclusion, research involving currently-available additives suggests that specifiers and customers should not consider biocides a ‘silver bullet’.

But end customers can continue to rely on solid gold best practice for all areas where infection prevention is paramount.

Firstly, research has confirmed the critical importance of hand hygiene, which has been shown to have far greater impact on infection control than was generally thought. Secondly, irrespective of whether biocides are incorporated into products, good cleaning regimes, that physically remove the microbes from surfaces, remain the most effective way to ensure hygiene criteria are met, even in critical areas. To make this possible, it is advisable to look for impervious, grout-free wallcoverings. A thorough cleaning regime on impervious surfaces, with supporting good hand hygiene, is the answer. 

www.altro.co.uk

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TECHNICAL FOCUS

FALLS AND DRAINAGE ON FLAT ROOFS – A GUIDE FOR SPECIFIERS Flat roofs are rarely ever truly flat. In order to achieve a flat roof’s main purpose – to protect the building below and those who use it from the elements – it must be carefully designed to allow for the effective and efficient drainage, says Martin Bidewell, Head of Technical – Roofing at Sika. of the roof are A reas usually laid to falls so as to drain towards a gutter, chute or drainage outlet. In order to achieve this, there are a number of design considerations that architects and specifiers need to be aware of, as well as relevant standards and regulations to comply with.

So why is good drainage essential on a flat roof? If not tackled properly, poor drainage can lead to a multitude of issues for the finished construction. Primarily, the collection of rainwater in certain areas on the roof can lead to large pools of standing water, which increase the risk of water ingress following any mechanical damage to the waterproofing layer, resulting in costly repairs.

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Water can also cause additional loading on the structure below causing progressive deflection of the deck, especially if these loads have not been allowed for in the original engineer’s design. Aesthetically speaking, standing water is unsightly and can lead to the deposition of dirt and leaves. In turn, this can lead to health and safety problems, including odour and hygiene issues and the collection of unwanted plant species (algae, moss) or insects (mosquitoes).

Frozen water can also cause dangerous conditions for those maintaining the roof.

It is also worth noting that some manufacturers’ guarantees, warranties or insurance may be affected

where the relevant drainage and falls are not achieved, which can leave the specifier and the client in a tricky position.

The importance of designing a flat roof with the correct falls and drainage, as well as specifying the correct systems to avoid the above problems, follows good practice guidance from all stakeholders, including trade associations (SPRA, NFRC, LRWA) and other industry bodies (NHBC, BBA, etc.).

Essentially, the central aim is to ensure “adequate and effective drainage of a roof.”

In terms of regulations, Building Regulation – Part H (Drainage) states that a roof should be free draining and achieve the minimum recommended falls. According to BS 6229 (flat roofs with

continuously supported flexible waterproof coverings) and BS 8217 (reinforced bitumen membranes for roofing): “All flat roof surfaces (including gutter beds) should be designed with a fall of 1:40, to ensure that finished drainage falls of 1:80 are achieved. Allowance should be made for construction tolerances, deflection of structural decking and structural members.”

So, the minimum required finished fall at any point for all flat roofs (defined as <10º) is 1:80, which is less than 1º (0.7).

Therefore, in most cases this is negligible and should not really have any impact on the overall aesthetics of the roof design, other than actually improving it by ensuring large unsightly areas of ponding, are avoided.

Negative or back falls are certainly not acceptable.

When designing a new-build roof, falls are typically created by a number of methods, depending not only on the structure and type of deck but also the complexity of the falls.

Falls can be created within the deck using screeds, timber firings or tilted purlins. For more complex falls layouts, this is often achieved using tapered/ cut-to-falls insulation schemes, which may often provide a more cost-effective solution.

flat roof with the correct falls and drainage, as well as specifying the correct systems to avoid the above

TECHNICAL FOCUS

"The importance of designing a

problems, follows good practice guidance from all stakeholders..."

In terms of roof refurbishment; firstly, it is important to successfully identify the extent of the existing falls, if present. Sometimes these can be hidden by existing finishes (felt chippings or other surface finishes), so care should always be taken when initially surveying the roof. Where existing decks are to remain in place, the installation of a tapered insulation scheme will generally be the easier option to introduce the required falls to a roof.

Geographical location is another element to consider. This will have an impact on the anticipated rainfall duration and intensity, so should be carefully thought out as part of the roof design to ensure the roof is suitably designed to accommodate the anticipated rainfall. A sufficient number and size of rainwater outlets, downpipes and emergency overflows should be allowed for each roof area. Even on a very small roof, at least two drainage points are recommended just in case one becomes blocked.

Drainage calculations should be carried out by a competent person in accordance with ‘BS EN 12056-3 – Gravity drainage systems inside buildings. Roof drainage, layout and calculation.’ Alternatively, the system manufacturer may offer drainage calculations for their own outlets. Look for outlets that have been tested to BS EN 12056, enabling the use of precise flow rates, which will result in more accurate calculations.

Well-respected manufacturers will be able to offer a multitude of technical support services alongside their roofing systems, including drainage calculations, recommendations for size, type and location of outlets/gutters, and bespoke tapered insulation schemes. This support should extend to the installation of the flat roof with on-site visits and inspections to ensure work is of a high standard, and the correct falls and drainage are achieved. These services can be covered as part of the guarantee on the roofing system, providing total peace of mind for all parties involved in the project.

It is vital to get the roof falls and drainage right at the design stage in order to create a low-maintenance roof that performs to its full potential. Not only does this approach reduce costs in the long term, but it also increases the roofing system’s life span, making the whole building more sustainable, which should be the ultimate aim. 

gbr.sarnafil.sika.com/en/ home.html

31

SANITARYWARE

DESIGNING BETTER WASHROOM SPACES USING END-USER INSIGHT There is no question that the coronavirus pandemic has temporarily changed the way we do business. There has been a renewed focus on working from home, but that doesn’t mean the future design of our office spaces is any less important. We may even come to view these environments and our own state of wellbeing with a new-found appreciation, says Anil Madan, Marketing Communications Manager – Specification – at Armitage Shanks.

this in mind, it’s W ith important that designers and architects prioritise end-user wellbeing in the years ahead.

When it comes to washrooms, there is some useful insight and data available that will allow these professionals to do just that.

The ‘Creating Better Washrooms’ whitepaper from Armitage Shanks is available as a free resource which is packed full of useful data to help with the design of these spaces. The study surveyed

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2000 office workers and 400 commercial washroom designers from across Europe on a range of topics, including wellbeing, gender, sustainability, technology and social media. This data was then compared with global studies to outline how designers can deliver more effective and impactful spaces that meet the needs of end-users – now and in the future – in light of changing work-life patterns, demographics and technological innovation.

The report revealed that wellbeing is the number one social factor that designers think will impact washroom design over the next five years. It found that nine in 10 office washroom designers believe this space can have an impact on end-users’ wellbeing – a view that is shared by three-quarters of office workers themselves. 64% of office workers even said that workplace washrooms affect their general job satisfaction.

The findings of the report demonstrate a strong link between commercial washrooms and employee health and wellbeing – an increasingly vital asset for organisations looking to attract and retain the best employees and improve their brand image.

However, in the UK, around 73% of designers agreed that washrooms are the most difficult rooms to design and plan in commercial projects. When comparing designers’ and endusers’ priorities, the study also found that, while there are broad similarities, end-users’ rate aspects such as privacy and space more highly than designers think. With these discrepancies and others in the report’s findings being known, it’s vital that these design professionals make the most of the insight available to them and create with the end-user in mind.

If you’re looking for something interesting to read, which will give you some cuttingedge insight into end-user requirements, download the full and free ‘Creating better washrooms’ report, by visiting the below website. 

www.idealspec.co.uk/resources/whitepapers.html

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FOCUS & INNOVATION

COMAR LAUNCHES THE ECO LT WINDOW AND DOOR SYSTEMS Designed specifically for the British market and offering a truly British engineered solution, Comar profiles have thicker walls providing extra strength and durability.

Comar ECO LT sightlines have been minimised whilst not sacrificing product performance. Large sizes come as standard from the same range of profiles.

With low U-values, energy ratings of A++ and Document Q compliance with Secured by Design status, this is a feature-rich system which guarantees a quality installation. BS 6375 weather performance is unquestioned with the high ratings.

Comar ECO LT is a lightweight version of the ECO range, but the aluminium profile's wall thickness has not been sacrificed, ensuring guaranteed long-term performance. Due to Comar’s robust British design, the size and weight limitations surpass the competition on a size-by-size basis.

Comar 5P.i ECO LT Aluminium Casement Window System has both internally and externally

glazed options. With the resurgence of slim aluminium, high security externally beaded with sloped beads minimises the sightlines and maximises daylight.

The square chamfered profiles are a distinctive feature of this system, keeping the square look of a truly aluminium solution.

Comar 7P.i ECO LT Aluminium Door System has both inward and outward opening options in single or double door combinations.

There are two thresholds available high weather performance and low-rise for seamless balcony terrace integration. Utilising Comar’s trademark P.i. – Polyamide Insulation – thermal break technology, it delivers superior thermal performance with an aesthetic edge. Security concerns are alleviated with the Comar 7P.i ECO LT door exceeding the requirements of PAS 24:2016.

www.comar-alu.co.uk 0208 685 9685 projects@parksidegroup.co.uk

TORMAX ACCESS SOLUTION FOR STUDENT ACCOMMODATION

ENCOURAGING BETTER BUSINESS PRACTICE Commercial installer, The Window Company (Contracts), is one of the first businesses to sign up to the brand-new ‘Good Business Charter’, which has been launched to encourage better business practice in the UK. Backed by both the CBI and the TUC, the new charter is the brainchild of Richer Sounds boss and ethical entrepreneur Julian Richer and will accredit only those companies that can prove they treat their staff, customers and suppliers well. For The Window Company (Contracts), it is the perfect fit. Chairman David Thornton explained: “We have built a successful business on the very principles which underpin this new charter, from paying a real living wage, to paying our suppliers promptly. Businesses who sign up have to satisfy 10 key criteria on things like their commitment to employee representation and wellbeing, ethical sourcing and paying fair tax, and we have done that with ease.”

Globe Works is a brand-new, student accommodation development in the centre of Birmingham. Offering stylish living facilities for up to 520 residents, the building is extremely busy 24/7. Delivering fast and efficient access for all students, TORMAX was contracted, by DW Hicks Building Co, to install its contemporary four-wing automatic revolving door to the main entrance, with an automatic swing door to one side. Both doors are powered by in-house-designed TORMAX operators, combining unparalleled reliability with simple day-to-day programming, allowing practical adjustment of operating speed and hold open/closing times to precisely match pedestrian footfall. Simon Roberts, MD for TORMAX, said: “The enduring combination of a revolving entrance with automatic swing pass door is an extremely practical solution for a wide variety of locations. The revolving door is great at minimising heat loss from a building yet delivers fast-moving access for large numbers of people.“

www.tormax.co.uk 01932 238040 sales@tormax.co.uk www.thewinco.co.uk

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01245 268120

FOCUS & INNOVATION

PRACTICAL HELP TO ‘TICK THE BOXES’ IN ADAPTATION GOOD PRACTICE DELIVERY Best practice examples identified in a new checklist for local housing adaptations provision can already be met by a little care in supply chain selection. & Repair England has C are written the ‘Help with Home Adaptations: Improving Local Services’ guide to help improve services so that delivery of independent living is made easier. It includes a digest of good practice delivery features with links to added value services and fostering of a culture of continuous improvement.

Robin Tuffley, Marketing Manager at Closomat, said: “In reality, key elements of the good practice delivery are already easily available. It just depends on the source of supply for the products that are pivotal to delivery of a home adaptation.

It’s a fact of life that people change, and therefore an

adaptation that met their needs when specified may fail to do so in part or completely within a short period of time. It makes sense, therefore, to future-proof an adaptation, use equipment that adds value and can evolve with the changing needs.

“It helps all involved if the source for that equipment is centred in the UK, with comprehensive tools to support the adaptation process, be it advice through to project management and subsequent maintenance.”

Closomat’s Palma Vita wash & dry toilet fulfils the equipment expectations, whether the adaptation is being self-funded or provided under public sector funding.

It’s the only WC of its kind that can be accessorised initially and retrospectively, so that it continues to enable people to deal with intimate hygiene independently, for as long as possible. In its basic form, it enables everybody – whether or not they require their home adapted – to go to the toilet with optimum hygiene and cleanliness.

When a person becomes less able to perform this ADL, the Palma Vita still enables them to be clean without the need for care intervention. As their condition deteriorates, addition of different operating mechanisms, seats, support systems, all continue to enable independent living, without care intervention in a very private activity.

Closomat is a family-owned, British company, which manufactures in the UK. Its support team is based at the Manchester head office, complemented by nationwide product specialists and engineers. Therefore, it can support individuals and the housing adaptation teams to achieve a timely, future-proofed toilet adaptation from concept, for life. Further information, including top tips on achieving an accessible bathroom, how it works videos and case studies, are all available from the Closomat website. 

www.closomat.co.uk 0161 969 1199 marketing@closomat.co.uk

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FOCUS & INNOVATION

ANCON OFFERING ENHANCED NON-COMBUSTIBLE BALCONY CONNECTOR RANGE

THERMAL IMAGING FOR BUILDINGS AND FM: TESTO 872 BUILDING INSPECTION KIT

Ancon is leading the way in developing solutions to meet the Government’s tough new fire safety requirements for buildings, with the launch of an upgraded range of non-combustible insulated balcony connectors. The development follows news that the existing 18m height limit for combustible materials in high-rise multi-occupancy buildings is to be further reduced to 11m, extending the scope of the regulations to buildings over four storeys and affecting the vast majority of new flats, hospitals, residential care premises and student accommodation. Ancon’s insulated balcony connectors have been re-engineered and now feature non-combustible mineral wool insulation and improved fire-rated thermal pads to maintain its impressive thermal insulation properties and provide the required A1/A2 reaction to fire rating. As well as complying with the combustibility requirements in the current Building (Amendment) Regulations 2018 for wall components in high-rise residential buildings over 18m in height, the Ancon connectors provide contractors with a firesafe solution for all multi-occupancy buildings, regardless of height.

The testo 872 is perfect for building inspection, detecting mouldrisk areas, missing insulation and abnormalities of temperature in buildings. The testo 872 building inspection kit can be used to visualise high-risk areas and make a quick diagnosis to know where to begin work. Thermal imagers have a wide range of applications and those for the testo 872, including detecting structural defects and ensuring building quality, carrying out detailed energy consultancy and support in preventive maintenance – to name a few. The testo 872 building inspection kit comes with the testo 605i thermohygrometer which transmits the room parameters via Bluetooth to the testo 872 thermal imager. Mould-risk areas are shown in amber or red on the camera display – according to the traffic light principle – making it quick and clear to read and document. To make things even easier, the free testo Thermography App enables you to write and send reports on site, as well as saving them online.

www.testo.co.uk www.ancon.co.uk

0114 275 5224

01420 544433

info@testo.co.uk

tech@ancon.co.uk

HELP PATIENTS SPEND A PENNY – FREE!

SAFETY FIRST WITH AMTICO FLOORING Amtico has expanded its Signature 36+ collection of premium and safety luxury vinyl tile (LVT) flooring to suit a variety of commercial applications, including healthcare environments. The flooring’s toughened 1mm upper wear layer provides all the resilience and longlasting properties that Amtico’s Signature collection is known for, while offering enhanced slip resistance for the lifetime of the product. Signature 36+ comprises 24 woods, nine stones and three abstracts to help architects, designers and specifiers create spaces that promote wellbeing and meet safety guidelines. Signature 36+ also contains an active ingredient which has been shown, under blind independent lab tests, to resist the growth of bacteria such as MRSA and E.coli throughout the useable lifetime of the floor.

www.amtico.com/commercial 0121 745 0800 info@amtico.com

NHS Trusts are being given the opportunity to improve provisions for patients, without it costing a penny. The Government has allocated £2m to NHS Trusts specifically to provide changing places assisted accessible toilet, so disabled visitors to the hospital can deal with their intimate hygiene appropriately. Closomat, a leading provider in Britain of away-from-home assisted accessible WC facilities, has launched a package to help NHS Trusts deliver on a successful grant application. Under the offering it will, in-house, provide a complete, ‘wrap-around’ service – design advice, supply and installation – including optimum best practice guidelines, commissioning and subsequent service and maintenance.

www.closomat.co.uk

info@closomat.co.uk

0161 969 1199

KNAUF AMF IS THE PLACE TO FIND ARMSTRONG METAL PRODUCTS IN THE UK Knauf AMF is now the place to find Armstrong metal ceilings, metal mesh ceilings, metal canopies and metal baffles in the UK and Ireland.

This iconic, superbly engineered portfolio of products is available in the UK exclusively from Knauf AMF for new and existing projects. Metal is versatile, durable, almost maintenance-free and really packs a visual punch. It also works really well with the other Knauf AMF ranges, including HERADESIGN and mineral tiles. The company sees it as a natural progression in its aim to offer the most innovative and comprehensive range of aesthetically-led acoustic ceiling and wall solutions for any interior.

www.knaufamf.com

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info@knaufamf.co.uk

0191 518 8600

FOCUS & INNOVATION

VANDAL-PROOF LED SOLAR BOLLARDS LAUNCHED

CISTERMISER’S NEW CPD PRESENTATION EXPLAINS THE BENEFITS OF IOT REMOTE MONITORING

Specialist LED lighting company, Procure Direct, has launched the UK’s first-ever range of commercial vandal-proof LED solar bollards. Designed to create a physical barrier that lights up at night, Procure Direct is marketing the two vandal-proof LED solar bollards to local authorities, hospitals, schools and housebuilders. Optimised to work in UK weather conditions, the two variations – the PD-VDL-001 and PD-VDL-001B – are engineered to perform like conventional bollards but feature high-performing 560 Lumen LEDs, which due to the in-built motion detector, illuminate to full power when people or vehicles come within 4m of the bollard. Both models, which are available to order now, are practically impossible to break, having an IEC/BS EN 60598-1 impact rating of IK10++. The rating means they far exceed the current British Standard requirements, which range from IK1 – able to resist a small tub of butter falling from 56mm – to IK10 – an impact equivalent to dropping a patio gas canister from 400mm.

Intelligent washroom controls and water efficiency specialist Cistermiser has launched a new CPD learning module entitled ‘Using the Internet of Things for Water Temperature Monitoring to Help Reduce Risk of Legionella’. The fourth edition of ACoP L8, published by the HSE in 2013 with technical guidance published separately in Health & Safety Guidance 274, helps duty-holders comply with legal duties and Part 2 of this document specifically deals with control of Legionella bacteria in hot and cold water systems. This CPD fully discusses how remote monitoring systems using IoT technology platforms can deliver significant advantages for management of commercial buildings in the 21st century. One hour in duration with a closing Q&A, this CPD learning module from Cistermiser is presented in a ‘short seminar’ format and is approved by three third party organisations: The CPD Certification Service, RIBA and CIBSE.

www.cistermiser.co.uk

0118 969 1611

www.procuredirect.co.uk 01522 595858 info@procuredirect.co.uk

sales@cistermiser.co.uk

AIRTECH HELPS LANDLORDS MEET NICE GUIDANCE AND HOMES ACT Following the recent launch of ‘Indoor Air Quality at Home’ from the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE), landlords can be assured that Airtech can provide the ventilation solutions and expertise to help them meet the new guidance. The new NICE document explains ways to reduce exposure to indoor pollutants, helping to protect health.

Underlining the importance of good indoor air quality (IAQ), the document highlights the need for effective ventilation within the home. Airtech’s unique datalogging fans help landlords follow this NICE guidance by providing good IAQ and also comply with the new Homes – Fitness for Human Habitation – Act since landlords can ensure ventilation is being used effectively.

www.airtechsolutions.co.uk

info@airtechsolutions.co.uk

01823 690292

AKW LAUNCHES NEW SHOWER WALL PANELLING RANGE AKW has launched its new Origins Wall Panel range, offering installers and end-users alike even more design, colour and finish choices.

The new range comes in both tongue and groove and square edge formats and is available in 16 different colourways. Having the option of 900mm and 600mm width tongue and groove panels or the 1200mm width square edge version means that no matter what the quality of the existing surface, there is a wall panel solution to suit. In addition, the 16 contemporary decors in the range have been inspired by the latest interior design trends, enabling a touch of style to instantly be added to any space.

www.akw-ltd.co.uk

01905 823298

SIMPLY SAVING ENERGY WITH MICROWAVE SWITCHES DANLERS has launched a new range of costeffective mid-range microwave presence detection switches for the automatic control of lighting and ventilation. The products detect movement within the detection area and control the load accordingly. Each product is suitable for switching most lighting loads, including LED and have a detection range of up to 12m. MWCEFL is suitable for flush mounting into false or plasterboard ceilings.

MWCEFL has a snap-fit cover allowing for easy adjustment of time lag and lux level functions. Its slim profile is visually unobtrusive, making it suitable for corridors, offices and washrooms etc.

www.danlers.co.uk sales@danlers.co.uk 01249 443377

sales@akw-ltd.co.uk

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FOCUS & INNOVATION

THREE HAURATON DRAINAGE SYSTEMS INSTALLED AT BIOMASS PLANT The Margam Green Energy Biomass Plant is a 40MW electricity power station utilising chipped wood waste as fuel otherwise destined for landfill. When fully operational, the project will use around 300,000 tonnes of waste wood from nearby regions.

Hauraton supplied three types of channel to meet the rigorous specifications for surface drainage of the main concreted yard surrounding the plant, weighbridges and car park.

Three sizes of RECYFIX HICAP high capacity channels were installed in the yard – 3m of HICAP 1000, 303m of HICAP 2000 and 255m of HICAP 3000.

The total water capacity of the HICAP channels was just over 20,390l.

By installing this system, the channel runs were kept to a minimum so saving on installation costs and future maintenance. Factory fitted with 14mm slotted ductile iron inlets, the channels comply with a loading Class of F900 so can

easily take the weight of a HGV fully laden with wood chips.

Importantly, once installed, the complete system is highly resilient to the twisting forces imposed by the laden vehicles.

42m of FASERFIX SUPER 150 channels with Class F900 ductile iron 20mm gratings were installed around the two weighbridges. The FASERFIX channel component is made from the company’s fibre reinforced concrete with galvanised steel angle housings moulded into the top edges of the channel during production.

This specification is highly resistant to extreme loads and constant dynamic forces and was found to be ideal for the weighbridge application.

The FASERFIX gratings are secured by SIDE-LOCK patented boltless system. The system allows gratings to be installed and later, removed quickly.

Finally, 39m of RECYFIX PRO 100 Type 75mm factory fitted with FIBRETEC heelsafe gratings were installed in the car park. The FIBRETEC grating is moulded from a fibre strengthened Polyamide (PA-GF)

and allows loadings up to Class C250 (BSEN 1433).

All the RECYFIX channel components specified for the project are made from 100% recycled polypropylene derived from post-consumer and postindustrial sources.

www.drainage-projects.co.uk 01582 501380 janine.kennedy@hauraton.com

BATHROOM MODEL TO SUPPORT ‘AGEING IN PLACE’

DEANESTOR WINS £1.3M CONTRACT FOR SPECIALIST CRITICAL CARE CENTRE Deanestor – one of the UK’s leading furniture and fit-out specialists – has been awarded a £1.3m contract by Laing O’Rourke for the manufacture, supply and installation of furniture and fittings for the new £350m Grange University Hospital in South East Wales. Deanestor will manufacture around 3000 furniture items for the 55,000m2 hospital, including laboratory furniture, shelving, bases and wall cabinets in compliance with all relevant HTMs. Its team will procure and fit more than 22,000 products for around 1450 rooms, from mirrors and medi rails to drug cabinets and specialist catheter storage units.

www.deanestor.co.uk/healthcare enquiries@deanestor.com 01623 420041

Housing experts are highlighting that, with the number of over 85s in the UK expected to double in the next 25-years, there is a growing priority to create tailored environments where people can continue to live. The ‘ageing in place’ concept includes factoring occupants’ changing needs into the building design and developing intergenerational living within a single community. Closomat is already delivering the ethos in the bathroom. Its wash & dry toilets are purpose-designed to optimise hygiene and therefore wellbeing and evolve with users’ changing needs. Closomat’s Palma Vita wash & dry toilet can be accessorised to address people’s changing mobility and dexterity.

www.closomat.co.uk

0161 969 1199

OFFSITE SOLUTIONS LAUNCHES UTILITY POD RANGE Offsite Solutions, a UK bathroom pod manufacturer, has launched a range of MEP utility pods. Fitted out in the factory and delivered to site fully completed, this latest advancement in pod technology is designed to accommodate all the mechanical, heating, technology and building services required for individual apartments or studios for build-to-rent or buildto-sell developments. This is a premium product manufactured entirely offsite to suit specific project requirements. All the utility pods will undergo stringent factory testing and quality inspections before arriving on site. These include full function and resistance tests undertaken by an NICEIC-approved electrician. Air testing is carried out on every pod at precalibrated static testing stations.

www.offsitesolutions.com/utilitypods

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info@clos-o-mat.com

01278 780807

info@offsitesolutions.com

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