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BUILDING DESIGN &

CONSTRUCTION THE MAGAZINE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY AUGUST 2013 AUGUST 2013 ISSUE 188

BUILDING ON YOUR DESIGN THE INTERIORS GROUP

BUSY BEES GROUP

TOTALLY DEDICATED TO

BUILDING DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION

CHILDCARE

ALSO INSIDE: SCOTTISH CANALS ENGLISH HERITAGE FLI STRUCTURES CONSTRUCTING EQUALITY

FCO SERVICES A MAJOR CHANGE

WORKING TO A CLEAR PLAN

LAND SECURITIES

ST HELENS COUNCIL KEEPING IT SIMPLE

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EDITOR’S COMMENT

25 YEARS OF STYLISH INTERIORS e were celebrating with the Interiors

of £50m, maintaining the quality, maintaining the integrity, and

Group this month as the specialist in

maintaining the brand. If we’re passionate about one thing more

commercial fit-out celebrated its 25th

than anything else it’s the brand and what it stands for.” So it’s

anniversary. The company, which has

congratulations to Andy and his team. Long may the success

bases all over the world including

continue.

W

London, Abu Dhabi and Dubai, wel-

In this month’s Building Design and Construction I also spoke

comed 25 years at the forefront of commercial interior design in

with FCO Services, the construction arm of the Foreign and

some style.

Commonwealth Office. FCO Services has the fascinating job of

Over 250 industry friends and clients joined Interiors in the

looking after a huge portfolio of buildings across the world

elegant surroundings of London’s Playboy Club to enjoy the

including British and foreign embassies, residences and associat-

delights of the “entertainment” as well as the fine food and drink.

ed estate. In my conversation with Director of Major Projects and

With such huge success in recent years, and another location

Client Delivery Danny Payne and Programme Director for Wider

opened in Oman, CEO and founder Andy Black was in buoyant

Markets Estates and Security Nigel Carter, we spoke about the

mood. With further expansion into central Ireland and continen-

logistics of looking after an estate on such a large scale, the chal-

tal Europe expected, employees, friends and family were able to

lenges of working in foreign environments, and the unique

enjoy the night as a live band, magician and burlesque dancers

nature and capability of the service.

kept everybody entertained.

Andy told me: “We have a fantastic group internally who have an energy and enthusiasm to constantly go that one step further.

It may be an impossible goal, but I would like to grow the busi-

DANIEL STEPHENS

ness to the point where we could stabilise it at a turnover value

EDITOR

MAGAZINE MANAGER: KEN BOOTH TRAINING MANAGER: JONATHAN SEALE FEATURE MANAGERS: VAUGHAN WILKS LUKE ROBINSON ADAM PATCHELL WESLEY DAVIES JOHN HENSON DANIEL BEARDSLEY MARK BRITTEN MATTHEW TERRY EDITOR: DANIEL STEPHENS ART EDITOR: STEVE WILLIAMS DESIGNER: KATE WEBBER

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CONTRIBUTORS: JEFF SENIOR ROB SAMUELS MATT WARING PRODUCTION: VICKI LINDSAY LISA POLLINGER ACCOUNTS: NICK CHARALAMBOUS ADMINISTRATION: CHARLOTTE LEWIS

BUILDING DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION IS PUBLISHED BY: CPL (HUDDERSFIELD) LTD 3 Brook Street, Huddersfield HD1 1EB TEL: +44 (0)1484 411 400 E-MAIL: info@bdcmagazine.co.uk

Building Design and Construction magazine is published

by CPL (Huddersfied) Ltd. Company registered in England & Wales. All material is the copyright of CPL (Huddersfied) Ltd. All rights reserved. Building Design and Construction magazine is the property of CPL (Huddersfied) Ltd. This publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form whole or part without the written permission of a director of CPL (Huddersfied) Ltd. Liability: while every care is taken in the preparation of this magazine, the publishers cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of information herein, or any consequence arising from it. In the case of company or product reviews or comments, these have been based upon the true and honest opinion of the Editor at the time of going to press.

BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE

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CONTENTS

INSIDE...

SECTIONS:

NEWS THE INTERIORS GROUP HEALTH AND SAFETY ROSPA AWARDS CIVILS, TRANSPORT AND UTILITIES WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION EDUCATION SECTOR SOCIAL HOUSING LOCAL AUTHORITIES GOVERNMENT SECTOR BUILDING SERVICES HERITAGE SUSTAINABILITY PAINTING AND DECORATING STEEL INDUSTRY

4 12 24 54 58 66 76 88 94 110 118 136 140 146 148

SUPPLEMENTS AND SPECIALS:

INTERNATIONAL SAFETY AWARDS Awarding health and safety BUSY BEES GROUP Totally dedicated to childcare LAND SECURITIES Working to a clear plan BIFFA Health, safety & quality

24 28 42 48

FMtoday

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THE INTERIORS GROUP

THE MAGAZINE FOR FM PROFESSIONALS

THE FACILITIES SHOW WEST WAY SERVICES BOUYGUES ENERGIES & SERVICES

66

CONSTRUCTING EQUALITY

AFTER PAGE 160 Follow us on

@BDCMagazine 2

BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE

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CONTENTS

FEATURES: NEWS This month’s top stories

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GOVERNMENT SECTOR FCO SERVICES A Major change

110

INTERIOR FIT-OUTS NEWS This month’s top stories

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THE INTERIORS GROUP Building on your design

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ROSPA AWARDS FLI STRUCTURES Aiming high

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CIVILS, TRANSPORT & UTILITIES

BUILDING SERVICES B&ES Fresh approaches

118

VENDUCT ENGINEERING High quality solutions

120

T & A MECHANICAL SERVICES Building on a firm foundation

122

SHERWOODS 40 years of quality service

126

128

LONDON ARRAY London array reaches full capacity

58

MICROGENERATION CERTIFICATION SCHEME This month’s top stories

SCOTTISH CANALS Safeguarding our heritage

60

HOSIE ELECTRICAL Quality service

130

BSRIA Making buildings better

132

ANDREW REID & PARTNERS Practical solutions

134

WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTING EQUALITY LTD It’s mans work

66

BALFOUR BEATTY Leading the way

70

HERITAGE ENGLISH HERITAGE Caring for our heritage

136

EDUCATION SECTOR NEWS This month’s top stories

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UNIVERSITY OF STRATHCLYDE Building for the future

78

MIDKENT COLLEGE Challenging times

82

ABINGDON & WITNEY COLLEGE Where futures grow

86

SUSTAINABILITY ECOBUILD Ecobuilding the future

141

CADISCH–ECOLED Lighting, environment, decoration

142

FINLOG The natural choice

144

PAINTING AND DECORATING SOCIAL HOUSING SECTOR NEWS This month’s top stories

88

EALING COUNCIL Back in control

90

LOCAL AUTHORITIES

60

SCOTTISH CANALS

NEWS This month’s top stories

94

ST HELENS COUNCIL Keeping it simple

96

PLYMOUTH CITY COUNCIL Britain’s ocean city

H&S DECORATING SPECIALISTS 146 The professional decorating company

STEEL INDUSTRY NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STEEL SERVICE CENTRES The voice of steel distribution

148

ARCELOR MITTAL DISTRIBUTION SOLUTIONS UK Exemplary safety

150

KASTO Saws, storage and more

156

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BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE

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NEWS

BOLD STEPS NEEDED ON INFRASTRUCTURE THE GOVERNMENT must take bold steps to speed up and reduce the cost of delivering infrastructure in the UK, according to the sector’s leading industry bodies.

The Infrastructure Alliance represents individuals and companies who together build and maintain the UK’s utilities and transport networks. It is calling for the Government to use its Spending Review on 26 June to make a long-term commitment to deliver the infrastructure that will drive growth in the economy.

Currently UK infrastructure delivery suffers from short-termism and uncertainty, risking the future of the sectors 200,000 employees as well as the companies they work for. Historically this lack of commitment has led to the build up of an ‘infrastructure deficit’ that costs the economy an estimated £78 billion each year in lost activity.

The Government has the opportunity to change this. It has indicated that it supports the provision of greater certainty for the sector, guaranteeing long-term capital spending to build confidence among suppliers. This in turn will dramatically reduce the cost of delivering assets.

The Infrastructure Alliance believes this support must be confirmed at the Spending Review,

and calls for the following actions to ensure that this is achieved: • Identify opportunities to reduce current spending and use savings to fund capital works with high economic returns.

• Commit to five-year funding certainty for the English strategic roads network.

• Provide clarity on decision-making about how the strategic road network is owned and managed in the longer term.

• Enable local authorities to use prudential borrowing to carry out a one-off programme of works to address a £10 billion highway maintenance backlog.

• Develop models to increase the use of private finance to fund flood protection, while using limited public funding to address high-risk projects.

• Maintain support for a positive settlement for Network Rail through the current 2014-19 periodic review process.

• Provide, for the first time, a long-term capital investment commitment to Transport for London to efficiently address the significant capacity issues the city faces.

CENTER PARCS UNVEILS DESIGNS FOR B&K POOL CENTER PARCS has revealed designs for the new Subtropical Swimming Paradise at its new Woburn Forest village being built by Bowmer & Kirkland.

B&K will start construction of the clam-shaped pool roof next month.

The build of the Subtropical Swimming Paradise is on track, with all the Glulam wooden beams that support the roof in place and basement works almost complete.

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Construction of the roof will begin in July with a completion date for the entire structure of January 2014.

B&K’s contract is worth £93m and also includes work on restaurants, spa, a 75-bedroom hotel, sports hall, conference spaces, supermarket and other associated buildings.

ISG has won a separate £61m contract to build 624 lodges at the site while Birse has a £26m roads and technical infrastructure deal.

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•

•

Support local bodies to deliver small but vital projects needed by communities nationwide by increasing loan availability and allowing industry to assist in scheme development.

Provide an update on the UK Guarantees scheme, while opening it up to unlock a wider range of important projects.

Association for Consultancy and Engineering chief executive Dr Nelson Ogunshakin OBE said: “Investment in infrastructure is crucial to the economic competitiveness of the UK as a whole, and financial and political certainty needs to be created and maintained to ensure its efficient and effective delivery.”

Civil Engineering Contractors Association managing director Mark Roper said: “There is a very clear link between the creation of new infrastructure and economic growth. Yet our industry is impeded in the ability to deliver this growth where there is uncertainty over the future of the sector. We welcome the Government’s commitment to greater certainty of investment, and look forward to this promise being crystallised at the spending review.”

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NEWS

NEW SCHEME TO HELP SELF BUILD KEVIN MCCLOUD and Housing Minister Mark Prisk have formerly launched the first ever National Self Build Week aiming to help millions of Britons turn their self build dreams into a reality.

Grand Designs Live, the award winning home build and design show at the London Excel centre was the central hub of activity for National Self Build Week, which also saw events taking place all around the country.

An exclusive Ipsos MORI poll recently showed that around six million people in Briton are currently planning or researching how to build a home for themselves and want to start their new home in the next year

or so. A further one million people have already moved from the ‘researching’ to the ‘action’ stage, and are currently in the process of acquiring a building plot, obtaining planning permission or expect to start construction in the next 12 months.

Despite all this interest, in 2012 only around 12,000 Britons managed to build a home this way. And the UK’s self build output is a fraction of that delivered by most European countries.

This mismatch between ‘desire’ to build a home and the actual output clearly highlighted the need for a dedicated National Self Build Week.

WORK TO START AT 2,550-HOME SITE

EVERTON WINS GREEN AWARD EVERTON has announced that its Stadium Operations team won the Sustainability Award at the fourth annual Stadium Business Awards, which took place earlier.

Everton’s Operations team beat the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Manchester United’s Old Trafford, the Aviva Stadium in Dublin and Marlins Park, Miami to win the award. Wembley Stadium won the award in 2012.

“It was a really tough category this year with very strong entries but Everton’s submission

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impressed on so many levels – technical detail, costings, lifetime carbon reduction, budget ROIs, but also in the context that its sustainability goals were achieved in one of the oldest operating stadia in the world,” commented the award judging panel.

"Goodison is an iconic venue but its age makes it a challenge operationally to continually deliver a service comparable with the finest stadia in this country and, indeed, the world,” said Denise Barrett-Baxendale, the club’s COO.

WORK is set to start on one of South Gloucestershire’s landmark development schemes on the outskirts of Bristol.

The scheme at Emersons Green East was formally granted outline planning allowing site preparation and enabling works to get underway.

Taylor Wimpey, which also owns most of Emersons Green East, plans two new primary schools, a secondary school and other community infrastructure alongside up to 2,550 new homes. The scheme represents the final stage in the Emersons Green development and is a key element in the development of the East Fringe area of South Gloucestershire.

As well as significant new provision for employment and homes, the site will feature new transport infrastructure including a major new Park and Ride facility, a new footbridge over the Avon Ring Road and a network of new footways and cycleways.

Chair of the council’s Development Control East committee Colin Hunt said: “We are pleased that this long awaited development can get underway and bring a much needed, high quality mix of homes to one of the region’s Enterprise Areas.”

Contractor Britannia will formally start work on 24 June.

HONOURS LIST RECOGNISE CONSTRUCTION TRAINING GEOFF LISTER, chairman of the Cross-Industry Construction Apprenticeship Task Force, has been awarded a CBE for services to training in the construction industry.

There is an MBE for Trevor Gamble (below), long-serving chairman of the Construction Plant

Competence Scheme (CPCS), for services to health & safety in construction as well as training.

Robert Williams, chairman and founder of WRW Group, is also recognised with an MBE for his services to skills and training in the construction sector.

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NEWS

MCLAREN NABS £20M HOTEL CONVERSION

McLaren Construction is the front runner to take the job to convert the former Bow Street Magistrates Court in London into a hotel and police museum.

Sources close to the project said the firm looked set to seal a deal ahead of rival bidders ISG and Sisk.

The building – which once housed prisoners including Casanova, Oscar Wilde and the Kray twins – will be partially preserved and

transformed into a 99 bed hotel.

Of the total hotel rooms, four bedrooms will be created from 10 of the existing police cells, located on the first floor of the Martlett Court building.

The main court rooms will be restored and turned into a restaurant.

Work is expected to start before the end of the summer, subject to full planning approval, and take around 21 months to complete.

TOWER HAMLETS PROVIDES THE MOST GREEN HOMES NINE organisations have won awards for their efforts in delivering homes under the Government's Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) scheme.

The BRE Award winners included, London Borough of Tower Hamlets, Southern Housing, Fairview New Homes, Victory Housing, Leazes Homes, Stock Woolstencroft, Richard Hodkinson Consultancy, Michael Axtell from Queensbury Design and Bill Dunster of Zed Factory.

The 2013 Code for Sustainable Homes Awards recognise the wide range of stakeholders across the housing sector which have made progress in delivering against the environmental, business and customer challenges in green housing provision. They range from private and social housing developers, planning authorities, specifiers and funding bodies, to architectural practices, engineers, product manufacturers and Code assessors.

Alan Yates, Technical Director for Sustainability at BRE, said “The Government is currently reviewing

housing standards. Before the regulatory landscape changes we need to recognise the significant time, effort and investment of all the stakeholder groups, involved in delivering sustainable homes as well as appreciate the many tangible benefits that sustainable housing brings: householders can enjoy smaller utility bills, greater security, reduced flood risks, increased natural lighting, improved sound insulation, and many other benefits not currently recognised within Building Regulations. Furthermore, we must not forget that the houses we build today have to remain future proofed in order for them not to have a significant longer term, negative impact upon local communities, our economy and the infrastructure that supports them.

During the event, DCLG data was released which shows that costs of delivering homes to Level 3 & 4 of the CSH have significantly decreased since its introduction in 2007 as the supply chain for products and services has increased, in line with the volume of homes delivered.

CARILLION SECURES £130M CONTRACT FOR OMAN FTSE 250-listed integrated support services company Carillion Alawi has been awarded a £130 contract by the Oman Tourism & Development Company (Omran) to construct exhibition halls, an energy centre and a three-storey car park.

The contract forms part of the Oman Convention and Exhibition

Centre Project, which has an estimated construction value of about of £1.0bn.

The 18-month contract, scheduled to begin in July 2013, involves the construction of 13 buildings.

Carillion Alawi will also deliver mechanical, electrical and plumbing installation, all interior finishes and landscaping.

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FIVE ON SHORTLIST FOR £65M BARRACKS JOB THE DEFENCE Infrastructure Organisation has shortlisted five firms to submit bids to expand Beacon Barracks in Stafford.

Around 360 new homes are planned for service families at the Staffordshire barracks to help accommodate two new signal regiments returning from Germany.

Although the new homes will occupy adjacent land to the main site redevelopment, the work is a separate development.

Stuart Gallacher, DIO Principal Project Manager, said: “DIO’s priority is to support our Armed Forces and their families. This project will be of great benefit to existing and rebasing troops, as well as the wider economy.

The five companies shortlisted are: Seddon Construction; Lend Lease Construction; Lovell Partnerships; Mansell Construction Services and Thomas Vale Construction

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NEWS

FIVE STAR HEALTH AND SAFETY MANAGEMENT AUDIT REVAMP THE BRITISH Safety Council has revised its Five Star Health and Safety Management Audit by placing greater emphasis on assessing safety culture, leadership and employee wellbeing when reviewing an organisation’s overall health and safety performance.

The Five Star Health and Safety Audit provides a detailed and objective evaluation of an organisation’s occupational health and safety management system, benchmarking it against current best practice and providing an overall score and grading.

Used globally by organisations of all sizes and in all sectors of business and industry, the audit verifies the effectiveness of an organisation’s health and safety arrangements, identifies areas of strength and weakness and provides recommendations for improvement where necessary.

The audit focuses on five aspects of an organisation’s safety management systems

and documentation – including policy and organisation, strategy and planning, implementation and review. However, the topics have been updated to more closely reflect internationally recognised approaches to formal safety management.

In particular, throughout the audit, two new important indicators of an organisation’s safety culture – director and management leadership and continuous improvement in safety attitudes and behaviours – are now continually assessed. Providing sufficient scores are achieved under these indicators, this can result in additional marks of 0.5-2%. There is also greater emphasis on assessing the effectiveness of the organisation’s approaches to occupational health, employee wellbeing, allocation of resources for health and safety and planning for health and safety changes – all of which have emerged as important best practice issues in recent years.

David Parr, head of product development and delivery at the British Safety Council, said: “The Five Star Audit is a highly valued and respected method for assessing the quality and effectiveness of an organisation’s health and safety management system, so it is important the audit process reflects best practice trends within this area.

“The inclusion of the two new safety management indicators for leadership and continuous improvement reflect their importance in ensuring high quality safety management. We have also overhauled the audit report document to provide a more accessible executive summary in graphical format, enabling employers to quickly identify both good performance and suggested areas for improvement”.

For information on the Five Star Health and Safety Management Audit visit www.britsafe.org/audit-and-consultancy/audit

RECOGNISED FOR THEIR WORK FLEET IN SAFETY

MASTERNAUT and Balfour Beatty Fleet Services have been recognised for their work in fleet safety with a Fleet Safety Partnership Award at the Fleet Safety Conference.

Organised by road safety charity Brake, the awards celebrate those working in the field of road risk management to improve safety and help reduce the number of road crashes involving at-work drivers.

Masternaut was awarded “Highly Commended” for its work with Balfour Beatty Fleet Services, which has delivered “the most outstanding

results to improve fleet safety”.

Balfour Beatty Fleet Services (BBFS) partnered with Masternaut last year in order to bring it closer to its “Zero Harm” goal, meaning zero fatalities, and zero accidents and injuries across all of the organisation’s operating companies. As the Balfour Beatty fleet operator, BBFS operates the ninth largest fleet in the UK, supplying and managing over 10,000 cars, LCVs, LGVs and specialist commercial vehicles – and required a solution which could support the diverse areas of its business.

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INTERIOR FIT-OUTS: NEWS

PILKINGTON LIBRARY ENABLING WORKS PARAGON Interiors PLC have completed the enabling works to Loughborough University’s library paving the way for the interior design and refurbishment of this important campus facility to be undertaken.

The works did not disrupt the operation of the library which is located on the three floors below therefore a scaffold mounted hoist was erected up the side of the building including a personnel staircase, to

ensure that there was minimal disruption, and with careful programming the noisy demolition works took place within the Christmas close down period.

Peter Upton, Project Manager for Loughborough University said “I would like to express the appreciation of myself and the Library staff for the way that Paragon, and in particular Neil Coltman, carried out the works with minimal disruption to the operation of the Library.

CLAREMONT FLIES HIGH WITH AIS GOLD AWARD CLAREMONT’S interior fit-out of a VIP lounge at Stansted Airport has won gold at this year’s Association of Interior Specialists’ Contractor Awards.

The high-specification fit-out of the 7,000 sq ft passenger lounge was praised by head judge, Clive Hall, director of BDG architecture and design, for its “…quiet simplicity, understated richness of materials and excellent attention to detail in a VIP departure lounge. All elements, from reception to the departure area have been thought through to a high

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degree and executed to perfection.”

The project was completed in 2012 and involved a 14 week programme of works including a reception area, departure lounge, WCs, kitchen and chief executive’s suite.

Tim Frankland of Claremont Group Interiors said: “We couldn’t be more delighted with the news. From start to finish this was one of Claremont’s most prestigious and high specification projects to date so it’s particularly gratifying to know it’s being held up as industry best practice.”

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OFFICE FIT-OUT FOR NYMAN LIBSON PAUL OFFICE PRINCIPLES have just completed an office refurbishment for Nyman Libson Paul, in their offices at London. Nyman Libson Paul have been in business for over 75 years providing a wide range of services from traditional accountancy and tax compliance to much broader commercial, wealth and financial management advice.

Nyman Libson Paul required new carpet, glass partitioning, and floor to ceiling open fronted storage. They chose new high quality furniture to suit the office environment, and help create a fantastic workplace.

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INTERIOR FIT-OUTS: NEWS

OGILVY AND MATHER IN OFFICE RELOCATION OGILVY MATHER, one of the largest communication companies in the UK, is set to leave Canary Wharf in a 200,000 sq/.ft office move back west into the city from whence it came to Sea Containers House.

About 20 years ago, Sir Martin Sorrell thought it was a good idea to move Ogilvy out to Canary Wharf, away from the boho heartlands of Soho – where competitors BBH and the like are entrenched.

Arguably not the best idea, living among the bland corporate investment giants, the company has seemed anxious to move back for some time, to get its finger closer to

the creative pulse of the city. The latest landmark to grab its attention is Sea Containers House, where Ogilvy are close to signing heads of terms with Archlane. Archlane have had impressive redevelopment plans for the site given the go-ahead, which includes a hotel to be designed by Design Research Studio set to open in 2014. Ogilvy Mather looks set to take office space in the new building located conveniently next to Blackfriars Bridge on the banks of the River Thames. TP Bennett have acted as lead architects and planning consultants on the project.

OVERBURY WINS TWO BCO REGIONAL AWARDS OVERBURY received recognition for high quality interior fit out at this year’s British Council for Offices Regional Awards, winning best Fit Out of Workplace in the Midlands and the South of England.

Astellas in Chertsey won the Fit Out of Workplace category for London & the South East. A vacant landmark building was fitted out to provide collaborative working space including conference suites, breakout areas and a staff restaurant.

The Midlands & East Anglia award for Fit Out of Workplace was won by National Grid, Castle Donington. The project was part of a framework for National Grid in which they transformed their working environments by applying the principle of ‘workplace sharing’. At Castle Donington, 400 staff were brought together from five different organisations into a space that accommodated their varied activities and demands.

COMO SCORES A HAT TRICK COMO has added to its collection of BCO (British Council of Offices) awards by winning no less than three awards at this year’s regional ceremonies.

One of the BCO’s primary objectives is to define excellence in office space. Their annual awards programme provides public recognition for top quality design and functionality and have become a benchmark for excellence in workplaces.

The refurbishment and fit out of Microsoft’s Thames Valley Park campus building won the ‘Fit Out of Workplace’ category in the South West, Thames Valley & South Wales Awards. According to the BCO, the judges felt that the creation of a fresh environment to nurture future

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expertise was a worthy recipient of this award.

At the London & South East Awards, Great Portland Estates ‘One Sixty’ project won the ‘Corporate Workplace’ award and was commended for providing a building which suits the tenants business needs perfectly.

Also at the London & South East Awards, the ‘Refurbished / Recycled Workplace’ category was awarded to the Land Securities ‘123 Victoria Street’ scheme. This category is for corporate or commercial buildings where significant works have been carried out to adapt the existing building to modern office use. The scheme was described as ‘a sparkling jewel in the heart of Westminster’.

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INTERIOR FIT-OUTS: THE INTERIORS GROUP

BUILDING ON YOUR DESIGN

THE INTERIORS GROUP CELEBRATE THEIR 25TH ANNIVERSARY THIS YEAR. ANDREW BLACK, CEO AND FOUNDER, LOOKS BACK ON HOW IT STARTED AND WHAT’S IN STORE FOR THE FUTURE

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years of success speaks for itself.

The Interiors Group, which is independently owned and has offices in London, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Oman, has secured a reputation within commercial fit-out that is second to none. Headed by CEO and founder Andrew Black, the company welcomes a quarter of a century in business with plenty to cheer.

Despite global economic uncertainty and a period of recession, The Interiors Group has strategically placed itself in a position of strength.

Evolving with the market has seen the business double turnover in the last ten years thanks largely to successful partnerships, overseas investment, and a shrewd commercial approach that has seen the company remain competitive during a difficult period for the design and interior fit-out industry.

Now a much sought-after specialist in office refurbishments and fit-outs it is little wonder that Andrew highlights his experienced in-house team and their ability to listen to clients in order to deliver the best possible solution, as key reasons for success. The company is also noted for

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the enthusiasm of its CEO, which is evident for all to see (“I love a challenge, and the greater the challenge the earlier I want to get up in the mornings,” he says).

His hands-on approach and hard-graft work ethic has propelled the business forward, both in the UK and internationally, and now we are seeing The Interiors Group deliver between forty and fifty projects annually. Indeed, ten to fifteen projects are ongoing at any one time along side a special works team providing expertise on projects up to a value of £200,000 as well as a dedicated after-care service for current clients.

Contracts, which include category A and category B commercial fit-out along with high-end specialist retail projects, range from £50,000 to £10m. Recent high profile clients include LaSalle Investment Management, Onex, Gulfstream, Cadbury and Getty Images.

EXPERIENCE Certainly, The Interiors Group has experience on its side. However, as Andrew highlights, the evolution of the company, and its subsequent success, has come through acknowledgement of a developing market and the ability to adapt in order to prosper.

BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE

The company charts its history back to the late 1980s when Andrew, alongside Roger McKellar, founded the business as the fit-out partner of Roger’s furniture company Total Office Interiors. As the UK’s largest Steelcase dealership at the time, the partnership initially allowed the new fit-out company to tap into an already established clientele prior to the sale of Total Office Interiors in 1989. In 1991 The Interiors Group took on the first Haworth furniture dealership and over the next few years the businesses operated as two separate entities – furniture dealer and fit-out specialist with a growing strength in design and build projects – before the manufacturers themselves wanted an increased stake in the market which forced a strategy re-think.

This saw the business focus on design and build primarily, working with third-party providers when necessary but with a concentration on commercial projects delivered through the in-house team. However, the market dramatically changed in the aftermath of 9/11. The impact in America, where the company had many of its clients at the time, was significant. This brought about further evolution within the business.

“Throughout the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s, you effectively had two sectors in the

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INTERIOR FIT-OUTS: THE INTERIORS GROUP

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INTERIOR FIT-OUTS: THE INTERIORS GROUP

fit-out industry,” says Andrew. “One would be design and build, the other would be traditional.

You would have your project managers, surveyors, architects and consultants on one side versus the design and build contractors. Therefore, what I wanted to do was court the professional consultant companies directly.”

At the time, The Interiors Group had a large team of in-house designers and everything it was building was developed internally. “We had been a design and build company for fifteen years at that time. So we had fifteen years’ experience of dealing with end users. We felt we knew what made an enduser tick. I basically approached the project managers and said to them if we apply our professional skills in conjunction with yours then as project man-

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agers you will be able to, in principle, spend less time on the project. This either means you can charge a smaller fee and be more successful in your bids, or you’d make a greater profit,” explains Andrew.

The proposition was to develop enduring partnerships to achieve mutual goals. Key to this was better competitiveness within the market while maintaining service quality and building the foundations for long-term success. The Interiors Group approached many of the leading property agency firms and quickly formed relationships with the likes of CBRE. The model: The Interiors Group would handle design and build, the partner would handle project management. If additional services were required such as surveyors or consultants, these would be sought. This concept quickly proved its

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INTERIOR FIT-OUTS: THE INTERIORS GROUP

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THE RESULT OF PARTNERING WITH LEADING PROPERTY MANAGEMENT FIRMS WAS AN INFLUX OF NEW OPPORTUNITIES

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worth. For example, by the end of its first project with CBRE, The Interiors Group had already picked up two more jobs through its association with the property giant.

The result of partnering with leading property management firms was an influx of new opportunities. Although The Interiors Group still had its design capability, many of these projects had designers or architects already attached. This focused attention on the build side of the business.

The company spent this period during the 2000s ensuring it had the relevant skills and experience inhouse. From contracts managers to site agents, Andrew wanted their technical background to be attune to the administrative protocols of large-scale day-to-day site management, over and above a traditional design and build service provider.

This also brought with it reciprocal benefits. The Interiors Group could introduce clients to its property management partners, and in turn, as an ally in the world of construction, the company would find itself as a preferred choice on potential tender lists.

By 2008, with approximately eighty per cent of work sourced through project managers and designed by third-parties, the design team had been reduced by over sixty per cent while the company could boast of an enhanced contracts offering.

Was it working? The proof, as they say, is in the pudding. Within three years turnover had doubled from ÂŁ14m to ÂŁ28m.

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INTERIOR FIT-OUTS: THE INTERIORS GROUP

FRANCHISING By 2008, The Interiors Group was in a position to spread its wings. In the Middle East the construction buzz all seemed to point towards Dubai but Andrew felt the bubble was about to burst. It was therefore a shrewd move to head to Abu Dhabi, a lesser known emirate that was primed for an influx of development. It was this move that helped the company grow through the recession.

“When I first went to Dubai I was offered a lot of money to set up a business doing interior fit-outs. The local partners out there thought they could turn us into a £25m business in 12 months. But you didn’t have to be clair-

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voyant to see the bubble was about to burst. When you scratched the surface things weren’t quite what they seemed.”

So Andrew concentrated his efforts on Abu Dhabi but stresses that patience was key to a successful transition. “We spent well over a year analysing the market, establishing our network, contacting the people we knew, and developing links with the right sorts of people who could help us – for example, there are a lot of ex-pats doing business in Abu Dhabi who used to be, for instance, property agents, project managers and architects in the UK. By the time we properly set-up, because we had taken our time, most of the market in Abu

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INTERIOR FIT-OUTS: THE INTERIORS GROUP

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Dhabi thought we had already been fully incorporated for many months. It made the start up process that much easier.”

The Interiors Group UAE operates as a franchise with regional offices in Dubai and Oman supporting the head office in Abu Dhabi. Its first contract was for the Abu Dhabi government and saw the company carry out a twenty-six-week project on a 90,000 square feet development. This was significant because it highlighted The Interiors Group’s ability to carry out large-scale developments despite being set up primarily to cater for projects up to 10,000 square feet.

Three years on and the Middle East operation is turning over £12m with projects completed for the likes of Santander, Getty Images, Herbert Smith and Cleveland Clinic.

Establishing success overseas is about having a respect and understanding for the culture but it is also about having the knowledge of the market you are entering, says Andrew. “For us, quality of workmanship is absolutely crucial. What we realised is that this standard was in short supply in Abu Dhabi.

If we were to go to America, we’d be competing against lots of companies doing what we do. The difference in the Middle East is that lots of companies are doing it, but it’s been easy to go in there and be the one that does it well.”

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“ESTABLISHING SUCCESS OVERSEAS IS ABOUT HAVING A RESPECT AND UNDERSTANDING FOR THE CULTURE BUT IT IS ALSO ABOUT HAVING THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE MARKET YOU ARE ENTERING”

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INTERIOR FIT-OUTS: THE INTERIORS GROUP There is a confidence within The Interiors Group that is deserved given the hard work and dedication that is clearly evident. Its recent projects in the UK reflect that. Andrew speaks excitedly of the company’s latest work for Havas, having worked with the global media giant on several projects previously.

This new project concerned a 30,000 square feet self-contained London office that was in need of total refurbishment.

The client, MPG Media Contacts (which is part of Havas) came to The Interiors Group looking for a one-stop shop to carry out all design and build on the project. Taking nine weeks to complete, the refurbishment essentially brought all the client’s services under one roof. Encompassing six floors, the challenging contract had to be completed with minimal disruption to the 300 employees based there.

ECO-FRIENDLY The final design delivered the flexible eco-friendly working environment required while echoing the vibrancy of the business. Partnering with architects Jump Studios, The Interiors Group was able to deliver edgy finishes and furnishings to reflect the “cool Britannia” aesthetic of the classic British design. This incorporated a stunning new reception area, a series of meeting rooms, a number of open plan working areas, a production suite and several social spaces.

Andrew is also thrilled to be now working with one of the world’s leading real estate management corporations LaSalle Investment Management. “We took a commercial decision to give them a seriously compet-

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itive rate because we hadn’t worked with them before,” recalls Andrew. “Initially they thought we would be also-rans, that we were simply making up the numbers. But we were commercially keen enough to be brought in for interview. The concept and approach we pitched was chosen by their team, which included their architects and consultants, and we got the job. This was a fantastic strategic result for us.”

The Interiors Group delivered a practical, stylish and timeless 16,000 square feet refurbishment which successfully met the requirements of the brief to reduce space requirement by forty per cent.

Since then, the company has completed four category A landlord re-fits for LaSalle Investment Management on properties they manage.

Its most recent was at St Swithin’s Lane in London. This 25,000 square feet project involved transforming a tired building to create an impressive, sleek reception space together with clean, functional office floors as well as dramatically improving the streetscape by extensively restoring the tired façade.

“LaSalle Investment Management are a fantastic brand and we love working with them and their teams,” says Andrew. “We have different teams allocated by them for each project and maintain good relationships with all. Consequently, this successful relationship has increased our market awareness with other project managers and architects looking to work with us.”

Elsewhere, The Interiors Group has recently completed work on a high-end office fit-out for business airline developer Gulfstream alongside project manager CBRE.

Unsurprisingly, The Interiors Group’s achievements have been recognised. Following a win at last year’s prestigious Mixology awards for the fit out of a head office for a global investment management company, The Interiors Group was back to winning ways in 2013. For its work at Forward Internet Group’s head office in Camden, the company won Mixology’s Commercial Project of the Year.

It is an exciting time for Andrew and the company. Aside from his delight at being chosen recently by several new clients for category B fit-outs up to 45,000 square feet, he has his sights on further franchising opportunities in Ireland and central Europe.

HARD WORK AND DEDICATION The Interiors Group has prospered despite economic uncertainty. Strategy, investment and international recognition has played an important role in the company’s success but Andrew is quick to highlight the hard work and dedication of his team.

“We have a fantastic group internally who have an energy and enthusiasm to constantly go that one step further,” he enthuses. “It may be a challenging goal, but I would like to grow the business in the UK to the point where we could stabilise it at a turnover value of £50m, maintaining the quality, maintaining the integrity, and maintaining the brand. If we’re passionate about one thing more than anything else it’s the brand and what it stands for.” interiorsgroup.co.uk Tel: 020 7495 1885

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HEALTH AND SAFETY: INTERNATIONAL SAFETY AWARDS

AWARDING

HEALTH AND SAFETY THE INTERNATIONAL SAFETY AWARDS GALA DINNER CELEBRATES THE SUCCESS OF THOSE ORGANISATIONS THAT ARE COMMITTED TO THE HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELL-BEING OF THEIR EMPLOYEES

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H

ealth and safety has always been an increasingly important topic in the construction industry. The British Safety Council’s role is to help member organisations, including nearly 2,000 in construction, achieve the highest standards. “Although health and safety sometimes attracts a lot of criticism, our members take it very seriously,” comments Policy Director Neal Stone. “They ensure it’s properly managed and people aren’t being injured or made ill by work. We have to stay in line with what’s happening, which includes considerable growth in the delivery of training and development online.”

An important and very public aspect of the Council’s work is its staging of the annual

International Safety Awards. They recognise organisations’ health and safety achievements, reward those demonstrating a commitment to ensuring high standards and publicise best practice and particular initiatives. Neal says: “We use the event to help spread the word. It’s all well and good recognising and rewarding organisations but what they’re doing needs to reach a wider audience.”

The awards, open to members and non-members, have completed their 55th year and generally attract 550-600 entrants. The latest round had 465 winning organisations, 38 achieving the highest distinction category, 241 awarded a merit and 186 gaining a pass. Results were announced at the time of the Council’s gala dinner in April, with distinction winning organisations receiving their awards on the night.

Being successful in any category is quite an achievement since all applicants have to meet robust success criteria. That starts with the launch in autumn, applicants having four months to complete

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a detailed questionnaire and gather evidence to support their entry. Each application is scrutinised by an independent panel of judges comprising IOSH qualified chartered practitioners. Their main attributes are experience and knowledge in their field, a good eye for detail and the ability to conduct due diligence on evidence.

MEETING CRITERIA “To get any award, you have to demonstrate to the judges you are ensuring good health and safety and meet the scoring criteria,” emphasises Neal. “The questions change every year and this year looked at not only safety hazards organisations had to manage but also the most prominent health hazards, which sometimes get overlooked.

“We wanted to see evidence of senior management actively promoting safety and welfare on sites.

We also looked at emergency arrangements the organisations had in place. And we asked them to set

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“AWARDS HAVE A VERY IMPORTANT PART TO PLAY AND GIVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE. FOR THE WINNERS, AN AWARD IS A PUBLIC DEMONSTRATION THAT THEY’VE ACHIEVED A PRESCRIBED LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE IN TERMS OF MANAGING HEALTH AND SAFETY RISK” NEAL STONE POLICY DIRECTOR

out their objectives and priorities for the coming year having regard to the improvements they were looking to achieve.”

The evidence has to match the marking criteria, which is clearly defined and provided to applicants so they know what’s expected. The structure of the International Safety Awards means entry is open to small companies and individual business units or specific projects of larger ones. That results in a mixture of winners, this year in the construction sector including Bovis Homes, Laing O’Rourke for maintenance of the Severn Bridges and ISG for the reproofing of Leeds Prison.

Croudace Homes is one of few companies to win a distinction in each of the three years since categories were

introduced while Clugston Construction has been a winner for 33 consecutive years.

Distinction winner Aston Martin Lagonda also won the Sword of Honour which, along with the Globe of Honour, has a separate awards ceremony. Neal says: “The Sword of Honour and Globe of Honour are only open to British Safety Council members. For both, you must successfully complete a five star audit, which for the Globe of Honour covers environmental management and for the Sword covers health and safety. It’s a far smaller pool of organisations that can enter and is on a different timescale, launched in autumn with the presentation at the end of November. For the last one in 2012,

Alex Botha, British Safety Council chief executive

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there were 78 Sword winners and eight Globe Winners, eight organisations winning both.”

HEALTH AND SAFETY COMMITMENT All winners receive the benefit of publicity from the Council, in their local media and sector interest.

“Organisations see this as an achievement and something that’s judged by experts who view them as being effective, committed to health and safety and have systems and arrangements in place to manage risks,” claims Neal.

“Awards have a very important part to play and give the opportunity to share knowledge and expertise. For the winners, an award is a public demonstration that they’ve achieved a prescribed level of performance in terms of managing health and safety risk. It’s recognition of their success in doing that and it’s demonstrating that they take health and safety seriously.”

New awards this year are the Health and Safety Champion and the Young Health and Safety Champion, which aim to recognise and reward individuals who don’t necessarily have health and safety as part of their role but have displayed by their behaviour and attitude that they care about it. Both categories are open to organisations that apply for the International Safety Awards, with individ-

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uals proposed being those who managers and colleagues see as being inspirational in raising awareness and helping and encouraging others to achieve the right standards.

The nature of the International Safety Awards is they roll on year after year and develop as they do so. That reflects the work of the British Safety Council as it continues to deal with new challenges. “There are several reforms working their way through into health and safety law,” recounts Neal. “Fundamental changes are taking place, including the review of the Construction (Design Management) Regulations and the review of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations.

“There’s a lot of regulatory change going on and our members want us to represent their views to government and the HSE about the changes being proposed. Equally importantly, they want us help them understand the changes taking place and what the impact is going to be.

If there are changes in regulations and approved codes of practice, they want to know what impact that is going to have on their business and what they need to do to prepare for those changes. We cannot underestimate the significance of the reforms taking place.” www.britsafe.org Tel: 020 8741 1231

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HEALTH AND SAFETY: BUSY BEES GROUP

TOTALLY DEDICATED TO

CHILDCARE THE UK’S LARGEST CHILDCARE NURSERY PROVIDER, WITH 213 CHILDRENS NURSERIES NATIONWIDE

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C

hild care is a hot topic these days but has been a concern for working parents for some considerable time. As long ago as 1983, three families in the West Midlands were struggling to find suitable places for their children and so set up a nursery in Lichfield.

From that small start, the Busy Bees Group was formed and is now the largest childcare provider in the UK with 213 sites providing 19,600 childcare places. Although it’s now owned by leading global education organisation Knowledge Universe, original founder Margaret Randles remains as the Managing Director with co-founder John Woodward as Chairman, ensuring the original values are retained.

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Those values largely revolve around a childcentred approach with each nursery being specifically designed to meet the needs of children. As Head of Compliance John Shattock explains, the values are exemplified in the company’s See the Difference campaign: “That’s something we promote among our own staff and we want parents and visitors to our premises to see that we’re operating differently to our competitors. It involves the appearance of the nursery, the displays, the standard of decoration and premises, the fittings, the furniture, the way the children are; if they’re lively, being entertained and educated or just the way they behave. It’s just the whole business really.”

The commitment to retaining that difference has been tested by Busy Bees’ expansion, achieved

through a combination of new builds and acquisitions. The former have been less frequent of late but involve identifying sites in an area that has the right demographics and obtaining planning permission before progressing.

PURPOSE BUILT “We have a number of standard designs,” recounts John. “Most nurseries are purpose built although some are alterations of large properties. Our head office, for example, has a nursery as part of it and it’s actually an old church building that’s been converted. The four storey building has two floors with ten offices and two floors as a nursery. We also have large houses that have been converted but, ideally, sites are purpose built because they’re more practical when developed from scratch.”

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Most growth recently has been through acquisitions, one of the biggest being the larger Leapfrog Day Nurseries group that added 88 sites in 2007 with a rebranding and refurbishment cost of £12.8 million. That included new uniforms, marketing and promotion materials as well as signage replacement and internal and external refurbishment. As Managing Director Margaret Randles emphasised at the time, it was mainly about making the sites fit the Busy Bees model: “Each project has been bespoke to the individual setting and all improvements reflect the Busy Bees ethos of providing a home-fromhome environment for children.

“Individual nursery rooms have been remodelled and refurbished to further enhance the play opportunities for children. External outdoor spaces

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have received significant investment to fully promote our free-flow programme. Improvements have included the creation of individually designed garden areas that include water features, crawl and glide areas, construction and experimental areas, sensory gardens and wildlife areas The feedback from parents and staff members has been very positive and seeing the children experiencing new opportunities in their play clearly demonstrates their joy and excitement at the change of environment.”

REGIONAL DIFFERENCES The latest acquisition of Just Learning in August 2012 added a further 71 sites throughout England, Wales and Scotland. That regional spread, according

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HEALTH AND SAFETY: BUSY BEES GROUP to John, proved particularly challenging: “There are geographical and regional variations in standards that apply, which are quite difficult to deal with at times. Cultural differences also apply because, for example, people in Scotland may have always done things a different way.

“Buying 71 properties is almost like buying 71 separate businesses and you perhaps don’t realise what you have until you actually start. We’ve had to carry out some quite major refurbishments and make changes to meet fire safety standards or our own standards. We rate a site on our high level of childcare and that includes the standard of our premises.”

Integration of new sites has a number of aims that include ensuring policies are being met so they fit the Busy Bees mould and comply with specific procedures, whether child care ones or related to health and safety. They have to match the Busy Bees’ system and may be eventually rebranded to give them a different look. That might simply involve redecoration or can require the refurbishment of buildings, with a continual refurbishment programme being carried out. Standards can vary considerably to the extent that some require major structural alterations while others need only decoration, a garden makeover or minor refurbishment.

REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE The whole process is generally part of a forward plan that sets out refurbishment needs. There’s also the general upkeep of the portfolio handled by a combination of an in-house maintenance team and external contractors. The former operates mainly in the Midlands and visits nurseries on a six-week cycle to undertake minor repairs. Most of the rest is handled by contractors, covering project work, reactive and scheduled maintenance and testing, with some M&E contractors operating regionally.

All reactive repair requests come through a call centre operated by the Estates Department at the

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NATIONAL SUPPORT CENTRE Over 100 staff are located at the Busy Bees’ National Support Centre to provide support and guidance to all the nurseries. They’re housed in the former chapel of St Matthew’s Hospital, where the external character of the building has been preserved. Inside, an interesting and exciting working environment has been created for the benefit of the head office staff as well as the nursery staff and children for the St Matthew’s Nursery that is situated there.

The building has purpose-designed training facilities for nursery staff to attend courses for their development, helping the organisation retain its Investors in People award continuously since 1994. It also houses all head office teams, including the health and safety team that ensures the necessary standards for continued membership of the British Safety Council. The National Health and Safety Adviser is responsible for advising and updating company policies, monitoring changes in national standards and ensuring they are implemented at the nurseries, and maintaining high standards of safety throughout.

The health and safety team visits nurseries regularly, conducting audits, providing support and liaising with each nursery’s health and safety co-ordinator who ensures guidelines are adhered to at all times. It’s all designed to ensure Busy Bees provides the best care for children and keeps its position as the UK’s number one childcare organisation.

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HEALTH AND SAFETY: BUSY BEES GROUP National Support Centre. They’re then allocated to the appropriate contractor.

John’s role as Head of Compliance encompasses all the activity at every site. “That involves trying to protect us from any sort of legal action,” he says.

“What it means in reality is looking at health and safety standards and food safety standards in all our sites across the UK. It’s really about ensuring everything is not just up to standard but actually goes further than that. We have a team of ten people to handle that and we audit our own premises against a standard and benchmark all our sites for compliance. We have ISO 18001 accreditation so we monitor and manage to that standard.”

Ensuring health and safety standards for the contractors is a little more complex than at most properties because of the number of children.

Under normal circumstances they have to be kept safe, which requires being aware of food allergies and avoiding serious injuries when playing. While refurbishment or other work is being carried out, however, the problems are multiplied because children don’t appreciate or understand the dangers in the way an adult will and may prefer using a power drill that’s left lying around rather than a plastic version.

STRINGENT CONTROLS The obvious solution is to undertake work outside of opening hours but, with many sites operating between 07:00 and 19:00 five days a week, that’s not always practicable. The answer, as John confirms, is a stringent selection and monitoring process, with all contractors subjected to DBS checks (Disclosure Barring Service, the successor to

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CRB checks) and work being covered by comprehensive risk assessments and full consultation and agreement before any work commences.

He says: “We are concerned about them working in a childcare environment and most are aware of that and aware of what they need to do. Some are relatively small contractors that have worked with us for many years and have grown with us from the early days. Most of them are familiar with working in nurseries because they work with us on a regular basis and many are visiting our sites on a daily basis.”

“We have set standards for contractors and those that work for us regularly doing construction

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work are being encouraged to gain 18001 accreditation. We’re the only childcare business with 18001 accreditation and we want contractors to go along the same route. At the moment, we’re saying they should be in CHAS or something like that. If they’re on our sites, it’s clearly a joint responsibility and we expect them to work to a standard that will be monitored by the nursery manager, who’s in charge of the site. The nursery managers are quite aware of the standards and, if they’re not happy with something, they will tell the contractor to stop work immediately.”

SAFETY AWARD It’s a system that works well enough for Busy Bees to have received a Merit in the International Safety Awards after gaining a Distinction the previous year.

That, John believes, is due to the health and safety standards and management system the company has in place, with the system covering general

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health and safety and the employer’s responsibilities to employees, contractors and children. The latter are particularly important and result in the organisation being very heavily regulated and subject to frequent visits and audits by Environmental Health officers, Ofsted and, due to the number of areas where it has properties, over 160 local authorities.

The high number of enforcement and regulatory bodies can cause compliance problems. “They can be slightly conflicting because they have different interests,” states John. “Some particularly want educational things for children and it perhaps does-

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n’t always fit into the requirements of other regulatory bodies. So there can occasionally be some conflicts, certainly on the food hygiene and food safety side. Because we have 213 sites and there can be inconsistencies and variations in the enforcement or interpretation of legislation, we have a primary authority agreement with Lichfield District Council.

If we’re challenged by local authorities across the UK or agencies that regulate our premises, we get Lichfield to arbitrate for us.”

Most of the nurseries operate their own local campaigns and initiatives, which include health and safety schemes that may include fire service visits.

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Environmental schemes are also considered important, with the company looking to gain ISO 14001 accreditation. Various projects are run as part of the educational process for the children, including the growing of plants and waste recycling.

It all adds to the challenges caused by increasing legislation, the varying interpretation of regulations and the differing expectations of parents. The Health and Safety at Work Act, for example, requires Busy Bees to ensure the health, safety and welfare of employees and non-employees. That includes children who inevitably hurt themselves while playing, which some parents treat as part of growing up while others believe should be avoided at all costs.

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It is, nevertheless, all part of running, maintaining and developing the nursery business, which John expects to continue to grow: “We’re committed to increasing the size of our estate from the 213 locations we have at the moment. There are always moves to make new acquisitions, purchase sites and develop new build properties. I expect all those to happen over the next twelve months. The aim of the company is to expand by more acquisitions as well as new builds, which is something we’ve not done for a long time. We want Busy Bees to be the childcare provider of choice.” www.busybeeschildcare.co.uk Tel: 01543 678450

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HEALTH AND SAFETY: LAND SECURITIES

WORKING TO A CLEAR PLAN

LAND SECURITIES DEVELOP AND MANAGE COMMERCIAL PROPERTY THROUGHOUT THE UK MEETING THE NEEDS OF BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITIES

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HEALTH AND SAFETY: LAND SECURITIES

A

s a FTSE 100 company, and the largest Real Estate Investment Trust in the UK, Land Securities is a business based on market-leading strategy and values. The company’s story begins in 1944 when founder Harold Samuel purchased Land Securities Investment Trust Ltd, which at the time, owned three houses in Kensington. After refocusing on commercial property, the company blossomed – quickly becoming the UK’s leading property business. This desire to strive for the very best is no more evident than in Land Securities award-winning health and safety culture, and the pioneering approach the company takes towards its workers wellbeing.

Clive Johnson is the Group Head of Health and Safety at Land Securities, having joined the business in 2011, with the objective to raise the health and safety Profile across the group’s significant portfolio.

“After 18 months with Land Securities, I’ve now got a team of people equipped with the skills and requirements needed for looking after a complex portfolio including shopping centres, retail parks and construction developments up to £900 million,” Clive said. “We’ve changed things around a little bit with the team here - sending people on courses, and up-skilling them to have all the necessary health and safety competencies for the different parts of the business. We’ve got a rounded team now with the necessary skills to manage it all.”

For Land Securities – a company with such a diverse array of property interests, achieving a sense of consistency is difficult with regards to a successful health and safety culture. This, according to Clive, has been a priority in his time at the company. “We’ve put a series of documents together called our “One Best Way”, in which we work with our whole supply chain. The aim is to try to achieve above compliance level, and demonstrate best prac-

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tice across the board. I think a hands-on approach is the only way you can get our colleagues and supply chain to buy into health and safety.”

This aim has also led to a recent innovation in Land Securities’ approach to health and safety through the introduction of “Continuous Improvement Groups”, in which the company gather together related service providers, contractors and consultants to share and promote best practice.

Land Securities set up these groups for six disciplines, which sought to bring the various health and safety representatives from each specialist group together to discuss best practice.

However, more importantly, it presented a real opportunity for Land Securities to set the tone. “The level of safety we set will be the level of safety we get,” said Clive. “Ultimately, what we’re getting now is a consistent approach to health and safety across our entire portfolio. We set these groups up with our whole supply chain, security, cleaning, mechanical, electrical and maintenance, CDMC’s, designers and

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HEALTH AND SAFETY: LAND SECURITIES

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HEALTH AND SAFETY: LAND SECURITIES

principal contractors. The programme is into its second year, and the results have been unbelievable.”

In addition to this, Land Securities has just recently implemented “right card right job” through the principal contractor group, which targets a change of culture on construction sites, says Clive.

“What I’ve noticed over the years is inconsistency with the way that CSCS cards are often being used.

On many building sites, operatives use CSCS cards, just to gain access to site. The CSCS Card should identify the operative and his trade skill, which will then qualify them to undertake certain tasks. Often though, the trade listed on the card doesn’t match up to the actual job undertaken on-site, which can lead to, or be a contributing factor in, an increase in site accidents/incidents.

“In order to combat this, we’ve installed a programme where people working on our site must have the right card for the right job. By doing this, we’re ensuring competence, and making sure each person

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has the right skills for the job. We recognise that we’ve got to raise the bar in the sector we work in.”

The results of this initiative have yet to be measured, with Land Securities recording an extremely low accident/incident rate in 2012. “We did just short of four million man hours last year, and we had nine reportable accidents right across the business,” said Clive. “We’re way below the industry average for accidents, and we’re very proud of that.”

One of the reasons for this record is simply by encouraging an open dialogue amongst the company’s construction workers. “We’ve got an open and honest policy with all our contractors, and our people are very open about recording things. We don’t try to hide accidents, it’s quite the opposite we want to know what’s going on, so we can stop it from happening in the future!”

Land Securities’ progressive and honest approach to health and safety management earned the company an international award from the British

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HEALTH AND SAFETY: LAND SECURITIES Safety Council last year. The award was for the company’s Gunwharf Quays shopping centre in Portsmouth, a ground-breaking £200 million redevelopment of the harbour. “We’ve instigated a complete culture at Gunwharf Quays to make sure it’s a safe place for people to come and shop – it’s all about being proactive, managing safety with huge crowds, and creating a safe shopping experience.”

HEALTH AND SAFETY AIMS Recently, the company revealed its health and safety aims for 2013, with Clive outlining four key objectives for the year ahead. “Our first objective is to provide a vision for behavioural change for both our employees and supply chain through One Best Way, and our health and safety pledge.

“Secondly, we aim to encourage visible leadership in health and safety, and thirdly, we intend to work towards ‘Destination Zero’, in our journey to achieve an injury-free environment.”

While these three objectives will undoubtedly raise the bar for Land Securities’ already extremely successful health and safety record, it is the fourth aim that perhaps resonates the most. “Our final objective is to bring the ‘health’ back into health and safety,” said Clive. “We’re introducing occupational medical surveillance on all our development projects, which is something the British Safety Council, H.S.E and BOHS are extremely pleased with. It is a great example of the client setting the tone.”

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There were unfortunately 50 fatal accidents in construction last year, but over 8,000 deaths through construction-related occupational diseases.

The effects of being exposed to damaging substances and fumes such as silica dust and diesel fumes, are not felt for years, which is possibly why the issue has slipped under the radar. Clive elaborates, “Silica is a good example of this issue, you often see workers cutting slabs with dust going everywhere - silicon fibres can be as carcinogenic as asbestos! What Land Securities want to do as a business is to not only make our construction sites safer, but healthier too. We want to give people a long and happy retirement, thanks to a healthy working environment.”

This particular policy is extremely forward thinking, with Clive not anticipating quantifiable results in

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the short term. “Our health policy is new for this year, and it’s not going to be a quick fix. We’ll have to work hard, and I don’t think you’ll see any results in the first year - it’s about getting the ball rolling.

“You can introduce policies to reduce injuries and see results pretty quickly. We’re not going to see results for several years – except for people living longer!”

Clive is confident that putting the “health” back into health and safety is a long-overdue advancement in effective policy. “This is something that the industry is looking for clients to drive, as it’s overlooked – and it shouldn’t be. We as a business can do something about it, and that’s what we’re trying to do.” www.landsecurities.com Tel: 020 7413 9000

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BIFFA :feature 2 25/06/2013 12:28 Page 48

HEALTH AND SAFETY: BIFFA

HEALTH, SAFETY & QUALITY BIFFA IS THE LEADING NATIONWIDE INTEGRATED WASTE MANAGEMENT BUSINESS PROVIDING COLLECTION, TREATMENT, RECYCLING AND TECHNOLOGICALLY-DRIVEN ENERGY GENERATION SERVICES

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HEALTH AND SAFETY: BIFFA

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s a leading nationwide provider of integrated waste management services, Biffa is at the forefront of the increased emphasis on dealing with waste efficiently and correctly. The company also sets high standards for health, safety and welfare, as evidenced by its recent success in the International Safety Awards.

Biffa celebrated its centenary last year and has grown from a family business, founded in 1912 collecting power station ash and clinker, to a company with 6,500 employees and 2,000 vehicles operating via an extensive UK-wide infrastructure. The company is organised into four divisions, the Industrial and Commercial division collects waste from businesses and Municipal provides domestic waste collection for approximately forty councils.

The Resource, Recycling and Treatment division provides landfill, chemical and hazardous waste treatment and material recycling facilities while Engineering handles PFI municipal contracts, anaerobic and microbiological recycling facilities.

ACTIVE INVOLVEMENT The Municipal division achieved a Merit in the latest International Safety Awards and Head of Health, Safety and Quality Matthew Humphreys attributes success to several reasons: “It all starts with our leadership; our chief executive; Ian Wakelin is very proactive and considers the safety of our work colleagues his number one priority. SHEQ matters are discussed at board level and Ian is actively involved in creating and developing the direction we travel.

We cascade this agenda through the business and the divisional directors are also actively involved in improving health, safety and welfare. We’re also very keen on engaging with our colleagues, by encouraging them to get on board with safety and making sure they’re involved with the process.”

The course of action to improve safety works throughout the company, from high level documents with objectives and targets from which each division defines its own strategy to achieve them, to Safety Improvement Team meetings involving colleagues at the front end of the business. A particular feature has been the i for Safety behavioural safety campaign that aims to engage management teams and employees through a series of workshops. Central to this is a DVD featuring the chief executive, who introduces the five critical behaviours — don’t cut corners; speak up on safety; stay focused; follow the rules and stop, think, check, act.

Safety Improvement Teams were introduced as part of the i for safety campaign to replace Safety Committee Meetings and noticeable improvements have resulted from a much more engaged workforce. Reported incidents and accidents are shared across the business, highlighting which of the critical behaviours was missing and what was the cause.

The reporting of all incidents is actively encouraged and made simple by the availability of a near miss and hazard reporting telephone number, reporting cards, an online reporting system and an email address where issues are dealt with confidentially.

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The immediate effect was a doubling of incident reports, the frequency of which is now reducing in line with lost time incidents.

UNIQUE CHALLENGES The biggest achiever in the International Safety Awards was the Municipal division, which faces unique challenges due to its employees working on public highways and contending with passing traffic.

“We’ve mounted several campaigns,” recalls Divisional SHEQ Coach Claire Odd. “We held a competition for our frontline workforce to design curtains for the back of vehicle bin lifters. The curtains have messages to motorists about giving us room to work safely and that work is being undertaken for local authorities collecting refuse and recycling. We received a fantastic response from our colleagues at the front end of the business in designing a number of different banners and slogans.”

The slogans were eventually incorporated on curtains fitted to new vehicles and featured on the BBC’s One Show. They fit in nicely with the i for Safety campaign and the ongoing push for employee engagement and public awareness.

One advantage the Municipal division has is a regular client base and the opportunity to build relationships that contribute to safer working practices.

Claire says: “Our partnership working is very

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HEALTH AND SAFETY: BIFFA important and is so valuable that, if there’s a problem, it’s discussed and changes are made for safer working. There’s been a big swing in how safety is managed at contract levels and it’s much more effective.”

The Industrial and Commercial division has been running Health and Safety Weeks at individual depots to highlight issues and focus on specific topics. Other initiatives include incident investigation training for all their managers, the design of bespoke gloves to reduce cuts when sorting waste for recycling and sharing best practice through various bodies such as the British Safety Council and the Environmental Services Association. The latest is a new project partnership to assist with occupational health issues.

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH The company has operated an occupational health service for several years but that will be improved with enhanced surveillance programmes plus advice, consultancy and personal monitoring. “We are involved with welfare issues, not just health and safety,” remarks Group SHEQ Systems Manager Victoria Paffett. “We want to make sure our colleagues are healthy out of work as well as in work and that’s very important to us.”

In addition to the divisional International Safety Awards, a company employee was runner-up in the British Safety Council’s inaugural Health and Safety Champion award and Biffa has its own Diamond Awards, which recognise excellence in health and safety. These awards are, in Matthew’s view, crucial to the promotion of standards: “We’re very keen on employee engagement and they’re a great way to highlight and reward those who go beyond the call of duty. When we publicise these awards internally, the feedback from employees is magnificent and it

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gives everyone a lift by being recognised for the good work they and we are doing. Externally, the awards and recognition give us a competitive edge and appreciation from our customers for improving our safety performance.”

The business focus is on managing waste and that’s changed over recent years due to increased landfill taxes, corporate responsibility, environmental and sustainability requirements, in addition to adapting to customer needs. “We’ve successfully integrated other resource management options, such as microbiological treatment and anaerobic digestion facilities,” explains Victoria. “Biffa has recognised the importance of adapting from its early tradition of taking waste to landfill to develop state of the art resource recovery and treatment facilities.”

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HEALTH AND SAFETY: BIFFA

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HEALTH AND SAFETY: BIFFA

PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT To give a real focus to Biffa’s drive for improvement, it introduced a themed approach in 2011, which gives clarity to the journey and secures greater employee engagement and direction – 2011 was ‘The Year of Design’, 2012 ‘The Year of Delivery’ and 2013 is ‘The Year of Improvement’.

The approach has seen an improvement in performance at all levels and the aim is to continue that towards ‘The Year of Excellence’ in 2014.

“We have an employee engagement survey each year,” comments

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Matthew. “It’s a holistic employee engagement across the business that measures our improvement, with health, safety and welfare being the number one area last year where employees felt they were most engaged. We’re awaiting results for this year and we’re confident a positive message will be maintained, if not improved further.”

www.biffa.co.uk Sales enquiries: 0800 307 307 Customer enquiries: 0800 601 601

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FLI Structures:feature 2 20/06/2013 16:26 Page 54

ROSPA AWARDS: FLI STRUCTURES

FLI STRUCTURES IS THE UK'S NUMBER 1 SCREW PILE AND MASTS & TOWERS MANUFACTURER!

AIMING

HIGH

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ROSPA AWARDS: FLI STRUCTURES

to meet clients’ specific needs and are either free standing or supported by guide wires.

The fall in demand for telecoms masts has been offset by work from the expanding wind farm industry. Dave says: “Before a wind farm can be set up, it’s necessary to take initial measurements and then on-going measurements after that. They need masts that hold anemometers and various other measuring devices to check wind speed and consistency.”

A recent contract for international marine energy company SeaRoc involved the design and manufacture of two 92 metre masts to be erected at Dogger Bank offshore wind farm in the North Sea. Both masts were designed to cope with high wind

speeds and have attachments for fourteen boom arms fitted with wind vanes, anemometer sensors, data loggers and temperature and humidity sensors. They were assembled at the quayside by an FLI rigging team and transported to site in two sections.

The screw pile foundation solution that is FLI’s other main product is used for underpinning and to support structures. Each is designed to suit particular ground conditions and they have many advantages over traditional concrete foundations, including speed and ease of installation, flexibility and sustainability. “If you’re working at the side of the railway and you’re going to concrete something in, it can take days,” explains Dave. “Teams can usually

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n opportunist’s view of life is that one door opens as another closes and that’s certainly been the case for FLI Structures. As mobile phone businesses have amalgamated, the number of masts has reduced, but demand from the wind farm industry is growing and the company has simply moved into that market.

FLI’s two main products are tower structures and screw pile foundations, and it’s the UK’s number one supplier for both. “We’re a full service supplier,” claims QHSE Manager Dave Bufton. “We design, make and install the products.”

The original business was set up over sixty years ago and operated in the radar and telecommunications market. FLI now designs and manufactures a range of tower structures for various purposes, including some resembling trees for use in environmentally sensitive areas. Nearly all are bespoke

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ROSPA AWARDS: FLI STRUCTURES only work at weekends or at night so time is at a premium. We can, after proper planning, install a complete structure with foundations in one shift.”

ROSPA PERFORMANCE FLI’s customers include principal contractors working on rail, highway and utility projects, so installation teams are often working in potentially dangerous situations. Despite this, it has gradually improved its performance with RoSPA, gaining Merit, Bronze and Silver in successive years.

Dave views the awards as recognition of employees’ contributions and attributes the success to the safety systems and culture at the company.

It’s also, he believes, due to the initiatives put in place: “We have a process called ‘Don’t Walk By’ where everybody’s empowered to report dangerous acts and occurrences. That works very well because employees are not only empowered to do it, they actually do it.

“Many people are reluctant to report incidents involving their workmates but this is very open and the culture is really good. Employees carry Don’t Walk By pads to record anything and raise it with their team leader immediately. Most reported incidents are put right straight away and are reported as action and feedback to prevent anything in the future.”

The follow-up to the Don’t Walk By campaign is an initiative on behavioural safety that aims to prevent incidents happening in the first place. That’s based on a belief that all accidents are caused by someone’s incorrect action or failure to do something and so the aim is to have employees behaving in a safer way.

SPREADING THE CONCEPT The whole concept has been spread not only throughout the business but to every site where FLI works. “We take our Don’t Walk By pads there too,” confirms Dave. “We capture anything that’s not right and it’s not just for our company. We get good feedback from customers who benefit from this process.”

Since FLI mainly works through principal contractors, fulfilling environmental responsibilities generally involves conforming to all aspects of the contractor’s work package plan. However, issues do arise, such as the identification of Japanese Knotweed during railway work that requires processes to be put in place for safe removal.

Most of Dave’s time is spent ensuring compliance and that all projects run smoothly. To back that up, the company has ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OSHAS 18001. The railway work requires more, however, with many Network Rail regulations to be adhered to, and the company is Achilles Link-up approved to do the work.

In effect, as the company has diversified into other markets, the requirements have increased and the pressure to comply has grown. The improving attainment level of RoSPA awards suggests FLI is continuing to raise the bar. www.fli.co.uk Tel: 01452 722200

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ROSPA AWARDS: FLI STRUCTURES

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civils news:feature 2 20/06/2013 16:36 Page 58

CIVILS, TRANSPORT AND UTILITIES: LONDON ARRAY

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CIVILS, TRANSPORT AND UTILITIES: LONDON ARRAY

LONDON ARRAY REACHES FULL CAPACITY

THE LONDON ARRAY IS NOW OFFICIALLY THE LARGEST OFFSHORE WINDFARM IN THE WORLD

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ull capacity has now been reached at the 630MW first phase of the world’s largest offshore wind farm, the London Array.

The commissioning of the 175th and final turbine happened at 16.09 on Saturday, 6 April.

With all turbines now exporting power to the national grid, London Array is expected to produce enough green electricity to power nearly half a million homes a year.

Turbine installation was completed in December 2012; since then the project has focused on fully commissioning and putting into operation all 175 of the 3.6MW Siemens turbines by this spring.

“This is the final major milestone of the construction phase and the culmination of more than two years’ offshore construction work which began in March 2011 with the installation of the first foundation,” said Project Director Richard Rigg.

“It has been a complex operation but I am delighted that the commissioning of the wind farm has now been completed on schedule, despite the worst of the winter weather.”

The project has started handing over to the Operations and Maintenance Team.

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This will be completed in the summer when the last shallow array cable has been buried.

Benj Sykes, Country Manager for DONG Energy’s UK Wind business, said: “Building London Array, the world’s largest offshore wind farm, is a great achievement.

“As we now look to our pipeline of future projects, DONG Energy is determined to drive down the costs of our offshore wind farms to €100 per megawatt hour for projects we’ll be sanctioning in 2020.

“What we have learnt at London Array, together with our continuing focus on innovation in technologies and techniques, will help us achieve that.”

Tony Cocker, Chief Executive Officer of E.ON UK, commented: “London Array is a significant achievement in renewable energy. The world’s largest operational offshore wind farm will be capable of generating enough energy to power nearly half a million homes and reduce harmful CO2 emissions by over 900,000 tonnes a year.

“It’s been a tough time for the team working on site. The recent bad weather and north easterly winds have whipped up the waves preventing access to the site so

this milestone is true reward for their hard work.”

Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Chief Executive Officer of Masdar, said: “Just over two years ago, we celebrated the first of 177 foundation installations in this massive undertaking. Today, after overcoming challenges on both land and at sea, we celebrate the commissioning of the final turbine.

“As a partner in some of the world’s most sophisticated and large-scale renewable energy projects, Masdar recognises the value of robust collaborative efforts as exemplified by the London Array. Masdar is proud to be contributing to the United Kingdom’s clean energy mix and remains committed to growing offshore wind capacity in the UK and worldwide.”

London Array is being built around 20km off the coasts of Kent and Essex on a 245km2 site. Phase One covers an area of 90km2 and includes 175 turbines with a combined capacity of 630MW. A possible second phase could add enough capacity to bring the total to 870MW. The project consortium partners have the following shareholdings: DONG Energy owns 50%, E.ON has 30% and Masdar has a 20% stake.

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Plymouth City Council:feature 2 27/06/2013 10:13 Page 104

LOCAL AUTHORITIES: PLYMOUTH CITY COUNCIL

BRITAIN’S OCEAN CITY THE REBRANDING OF PLYMOUTH AS BRITAIN’S OCEAN CITY REFLECTS ITS HISTORY AS A NAVAL BASE AND DOCKYARD

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LOCAL AUTHORITIES: PLYMOUTH CITY COUNCIL

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he rebranding of Plymouth as Britain’s Ocean City reflects its long standing relationship to the world’s oceans and being a point of departure to the rest of the world. Historically, the city was predominantly known as a Naval Base and Dockyard.

Although the base remains important and is the largest in Western Europe, its employment is one quarter of peak levels, with city growth lately driven by becoming a university city and the development of high quality jobs within sectors such as manufacturing and health.

Plymouth city centre was destroyed in World War 2, with redevelopment not completed until the 1980s. Large parts of the city continue to be regenerated, which is coupled with a plan to grow the population from 260,000 to 300,000 by 2031 against a vision to be one of Europe’s leading waterfront cities.

“The ambition for more scale and to increase job opportunities is definitely there,” states Director of Place Anthony Payne. “The city council wants employment growth and to see the city transformed against an ethos of co-operative values, creating a fairer Plymouth where everyone does their bit.

“The 2003 Mackay Vision sets the long-term framework and we have a Plymouth Core Strategy we’re revising to create a ‘Plymouth Plan’ to take us through to 2031. The Plymouth Plan is not just about city regeneration but about the relationships of all agendas in the city, whether adult social care, the provision of health or transport services, economic growth and how all that can be encapsulated in one overarching plan to provide benefits for health, wellbeing and cultural improvement.”

DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES The priorities are to regenerate the city centre, maximise the benefits of the waterfront and promote development of the City’s northern and eastern corridors. To the north there is the very successful Tamar Science Park, which will be further expanded over time. A sustainable extension to the east at Sherford has just received a £32 million HCA loan

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to kick-start development and will result in the construction of over 5,000 homes.

A Get Plymouth Building programme, as Anthony recounts, aims to bring forward housing development: “We had many stalled sites and we’ve done some fast-tracking with developers to encourage some to come forward. As a result, this year we have another 400 housing units coming out of the ground.

“We’ve released ten council-owned sites to accelerate housing delivery and private sector partners have been identified. This will bring forward over 600 homes, 250 of which will be affordable. We have worked with the HCA to fund some of those projects, with about £4 million of HCA grants having been made available.”

The largest housing regeneration in the south of England is currently underway at North Prospect, a ten-year regeneration of a 1920s housing estate for Plymouth Community Homes with Barratts as the lead developer. A combination of refurbishment with demolition and replacement will result in the creation of a new community with quality homes and community facilities.

Also going through is an eco housing development by CornerstoneZED of code 6 homes. All that CONTINUED ON PAGE 1084

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LOCAL AUTHORITIES: PLYMOUTH CITY COUNCIL adds up to a lot of house building activity, with the move to improve the quality and range of housing supported by a push to increase job opportunities.

JOB CREATION “During the course of 2012-13, the economic development service supported the creation of over 1,000 jobs and safeguarded over 400,” comments Anthony. “The administration has developed a Plan for Jobs, aiming to create over 2,000 jobs within two years. It contains nineteen projects plus a pipeline of 45 and some are already beginning to bear fruit.”

As part of the Plan for Jobs is the 1,000 Club, an initiative that supports young people into employment in the city, which has already led to the creation of just over 1,000 new jobs, apprenticeships and work placements. In addition, there’s a Plymouth Investment Fund with £20 million being allocated by the Council to support development. Some of that money is going towards developing new manufacturing space to help support the growth and creation of new manufacturing ventures.

The Council has created the cross-sector Plymouth Growth Board to support the growth agenda, Destination Plymouth for visitor promotion

and a Culture Board to drive cultural regeneration.

It’s also working with Devon and Cornwall to explore future opportunities in the marine sector through its emerging City Deal work and has some major waterfront regeneration projects led by the English Cities Fund and Legal & General for marina and housing development.

City centre projects include a £7 million scheme to modernise the Theatre Royal, the southwest’s largest theatre and third most successful theatre in the country, into what Anthony describes as a ‘brilliant facility’. Next door is the Civic Office, a Grade 2 listed 1960s tower block due for major regeneration.

COMMUNITY REGENERATION The Devonport area of the City has benefitted from being a New Deal area and has seen significant change. The Grade 1 listed Devonport Guild Hall has been converted into a community facility for cultural events and conferences whilst the Royal William Yard is 75% restored back into use by Urban Splash.

This houses one of the country’s finest collections of Grade 1 listed buildings and, having started as an apartment-led regeneration scheme, now has a significant number of bars, office space and restaurants

The Thousand Club is an initiative that aims to encourage every company in the city to create jobs

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LOCAL AUTHORITIES: PLYMOUTH CITY COUNCIL

“WE SEE THE CITY OF CULTURE BID AS A DRIVER FOR THE CITY’S GROWTH AND REGENERATION. EQUALLY, THAT CAN TRANSFORM COMMUNITIES AND MAKE PEOPLE COME TO THE CITY FOR EVENTS.”

with new entries into the Plymouth market including Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage, Wagamamas and Las Iguanas.

Other projects include a schools building programme and new urban technology college, due to open in September, and a business innovation centre. Projects that are in the pipeline include a £55 million development of the football stadium (subject to a successful planning application) and proposals for incubation art spaces and a major visitor attraction. Activities have paved the way for the city’s application to be City of Culture 2017 and, even though it didn’t make the final shortlist, Anthony believes the effort wasn’t wasted: “We see the City of Culture bid as a driver for the city’s growth and regeneration. Equally, that can transform communities and make people come to the city for events.”

The next major milestone for the City is Mayflower 2020, the planned celebration of the

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400th anniversary of the sailing of the Pilgrim Fathers. With the city having strong links with Plymouth in Massachusetts and with Boston, the hope is to invite past and present US Presidents and make it a global event. Mayflower 2020 will provide the spotlight to promote Plymouth on the world stage.

Irrespective of what happens, regeneration goes on. “Some is already live, some is in train, some will happen and some may not happen because we can’t fully predict development,” recounts Anthony.

“But the frameworks for growth are established by the Core Strategy and will be refreshed by the Plymouth Plan, which will provide the framework to deliver our ambitions for our city centre and waterfront and being Britain’s Ocean City.” www.plymouth.gov.uk Tel: 01752 668000

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GOVERNMENT SECTOR: FCO SERVICES

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GOVERNMENT SECTOR: FCO SERVICES

A MAJOR

CHANGE SINCE BECOMING A TRADING FUND OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT FOUR YEARS AGO FCO SERVICES HAS HAD TO ADAPT TO OPERATING IN A COMMERCIAL ENVIRONMENT

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t has been an “interesting and exciting” period for FCO Services, says Director of Major Projects and Client Delivery Danny Payne. Since becoming a Trading Fund of the British government’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) five years ago, the organisation has had to adapt to operating in a commercial environment.

“It was a major change for us,” explains Danny, “because it meant we had to learn how to develop and grow our client base just like any other commercial organisation.

The result of which has seen our client portfolio strengthen and our order book filled both here in the UK and overseas.”

Across four main divisions – Secure ICT, Secure Estates and Construction, Protective Security, and Secure logistics – support is provided for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s endeavours worldwide. Currently operating in 260 cities to meet the exacting needs of British and friendly foreign governments, FCO Services delivers integral support to the provision of a safe, secure global diplomatic environment.

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Part of the work FCO Services carries out is secure construction of embassies, residences and associated buildings on the government’s overseas estate. Over the last five years, around 2,500 projects have been undertaken. These range from relatively small commissions such as seismology assessments to grander schemes like enhancing a building’s security defences.

Larger schemes involve complete refurbishment or renovation as well as brand new developments, and this can include multiple buildings or a complete compound. The biggest contracts will see the construction of offices, residences, staff accommodation and recreational facilities.

Previous work on such estates has involved FCO Services overseeing project management, design and installation, with one such project being valued at approximately $75m.

A crucial element of the organisation’s success as a commercial entity has come from its reputation, balancing professional personnel with the demands of working in international, sometimes hostile, environments.

Nigel Carter, Programme Director or Wider Markets Estates and Security, believes FCO Services, in the scope and standard of its work, is one of a kind. “The service we provide has reputation and experience on its side and its capacity to carry out a number of key tasks is

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something international governments and organisations realise they cannot get elsewhere. We have a unique selling point that not only includes our expertise but significantly our global reach,” he says.

Danny agrees, highlighting the availability of expertise across a number of disciplines such as architects, engineers, surveyors, project managers, interior designers, and site supervisors who all have the required level of clearance to work on security sensitive sites. FCO Services staff are all security cleared, with many of them cleared to a high level in keeping with the nature of the work – this gives current and potential clients peace of mind.

Security protocol also extends to personnel safety, an absolute necessity within FCO Services’ successful operation. “We have to set up the necessary infrastructure for two governments to speak to one

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another. Sometimes these locations can be in volatile regions such as those having recently suffered military conflict. As such, these locations are inherently dangerous,” says Danny. “So we ensure the best possible practices are in place to protect our teams. To do this we hire close protection professionals for both on site protection and training so that staff are not only as secure as possible, they have the knowledge in order to protect themselves as well as the right psychological profile to work in these environments.”

Certainly, FCO Services distinguishes itself by marrying high-level security clearance with the expertise to deliver its solutions. This poses a greater challenge when you are faced with working in a foreign environment, something Danny says forms the basis of the organisation’s reputation.

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“Engineering overseas is a skill we are proud of,” he enthuses. “A typical British engineer is taught the various disciplines, from structural requirements to electrical and mechanical systems, based on British principles, designs and logistics. Imagine then that the individual is sent to convert an old villa into an embassy in a country he has never visited before.

We have taught our engineers how to interpret and handle foreign technologies, how to work with local contractors, and how to adapt British professional principles to the location. That means our standards never drop. Whether we are in the UK or abroad, we take our expertise and adapt it to the environment in which we are working.”

This is even more important given the emphasis on sustainability. Worldwide clients are increasingly aware of their carbon footprint. Through engineering efficiency measures in the design and operation of buildings, FCO Services ensures developments

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meet environmental legislation and work in the most cost effective way. Its experience in applying these standards in foreign locations is crucial to winning clients. Thus, FCO Services can adapt efficiency measures to varying regulations across the world, installing optimised building management systems tailored to individual circumstance.

In its own “green” agenda, FCO Services has significantly improved its carbon footprint. For example, modernising its processes through the incorporation of programme management has brought with it a number of advantages, not least in environmental efficiency and cost reduction.

Elsewhere, secure video conferencing and cloud computing has reduced flying hours and travelling between offices while increasing productivity.

Overseas, its environmental management services and practical technical support have helped embassies make use of low carbon and renewable

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GOVERNMENT SECTOR: FCO SERVICES

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GOVERNMENT SECTOR: FCO SERVICES technologies, with schemes including energy control systems, remote monitoring and passive energy reduction systems such as insulation, helping clients reduce their carbon footprint.

FCO Services quickly recognised that operating more efficiently was crucial in the commercial market. However, to gain new clients it knew it couldn’t stand still and rely on past success. “We have improved and modernised our technologies over the last four years so that we are fundamentally competitive,” remarks Danny. “We’ve also moved into extensive programme management, so rather than running lots of projects on a smaller scale, we’ve actually taught our clients, and taught ourselves, to have extensive worldwide programmes. This has significantly improved overall performance.”

Recent projects include the restoration of the British ambassador’s residence in Moscow. The work previously required the building, located opposite the Kremlin, to be converted from a British embassy into a residential space. A particular strength of FCO Services’ refurbishment and renovation work is its ability to maintain the historical aesthetic of a building while implementing modern services and up to date security measures.

“We have vast experience of dealing with both modern and historical buildings,” explains Nigel.

“We have a specialist interior design team who can expertly match existing features to new updates, while we also introduce modern mechanical and electrical services into existing buildings so that they are both fit for purpose and operate as any modern, new build property would do.”

Despite global economic uncertainty, FCO Services has prospered as a commercial organisation. Its world-renowned reputation has aided its growth over the last five years, but it has refused to

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stand motionless, instead it has consistently enhanced the service it provides in order to appeal to a wider clientele.

“The last few years has certainly been exciting as well as rewarding,” remarks Danny. “The next twelve months promises to be even more interesting as our order book is full and we continue to extend our relations with foreign countries. This also brings opportunities for the supply chain back home in the UK and therefore very much supports the prosperity agenda of the British government.” www.fcoservices.gov.uk Tel: 01908 515789

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BUILDING SERVICES: B&ES

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BUILDING SERVICES: B&ES

FRESH APPROACHES: HVCA BECOMES B&ES

THE B&ES IS THE PREMIER PROFESSIONAL BODY FOR BUILDING ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACTORS

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he Heating and Ventilating Contractors’ Association (HVCA) has rebranded and is now known as the Building & Engineering Services Association (B&ES).

The HVCA, established in 1904 as the National Association of Master Heating and Domestic Engineers, adopted the HVCA name in 1963. Bob Shelley, President of the HVCA comments, “Back then, of course, that’s exactly how the majority of the members would have described themselves – as h&v contractors – with the result that the name of their representative body accurately reflected the services they provided to the marketplace.

“These days, however, things are very different.

The term ‘h&v’ barely scratches the surface of the diverse, sophisticated and highly complex nature of the work our members now undertake.

“Nor does it even hint at the increasingly central role they play in the integration of engineering services in buildings – and especially in the incorporation of the renewable technologies that are clearly here to stay in our increasingly environmentally-conscious age.

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“It is also the case that, today, our membership embraces many other specialisms – ventilation hygiene, heat pumps and facilities management, to name but a few – all of which sit comfortably under the ‘building and engineering services’ identity”.

Looking to the future, Mr Shelley said, “Rebranding is just one element in a re-positioning exercise that will enable this Association to provide its members with a wider range of services, enhance its influence with Government, and provide a natural home for all building engineering services specialists.

I am convinced that, as B&ES, we shall be ideally placed to become just such an organisation”.

The B&ES identity was formally adopted in March.

The organisation’s membership comprises over 1,500 companies with 2,000 offices throughout the UK, a combined turnover of in excess of £4 billion and a workforce of 55,000. Association members are subject to regular, third-party inspection and assessment of their technical competence and commercial capability. www.b-es.org Tel: 020 7313 4900

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Venduct Engineering :feature 2 20/06/2013 12:48 Page 120

BUILDING SERVICES: VENDUCT ENGINEERING

HIGH QUALITY SOLUTIONS VENDUCT ENGINEERING LTD IS A DYNAMIC COMPANY SPECIALISING IN THE DELIVERY OF HIGH QUALITY FABRICATION AND PRECISION SHEET METALWORK SOLUTIONS TO BRITISH INDUSTRY

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enduct Engineering, based in Leicestershire, has developed an enviable reputation for the delivery of high quality fabrication and precision sheet metalwork solutions for British industry. Despite the difficulties of the trading environment in recent years, Venduct has continued to grow, invest and diversify, maintaining the high standards by which its success is based upon.

Combining traditional values and modern technology, Venduct carries out precision ductwork manufacture and installation throughout the UK. Solidifying long-term relationships, the company has become an important subcontractor on multiple projects for a number of leading construction firms.

One of its biggest contracts was for a PFI project at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford under the stewardship of main contractor Carillion. Worth around £2.5 million, Venduct delivered ductwork solutions, including manufacture and installation, throughout the hospital, serving all wards and operating theatres.

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Crucially, Venduct distinguishes itself thanks to its specialist capabilities in sheet metal manufacture.

With a 40,000 sq ft modern and well-equipped manufacturing base, alongside its many years of experience, the company has been able to provide bespoke solutions to metalwork requirements.

It has meant Venduct becoming synonymous with a flexible and adaptable work ethic, says managing director Dave Chapman. “We can be on site for the installation of our main product – ductwork – when the contractor is suddenly presented with a problem that he doesn’t know how to fix. There is always metalwork on site and through our experience and manufacturing capability, we pride ourselves on being able to produce bespoke items for specific tasks,” he remarks.

“On one project, for example, we were working at a school. The main contractor discovered a problem with the ventilation facility in the window frames and could not find a solution for it. We were shown the specification and working with their structural team to size the steelwork, we produced a bespoke

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BUILDING SERVICES: VENDUCT ENGINEERING natural ventilation system for the window frames. It turned out to be very successful. As a company, we are adaptable to a project and a client’s needs. If it is a problem concerning metalwork we can usually find the solution for it.”

Over the years, investment in the latest technologies and gaining accreditation to ISO 9001 has provided clients with peace of mind in the knowledge they are working with a company committed to quality control and constant improvement. As members of B&ES, Venduct also has the backing of a trade-recognised association. In addition, all projects are inspected and tracked throughout the manufacturing process to provide the assurance of quality from beginning to end.

KEY REASONS Dave believes Venduct’s in-house manufacturing skill and adaptable nature towards a contract are key reasons behind the company’s success. “We are flexible in nature, and react to a problem quickly. We can find solutions through out sheet metal capability that add value to using us as a subcontractor. We maintain very good relationships with our clients and that has brought with it a lot of repeat work, which is testament to our enduring standards.”

As the managing director looks forward he hopes to see further expansion at Venduct. He has aspirations to grow the sheet metalwork facility into more niche markets, utilising the manufacturing skills and technical capability the company has inhouse. He also wants to work more closely with mechanical contractors to expand the ductwork contracting side of the business.

“We are fiercely proud of our quality,” says Dave. “To that end we encourage those we work with to report back to us. But we don’t want to know what we are doing well, we want to know where we can improve. Our reputation is built upon an unyielding devotion to the highest standards.” www.venduct.co.uk Tel: 01162 766636

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TA Kernoghan :feature 2 25/06/2013 17:23 Page 122

BUILDING SERVICES: T & A MECHANICAL SERVICES

BUILDING ON A FIRM FOUNDATION

FORMED THREE YEARS AGO, T & A MECHANICAL SERVICES IS PART OF A WIDER CONSORTIUM OF COMPANIES COLLECTIVELY KNOWN AS T & A GROUP

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n the current economic climate, establishing a new company can be incredibly difficult. However, since its inception three years ago, T & A Mechanical Services has shown consistent growth and development throughout the UK. With its head office in Northern Ireland, the company also has registered offices in Glasgow and London, and is part of a wider consortium of companies collectively known as T & A Group.

Something that Operations Director John McCorry believes helped T & A Mechanical establish themselves so quickly in the early years.

“We secured a number of small mechanical contracts and started off with only one direct employee but that has grown consistently year on year and currently we have 18 contracts ‘live’ on site ranging from school refurbishments to housing estates consisting of circa 200 dwellings each.”

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T & A Mechanical now offer a full range of mechanical services giving a “one-stop shop” to building contractors across the UK. It’s an approach that has paid off, rewarding them with several high-profile jobs, as Mr McCorry explains. “There was a large scale housing contract that we have recently completed at the former Bass Brewery, which was a prestigious site a long time ago in Northern Ireland,” he said. “There were 146 new housing units built on that site, so it was a very good project to be involved with.

“We’ve also completed several design and build contracts, most recently one at the Construction Industry Training Boards (CITB) Headquarters. It was a complete strip out, redesign and reinstall in a very tight programme, about 10 weeks, with the building being fully occupied and functional throughout.”

In their line of work, reducing energy consumption and cutting their carbon footprint is something that is very important to T & A Mechanical, and

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BUILDING SERVICES: T & A MECHANICAL SERVICES

AS PART OF OUR UNIQUE SELLING POINT WE ALWAYS TRY TO OFFER A HIGH CLASS SERVICE AT COMPETITIVE COSTS, SOME OF THEM BESPOKE TO THEIR PURPOSES, BUT IT’S GOT TO BE ENERGY EFFICIENT”

they do take measures to ensure that their energy costs are kept down. However, according to Mr McCorry, they will also go that extra mile to give their clients something more energy efficient.

“As part of our unique selling point we always try to offer a high class service at competitive costs, some of them bespoke to their purposes, but it’s got to be energy efficient,” he explained. “We don’t mind investing slightly more at the instillation stage and being more innovative, to give the client something that is ultimately going to be more cost effective for them going forward, and hopefully have less of a lifecycle costing to them in the future.”

One of the biggest challenges that T & A Mechanical have faced since their origins three years ago, has been trying to establish themselves in the tough economic climate. But Mr McCorry believes that, along with the support offered by T & A Group, the current economic crisis has forced the

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BUILDING SERVICES: T & A MECHANICAL SERVICES company to be stronger from the beginning. “My personal feeling is that due to setting up the company in the current economic climate, it has forced us to be very meticulous with all aspects of strategic planning, especially cost control and minimising costs within the company.”

An extra benefit to their progress has been their membership with the Building and Engineering Services Association (B&ES). Holding their membership for the past 14 months, Mr McCorry believes that it has given them a recognised stamp of quality throughout the UK building services sector. “The fact that we can advertise ourselves as members and use the logo on any of our marketing material, that’s what gives us the edge. To say we’ve been audited, we’ve been vetted and we’re performing to a recognised standard of quality.”

These high standards are maintained through a set of rigorous training processes, to guarantee that everybody on site is operating on the same level of quality, as Mr McCorry explains. “Any new supplier or any new product that we use, we go through training with any of our own plumbers, our onsite managers or our subcontracted labour.

Everybody has to go through the manufacturers training processes to make sure they fully understand the new products and that they’re installing it correctly and to the manufacturers requirements.

“Every contract we do is allocated a contracts manager to oversee the project in its entirety. We also have site managers in place, who are responsi-

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“ONE OF OUR UNIQUE SELLING POINTS IN THAT AS WELL AS OFFERING THE MECHANICAL CONTRACTING, WE’RE ALSO HAPPY TO DO THE DESIGN AND BUILD CONTRACTING, AND WE’RE ALSO HAPPY TO PROVIDE THE COORDINATION OF ALL BUILDING SERVICES ON SITE, IF REQUESTED TO DO SO” ble for the day-to-day running of the site, to ensure that everything has the same high level of quality throughout the company.”

Such staunch commitment to a high quality service is something that Mr McCorry believes sets T & A Mechanical apart from their competitors, as well as their ability to offer design and build contracting on top of their mechanical services.

“One of our unique selling points in that as well as offering the mechanical contracting, we’re also happy to do the design and build contracting, and we’re also happy to provide the coordination

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of all building services on site, if requested to do so,” he said.

As for the future of the company, Mr McCorry revealed the modest long term goals to sustain their current level of growth across the UK, stating: “We are looking to continue growth throughout the United Kingdom, Scotland and England markets in particular, as well as to cement our market share in Northern Ireland and sustain the current levels of growth that we’re showing.” www.t-agroup.com Tel: 02890 840101

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BUILDING SERVICES: T & A MECHANICAL SERVICES

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Sherwood Electrics Ltd :feature 2 21/06/2013 15:10 Page 126

BUILDING SERVICES: SHERWOODS

40 YEARS OF

QUALITY SERVICE SHERWOODS PROVIDE QUALITY M&E SERVICES TO CLIENTS ACROSS THE PUBLIC, PRIVATE & THIRD SECTORS IN COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS

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nstalling equipment that reduces a customer’s maintenance outlay might not seem the best course of action for a company that specialises in maintenance, as Sherwoods does. In Managing Director Kevin Sherwood’s view, it was the correct thing to do. “On top of the huge energy and CO2 savings, we’ve practically removed the maintenance factor for the customer,” he says. “It is the correct sustainable recommendation and the proper one for the customer. The improvements have reduced their ongoing energy and maintenance cost by up to 70% at the sites where we’ve carried out this work and their capital payback period is minimised.”

The project in question started with a challenge to significantly increase light and safety levels whilst reducing energy and maintenance costs. This was

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achieved by replacing older inefficient fluorescent lighting with LED lighting and daylight/presence control in public areas of five commercial buildings in the Southwest.

Project Work makes up a section of the varied services this M&E company delivers, with the emphasis being on M&E PPM and compliance.

PPM contracts and 24/7/365 service go hand in hand and is a customer expectation in this sector.

This is delivered with robust communication systems and a reliable and innovative helpdesk, field engineer and management team. Kevin states: ‘We work tirelessly to ensure the customer experience is a positive one and we are always available when needed.”

Project services are also provided alongside PPM contracts, existing and new client relationships.

Project services include gas, oil, LPG boilers to electrical and controls, data-comms and fire protection as well as typical HVAC installations.

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BUILDING SERVICES: SHERWOODS Clients are broad-based, including commercial property and estate managers, retailers, regional and local councils, education, leisure, health and social care sectors. Kevin states: “98% of our service is delivered by our directly employed team.

Particular tasks such as air conditioning and air handling unit projects and BMS software support are provided by approved specialist partners with whom we have strong well established relationships.”

Although supply partners go through a strict pre-qualification process, there’s also a preference they’re B&ES members, meaning they’ve been rigorously audited and have high standards. B&ES is also supportive on environmental issues, an increasingly important topic for Sherwoods due to its ability to help customers be more sustainable and save money.

QUALITY MAINTENANCE “Good quality maintenance is a key factor in our service delivery,” remarks Kevin. “In addition to each installation’s statutory compliance and safety needs, it’s a relatively low cost way of saving money and can really make a dent in the building’s carbon footprint. We support our customers with good maintenance programming, suiting their operational requirements and taking into account manufacturers, O&Ms and the selection of efficient equipment and controls.”

Sherwoods has renewables trained maintenance engineers, has been working with the B&ES and regional training companies, and is contributing towards the challenge of climate change.

“Manufacturers are developing exciting products and we work closely with them in advising our clients,” remarks Kevin. “Many government schemes have been targeted at the residential and domestic sector though now real progress with CO2 reduction is being made in the commercial sector.” www.sherwoodsonline.co.uk Tel: 01803 292933

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MSC news:feature 2 15/06/2013 10:50 Page 128

BUILDING SERVICES: MICROGENERATION CERTIFICATION SCHEME

FEARS OVER CORNWALL SOLAR FARM ‘GOLD RUSH’ IN 2009 Cornwall Council portrayed the county as a ‘sweetie shop’ for renewable energy.

The authority said it was ‘preparing for a solar power gold rush’ and forecast that developments in this technology could lead to up to £1bn of investment. The council has now approved nearly 50 solar farms covering more than 1,600 acres.

But concerns have been raised that the ‘gold rush’ is trampling local communities.

Cornwall’s first commercial solar farm was built at a disused tin mine at Wheal Jane near Truro.

It was switched on in 2011 and its 5,680 solar panels produce enough electricity to power about 430 homes. But it is dwarfed by some of the more recently built solar farms and those in the pipeline. Planning permission has just been given for Cornwall’s largest solar farm so far, covering more than 130 acres at Maxworthy near Launceston.

Two other schemes, including one for a solar farm at Sweetshouse near Bodmin were refused because of the impact on the areas.

They were the first refusals of solar farms by the Conservative-Independent led unitary authority.

Cornwall Council did not have any figures for the amount of investment in solar farms so far, but according to the Renewable Energy Association, there are nearly 450 renewable energy companies in the region, turning over ‘close to £1bn’.

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Regen SW, an independent sustainable energy centre, estimates in its 2012 report that the electricity production capacity of solar farms in the region is now at least 75 megawatts – enough to power about 15,750 South West homes.

Regen said more than 2,000 people were employed in the solar energy businesses in the region out of a total of nearly 10,000 in renewable electricity. The total number of solar projects in the South West, including small-scale domestic, increased from 7,500 in 2010/2011 to almost 55,000 in 2011/2012. Overall, renewable energy now contributed about 5.5% of electricity demand in the South West, lower than than the national figure of 11%. It expects the growth in solar to continue as costs continue to fall.

Chief executive Merlin Hyman said using renewable energy was ‘common sense’ in the face of rising costs, volatility in supplies and falling reserves of fossil fuels.

‘In the West Country, we have some of the best resources of renewable energy in the UK,” he said. “They are also more likely to create jobs and keep income in the local economy.

“Solar has a role to play, but it is important the developments go in the right places and do not conflict with agricultural use and go through proper scrutiny.”

He added: "We shall start to see more turned down because the obvious spaces are starting to be used up.

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“The technology might develop too so we could see more being incorporated into buildings such as at the top of car parks.”

Good Energy said its plans were at a ‘scoping’ stage, to assess the Maxworthy site’s technical suitability.

It said that it was an ‘ethical company’ and felt ‘very passionate’ about local people’s views, The firm said it wanted to create more ‘positivity’ about renewable energy and had offered people living near its Delabole wind farm in Cornwall a 20% discount if they switched electricity suppliers to Good Energy.

Kronos declined to comment after the planning decision.

Cornwall Council said: “The ‘sweet shop’ presentation highlights the opportunities for Cornwall to take forward the green agenda – not a promotion of Cornwall to developers.

“Individual planning applications are carefully assessed to ensure that their impact on residential amenity, landscape/visual, amenity of visitors and other factors is acceptable.

“Should issues arise from construction or operational noise, this would be dealt with.”

Howard Roberts, chairman of Lanlivery Parish Council, which objected to the Sweetshouse scheme, said: “We can’t have these giant industrialisations of the fields.

“Let’s hope the council will start refusing more of these because we can’t go on and on.”

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BUILDING SERVICES: MICROGENERATION CERTIFICATION SCHEME

NHBC MVHR CONSULTATION NHBC are developing a new Standards Chapter for Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) systems setting out appropriate benchmarks and guidance for design, materials and installation.

NHBC, with support from a Task Group of ‘industry experts’ have

identified key areas for consideration when using MVHR systems and in our house style have developed appropriate benchmarks and guidance. The new standards should help industry to consistently achieve satisfactory performance, long term durability and ultimately homeowner satisfaction.

MID DEVON TOP HOMES SOLAR PANELS TABLE SOLAR panels have been fitted to more homes in a part of Devon than anywhere else in England, Scotland and Wales, according to official statistics.

About 8% of homes in Mid Devon have panels compared with about 1.4% in England.

The figures showed 362,000 homes have installed solar panels in England, Scotland and Wales since April 2010.

Five of the top 10 areas for solar panels are in the South West, said the government.

Renewable energy organisation Regen South West said relatively high sunshine levels in the South West explained the figures.

Chief executive Merlin Hyman said: “You get a better rate of return if there is more sun.

“But I’m a little surprised to see that Mid Devon leads the table because the highest rates of return are on the coast where coastal

PV INSTALLATIONS PER 10,000 HOUSEHOLDS Mid Devon: Wrexham: South Hams: North Somerset: South Cambridgeshire: South Norfolk: West Oxfordshire: Isles of Scilly: Monmouthshire: Torridge:

787 552 476 451 445 430 420 413 409 402

breezes cool the panels and make them more efficient.”

Consultants WSP Energy said in a report on the figures: “Live in Cornwall or south Wales and you receive much more sunshine than northern Scotland.

“The weather’s better and also the sun’s rays are stronger further south. So you’d expect these sunniest places to be the areas that have the highest number of installations.”

RHI UPDATE - DECC ANNOUNCEMENT Following on from the consultation on scheme design in September last year, the Government will confirm how a RHI for householders will work and publish the tariff levels in Summer 2013. It is expected that the scheme will be up and running for householders in Spring 2014.

The Renewable Heat Premium Payment (RHPP) scheme is being extended until the end of March 2014, ahead of the launch of the RHI for householders. This scheme, first launched in July 2011, offers

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money off the cost of renewable heating kit such as biomass boilers, solar thermal panels and heat pumps and is largely targeted at those living off the gas grid. The scheme was due to close at the end of March 2013.

It should be noted that even though the RHPP scheme is being extended, householders who applied before 31 March 2013 must redeem their voucher by their stated voucher expiry date or 31 March 2013 (whichever is sooner).

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BUILDING SERVICES: HOSIE ELECTRICAL

QUALITY SERVICE HOSIE ELECTRICAL ARE ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS AND CARRY OUT ALL DOMESTIC, COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL INSTALLATIONS.

H

osie Electrical is an electrical contractor based in Aberdeenshire. The company carries out all domestic, commercial and industrial installations using its own team of fully qualified electricians.

Located in Inverurie, Hosie prides itself on being able to adapt to the varying needs of its clientele while satisfying all requirements.

Its comprehensive service includes electrical testing and certification for domestic and commercial properties, portable appliance testing, and design and build packages for electrical installations. Hosie also carries out commercial lighting design, and can install fire alarm systems, structured data cabling, fibre optics Cat5e and Cat6, rewires, upgrades, additional sockets, tv and telephone points.

Additional services include snow melting and gutter heating, general electrical maintenance and repairs, and photovoltaic installations.

The company has been established since 1988 and during this time it has developed a solid reputation for providing commercial, industrial and domes-

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tic contracting services of the highest quality with customer satisfaction guaranteed. Great pride is taken in providing the type of commercial and domestic electrical services that customer’s expect from a professional company, offering reliability, value for money and workmanship of the highest quality.

Hosie is committed to its core values, driving it forward and helping it win new clients while supporting enduring relationships with current customers. For electrical contracting, fire alarms and structured data networks, Hosie provides clients with a full range of services including design, installation, testing, commissioning and maintenance.

Hosie hopes new clients are reassured by its ongoing membership to key organisations in the industry such as Select and NICEIC. The company only employs the most qualified engineers and has constant retraining programmes to ensure it provides the most professional service within the industry.

Data installations is a particularly strong area for Hosie and these services are carried out by D.I.S., a division of Hosie, which was formed to service both small and large companies who require structured

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BUILDING SERVICES: HOSIE ELECTRICAL cabling to be installed from new, or to assist in the alterations and upgrading of an existing computer network system.

D.I.S can install category 5E/6 structured cabling systems, including fibre optics, patch panels, hubs and switches for computer networks. D.I.S is an approved installer and therefore all structured cabling undertaken by its fully trained technicians is installed to ISO/IEC 11801 standard.

Elsewhere, the solar PV market has grown in recent years. Hosie is MCS accredited and has installed a large number of PV systems in Aberdeenshire. The company is amongst the most experienced installers and designers of solar PV for commercial projects in Scotland, and has a dedicated number of engineers to install these systems.

Services, including initial consultation through to design, implementation and final commissioning, are for both domestic and commercial systems from 1kW to 150 kW. www.hosieelectrical.co.uk Tel: 01467 620831

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BUILDING SERVICES: BSRIA

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BUILDING SERVICES: BSRIA

MAKING BUILDINGS BETTER ANDREW EASTWELL, BSRIA CEO REFLECTS ON INDUSTRY PROGRESS AS SUCCESSOR IS SOUGHT

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t is astonishing how things go in cycles and our industry is no different.

Forty years ago researchers were starting to get to grips with issues of indoor air pollution, then linked to smoking, Radon gas and ‘sick building syndrome’. A huge body of evidence began to be amassed and the techniques such as air leakage testing using pressurisation and tracer gas methods were born. These are now taken for granted, developed, refined, and now turned into BS, CEN and ISO standards that apply across the world.

The recent sudden (well, sudden by construction standards) rush to meet legal energy targets for buildings has quite rightly focussed on reducing demands, re-using heat and cold and supplying what remaining demand there is with low carbon, highly efficient devices but just for a little while we have taken our eye off the IAQ ball. It is time to re-focus efforts to make sure that in our aims to be energy meagre we don't swap one set of problems for another.

I too am part of this cycle having been on the first wave of IAQ research but now it is time to pass the BSRIA baton and so I have advised our Board and staff that I intend to stand down as BSRIA CEO in April 2014. The search is now on for my successor (see BSRIA’s careers web page) but from what I can see there is plenty of enthusiasm and talent around to see BSRIA thrive and grow as it has done in the past decade.

head office in Bracknell (UK), at regionally based air-tightness offices throughout the UK, and offices in France, Spain, Germany, China, Malaysia and North America.

BSRIA offers a wide range of services to

help companies improve the design, build and operation of buildings. Its unique blend of product testing and market research can also help manufacturers gain the relevant certification and plan their marketing strategy.

ABOUT BSRIA:

BSRIA is a test, instruments, research and consultancy organisation, providing specialist serv-

ices in construction and building services.

As a non-profit distributing, member-based association, clients can be assured of an independent approach and authoritative reputation. Any profits made are invested in the organisation’s on-going research programme, producing industry recognised best practice guidance.

BSRIA (owned by The Building Services Research and Information Association) was founded in 1955 and had a turnover of £11.7 million in 2011-12. It employs 180 people at its

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Andrew Reid & Partners:feature 2 20/06/2013 15:45 Page 134

BUILDING SERVICES: ANDREW REID & PARTNERS

PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS ANDREW REID & PARTNERS IS A SPECIALIST COMMISSIONING, DESIGN AND DIAGNOSTIC CONSULTANCY

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eing a consulting engineer can create a great deal of variety, which for Andrew Reid & Partners means working for different types of clients around the world on varied projects and at all stages.

The company’s activities cover a wide spectrum from the design and commissioning of new installations through to diagnostics work on existing equipment. Its work is undertaken worldwide but predominantly in the UK and throughout Europe.

Clients include occupiers and operators of commercial offices and large retail outlets as well as highly specialised work for large-scale data centres.

“From a design perspective, we are known for dealing with retail and closely controlled environments such as museums and galleries,” adds Director Mike O’Mahony. “For example, we undertake design work for The National Gallery and have recently been engaged by other museums and galleries to address deficiencies in their systems such that they can improve conditions in their archive and display areas. In addition, we are frequently engaged to manage or validate the commissioning of critical power and cooling sys-

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Andrew Reid & Partners:feature 2 20/06/2013 15:45 Page 135

BUILDING SERVICES: ANDREW REID & PARTNERS

tems providing the infrastructure for large banks in the City and very large scale data centres in the UK and abroad”.

Commissioning is a specialist area of work and the skills required for this has led to the company undertaking continuous commissioning appointments. This work aligns and optimises the performance of the building services with how the building is actually used now. Following strategic business changes, day-to-day moves and alterations mean this may be significantly different to the building’s original specification and involves ensuring BMS controls reflect current needs, more often than not resulting in significant energy savings.

DIFFERENT CURRENCIES The varying nature of clients can result in contrasting demands. However, in Mike’s view the challenges aren’t dissimilar. “It’s simply that their currency is different,” he says. “In a gallery environment, it might be temperature and humidity because their currency is the value of the artefacts.

In a bank’s data centre, the currency is money while for internet search companies it’s search time. All industries have critical systems and, if they

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go down, they cause real problems. We have to tune into what that currency is and see how to keep the systems operating so the client has confidence in them.”

HEALTH AND SAFETY Health and safety is a significant aspect, the aim being to ensure staff and those they’re working with return home safely. That’s particularly relevant when working in extreme temperatures or where there are language differences. So the firm is keen its people feel confident and, if something is wrong, they can address it. They can stop the work and report it, knowing they’ll have management support.

After 43 years in business, Andrew Reid & Partners is well known for its commissioning expertise but Mike is keen to expand its reputation: “We’re not as well known for design and I’d like to develop our design service more. We’ve invested in BIM and want to see how we can apply that to design and whether there’s any benefit in applying it to our commissioning model.” www.andrewreid.co.uk Tel: 020 73320500

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English Heritage :feature 2 23/06/2013 09:44 Page 136

HERITAGE: ENGLISH HERITAGE

CARING FOR OUR HERITAGE

EVERYWHERE WE LOOK, HISTORY SURROUNDS US. ENGLISH HERITAGE CHAMPIONS OUR HISTORIC PLACES AND ADVISES THE GOVERNMENT AND OTHERS TO HELP TODAY’S GENERATION GET THE BEST OUT OF OUR HERITAGE AND ENSURE THAT IT IS PROTECTED FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS

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English Heritage :feature 2 23/06/2013 09:44 Page 137

HERITAGE: ENGLISH HERITAGE

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nglish Heritage, the public body which oversees the maintenance of England’s historic environment, has launched, for the first time in its history, a strategic asset management plan. The plan provides a framework for action to ensure that the important and unique National Collection of Historic Properties for which English Heritage is responsible, is conserved and supported with the appropriate professional skills.

Intended to run for four years (although annually updated and reviewed), the plan provides a practical tool to help define, implement and measure how English Heritage manages five clear areas.

These five areas are: investment, maintenance and improvement, cost effectiveness, development and innovation in asset management, and responding to the queries and concerns of asset managers and visitors.

Crucially, the asset management plan is not simply aimed at the organisation but a wider audience. The plan sets the context and a programme of action for English Heritage over the medium term but is intended for an audience including The National Property Steering Group (PSG), as they are key decision makers on asset management matters. Territorial Property Steering Groups

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(TPSG) will support decisions on investment priorities in the portfolio, while The National Collections Group Maintenance Conservation Team and Conservation Technical Teams will support day-today operation as technical advisers on the maintenance of the estate.

Elsewhere, the plan is aimed at the Department of Culture, Media and Sport as the primary sponsoring body for English Heritage, while the plan acts as a statement of intent to the public in addition to promoting best practice.

The role of English Heritage asset management is an integral part of a community and its environment. English Heritage has a specific and unique role in respect of such assets by conserving them on behalf of the nation, promoting access to them, informing and educating the public about them, and establishing standards for others with a responsibility for heritage assets to follow.

Officially the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England, English Heritage is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). It advises on the care of the historic environment in England, complementing the work of Natural England which aims to protect the natural environment. It has a broad remit of managing the historic environment of England and advises the

relevant Secretary of State on policy and in individual cases such as registering listed buildings and scheduled ancient monuments.

English Heritage thus has a role as custodian, educator, regulator and advisor on heritage assets.

The legal basis of this role was established in the National Heritage Act of 1983. It has been amplified more recently through its strategy for the period 2011-2015 – English Heritage Corporate Plan, which sets out that the role of English Heritage is to stimulate a virtuous cycle of understanding, valuing, caring and enjoying heritage assets. The Corporate Plan makes it clear that the over-riding priority is to safeguard for the future the National Collection in its care through the creation and implementation of an asset management plan.

English Heritage is responsible for 423 historic properties of national importance, which are distributed across England. Properties are classified into one of seven types according to their physical characteristics.

Amongst the 423 properties, English Heritage looks after 7 bridges, 54 earthworks or Neolithic remains, 120 extensive or substantial remains, 103 minor remains, 48 minor roofed buildings, 17 monuments or standing stones, and 74 substantial roofed buildings.

Sites are sub-divided into one or more assets; with each asset being determined by having a dis-

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HERITAGE: ENGLISH HERITAGE

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English Heritage :feature 2 23/06/2013 09:44 Page 139

HERITAGE: ENGLISH HERITAGE tinctive physical (location), historical or architectural aspect, which distinguishes it from other assets on the same site. Assets are then sub-divided further into a number of elements, which are the individual building or structural components that make up the asset. Surveys to determine the condition and maintenance needs of sites are conducted at this element level and totalled to quantify needs at an asset or site level.

English Heritage is a mature organisation with a broad range of experience in protecting heritage assets. Its processes and standards have evolved over a number of years and are also well understood. However, the organisation has been subject to change in recent years which has required it to adopt a more business-like and systematic approach and move from one which has traditionally been immersed in conservation. As this process of change continues there are a number of challenges facing English Heritage with respect to its asset management policy and practice, and it is approaching these challenges head on. www.english-heritage.org.uk Tel: 0870 333 1181

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KEY FACTS: 4Over 400 sites open to the public 411 million visitors each year 4Just under 750,000 members 4Over 445,000 free educational visits a year 410 million photographs, plans and surveys publicly accessible 4ÂŁ24 million given out in grants each year 417,000 planning applications advised on each year

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SUSTAINABILITY: ECOBUILD

ECOBUILDING THE FUTURE ECOBUILD IS THE WORLD'S BIGGEST EVENT FOR SUSTAINABLE DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

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cobuild organiser UBM has announced that 45,000 visitors attended its 2013 show at London’s Excel over three days at the beginning of March.

Over 1,000 companies exhibited, according to UBM, and there was a significant increase this year in the number of senior-level decision makers in attendance.

Over 900 speakers took to the stage in a series of seminars and conferences which took place in the main exhibition halls and new features included the Future Materials Gallery and lighting innovation centre.

Fifty per cent of exhibitors have already contracted space for Ecobuild 2014 (4-6 March, 2014).

Tom Broughton, brand director of Ecobuild, said: “UBM has responded to the industry’s desire

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to have the information programme back on the show floor, has developed more features and has piloted its first ever Hosted Buyers VIP Programme. These investments have proven to work, and Ecobuild remains the industry’s platform for sharing ideas and best practice, learning about the most current regulations and legislation and discussing and debating the future of the built environment.”

Paul Bradshaw, marketing manager for Wolseley UK, added: “Ecobuild was really important this year, probably more than ever with all the developments around the Green Deal. With UBM running the event for the first time it was positive to see such a high level of visitors to both of our stands. It was encouraging to hear so many well informed visitors show interest in our software.” www.ecobuild.co.uk

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cadisch (Casicsh) :feature 2 20/06/2013 15:03 Page 142

SUSTAINABILITY: CADISCH – ECOLED

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coled is a specialist UK designer and manufacturer of energy efficient LED lighting products, power supplies and control systems. Created by Cadisch GIGB Ltd, Ecoled is the brand and registered trademark of this specialist designer and supplier of LED lighting.

The company boasts over twenty years of LED lighting experience alongside the backing of the family-owned group of Cadisch companies including Cadisch Precision Meshes and Cadisch MDA (Metal for Design & Architecture). With a reputation for imagination and innovation, Ecoled understands the art and application of LED light technology for illumination and decoration, inside or out.

As the manufacturer of its own products, Ecoled can develop the right solutions tailored to individual customer requirements. This has seen a portfolio of outstanding LED luminaires delivered for clients using cutting-edge technology.

Significantly, Ecoled employs Chip On Board (COB) LED arrays for optimum performance. In

ECOLED IS A SPECIALIST UK DESIGNER AND MANUFACTURER OF ENERGY EFFICIENT LED LIGHTING PRODUCTS, POWER SUPPLIES AND CONTROL SYSTEMS

LIGHTING ENVIRONMENT DECORATION BE BETTER INFORMED

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SUSTAINABILITY: CADISCH – ECOLED

addition, many of its products can be dimmed either by simple switch or via advanced control systems, facilitating total lighting control. The company works in partnership with lighting and interior designers, engineers, electrical contractors, and industrial partners. More recently it has established a UK network of specialist Ecoled stocking dealers.

Focused on three markets – residential, commercial and retail - the extensive Ecoled product line is designed at its head office in London with manufacturing carried out across its global production facilities. This allows the company to be extremely competitive, maintain total control and ensure every item released is true to its mantra: “Sophisticated.

Reliable. Affordable.”

Certainly, Ecoled stands out because of its ability to produce bespoke solutions. Cadisch GIGB Lighting Design offers a lighting design and consultancy service for both residential and commercial projects. The company specialises in producing energy efficient, eco-friendly lighting and control solutions that are innovative, visually stunning and effortlessly functional.

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The team of experienced lighting designers work very closely with clients ranging from private individuals to interior designers and architects with its portfolio including projects in the UK and overseas.

Commercial and retail clients have particularly benefited from this experience and expertise as light and colour rendition is so important in these environments. The front of house needs to show its products and services in the best possible light.

Ecoled's range of lights for this sector have a high CRI (colour rendering index) and ensure reliability with outstanding consistency of output and colour coupled with exceptionally low running costs.

Further advantages of LED lighting include greatly reducing running temperatures meaning less damage to expensive stock. Additionally, with lower operating temperatures, ancillary systems such as air conditioning work less hard resulting in additional cost and environmental benefits. www.ecoledlight.co.uk Tel: 020 8492 7633

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Finlog :feature 2 15/06/2013 12:05 Page 144

SUSTAINABILITY: FINLOG

THE NATURAL CHOICE WHETHER IT BE A SMALL SUMMER HOUSE, A FIVE BEDROOM HOME OR A LARGE COMMERCIAL PROJECT, FINLOG CAN DESIGN A LOG BUILDING TO SUIT ALL TASTES

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inlog continues to develop an enviable reputation in the construction of complete and part-build log structures. It was established in 1999 and remains the only UK company with its own Finnish factory. With bases in the north and south, it can provide services to clients up and down the country, and has even completed work as far away as Tahiti and Dubai. It is testament to the growth of the company that it has now completed over 200 buildings in the UK, and pioneered the design of the original twin ridge transportable log building. Unsurprisingly, it now has more experience than any other UK company in the log-build market.

Finlog was founded by Robert Sheridan. He has been involved in the log building industry for over twenty years, and established Finlog to bring a quality to the UK he thought was lacking. In the early

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1990s Robert carried out work on log buildings from companies in the US, Estonia, Sweden, Norway and Finland, directly for his clients. After a year in the industry he felt there was a need to establish a “factory to finish� company.

Robert and his wife Sharon set about the establishment of Finlog. After a few years of travelling from Lands End to Shetland and beyond, to places as far as Tahiti, to build log buildings, Robert was approached by a client who expressed a keen desire to start constructing buildings himself. This led to Darryl Beeby building Finlog buildings in the north of England and Scotland and to the start of Finlog North to cover the area. Finlog North, under the umbrella of Finlog, now covers this region, with husband and wife team Darryl and Yvonne.

Finlog can provide a range of log buildings, the most prominent of which is the traditional log cabin.

Finlog can supply and erect any log cabin the customer requires in a variety of specifications. Cabins

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SUSTAINABILITY: FINLOG can be made from 70mm to 140mm solid flat log, 88mm to 240mm laminated flat log, 130mm laminated D log, 170mm to 210mm solid round log, 170mm to 350mm laminated round log and hand made round logs up to 350mm. Laminated logs are made up from more than one piece of timber, glued together to form the lamination. These logs are generally more resistant to movement and are more expensive.

The soft wood Finlog uses is from the northern latitudes of Finland and Russia where they grow very slowly so the result is a very tightly grained log.

This makes the timber very strong and resistant to the fungal attack that affects softwood. Finlog log cabins will last longer and are less prone to warping and splitting as seen in log cabins that use timber from more southern countries such as the UK, North America, Latvia, Estonia, Belarus and more southern parts of Europe. This is why Finlog can offer an endless guarantee.

Log cabins can be made with one room or many rooms on one floor or with multi-floors and split levels. Customers can also add an internal garage, sauna, gable roof window or a cavernous entertainment deck.

Over the years Finlog has supplied cabins for many different uses such as log homes, log mobile homes, holiday homes, pool houses, garden studios, home offices, farm shops, log cafes, and outdoor centres. Whatever the use, Finlog will always give customers maximum value for money and the best log cabins available. www.finlog.co.uk Tel: 08458 12 13 14

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H & S :feature 2 25/06/2013 14:45 Page 146

PAINTING AND DECORATING: H&S DECORATING SPECIALISTS

A THE PROFESSIONAL DECORATING COMPANY DESPITE THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN, H&S DECIDED THE TIME WAS RIGHT FOR SOME REDECORATION OF ITS OWN. AFTER 25 YEARS IN BUSINESS, IT IS LOOKING TOWARDS THE FUTURE WITH A NEW BRAND IDENTITY AND EVEN GREATER CONFIDENCE IN ITS ABILITY TO DELIVER QUALITY ON TIME, EVERY TIME. 146

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s a business evolves, its appearance to the outside world sometimes gets left behind. This proved the case at H&S — an in-depth evaluation concluded that the company branding and communication materials were underselling the company and not effectively promoting its successes. It looked oldfashioned and the company ethos, expressed through its ‘The Professional Decorating Company’ strapline, wasn’t clearly understood.

It was, ironically, the economic downturn that prompted this positive action, as MD Michael Higgins confirms: “Difficult economic conditions make you think about what you’re doing and where you’re going. We’ll be in a stronger position for the challenges of the upturn.”

The line ‘The Professional Decorating Company’ is much more than a few words on a brochure.

According to Michael: “I’ve always known what it means but we haven’t really explained it. We singlemindedly apply the standards of a profession to a trade. There’s a huge difference between hiring a trade and delivering the end product.”

The core management team has been with the company for years and everyone shares these values, ensuring H&S always delivers what it promises.

Corners are never cut, cheap materials aren’t used and attention to detail is paramount at every stage of a job. The task for H&S was to project the brand proposition through its communications.

The solution was a rebranding of the company — initially via a new logo and website, clearly demonstrating the strengths and capabilities of the three H&S divisions.

H&S Commercial tackles decorating tasks for commercial organisations and, although the

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PAINTING AND DECORATING: H&S DECORATING SPECIALISTS

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“DELIVERING QUALITY ON TIME, EVERY TIME IS CRUCIAL. H&S IS A BUSINESS BUILT ON REPEAT PURCHASE AND EVERY JOB, LARGE OR SMALL, IS PART OF A BIGGER LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIP.” MICHAEL HIGGINS MD

THE REBRANDING

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The new website hsgroup.co.uk

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demands of each may vary, they’re approached the same to achieve the required outcome — a highly satisfied client.

H&S Rail &Transport has the industrial painting and organisational skills to work in this sector and ensures work is done safely and efficiently, even under the most difficult conditions.

H&S Maintenance has grown from the company being asked to maintain property it decorated and now offers clients a one-stop shop for the refurbishment and maintenance of their property.

Recent projects that stand out include Quintiles and Equinox Gym, which have both been shortlisted for the PDA awards, and the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, a major refurbishment completed recently in a narrow time frame between shows.

The company has also completed major works at Dalston Curve on the London Overground and West Kensington on London Underground, and is currently working on the new T2 building at Heathrow.

The work tackled by each division is a source of real pride for Michael: “We aim to be the best at what we do but can always do better. We wouldn’t stay in business long if we didn’t do the job properly and I’m obsessive about attention to detail. Delivering quality on time, every time is crucial. H&S is a business built on repeat purchase and every job, large or small, is part of a bigger long-term relationship.”

The impression is of a confident and forward looking business with a clear vision of where it’s going and how to get there. After 25 years of operation, the ambition and drive remain together with an eagerness to forge even stronger relationships with clients. hsgroup.co.uk 01753 654123

The new logo

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NASS:feature 2 25/06/2013 17:16 Page 148

STEEL INDUSTRY: NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STEEL SERVICE CENTRES

THE VOICE OF STEEL DISTRIBUTION THE NASS REPRESENT, PROMOTE AND DEFEND THE INTERESTS OF STEEL SERVICE CENTRES AND ASSOCIATE MEMBERS

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STEEL INDUSTRY: NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STEEL SERVICE CENTRES

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he National Association of Steel Service Centres (NASS) was originally founded in 1928 to represent and promote the interests of the steel stockholders industry. Today, as the only association covering the whole of the UK steel stockholding industry, NASS supports the endeavours of its membership in their vital role in the supply chain from producer to customer. Supplying steel to the UK manufacturing industry, members handle in excess of eight million tonnes of steel each year, with much of it going into the construction, automotive and engineering industries.

Through the association’s fifty-strong members, NASS has links with every corner of British industry, supplying all sectors. It is therefore uniquely placed to measure the performance of UK industry and regularly reports to the Bank of England and HM Treasury on behalf of its members who oversee collectively £3 billion of business every year. This also allows NASS to ensure the important role of steel stockholders in the supply of steel products to the UK market is recognised. Indeed, where Government policy is likely to have an impact on members’ interests, NASS will make representations to the appropriate Secretary of State.

Peter Corfield, Director General, believes one of the key strengths of NASS in recent years is its ability to provide members with key market data. This has become a vital part of the service, particularly given the economic crisis of 2008 when volatile steel trading contributed to the crash. Today, NASS provides members with accurate, timely and representative statistics and other relevant data specifically for the steel stockholding market.

afford to stand still. People look at associations, particularly in the current economic climate, and say: how do I get value for money? By joining with this organisation, what’s in it for me and how can I enhance my business by being a member of NASS. So it is paramount that we are in tune with the needs of the members.”

Looking ahead, while health and safety and environmental awareness will, quite rightly, continue to be on the agenda, Peter expects NASS to look at how members can optimise their operational procedures.

“THE MEDIA ONLY LIKE TO FOCUS ON DOOM AND GLOOM, BUT THE LAST FEW YEARS THAT IS NOT REFLECTED IN OUR MEMBERS” This can include trading summaries such as monthly statistics on stocks, receipts and despatches across all the key product sectors, business trend surveys including members’ views on prices, stocks and market growth, and a Profilers Activity Index.

NASS also provides quarterly steel import statistics and forecasts on trends in demand and consumption of steel.

Other benefits for members include a forum to discuss issues and exchange views and information, and creating networking opportunities with key players in the wider steel industry. And through regular interaction and an easy-to-use website, NASS keeps members fully up to date on relevant business issues, information and surveys covering health and safety, training and development, transport, human resources, employment law, credit control, and finance.

Peter Corfield says it is important to keep moving forward. “Like any trade association, we can’t

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“It is an area we have looked at in the past on a limited basis, but now is the time to enhance our support for the operational side of the business. Most of our forums tend to be geared towards commercial goals, but we must look at how we can operate more efficiently. How can we maximise potential?”

There’s certainly a renewed confidence in the sector. “The NASS membership is a good barometer of UK manufacturing because we supply every sector of British industry and we have a good idea of how each is performing,” remarks Peter. “The media only like to focus on doom and gloom, but the last few years that is not reflected in our members. Although there hasn’t been huge gains recently, our membership is not seeing the demise of British manufacturing as the newspapers would have us believe.” nass.org.uk Tel: 0121 200 2288

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Arcelor Mittal :feature 2 03/07/2013 15:58 Page 150

STEEL INDUSTRY: ARCELOR MITTAL DISTRIBUTION SOLUTIONS UK

EXEMPLARY

SAFETY ARCELORMITTAL DISTRIBUTION SOLUTIONS UK HAS SUCCEEDED IN ZERO ACCIDENTS WITH LOST TIME INJURY FOR MORE THAN THIRTEEN MONTHS THANKS TO A STRONG ACCENT ON BEHAVIOUR, TRAINING AND COMMUNICATION

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Arcelor Mittal :feature 2 03/07/2013 15:59 Page 151

STEEL INDUSTRY: ARCELOR MITTAL DISTRIBUTION SOLUTIONS UK

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rcelorMittal Distribution Solutions UK has succeeded in zero accidents with lost time injury for more than thirteen months thanks to a strong accent on behaviour, training and communication.

Distribution Solutions UK, part of the ArcelorMittal group, the world’s leading integrated steel and mining company with a presence in over sixty countries, consists of seven sites strategically placed to service all areas of the UK and Ireland. The Distribution Solutions division of the group is primarily the in-house trading and distribution arm, providing customised products and steel solutions including design and technical support through more than 350 sites located in over thirty countries throughout the world. It is present in all global steel markets, including automotive, construction, household appliances, public works, civil engineering and general industry.

Within ArcelorMittal, health and safety is one of the core values and ultimately the number one priority. Striving at every level to achieve a zero accident working environment and culture means involving every employee and every aspect of the business.

JOURNEY TO ZERO The group-wide ‘Journey to Zero’ initiative that aims to eliminate all accidents has been a key factor of success for the UK team. Coordinated from the top of the group down to all sites worldwide, the Journey to Zero committees provide a forum for the sharing of knowledge, best practices and experience that enables the group to move forward towards a sustainable result of zero accidents.

As Carl Beckett, Head of Health and Safety, UK, recounts, there are several group requirements to ensure health and safety standards are met and exceeded: “As a minimum, we have to follow the legal requirements in each country but ArcelorMittal’s standards are much stricter and follow more stringent best practices. We have standards as well within Distribution Solutions that are more specific to our activities and in the UK we follow those as well as introducing our own procedures tailored to our machines and people.”

In the Distribution Solutions division, it was concluded that in order to achieve a zero accident working environment, the focus needed to be on the mindset and the culture of teams. The employees needed to understand and accept that the concept of working accident free is possible and from then it became more about finding the solutions and ways of working in order to eliminate risks.

Specific to Distribution Solutions is the programme designed in collaboration with a team from DuPont targeting felt leadership and aiming to change the culture and mindset of the teams. In the UK, all managers from the top to the shop floor supervisors have followed this training programme that enables them to understand the root causes of accidents and the strong link to behaviour and leadership.

The division also has a strong focus on the Bradley curve theory that encourages the teams to move from a mindset of dependence (‘I wear my

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PPE because I am obliged to’) to one of interdependance in which each employee not only acts in a safe way because they want to but they also ensure their colleagues do so as well.

“There has really been a shift in the mindset of our teams over the last few years,” adds Lucy Warren, Head of Communications, Distribution Solutions. “We can see that health and safety practices have really become a normal part of the daily routine. It’s clearly embedded in our culture that we are a safe organisation and we don’t accept any unsafe behaviour.

“Communication is important to ensure all employees understand that health and safety is our number one priority. Starting at the top of the organisation, we have to lead by example and actions mean more than words. Our group-wide initiatives help us reinforce this message and support us on our journey to zero accidents. We have put in place some key communication campaigns focusing on the need for teamwork, for shared vigilance and we also produce testimony films that allow our employees to share experiences and advice across many different countries.”

BACK TO BASICS “The basis for our recent improvement and success has been going back to basics,” recalls Carl.

“Without strong risk assessments in place, we wouldn’t have been able to move forward and manage health and safety effectively. So we asked each of our site managers to work with their teams and to assess each of the processes, tasks and activities on their sites. From there, we looked at every job and listed all the tasks performed for each one. We then reviewed every risk assessment to ensure that everything was covered and all risks had been identified. We really went back to basics and found that a risk assessment that previously had twenty lines had become one of over a hundred lines.”

As well as a focus on hazard identification and risk assessment, Distribution Solutions UK has also incorporated the Bird Triangle theory into its health and safety plan. This provides a ratio between the number of near misses, unsafe acts and minor accidents, and more serious occurrences. Creating an environment that actively encourages employees to report near misses and unsafe acts has been a breakthrough in the organisation’s health and safety success. The more risks and hazards that can be spotted and eliminated, the closer it is to zero accidents.

Each local manager also has a specific and customised personal development plan in regards to health and safety, working with Carl to improve and gain experience and insight into managing safety in the workplace. This ensures accountability at each level and promotes continuity and sustainability.

SAFETY FOCUS The ‘Stop, think and act safely’ campaign encourages employees and contractors to take time out before doing something to think about what they are going to do and to ensure they do nothing unsafely. Each employee is empowered to stop an activity or a machine if they feel that it will be unsafe.

Carl says: “We operate shared vigilance on our sites

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by empowering each employee to challenge any person working in an unsafe manner. This reinforces our key message that health and safety is our number one priority.”

Every year a group-wide ‘health and safety’ day is held across all the sites, where all employees are encouraged to take time out from their normal working day to participate in activities linked to health and safety. For the UK sites, this could be accident awareness, specific training, refresher courses or even the involvement of the local fire or ambulance services that carry out specific training or emergency simulations on the sites.

TRAINING Training is of vital importance and starts with a rigorous induction programme that applies to every new employee, temporary worker and contractor.

“Before starting their jobs, each employee is trained

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in the key principles of health and safety and the tools available to help ensure they and their colleagues are safe,” recounts Carl.

“We train people firstly in the basic legal requirements but also in the more demanding ArcelorMittal requirements. Those people working on the shop floor then go into job-specific training and we use a buddy system to pair new employees with experienced workers until they can be signed off as competent for the job.”

After that, there are three-monthly performance checks by department managers for the first two years and regular shop floor audits by managers. For those managers, as well as the ‘Leading through safety’ programme, there’s a target of 20% of each day being dedicated to health and safety with a big proportion spent on the shop floor discussing safety with employees. It means managers are visible and demonstrates their personal commitment to health

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STEEL INDUSTRY: ARCELOR MITTAL DISTRIBUTION SOLUTIONS UK and safety so employees follow that lead and think the same way. The open discussions focus on employee behaviour, procedures, and should help to look for ways to improve the way of working in terms of safety, ergonomics and ease.

BEST PRACTICES “One of the advantages of being part of such a large group is the sharing of best practices and knowledge,” comments Lucy. “Whenever an accident or incident happens, it is reported and we learn from it. With so many different sites and people, we have a wealth of experience, knowledge and best practices that we are able to share quickly across the group.”

That sharing is facilitated by the good practice database that is available to all parts of the group to record findings, best practices and ways of working, enabling managers to have access to key information and data to assist them in their daily work. There is also a willingness to share best practices with external partners and stakeholders.

Distribution Solutions UK has signed up to the Health and Safety Executive pledge, confirming that it promotes, manages and communicates health and safety to its employees. More recently, the division has become an official partner of the

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European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, the Healthy Workplace campaign.

SUSTAINABLE RESULTS The common objective is zero accidents but achieving it is harder as the goal becomes closer. “It’s a big challenge,” Carl says. “Our goal is to make what we have put in place sustainable; we have to make sure the changes we have made continue and this means focusing on people’s behaviour. In the coming months, we will be looking at how we manage the human risk element, looking at the behavioural aspects of risk and pushing further the emphasis on the importance of leadership in safety, how we can make our business leaders more effective in managing safety.”

The result is that health and safety is embedded in the culture, a real core value to the extent that every meeting, even sales meetings, begin with a chapter on safety. Health and safety is a continuous journey that requires constant attention and focus, even at a zero accident result, and ensuring it is sustainable is an ongoing battle. www.arcelormittal.com/dsunitedkingdom Tel: 01902 365200

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C

ompanies are keen to operate as efficiently as possible but the investment needed to achieve that can sometimes be a barrier.

However, with payback periods of 6-12 months for Kasto’s sawing machines and 2.5-5 years for its material handling and storage systems, the decision to invest is much easier.

Kasto Ltd is the UK sales and service arm of a global operation with manufacturing plants in Germany. “We are the largest producer of saws worldwide,” says Ernst Wagner, Managing Director of Kasto Ltd. “Everything from the traditional hacksaw to every type of band saw, circular saw, saws up to 2.5 metres in diameter. And our storage systems are 99% bespoke.”

The company has around 1,350 sawing machines installed in the UK and they’re intended for use on the more difficult materials requiring a technical product. For that reason, the emphasis is on quality rather than price, although the product’s

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STEEL INDUSTRY: KASTO effectiveness ensures the short payback period, and users tend to be in the offshore oil and gas industries, Formula One racing, nuclear, aerospace and high alloy material manufacturing.

The second area of activity is somewhat more complex, with material handling and storage systems costing £0.5-30 million. But, as Ernst emphasises, the benefits to a typical manufacturing or stockholding customer are extensive: “Generally, by putting one of our systems in, customers save 60-70% of the floor space normally required for stocking materials.

That extra space allows more manufacturing equipment to be installed. The warehouses usually operate 2.5-3 times faster than manual mode and we have a customer that increased business by three times with the same amount of people.”

STORAGE AT HEIGHT The Kasto systems achieve the extra space through its Unitower system that can store items to heights of 25 metres as standard and even higher, with a height of 36 metres achieved in one instance. That releases valuable floor space and the automated nature of the system speeds the delivery of stored materials as well as reducing the risk to operators.

The safety aspect of the product won the company a safety award in the Racking and Storage category at the recent IMHX event for its installation of three towers at Rotherham mechanical seal manufacturer AESSEAL. Other sites include a four-tower, 8,000 location, fully automated warehouse in Birmingham and a two-tower system in Rochdale where the 400 locations hold 750 tonnes in an 18 by 6 metre footprint as opposed to the 100 by 50 foot warehouse previously required.

That started as a one-tower system but grew to two when the benefits were realised. “The customer was planning to move to another site for more space,” recalls Ernst. “But the new storage system

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created enough space for four more spring coiling machines in the existing warehouse so they didn’t need to do that. Additionally, it had previously often taken up to fifty minutes to find a particular piece of steel but now that’s one to three minutes depending where it is in the storage unit.”

All systems are supported by the company’s team of service engineers and a 24/7 service desk to achieve a guaranteed 98% uptime. They also improve overall energy efficiency through reducing forklift movements and by, for example, using picking cranes where the downward force and weight of the unit generates power that is used to drive it forward.

Although the Kasto tower systems are largely comprised of standard modules, each one is totally bespoke, which extends to the software that drives

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the equipment. That’s because every customer’s needs are unique and so each system has to be correspondingly different in order to meet those needs and to ensure complete integration with everything — the existing warehouse set-up, the host system and the picking and logistics processes.

Because of this, and to maximise the benefits for every customer, Ernst ideally likes Kasto to be involved early. He explains: “At the initial stage it costs nothing; it’s part of our investment. Some customers may be relocating to a green field site and we do everything including the project management. We have many systems built on the outside of a building, then clad and just dispensing material through a slot in a wall to a factory unit for the next processes.”

In effect, Kasto provides a free consultation service knowing only 2% of enquiries are likely to turn into orders. And it’s making available the knowledge and experience of a company that’s been building systems for 25 years and has installed

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1,400 of them worldwide. With only six of them in the UK, Ernst acknowledges there’s plenty of scope for expansion: “The market is responding and there’s a lot of development in the systems we can offer purely by encouraging the market to invest in technology rather than traditional methods.”

Kasto is proud to be associated with its service providers, particularly Leaseplan Go (which provides tailored leasing and fleet management services), Oval Insurance Broking Ltd (one of the UK’s leading risk, insurance broking, financial planning and healthcare advisory firms), and Hermex International Ltd. Kasto has been working with Hermex International with regards to our foreign exchange requirements and they have helped us make considerable savings over the bank and other exchange providers. www.kasto.com Tel: 01908 571590

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