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Volume V olume 56 | Is o Issue ssue 6 | J June une 2018
Hackitt rreport Hackitt eport ffails ails tto o back b ack k industry ind dustry objectives objectives
The CIPHE The CIPHE h has as e expressed xpressed d disappointment isappointment w with ith tthe he rrecently ecently p published ublished H Hackitt ackitt R Review eview w which hich h highlights ighlights potential p otential areas areas of of reform reform within within the the construction construction industry industry following following the the Grenfell Grrenfell Tower Tower fire. fire. ed In The Charter Chartered Institute nstitute of Plumbing and Engineeriing (CIPHE) has voiced voiced its Heating Engineering concern that some e of the rrecommendations ecommendations in the rreview eview by by Dame D Judith Hackitt Hackitt have hav ve Judith not gone far en nough to pr otect public public enough protect health, safety and healt th, or raise raise competency competency levels industry. levels within the e construction industr y. independent The inde penden nt Review Review of Building Re gulations and F ire Safety outlines a Regulations Fire n umber of rrecommendations ecom mmendations for change, change, number but the CIPHE argues argues g that it falls short of deli vering fundam mental rreform. eform. delivering fundamental CEO K evin Wellman We elllman says: say ys: “As “A As a body, body, Kevin w e w elcomed the th he findings pr esented in we welcomed presented Dame Hackitt’s Hackitt’s interim i report and had report hoped the final rreview eview would would push further. further. While w e support suppo ort the need for rrobust obust we rregulatory egulatory c hange and the establishment establishment change of accounta bility y throughout throughout the build accountability and e veryda ay use e of high rise buildings, everyday the rreview eview has not gone far enough to immediatel y address address the issues of immediately competenc y, formal formal accreditation accreditation and competency,
rregulation egulation of those in volved in i the building involved a and maintenance industries .” industries.” “It looks, once again, again, like like a missed o opportunity when rrecommendations ecomme endations are are only rrestricted estricted to onl y residential residenttial buildings above storeys. regulatory a bove 10 stor eys. Many Man ny of the t regulatory f failings appl y equally equally to thousands tho ousands more more apply b buildings both in size and in i purpose purpose.. It i equall is y disappointing that tha at once a gain equally again tthere ther e has been no rrecommendation ecommen ndation for the w wholesale adoption, including includiing retrofit retrofit in e xisting buildings, of residential residen ntial sprinkler existing ssystems.”” systems.
The CIPHE E has long ad vocated the need nee ed advocated for the use e of rresidential esidential fire fire sprinkler sprinkler systems and a the rrelated elated need for f pr p ofessiona al tr aining g in their installation installatio on professional training and servicin ng. servicing. Man ufactturer Ge berit has echoed echoed Manufacturer Geberit some of the e concerns about about the Review’s Review’ ws failur e to rrecommend e ecommend failure the installation of sprinklers in n ne w or existing existing buildings. new “Sprinklerr systems can pr otect lives lives protect and buildin ngs, and reduce reduce the burden burden on buildings, pub lic sector secto or funding,” funding,” argues argues UK MD Mark Ma ark public Larden. Lar den. “It is i no coincidence that nobody nobo ody ever has e ver died die ed from from a fire fire related related incident incide ent building working in a buildi ng with a w orking sprinkler sprink kler system in th he UK. the “It is no w easier, easier, quicker quicker and and now less disrup ptive than ever ever before before to disruptive rretrospectively etrospectively install sprinkler system ms systems into e xisting properties properties and it is therefore therefo ore existing disappointi ng that these benefits are a e ar disappointing not being taken advantage advantage of through throu ugh mandator y installations. mandatory installations.””
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Throne T hrone rroom oom
Exploring E xploring w ways ays to to detect detect CO CO poisoning poisoning T The he Gas Gas Safety Safet y Trust Tr ust has has published published a new new rreport eport which which explores explores the the latest latest methods methods of of det detecting ecting c carbon arbon m monoxide onoxide ((CO) CO) p poisoning. oisoning. T The he fuel f uel safety safet y c charity har it y ssays ays tthat hat tthe he m most o st commonly used biomarker c ommonly u sed b iomarker associated associated w with it h tthe he iidentification dent ificat ion o off e exposure xposure tto oC CO, O, c arbox yhaemoglo obin, iis s n ow c onsidered carboxyhaemoglobin, now considered useful lless ess u sef ul tthan han previously p ev iously thought pr thought and and is is concerned cases off e exposure could be c oncer ned tthat hat c a se s o xposure c ould b e missed. m issed. The The report repor t argues arg ues for for tthe he need need tto o new biomarkers iidentify dent if y n ew b iomarkers – iindicators ndicators that t hat will assist clinicians w ill ultimately ult imately a ssist c linicians in in making making off C CO a diagnosis diag nosis o O poisoning poisoning and and help help tthem hem iin n their their assessment assessment of of patient patient outcome outcome and and rreferral efer ral decisions. decisions. Diagnosing CO poisoning notoriously Diag nosing C Op oisoning iis sn otor iously difficult, d ifficult, as as it it produces produc u es common, common, non-specific non-specific
as headaches and nausea, ssymptoms ymptoms ssuch uch a sh eadaches a nd n ausea, and other more common a nd mimics mimics o ther m ore c ommon ailments ailments ssuch uch as as flu flu and and food food poisoning. poisoning. This This makes makes exposed know iitt difficult dif ficult for for tthose hose e xposed tto ok now that t hat have been poisoned and tthey hey h ave b een p oisoned a nd what what they t hey have by. h ave been been poisoned poisoned b y. The T he report repor t acknowledges acknowledges that t hat there t here are a re gaps g aps iin n the the evidence ev idence base base and and that that little little is is known k nown about ab bout the the effects effe f cts of of low low level level chronic chronic exposure e xposure tto o CO. CO. It It argues argues that that a combination combination off a approaches o pproaches is is required required to to develop develop novel novel biomarkers b iomarkers and and that that developing developing a dedicated dedicated programme ffunding unding pr og ramme of of research research work work is is critical c ritical to to success. success. The The needs needs of of the the clinician, clinician, often o ften the t he first first person person to to be be approached approached by by ssomeone omeone ssuffering uffering from from CO CO poisoning, poisoning, must must also a lso be be considered. considered.
Chris Bielby, Chris Bielby, GST GST Chair, Chair, comments: comments: “The “The Gas G as Safety Safety Trust Trust is is committed committed to to supporting supporting tthe he improved improved diagnosis diag nosis and and treatment t reatment of of CO poisoning. What emerging other C Op oisoning. Wh at iis se merging ffrom rom o ther we are rresearch e s ea r c h w ea re ffunding unding is is that t hat incidents incidents are may be a re being being missed missed and and that t hat people people m ay b e being att llower b eing poisoned poisone n da ower levels levels for fo or extended extended periods off time without knowing p er iods o t ime w it hout k now ing iit. t. I am am optimistic o pt imist ic that t hat improved improved biomarkers biomarkers will w ill ensure e nsure those those people people are are identified identified ssooner.” ooner e .” The GST has created an online carbon T he G ST h as c reated a n o nline c arbon monoxide portal m onoxide p or tal that that is is designed desig ned to to be be the the central data and c entral rrepository epositor y ffor or d ata a nd iinformation nformation rrelating elating to to CO CO in in the the UK. UK. It It contains contains the the latest latest ass well rreport eport a well as as other other data, data, documents documents and and general CO. can g eneral iinformation nfor mat ion rrelating elat ing tto oC O. IItt c an be at: www.coportal.org b e ffound ound a t: w w w.copor tal.org
Inspired b Inspired by y tthe he Royal Royal Wedding Wedding o off P Prince rince Harry H arry and and Meghan Meghan Markle, Markle, interior in nter erior designer de esigner Helen H ele en C Crouch ro ouch created created this this inspired inspired ‘throne ‘throne rroom’ oom’ as part part of of the the Lavatory Lavator y Project, Pro oject, a series s eries of of installations installations on on display display at at the the rrecent ecent Grand Gra and d Designs Desig gns Live Live exhibition. exhibition. With With off w wedding-themed and bespoke a myriad myriad o edding-them e ed a nd b espoke ttouches, ouches, rranging anging ffrom rro om the the striking striking Union Union JJack ack fl floor oor tto o tthe he m more ore s subtle ubtle Mr Mr & Mrs Mr s hand h and towels, towels, Helen’s Helen’s creation cre reation was was one one of of e ight designs designs centred centred on on different diffferre ent themes themes eight encourage tto o en courage ccreativity reativ vit y in in the the smallest smallest rroom oom off tthe he h home. ome.
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