Johnson Controls welcomes amendment to building regulations

Johnson Controls is welcoming the amendments to The Building Regulations 2010 Section 15, paragraph 15.17, in relation to evacuation alert systems in high-rise residential buildings. The amendment states that new residential developments over 18m tall will have to incorporate an Evacuation Alert System in accordance with BS 8629 to help fire and rescue services inform residents of a change in evacuation strategy during an incident. Keeping people and facilities safe from fire is a requirement for every building, facility, and premise, including high-rise buildings. As with any built environment, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Developers need to find the right fire safety solution to match the risk of a particular building, and the right partner to support this process. “We are seeing a cultural and regulatory shift in the right direction for good fire safety to ensure people are kept safe. We welcome the amendment with open arms,” says Brian Hetherington, Fire Detection Product Marketing Manager at Johnson Controls. “However, businesses should use the regulations as a guide for the minimum they need to do when it comes to fire safety. In many cases, fire safety solutions still need to progress beyond a box-ticking exercise to meet mandates – we need a mindset shift. Fire safety is more than this, you can’t put a price on it. It means everyone can sleep easy, and safe in the knowledge that a protected building is a safer building.” Johnson Controls High-Rise Evacuation Alert Systems are BS 8629:2019 compliant. It is the first national BAFE SP207 accredited evacuation alert specialist company and provides a full portfolio of fire safety products. To find out more, visit: High Rise Evacuation Alert Systems | Johnson Controls

Power capacity boost for Hertfordshire

Work is underway to reinforce power capacity for the future connection of more electric vehicles in Hertfordshire as part of the UK’s Green Recovery programme. UK Power Networks is installing 6.5km of new high voltage electricity cables between St Albans Road and Potters Bar to supply a new transformer. Teams will aim to minimise any local disruption while work takes place. These new cables will meet an anticipated growth in future demand by enabling the installation of new EV infrastructure in future years and provide a secure electrical supply for the surrounding area. UK Power Networks is delivering £66 million of ‘Green Recovery’ investment to deliver low carbon energy projects that will help achieve the Government’s Ten Point Plan towards net zero by 2050. A total of 86 schemes are being fast-tracked by the electricity company across a range of sites including electric vehicle charging hubs at motorway service stations, fleets of electric buses, community energy schemes and heat pumps. Adam Lakey, leading the projects for UK Power Networks, says: “These projects are about providing the infrastructure that gives businesses and the public the confidence to decarbonise their activities and we hope it will encourage more to make the switch to EVs. “As we all strive to meet the Government’s targets for a net zero economy, it is vital that we all reduce our emissions and push towards a cleaner environment.”

ABS potting boxes from BCL Enclosures offer protection for electronic circuits

BCL Enclosures offers two ranges of competitively priced potting boxes manufactured in tough, high-quality ABS that protect delicate electronics in multiple applications. The potting boxes are available in standard colours with RAL colours and alternative materials available as options. BCL’s GPL Range has fixing lugs for secure attachment to surfaces, and is offered in black, white or grey standard colours, each in three different sizes: 36mm x 24mm x 18mm; 50mm x 30mm x 24mm and 55mm x 42mm x 27mm. Nominal wall thicknesses are 1.0mm, 1.5mm and 2.0mm respectively.  These ABS potting boxes come in an attractive polished finish. The PB Range is moulded in black polished ABS only as standard and is designed for the permanent encapsulation of delicate electronics. There is a very wide choice of 18 different sizes, so this range suits almost any application. The smallest potting box in this range, the PB109, measures only 11mm x 11mm x 9mm, while the largest is 100mm x 60mm x 25mm. The versatility offered by the size range and the availability of custom colours makes these one of the most popular potting box ranges on the market. Both ranges are offered at market competitive prices, with discounts for orders above 50 pieces.

Thorn Lighting hosts Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, at its manufacturing facility in Spennymoor

As part of HM Treasury’s ‘Treasury Connect’ sessions, the Chancellor met with employees to discuss the cost of living and the support package announced by the government at the end of May to combat rising energy prices in the UK. On arrival at the manufacturing plant located near the city of Durham, the Chancellor of the Exchequer was greeted by Vice-President of the Thorn Lighting brand, Saurabh Pandhi, and the facility’s Operations Director, Peter Arthy. Before starting the open forum session, the Chancellor was introduced to the company which was founded by Sir Jules Thorn in 1928 and which manufactures efficient, high-quality lighting solutions for indoor and outdoor applications, including education, health and care, office, retail, urban life, architecture, sport, road and transport and tunnel projects. When joined by employees, the Chancellor responded to a range of questions, including investment plans for manufacturing businesses within northeast England, caps for gas and electricity costs and support for carers. Local Member of Parliament, Dehenna Davison, also attended the session and joined a tour of the facility. A major employer in the county Durham area, there are over 750 employees across the site, which is also home to Thorn’s sister brand Tridonic, making the company an integral part of the surrounding community. On the shop floor, which currently produces between 5,000 and 7,000 luminaires per day, the Chancellor spoke to skilled production operatives who explained the build processes and the technologies available within Thorn’s luminaires, including those that are recognised by the International Dark-Sky Association as dark-sky friendly. On the walkabout, Peter Arthy drew attention to the site’s initiatives to improve sustainability. Through recycling and reusing water in manufacturing processes, a 50% reduction in water consumption has been achieved in the past year, while energy consumption is being driven down year on year, achieved by continuous monitoring and metering of machinery and energy management systems. Peter says, “For me personally, the Chancellor’s visit was a fantastic opportunity to display the improvements that have been made at the Spennymoor factory, and an opportunity to showcase the really wonderful staff that we have here along with their enthusiasm and their dedication which was obvious through the questions they asked the Chancellor, and on the tour.” Saurabh adds, “One of the key highlights of the visit was being able to show the Chancellor first-hand where we produce our fixtures, allowing him to get hands-on with the products that are sold to all areas of the UK and exported across the globe. Thorn is a proud member of the Zumtobel Group, one of the largest lighting companies in the world alongside sister brands Tridonic and Zumtobel Lighting, so it was great to put the Spennymoor facility into context on a global scale. For us, it was insightful to understand what the UK Government is doing to support businesses and help them grow and how we can use that to better serve our communities, customers and partners.”

Faster power restoration at water sites

Faster electricity restoration has been prioritised for water infrastructure sites to help make sure people are not left without water for long, at the same time as a power cut. Even a momentary power loss at a water company’s operational site could affect the water system for the area for several hours or lead to sewer flooding of the wastewater system. UK Power Networks collaborated with Thames Water to compare more than 10,000 data points from business systems that showed where power cuts happened, together with root causes. This enabled UK Power Networks to mark 2,269 additional operational Thames Water sites on its records, plus a further 5,566 other water utility sites. Now, if a power cut affects a remote site, electricity crews will know water and wastewater services could be affected, so they can respond accordingly. Justin Camis, Energy Engineering Project Manager at Thames Water, says: “Stable power is critical to maintain supplies of water and wastewater services to households and businesses. We really value how UK Power Networks has worked with us to better understand the essential service we provide, including proactively involving us in prioritising sites for reconnection to minimise the impact on customers.” Luke Hughes, Network Planning Manager at UK Power Networks, says: “Our engagement with Thames Water helped us develop a new approach to data sharing and joint analysis with water companies to enhance resilience and minimise disruption to our shared customer groups. “We are aiming to replicate what we have learned with other regional water companies, building on the relationships fostered through our Priority Services Register data-sharing initiative to reduce disruption for customers.”

LEDVANCE innovates lighting range for industrial solutions

LEDVANCE has extended its range of LED products for sophisticated industrial lighting solutions. The range of sensor luminaires, flex luminaires and compacts are designed with high IP ratings, easy installation fittings and long lifetimes for demanding applications where the quality of light is crucial not only for good production results but also for health and safety. They are suitable for damp environments and high ceilings of up to 12m, in areas including warehouses, supermarkets, logistics halls and underpasses. The upgraded DAMP PROOF SENSOR luminaire allows for swift installation with simple five-way wiring to establish a network of intelligent luminaires, based on the leader-follower or leader-leader principle. Toggle switches provide quick configuration of sensor detection areas, hold times and daylight threshold. The luminaire has an impressive efficiency of 139lm/W and its IP65 protection makes it suitable for a range of environments including underpasses, garages and car parks. The LOW BAY FLEX luminaire is designed to evenly illuminate areas with ceiling heights of between four and 10m. It offers three different beam angles at 160lm/W and provides easy installation with four mounting options, end caps and connections that are accessible without tools. The luminaire has a cost-effective lifetime of up to 100,000 hours and is equipped for complete through-wiring in both ON/OFF and DALI operation. Standard applications for the LOW BAY FLEX include storage facilities, discounters and supermarkets. The HIGH BAY GEN 4 SENSOR luminaire significantly reduces operating costs in high-ceiling spaces of up to 12m thanks to increased luminaire efficiency and a configurable sensor. Such spaces may include airports, warehouses and logistics halls. The integrated corridor function provides increased light on demand without the need for any additional devices. To simplify system programming, an optional remote control permits further customisation of lighting levels and timings, extending these settings to all other luminaires installed in just one click. The HIGH BAY COMPACT luminaire has a modern, exclusive design of black aluminium housing and tempered glass cover, permitting operating temperatures of -20°C to 45°C. The high bay compact luminaire gives energy savings of up to 60% compared to conventional high bay luminaires and is a suitable replacement for existing high bay luminaires with mercury vapor or metal halide lamps. Potential applications include warehouses, logistics halls and other industrial spaces with high ceilings like lobbies and shopping malls. LEDVANCE lighting solutions come in environmentally friendly cardboard packaging with all relevant product information immediately visible on the outside of the box.

Surge in demand sees WB Power scale up UK activities

WB Power Services (WBPS) has recorded its most successful year in the company’s 38-year history, with profits up 30% on the year before. The exponential growth is down to a combination of the company boosting its service capabilities and scaling up activities to meet the surge in demand for critical power systems across several key industries, including data centres, construction, and the utilities sector. The family-run business is the UK’s largest distributor of Kohler generators in Europe; and has posted a turnover of £44.5m for the year to 30 April 2021, up from £25.7m in 2020. Its projected turnover for the 2022-23 year-end is set to increase to £100m. To keep up with growing demand for Kohler’s generators, the company has increased the number of depots it has around the UK, recently opening its ninth in Milton Keynes earlier on in the year. “We’ve experienced significant growth over the last three years and have ramped up our service capabilities to keep pace and ensure we can consistently deliver the service we’re renowned for – which is providing emergency power, when and where it’s needed,” explains Andy Wilmott, Managing Director at WBPS. “Customers come to us in part because of the high-performance Kohler generators we supply. However, it’s our ability to deliver critical power to our customers within four hours of receiving the emergency call that enables us to stand-out from the competition. This year alone, we’ve met over 95% of call outs within this time frame, with the majority occurring within just two hours. “The scaling up our UK activities has been fundamental to the success and growth we’re seeing year on year. We now employ over 200 staff across a country-wide network of service centres, workshops, depots, and offices around the UK. This includes a team of 150 highly qualified engineers providing specialist knowledge and insight for consultants when specifying generators, as well as servicing emergency callouts for back-up power.” The company has also invested heavily to expand the number of Kohler rental generators in its fleet - doubling the number available to 1000 across the UK, including many Stage V engines that are cleaner to operate and produce lower emissions. These generators are mandatory for any construction projects in London and other major cities, and likely to be deployed more widely as the country moves towards its net zero emissions targets. Andy concludes: “Despite it being a challenging year, it’s also been our most successful to date. We continuously put our customers’ needs at the heart of everything we do. Regardless of the industry – construction, datacentres, utilities or events – our customers rely on us to provide them with power when they need it most. It’s our strong family values and pride in the work we do, that ensures each member of the WBPS team is committed giving our customers the best possible service.”

Consultation launched on electrical safety standards in social housing

A 12-week consultation has been launched by the Department of Levelling Up Housing and Communities, seeking comments on three proposals to enhance electrical safety for residents in social housing in England and bring greater parity between the rented sectors following the introduction of Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector England Regulations in 2020. The consultation seeks views on the proposal to introduce mandatory checks on electrical installations in social housing at least once every five years and mandatory Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) on all electrical appliances that are provided by social housing landlords as part of a tenancy. Under these proposals, social housing landlords would be required to obtain an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR), undertaken by a qualified and competent person, at least once every five years (or a shorter period if specified). A copy of the report would need to be provided to the resident within 28 days, and any remedial or further investigative work identified on the EICR would need to be rectified within 28 days. It has been proposed that all electrical appliances provided by the social housing landlord should be inspected and tested in line with a risk assessment, with evidence of PAT being provided with an EICR to ensure PAT is completed at least once every five years. It has been proposed that these regulations would be enforced by local authorities. In addition, a call for evidence has been issued alongside the consultation, requesting views on whether to introduce a mandatory requirement for electrical installation checks in owner-occupier properties within social housing blocks. This is being considered to assist with the overall safety of social housing blocks and the consultation considers whether this requirement should be placed on the owner-occupier leaseholder or on their freeholder and how it should be enforced. Commenting on the consultation, Frank Bertie, Chairman of the National Association of Professional Inspectors and Testers (NAPIT) says: ‘It is great to see the publication of this consultation and the Government’s continuing commitment to enhancing electrical safety standards. We support the proposals within the consultation and the desire to align electrical safety standards across the rented sector. It is promising to see the Government collating views on the introduction of mandatory electrical safety checks in owner-occupier properties within social housing blocks. This paves the way for the introduction of mandatory electrical safety checks for all dwellings within higher-risk buildings, which will enable parity of safety for all residents which we have been calling for.’ The consultation opened on 8 June 2022 and will close on 31 August 2022.

Aico retain Company of the Year award in triple win

Aico has retained its Company of the Year title at this year’s Shropshire Chamber of Commerce Business Awards, as well as taking home the awards for Sustainability and Young Business Person of the year. The Shropshire Chamber of Commerce Business Awards recognise successful businesses in the county. This year, Aico were shortlisted for a record-breaking six awards and won three, becoming the first company in the awards 22-year history to retain the Company of the Year award and only the third company to win the top award more than once. The previous awards ceremony was carried out virtually due to the pandemic, so in this year’s ceremony Aico was invited on stage to collect its previous title and were then delighted to take home the accolade again for 2022 at the end of the night. Aico’s wins began with Samuel Marston, Aico’s Product Development Executive taking the Young Business Person of the Year award in a particularly strong category. Samuel, who joined Aico at 18 years old as a level three Infrastructure Technician Apprentice has since flourished, earning an EDA Gold Circle before being promoted to his full time Product Development Executive role. Seeking continuous improvement, Samuel is now working on his level four Manufacturing Engineering Apprenticeship. Samuel also enjoys supporting Aico’s CSR programme, Aico in the Community, through supporting local education in his role as a STEM ambassador. Aico also took home the award for Sustainability, which celebrates companies that have gone the extra mile to lower their carbon footprint. Aico have pledged to reach its net zero goal by 2030 and are continuously looking for innovative ways to cut its carbon footprint. Aico has not only made huge progress in cutting its product waste over previous years, but it has also massively extended its photovoltaic system, added 10 new EV charging points to its headquarters and are near completion of changing its entire company fleet of vehicles to hybrid/electric vehicles. Managing Director, Neal Hooper comments “What an honour it is to become Company of the Year for the second time in a row. We are a strong company of good people living our values on a day-to-day basis, I am delighted for all my colleagues for this recognition. Thank you to the Shropshire Chamber for an amazing evening of celebration, well done to Samuel and all our fellow winners”. Product Development Executive, Samuel Marston, who won the Young Business Person award adds “I was honoured to have been awarded the Young Business Person Award. Many thanks to all those involved, especially all my Aico colleagues for supporting me, who have been a real credit. Well done to everyone else shortlisted in my category which had some really tough competition this year.”

Shining a light on Men’s Health Week

It’s Men’s Health Week from 12th to 19th June and the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity are supporting the week by raising awareness of all the resources they have to support men in construction. One in five men die before the age of 65. The causes are a variety of physical and mental health issues, so Men's Health Week is all about increasing awareness of preventable health problems for men of all ages and backgrounds. The construction workforce is 87% male so it is vital that it is given free and easily accessible support to live healthier lifestyles and there are plenty of things that can be done  to help stay fit in mind and body. Physical Health Get regular check-ups with your doctor. Seeing your GP regularly can help them identify and treat any health issues, such as Prostate cancer, in its early stage. Reduce your salt and sugar intake. Having too much salt can increase your cholesterol and cause heart problems later down the line whereas too much sugar can lead to obesity and/or diabetes. Go for a daily walk. Taking a stroll lets you get in some cardio exercise and fresh air - and it's great for your mental health. Reduce alcohol intake. As well as inhibiting your ability to perform day to day functions, consistent and large intakes of alcohol can cause liver problems. Quit smoking. Smoking is bad for every organ in your body and can lead to a variety of severe health issues, such as lung and throat cancer - it's also expensive! Enjoy breakfast everyday - A nutritious breakfast starts your day off right. It not only sets you up so you have energy and fuel for optimal mental and physical performance, but also to maintain stable blood sugar levels and a healthy weight because you are less likely to overindulge later in the day Mental Health Join a community group. Being part of a group can boost mental wellbeing by reducing feelings of loneliness and detachment. Try visiting one of the Lighthouse Beacons as a first step. Talk to someone. Whether it's family or friends (or even a helpline worker), maintaining healthy relationships with peers. You can always call the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity helpline if you need. Take up a hobby. Engaging in a hobby can be a mental escape, help us hone a skill, or just provide an opportunity to socialise with others. It's also a great way to help us disconnect from work and break away from the monotony of daily life. Volunteer. Doing something selfless for others has been proven to make ourselves feel better. Get a good night's sleep. Sleep is essential to healthy mental wellbeing as it helps us regulate our emotions and ability to function effectively. Register for the free Sleepstation app to find out how. Adopt relaxation techniques. These can work to slow down breathing, lower blood pressure, and reduce muscle tension and stress. Bill Hill, CEO of the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity says, “Our construction industry is 87% male, which is why it's incredibly important for us to provide the right support and encourage them to be healthy for work and for life. As a charity we provide holistic support across all aspects of emotional, physical and financial wellbeing and we strive to provide education and information so that where possible people can help themselves and be pro-active in developing a healthy lifestyle. We’ve had a fantastic response to recent campaigns highlighting skin health, stress, prostate cancer and healthy sleeping and we will continue to provide pro-active resources for our workforce. "We're here for everyone who works in the construction industry and allied trades, including their families, and all our support services are completely free. Whether you want specific advice from one of our trained advisors through our helpline or text support service, or access to learning resources through our Self Support App, there is a route to support for everyone."