The building is located directly outside the main railway station and has been custom built for the broadcaster to replace its Llandaff site. The building forms an important part of the major changes to Central Square which is now in its final stages of development.

It has been designed by architects Fosters + Partners and will be the base for some of BBC Wales’ best-known programmes on television and on radio. In total, around 1,000 production and support staff  will relocate to the new building. That process has now begun. The building has the most advanced broadcast facilities anywhere in the UK and is described by the broadcaster as the corporation’s “most open and accessible building”. Members of the public will be able to attend tours, community and learning activities.

The opening of the new BBC broadcast centre follows shortly after Legal & General announced that it had exchanged contracts to develop the Interchange, in what will be one of the final stages of Cardiff Central Square, in partnership with the Welsh Government and Rightacres. Comprising over 500,000 sq ft, the Interchange will include: the much anticipated new Bus Station; 318 Build to Rent (BTR) apartments; and Grade A office space.

Legal & General is dedicated to helping to drive regional economic growth in order to improve lives and deliver extraordinary social outcomes. It is using long-dated UK pension money to invest in our cities and towns; creating real jobs, high quality and varied housing and better infrastructure.  This, in turn, boosts productivity and delivers vibrant communities in which people can live longer, healthier and happier lives.  Legal & General has invested over £22bn into UK direct investments such as homes, urban regeneration, clean energy and transport infrastructure.

Tom Roberts, Head of Strategic Investment at LGIM Real Assets, said: “To meet the expectations of modern city-dwellers and to improve their quality of life, we must create developments that will work now and into the future. The BBC building is a wonderful example of a modern fit-for-purpose headquarters that is surrounded by appropriate amenities, housing and infrastructure.  We are excited to see it come to life with its new employees now in situ as Cardiff Square enters its final stages of development.”

Jason Hyett, Rightacres Project Director, said: “This has been a truly collaborative development and one that all those who were involved in can be justly proud of. It is now wonderful to see the building come to life as more and more people move in and the next chapter of this building commences.”

BBC Cymru Wales Director Rhodri Talfan Davies said: “Central Square is all about opening up. Broadcasting and media are changing before our eyes. Our audiences these days expect to ‘get up close and personal’. We’ve designed this building to let the light in – not seal it off – and the fantastic location means that we’ll be more accessible. As part of the drive to ‘open up’, inclusion is a key part of the design of Central Square throughout. As well as opening up the ground floor to the public, the new building will be thoroughly accessible for people with a range of neurodivergent conditions.”

The scheme forms a key part of the University’s ambitious ‘Campus Masterplan’ – a framework for how it will develop its ‘campus of the future’.

An intensive consultation and engagement process, involving a broad spectrum of stakeholders, ensured that the “exciting and sustainable” designs were given the green light by the University and planners.

Construction for the project, which has been designed by architects Sheppard Robson, will be completed for the 2022 academic year.

The design embraces Modern Methods of Construction bringing enhanced quality and delivery confidence. Elements include pre-fabricated sandwich panels, integrating external brick finish, insultation, windows, first fix services and finished internal walls.

The scheme will act as a stimulus for the University of York’s student recruitment strategy while meeting the accommodation demands of an expanding global student body.

The new facilities will offer students an exceptional level of quality accommodation that will undoubtedly help the University and the City of York continue to reduce reliance on city centre accommodation and housing. The designs are exciting, sustainable and will help transform the student experience at the University.

Neil McFarlane, GRAHAM Strategic Projects Director: “This is an exciting step forward for the University of York’s ambitious plans to deliver a new kind of campus for its academic community. We have considerable experience of working in the higher education sector and we will draw on this knowledge to deliver high-quality accommodation for the student body.

“We’re proud to be associated with such a talented project team who are as excited as we are to get started and bring the university’s vision to life.”

The two-day event brings together health, safety, security and environment professionals and leaders from across the region, sharing the latest trends and issues affecting HSSE.

NEBOSH CEO, Ian Taylor has been invited to be a panelist on an Executive Panel Discussion on day one of the conference where they will discuss HSSE Excellence for Sustainable Business. Also on the evening of 17 December, Ian will be a speaker in an exclusive evening session for ASSP members. The session, entitled ‘Reflections on Effective Leadership’, will be followed by a question and answer session with the leader of an international organisation.

Further, on the morning of 18 December, Ian will be presenting a session entitled ‘Training is a tool to facilitate worker involvement’.

Ian said: “I feel privileged to be invited to participate in this prestigious event. I’m very much looking forward to engaging in valuable and interesting conversations with some of the leading professionals from our sector.”

NEBOSH will also be exhibiting at the event. On Stand 29, delegates can talk to the team about NEBOSH’s new-look General Certificates, the new three-day course Safety Simplified and its wide range of other internationally recognised qualifications.

The 10th International HSSE and Loss Prevention Professional Development Conference and Exhibition takes place at Hotel Regency, State of Kuwait. For more information visit: https://www.asspkuwaitpdc.org/

There can be little argument that land drilling is a physical job, undertaken in often demanding environments and with real dynamic risks. The best way to reduce risk in such environments is to enable, teach, supervise and manage the drilling operatives to always adopt conscious safe working beyond the exactitudes of the details required by their Risk Assessments.

The British Drilling Association (BDA) cannot stress enough the importance of safety above all aspects of a job and for that reasons is lending its support to “The Land Drillings Safety Advantage” initiative.  In essence, with drilling operatives usually working in teams of two or three and these teams are together for weeks on end and begin to really understand each other, they can notice when their mate is off colour or not focused. This system of teamwork they adopt allows them to almost instinctively know what each other is going to do next through camaraderie. The BDA is encouraging managers to use this advantage by recognising this teamwork that naturally develops independently of any formal health and safety systems. The advantage can be written into risk controls, but obviously the first thing any manager can do is to encourage it. Give the initiative a name, and those schemes up and running already include ‘Working Well Together’ or a simply understood term, such as the ‘Buddy-Buddy’ system, as adopted by some companies.

The system that the BDA is supporting, includes aspects such as:

Contaminated site PPE. Formal risk control, ‘wear disposable coveralls, chem gloves, over boots, RPE’. All must fit with no gaps. The simple ‘Buddy–Buddy’ system approach can enhance this by encouraging the two people to look after each other in the Method Statement, by ensuring the fitting is described as a team activity. This reinforces the care for each other aspect that the two drillers naturally have but may be embarrassed to admit.

Your Company can facilitate their safety rules by using the ‘Buddy–Buddy’ system language and methods. Really you are enhancing teamwork by, for example, giving each driller a risk guide that they are shown as a part of their job. This could be presented as a set of responsibilities they have for each other. Driller 1 is taught that they are looking out for Driller 2 etc, with cooperative working methods, not rules.

Too often managers try to get the safe working achieved by approaching safety aspects by writing ‘required’ responsibilities, dictated by rules of law and seniority. Effectively you are using coercion, which is a whole different approach. If you use subtle wording based on ‘looking after your buddy’, instead of coercion, you are using the ‘team spirit and friends together’ aspect. This is more enduring and more likely to work because people naturally want to help each other especially their mate or buddy!

Don’t create a barrier to this. If you pressurise the drilling crew to work beyond levels of fair resourcing and apply restrictive time scales this will eat into their ability to address their innate teamwork protectionism that naturally exists.

Example, Driller 1 notices that Driller 2 is not ‘on it’ today and is making routine work action mistakes. A bit slow to run the rods in, or not chatting as usual may be the signals something is wrong. If, however the Company has suppressed this desire to help in a bad way – such as applying unreasonable time pressure – then Driller 1 is most likely going to look the other way and forget their concern. 1 hour later Driller 2 gets their hand trapped, due to the distraction that Driller 1 had noticed but felt they had to ignore due to Management pressure.

The ‘Buddy-Buddy’ system, or whatever you choose to call it, is a very easy thing to generate in Land Drilling activity, as the work involves long term two or three person teams. So, recognise this and facilitate it. The result will be safer working, happier drillers and better productivity with reduced harm to people.

This annual event celebrates the success of the ISIA’s member companies, their dedication to delivering exceptional service to clients, and their commitment to innovation and outstanding service delivery. The awards also provide an opportunity to recognise those organisations and individuals that contribute to safety and security.

The ISIA Locksmith of the Year award recognises the importance and vital contribution made by locksmiths to both domestic and commercial security. With a focus on customer service, quality and expertise, the winner of this award is selected through the assessment of a case study submission combined with responses submitted through an online customer survey.

Nominees for this award are measured across a range of areas such as professionalism, customer service, quality of work and technical knowledge. This year three locksmiths were shortlisted – Crothers Security, Locksmiths.ie and winners D15 Locksmiths.

Pat Jefferies, Commercial Director at Abloy UK, presented the award to Brian Molloy of D15 Locksmiths, a family owned, family run business that boasts highly trained and skilled technicians with a wealth of experience.

Pat said: “It was our pleasure to sponsor the ISIA Locksmith of the Year award again this year, it’s a great venue and we were impressed with the quality of the shortlisted companies. We’re delighted to have presented D15 Locksmiths with this award, and on behalf of Abloy UK I wish Brian and his team every success in the future.” 

Sean Leavy, President of the ISIA, added: “People are at the heart of security and recognising the contribution that they make is vital. Showcasing the individuals who have established successful careers in our industry and are flourishing, helps us to attract future candidates of a high calibre to our industry.”

For further information on products and services available from Abloy, visit https://bit.ly/2YohoSN, call 01902 364 500, or email [email protected].

As the market leader in weather protection systems Galebreaker continues to develop CFD modelling techniques that can accurately model entire air cooled power plants to determine the right position and porosity of wind reduction systems. These solutions have not only improved thermal efficiency of power plants but also protect mechanical equipment from wind induced vibrations, so reducing downtime and improving mechanical performance.

In addition to the extensive installed base of ACC wind protection screens, further developments in cold weather protection screens for wet and dry cooling applications continue to assist companies with their cold weather challenges. These developments include solutions for large natural draft cooling towers which can prevent the potentially damaging build-up of ice in and around the cooling towers that can cause disruption to a plant’s operation and extensive damage to the cooling fill and support structures.

Air inlet filtration solutions provide benefits to both wet and dry cooling systems, either protecting fin coils from airborne contamination, or reducing the amount of contamination drawn into operating cooling towers, which is a valuable source of nutrients for harmful bacteria, reducing downtime and chemical usage and increasing cleaning intervals.

Other performance enhancement systems include plume abated cooling tower rolling doors, that are incredibly easy to maintain and install, designed to isolate plume coils during the summer months when pluming is less likely to occur, maximising thermal performance at a time when it is needed the most.

External protection systems include weather shielding of large open structures, from high winds or extreme cold due to high winds. Using these systems is considerably cheaper than cladding, requiring very little sub-structure, but offering excellent wind speed reduction, whilst allowing light to enter the building.

With an extensive range of fixed and rolling systems, manually or automatically deployed, a full range of mesh screens to suit any application, and full engineering and installation services, there is a solution to help any organisation with performance enhancement through wind reduction, weather protection or air inlet filtration.

For a copy of the Galebreaker Cooling Solutions brochure or more information call DHD Cooling on 01905 317370, email [email protected] or visit the company’s website at www.dhdcooling.co.uk

DHD Cooling is supported by Vantage PR

3 December, 2019 – Greenwich Millennium Village (GMV), a joint venture between Countryside and Taylor Wimpey in association with the Mayor of London, held a “topping out” ceremony on-site to mark the completion of the structures in Commodore’s Quarter.

In total, 116 one-to-three bedroom apartments and 20 three-and-four bedroom houses are being delivered as part of this new chapter in GMV’s development.

Among the guests who were in attendance to celebrate this key milestone were senior representatives from Countryside, Taylor Wimpey and the Greater London Authority, as well as the Royal Borough of Greenwich, One Housing Group and the wider consulting team.

Upon arrival, the guests were received at the marketing suite in the Village Square, where an overview of the GMV masterplan and the latest phase was provided. The attendees then made their way to the roof of the Carrick apartment building, where the last batch of concrete was poured.

Chris Bladon, Director of Greenwich Millennium Village, says: “The topping out of Commodore’s Quarter represents a major milestone for Greenwich Millennium Village, which has brought something truly unique to London – a village feel and real sense of community. Living here is more than just about owning a stylish, contemporary home with everything you need nearby. It’s about being a part of a small, close-knit community, while still having the chance to enjoy the very best of London life”.

He adds: “We are very proud of how works is progressing with Commodore’s Quarter and look forward to completing the new homes, commercial units and village square”.

The internal fit out of the buildings within Commodore’s Quarter will be progressed throughout next year, with the first residents moving in during September 2020.

Commodore’s Quarter comprises 6 apartment buildings and 20 houses. These superior, brilliantly designed homes are clustered around a brand new village square with play area and space for retail.

GMV itself has been described as one of Europe’s most vibrant, new residential neighbourhoods. The development boasts signature architecture, within a sustainable development, landscaped by nature. Residents can enjoy relaxed, waterside living with excellent travel connections, world class entertainment nearby and all of the buzz of the UK’s capital on their doorstep. Once complete, GMV will deliver 3,000 new homes.

A range of 1-4 bedroom homes are currently available for purchase at Greenwich Millennium Village, ranging from £399,995 for a 1-bedroom a

apartment to £900,000 for a 4-bedroom Townhouse. London Help to Buy is available on homes up to £600,000.

Show homes are open daily from 10 am – 5 pm. For more information, call 0208 023 8034 or email [email protected] to book a viewing.

Men react dramatically

According to our research men are 20% more likely to react to noise in the workplace than women, sometimes dramatically. Some may be surprised to learn that men are twice as likely to ask for a quieter desk, but when scanning down the results, things get a lot more interesting. Men are also four times more likely to leave passive aggressive notes and startlingly six times more likely to resort to violence!

These extreme reactions to excessive noise probably explain why 21% of men have poor relationships with their colleagues.

Women on the other hand seem much calmer as half don’t react at all to loud noises. In fact men are just as likely to snap at co-workers as women are to simply wear headphones to counteract noise.

Employers are failing to listen equally

It appears that attitudes of bosses differs between the sexes. Why are a quarter of men reporting that their employer takes the issue very seriously, whilst less than a tenth of women say this is true? On top of this, only a third of women say their employer has taken action to protect them from noise (by installing insulation, cubicles or even firing offenders), compared to over a half of men.

Ben Hancock, managing director of Oscar Acoustics, comments “Seeing how noise affects men and women differently is certainly eye-opening. What’s even more worrying, is the lack of parity between men and women when it comes to concerns being addressed. Is this part of a wider trend where bosses are not listening enough to the workplace concerns of women? Employers need to be aware of how a loud space can affect each individual on the payroll, and make sure everyone’s perceptions and experiences are taken into account.

“Failure to do so will have commercial repercussions. A half of men and women polled say that excessive workplace noise is ruining their productivity. Treating everyone equally will ultimately boost your bottom line.”

Key Findings:

• Men can be significantly more violent; they’re six times as likely as women to get physical with a colleague over noise. They’re also:
  • Three times as likely to snap at their boss
  • Four times as likely to leave passive aggressive notes
  • Five times as likely to quit their job
• 21% of men have poor relations with colleagues because of noise
• Two-thirds of women say their employer has done nothing to protect them from noise. However over a half of men have been shielded against workplace din by their boss.

RSS completed tests on a variety of equipment, including testing stands, trestles, and a dross spoon, in addition to Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) tests prior to production resuming. The lifting and rigging gear supplier also ensured the installations met the requirements of the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008.

Boliden zinc blocks served as known weights.

Mick Gill, senior testing engineer at RSS, said: “As we know, LOLER places duties on people and companies who own, operate or have control over lifting equipment, while all new machinery in the scope of the Machinery Directive has to be designed and constructed to meet common minimum European requirements for safety. Galvanize UK required our expertise in both areas, particularly as it pertains to the stands that are so important during production.”

Gill, who provided the bulk of the services onsite, explained that throughput at the galvanising plant principally revolves around handling smaller items to which the protective zinc coating is applied, mainly to prevent rusting. However, the business generates significant volume, keeping the facility operational 24-hours-a-day, six days per week. “Once the furnace is up to temperature, it stays that way year-round,” Gill added.

Here, a lift truck lowers additional weight onto a test stand.

The scope of work, accepted by RSS’s Rotherham depot, was a follow-up to initial services delivered when the facility was being setup six months ago. Gill explained that there are five main stands positioned around the facility that are used at various stages of production, whether it be to hold a product while it is drying or prior to being dipped. Two overhead cranes, both with two 2t capacity twin hoists, are used to move the products around the production area. The dross spoon, meanwhile, is also lifted by the hoists and clears excess zinc from the baths in between dipping applications. The removed matter is recycled, Gill said.

He added: “We had already tested the jigs / frames that sit on the stands—the product hangs from them—but here, to ensure ongoing compliance, we did new calculations for each stand and utilised Boliden zinc blocks that were already onsite because they were known weights. These weights were clearly stated on the side of each one. Using different numbers of blocks, and whatever lifting and rigging method suited the testing process, we were able to complete the tests efficiently and provide the necessary documentation to the customer.”

RSS will deliver lifting and rigging-related services to Galvanize UK’s hot-dip galvanising plant as the operation continues next year and beyond.

The first CPD, ‘How to Specify Aluminium Composite Material’, takes the architect through the complete process of specifying aluminium composite material , outlining the key technical considerations in its specification, analysis of the key considerations, as well as opening the discussion about the benefits of its use. In addition to presenting the principal of rainscreen and systems available for use with aluminium composite material  it also explains about the sustainability of ALUCOBOND^® products (BREEAM) and what can be expected from manufacturers in terms of design assistance.

The second CPD, ‘Fire Safety for Aluminium Composite Material’, starts with a detailed explanation of what fire development is, before moving on to explain the difference between fire resistance and reaction to fire. Understanding EN ISO 13501 classification and the various tests that contribute to it, are explained and the fire classifications of common materials. The importance of each component to large scale fire tests is also discussed and the current UK fire regulation for rainscreen cladding is explained.

The CPDs, each 1 hour in duration, are available together or separately and can be presented at the architect’s practice, usually over lunch, which is provided.

For more information, or to book one or both CPD seminars please contact Mark Winstanley on +44 (0) 75 84 68 02 63 or by email: [email protected].