As the long-awaited ‘Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety’ by Dame Judith Hackitt was published last week, prompting much debate amongst the media, general public and industry alike, Bureau Veritas considers the long-term repercussions of the recommendations and calls for more to be done from a technical perspective.

Andy Lowe, director of building control at Bureau Veritas, comments: “The publication of the Hackitt Review comes as we approach the first anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire and alongside the commencement of the public inquiry into the tragedy; the scenes from which have displayed that the pain of all those affected has not dampened. For many, the Hackitt Review did not deliver what they had hoped and sparked somewhat of a public outcry due to the unexpected conclusion not to impose an outright ban on combustible cladding. Instead, the recommendations of the review focused on the need for a new regulator and a series of proposals to make high-rise flats safer to live in.

• Only 41% of Brits did the spring clean this year
• 44% said they don’t know which tasks are involved with a spring clean
• 27% said they need help with the spring clean

BRITAIN is a nation with a lack of understanding about the annual spring clean, new research reveals.

A survey of 1,015 UK adults carried out by leading household appliances retailer, AppliancesDirect.co.uk revealed how only 41% of Brits said that they did the annual clean this spring season.

Creating relaxation areas in the workplace could hold the key for employers looking to recruit young talent, research suggests.

A survey conducted by Dale Office Interiors found that over a third of 18- to 34-year-olds would favour prospective employers offering chill-out zones, with a further quarter reporting that open-plan workspaces are an attractive option.

This comes after predictions show millennials (currently aged 22 to 37) will represent 75% of the global workforce by 2025, while Generation Z (the age group that comes after millennials) is beginning to enter the job market, suggesting employers will now be vying to recruit and retain young staff.

Despite important progress made in recent years, Aggregate Industries’ Contracting Division has stated there is still a massive job to do in creating a more inclusive and diverse workforce in the construction industry – one which requires a brand new mind-set.

According to latest figures, around 5% of working adults in the UK are currently employed in construction-related jobs but being a male-dominated industry, women make up just 20% of that workforce. This gender equality gap is particularly alarming when you consider that like many industries, construction continues to face a major skills deficit. In a recent report, Highways UK estimates that in order to meet the Government’s ambitious £15bn investment into the Strategic Road Network it will require an additional 40,000 engineering and constructions workers by 2020.

Vivalda Group plc, the UK’s leading distributor of architectural cladding, has announced first quarter sales figures showing a continuing rise in sales into a construction industry beset by uncertainty and recession. The figures for the first three months of 2018 show sales increasing by 20% compared to the same period in 2017.

Ben Jayes, managing director of Vivalda Group plc, said; “Our continuing growth shows how the market for our off-site fabrication facility, which enables our customers to benefit from greater efficiencies on site, is continuing to grow. Our expansion plans are on course and the heavy investment needed to roll out the offer nationwide is clearly providing the capacity required to meet demand”.

Tim Kempster, Wrightstyle’s managing director, explains the dynamics of fire.

A year ago, on 14^th June, seventy two people lost their lives in the Grenfell Tower fire, which will likely go down in fire safety history as a catastrophe that should never have happened.

While it’s too early to finally point accusing fingers, with the public inquiry only just beginning, it’s perhaps worth remembering some well-known basics on what fire is, and therefore how it should be dealt with.

Intergrated Security Management (ISM), a leader in the design, development and manufacture of door entry and intercoms, has hailed the success of Security 2018 Scotland, in particular the positive reaction to its innovative Compact Series.

ISM also showcased its recently-launched IP Connect range of IP door entry products and popular Genesys Integrated Security Management System (ISMS) at the event in Glasgow.

Geoff Pye, Managing Director (Joint) at ISM, says the event was a useful springboard to focus again on the Scottish market: “Security 2018 Scotland has given us a great platform to engage with potential customers and showcase our portfolio of high-quality and reliable systems.

Garador are highlighting the Importance of their roller door hood cover, in the design of their GaraRoll roller garage doors. In a recent blog post examining the safety benefits of having a complete roller door hood cover, the team over at Garador look at how it helps to prevent finger trapping and getting dirt on the curtain amongst other things. They also explore the safety concerns behind not having any roller box at all, which is the case for roller doors produced by some manufacturers, and touch on the European legislation that drives these concerns.

The GaraRoll is a complex product made up of lots of components. Something that might seem as simple as the box cover performs a really important function in terms of the safety and performance of the door.

Inspired Asset Management, the parent company of Inspired Homes, has completed the purchase of 177 Abbeville Road in Clapham, south west London.

The purchase was completed with the acquisition and redevelopment being funded through a senior loan from GreenOak Real Estate and mezzanine finance from Northridge Capital.

Clapham has seen price rises of 36% over the last five years, according to Zoopla, leaving many first-time buyers priced out of this popular south London destination. The 41-unit £20m GDV scheme, comprising 30 one-bedroom and 11 two-bedroom micro-apartments, will be priced around 20% below typical new-builds in the area.

As our society has become more and more reliant on technology to make our lives easier, landlords, property management companies and letting agents are adopting software to help manage their portfolios and simplify processes therefore saving both time and money. So, what are the benefits of using Proptech to simplify management and make your life easier?  Here’s my top 10.

As locations go, this private residence certainly has one of the most sought-after zip codes in San Francisco! Sitting directly across from the St Francis Yacht Club on Marina Boulevard, this luxury property now boasts a stunning multi-level 1200 square foot roof terrace, offering breathtaking waterfront views. Designed by ODS Architecture, based in the San Francisco Bay area, the roof terrace offers a glorious outdoor space, whilst the Glazing Vision Flushglaze walk-on rooflights, imported specially from the UK, and interspersed in the decking, ensure that the bedroom suite floor below is bathed in diffused daylight.

By Solicitors Kara Price and Sarah Wales at transatlantic law firm Womble Bond Dickinson

What’s the problem?

Male site workers in construction are three times more likely to commit suicide than the average UK male. This shocking mental health statistic is a vivid reminder of the difficulties faced by many working in the construction industry every day. Troubling data from the Office of National Statistics found that between 2011 and 2015, of the 13,232 in-work suicides recorded, those within the skilled construction and building trades made up 13.2 per cent – despite construction accounting for little over 7 per cent of the UK workforce.  

Leading door hardware manufacturer, P C Henderson, is celebrating major success after being crowned the winner of the Export Award at the North East Business Awards Grand Final.

Shortlisted against two other leading companies from the region, P C Henderson was put before a panel of judges before being announced as the winner at a prestigious award dinner held at Hardwick Hall in Sedgefield.  After winning the regional heats in March and being awarded SME Exporter of the Year at last year’s North East Exporters Awards, the company is now onto a hat-trick of awards for its exporting achievements.

FINDING THE RIGHT DEVELOPMENT FINANCE – FREE HELP HAS ARRIVED

54% of SME property developers say that access to finance is one of the most challenging aspects of building, converting or refurbishing residential property.  A free, easy to use online service can now help SMEs overcome this challenge.

The Panoptic platform launched this month, having selected a number of market leading lenders who provide property development finance, this fintech solution matches build projects with the right lenders. One of the selected lenders commented;