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iGAM Launches Online Auction Platform
31.01.2020, 20:12
iGAM Launches Online Auction Platform
NRTC Alabama, Inc., company, iGAM, has launched the iGAM Unreserved Online Auctions marketplace for manufacturers who wish to purchase used industrial equipment.
The new channel for industrial buyers allows users to place online bids for items based on the price they want to pay.
Online auction items are advertised without reserve and include transparent descriptions and photographs.
The site includes listings from major global brands, including ABB, Kuka, Fanuc and Yaskawa.
The launch of iGAM’s auction platform supplements the iGAM Marketplace which allows users to Buy Now or Make an Offer on robots and manufacturing equipment. Items sold in the iGAM Marketplace come with a Bronze Reconditioning Service, and are backed by a one-year warranty and are ready to ship.
Greg Owens, NRTC Alabama CEO, says:
“We’ve built two powerful platforms that essentially change how the manufacturing world buys used equipment.
“In the Unreserved Online Auction, buyers place a Max Bid defining the highest price they’re willing to pay, and in the iGAM Marketplace users Make an Offer or Buy Now to make an immediate purchase.”
iGAM provides customer access to technical consultants who are able to answer questions about equipment and automation, whilst offering financing options to give users more time to pay for purchases.
The company prides itself on operating without brokers or hastle, and offering a massive inventory to choose from with the ease of online purchasing.
The new marketplace offers everything from robots and robot parts to battery chargers, circuit protection, inverters and servo motors, and can meet the needs of manufacturing companies both domestically and internationally. In addition to selling equipment, iGAM partners with manufacturers of all sizes to consign equipment to the marketplace and auction.
Visit www.igam.com for additional information.
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Stop the Flu from Spreading through your Office
31.01.2020, 16:37
Stop the Flu from Spreading through your Office
Paul Casson, Technical Field Manager at Rentokil Specialist Hygiene and Jamie Woodhall, UK Technical & Innovation Manager at Initial Washroom Hygiene, discuss the importance of good hygiene practices during the flu season.
Colds and Influenza (which is more commonly referred to as “flu”) bring with them a chorus of sniffs and sneezes as people across the UK battle through illness. While flu outbreaks come as no surprise as temperatures drop, it has been reported that cases are at their highest level on record, and that the current rate of flu is worse than at any point last winter.
This year’s flu season has been challenging for the NHS, with reports of outbreaks across several hospitals putting more strain on resources. This also comes at a time when A&E waiting times are at their worst since records began in 2004. It’s not just hospitals who take the hit when it comes to flu – businesses can also suffer the consequences of being under-staffed due to absent employees.
It is important to remember that preventing outbreaks is a shared responsibility for all employees. The role of businesses and facility managers in preventing the flu virus is helping to ensure cleanliness is front-of-mind for all.
What is ‘flu’?
The flu is a viral infection caused by various strains of influenza viruses. It can be caught at any time of the year, but is more common during the winter period, partly because we spend more time indoors when it is cold and wet, and therefore viruses can spread more readily.
Despite many associating the flu with the cold weather, the main source of flu is other people. The flu virus is present in the mouth and nose of people who have the flu. When you cough or sneeze you launch viral particles into the air in thousands of tiny droplets of saliva and mucus – making it easy to catch in confined spaces such as public transport.
Advocating good hand hygiene
Did you know that one in four office workers admit to not washing their hands after visiting the washroom? This means offices are particularly vulnerable to harbouring and spreading pathogens. These are typically passed from person to person through indirect contact with shared items such as door handles, printers, keyboards, computer mice or kitchen items.
A little extra care in hand hygiene will go a long way in helping to reduce this risk. In its simplest form, hand washing is a three-step process; wash, dry and sanitise. Equipping washrooms with adequate sinks, soap dispensers and hand drying options will help to encourage each visitor to wash and dry their hands before returning to their workstation. People rarely wash their hands for long enough (20-30 seconds is recommended) and do not always dry their hands properly, which is important as damp hands spread up to 1,000 times more bacteria than dry hands.
Automatic taps and dryers, as well as no-touch soap, paper towel and sanitiser dispensers mean the user does not have to make direct contact with the unit in order to operate them. Using technology like this will not only help to modernise your washroom, it should greatly reduce the risk of cross contamination and with it the spread of illness throughout the office.
Extra vigilance with specialist cleaning
While a regular cleaning regime can help to keep infection under control, outbreaks can still occur, even in warmer weather. An outbreak of an infection such as influenza needs to be dealt with as quickly as possible, to minimise the risk. For this reason, regular deep cleans are also important, as the process can tackle any difficult and hazardous cleaning requirements safely, legally and discreetly. This involves conducting a thorough clean by moving all furniture away from the walls to make sure no areas are being missed from the cleaning routine. Ideally, deep cleans should be carried out at least twice a year by a professional cleaning company.
Ultra Low Volume (ULV) disinfectant fogging is a method of disinfection, carried out by a specialist, which enables the treatment of large areas in a short space of time. It works by generating a mist of disinfectant, which settles on top of, underneath and on the sides of objects, soft furnishings, furniture and hard-to-reach areas, offering maximum surface area coverage.
Fogging is often used to combat infections, as it has a fast-drying time and can significantly reduce the number of pathogens present when compared to manual surface cleaning alone. It can also be used in conjunction with both routine and deep cleaning, to ensure all areas are fully sanitised, keeping employees and visitors safe.
Final thoughts
Don’t let flu become an office burden this winter. By ensuring a good cleaning regime and employee hand hygiene you will have the preventative measures in place to stop the flu in it tracks.
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Recognition of CPD in Lighting
31.01.2020, 15:54
Recognition of CPD in Lighting
The Lighting Industry Association (LIA) has introduced a lighting-specific Continuing Professional Development (CPD) recognition service for training courses and seminars.
Designed to differentiate training that addresses the specialised needs of the modern lighting industry from generic courses, the recognition service complements an extensive portfolio of new and redeveloped lighting courses offered by the LIA’s Lighting Industry Academy – including UK Higher National Certificate (HNC) and Higher National Diploma (HND) courses that are accredited by the University of South Wales.
The CPD service provides three levels of recognition:
“Bronze” – which provides entry-level recognition of CPD for events, seminars, briefings or less formal training as a lighting-related activity and assigns CPD hours upon completion;
“Silver” – which involves an appraisal of the quality of formal learning materials that are generic or non-lighting specific, or of technical content provided by a manufacturer; and
“Gold” which recognises the highest quality of learning within the lighting industry.
The LIA have worked closely with Ansell Lighting, a Lighting Academy Ambassador, to use their course on Smart Lighting as a pilot for the new service. As part of the pilot, Ansell successfully presented a CPD session at last year’s Lux Live event.
CPD material on Smart Lighting provides guidance for professionals on the benefits of smart lighting and offers an understanding of the different technologies available. It aims to promote an understanding of smart lighting by comparing differences in technology and explaining lighting detection and measurement techniques, as well as the best way of achieving desired outcomes.
Ansell’s marketing manager, Rachel Morris, says:
“We see the Academy as a central home for learning, bringing skills and education to the lighting community and we are excited about expanding our offering to include further CPD courses in the future.”
Information on Lighting Industry Academy Courses, can be found here.
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Bringing the Human Touch to Invisible Technologies
31.01.2020, 14:53
Bringing the Human Touch to Invisible Technologies
Paula Broadbent, Retirement Solutions director for ENGIE UK, considers the future impact of housing technology on the elderly.
As we become older our needs become wider and more diverse. How robust our individual health is, is influenced by socio economic factors, the lives we lead, the luck of the draw in our personal gene pool, mental health, social environment as well as the place in which we live. One thing is evident though and that is globally, human beings are living longer. Although many people live healthy lives, inevitably, longevity means more and more people live with multiple chronic health conditions. And as individuals find themselves at their most vulnerable, social networks can start to diminish as people lose lifetime partners, relatives, friends and their independent mobility.
Whilst the demographic is ageing at a far greater pace than the health and social care infrastructure is prepared for, the younger working age demographic is decreasing. Creating a global workforce shortage and “caregiving crisis”.
Analytical thinking assumes the best solution to our “caregiving crisis” lies purely in technology, but are we developing and investing in a sustainable infrastructure which will not only stand the test of time, but also accommodate innovation and a changing environment?
Most of today’s increasingly tech-centric life relies not only upon the availability and speed of WIFI, but the internet and various APPs, devices, algorithms and sophisticated back end processes. The amount of financial investment needed to provide secure technology that will safeguard, protect and enable people is staggering but not quite as staggering as the cost to the health and social care budget if we do not invest in innovation to safeguard alternative services.
The main challenge with technology and robots as caregivers, is they are cold and simply incapable of replacing the human touch. Social interaction is a vital element of mental health and a lack of social interaction impacts on actual physical health as much as any other form of deprivation or illness. There is mounting evidence that shows social isolation kills more people now than obesity, therefore we should not and cannot ignore the need to combine technology with human interaction.
As a society, we need to balance out a reliance on technological advancements alongside provision of social interaction opportunities to ensure people can not only live longer, safer lives, but also live healthier, happier and more enriched ones. Life after all, is for living and not simply surviving.
LIFEstyle by ENGIE is not a housing developer, though it strives to develop excellent lifelong housing, it focuses on creating and developing services which support people to live well and age well in an inclusive community. LIFEstyle by ENGIE invests in new and smart technology to assist people to feel safe, secure and in control to remain independent for longer in their own home. The service-based organisation continues to invest in the design, build and future proof of infrastructure, homes and support services. At the heart of each new community LIFEstyle by ENGIE develops it facilitates the ‘human touch’, by building a community environment and a purpose-built hub for activities, events and socialising, which is proven to be essential to wellbeing. Specialist staff provide community-based person-centred functions to minimise social isolation and integrate communities across all property tenure and generations.
Paula Broadbent, Retirement Solutions Director for ENGIE UK, feels passionately about investing in the infrastructure to get the balance right between technology and social interaction to ensure people can really live well and age well. By ensuring technology is personalised, invisible and smart we will support people to live sustainably where and how they want to live. Combine this with accessible social and intergenerational activity and longevity will be something to be experienced and enjoyed rather than endured. Our physical and mental health is dependent on community, so we need solutions which support not just the technology function but the human side.
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Lease Extension at Flagship Industrial Site
30.01.2020, 16:30
Lease Extension at Flagship Industrial Site
Commercial lettings specialist and landlord Towngate has extended Antac Support Services’ lease at its popular Leeds Industrial Estate site by three years.
The which relates to Unit 4 of the M1 Industrial Estate in Hunslet, Leeds, has also been expanded to include adjacent Unit 3 which will also being occupied for a period of three years.
Both units consist of 6 metre eaves height, two-storey office, kitchen and WC facilities which are protected by full-height roller shutter doors and benefit from a large, secure, shared yard area.
The location is strategically situated quarter of a mile from Junctions 4, 5 and 6 of the M621 motorway which travels south of Leeds city centre. The premises are reasily accessible from Church street which leads directly to the M621 via Beza street.
Antac offers a comprehensive range of building and maintenance services, including mechanical, electrical, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, commercial office management, window cleaning and cable supervision.
Commenting on the new lease, Jake Wilde, a Facilities Manager with Towngate, said:
“We are always pleased to see customers in our portfolio growing their businesses and going from strength to strength.
“Towngate has been delighted to assist Antac with its expansion plans at the M1 industrial estate and we’re looking forward to our relationship continuing well into the future.”
Paul Marshall, operations director at Antac, added:
“After a period of rapid growth, we’re delighted to increase the size of our space. The team at Towngate have been efficient and professional throughout and worked with us closely to enable our expansion without the need to move location.
“We’re confident that our partnership with Towngate will continue to meet our business needs, for years to come.”
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Extending the Service Life of Trucks
30.01.2020, 15:07
Extending the Service Life of Trucks
Melbourne based custom metal fabricator AA Diesel Truck Bodies is using a special grade of carbon steel to extend the life of wear plates it uses in tippers and trucks.
Since switching to Hardox 450 grade steel panels from Nordic and US steel company SSAB, the twenty year-old family concern is reporting a reduction of between 10 and 20 per cent in vehicle laden weights, and payload increases.
Company founder, Alija Siskovic, says:
“Hardox wear plate is good for everything – including welding, and our clients are pleased we are using it.
His son, Arnel, adds:
“We’ve experimented with various grades of steel supplied by SSAB including their 500 TUF product but have adopted Hardox 450 steel as our main material.”
“Although this particular grade of steel is more expensive than the company’s other grades, it easily adds a decade to the service life of steel vehicle bodies.
“Our customers recognised it’s worth paying a premium for extra longevity.”
Truck bodies made from the special grade of steel are also achieving higher secondhand values than many other trucks, prompting Arnel to add:
“Truck drivers now know to expect a quality body when they see the SSAB sticker.
“They know they’re getting the best.”
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Recycling Coffee Cups in Camden
30.01.2020, 13:36
Recycling Coffee Cups in Camden
Veolia and the Camden Climate Change Alliance have embarked on a mission to recycle more than 570,000 disposable coffee cups through a dedicated “Camden Recycles Cups” project in Hampstead Village, Fitzrovia and Hatton Garden.
Funded by a £50,000 grant from Hubbub’s The Cup Fund, this #InTheLoop scheme will support paper cup recycling targets right around London, helping to tackle unsustainable throwaway culture and promote recycling.
In the UK, almost 3 billion coffee cups are used yearly, yet only 4% of them are currently being recycled. To encourage waste reduction and improve recycling in Camden, Veolia and Camden Climate Change Alliance, Camden Council’s sustainability network, developed a specific cup recycling programme.
Camden Recycles Cups brings coffee cup recycling to offices and coffee shops, offering businesses and independent cafes across the borough the opportunity to receive free cup recycling collections. To tackle cup recycling on-the-go, Veolia street cleansing operatives will also collect and recycle paper cups separately, reducing contamination of on-street bins.
Michael Clarke, General Manager for Veolia Central London, said:
“We are pleased to commence activities for the Camden Recycles Cups project that will see the recycling of 570,000 coffee cups in Camden. All of these will go to dedicated recycling facilities, where the outer cardboard layer will be separated from the plastic lining, so it can be made into something new, closing the loop entirely.
This programme is one of the many ways we’re working with Camden Council to promote sustainable waste behaviours, and we hope it leads residents to take the next step and use reusable cups as the first choice, reducing disposable cup waste as much as possible.”
Adam Harrison, Cabinet Member for Improving Camden’s Environment, added:
“Every small change we make in our day to day lives helps in the fight against climate change.
“Using a reusable cup for takeaway coffee will reduce the amount of waste we collect. However, when it comes to takeaway coffee cups, we understand there is still a lot of confusion around how to correctly dispose of them and we want to make it easier for people to use the right bins.
“As part of The Cup Fund, we will be placing coffee cup recycling points in offices and coffee shops, as well as asking our street sweepers to collect them separately, so they can be correctly recycled.
“Climate change is an issue for everyone on this planet and by working together we can tackle it, one coffee cup at a time.”
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Proudly Supporting those who Serve
29.01.2020, 23:16
Proudly Supporting those who Serve
ABM UK has pledged its support for the armed services community by becoming a signatory to the Armed Forces Covenant.
The covenant which undertakes to support serving personnel, service leavers, veterans, and their families is fulfilled by different groups that have formally committed to making a difference, including:
- Central government, overseen by the United Kingdom’s Ministerial Covenant and Veterans Board;
- Single services (Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air Force);
- Businesses of all sizes;
- Local government;
- Charities;
- Communities; and
- Cadet forces and their adult volunteers
There are currently over two million former armed services personnel equating to (approximately) five per cent of adult households, and the covenant recognises a moral obligation on the part of the nation to ensure they, and their family members, are treated fairly.
As part of its commitment, ABM will advertise all future job vacancies on the Career Transition Partnership website (www.cpt.org.uk), an official provider of Armed Forces resettlement that operates as a partnership between the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) and commercial concern, Right Management Ltd.
The integrated facility services provider has additionally pledged to uphold the principle that no member of the Armed Forces community or Reserves should face disadvantage in the provision of public and commercial services by applying special treatment in certain circumstances (including injury and bereavement).
In attendance at the signing ceremony on 28th January was Commandant General of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, Air Vice-Marshall Ranald Munro, who said:
“We are delighted that ABM UK has pledged their commitment to supporting the Armed Forces and their families. The support of companies like ABM makes a significant positive difference to the daily lives of those who have served and those that continue to serve as Reserves.”
Chris Townsend, Senior HR director for ABM UK, Europe and the Middle East who was accompanied by several ABM UK divisional directors, added:
“The armed forces community and their families are not only an important part of our national and local communities, whom we should be treating with fairness and respect, but also a great asset to our national workforce.
“By signing the Armed Forces Covenant we are not only looking to acknowledge what they and their families have done in service to this country but also to proactively support these individuals who have key transferable skills, experience, and knowledge into roles at ABM UK where they can be of huge value to our business and customers.”
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Caterer Introduces Digital Training Platform
28.01.2020, 21:03
Caterer Introduces Digital Training Platform
Independent UK caterer Bartlett Mitchell has launched a dedicated Learning Management System (LMS) for delivery of recognised qualifications and mandatory training to its teams.
The Pear Training platform will enable teams to take part in a broad range of training programmes online, whilst also being able to book and review their own development and appraisal schemes.
Complimenting and supplementing dedicated face-to-face training sessions, it has been designed to facilitate greater efficiency and additional learning.
Delivery of engaging content and assessment on-line can often be more efficient than always relying on classroom sessions because the new LMS can be accessed by team members across the country, on a range of devices.
By improving the process, more time will be created to allow for more interactive and fun in-person training sessions.
It also allows for the learning process to be driven by the team member rather than the company as individuals can look up courses, see their own progress, and initiate their own appraisals and updates. They will also be able to look at self-development courses which sit outside of their core roles.
Whilst face-to-face training will still be used where relevant, the addition of the online platform (traditional PC interface and mobile app) will ensure training can be at the convenience and motivation of the user.
Unlimited online storage space is available for hosting Bartlett Mitchell’s training materials, which can include video content, interactive sessions and external links.
Pear Training provides the company with a further channel of communication to its team as it includes a built-in messenger function, and enables Bartlett Mitchell to move to a paperless system of training record keeping. This means team members can take responsibility for their training and improve engagement and efficiency through ownership.
Training is tailored to each person based on their job role. Now the team members, along with site and operations managers, will be able to quickly identify what is available, when courses are nearing expiry and when they are due for renewal.
The paperless system also aligns with the company’s commitment to both sustainability and the development of its teams.
Bartlett Mitchell introduced internal comms app, Yapster in 2018 to increase employee engagement. Pear Training is also able to integrate with Yapster, as well as BM’s recruitment tech tool, Harri – further streamlining access to digital tools for end users.
Murray Soper, Talent and Team manager, says:
“Top of the range functionality and strong future proof credentials were the main drivers when it came to upgrading our LMS. Pear Training really hits the mark in both areas.”