News
Training Will Put Your Business Out In Front
Steve Scotter on training for floor cleaners and installers TRAINING is very important in the business of flooring installers and cleaners as it can stop you making expensive mistakes. Your training should focus on technical knowledge, approach to required tasks, customer relations and safe systems of work. You should review your own, and your employees (if you have them), training at least every 12 months. It’s also a good idea to set up Continual Professional Development (CPD) systems. I have been on over a 100 training courses over...
read moreFeRFA Training
THE first upskilling training day of the year organised by FeRFA saw the focus on preparing backgrounds to receive resin flooring. The course was held at The Preparation Group’s facility in Lincoln. With a mixture of classroom and practical sessions, FeRFA upskilling sessions are specifically designed to give candidates plenty of hands-on experience on a range of machines for shotblasting, grinding and planing for various projects. The delegates were taken through the principles of preparation, the types of equipment and method of...
read moreNew Bid To Boost Apprentice Total
THE National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) has launched a new initiative which may be useful to members of the CFA. This is a new project, led by the Small Firms Enterprise Development Initiative (SFEDI) and funded by NAS. It aims to bring together existing and potential apprentice employers. The initiative allows SMEs to connect with businesses at various stages of the apprenticeship journey; to share experiences, ask questions and be inspired about their future as an employer of apprentices. It is designed to help break down some of the...
read moreFITA Offers Specialist Upskilling
FLOORLAYERS now require an NVQ Level 2 to meet the requirements for the blue card. FITA (Flooring Industry Training Association) offers a specialist upskilling programme (SUP) for impervious flooring that will suit employers with experienced fitters who need to apply for a blue CSCS cards for the first time; or fitters who currently hold a green CSCS card and need to upgrade to a blue card. The specialist upskilling programme is aimed at experienced operatives with existing knowledge and skills but who do not have an N/SVQ at Level 2 and...
read moreTraining Assessor Applauds Editor’s View
Brian Enderwitz, Internal Quality Assurer at Floorskills Training Centre, supports the CFJ editor’s comment (April 2014) on the urgent need for training: NOWADAYS everything seems to be available as an APP, so why don’t employers make more use of the APPs already available in our own trade? Of course, they are: APPrenticeships! I wholeheartedly agree with the editor’s comments in CFJ (April 2014) about the lack of investment, support and commitment towards training in the UK compared to some other countries. More manufacturers...
read moreExplaining Sustainability
‘Only 3% of people set out to find and buy only green products’ Sustainability consultant Alan Best asks whether sustainability influences buyer choice: CAN a sustainability story improve the sales of your products and services? On recent evidence this would appear to be an uphill battle as it appears that we may have reached a state of consumer apathy and inertia. This is partly due to the somewhat technical nature of sustainability issues and the difficult challenge of presenting the information in a way that makes somebody want...
read moreGetting To Grips With Gloves
SNICKERS has a new work gloves catalogue . Snickers Workwear has developed what it claims is an effective, comprehensive and practical range of work gloves. Precision Gloves are described as being light and flexible with a design priority on dexterity and fit, knuckle protection, cushioning and reinforcement. Plus Power Gloves are claimed to be comfortable, hard-wearing and suitable for all kinds of heavy duty jobs on site. Snickers work gloves can be bought individually if necessary, which can help when one eventually wears out. They...
read moreZero In On Demanding Locations
JAYMART has added the Remp Zero synthetic rubber flooring range to its specialist flooring and matting portfolio. One product in the range is round studded flooring Zero TP BK GT, a 4mm thick tile suitable for extra heavy duty contract use. Typical applications are locations such as airports and railway stations, where the volume of traffic is intense. Tiles are 1,000mm x 1,000mm and have the classic 30mm diameter round stud profile. A range of colours, size and qualities is available to satisfy the functional and aesthetic requirements...
read moreAntron Carpet Fibre
DRY LAKE, a solution-dyed carpet tile from the Western Edge collection from Bentley, is inspired by a journey through the south west of America. The collection’s seven designs are inspired by exploration, with Dry Lake echoing the cracks and linear separations of barren river and lake beds. The tiles are made with INVISTA’s Antron Lumena carpet fibre, which features polyamide 6.6 and combines with a cross-section and hollow fibre technology designed to enable soil release and soil hiding capability. Antron Lumena has been developed to...
read moreThe Heat Is On For Gaia
WET (hydronic) underfloor heating systems (UFH) from GAIA CLIMATE SOLUTIONS are designed for energy-efficient installations. The systems circulate hot water through continuous pipe loops, and are said to give an even temperature across the floor. Before installation, Gaia’s design service calculates the required heat outputs and produces a floor plan. The 16mm pipes can be laid within a screed or between timber joists beneath the floor. Each zone has a loop of pipe with a flow and return connected to a central manifold, where actuators...
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