News
Against Rug Slavery
THE 2014 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to founder of the GoodWeave international rug certification scheme to end child slavery in the rug industry, Kailash Satyarthi. He received the award jointly with Malala Yousafzai, who was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman in Pakistan after her campaigning for education for girls. After being shot she was airlifted to Queen Elizabeth hospital in Birmingham, where she was treated for life-threatening injuries. Malala, now 17, has since continued to campaign for girls’ education, speaking...
read moreLabour Shortage A Worry For Specialists
SHORTAGES of labour and materials are concerns expressed in the latest state of trade survey from the NSCC (National Specialist Contractors’ Council), of which the CFA (Contract Flooring Association) is affiliated. Covering the third quarter of 2014, the survey notes that higher demand is putting increased pressure on an already overstretched workforce employed by specialist sub-contractors, including those in flooring. Although many specialist contractors are reportedly benefitting from increased workloads and rising tender prices, there...
read moreAsbestos Problems
YOUNGER people, if routinely exposed to asbestos fibres over time, are at greater risk of developing asbestos-related disease than older workers. This is due to the time it takes for the body to develop symptoms after exposure. Exposure to asbestos can cause diseases such as: Mesothelioma (Cancer of the lining of the lungs, always fatal and is almost exclusively caused by asbestos exposure); Asbestos-related lung cancer (almost always fatal); Asbestosis (Scarring of the lungs not always fatal, but can greatly affect quality of life);...
read moreAsbestos In Floor Tiles
HSE has specific advice for floorlayers. It warns that old asbestos floor tiles are often found hidden under carpets. Asbestos containing vinyl floor tiles were once a popular choice for flooring and were widely used in commercial buildings and homes until 1999, when asbestos was banned. If the tiles are disturbed during refurbishment, the microscopic fibres can cause lung disease and cancer. Asbestos-containing vinyl floor tiles are not very distinctive from what is used now. HSE recommends that floorlayers ask the owners about how...
read moreAsbestos Alert
HSE (The Health and Safety Executive) has launched a new safety campaign as an average of 20 tradespeople die every week in the UK from asbestos related diseases. Tradespeople, including floor fitters, could come into contact with deadly asbestos over 100 times a year, says a new survey commissioned by the HSE. The survey reveals that people in construction trades work an average of 2.29 days a week in buildings built before 2000 (i.e. buildings that could potentially contain asbestos). As well as illustrating how often tradespeople can be...
read moreYou Have To Act Like Sherlock Holmes
John McDonald on dealing with corporate fraud and bribery WHAT do you do if you think you or your company has become a victim of fraud? Recent reports have highlighted the risk to the construction industry of fraud and corruption. These are many-faceted areas of law which encompass criminal, civil and regulatory offences. Businesses must be vigilant and know what to do if they believe they might have been the subject of fraud. The construction industry is arguably particularly susceptible because of its extended supply chains and use of...
read moreBosses Have No Place To Hide
Phil Crosbie on individuals in corporate manslaughter prosecutions LAST month, in the second part of this series, I discussed the upsurge of people in corporate manslaughter prosecutions. So why there is a focus on individuals? In addition to the reasons outlined last month, it could be argued that the trend of seeing more individuals brought into prosecutions is a symptom of the way in which the statutory offence of corporate manslaughter is structured. Unlike the ‘old’ law where it was necessary to find a ‘controlling mind’ at...
read moreVideo Now A Key Marketing Tool
Leo Aspden on keeping your company in the frame AS you plan your business and marketing strategy for 2015 here is one key tool you simply can’t afford to ignore. According to those really nice people at You Tube here are a few reasons why video should feature in your marketing plans: Around 2.4bn people now use the internet; Two thirds of these search the internet before deciding to buy a product or service; Search engines give priority to websites, which feature videos; 70% of the top search listings contain at least one video; Time...
read moreBenefits Of Floor Preparation – Priming
Neil Sanders on the benefits of priming THIS month I will discuss the vital importance of priming. With so many high performance adhesives and smoothing underlayments on the market, flooring contractors can incorrectly perceive priming to now be unnecessary. Primers can be the key to long-term success for a flooring installation. Flooring primers are designed to improve the performance of the bond created between a substrate and other material, primarily adhesives or smoothing underlayments. The absence of priming, alongside inadequate...
read moreScreed Reinforcement
Michal Doubrava on the benefits of screed reinforcement HERE I will discuss the performance criteria of the different types screed reinforcement products available on the market. Time and cost pressures on contractors can lead to important steps in construction being overlooked. Using a reinforcement material when screeding has sometimes been seen as an ‘extra’ step. However, skipping the reinforcement puts the responsibility on specifiers and contractors, leaving them liable for any subsequent failures and at risk of facing a costly...
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