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Construction Industry Going Strong Amid Green Shoots of Recovery

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The UK is reportedly on track for a record economic resurgence during the third quarter of the year, with the construction industry continuing to enjoy an impressive period of growth.

City of London economists[1] have predicted a 14.3% rise in GDP for Q3 – which is great news for the construction industry, says recruitment specialist Simon Robinson, co-founder of Red Diamond Executive Headhunters.

The Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index has also risen to 58.1 – slightly above what economists had predicted – compared with a record low of just 8.2 in April.

Although building activity shrunk by around 70% during lockdown, new figures show the industry grew at the fastest rate in almost five years during July.

House prices have risen again during August with £37 billion in property sales[2] agreed during July, the busiest month for house buying in more than 10 years.

Construction industry insight

There are clean signs, says Simon, that the green shoots of recovery are beginning to appear – and he predicted that workers who were initially laid off back in March could be rehired in time for a busy September.

Simon commented: “Rishi Sunak’s decision to scrap stamp duty on homes below the £500,000 mark has proved to be a catalyst in getting the industry moving again. Another plus point is that the government has moved to support smaller businesses through favourable loan terms and while nobody wants to rack up debt, equally it’s vital that businesses aren’t forced to pull out of developments.

Building construction site with scaffolding

“Construction companies still have KPIs to meet, particularly in the lower echelons of the market, with starter homes especially in demand. Therefore, the appetite is there to reopen the market and I would expect to see a very busy autumn of activity, albeit with changes to the number of people allowed on site to enable social distancing.

“Britain is a proud building nation and, as we are told that people need to spend their money, what better investment is there than a house? First-time buyers especially can get great mortgage terms with no stamp duty – which means they can in turn spend more on their furniture and fittings.”

Simon added that with Brexit around the corner, more restrictions are likely to be put in place on foreign labour coming into the country, providing an opportunity for people who may have lost their jobs back in March to be rehired.

Senior management teams had taken pay freezes and even cuts to keep as many employees as possible on the books so from a recruitment point of view, there was likely to be less hiring going on further up the ladder at this stage.

And he added: “The current wave of optimism extends beyond home construction. Within the construction product industry, we now have a unique opportunity to address the issue of quantity over quality. British manufacturing is revered throughout the world and now is the time to reap the rewards of a backlash on cheap foreign imports.

“The UK needs to invest now in its home-grown producers rather looking elsewhere for the cheapest option. UK-made products may cost more but it’s money well spent and the ‘made in Britain’ stamp is rightly associated with quality and longevity.

“It’s time to move away from the false economy of buying the cheapest item on the market. Imagine, for instance, you fix a leaking sink with a cheap valve, then go away on holiday – you could come back to a flooded home.

“In the UK, we manufacture a vast range of materials used in the construction industry, from plasterboard and glass to wood products and valves. The government now needs to step up its support for the product manufacturing side of the sector – lowering tax in the long-term, for instance – to encourage businesses to invest.”

Red Diamond Executive Headhunters is headquartered in Huddersfield with a satellite office in the Middle East. With clients throughout the construction and construction product industry, the business has place candidates in leadership roles within the UK and across the globe.

For further information, visit reddiamondexec.com.

Hultafors Tools’ NEW Range of SCREWDRIVERS

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Precision, quality and ergonomics are the hallmarks of these superb new products.

Hultafors Tools has launched a new range of Screwdrivers for professional craftsmen and women. With VDE Screwdrivers specially designed for electricians – including tested and certified SL/PZ and VOLTAGE TESTER models – there’s over 80 other SLOTTED, PHILIPS, POZIDRIV, TORX® STUBBY Screwdrivers, plus Hex Drivers and Bit Holders that can be bought individually or in sets – or by size – to suit the jobs you have in hand.

Researched and developed with craftsmen and women for professional use, they all have a superb ergonomic design for optimal comfort. The long rubber-coated handles ensure grip for precision and maximal transmission of power. The handle is made from durable PPC plastic with a coating of age-resistant and easy-to-grip rubber.

The permanent marking of type and size on the top as well as the handle’s colour make it easy for the user to select the right screwdriver. Blades are manufactured from high-quality hardened steel for long life. The handles have a hole for hanging or securing with a design prevents the screwdriver from rolling on inclined surfaces.

Getting more information on the Hultafors Tools product range easy. You call the Helpline on 01484 854788 or check out www.hultafors.co.uk and download a digital catalogue.

IronmongeryDirect Supports National Home Improvement Month With Positive Mental Health Message

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Following its research on the impact of clutter on mental health and wellbeing, leading specialist ironmongery supplier, IronmongeryDirect has joined forces with the British Home Enhancement Trade Association (BHETA) as a partner of National Home Improvement Month 2020 and is challenging homeowners to ‘Make One Change’ this September.

IronmongeryDirect’s own customer research found that revitalising storage space and decluttering the home can have a positive effect on mental health. Of the 1,600 respondents to its survey, results showed that 56% felt their homes were too cluttered and over three-quarters of respondents agreed that clutter in the home had a negative impact on their mental well-being.

As such, IronmongeryDirect is challenging homeowners to optimise and upgrade their living space, as part of the ‘make one change’ campaign with BHETA’s National Home Improvement Month, with some easy home improvements to solve cluttered spaces:

Brim-full wardrobes

Organise overflowing wardrobes with a complete hanging and shelving system to ensure items are easy to find and neatly stored. The ‘Elfa Wardrobe Kit’ provides a total solution with baskets, hanging rails, shelves and shoe racks all included to easily organise an entire wardrobe with a space for everything.

National Home Improvement Month

Cluttered kitchens

The kitchen is the heart of the home and should be organised to create a calm and relaxing space to enjoy whilst offering practical solutions to make life as easy as possible. Improve access to hard-to-reach corner cupboards by installing a carousel to help see and reach items, and make better use of unused space. A jumble of spices can be organised with a 4 tier door mounted spice rack, attached inside a cupboard door and a Soft Close Pull Out Waste Bin can make the most of the space under the sink, with different coloured integrated handles for easy recycling segregation.

Ironmongery Direct
Reclaim the garage

Garages are typically a place to hoard, hide, and dump. Even some simple changes can help to reorganise and declutter. Ladder hooks, bike hooks and tool hooks can all free-up floor space and the ‘Rapid 3 Heavy Duty Shelving’ system can hold 250kg on all levels for a robust storage solution.

National Home Improvement Month

National Home Improvement Month

Dominick Sandford, Director & Head of Merchandising and Marketing at IronmongeryDirect said: “We are delighted to work with BHETA to join National Home Improvement Month and inspire homeowners to tackle home improvement projects, particularly as we know this can have a positive effect on mental health and well-being. We are all spending more time at home, so make it a space to enjoy and pledge to make one change today!”

IronmongeryDirect has over 18,000 products in stock, including all the solutions above, which can help homeowners tackle the tasks and home projects to make more of their living space.

For more information on IronmongeryDirect, please visit www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk.

About IronmongeryDirect

We are the UK’s largest supplier of specialist ironmongery and have been supplying to the trade for over 50 years.

Starting out as a traditional hardware shop, we have since expanded to now providing over 18,000 quality products in stock, ready for next day delivery, as standard. Customers can order via our website, call centre and trade counter in Basildon, Essex.

Since 2013 we have been part of the Manutan Group, a leader in the supply of industrial, commercial and office equipment to business. We are a group of 25 subsidiaries across 18 countries who work closely together to be able to offer the highest quality products at low prices.

One of the UK’s Best Workplaces 2020

We are proud to have been named one of the UK’s Best Workplaces™ 2020, in a report compiled by Great Place to Work®.

The Best Workplaces™ Award celebrates the companies that promote a healthy workplace culture through a combination of factors including employee trust, pride and camaraderie. To be recognised as one of the UK’s Best Workplaces is a huge achievement and is testament to our dedication to creating a healthy workplace culture where our employees feel trusted, valued and loyal to achieving organisational goals.

We are committed to driving our business performance through our biggest asset: our people, and we believe that the value and pride our employee’s place on working at IronmongeryDirect will ultimately be reflected in the customer experience.

More from IronmongeryDirect on Skill Builder.

More about the Manutan Group.

CHAS & NFB Continue Partnership to Raise Standards in the UK Construction Industry

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CHAS, the supply chain risk management experts and the National Federation of Builders (NFB) have renewed their commitment to promoting high operating standards within the UK construction industry.

Under the latest agreement discounted membership of CHAS will give NFB members the opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to operating in line with high safety, sustainability and ethical standards via CHAS’s third-party accreditation packages.

CHAS membership will also mean they are eligible to be assessed to the construction industry’s new Common Assessment Standard which CHAS was the first accreditation body to offer following its launch in 2019 and which is now is being specified by employers including HS2 and the Crown Commercial Service.

Under the agreement, CHAS will offer all valid NFB members a 20% discount, for both new and existing/renewing contractors. NFB Contractors will be visible within the CHAS client portal upon order purchase and/or accreditation, making their profile visible to over 1500 CHAS Clients.

NFB will provide CHAS accredited contractors up to 10 % discount when joining the NFB and for subsequent renewals which will give them access to a growing range of benefits including training support and business services.

Ian McKinnon, Managing Director of CHAS comments: “We are delighted to be renewing this important partnership which will help construction firms of all sizes demonstrate compliance and build their businesses. Both CHAS and the NFB have gone from strength to strength since we first joined forces in 2018 so it is exciting to be able to bring an even greater range of benefits to our respective memberships.”

Richard Beresford, chief executive of the NFB, says: “We are very happy to be renewing this agreement with CHAS which will help our members’ businesses prosper while opening up a range of benefits to CHAS members.”

About CHAS:

CHAS is the leading provider of risk prevention, compliance and supply chain management services for clients and contractors.

Since 1997, CHAS (The Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme) has been helping to improve health and safety standards across the UK and safeguard organisations from risk.

CHAS is an authority and trusted advisor on health and safety compliance, responsible for setting industry benchmarks and providing the new Common Assessment Standards.

CHAS’s aim is simple:

  • To standardise and simplify health and safety assessment for contractors
  • To support organisations in efficiently managing their supply chains
  • To deliver a full suite of supply chain management tools.

Find out more at: www.chas.co.uk or call 020 8545 3838

About NFB

The NFB represents small and medium-sized housebuilders by lobbying for policy changes and supporting members through business and skills training, as well as providing opportunities to win work.

Find out more at: www.builders.org.uk or call 03450 578 160

It’s All Over! Final Look Around ~ KB#14

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Roger catches up with James for a final look around the King Build project.

Our thanks go to James King for letting Roger film this extension project series. The Supreme Finishing Company can be contacted by following the link below.

https://thesupremefinishingcompany.co.uk

#KingBuild #ExtensionBuilding #TheSupremeFinishingCompany

Get More Heat From Your Radiators ~ System Balance

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How to balance your heating system, get all your radiators the same temperature and get more heat.

Roger gets his whiteboard out and makes good on a promise he made 2 years ago.

#PlumbingDIY #HeatingSystems #PlumbingHacks

Snickers NEW POLARTEC POWER STRETCH Jackets and Fleeces

Snickers Workwear NEW POLARTEC® POWER STRETCH®Jackets and Fleeces – the ‘Sustainable’ Choice.

Sharp, stylish looks and market-leading recycled POLARTEC® fabric technology make these a must for the autumn on-site or outdoor leisurewear.

Snickers Workwear continues to lead the way with working clothes that have an ergonomic design, superb functionality and fit – for both craftsmen and women.

Snickers Polartec

The versatile FLEXIWork full-stretch jackets, deliver a tight, body-hugging fit with efficient moisture transportation and durable shape retention plus great freedom of movement. There are also long johns to match for full-body insulation.

The AllroundWork fleeces and bodywarmers – made from 80% recycled polyester – are packed warmth and comfort to keep your body warm or comfortably cool when you most need it.

Fashionable and functional, they combine practicality with street-smart looks and the right kind of sustainable choice.

Getting information on the Snickers’ new POLARTEC® garments is easy. You can call the Snickers Helpline on 01484 854788, check out the website and download a digital catalogue at www.snickersworkwear.co.uk or email sales@hultaforsgroup.co.uk

How Can I Unclog My Drain With Standing Water

While plumbing issues present the worse nightmare for all those who are faced with it, there are many things that you can do on your own to fix your plumbing issues. When standing water in your bathtub or sink becomes a nuisance, you need to keep in mind that they present a serious risk for your family. Read on as we discuss how to unclog your drains with standing water.

Standing water is sometimes quite pesky and it promotes the perfect environment for mould and mildew to grow quickly. So if you’re battling a standing water situation, you can easily perform the following steps to clear your drain and remove the dirty water from in it. But if you can’t clean your drain yourself, you can call a specialist drainage company.

• Remove The Water – Before you can successfully unclog your pipe and drain, you’ll need to do something about the standing water. This means that you can easily take a cup or a bucket and dip out as much water as you can from your tub or sink. Removing the water ensures that you don’t run into an accident and splash dirty murky water on your floors during the unclogging process.

• Clean Around The Drain – When attempting to unclog your drains, you’ll need to remove any debris and built-up materials that are clogging your drain. Drains can get clogged easily and pieces of soap, bunches of hair, globs of toothpaste, soap scum, and small objects such as toys and slip down and clog your pipes.

• Dissolving The Clog – Within the plumbing industry, there are tons of perfectly blended chemicals that can aid with dissolving your clogged drain. However, most of these present a serious problem. Most chemicals that have the power to unclog and dissolve substances tend to be very harmful to pets and children.

 
Unclog My Drain
 

So if you’re concerned about those around you, it’s best to use a safer approach. Vinegar and baking soda are a great go-to for unclogging your drain. You’ll simply need to pour just about half of a cup of baking soda into your drain followed by a cup of vinegar. The mixture will need to settle for at least 15 minutes before you can proceed to the following step.

• Loosening The Clog – After the 15 minutes have passed, you’ll need to get some boiling water. You can do so with a pot or a kettle. When the water is ready, you’ll need to pour it down the drain to loosen the materials stuck inside the drain.

If your pipes are PVC, it’s advised that you use hot water in place of boiling water. Boiling water can easily loosen the pipes and cause further damages. After pouring the water, you’ll need to let it settle for another 15 minutes so that the clog can be completely loosened.

• Get The Plunger Ready – You’ll need to apply some petroleum jelly around the plungers lips. This helps the plunger stick better to your bathtubs drain or your sink. In the case of a clogged sink, don’t forget that you’ll need to cover the overflow before you can start plunging.

• Plunger – During the plunging stage, you’ll need to slowly press the plunger onto the drain of your clogged bathtub or sink. This ensures that a nice tight seal is created between the drain and the plunger. Next, you’ll need to pull the plungers handle up very quickly.

The sudden pull will ensure that enough pressure is created, and the clog is loosened enough to be dissolved. This step is usually carried out a couple of times to ensure that the clog is completely gone.

• Water Test – In order to test your work, you’ll need to run some water to make sure that the drain is properly cleared. If the water is running freely, you’ve just unclogged your bathtub or your sink successfully. If the water doesn’t run as freely as it did before your clog, it’s best to repeat these steps until you get the results that you desire.

Conclusion

As we conclude, we have just looked at how to unclog your drain with standing water. However, if you’re still experiencing difficulties with your plumbing, it might be best to call in the experts. Professional plumbers tend to have the right tools and techniques to get rid of even the hardest problems in no time.

It should be noted that if you’re experiencing even the smallest sign of a clog, it’s best to work on it right away. Clogs tend to have the capacity to easily make homes smelly, the cause floods, they cause backups in sinks or tubs and they are very expensive to fix. When you take care of your clogs beforehand, you help to increase the life of your pipes and you save money and time in the future.

Loft Conversion – Damn, we missed it! LoftCon #3

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After a week away in Harrogate filming another project, Roger visits James on the loft conversion project only to find it has progressed much further than he’d hoped!

GRP roofing by Fibreglass Roof Systems
Call Benjamin O’Neill on 07770 676869

Our thanks go to James King for letting Roger film this loft conversion series. The Supreme Finishing Company can be contacted by following the link below.

https://thesupremefinishingcompany.co.uk

#GRProofing #LoftCon #SupremeFinishingCompany

Mobile Heat With the New Cordless Hot Air Gun from Metabo

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You could think that it is all just hot air. However, Metabo product manager Johannes Steeb knows: “The production of hot air requires an enormous amount of energy”.

The new mobile hot air gun HG 18 LTX 500 from Metabo provides this energy far away from a power outlet from a powerful 18 Volt battery pack.

Compact Hot Air Gun

The compact tool generates an operating temperature of up to 500 degrees Celsius. “It is one thing that the machine heats.

It is important that the temperature is output in a fast manner”, says Steeb. The hot air gun does this in less than five seconds.

Metabo Heat Gun HG 18 LTX 500 b

The HG 18 LTX 500 from Metabo provides an air temperature of up to 50 degrees Celsius and is ready for operation in less than five seconds.

Heat button

With a powerful airflow of up to 200 litres per minute, the HG 18 LTX 500 is suited for example for shrinking cables, welding and remoulding plastic, as well as foiling or the removal of paint and adhesive residue.

In short: The HG 18 LTX 500 is at hand when you quickly require mobile hot air. The operation with only one push button is easy and intuitive. At at a weight of 1.6 kilograms including Metabo LiHD battery pack, the HG 18 LTX can be taken anywhere.

Even hard-to-reach spots far away from power outlets are no problem, for example when foiling at window fronts or cable shrinking on wind turbines.

Two settings, many nozzles

The mobile hot air gun offers two temperature settings: 300 and 500 degree Celsius. For optimal power output, we recommend a Metabo 18 Volt battery pack with a capacity of 8.0 Ampere hours (Ah).

This expands the cross-manufacturer battery pack system Cordless Alliance System (CAS) by another product. Within CAS, more than 160 machines and devices from 17 manufacturers are compatible with each other and can be combined at will.

No matter if wide jet nozzle for drying and paint removal, wrap around nozzle for crimping or welding nozzle for welding of plastics: The HG 18 LTX 500 is compatible with all available Metabo accessory nozzles.

If you then need a break after crimping or paint removal, you are on the safe side, says product manager Steeb with a twinkle in his eye: “The hot air gun lights the barbecue in a jiffy.”

About Metabo

Metabowerke GmbH in Nürtingen is a traditional manufacturer of power-tools for professional users from the core target groups of metal trade and industry as well as building trade and renovation.

Metabo stands for very powerful cordless tools and is the leading supplier in the battery pack sector with its LiHD technology. In this way, Metabo has turned its vision of the cable-free construction site into reality.

The LiHD technology is also the basis of the battery pack system CAS (Cordless Alliance System) that comprises machines and power tools of different industry-specific manufacturers.

Under the brand name Metabo, the full-range supplier provides machines and accessories for all standard applications, but also competence products and system solutions for special requirements.

Founded in 1924 in the Swabian town of Nürtingen, Metabo today is a medium-sized company which also produces also in Shanghai, China, in addition to its headquarters in Nürtingen.

25 subsidiary sales companies and more than 100 importers ensure international presence. More than 2,000 people work for Metabo worldwide, and in the financial year of 2018 (April 2018 to March 2019) they have generated a turnover of 493 million euros.

More about the company Metabo and its products can be found at www.metabo.com/uk.

More from Metabo

Metabo SDS-Max Hammers with Brushless Technology

Metabo MFE 40 Wall Chaser Review

6 Insurance Policies All Self-Employed Builders Should Have

The construction industry is the riskiest employment industry to work in. In actual fact, one in every four workplace deaths and one out of every ten major workplace injuries happen to people working in the construction industry. This is why it’s so important that all self-employed builders (or building companies) have the correct insurance policies in place.

Even if we follow every possible safety procedure, accidents can still occur. So, in order to make sure you’re covered in case the worst does happen, you will need to purchase insurance. There are lots of different types of builders’ insurance available, including coverage for property damage, coverage for third party injuries and coverage for your tools and equipment. If you’re a self-employed builder (or you own a construction company) then these are the types of insurance you should consider looking into:

Public Liability Insurance

Public Liability, or PL insurance, is an insurance policy that protects you and your business against liabilities for injuries to non-employees or their property. If you’re working on another person’s property, then you need to consider getting public liability insurance.

Product Liability Insurance

This type of insurance protects you against claims for liability if a person is injured or their property is damaged by a product you supply. If you manufacture, supply, adapt or import any products for your customers, then you should consider purchasing this type of cover.

 

Crafter panel van

 

Goods in Transit Insurance

Goods in transit insurance protects any goods you carry during transit. This type of insurance protects your tools and equipment against loss, damage and theft. If you transport expensive materials and tools from place to place, then purchasing goods in transit insurance is a great idea. If you aren’t sure where to find this, sites like Quotezone have a simple way to shop for insurance policies on their website, including policies for goods in transit insurance.

Employer Liability Insurance

This type of insurance protects you from liabilities to employees for illness or injuries. If you employ other people (or have volunteers working for you) then you will want to purchase this type of insurance policy. Remember, claims can be expensive, so it’s much cheaper to buy insurance than it is to pay out after an accident.

Contractors All Risk Insurance

C.A.R. Insurance protects your company from claims relating to any physical damage to the site materials. Most of these types of claims aren’t included in a basic Public Liability policy, so taking out extra cover is essential.

Equipment Insurance

If you are thinking of leasing equipment, then taking out equipment insurance is crucial. In most cases, if the equipment is damaged or lost, you will be asked to repair or replace it. This is why purchasing equipment insurance is so important. This type of insurance will also cover the repair or replacement of any equipment you own.

Accidents can happen to us all, and they’re far more likely to happen in the construction industry than they are in any other industry in the UK. Make sure you’ve got the correct insurance policies in place in order to make sure you’re covered should the worst happen.

5 Ways to Improve Your Warehouse Layout

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Warehouse operations involve a lot of movement and retrieval of goods from different places. This requires a great deal of coordination and mobility of a number of workers. There are several ways you can organize your warehouse to optimize the way workers perform their duties. Designing a layout that is both smart, logical and safe naturally improves warehouse operations, boosts employee productivity and creates a secure and functional working environment for all.

Take the time to consider the specifics of your warehouse, and the organizational needs that best improve the workflow of your daily operations. A logically designed warehouse can significantly reduce the amount of time workers need to spend stocking, stacking or unloading goods and equipment.

By developing a layout that places goods and items in strategic locations, workers can process orders faster and more safely, positively affecting your company’s growth. Here are some ways to redesign and improve your warehouse layout.

1. Streamline Inventory Storage and Retrieval

Warehouses are fast-paced environments where goods and items are moved and retrieved from multiple locations over the course of the day. These items can be located in different areas, high or low, and may require a variety of procedures for retrieval. This can produce a great deal of chaos which, in turn, can lead to negligence, damage or injury, especially when forklifts or other heavy equipment are involved. Instead of taking such a risk, adjust your warehouse layout to accommodate these processes as much as possible.
 
Worker and businessmen with clipboard at warehouse
 
Segment your warehouse into a layout that is conducive to a more streamlined operational procedure for employees. Designate dedicated areas for different tasks that occur regularly, creating receiving, packing, shipping and lockout/tagout stations. Tasks and processes that are more labour-intensive or involve heavy machinery can also be designated for particular areas, especially if they are dangerous.

If items need a forklift or pallet jack to move, ensure there is ample room for the equipment to manoeuvre. Consider storage solutions that allow items that usually ship together to be grouped together, or new inventory items to have dedicated storage space. Use a numerical system to locate and retrieve items easily and quickly.

2. Optimize Aisle Space

While endless stacked racks of inventory may look impressive in your warehouse, it can significantly reduce efficiency for your warehouse operations. This makes getting from one end of the warehouse to the other more time-consuming and can limit access for equipment needed to retrieve and transport large items. In a long aisle, if an item is in the middle, every time it must be retrieved, an employee needs to navigate the warehouse from end-to-end to get there.

Instead of using long aisles, layout your warehouse with shorter aisles that allow easier access to each aisle. Avoid placing aisles that have a dead end, as the employee has no other way to access that area, which is not optimal. Having two-way access can help employees work more efficiently. Cross-aisles can let employees navigate from one area to another without having to cross the entire warehouse.

If you need more space, consider installing automated glide rack systems that slide against each other when not in use and slide away from each other to create aisles when a worker needs to access the inventory.

3. Maximize Vertical Space

Taking advantage of vertical space can be a great improvement, allowing you to optimize your warehouse space as much as possible. By stacking items strategically, you can place more commonly retrieved items lower, while less common items can go up high, as workers need to access them less frequently. Additionally, if certain items are large or oddly shaped, they can be stacked and stored higher up on a cantilever rack to allow more efficient packing for lower items.

Adopt a modular racking system so you can change and modify arrangements as needed. You can also consider adding a mezzanine level to make use of vertical space. In such cases, storage racks can be affixed to the bottom of the floor as well, maximizing the use of space in your warehouse.

4. Measure Travel Lines

Once storage systems have been managed for optimum item retrieval, consider measuring out the travel lines your employees and workers take for items located in different areas. Items that are ordered and retrieved often should be most accessible, placed near packaging and shipping stations. This allows workers to quickly move such items to their next location and be prepared to ship out, saving your operation time and money.

Consider travel lines for items that require heavy equipment and create separate routes for forklifts or pallet jacks to take, minimizing the chance for damage or injury. Place safety stickers in areas where this is not possible. Adapt your storage procedures accordingly, making changes and adjustments as needed. Work backwards from your packaging and shipping station to decide what items should be stored where, considering popularity, size and method of retrieval.

5. Warehouse Management Systems

While it is possible to develop good storage and retrieval operations in your warehouse manually, take advantage of warehouse management systems (WMS) to further optimize your workspace. These systems analyze your orders, shipments and inventory to make recommendations on organization and warehouse layouts.

An automated system helps plan storage locations for items that are commonly ordered closer to your sorting and shipping station, allowing you to place items ordered less in farther or higher storage locations. These systems help add insights, such as how to establish an effective replenishment strategy. Replenishment strategies must align with your picking strategy to optimize inventory and reduce delays. Leverage high-powered data solutions to go the extra step in designing a highly functional warehouse.

Final Thoughts

There are many ways to improve your warehouse layout to maximize productivity. Much of a warehouse’s operation depends on a streamlined layout that employees can navigate and work in to process orders, shipments, returns and other daily operations.

Items of all sorts, shapes and sizes are loaded and unloaded from racks of various heights and finding ways to streamline the retrieval process dramatically impacts your ability to maximize output. Incorporating the above tips can help you design or redesign a warehouse that provides an optimal working environment for company productivity and employee efficiency and safety.

See our XL Joinery Factory Tour for a neat warehouse layout.

The Power of Paradigm Shifts

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Any innovation in today’s world requires an industry that is stuck in an old paradigm for too long and the development of a core technology challenging that paradigm. The Nemetschek Group believes that it is about time for paradigm shifts in the construction industry.

The construction industry is the largest industry in the world. Yet it has been practically stagnant with one percent productivity growth annually over the past two decades. But aren´t we in the age of digital transformation? An age where anything seems possible and other industries such as transportation, manufacturing, or even agriculture multiply their productivity? Why has this not been reflected in the construction industry as well?

Processes need to be challenged occasionally. That’s when old paradigms are thrown overboard to fundamentally change an approach. iPhone, SpaceX reusable rockets, or something as revolutionary as international money transfers without actually sending any money across the borders are just some examples. So, what is it in the construction industry that needs challenging?

Elon Musk's SpaceX lift off

We are seeing impressive, creative signature buildings rise across the globe. But we are also seeing most of these being finished later than planned, with costs exploding. “Buildings are becoming more and more complex, involving many professions. Currently, massive time on a construction project is spent on the coordination between architects, structural and MEP engineers, energy experts, and others,” says Viktor Várkonyi, Chief Division Officer of the Planning & Design Division and member of the Executive Board of the Nemetschek Group. “An architect wasting 30 percent of her time is too much. It is clearly time to challenge the industry and call for a paradigm shift.”

Looking at the development that has taken place over the past 30 years, the direction becomes clear. In the late 90s, the industry collaborated by sharing and exchanging files. Then the professions started to collaborate on the same file or data set by reserving and exchanging individual elements or sets of elements. And today, design professionals are still working in silos, in a data-protective way, rather than agile in cross-disciplinary teams.

“The industry needs to move to an integrated design approach. This is not about losing one’s data sovereignty, it is about forming teams to improve workflows and outcomes,” Viktor Várkonyi explains. “All disciplines can work with their preferred solution and on their own tasks and parameters, but in a centralized model.”

This disruptive approach will significantly change the way the different design professions work together. Today, about five percent of architects and structural engineers already work in an integrated design manner. They are the role models for what is required to make the construction industry accelerate – finally.

About the Nemetschek Group

The Nemetschek Group is a pioneer for the digital transformation in the AEC industry. With its software solutions, it covers the complete life cycle of building and infrastructure projects and guides its customers into the future of digitalization. As one of the world’s leading corporate groups in this field, the Nemetschek Group increases quality in the construction process and improves the digital workflow of all those involved in the construction process. This revolves around the use of open standards (Open BIM). The innovative solutions of the 16 brands in the four customer-oriented divisions are used by approximately six million users worldwide. Founded by Prof. Georg Nemetschek in 1963, the Nemetschek Group today employs more than 3,000 experts.

Publicly listed since 1999 and quoted on the MDAX and TecDAX, the company achieved revenue in the amount of EUR 556.9 million and an EBITDA of EUR 165.7 million in 2019.

Microcement Kitchen Worktop ~ King Build #13

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The King Build series is coming to a close and the kitchen is almost complete.

The microcement polished concrete look for the kitchen is becoming more popular and the guys from Merner & Mason show us how they apply it to a kitchen worktop.

See our other videos in the King Build series.

Find Merner & Mason on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mernerandmason

AI Can Help Real Estate Companies Offer Safe and Sustainable Office Buildings for Returning Employees

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Companies and real estate owners around the world are right now facing an unexpected and unwanted challenge – How to re-open their offices and re-start their business, and at the same time, be able to guarantee a safe and healthy workspace without challenging their sustainability targets. The solution is most likely to be found in the use of new technologies like AI, to upgrade existing office buildings to become safe, smart, and resilient.

For years it has been known that a healthy working environment has a high impact on the productivity and wellbeing of people working in offices. Providing simple things like good ventilation, clean air, and proper lightning will pay back in multiples. Researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have estimated that just improving indoor air quality in offices could add as much as $20 billion annually to the U.S. economy.

Even though handling the COVID 19 situation is the main challenge at the moment, the overall demand for sustainability, energy reduction, and CO2 neutrality is still there. Bering in mind that buildings alone are responsible for a staggering 40% of all global energy consumption and an equal amount of all CO2 emissions.

A healthy and safe building is the new minimum

Real estate owners and employers around the world are now facing demands that are partly new from their employees; My building needs to be safe! Office buildings in the future must be a great place to work in, and they must be in a safe and healthy building. If not, companies will not be able to attract people to come back to their offices.

To be able to provide a safe office environment, you need to be in control of the situation in your buildings and to know; How many people there are in the facility and where they are? How is the air quality, and do we have an optimal CO2-levels, humidity, and temperatures inside? Thanks to new and easily implemented IoT sensors that knowledge is relatively easy to obtain today. The challenge for the real estate companies is to make use of it. To be able to act on all variations to avoid deviations from the optimal conditions that could have a significant negative impact. Here is where AI can make a huge difference and guarantee a safe and healthy environment.

A study performed by Harward’s Healthy Buildings Lab found that every time you double the rate of outdoor air delivered into an office, worker performance improves by 1,7%. Another analysis of sick leave data for more than 3.000 workers across 4.000 buildings found that 57% of all sick leaves were attributed to poor ventilation. Reasons enough for actions, without taking COVID 19 into the calculation.

AI learns and adjusts 24/7

Adjusting and optimizing the HVAC system to secure optimal indoor conditions is constant work, where Artificial Intelligence and Machine learning has proven to outperform manual labor. At best, real estate companies have an energy expert adjusting the HVAC system monthly.

Our new AI software adjusts the ventilation between 4-5.000 times day, says Tuomas Pippola CEO at Nuuka Solutionsthat is more than 600 adjustments per hour or 10 per minute. Impossible to achieve manually. The software makes adjustments based on the buildings’ earlier performances, in combination with real-time data from both internal and external sensors, such as CO2 levels in different areas, outside temperatures, and levels of pollutions, etc. The result is safe and optimal indoor conditions“.

To use new digital technology for updating existing office buildings has been on the table of many real estate companies for several years, but has now moved to the top of the agenda. More and more companies are connecting their portfolio to a cloud-based platform to get in control of their buildings’ conditions and consumption.

Study’s shows that you can achieve 20% energy savings in HVAC using AI, which means around 6% savings in total operating cost for the real estate company. Big numbers and a significant impact on sustainability. And that is on top of giving optimal indoor conditions.

Thanks to more than 100 ready integrations, our system is possible to implement on top of most of today’s building systems and sensors, says Tuomas Pippolawhich means that most buildings can be upgraded to safe and sustainable buildings“.

This crisis, like earlier, will most likely be a driver for new ideas and technologies. Giving resilient companies an advantage, and that providing a healthy building will go from a “nice to have” to a competitive advantage.

For more information regarding the Nuuka AI services contact Olli Parkkonen, +358 50 494 1584 olli.parkkonen@nuukasolutions.fi or Susanne Hedblom, +46 76 176 46 04.

Dickies Unveils Latest Safety Boot

Global workwear brand Dickies has expanded its range of safety footwear with the launch of the Medford Safety Boot – designed to offer superior comfort, durability and protection in the colder months.

Ideal for tradespeople who spend all day on their feet, the Medford features a waterproof leather upper, plus thermal insulation to keep their feet warm and dry in cold and wet weather conditions.

Meeting the S3 safety classification, the Medford benefits from Dickies’ innovative DTC outsole, which was designed by its footwear experts to achieve the highest grip performance on smoother surfaces. The DTC sole has ergonomic flex lines and geometric tread patterns for maximum ground contact, even in wet conditions.

The Medford style is anti-static and is fuel and oil resistant. Additional safety features include composite toe-caps, which are lighter than steel alternatives while providing the same level of protection.

“With the Autumn/Winter season approaching, this is likely to prove popular among those looking for a new boot that offers both warmth and breathability while ensuring they have the protection and durability they rely on,” said James Whitaker, Marketing Director.

“Footwear is a big focus of innovation for us and we’re constantly looking for ways to update and expand our range. As with all our footwear styles, the Medford has been tested above and beyond the safety regulation to ensure the protection and comfort of the tradespeople who rely on them.”

Designed in the style of a hiker boot, the Medford safety boot is available in three colour-ways, including Black, Brown and Navy Blue.

More from Dickies Workwear

First launched in the US in 1922, Dickies Workwear has built a global reputation for quality and performance, marrying innovation, comfort and protection. Using the best of both modern and traditional construction techniques, the Dickies range is made to last, while meeting the changing demands of its customers.

The company offers an extensive range of workwear including coveralls, trousers, shirts, jackets, fleeces and bodywarmers. Plus a wide selection of high-performance products, including foul weather protection, high visibility garments and flame retardant items.

www.dickiesworkwear.com

EMMA Safety Footwear Just Got Safer For You & The Environment

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Next Generation EMMA Safety that takes your wellbeing and the environment as seriously as you do!

Now part of the Hultafors Group’s PPE portfolio, EMMA Safety Footwear is a fully EU accredited range of excellent values shoes and boots that satisfy a wide range of user needs and workplaces – including light and heavy industry sectors plus office and retail environments.

Complementing the Solid Gear and Toe Guard range, EMMA safety footwear includes all the Hultafors Group hallmarks of hi-tech designs that combine top-quality materials for ultimate comfort, maximum safety and wellbeing at work.

EMMA Safety Footwear 2

What’s more, if sustainability is a priority for you and your company, every product in the EMMA range is made entirely from recycled or recyclable materials. It’s a 100% ‘circular’ manufacturing, usage and recycling process for every shoe and boot produced under the EMMA brand.

So, to make a positive footprint in your workplace, if your ordinary safety footwear just isn’t up to the job, you can be sure there’s an EMMA product that is.

emmasafetyfootwear.com

To get more information on EMMA Safety Footwear, visit the website at www.emmasafetyfootwear.com , call the Snickers Helpline on 01484 854788 or email sales@hultaforsgroup.co.uk

Quooker Fusion Boiling Water Tap – Capel #29

Robin is about to install his Quooker Fusion Square boiling water tap with the help of his plumber friend Gary.

The installation shows the patinated brass finish but the tap is also available in polished chrome, stainless steel, black or gold.

Quooker Fusion, the mixer tap that immediately dispenses boiling water as well as your own cold and warm water from one tap on the worktop with a hot water tank underneath.

This Dutch invention is ultra-safe and super-efficient and the high-vacuum insulation means that it costs pennies per day to have access to instant, filtered boiling water.

The Quooker Fusion tap with its patented air vacuum technology is at a minimum 60% more energy-efficient than any other boiling water tap on the market.

Quooker Fusion Square in gold

Quooker Fusion Accessories

Cold Water Filter
The cold water filter has been designed to allow you to quickly switch from tap water to cold filtered water.

Scale Control Plus
Scale Control Plus will lengthen the life of your Quooker by reliably reducing the water hardness and it improves the taste of the water.

Powerswitch
The Powerswitch is a three-way adaptor that allows you to connect the Quooker tank, CUBE and another appliance, for example a dishwasher, to the same socket.

Drip tray
The drip tray is used when you wish to position the Quooker away from a sink. It is discreet and comes complete with a drain hose so all excess water can be drained away.

Nordic soap dispenser patinated brass
Quooker soap dispenser. Available in different finishes.

Mounting bracket PRO3
This stainless steel mounting bracket is especially useful for fitting tanks in kitchens with under-sink drawer units.

CUBE
When you purchase a CUBE, installation is just £99 with a Quooker engineer. You can select the installation service when you checkout.

You’ll also receive 5 X CO2 cylinders for FREE and enjoy 300 litre-bottles of sparkling water. One cylinder is included with the CUBE, and you will receive an additional set consisting of 4 cylinders.

Official website for Quooker Fusion

Follow Robin Clevett on YouTube – youtube.com/ukconstruction

New Mobile Construction App By EasyBuild UK

Award-winning construction app software company EasyBuild UK launch new Mobile App.

Construction software company EasyBuild is one of the most recognised providers of ERP (enterprise resource planning) software to the construction industry.

The three-year award-winning software addresses all the operational needs of a modern construction business, covering finance, commercial, project management and compliance. It is customisable with easy-to-use applications providing all trades within the industry – including main contractors, civil engineers, demolition, interior fit-out, roofing and cladding, joinery, rail and utilities – with the tools needed to manage projects in a timely and efficient manner.

The EasyBuild team is currently transitioning many of their existing and new clients to a cloud offering. The company’s cloud software gives clients access to business-critical applications at any time from any location and reduces the cost of servers and day-to-day IT management.

Mobile Construction App By EasyBuild UK

Businesses of all sizes can now benefit from using EasyBuild’s Cloud platform, which ensures compliance and management of all projects simultaneously on any device and in real-time. One of the core applications is the widespread use of mobile technology, providing everyone on site with familiar and powerful technology and information.

EasyBuild Mobile allows operatives to use their smartphone remotely to record essential information and upload it back to head office immediately. This application enables the capture of labour cost via a timesheet app, requesting material and plant deliveries via the requisition app and recording the delivery of materials via the goods received app. Data is automatically synced back into EasyBuild’s ERP solution, which in turn saves time, removes paper and increases efficiency.

Andre Oosthuizen, OJ Construction (SA) commented, “having recently moved to EasyBuild Cloud we are now in the process of implementing a number of EasyBuild Mobile applications within our business.  We see that by automating the on-site goods received process, as well as streamlining the requisition process, will speed up procurement as well as saving a huge amount of time and money”

Carol Massay, CEO of EasyBuild UK commented “ Time and efficiency are important factors when trying to manage the day-to-day running of a business and knowing you have a secure dedicated platform for hosting your ERP construction software is a vital component. EasyBuild Cloud provides access to our applications for each customer using secured logins. This service is inclusive of the day-to-day management of the hosted environment, as well as daily backups, security updates, operating system upgrades and patch releases.”

To find out how your business could benefit from the EasyBuild Mobile App contact a member of the team today