When choosing a generator, there is more to consider than simply the cost. For instance, how many power tools will rely on it? Will it be used for lighting? Is it robustly built? How large is the fuel tank? Remember, time spent refuelling can quickly cancel out cost savings. Continue reading What Generator Is Best for a Construction Site? →

When a DBS certificate is issued, not all convictions and cautions are revealed due to the DBS process of filtering. As you would expect, this has led to many employers and applicants wondering what the process entails and its implications. People who are in a job position that needs a DBS check are regarded by many as being in a position of trust. A possible reason for this is that many job positions that require this check involves coming into frequent contact with people who could be considered vulnerable. By having this check in place it ensures that no one gets a job in a role that isn’t appropriate for them. In care for example, someone who has a history of violence would not pass a DBS check as they would be deemed as unsafe to look after vulnerable people. If you are looking to work in care you would need to ensure you are suitable for it and have all the relevant qualifications. If you believe you meet the criteria to work in care, then you may be interested in a live in care London agency, such as https://www.guardiancarers.co.uk/services/live-in-care

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What is the process of filtering?

The process of filtering is a recent one. It came to fruition in 2013 following a high court case that questioned why all criminal record information should appear on DBS certificates, especially if incidents were minor and/or had been committed a long time ago. The outcome of the case determined that not all cautions and convictions should appear on a certificate following a DBS check.

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As a result, the DBS filtering process was initiated to limit the disclosure of offences if they met the predetermined criteria. These strict criteria vary in accordance with the type of offence committed, the age of the offender at the time of the offence, and whether they have other offences.

If cautions or convictions are withheld, they won’t appear on the certificate and neither will the certificate state that criminal information has been withheld. Although the information is withheld, this does not mean that a person’s criminal record has been discarded by the Police National Computer (PNC).

You can find out more about criminal records checks – including DBS checks .

What are the implications for applicants?

With regard to applicants, the filtering process means that if they have a previous caution or conviction that qualifies for protection, it will be removed during the filtering process. They will therefore not have to declare this information to the employer, even if the employer asks about it.

What are the implications for employers?

The filtering process should not have any implications for employers, as any information protected is determined by legislation to be peripheral. Employers are not entitled to be notified of these offences via a DBS check.

Nevertheless, employers should be wary of how they question applicants with regard to their criminal records in relation to this legislation; for example, employers that are permitted to question an applicant on their criminal record must be careful not to ask for information protected by the filtering process.

Fabric structures offer practical design solutions for covering outdoors areas. Opting for Tensile Fabric Structures has many pros and a few cons; therefore, it is helpful to look at both the benefits and considerations involved to make an informed decision. If that decision is to go ahead with it ,then you may wish to consider https://www.spatialstructures.com/

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Translucent

The most obvious advantage of fabric structures is their translucency, with an appropriate coating over the woven base cloth allowing a light transmission value of approximately 10%. Compared with the full glare of outside, this provides a very comfortable level of brightness.

Clear span

Another benefit of fabric above other material is its clear span capabilities. Fabric can reach from one point to another in an unbroken sweep, covering a large space without needing the rigid support required by other materials.

Lightweight materials

Tensile structures are lightweight and their extraordinary tensile capacity does not require as much supporting framework as other materials; however, deep foundations are often required to counteract the power of the wind lifting the canopy and whipping it away. On a positive note, the foundations are usually much cheaper and easier to prepare than above-ground constructions.

Design

A tensile canopy is a unique and contemporary style of building structure and its 3D nature attracts attention. Traditional structures such as flat glass, a tiled roof or polycarbonate canopy do not draw your attention in the same way.

Manufactured off-site

Companies alike and all the manufacturing takes place off-site. When the steelwork, cables, membrane and all other parts are complete, they are taken to the site and assembled swiftly, causing little disruption to the public or the surrounding businesses. This could prevent possible health and safety issues.

Size and cost implications

Fabric structures are great for larger areas, as they offer economies of scale; however, if you were to choose a tensile canopy for a small area, this would not be cost effective. The same process would have to be carried out as for larger constructions, such as connections being engineered and checked, patterning required and corner plates and awkward angles made by the steel fabricator, all of which would cost three to four times more per square metre than for a larger tensile structure.

Finally, but importantly, fabric structures are bespoke. They can be beautiful, creative, attention-grabbing and fun, and they sound great when it is raining!

Team building events are a wonderful way of bringing employees together, giving them new experiences and helping them forge strong bonds that will pay off when tackling projects in the office. These events can also reduce anxiety, give employees a break and enable them to have fun while learning some essential skills. There is a variety of different ways to do this with all of them having their own merit. From drinking alcohol to trampolining this article covers a comprehensive range of team building ideas.

Sporting Challenges

People may have played basketball before, but probably not on a trampoline. Take the team to a trampoline park, let them bounce out their stress, and then add in some healthy competition. A common aversion to getting soaked could be the impetus behind employees getting good at kayaking or canoeing. By putting people together with very different personalities or styles of working, they will have to thrash out a way of moving forward together to avoid getting a soaking.

Let the games begin

Locking people in a room and giving them an hour to escape can inspire new levels of cooperation, as it involves logic, strategy, leadership, and teamwork to make it happen. This has become a very popular exercise for team building, and while “locked” in the room, the participants must solve puzzles and find clues to help them escape.

Another enjoyable game is to put everyone in groups and send them out on a scavenger hunt, with lots of interesting challenges, fun activities and even prizes. This could be followed by a barbecue or a relaxing meal.

After Work socials

Possibly the simplest method of team building for employees but by no means an ineffective one. Sociable drinking is often regarded as enjoyable and can help to establish common interests between employees. This can be as simple as going to the pub after work but private parties can be organised if you intend to pull out all the stops. Going drinking however means you will not be able to drive but if you’re looking for a good corporate day/ night then why not use a Cheltenham Party Bus Hire service. If you are looking for a company to provide this service, look no further than websites such as https://cocktail-tours.co.uk/.

Something completely different …

When it comes to activities people have never tried, a tank driving day would fit the bill, challenging the team and giving them an experience, they will be talking about for some time. Tanks were first used in battle during the First World War, and for more history, see this article from The Guardian.

If you want to find out more about the benefits of a tank driving day for your employees, it would be a good idea to speak to experts. Team building has many benefits for helping employees feel valued and appreciated, while building a company culture of trust and respect that will flow into corporate productivity. Planning a team building experience is not difficult, especially if you consult professionals. The results could make all the difference to your bottom line.

The utopian view of major construction sites is neon-vested workers in hard hats and an unfinished façade. The ubiquitous sheaves of blueprints and oversized design drawings that litter any flat surface on the jobs site should be gone.

The industry wants to embrace technology and replace papers with smartphone apps and tablet computers. Progressive construction giants already harness the potency of technology in all its forms. Incredible advancements optimise production and efficiency, from planning to construction.

Game-Changing Technologies in Construction

Drones are the way to gain insight into a construction site while also allowing for mapping. Often a construction site is hazardous and remote, which makes this technology an inexpensive no-brainer. Human error causes delays and increased costs, while drones drastically improve safety standards, accuracy and speed as they take high-resolution images and collect data when flying over a site. Technicians using photogrammetry can extract 3D models and point clouds from the images.

BIM Technology Application

BIM technology is not new to the UK construction market, especially since the government mandated BIM to be used on government projects in 2016. The benefits are considerable, including improved life cycle costs, higher-quality construction, lower costs and faster enabling. Building Information Modelling involves generation and managing of digital representations of both functional and physical characteristics of a place.

It is used to support automated and predictive maintenance schedules of a building life. The building manager will know where all the fittings and fixtures are and all the services as well as service intervals, certificates and installation dates.

Companies, including but not limited to https://www.bimtech-eng.com/, use its digital technology to develop digital models that accurately represent the elements of a construction project. It offers house-builders, medium and large building companies and construction contractors better control over all the phases.

3D printing is a construction technology that will speed up and reduce construction costs. Recently, a 3D building was completed in a building-on-demand (BOD) structure, with several others following suit. This technology embeds wireless sensors into property walls to create a genuinely smart building, literally and figuratively. It also doubles up as a preventative accident measure.

While digital technology brings enormous benefits, they come with new challenges. This level of digitisation can only be applied when contractors, designers and project employers have the required skills.

Nobody would want to start cleaning their office after an 8-hour shift at work. Imagine cleaning the whole office, kitchen included, with all those cups and plates needing washing and not to mention the toilets! Not an appealing prospect is it? Here are some examples of premises that would be very hard to clean without professional help:

Large Offices

Without a professional cleaning service, you are stuck with organising staff on a rota to carry out different cleaning duties. Does it work? Do the employees stick to the schedule? Are there individuals that say they’ve cleaned a space when all they’ve done is wipe it over with a tissue? Do away with these annoying issues by employing a professional cleaning company to complete all these tasks to a much higher standard. This means your staff can go back to spending their time on what they were hired to do.

Educational Settings

In places where there is a high concentration of young people, infection control is a top priority. This means a high quality of cleaning that can only effectively be carried out by experienced and professional cleaners. Schools and colleges must meet health and safety standards and keep the risk of sickness to a minimum. Professional cleaning companies will also be able to offer cleaners that are fully DBS checked. For a Leicester commercial cleaning company, visit https://www.acecleaningcompany.co.uk/commercial-cleaning/

Medical Settings

Businesses in the medical sector will understand the critical need for the highest standards of hygiene and sanitation. For this kind of cleaning, it’s important to have a professional cleaner who has been trained to the National Specifications for Cleanliness for NHS Medical and Dental Practices. This includes learning about the risks of cross contamination, where harmful bacteria can be lurking and how to deep clean, disinfect and fully sanitise a medical practice.

Showrooms and stores

For areas where customers and clients will be getting a first look at you as a business, cleanliness and spotless high standards are a must. For showcasing your goods or services, you’ll want to make the best first impression so choosing a professional cleaning company to take care of this for you makes good sense. Not only will your store look great, but you’ll be improving on safety too.

Emergency Cleaning

Whenever mother nature throws a spanner in the works or a man-made accident has occurred, specialist clean up skills are a must. Flooding and fire damage can cause a huge mess to deal with, not to mention the disruption and risk to health. You must ensure your premises is brought back to a safe, clean and hygienic condition, whether you’ve experienced an act of nature, a burst pipe, arson or vandalism. A professional cleaning team will do this for you with the minimum of fuss, to an exceptional standard and is one less thing for you to worry about at a tough time.

Most people have heard of motivational speakers, but not as many people would be able to explain what they do, what their role is or can say they have experienced spending time listening to a motivational speaker. There are many circumstances where someone may have the opportunity to see a motivational speaker at work, as they come from many walks of life and of course the main goal of their work is to inspire and motivate those they are speaking to.

One place a motivational speaker will often work is in a school. Motivating children and helping them to make positive choices when it comes to career and lifestyle is something that a motivational speaker can be very helpful with, especially during the years that children may be making a lot of big decisions about their future education, or what courses and careers they are suited for.

Children may also have access to motivational speakers through extra-curricular activities like clubs and groups or in a community centre or church group. They can help children with other parts of their life that they may be having difficulty with or encouraging their hobbies and interests outside of education.

Motivational speakers can also work in part of a wider setting within the community. They talk about many social and community issues, aimed at the local people – for example helping people tackling crime in an area that may have a high crime rate, or getting the community together to work on local events.

There are many motivational speakers who can help to inspire people by using their own life experiences and stories to rouse people into action. For example, some have overcome great hardships in life and gone on to turn their life around for the better, such as recovery from drugs or alcohol addictions, or a life of crime or poverty – they have then used this to help others.

Some have completed huge physical and mental challenges, completed triumphed against adversity, or have done great things for charities, such as https://www.adventureman.org/ . These people share their stories to inspire others and if they are raising money for a charity it creates awareness and can help to get others involved in their campaign.

The workplace is another place where a motivational speaker will often be found, as companies want to get the best from their employees, they recognise that a good positive mindset is a huge part of that in the workplace. They are very useful in business to help with all employees, from the directors to the office teams, they are often beneficial to sales teams, helping them to be focussed, positive and motivated.

Most people have heard about occupational health, but how many people know what they actually do and how they fit in?

Occupational health (OH) professionals are medical professionals who are specially trained in occupational health over and above their other professional qualifications.

Specifics

In specific terms, occupational health advises employers about:

• What would constitute reasonable adjustments such as specially adapted chairs for people with back problems;
• Phased return to work for employees who have been long-term sick;
• Exercises for employees with minor musculo-skeletal problems.

They may also deliver training or awareness sessions about best practice in the workplace.

Who Are They?

They are doctors or nurses, but they may also be physiotherapists, psychologists, occupational therapists. The government-funded Fit for Work Organisation provides more information about occupational health generally.

What Can They Help With?

They can provide advice for both employers and employees. UK sickness rates were, overall, lower in 2017 than they had been for some time, but the south-west of England has higher rates than most other parts of the country.

An example of what OH can help with is this: a Gloucester-based employer has an employee who was involved in a serious car accident and who has ongoing problems with a broken leg as a result. The employee’s medical records are not disclosed to the employer, so they can only work with what the employee tells them, but we all know that, particularly in relation to our own health, we have selective hearing. The employer refers to the employee to occupational health Gloucester. The city has a lot of independent providers, so it should be easy to find someone. Initially, a nurse will do either a face-to-face or telephone assessment and advise the employer about adjustments they might make.

Areas where there is a range of industries may have a high need of occupational health Gloucester. Of course, most employees only take sick leave when necessary, but for those who are perhaps a trifle disingenuous, take advice from occupational health Gloucester – it may have some of the richest people in the UK living in the county, but businesses still need productivity.

Regardless of sickness rates, it makes sense for employers to engage occupational health professionals at an early stage and try prevention rather than a cure.

We’ve all seen them multiple times: the distinctive chevron markings that have become synonymous with vehicles on building and other work sites. Over the years they have developed, and now they are mainly attached to car boots by applying an adhesive.

In this article we take a look at solutions that have been developed to deal with the very real risk posed by such an application. With the constant refining of vehicles by their manufacturers, car boots are – more often than not – made of plastic and not the traditional metal finish. This has a knock-on effect on applying chevrons and ultimately has been considered to pose a very real safety risk.

Finding a Way Forward

The most common answer to this industry problem is fairly straightforward and involves ensuring that the chevrons fit snugly – they are cut to size and then attached with either or both straps and suckers. This approach has resulted in much less chance of them dislodging or even coming off completely. Chevrons kits can be bought to make this process easier still.

Visibility

Visibility is key on-site and is one of the main selling points that companies selling chevrons rely on; there are many to choose from, including https://www.vehiclechevrons.com/.

On and Off

Another chevron solution has resulted in the markings being removable, meaning that they can be safely and firmly attached when required but taken off, for example, when making personal commutes. There’s a whole host of other relevant information out there about the use of company cars too.

Tailor-made

As well as visibility, durability, safety and ease of use, adapted and improved chevrons have been praised for providing a workable solution on many work sites up and down the country. Many have organised their own pilots and trials to ensure that they are meeting their own and industry standards related to building and other such sites. Feedback has suggested that the new and improved chevrons have been widely accepted. Importantly too, many producers of chevrons understand that it is not a case of ‘one size fits all’ and offering bespoke services and excellent customer care goes a long way in satisfying the high demands of operational staff in the industry. Ensuring they fit different models has also proved to be popular.

Let me just start by saying that this is not meant to give you any advice on the subject of Equity release. It will tell you what it is but it will not tell you whether it is the right thing for you to do with your home. For that I would direct you to this Equity Release Wiltshire company at https://chilvester.co.uk/equity-release/as they will be able to go through everything with you.

Firstly, there is a good chance that you will have read many horror stories about evil financial institutions turfing elderly people out on the street so they can get their home. The industry around Equity release has been heavily regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and no one can give you any advice, and you must receive advice legally before any agreement can go through, unless they have the correct certification and qualifications to do it.  These qualifications test the person in their understanding of the process of Equity release in the following ways,

• Who their customer is likely to be.
• There circumstances and reasons for undertaking equity release
• The suitability and affordability of the product.
• Outlining the advantageous and disadvantageous of Equity release in the circumstances.
• Levels of risk taking into account your personal situation.

This is just an overview of the examination and it takes at least a year to be passed. After that financial firms will have competency tests and a requirement of professional development, meaning that the advisor must make sure that undertake training and keep abreast of any changes to the policy and practice of Equity release. If not then they and the company will feel the full wrath of the FCA. This could be a fine or the company and individual banned from giving advice for a number of years.

Equity Release is a way of making sure that you retain your home and have some money in your retirement years. Pension, both state and private are not limitless and with the increasing cost of the world and the fact that we are living and being active longer has meant that we may need more income. There are many types of equity release and the advisor will ensure that you get the right one for you and your situation by thoroughly going through them and finding out what is the best for you. But do not worry, you are protected.