"smoke heat exhaust and ventilation systems"

The first thoughts about safety at work are always about physical injury prevention as well as inhaling fumes, hazardous substances, etc. However, Occupational Noise, which is the amount of acoustic energy received by an employee of a company, can cause permanent damage if it is continuous.In the UK, The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, came into effect for all industries from April 2008, which is quite late when you consider that the harm hearing loss can cause. Harm such as Tinnitus, which is the perception of noise in the ear or head, caused by a problem with the inner ear.The sustaining of high noise levels can also mask warning signals, prevent concentration and vital communication.Most authorities around the world have agreed that noise becomes dangerous when it’s higher than 85 decibels during a typical 8-hour work shift. However, noises under 85 decibels can also cause issues with the general public who are in and around the working environment.An example below shows the different examples of noise levels in decibels – the definition of noise is sound that is unpleasant or causes disturbance.ReductionIf a noise can’t be reduced by engineering the equipment, then acoustic quieting is required. This is the process of dampening vibrations from machinery and systems such as flue systems.With the increasing demand for noise attenuation, the demand for noise reduction from flues and chimneys in marine and industrial situations mean that many companies have developed their own silencer programmes. These tend to be combined with flue systems to have a product range which is reducing sound at the design stage

FORBO’S FLOORING ELEVATES THE SUSTAINABILITY ETHOS IN NEW ECO-FRIENDLY PRIMARY SCHOOL  Two Rivers primary school in Keynsham, Somerset, is only the second school in the country to achieve Passivhaus Plus accreditation. To achieve this impressive milestone, architects Hatcher Prichard had to make conscious choices when it came to choosing materials for this project. With outstanding sustainability credentials and a wide portfolio of solutions suitable for the education sector, Hatcher Prichard specified a variety of Forbo Flooring Systems’ contemporary floor coverings, including its Tessera carpet tiles, Sphera and Eternal vinyl floor coverings, as well as both its Surestep and Safestep safety flooring. A new build primary school for 420 pupils, Two Rivers Primary School was designed to add the much-needed provision for primary education to children in the Keynsham area, whilst also following sustainable building practices. With the requirement to achieve Passivhaus Plus accreditation, which meant the building had to produce as much energy as the occupants use, Hatcher Prichard had to carefully consider the materials used in the construction of this building.  Simon Hatcher, Director at Hatcher Prichard explains further: “Two Rivers achieved Passivhaus Plus accreditation in February 2023 and is only the second school in the country to do so. It is also the first to be built using standard building materials, including a steel frame with concrete floor slabs. When it came to specifying materials for the building, we looked for manufacturers that had strong sustainability credentials. With Forbo’s environmental goals so aligned with our own, and that of the building as a whole, it meant they were the perfect fit! In fact, Forbo’s sustainability credentials and flooring solutions were key to finishing this wonderful building.” However, as well as the sustainability objectives that Simon had to keep in mind, he also had to meet the design requirements. Simon commented on this, saying: “We were supplied with a document by the Department for Education on the Employer’s Requirements, which includes a section on floor coverings and the factors to consider when specifying materials for schools. The main area of consideration though was the functionality of the flooring; it had to withstand the heavy foot traffic we would expect to see in a school, whilst also being easy to clean and maintain.  “Additionally, the floor coverings needed to be installed seamlessly alongside each other to keep the joints between them flush, as well as provide some slip resistance. The chosen floor coverings also had to be suitable for the usage of each room, with the colourways used also needing to be appropriate for the age of the children using the space. The Forbo account managers really helped with this, thanks to their understanding of how specific products from Forbo’s portfolio met the individual requirements of each room in the school.” With the suitability of colours in mind, Simon looked to incorporate elements of the local environment into the design, as well as take inspiration from the school name too. He explained: “The design of the school draws from its location at the heart of Hygge Park, Keynsham. The surrounding area has a calm, Scandinavian palette of colours and materials, with the local houses made from light buff brickwork with white render above. We opted to use matching buff brick and white render externally, with complimentary blues, greys and whites for the walls and other surfaces inside. All the floor finishes were supplied using the contemporary and durable range of Forbo products required for each individual space. For example, Forbo’s Eternal vinyl was specified in the Washed Beech wood décor for the hall, hall store, studio and servery areas, which provided a natural contrast to the white paint on the walls, without being too distracting. “We also specified Forbo’s Sphera homogenous vinyl in a clear blue colourway, to represent the ‘two rivers’ of the school’s name, which runs along the ground floor corridor and extends back up along the first floor. We also used Forbo’s Eternal vinyl in the Smoke colourway for all the ground floor classrooms, which created a calm and neutral feeling.” What’s more, a selection of Forbo’s Tessera carpet tiles were chosen in a muted blue colourway for the first-floor classrooms, which helped to make them feel bright and spacious. Speaking on this decision, Simon said: “With the first-floor classrooms designed for the older students, we felt it would be more appropriate to use a textile flooring, as opposed to the vinyl flooring used in the Key Stage 1 classrooms. As such, Forbo’s Tessera Teviot carpet tiles were installed in the Mid Blue and Blue Moon colourways, both of which fit the colour theme running throughout the school. Additionally, the Tessera carpet tiles are really easy to clean, another requirement set out in the brief, so it ticked all the boxes.”  In addition to the above, Forbo’s Surestep and Safestep safety flooring were used across the project to ensure the safety of students throughout the building. Specified in the Smoke and Silver Grey colourways to match the colour scheme, the safety floors were installed in the wet rooms on both floors, as well as in the DT classroom on the first floor.  Simon concluded: “We’re really happy with the finished project, as are the school and students’ parents. The school held an open evening in mid-January where the Head and Deputy Head showed visitors around the building; both were delighted with every aspect, especially the hardwearing finishes throughout.” With the initial design stage beginning in August 2020, the school was completed in December 2022 and opened for students shortly afterwards in the new year. To find out more about Forbo’s offering for schools, visit: www.forbo-flooring.co.uk/education

JP Morgan is one of the largest investment firms that reside at Canary Wharf. They had a requirement for premium commercial shower cubicles for their staff. Glass and chrome was to a play a key features into the shower design, and we created a bespoke cubicle system to meet their requirements. Read the full case study on our website.

Accoya cladding supplied by International TimberArmadilla create luxury experiential garden buildings. They currently focus on two core markets, hospitality and education, providing a self-contained environment for the users. Armadilla offer a smaller ‘Pod’ or the larger ‘Wave’ design but both options are ‘eco smart’, meeting the sustainability ethos of Armadilla.The garden buildings meet industry-leading insulation standards, have low energy air source heat pump technology and mechanical ventilation heat recovery. The smaller design, The Pod, can run off a one 13 amp electricity source.By endorsing the concept of the ‘Circular Economy’, all elements of Armadilla products can be recycled, repaired or reused. This is why Accoya is the perfect material choice for the external cladding, with a 50 year warranty. Accoya is a new introduction for Armadilla, justifying their product as world-leading for its sustainability and durability.Armadilla were awarded the 2020 Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation.

Automatic Systems was asked by Aspex UK Limited to work with them on a project they had won at the head office of Riverside Group.Riverside is a group of complementary businesses driven by a clear social purpose, with a charitable housing association at its core.Established over 90 years ago, they have grown to become a major provider of affordable housing, care and support services in England and Scotland, with almost 56,000 homes in management. Operating at scale and across 160 local authorities, their vision is to transform the lives of the 90,000+ people they house and revitalise the neighbourhoods in which they live.RiversideGroup approached Aspex as a result of Covid to help secure and control the access of their head quarter building.SOLUTIONWith the help of Automatic Systems Aspex came up with a solution that fulfilled their criteria. This included the installation of the newly launched Firstlane and AccessLane.WORK TIMEFRAMEHaving worked with Aspex on a number of previous projects Automatic Systems were the preferred supplier when the contract was won in December 2020. Works took a week to complete as allocated in February this year.FUTURE WORKAutomatic Systems looks forward to working with Aspex on future projects.

The £38 million conversion of the former Terry’s chocolate factory in York into ‘The Residence’, a development of 173 luxury apartments, is using a SHEVTEC smoke control system from SE Controls, to help keep residents safe in the event of a fire.

Berry Systems completed works on behalf of our client, Bowmer & Kirkland, to deliver effective bespoke edge protection. We also installed rubber column protection and specialised bridge walkway pedestrian barrier to meet their specification requirements.The Porter Building houses 110, 625 square feet of office space for companies to utilise. It is conveniently situated in Slough with excellent transport links to key areas in London and the surrounding cities. The building itself has 100 car parking spaces and 100 bicycle parking spaces for employees and visitors to use. We were tasked with installing edge protection and vehicle restraint systems in the building to ensure both vehicle and pedestrian safety.The system installed was a perforated aluminium edge protection combined with buffer baseplates and mullion attached. This was designed in house by our design team to combine the two products delivering a compliant system meeting BS EN 1991-1-1 standards. Our team also designed the specialised bridge walkway pedestrian barrier to increase pedestrian safety on site. This particular project demonstrates our ability to design VRS solutions bespoke and being able to accommodate additional client requirements. In all of our projects, we work with our client to ensure that safety is the ultimate priority and the necessary industry standards are met.

Schlüter-Systems have become part of a historic refurbishment which will see the grand Chancery Court Hotel, London, a 1914 Edwardian heritage property, revamped with elegant and contemporary bathroom suites.

Gerico France designs, manufactures and installs bulk solid storage and handling equipment. It offers bucket elevators, conveyors, pipes, silos, warehouses, milling machines, feed producing equipment, heat treatment devices, and accessories.Project/doors: 21 Speedor Storm High Speed DoorsThe challenge Gerico France delivered a turn-key flour mill project in Mombasa, Kenya for a Grain milling company at their state of the art milling plant. They required a solution to stop dust going out of the building instead of being aspirated by the installed system when emptying grain trucks into the wheat grain intake pit.The solutionHart installed three Speedor Storm doors from 4m wide x 5m high to 7m high. The Speedor Storm is the next generation of large external door which has improved wind resistance on both sides of the door and is suitable for larger openings, greater than 6m. This door does not require separate wind bars as the curtain contains wind bracing every 1m and is held securely into the guide channels with rollers at either side. The success Hart Doors sent an experienced engineer to Mombasa to supervise and assist in the installation and commissioning of the doors along with the training of staff to install future orders. 18 more Speedor Storms were ordered for a specialised dry bulk discharge and handling terminal for grain imports, located in Shimanzi, Mombasa.

Beechview Drive is a development by MD Constructions Ltd consisting of 8 brand new, luxury detached family houses set in a secure gated development. Each comprising 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, stunning kitchen diners and integral double garages. Licata Building Systems supplied full silicone render systems and clay brick slips systems for the facades of the houses. The combination of the two finishes created a modern style to the development. Full Licata waterproofing systems were used in the bathrooms of the properties and were also finished of with high quality premium Italian porcelain tiles supplied by Licata.

Wick Tower is an iconic building for the locals which lay derelict for 20 years. Licata Building Systems was part of the process to bring Wick Tower back to life. Our silicone render system was used to create an aesthetic façade finish. The render system used maintains it’s clean fresh look for many years to come due to its self cleaning properties and will protect the structure from moisture.