Young BallyKelly Athlete Takes Top Prize In The OCS Young Sports Person Awards
16 year old sprint athlete Sally Brown from Ballykelly has been named the overall winner of the OCS Young Sports Person Awards 2011.  Paralympic field athlete Nathan Stephens, who was himself an OCS Young Sports Person Awards winner in 2005, presented Sally with her prize.  Speaking of her award, “Sally commented: “Making great achievements in my sport has always been a dream and it’s a bit strange now that it’s all coming true!”

Sally Brown winner of the Disability Category for Northern Ireland scooped the OCS Young Sports Person Awards Overall Winner title for 2011

Winner of the OCS Young Sports Person Awards Disability Category for Ireland, Sally beat off stiff competition from ten regional and three other Disability Category winners to take the overall winner title for 2011. She will receive £10,000 through the scheme over the next three years.
Born with her left hand and part of her arm missing, Sally is one of the youngest members of the GB Paralympic athletics squad for 2012. She took bronze at this year’s Paralympic World Cup event in Manchester, in addition to a gold and silver medal at the World Junior Championships.
In her classification (T46), Sally currently holds the No.1 UK ranking for both 100m and 200m, as well as a senior IPC World Ranking of No.4 in 200m and No.7 in 100m. She has proved her ability to compete in both non-disabled and disabled athletics at the highest level. In non-disabled athletics, this year she has achieved a No.2 ranking in Northern Ireland and Ulster for U17 300m and was selected to compete for the Ulster relay team at the All-Ireland finals.   
The 2011 OCS Young Sports Person Awards event in conjunction with SportsAid took place on 24th November at the OCS Stand at the Kia Oval in London, hosted by leading BBC sports commentator Clare Balding. Young sporting stars from across the UK received their award from sporting personalities including David Gower OBE, Rory Underwood MBE, Kate Howey MBE and Iwan Thomas MBE. 

Building and facilities management contractors can increase sales by taking their knowledge of water damage remediation to the next level, according to the National Flood School
Experts from the National Flood School are running a four-day Applied Structural Drying Course, which covers the essential knowledge needed by any contractor serious about offering a professional water restoration service.
The programme, being delivered in conjunction with The Clean Trust, uses the school’s Flood House in Farnham, Surrey, to deliver hands-on experience of advanced drying techniques and equipment.
Believed to be the only one of its type in Europe, the Flood House is an eight-room structure made with materials and techniques typical to UK buildings.
It is flooded with 1,500 litres of water over a 24-hour period before students apply different methods to dry it out.
Chris Netherton, Managing Director of The National Flood School, said: “New business is hard to come by for contractors at the moment, but adding a new string to their bow can significantly increase sales.
“With the winter just ahead of us, builders and contractors who can demonstrate genuine expertise in water damage remediation will be in a very strong position to win work from householders and insurance companies.”
The Applied Structural Drying Course includes dealing with sewage escapes, how different materials react to prolonged exposure to water, the science of drying and the use of dehumidifiers.
Delegates also learn about indoor air quality, ‘negative and positive air’, advanced drying techniques, the maths of drying and more.
Lectures, discussions and videos are also used by trainers as part of the course, which takes place this year between December 6 and December 9 and March 27 and 30, 2012.
Videos about the National Flood School can be seen at the National Flood School’s own YouTube channel http://www.youtube.com/nationalfloodschool
For more details about the National Flood School, the Applied Structural Drying Course and other specialist training, visit http://www.nationalfloodschool.co.uk or call 01252 821185.
The Clean Trust is the new name for the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification, (IRCRC) and it certifies 5,700 firms in 22 countries.

Leeds teaching hospitals places trust in Reset Certification Card
The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has signed an agreement to use the pioneering Reset Certification Scheme (RCS).
Sheffield-based Reset Training has created a unique card and internet-based method of checking and logging the skills and qualifications of contract personnel which will be mandatory for the Trust’s contractors. All checks are recorded and retained for seven years giving unparalleled reassurances to all RCS users.
Gary Duce, managing director of Reset Training, said: “We are delighted to be associated with the Trust, whose hospitals include the famous St James’s or ‘Jimmy’s’. The new contract means that the Trust can find out instantly whether both companies and individuals have the skills and accreditations to do their job. They’ve also adopted RCS Access, a bolt-on service to RCS, offering security alongside contractor management”.
Jon Craven, Acting Head of Estates at the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, commented: “This is an exciting new initiative for us, which will save the Trust both time and money. Up until now, compliance with HSE guidelines required us to carry out detailed checks on contractors and service providers.  This system will make that process much easier.
“We are commencing a trial at St James and Leeds General Infirmary, which if successful, will be rolled out across the whole Trust.
 “Reset’s system offers a secure and streamlined checking process which can reduce verification times by over 90 per cent. We have always taken Health and Safety very seriously and RCS will help us build upon what we have already achieved.” said Mr Craven.
Following major investment by leading Yorkshire businessmen, including ex-Medical House Chairman Ian Townsend, RCS is expanding quickly with a number of new employees joining the team in the last month, and plans for more recruitment in the near future.
Gary Duce commented: “We are already in negotiations with many other organisations including numerous NHS Trusts across Yorkshire and the UK and we are confident that others will follow the lead of the Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust. Our scheme not only ensures compliance, but does so more efficiently than previous methods, saving valuable time and money.”
 “Vastly improving economy without cutting corners is an attractive proposition to Facilities Management administrators across the country. It only takes a few seconds to verify the qualifications and skills of anyone visiting the Trust’s hospitals to carry out work using RCS”.
Jon Craven said: “Checking the competence of the dozens of contract and maintenance workers visiting our sites every day was a time-consuming and expensive process. When we saw the time savings RCS could deliver we immediately knew we’d found a real, efficient solution to our problem”.
Ian Townsend commented on his investment to Reset: “I do not invest my money lightly, so Reset had to tick all the boxes. And it did. Like all the best ideas, RCS is very simple and fulfils a need. It saves time and money and helps ensure a safe working environment. It crucially maintains an electronic record of competency checks for seven years.
“As its popularity spreads, I foresee a time when company directors, duty holders and health and safety managers will feel they cannot do without it. It’s an efficient way to comply with health and safety law, and if the worst happens, it provides a robust and reliable defence. The company has a tremendously bright future.”

Liverpool opens one of the largest “green” training centres in the UK
One of the largest “green” training centres in the country opened its doors in Liverpool this week.
The centre – which features a full-size ‘indoor house’ – has been opened by Liverpool Community College as part of its drive to invest in the sustainable sector.
The £250,000 facility at the College’s construction and engineering faculty on Vauxhall Road is seen as vital to ensure that Liverpool and the wider North West economy can benefit from the high growth levels in that sector.
Elaine Bowker, principal at Liverpool Community College said: “The growth in the sustainable sector is a huge opportunity for this region.  With the launch of this training centre, one of the largest in the UK, we will be able to equip workers and businesses with the skills they need to ensure our region will be the leader in the field of green technology.”
The state of the art centre at the Vauxhall Road faculty includes a 3000 sqft workshop, with different practical rooms and a large internal area, where a life size house has been built, on which students can practise.  The workshops provide employers and their staff with practical experience of supplying and fitting the equipment as well as understanding the theory.
Joanne Ratcliff, head of faculty at Liverpool Community College, said: “We’re rightly proud of the facility we have developed here.  We cover one of the largest training areas in the UK and have been recognised by the National Skills Academy as one of, if not the best in the country. 
“The training centre, with the life-size house, gives students a real feel of the practicalities of installing green technology, even to the extent that they can learn what it’s like to install full size solar panels at height, on the roof of a house.”
Courses on offer will include industry recognised qualifications for electricians, plumbers and heating engineers in sustainable technology, from installing solar panels to heat pumps and water recycling systems.
These courses will soon be a legal requirement for everyone working in the sustainable industry and the College is advising firms to upskill their staff now to capitalise on growth in the sector.
Liverpool Community College will be running the “green” courses for the National Skills Academy for Environmental Technologies and is one of only six centres in the country providing training in all green technologies.
The NSA is a recognised, countrywide network of accredited renewable training providers offering training and qualifications that meet the requirements of future legislation.
Steven Hunt, board director at the National Skills Academy said: “The opening of this centre in Liverpool is a major coup for the city and the region.  It is one of the largest and best equipped centres in the country and will be vital for developing a skilled ‘green’ workforce in the North West.  This in turn will help create jobs and ensure the region is in an enviable position to capitalise on growth in the sustainable sector.
Elaine Bowker, principal of the College, added: “This facility is an investment for the future of Liverpool and the North West.  Currently there is a skills shortage in the sustainable sector and Liverpool Community College is looking to address this by providing courses which are both vital and in the near future will be a legal requirement.  It’s predicted that demand for green technology will be significant in the next few years and we want to work with businesses and upskill workers now, so Liverpool and the wider region will be at the forefront of the green revolution.”

Inviron and GKN swing into fundraising action
Technical services provider, Inviron and its Filton-based client, GKN Aerospace, have together raised a fantastic £1,200 for local Bristol charity, The Jessie May Trust.
At the companies’ third annual golf tournament, held at Filton Golf Course, the two teams took to the fairway to battle it out for the winners’ trophy, whilst raising much needed funds for the charity which provides nursing care for children with life limiting conditions.
Derek Taylor, contract manager at Inviron, commented: “Our annual golf day is a great team building event but it’s also an excellent opportunity to get together with our client GKN, as well as our generous suppliers, to raise money for a very worthwhile charity which gives support to terminally ill children and their families in the local community.”
Derek and Kevin Hart from GKN presented their hefty cheque to Emma Kenton, Community and Events Fundraiser from The Jessie May Trust this week, who said: “We’re very grateful to Inviron and GKN for their significant donation. They have been regular supporters of ours over the last three years and it’s generosity like theirs that ensures we can continue to provide the much needed services that we do.”
Derek concludes: “It was wonderful to hand over this cheque to The Jessie May Trust. We know the funds will be well used. As a team we were also really pleased to win the golf tournament this year, having been beaten by GKN for the last two years. Finally the trophy sits in pride of place at our Bristol office – for the time being!
“I would like to say a big thank you to all GKN staff, the Inviron team and to all of our suppliers for making this one of the most successful golf days since we started in 2009.”
For more information about The Jessie May Trust please visit www.jessiemay.org.uk

Belzona Repairs Badly Corroded Chemical Containment Area
Chemical containment areas are susceptible to deterioration through chemical attack. If the deterioration is not addressed early, the structural integrity of the concrete will suffer from serious long term damage causing potential chemical leakage and structural failure resulting in environmental damage and impact.
Belzona has developed a solution to repair and protect against the detrimental effects of chemical attack within chemical containment areas. 
By way of example, Application Services Division, Belzona Technosol Limited recently completed an application for a premium spirits distiller in Scotland. The application was to provide a repair and protective system for a caustic chemical containment area.
The existing protective system had failed resulting in the chemical containment area offering no guarantees that it would successfully contain the products if the vessel was to fail.
On preparing the surface and removing the fibre glass lining it became evident that the concrete substrate had badly degraded and required extensive repair. Belzona 4131 (Magma screed) and Belzona 4141 (Magma Build) were used to repair the degraded sections of the walls to bring the bunded area back to original state.
The concrete floor surface was skimmed to a depth of 6mm and 50mm x 50mm fillets were installed to all horizontal and vertical corners of the bund with Belzona 4131 (Magma Screed) and Belzona 4141 (Magma Build).
A two coat system of Belzona 5811 (Immersion Grade), high performance barrier coating which is ideally suited to this application providing protection, from the effects of the disclosed chemicals, was then applied to the internal and external walls of the bund along with the floor.
By utilizing this Belzona solution, chemical attack of concrete can be prevented reducing environmental impact and expensive operational downtime.

Construction industry gains new framework from BSI for best practice procurement
A new procurement standard for the construction market has been launched by the British Standards Institution (BSI).
BS 8534:2011 - Construction procurement policies, strategies and procedures. Code of practice - gives recommendations and guidance on the development of policies, strategies and procedures for the procurement of construction in the built environment.
In contrast to its sister standard, BS ISO 10845 – Construction procurement - which provides the detail, BS 8534 takes a top level approach which will be highly useful to all procurers of construction work within both private and public sectors. It will also be extremely helpful to supply chain teams which procure sub-contracted labour.
BS 8534 evolved as a result of the 'Rethinking Construction Standards' workshop series sponsored by the Department of Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) and delivered by BSI in partnership with Constructing Excellence. It responds to industry demand for consistency in the way construction work is procured and in the engagement of the supply chain in the project decision making process.
“Successful construction procurement enables a project to be delivered on time, to cost and to the desired quality,” says Jonathan Griffin, Head of Market Development at BSI. “BSI strongly believes that the construction industry will benefit from the introduction of a high level best-practice framework in this area since it will; eliminate wasteful processes in design, procurement and construction; facilitate fair competition, reduce the possibilities of abuse; improve predictability of outcome and allow the demonstration of best value procurement across the life span of the project.”
Implementation of the new procurement standard in the public sector will also help achieve a co-ordinated approach resulting cost savings and therefore better value for taxpayers. Improving the construction procurement process is also one of the major initiatives under the HM Government Low Carbon Action Plan.
For further information on BS 8534:2011 - Construction procurement policies, strategies and procedures. Code of practice - or to buy the standard visit  http://shop.bsigroup.com/bs8534

Ernest Doe and Sons are Dickies 2011 UK Distributor of the Year
Ernest Doe's top the list of Dickies Distributor Awards for 2011
Agricultural distributors, Ernest Doe and Sons, have scooped the top award at this year’s UK Distributor of the Year awards for world-renowned workwear manufacturers, Dickies. 
Last year the workwear giants instigated their first ever Distributor Award, to run in conjunction with Dickies nationwide Worker of the Year Award - the competition which has been devised to recognise and reward excellence in the British workforce.
Leading distributors for Dickies products from around the country – as well as the UK Worker of the Year finalists – all came together for a gala awards dinner, at Marlow’s Crowne Plaza hotel, hosted by Dickies under the guidance of TV Presenter, Quentin Willson.
Dickies presented no less than six separate Distributor Category awards as well as a special commendation and an overall Distributor of the Year. Ernest Doe & Sons picked up the award for achieving the largest increase in sales by a UK Distributor that was the fruition of a marketing campaign involving store layouts and new window displays.
Ernest Doe and Sons initially took the specialist award for the Agriculture Industry. The fourth generation company, which sells everything from Tools to Tractors and from Gloves to Golf carts has been trading for more than a century and currently runs eighteen branches in the South and East of England. Its headquarters are in Ulting, near Maldon, in Essex.
Sophie Doe from Ernest Doe and Sons was on hand to collect the award (pictured).
“Dickies has some excellent distributors, in a various sectors, throughout the UK and we wanted to recognise their efforts,” enthuses Maurice Morton, European Sales and Marketing Director for the world-renowned workwear firm. “I want to congratulate all of those companies who took awards or commendations here tonight.”
The other Dickies distributor awards were presented to:
Total Supplies and Services of Daventry for Best Industrial Distributor
Spa Welding of Lancing for Best Specialist Distributor
StepOutlet for Best Retailer
Martin and Partners of Northampton for Best Builders’ Merchant
Stuart Douglas for Best Scottish Distributor
And a Highly Commended Award went to Devon’s Mole Avon Trading Ltd.

Hochiki Europe brews the perfect fire detection solution for InBev
Anheuser-Busch InBev is the world’s largest brewing company and InBev UK brews and markets some of the nation’s best known alcoholic beverages including Stella Artois, Beck’s, Budweiser, Brahma, Hoegaarden and Leffe.
The company operates three breweries in the UK, one of which is based at Magor in Monmouthshire, Wales. As part of an ongoing fire safety programme, InBev’s Health and Safety Manager, Antony Thomas, decided that the time was right to invest in a new fire detection system. He says, ‘Our previous system was nearly 15 years old and as well as producing a high level of unwanted alarms, it was becoming difficult to find replacement components for it.’
Antony called in the services of Bristol based Advanced Fire Systems Ltd, a British Fire Consortium (BFC) member that installs fire alarm systems throughout England and Wales. After assessing the current infrastructure, the company’s Director, Peter Thomas, decided that Hochiki Europe’s range of products would fit the bill. He explains, ‘Hochiki was the perfect choice for this installation. We needed a wide variety of detectors, beacons and sounders for the job, so they acted as a one stop shop for all InBev’s requirements.’
Although the Magor site covers 60 acres, over recent years increased automation has meant that the number of employees there has reduced. With around 200 personnel now on-site and with some areas unoccupied for long periods of time, Peter wanted the reassurance of a system that had high levels of reliability and could provide immediate warning in the event of fire. He comments, ‘We have always recognised and appreciated Hochiki’s high standards of reliability and I particularly like the fact that while some other companies think that anything up to a three per cent failure rate is acceptable, Hochiki doesn’t.’
Advanced Fire Systems selected a system based around Hochiki’s Enhanced Systems Protocol (ESP). ESP is a robust total communications solution for intelligent fire detection and fully integrated systems. It has a multi-purpose structure that provides the flexibility and expansion to accommodate simple addressable systems through to sophisticated integrated building management and safety systems.
Over 500 individual fire detection products have been installed across the site and are managed via 10 addressable panels, which can pinpoint the exact location of the detector that has been activated. The new system used the existing wiring infrastructure and every detector from the previous system had to be located and replaced, including over 100 devices installed within voids and false ceilings.
A wide variety of Hochiki products were installed including HCP-E call points, ACB-EW waterproof multi-heat sensors CHQ-WS2 base sounders, sounder controllers, mains relay output units and multi-sensors. Remarking on the speed at which Hochiki’s products can be installed, Peter says, ‘Once the base is installed installation is extremely quick, usually taking about 30 seconds compared to some other manufacturers’ products which can take up to 20 minutes.’
A brewing facility of this size and scale is a harsh environment and the enormous amount of steam being produced was having a negative impact on the previous fire detection system. Peter says, ‘For the new system we felt the most appropriate solution in some of the most affected areas was to use a combination of smoke and heat detectors. We also service the system once a month rather than quarterly to make sure that the humidity doesn’t damage the detectors and compromise their reliability.’
The installation also utilised a number of visual alarm devices (VADs). These are a requirement for areas of high ambient noise where people have to wear ear defenders to comply with health and safety legislation. As well as VADs, combined sounders and beacons from Hochiki’s portfolio were also installed in the brewing, filtration, bottling and kegging, and warehousing areas.
Further work is scheduled to upgrade other areas of the Magor site and InBev’s Antony Thomas is delighted with the installation. He concludes, ‘This is a 24/7 operation and therefore keeping people and property here safe is a serious issue. The new Hochiki system is excellent – I’m delighted with its performance and look forward to using the company’s products in the future.’
For further information please contact Hochiki Europe on 01634 266569, email: emarketing@hochikieurope.com or visit www.hochikieurope.com.

Emprise Retains the Leading Role with Ambassador Theatre Group
Emprise Services plc, leading support services provider, announces it has retained and expanded its contract with the Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG).
Emprise has maintained a successful relationship with ATG for 11 years, providing cleaning services to 24 of the theatre company’s venues. Following a competitive tender process, Emprise has now been selected as the sole service provider for the entire ATG estate recently enlarged to 39 venues nationwide. 
Emprise was selected through competitive tender as the supplier of cleaning and associated services across ATG's estate, a decision supported by the strength of the current service delivery and the long and productive relationship ATG has held with the support services company. ATG is confident that Emprise will deliver consistently high cleaning standards across each of its venues.

FIA AGM Highlights a Positive Year for the Organisation
Despite challenging economic conditions, 2011 has proved a positive year for the Fire Industry Association (FIA) according to figures announced at the organisation’s fourth AGM & Lunch.
The Association proudly announced that it had welcomed 84 new members into the organisation over the past 12 months; with small businesses now making up 73% of the membership. The training arm of the Association has also trained nearly 6,000 people over 241 courses; an increase of 1,000 delegates over the previous year and a record since training began.
The FIA’s technical involvement now stretches to cover 150 different committees across the globe, encompassing all aspects of fire protection, and their political liaison activity covers in excess of 100 different bodies. The Association’s involvement with the Government’s Fire Futures project has led to them being part of the new Fire Sector Partnership and the organisation continues to lobby hard on the issues of charging and trading raised by the Localism Bill.
The sell-out event, which took place at 8 Northumberland Avenue in London on 9th November, was attended by 380 members and guests and provided the opportunity to network and catch up in addition to learning more about how the Association has been representing its members in the industry over the past 12 months.