News
16 | MAY 2017
News
Read online at www . proinstaller . co . uk
BANISH SICK BUILDING SYNDROME
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Sick days cost UK businesses up to £ 4.53 billion every year with one quarter of all sick days credited to the common cold . Albion Valves ( UK ) Ltd , a Barnsley-based valve supplier to the building services and air conditioning industry , is urging businesses to get their housekeeping in place to support a healthy workforce .
In the workplace , air-conditioning units are often blamed for the spread of colds , flu , irritation of the ears , nose and throat , headaches , fatigue and difficulty concentrating . This phenomenon has become known as ‘ sick building syndrome ’ - widely understood to be caused by the temperature of air conditioning being maintained at uncomfortably low temperatures .
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Albion Valves technical specifications manager Paul Wightman commented :
“ It is important for building services engineers to establish a regular maintenance regime to help avoid excess moisture gathering around the unit itself , which can harbour bacteria and fungi . This includes regular checks on the condition and cleanliness of filters especially around intakes and outlets .
“ The most common complaint about air conditioning is that it dries out the air , irritating the eyes and sinuses . It is true that cooling has a drying effect , so it is important to check the humidity in offices . A well-designed air conditioning and ventilation system should maintain appropriate humidity levels .
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“ When units are clean and well maintained , air conditioning has a positive effect on your health , especially in cities and heavily populated areas by increasing comfort levels and filtering out pollutants and dust .” |
Triple Turnover
Albion Valves has reported ‘ phenomenal ’ business growth over the last ten years , with the company having more than tripled turnover during this period and the workforce at its base in Barnsley growing by over 100 %.
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Albion attributes the secret of success to having a loyal and highly skilled team of people supporting the business and its distributors . One third of Albion staff will have been with the company for ten years or more , with the original core founding team clocking up over 20 years each in the business .
During 2016 Albion invested significantly into expanding its premises in Barnsley , enabling them to increase stock densities and improve stock availability to customers . A new in-house test facility for testing and setting safety valves was also added . This year the company is recruiting again to fulfil another apprenticeship , as well as adding to its sales team .
http :// www . albionvalvesuk . com
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INSTITUTE NAMES STAR PLAYERS
The best industry professionals and most promising newcomers within the international door hardware industry were recognised at the Institute of Architectural Ironmongers ( IAI ) Awards .
The IAI Fellowship Award is always given to an individual who has shown a longstanding and ongoing commitment to the IAI over at least ten years , and who is still actively involved within the industry and Institute .
This year ’ s winner was Peter Haywood , now working with Synergy Hardware . Peter was presented with the Fellowship Award for his “ continuing dedication and passion for the Institute ”. He headed the IAI as national chairman from 2006 until 2008 , and has continued to support the regional branches since then . He will be taking over as chair of the south east branch later this month .
The Paul Lewis Award for Customer Service is given to an individual , group or company that has made an outstanding commitment to customer services throughout the year . The award is sponsored by Royde & Tucker , and went to Paul Barrows , commercial manager for UK and Ireland for Assa Abloy Security Solutions .
Paul was chosen as the winner for this award for his commitment to giving the best customer service . He was described by the judges as “ always willing to
help and not happy until he ’ s resolved every last detail of a customer ’ s query ,” and a “ modest , but very knowledgeable professional who puts customers at the heart of everything he does ”.
The GAI Award for Services to the Institute is always awarded to a current IAI member who has made a recent and visible contribution at branch level . This year ’ s winner was Paul Grech , managing director of Glutz UK Ltd .
Paul previously served as vice chair , and then as chair , for the south east branch . He still remains a strong supporter and regular attendee of the branch meetings , getting involved in initiatives and debates . He is currently on the GAI technical committee representing the interests of the IAI .
The Promising Ironmonger of the Year award went to Tom Davis , residential category manager at Carlisle Brass Ltd . This award is given to the brightest ironmongers in the early stages of their careers . They could be involved in scheduling , estimating , sales or a combination of them all , and the award also recognises they have the charisma and personality to inspire others .
www . gai . org . uk
Take the WarmCore Challenge
In advance of the FIT Show , the WarmCore team is asking fabricators and installers to take part in the WarmCore Challenge - by putting their current aluminium window or door system to the test .
WarmCore windows and doors , the thermally efficient aluminium profile systems from the Synseal Group , are designed around a 65mm multi-chambered core which offers unbeatable thermal performance compared to other similar aluminium products .
The WarmCore window system has been tested to achieve U-values as low as U1.3 double glazed and U0.8 triple glazed . In addition , the WarmCore team has announced that the new slim vent SV window can achieve the same U-values as the standard sash and is available triple glazed .
Head of research and development Phil Parry said : “ So this is our challenge : if your current aluminium system doesn ’ t achieve double glazed U-values of U1.3 for windows and U1.4 for doors , if you aren ’ t able to triple glaze your slim vent sashes , if an aluminium flush sash isn ’ t available to you , if you can ’ t achieve dual colour easily , if you aren ’ t offered PAS24 compliant products as standard , or even if you can ’ t find published acoustic data for your current system ; then visit us at Stand R15 at the FIT Show and find out what Warm- Core is all about .”