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Fibrelite, who specialise in the design and manufacture of composite watertight underground containment systems including fully watertight access covers is delighted to announce the following RIBA CPD Providers Network material is now available to book as a CPD seminar:
Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP) Composite Manhole and Trench Access Covers: A Safe, Light Alternative to Metal and Concrete and a Solution to the Metal Theft Epidemic
Accredited Fibrelite Seminar Content Overview:
- Introduce glass reinforced plastic (GRP) composite
- Explain the differences between resin transfer moulding (RTM) and other types of GRP composites
- Improve knowledge of the benefits of GRP composite
- Explain where GRP composite can be used
- Highlight the best applications for GRP composite
- Introduce how and why GRP composite is used as an underground access cover
- Explain the benefits of GRP composite for underground access covers
- Show why RTM GRP composite is specified as an alternative to metal and concrete
- Explain what is important when specifying GRP composite as a material for access covers to underground services
For further information and to book your CPD seminar, please contact Scott Dyson on +44 (0)1756 799 773 or by email scott@fibrelite.com
The Big Give – a national scheme to encourage charitable giving at Christmas – will match on-line donations and double the value of contributions to relieve the trauma of armed forces veterans, on December 6, 7, 8 from 10:00am each day. Donations can be made on-line to PTSD Resolution (reg. charity No. 1133188) via the link www.ptsdgive.co.uk
PTSD Resolution has a network of 200 counsellors nationwide to provide support to resolve military trauma, with a success rate of 8 out of 10 cases for veterans who complete the programme (Source: PTSD report 2012).
Symptoms of military trauma include flashbacks, nightmares and depression. Without appropriate help the result can be family breakdown, homelessness, criminality and even suicide.
According to PTSD Resolution chairman Colonel Tony Gauvain (retired): -PTSD Resolution offers fast help, with an average of just five counselling sessions required on an outpatient basis. No referrals are needed. PTSD Resolution is a very lean organisations: there are no salaried staff or premises: funds are used for therapy and to provide support and information on the help available”.
For further information: PTSD Resolution www.ptsdgive.co.uk. Tel 0845 021 7873. e-mail sb@ptsdresolution.org
A man has been threatened with an ASBO by an Oldham Council official who thought he was recording their telephone conversation.
Stuart Littleford who is the editor of GPSJ, said he contacted the Credit Control Section at Oldham Council earlier today, over a long running dispute about an alleged Council Tax debt, which he has always denied he owes.
He said: I called to try and resolve a matter which has been going on since 2005, I was explaining to the gentleman on the phone why I didn’t owe the money when he suddenly asked if I was recording the call. He then referred to an email I had sent the previous day in which I stated I had recorded some calls in the past but only to prove I had not been ignoring the matter as they had threatened legal action.
When I refused to tell him whether or not I was recording this conversation, he said I was ‘breaching his human rights’ and he would have to end the call, I replied that I was making a genuine enquiry and there was no reason for him to do that.
He then told me I was committing a ‘criminal offence’ and that all future correspondence to his department should be kept to letters from now on and not done over the phone. He then stated they could look to seek for an ‘ASBO’ against me.
The gentleman then refused to talk anymore and put the phone down.
I can’t believe I have been threatened with an ASBO for doing nothing more than responding to an official letter sent by Oldham Council and trying to resolve the matter with them. I would be interested to know if they ask everyone who contacts them if they are recording the call and then use this as an excuse to put the phone down or threaten them with an ASBO.
I have never heard of this happening before and I have been left feeling like a criminal. If I had been rude or abusive I would have understood him wanting to end the call, but this was a polite call and all very business like.
This man is paid to take calls from the residents of Oldham, his attitude is not acceptable, there are plenty of people looking for work these days who would jump at the chance of his job in my opinion.
Under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA), it is not illegal for individuals to tape conversations provided the recording is for their own use.
Home secretary Theresa May announced in May 2012 that ASBOs were being abolished and replaced with Criminal Behaviour Orders from 2013.
Oldham is one of the few local authorities still using them.
Legal advisor Cleland Thom commented: ‘It’s incredible that an Oldham Council official in a public role would be stupid enough to think that someone recording a phone conversation warranted an ASBO.
‘To get an ASBO, you have to prove someone has persistently behaved in a way that causes people harassment, alarm or distress.
‘Anyone can record a phone call, provided they make the recording themselves. It strikes me that Oldham Council need to give their staff some basic customer service training!’
A spokesperson for Oldham Council said: -Oldham Council will not comment until any outstanding investigation into a complaint or appeal is completed.
September’s annual TUC Conference in Brighton welcomed for the first time UK based global data capture specialist DRS Data Services Ltd, to showcase their Elections offering including manual and electronic counting and electronic voting.
Whether balloting on the subject of Public Sector Pension Reforms, electing council members or undertaking general membership engagement, Trade Unions are under pressure to deliver time critical, accurate and secure results in the most resourceful way possible.
DRS was able to share with TUC delegates recent successful and cost efficient electronic election service projects for the National Society for Education in Art and Design (NSEAD), demonstrating why the company has become a trusted partner to governments and local authorities worldwide and now UK Trade Unions.
As the leading national authority concerned with art, craft and design across all phases of education in the UK and as a constituted Trade Union, the NSEAD has utilised DRS’ flexible, comprehensive end-to-end service for an industrial action ballot and most recently in their presidential election, incorporating the 2500 strong membership.
With two decades of national and local political election management experience, including in Europe, North America and Africa and with trusted expertise in managing UK elections including the 2012 GLA Mayoral Election, DRS has a dedicated service team with the skills to develop individual timetables to fit with each Trade Union constitution and the knowledge to support and assist with governance requirements.
DRS’ non-government elections specialist Simon Thomson, explains; -DRS has earned a reputation as a trusted election services partner, not only because we can deliver complex, time critical yet flexible projects, but perhaps more crucially for Trade Unions, at a time of austerity we can offer them a choice of supplier that they may not have had previously, that is cost efficient, high quality, reliable and secure.”
DRS has over 40 years experience in delivering data capture projects around the world, specialising in examination and assessment processing and election and census solutions. Systems are implemented using the Company’s extensive expertise in document design, printing, award winning scanning and image capture technologies, software, logistics, project management and consultancy.
Visit www.drs.co.uk for more details.
Work is well underway to increase the generation of renewable energy in Shropshire with a recent project to supply photovoltaic (PV) systems for schools across the county.
As part of its pledge to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions, Shropshire Council has signed up to the national Carbon Trust Carbon Management Programme.
The Council’s comprehensive plan of action aims to reduce emissions by 35 per cent by 2014, by undertaking various carbon reduction initiatives and increasing the generation of renewable electricity and heat in Shropshire through its Renewable Energy Delivery Programme.
This includes several projects ranging from the installation of solar photovoltaic panels to biomass wood pellet boilers in schools and other Council buildings throughout the county.
One of the most significant renewable energy projects has been the recent design and installation of bespoke photovoltaic systems for 16 schools over 17 sites across Shropshire by SolarTech Ltd, one the UK’s leading renewable energy specialists.
With 725 kWp* of PV arrays (approximately 3000 solar panels) having been installed, the initiative is expected to generate 580,000 kWh of electricity per year and save the schools an estimated £60,000 per year in energy bills.
This ambitious £1.3 million project was completed in just four weeks to enable Shropshire Council to meet the deadline to receive the government’s higher rate of Feed in Tariff, which was only available up until April 1st 2012. (After that date, the original 32.9p/kWh tariff dropped to a lower rate of to 15.2p/kWh).
SolarTech acted as principal contractor and was responsible for the survey, design, installation, and commissioning of the bespoke PV systems for each of the schools. This included the installation and fitting of solar arrays to both pitched and flat roof schools. The project involved structural and asbestos surveys, liaising with Building Control and planning departments as well as providing all the relevant documentation for the Distribution Network Operator (DNO).
The energy output and consumption of each school is now measured by a web based PV monitoring system, also installed by SolarTech, which will provide the necessary data to obtain payments under the Feed-in-Tariff.
It will also form the basis of a schools web portal, which will enable the schools to bring sustainability to life in the classroom and to teach how greener energy can help the environment.
This has been a highly successful project thanks to the experience and expertise of SolarTech, who were highly responsive and proactive in designing and installing 17 bespoke systems and liaising closely with the various parties involved, in order to keep within what has been an extremely challenging timeframe, said Robert Wagstaffe, Project Manager for Shropshire Council.
Under the higher rate Feed in Tariff, it is anticipated that the Council will recoup the costs of the initial installation within approximately ten years, whilst benefiting from the income over the following 15 years.
Each school will also benefit from lower day-to-day electricity bills through their ability to generate their own free electricity, as well as having a state-of-the-art renewable energy installation, which is future proofed against any energy price increases.
Over all, it is estimated that the combined PV systems could cumulatively save over 300 tonnes of CO2 annually, which will also result in significant savings in the Council’s ‘carbon tax’ liability under the CRC Energy Efficiency scheme.**
SolarTech is highly experienced in providing bespoke solar PV solutions, which are designed to maximise the carbon reduction, energy efficiencies and long term cost savings that both public sector and private sector organisations can make under the Feed in Tariff, said Shaun Taylor, managing director of SolarTech.
Schools are certainly one of the public sector organisations that have much to gain through the nationwide drive towards solar energy.
In addition to the 3,000 solar panels already installed in schools across Shropshire, there are also plans to install solar panels at a further 20 to 30 Council owned properties.
As part of the Council’s programme, wood pellet boilers have also been installed in two schools and a possible further 20 boilers where feasible at other schools, which are reliant on expensive oil heating systems throughout Shropshire, are scheduled for this year.
By using innovative techniques to save energy and improve the way it deliver its services, the Council is making its buildings as energy-efficient as possible to significantly cut carbon emissions over the coming years.
Councillor Cecilia Motley, Cabinet Member at Shropshire Council with responsibilities for Carbon Reduction and Sustainability said: – We recognise our duty to play our part in decreasing our carbon footprint in Shropshire and we have set ourselves a high target to push us to do the best we possibly can.
It’s great to see our schools being the first to receive solar panels and benefit from using solar energy. I am sure many children at our schools will get a lot out of seeing how renewable energy is generated.
Using energy more efficiently and harnessing our viable renewable energy resources will not only help our environment, but in these times of increasing energy costs will reduce consumption and bring financial savings.
The Council will also be looking at greater use of renewable energy to generate electricity through ground source heat pumps, solar hot water panels, small-scale wind generation and the possible installation of a hydro-electric system on the River Severn in Shrewsbury.
For more information contact SolarTech Ltd, Unit 2 Sterling Business Park, Top Angel Road, Buckingham Industrial Estate, MK18 1TH.
Tel: 0845 838 2477. Fax: 0845 838 2439 Email: info@solartech.org.uk Web. www.solartech.org.uk
* It estimated that each of the installations will produce 28,200 to 39,600 kWh of electricity each year
** CRC Energy Efficiency scheme, an initiative aimed at improving energy efficiency and cutting emissions in large public and private sector organisations: www.environment-agency.gov.uk/business/topics/pollution/126698.aspx
Public sector industries are some of the best in Britain when it comes to a healthy work-life balance, according to a new poll of graduates. Confidential career review site TheJobCrowd.com asked 3000 graduates in their first three years of employment to score their company on a range of criteria including responsibility, progression opportunities, colleague interaction, training, work-life balance and benefits. Public sector industries came second overall for work-life balance and also scored particularly highly for colleague interaction, responsibility and role enjoyment. The results paint an upbeat image of public sector work and should tempt more university leavers into exploring careers in this sector in future. Network Rail topped the list for the industry with Tube Lines coming a close second and Transport for London third. Science and Technology Facilities Council, Defence, Science and Technology Laboratory, Civil Service Fast Stream and the Bank of England were also included in the list of the top 100 graduate employers. The vast majority of those polled (79%) said they would definitely choose to do the role again – which reflects extremely positively on their employers. A graduate on the Civil Service Fast Stream commented: -We’re given flexible working hours meaning you can get your work done when you’re at your most productive. There’s a friendly and relaxed atmosphere, my colleagues are great and I’ve already been given lots of training and development opportunities. A graduate from Defence, Science and Technology Laboratory added: -There is a real sense that the work you are doing really matters since you are working to support and inform major decisions that will make a huge impact on the UK.” Firms from 17 different industries were featured in the list which comprised of a mixture of established multinationals and smaller employers. The survey asked graduates about the realities of their day to day roles, rather than to predict how they believed the role would be, differing significantly from other graduate recruitment studies. Keren Mitchell, co-founder of TheJobCrowd.com, says the results show public sector work provides a great option for those keen to enjoy both time at work and an active social life. Mr Mitchell said: -The industry came second overall for work-life balance which shows that whilst the jobs are challenging, graduates are not expected to do excessive hours during the early years of their career. Public sector work also scored particularly highly for responsibility which shows graduates are allowed to really get stuck into their roles, learning new skills and taking on larger tasks as early as possible. We spoke to thousands of graduates and have found that public sector work as a whole featured great colleague relationships, fulfilling roles and real responsibility from day one, which will appeal to ambitious university leavers. Co-founder Natasha Freeman, says she hopes the information will provide greater insight for graduates set to enter the working world for the first time. Natasha said: -What we want to stress is that this is data collected from people actually doing the roles. All of the information was collected anonymously and therefore respondents gave a warts and all assessment of their employer and their role which we think will be invaluable to those planning their first steps in the working world. The full ratings for each transport company in the Top 100 guide can be viewed at: TOP 100 GUIDE
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 was intended to make the process of government more open, accountable and transparent. And it has gone some way in achieving these objectives. However, have there also been unintended consequences? Most notably is the fear that the Act has had a -chilling effect” upon frank and open communication within the range of central and local government bodies and other public authorities subject to the Act, as well as the full and accurate recording of that communication.
In the wake of the furore concerning Michael Gove’s use of private email accounts late last year, a further Whitehall investigation has now commenced concerning the alleged use of personal email accounts by officials to avoid requests under the Act. On the face of it, these examples demonstrate that the Act is adversely impacting on how government conducts its day to day business. However, despite extensive academic, judicial and parliamentary scrutiny, the issue is far from clear cut.
An uncertain safe space for policy making: The views of the Information Tribunal
The Information Tribunal considered this issue earlier in the year in the course of its deliberations concerning the disclosure of two Department of Health risk registers (Department of Health v Information Commissioner, Rt Hon John Healey MP and Nicholas Cecil EA/2011/0286 and 0287). The registers fell within the exemption under section 35 of the Act relating to the formulation or development of government policy which, as a -qualified exemption,” required the Tribunal to balance the public interest for and against disclosure.
The Tribunal accepted that Department of Health civil servants must be allowed a -safe space” to engage in frank and candid debate away from the pressures of media scrutiny and public comment. However, it noted that -there may be a need to, in effect, dip in and out of the safe space during the passage of time.” Accordingly, one of the risk registers was withheld on the basis it was requested at a time when Government was re-evaluating its position and the other was ordered to be disclosed as it was requested at a time when the policy seemed settled, albeit the Secretary of State subsequently exercised his ministerial veto under the Act to prevent disclosure.
Approval of the status quo: The conclusions of the Parliamentary Select Committee
This issue same occupied the time of the Justice Select Committee tasked with -post legislative scrutiny” of the Act since it come into full effect in 2005. It heard evidence from 37 witnesses, received 140 written submissions and delivered its report this summer.
Lord O’Donnell, former cabinet secretary, spoke of the uncertainty amongst policy makers as to whether something written down would be subsequently disclosed. In his words, -How do you avoid this problem arising? You basically find a medium which is not covered by FOI. The cost of mobile phone bills goes up between ministers.” Jack Straw, former Home Secretary, was aware that other Government departments had unminuted meetings for fear of future disclosure. It is no secret that Tony Blair considered it one of his greatest mistakes in office. In his evidence to the Committee, he stated that Act went far beyond what was originally intended, commenting that the -original idea was to make available the facts behind the decisions, not the confidential policy debate around those decisions.” He emphasised that the impact of publication was counter-productive to the aims of frankness and openness.
In contrast, the UCL Constitution Unit, having conducted interviews with a large number of officials across central and local government, concluded that the Act had not negatively impacted upon the quality of advice. Nevertheless, it stated that it was also apparent that written records may sometimes not be as correspondingly full and frank as the advice being received.
Faced with continuing uncertainty with respect to the extent and nature of the feared -chilling effect”, the Committee approved the status quo in its report so that the -safe space” is not guaranteed but rather competing public interest concerns will continue to need to be weighed in each case. Further, it acknowledged that the ministerial veto would need to be used -from time to time to protect that space.”
Conclusion
At the end of its review, the Justice Select Committee confirmed that the Act has been a success and made only limited recommendations for change. It is clear that the Act is here to stay and requests for disclosure under the Act continue to steadily increase.
In light of the decision of the Information Tribunal and the conclusions of the Committee, individuals working within central or local government may be right to feel uncertain about the nature and extent of the -safe space” for policy making and concerned that communications may be disclosed in future. The ministerial veto provides a safety net but no certainty at the time of sensitive communications. Common sense suggests that this will have some impact upon the way in which government operates, albeit there is insufficient evidence to support Mr Blair’s opinion that the operation of the Act is counterproductive to openness and transparency.
E: ecarter@kingsleynapley.co.uk
T: 020 7814 1255
www.kingsleynapley.co.uk/client-services/public-law/information-law
Care homes will play an ever-increasing role in supporting older people in the future yet are being held back by a culture of -negativity and -stigma felt by both care workers and older people.
At the moment too many care homes lack engagement with their local community and lack support from health services and local authorities says the report.
The report -My Home Life: promoting quality of life in care homes is released this week by Joseph Rowntree Foundation at the National Children and Adults Services (NCAS) Conference.
It follows a three year study carried out by the My Home Life programme, funded by Age UK, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, City University and Dementia UK, to explore what makes good practice in care homes and offers key recommendations about how to improve the lives of older people living and dying in care homes.
My Home Life aims to identify what works well in creating a compassionate and caring environment within care homes so needs, aspirations and quality of life of residents, residents and staff are met.
Tom Owen, Co-Director of My Home Life said: -There is a culture within the UK of care homes being something to dread and avoid at all costs which we need to work hard to change. Care homes can provide compassionate care and companionship for many older people who are at a vulnerable stage in their lives.
While we know there is lots of good practice out there, too many care homes experience mistrust from the community and statutory services which only serves to increase their feeling of isolation and reduce their capacity to deliver a positive experience for older people. Quality in care homes has to be the responsibility of the whole community, not just the staff. We want to place care homes at the heart of the local community, helping them to open their doors and encouraging people in to share in the life of the home.
Alongside a move to place residents at the centre of care home life, the report calls for greater leadership within the sector, with on-going professional development encouraged at all levels.
John Kennedy, Director of Care Services at the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust added:
-The Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust are committed to improving older people’s quality of life in existing residential and care home settings. The My Home Life report highlights some really great practice at care homes up and down the country. We need to learn from these examples and make it the culture in all care homes.
-We also need to recognise the challenges care homes and their managers face. As a society, we must be more engaged in the essential work they do and relate to them in a more appreciative way; whether that be how we regulate them; how we resource them; and indeed how we talk about them. We all may need their services one day so we should start improving the relationships now for all our sakes.
The report also calls on the Government and statutory agencies to work on streamlining paper work to reduce the amount of time that care home managers spend on -bureaucracy freeing up more time to make sure that all care is -relationship-centred and residents are given more voice, choice and control over how they are cared for.
Staff working in care homes should be given -protected time in which they are able to get to know residents and their families better.
A culture of negativity around care homes due to cases of abuse regularly featured in the media can, the report suggests, devalue the complex work that care home staff do; leading some of them to feel embarrassed about telling their friends where they work.
The report can be downloaded from www.jrf.org.uk. Also attached.
Azad Zangana, European Economist at Schroders, said:
-The ONS’ preliminary estimate of Q3 GDP showed the economy grew by a huge 1.0%, ending the UK’s longest double-dip recession since the Second World War in sensational style. Year on year growth rose from -0.5% to flat. The results are significantly stronger than the 0.6% consensus estimates, and our own estimate of 0.5%.
-Within the details, the service sector made the biggest positive contribution growing by 1.3% following a decrease of 0.1% in the previous quarter. The production sector also posted an impressive 1.1% gain, although the construction sector continues to be the laggard, declining by 2.5% in the latest quarter.
-It is worth bearing in mind that there are some temporary factors that have artificially boosted the latest quarterly results that will drop out of the numbers. Firstly, the London 2012 Olympic Games will have provided a boost from ticket sales, extra tourism and additional investment coming to fruition. Secondly, the reversal of the extra bank holiday effect to celebrate Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee also fell in this quarter.
-Whether the better than expected numbers continue into the fourth quarter is difficult to judge. More recently, business surveys like the survey of Manufacturers conducted by the Confederation for British Industry (CBI) showed weakening activity heading into the fourth quarter. In addition, rising domestic energy prices and food price inflation is likely to renew the squeeze on household incomes. This is likely to hurt retailers in the run up to the crucial festive shopping period.
In summary
-Overall, when considering the positive contribution from the temporary factors included in the latest number, underlying growth in the economy appears to be running at about +0.3% for the third quarter. That is not strong enough to shield the UK from the external risks that partly contributed to the latest recession. In our view, the UK remains at high risk of a ‘triple-dip’ recession in 2013 as domestic austerity continues and external demand is hampered by the Eurozone sovereign debt crisis. In addition, there is great uncertainty about the implications of the US ‘fiscal cliff’ after the presidential elections in November. Nevertheless, today’s better than expected numbers are welcomed, and will lead us to revise up our forecast for growth for 2012 and 2013.”
The new official website for the forthcoming Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Show 2014 is now live, the organisers have announced.
Visitors and exhibitors can now visit the site (www.acrshow.co.uk) to see the latest news and developments on the event, the only national exhibition dedicated to the air conditioning and refrigeration industry, which takes place at the NEC, 11-13 February 2014.
People can register via the website to receive regular updates on the show, including the latest exhibitors confirming stands, planned technology launches, visitor attractions and the hugely popular technical and business seminar programme.
Building on the success of this year’s launch event, the show has the backing of major industry organisations, including the Institute of Refrigeration (IOR), the British Refrigeration Association (BRA), the Federation of Environmental Trades Associations (FETA) and the Building and Engineering Services Association (B&ES).
Many well-known companies which have committed to the 2014 show include: AFR Refrigeration, AHT Cooling Systems, Business Edge, Blygold, Broughton Electro Air Products, Comptec, CPS Products, Gram, Javac, Jumo, Lordan, Mastercool, Maxkold, Overton Recycling, Oxford Hardware, Primalec, Refco, Teknic Refrigeration, TNC Clips, and TQ Environmental.
Other leading air conditioning and refrigeration companies have reserved stands and are in the process of completing bookings.
The total attendance at the launch event earlier this year was 3,492, including visitors and exhibitor attendees. Jan Thorpe, event director, said: -We are delighted with the excellent support for the show, both by the industry and the trade’s professional organisations.”
She added: -The 2014 event will be even bigger and better, providing unrivalled networking opportunities and enabling visitors to get up to speed with the latest developments across the refrigeration and air conditioning scene.”
Exhibitors at the launch event praised the quality and buying-power of visitors. Research showed that nearly 70 per of people attending had either direct responsibility for purchasing decisions or influenced them.
Many visitors have already made significant equipment purchases as a result of attending the show. -It reflects the overwhelming feedback from exhibitors that the show attracted people with serious buying power,” said Jan Thorpe.
The ACR Show 2014 will be staged in Hall 9, conveniently located for visitors travelling by both car and train.
For more details, visit www.acrshow.co.uk
WORKPLACE equipment supplier Slingsby is again supporting this year’s ‘Ladder Exchange Initiative’, which offers substantial discounts on new ladders that are part exchanged for damaged ones. This comes after recent figures revealed the number of fatal injuries in British workplaces is no longer in decline and that falls from height remain the main cause of these accidents.
Figures from The Health & Safety Executive show 173 workers were killed in 2011/12 which is just two less than the 175 recorded in 2010/11. This is a large increase from the lowest ever figure of 147 deaths in 2009/10. More than half of all fatal accidents are caused by falls from height.
The Ladder Exchange Initiative, which is organised by The Ladder Association, runs until 30th November 2012 and offers customers big savings on Slingsby’s extensive range of ladders and access solutions when they hand over ladders that are unsafe, broken or damaged. The scheme is now in its sixth year and since its launch it has been responsible for removing over 10,000 broken, bent or damaged ladders from UK workplaces.
Lee Wright, Marketing Director of Slingsby, which supplies more than 35,000 workplace products, explains: Although the number of workplace fatalities in the UK has halved in the last 20 years it is worrying that the reductions have ground to a halt in the last couple of years. Hopefully the Ladder Exchange Initiative can help to tackle this problem because there are still far too many accidents and thousands of injuries every year caused by falls from height and this is a risk that workers across all industries can face. Even workers that are simply using step ladders to access high shelves or change light bulbs can end up having accidents.
Lee adds: -Although ladders are a familiar piece of equipment they can be extremely dangerous if they’re not used properly. Plus nowadays there are new products coming out all the time to help prevent these injuries.
Recently we have seen some major developments in equipment such as new anti-slip anchor points, advanced locking systems on ladders, swivel feet that adjust to suit the type of surface you’re using the ladder on and there’s a huge range of access platforms available for all types of tricky areas so there really are no excuses for safety lapses when it comes to ladders.
For further information on Slingsby and the Ladder Exchange Initiative visit www.slingsby.com/t-ladderexchange.aspx
FlyingBinary announced on October 26th 2012 a major expansion of G-Cloud Services only eight months after the initial G-Cloud Framework Agreement awards. Jacqui Taylor, FlyingBinary’s CEO, commented, -Most Departments have legacy systems that are inhibiting adoption of lower cost, flexible cloud solutions. We’ve taken a big data approach and our services assist delivery of policy, ministerial or transparency commitments, while paving the way toward Open Data commitments now and in the future. Recognising that the move to cloud services may require a staged progression, there are specialist services for on- and off- boarding from legacy to G-Hosting to G-Cloud in addition to standard Platform and Software As A Service (PaaS, SaaS) offerings.
For data- and analytics-oriented systems, FlyingBinary now offers end-to-end data visualisation and publication services within public and private cloud environments. The database tier uses Actian Vectorwise, the world’s fastest analytics database, while the presentation tier uses Tableau Software, called the -darling of the magic quadrant by Gartner earlier this year. In addition to these core offerings, FlyingBinary also provides a Social Intelligence service allowing insights from the social web to enhance government and citizen engagement, and an HR Analytics service that provides state of the art capabilities to assist workforce management. Commenting on the technologies employed, Taylor said -It’s only by combining best in class database and analytics platforms that we can offer these integrated cloud services in a true big data fashion.
For email and collaboration platforms in additional to existing G-Cloud Google Apps services, FlyingBinary is now able to assist migration from any legacy email system as the portfolio includes the Lotus Notes migration management service utilising CIMtrek technology. -We’re really excited that users no longer have to lose the rich functionality built upon the Notes system and can finally move their applications to their chosen a cloud platform, said Taylor.
The G-Cloud initiative is designed to deliver fundamental changes in the way the public sector procures and operates Information and Communication Technology (ICT) by providing access to systems that are flexible and responsive to demand, deliver faster business benefits and reduce cost. FlyingBinary is one of a cohort of Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) providers awarded a Framework Agreement for the provision of G-Cloud II Services.
Key to all the service offerings from FlyingBinary is a central concept of collaboration and information sharing. FlyingBinary believes that such collaboration is essential for achieving greater efficiency and maximising value for money. With programmes such as the Civil Service Reform, and an environment of continuing economic distress enforcing real resource limits, it is more vital than ever that Departments have the ability to leverage the new technologies available. Although there is a lot of hype and misinformation, big data in this context is really about blending internal and external data sources onto a single platform to deliver a 360o view, and allow Departments to maximise the value of every asset, especially their people, added Taylor.
FlyingBinary provides disruptive analytics and cloud computing solutions and services. The company founders have over 40 years experience of delivering large scale programmes in both the public and private sectors, and created the company in 2009 to provide a lightning rod for organisations wishing to engage with best of breed new technologies. FlyingBinary champions the business user, and is unrelenting in the quest for rapid, agile business value.
For more information:
FlyingBinary: www.flyingbinary.com, @flyingbinary G-Cloud: gcloud.civilservice.gov.uk, @G_Cloud_UK Actian: www.actian.com, @ActianCorp, CIMtrek: www.cimtrek.com, @cimtrek
Yorkshire Ambulance Service has successfully implemented a pilot scheme across it Patient Transport Services (PTS).
The scheme, which saw the introduction of Talecom Wireless Delivered technology and CoPilot Live Professional over Motorola Solutions ES400 mobile computers, has seen improvements in patient care, reporting efficiency and the reduction in its carbon footprint as a result.
PTS crew performance is measured on the vehicle arrival time, departure and how long the patient spends in transit, all of these are monitored by the NHS board of commissioners.
Before the implementation of the new technology, reporting on the efficiency of the service was a manual process, as David Johnson, ICT Associate Director for YAS explains:
Previously, the PTS crews would pick up their paper log sheets along with their vehicle prior to working the day’s shift.
The log would list out in order the schedule of patient transportation and, as the day progresses, arrival and departure times would be hand written in by the crew, along with any specific data relating to the patient.
Apart from occasional contact from the on-vehicle radio or a mobile call, the crew worked the shift, returning the completed job logs with the vehicle at the shift end.
With the exception of some crew members who used their own personal devices, none of the PTS vehicles were equipped with satellite navigation, leaving crew members to plan out their own daily routes.
Measurement was limited to a spot check of 10% of the job sheets that would be manually input and analysed monthly to meet with NHS KPI criteria.
This was proving to be a time consuming and inefficient method of measuring overall performance objectives.
One of the main benefits of the new process is that it is helping YAS maintain accurate records as a KPI. In addition to an almost 100% record of arrival and departure of patients, real-time monitoring enables other KPIs such as the maximum length of time that a patient remains on board the PTS vehicle.
As David explains:
YAS covers a broad geographic area taking in both urban and rural locations. A PTS vehicle operating in Leeds can pick up five patients and be back at hospital within the designated two hour period.
In rural areas there is likely to be fewer patients on each journey but each patient is likely to spend longer on the vehicle. With the Talecom Wireless Delivered solution and CoPilot Live Professional over a Motorola Solutions ES400 mobile computer, we are looking to manage the PTS crew’s workload more dynamically.
Our objective is to do more patient pickups per PTS route while taking into account variables like the maximum amount of time the first patient has been on the vehicle.
A climate-change activist has warned that the world should prepare for life after global warming.
Danny Bloom, 63, Director of the Polar Cities Research Institute said: Living in polar cities is the only best hope for people to survive after 2121 A.D. because billions of people will die from climate change due to causing events like excessive heat waves.
Only remnants of humans will be alive in polar cities scattered across the Northern regions of Earth, New Zealand and Australia.
”The time to start discussing, planning, pre-sitting and pre-building Polar cities is now.â€
Mr. Bloom worked with Deng Cheng-hong, a Taiwanese artist in 2008 to produce designs for self-sufficient Arctic communities.
These include a leisure activity centre that can hold up to 200,000 people and a greenhouse area where food can be grown.
His theory is based on the ideas of British chemist and inventor James Lovelock who envisaged life in polar cities surrounding the shores of an ice-free Arctic Ocean in a greenhouse-warmed world.
Mr. Bloom commissioned a Christian writer in Oklahoma Tulsa writer Jim Laughter to write a new novel titled ”Polar City Red” about a family living in a polar city in Alaska in year 2075.
Mr. Laughter’s 200-page novel explores how faith and religion will survive in a post-apocalyptic world, and asks questions like: “Would mankind’s sins of the past follow him into the future?”
“Jim Laughter’s novel is the first literary novel to ever talk about polar cities, and it deserves a wide readership, both as entertainment and as serious and prayerful thinking. Time is running out,” Bloom says.
Mr. Bloom is a graduate of Tufts University with a major in Literature and a minor in French and Philosophy and his work was reported in the New York Times by Andrew C. Revkin in 2008.
Mr. Bloom is the author of Be Resourceful, Protect the Earth: A Virtual Graduation Speech to the Class of 2099 appealing to college graduates in 2009 to help preserve the earth.
Mr. Bloom’s Polar Cities blog can be found at
pcillu101.blogspot.co.uk/
Internal investigations are often associated with a suspicion of ‘misdemeanour’ ie, health and safety violations, fraud or financial impropriety. Their prevalence in the private sector is influenced by prosecutorial and regulator encouragement and by compliance need.
The question for local government and the wider public sector is whether you too should embrace this trend.
Cost-cutting by prosecutors and regulators has encouraged private sector organisations to carry out their own internal investigations, with the expectation of more favourable sanctions when blowing the whistle. The government is keen to replicate the success of corporate internal investigations in the US to uncover fraud, bringing the facts and key perpetrators neatly gift wrapped to the prosecutors’ door. Internal investigations are also perceived as advantageous to the organisation which might itself be the subject of investigation, prosecution and fine, showing that they have done everything in their power to uncover and investigate wrong-doing.
Government entities are not immune from sanction under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007. If local government presents a problem to central government, they won’t be thanked. If they present a problem with a solution, particularly a forensically credible one, it will negate the criticism.
Who should conduct an investigation?
In a recent American case, the company identified an internal compliance failure and fraud. They immediately brought in their Wall Street lawyers. A top-to-bottom internal investigation was advised. The company agreed but decided to use its own, internal resource, albeit supplemented.
Unfortunately, this did not appease the prosecutor. The credibility of all internal investigations relies on a substantial degree of independence. Had the corporation appointed external independent investigators from the outset, they would likely have been in a stronger position. Replace that private sector corporation with a local authority and it is easy to see how the media and political opponents might make a mockery of the investigation’s findings.
The appropriate skill-set is crucial within the investigation team including criminal and regulatory, public law and employment law capability, often supplemented by civil litigation advice.
Key considerations:
Understanding the public sector is critical. This is not a simple straight line read across from private sector internal investigations. It is essential that the investigations team can take account of the -hard” law issues arising from the general public law obligations, for example of fairness, and from the Human Rights Act 1998. The team also needs to understand, and anticipate, the disclosure issues than can arise under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Perhaps most importantly, the investigators need to recognise the different governance and accountability issues that exist for publically-funded bodies.
Practicalities:
1. Who are the likely perpetrators and who knew about the matter? All tainted individuals and departments must be removed from the investigation process.
2. Timing is key. Government bodies such as the police, HSE, UKBA or SFO may need to be contacted but the first port of call should be a lawyer. Part of their remit is to advise on when, and to whom, a report is made. Managing the early stages of an internal investigation is critical.
3. Evidential preservation is everything, managed by a tight, small, confidential, specially formed group of independent senior managers.
4. Internal and external communication is vital: lawyers frequently work with PR consultants to manage this process carefully.
Dealing with employees
An investigation is vital to establish that an employer followed a -fair process” in disciplining an employee. To avoid an unfair dismissal finding where misconduct is alleged, an employer does not have to prove that an offense was committed by the employee, but must instead show that it had a -reasonable belief” that the individual is guilty. Without conducting a full investigation it is impossible for an employer to prove at tribunal that the belief it holds in the employee’s guilt is -reasonable”.
Furthermore, the ACAS Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures explicitly states that employers -should carry out any necessary investigations” in disciplinary situations. Failure to comply with the Code can result in an uplift of up to 25% on any damages awarded to the employee.
Conclusion:
Only the most ambitious in-house counsel would attempt to conduct an internal investigation themselves. The public sector is in the unenviable position of being at the crossroads of so many conflicting legal obligations that specialist advice is imperative.. Done properly, an internal investigation can pay for itself and provide its own structure for crisis management.
Adam Chapman, Partner
T: 0207 814 1205
E: achapman@kingsleynapley.co.uk
Following consultation with universities Kinetic Solutions, the UK’s leading specialist provider of student accommodation, conference and hospitality management software has introduced a new product, KxInspections to assist in delivering greater operational efficiency that could potentially help universities to achieve competitive advantage.
KxInspections is bedroom inventory control software that completely automates traditionally paper based processes, capturing accurate information in a fraction of the time and streamlining charges and refunds with automated uploading of data.
Many universities in the UK, including Edinburgh and Kent have already proactively sought to improve efficiency, utilising the successful, established KxStudent software from Kinetic Solutions which manages the entire student housing process, updating students’ records and rooms.
KxInspections synchronises directly into the back office KxStudent system, offering universities the most comprehensive student accommodation software solution available, with tangible results including large resource savings achievable from the post inspection administration process.
One of the first organisations to integrate this solution is specialist student accommodation provider Liberty Living, provider to more than 30 of the UK’s most prestigious universities.
Andrew Brewer, financial and systems controller for Liberty Living comments; -We chose to work with Kinetic Solutions to develop the room inspections software based on their understanding of our business, our historical relationship, the integration capabilities with the established suite of Kinetic software and their innovative approach of developing solutions that have real commercial benefit.
Some of the key features of KxInspections that provide greater efficiency, include the ability for inspections to be automatically generated if students move rooms and sending automated correspondence immediately following an inspection. There is a function to track the overall condition of inventory stock and the inspection status can be set at ‘pending’ if further assessment is required.
Charges and refunds are streamlined with automated uploading of data so that damage charges can be automatically deducted from deposit payments and deposit refunds can be made faster and more efficiently. From both the university and the student perspective this is obviously enormously appealing.
Chris Wildsmith, managing director of Kinetic Solutions is delighted by the response to KxInspections, commenting; -For over 14 years we have been integral to our clients businesses, a trusted partner developing real solutions that deliver real impact. We listened to our customers who were having problems with managing inspections and inventory, worked with them to develop the product and were able to launch within six months.
KxInspections liberates universities to spend even less time on administration and more on improving the student experience, which ultimately enhances the reputation of the university.
For further Information on KxInspections or Kinetic Solutions student accommodation, conference and hospitality software visit www.kinetic-solutions.co.uk
Organisations can find out about the potential impact of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) for their staffing policies and practices with a new White Paper ‘Trauma in the Workplace’, authored by UK military veteran’s charity PTSD Resolution. A free copy of the White Paper is available for download.
PTSD can not only affect those involved in front-line police and security services, but staff in a wide range of positions, particularly those engaged in stressful job functions or with members of the public.
Colonel A Gauvain (Retired), a counsellor and chairman of PTSD Resolution, says:
Mental health disorders account for one in five of all work days lost and cost UK employers £25 billion each year. Trauma in particular can result in depression and behavioural problems for employees. Left untreated, the condition may cause avoidable accidents, extended sick-leave and dismissal – and represents a major legal liability for Government, Councils and other employers.
PTSD can result from an incident at work, he says; but also from an event outside the workplace, many years previously, with the effects only surfacing as a result of domestic or work pressures, for example.
Disturbingly, most managers are unable to recognise the symptoms of trauma, from research by the charity. This is why PTSD Resolution has introduced a half-day course: TATE, Trauma Awareness Training for Employers (Institute of Directors, Pall Mall, London, Nov 29th, £199 plus VAT).
Resolution is a UK charity (No. 1133188) that offers free counselling to UK Armed Forces veterans and reservists. It also provides support for HR personnel and line managers in public and private organisations to meet employers’ statutory obligations – and avoid the financial impact and the personal cost to employees of trauma.
The trauma awareness training course enables managers to recognise trauma symptoms; understand the effects on staff behaviour; engage with traumatised people to identify practical options; and find a clear route to resolving workplace difficulties caused by trauma.
A free copy of the White Paper is available for download and also details of the half-day course in central London, Nov 29th 2012 TATE Training – www.ptsdresolution.org
Charity at Work
Resolution therapists are trained in Human Givens Therapy (HGT), which includes a form of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TFCBT), consistent with the guidelines of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).
Patients are not required to talk about the traumatic events. The programme policy is that re-exposure is better done in the client’s visual imagination and while in a relaxed state, protecting confidentiality and reducing distress. This relatively new development of TFCBT is similar to Imagery Re-scripting and Reprocessing Therapy (IRRT).
The Resolution network was launched in February 2010, following a three-year pilot programme, which included a project with the Falklands Veterans Foundation and helped ex-services personnel recover from symptoms which had lasted 25 years in some cases.
The programme has an 83 per cent success rate across the 266 UK veterans treated to date. This is similar to the recovery rate in the recent study of 599 stress-related cases from the general population who were treated using HGT: over 70 per cent reached a significant and sustained improvement after an average of 3.6 counselling sessions.
Treatment is complementary to the work of other armed forces charities, because it can resolve the immediate mental health issues that may be barriers to successful help under reintegration and resettlement programmes.
Therapists also work in prisons, and there is an active programme of engagement with the prison service nationally. The patron of the charity is Lord Ramsbotham, former Inspector of Prisons. There are an estimated 8,500 veterans in prison with 3,000 on parole. NAPO estimates that half this number suffer from PTSD and related disorders.
Resolution provides a service that is absent from the national provision for veterans’ mental health, according to the charity; of those veterans that access counselling through other channels, research suggests that the majority approach their GP and just receive medication, without dealing with the trauma. One study of vulnerable veterans found that only 4% of those seeking counselling had been offered evidence-based therapeutic help.
For further information Contact:
PTSD Resolution at www.ptsdresolution.org or Tel 0845 021 7873 or e-mail contact@ptsdresolution.org.
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Across the country universities are preparing to intake thousands of new students for the coming academic year. During this time, universities will have to manage an influx in the number of security swipe cards issued and an increasing number of modifications to existing ones. As such, it is critical that universities streamline operations as it is simply not good enough for a new student or employee to be denied access to a campus location because of a delay in security synchronisation – and that’s where data integration fits in.
Newcastle University, one of the UK’s leading institutions of higher education and home to over 17,000 students and over 5,000 staff, is set to benefit from the implementation of a sophisticated data integration solution. As a result, the university aims to improve access to campus facilities and customer service.
Access all areas
Newcastle University already had a secure campus based on swipe card access systems to buildings and residential sites. However, its door security system comprised of a number of different legacy based implementations and technologies, all served from a central hub on campus. This meant that the synchronisation of security information and access rights, down to the various discrete systems and card readers across campus, historically happens on a batch basis once a day. Students and staff often found that they would have to wait up to 24 hours before any changes to access rights were effective at the door level.
Working with data integration specialist, Talend, Newcastle University is set to deploy a reliable and scalable enterprise service bus solution, which will enable the university to bring data from different applications together to manage their campus-wide security, accurately and in real-time. With the ability to securely manage huge data volumes efficiently, the university will be able to synchronise real-time access rights changes. For students and staff alike that means unhindered access to all buildings all the time.
Business-wide benefits
The security project is not the first partnership between Newcastle University and Talend. In the past, the firm has worked with the university to deploy an open source data management tool to streamline data efficiently and to provide real-time access to institutional information for its students and staff members.
After implementing an open source data management tool, the university not only sped up the processing of data but it also improved data quality due to the system’s scheduling capability, meaning that jobs can be run automatically at any time. Working in this way, the university gained a round the clock system which processes data instantly, eliminating the chance of human error and allowing staff members to focus on their core teaching. Being open source, the solution also helped Newcastle University to keep costs low and implement the product within days or weeks rather than months, which is often the case with proprietary software.
In fact, new open source solutions are significantly bringing down the cost of handling the voluminous and diverse amount of structured, semi-structured and unstructured data organisations create, capture and store – the so-called -big data”. There is little or no upfront cost and open source software leverages commodity hardware. And, from the perspective of the public sector, open source technologies are allowing them to gain a level of business intelligence that would have been completely out of their reach before.
The big picture
Working with a trusted data expert, universities have the ability to dramatically improve data management and integration across a whole host of operations. At the forefront of technology, Newcastle University has shown exactly this and as students start to flood in for the start of this academic year, the university can be confident that no student or member of staff will have to wait to access critical campus locations or struggle to receive real-time institutional data.
The concept of home working has come back to the top of the agenda this summer with many organisations having been encouraged to give staff the flexibility to stay away from the office in order to reduce pressure on transport systems during the recent Olympics.
When the plans to allow home working within the civil service were announced in May, there was widespread criticism from business leaders who feared several weeks of inactivity. More recently, the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, added his voice to the debate when he described the concept of home working as a ‘skiver’s paradise’.
However, these critics overlook the numerous advantages of a switch towards home working – which is not only beneficial for ‘back-office’ workers but also for teams that deal directly with the public.
That’s according to Ian Cox, Managing Director of Performance Telecom, a company founded in 1999 which provides multi-faceted customer contact solutions to a wide range of medium and large organisations.
He said: -It’s absolutely right that a greater adoption of home working would ease pressure on transport systems in our capital city. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Any effort to reduce unnecessary traffic and pollution should be applauded, but the long-term efficiency benefits of home working must not be ignored.”
It’s a practice that offers advantages not only to members of staff but also the organisations that employ them – and the customers they serve. That last point makes home working particularly pertinent for those involved in customer contact.
Mr Cox said: -I attended a Home Working Summit for the customer contact industry in London recently. Delegates were told that in the US, around 60 per cent of employees of customer contact organisations are now working from home, and this is expected to rise to 80 per cent by the end of next year. While the use of home working can reduce operating costs by as much as 20 per cent, it can simultaneously increase efficiency by the same amount, and job satisfaction ratings typically rise by between 35 per cent and 50 per cent.”
So while Boris Johnson makes barbed comments about ‘malingering’, the commercial world is taking a very real interest in the multiple benefits of flexible working.
Of course, it’s not for everyone and the Mayor of London was right to highlight the importance of face-to-face meetings and personal interaction. But there has to be some flexibility that allows staff to work from home where there are clear advantages in doing so.
-There are obvious benefits in terms of easing traffic congestion, cutting travel costs and reducing pollution but there’s also growing evidence that giving customer-facing employees the option of working from home can have a profound effect on not only their own job satisfaction but also, by nature, on customer satisfaction too,” said Mr Cox. -Studies suggest that productivity, accuracy and task completion can all improve as a result of home working.
-Furthermore, home working gives organisations access to a huge pool of untapped talent, including the disabled, young people and single parents, all of whom have a lot to offer, but often have difficulty travelling into offices.”
The efficiency savings that can be derived from having a ‘virtual team’ are also highly significant at a time when there is so much pressure on budgets. By embracing these types of improvements in working practices, organisations can secure vital cost savings.
A key factor in the rapidly advancing case for home working is technology. The latest technology not only gives employees greater freedom to decide how and where they work, but also enables employers to keep track of their activity and facilitates highly efficient operation.
There are a number of key steps to creating a successful home working strategy, according to Performance Telecom.
The first is to ensure that there is a project sponsor within the organisation, a person who will champion the decision and lead the project forward.
The second is to consider starting with a pilot, typically 5% to 10% of existing staff who volunteer to work from home. The pilot will help shape the final solution and ensure that future expansion is smooth and trouble-free.
Thirdly, it is important to see a home working team as entirely virtual, from the agents and team leaders, to managers and even IT support. Trying to mix a home working solution with a traditional bricks-and-mortar team is fraught with issues and will dilute the project.
Finally, and most importantly, team up with a technology partner such as Performance Telecom providing all of the key parts of a system, effectively co-ordinating voice, data, security, information and integration to give you a seamless, multimedia call centre experience, no matter where the agent happens to be.
-Home working is a topic that deserves serious consideration rather than insulting soundbites,” said Mr Cox. -With the right technology partner, it is not difficult to establish a framework for home working to becoming a key organisational strategy that not only improves job satisfaction and morale but also supports improvements in service delivery, while simultaneously contributing to cost savings. That adds up to a compelling proposition.”
www.performancetelecom.co.uk
Britain’s insecure hospitals are presenting terrorists planning a dirty bomb attack with a bonus second wave target.
Terrorists detonating a chemical, biological, radioactive or nuclear explosive (CBRNE) device in one location could easily follow up the first attacks with a follow up bomb in anyone of the UK’s hospitals that have been described as ‘wide open’ by security chiefs.
The ill preparedness of medical, ancillary and hospital security staff in dealing with a CBRNE attack would render the hospital useless and potentially contaminated for months after any attack.
This is the assessment of retired Brigadier General Galatas Ioannis, who served as Commandant of the Olympic Hospital CBRNE Response Unit during the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Any hospital suffering an attack would have to be shut down, trapping existing patients and blast attack victims within the confines of the hospital until authorities were satisfied the survivors and area were safely decontaminated.
Galatas gave the warning at the London Counter Terror Expo which paid particular attention to security at the London Olympics.
He described a scenario where terrorists would plant an incendiary explosive device designed to spread deadly germs, nerve agents or radioactive material over a large area.
Casualties would result from those caught in the primary explosion and secondary victims contaminated with the ‘dirty’ element of the bomb.
The effect could then be multiplied by terrorists targeting the hospitals to which the victims would be dispatched, a move calculated to create overwhelming strain on the contingency and resilience of the authorities.
Hospital wards, intensive care units and mortuaries would be rendered off limits to all but a few trained staff benefiting from protective clothing and equipment.
All these facilities in most hospitals are currently inadequate to cope with mass bomb casualties followed by contamination.
There are few isolation wards and there are no contingencies in place for contaminated waste water management.
Galatas asks: Is there one NHS or an acute care hospital that is in a state of preparedness for such an action that could happen at an event like the Olympics either it is top secret or nobody cares.
He added: The British Government has left each NHS trust to plan for CBRNE contingency so each trust has bought what it wanted to which in most cases means there is no equipment compatibility from trust area to area.
Hospitals are an easy target, people can come and go with ease, security staffs are basic and poorly trained and there are few if any fences at most UK hospitals.
In the event of a major attack followed by a secondary strike on a hospital, the hospital would have to shut down its services to the general public and be treated as a contaminated area.
The walking wounded would have to be turned away by security staffs that are not trained in the use of Personal Protective Equipment.
Faced with the possibility of contamination themselves the hospital staff would retreat from contaminated patients locking themselves in a safe area of the hospital building or fleeing the area completely.
They would not want to come into contact with contaminated victims they could not help anyway.
Galatas does offer solutions to meet the CBRNE threat that includes increased future medical training, laboratories to be equipped with more germ and nerve samples so contaminated materials can be identified quickly.
Terror medicine should be included in all medical training, more nuclear medical departments and biological labs created.
Non medical hospital staff educated in how to respond and support and facilitate fixed decontamination units in hospitals.
Crucially hospital buildings should have enhanced security.
Galatas advises: When planning think like a terrorist – when implementing think of a victim.
Further information:
Syrian chaos threatens to provide Chemical and Biological weapons shopping basket for terrorists
Spokesmen for the Anti Assad, Syrian National Council, have warned the probability of Jihadi terrorists acquiring chemical and biological weapons will increase exponentially if the Assad regime collapses.
Islamist salafist radicals fighting the regime or regime allies Hezbollah could acquire some or all of Syria’s massive stockpile of chemical and biological weapons.
Syria possess large quantities of sarin nerve gas, Tabon gas, VX gas and mustard blister agent.
The stockpiles are stored in over 37 facilities across the Syria.
The regime has also at least five chemical weapon production facilities located in the cities of Homs, Hama, Latakia, Palmyra and al-Safira, and two storage depots in the towns of Khan Abu Shamat and Furqlus.
Syria’s neighbours Jordan and Israel fear the regime might transport its chemical weapons to Hezbollah, as it already has with many of its missile stockpiles.
United States and British intelligence agencies also fear the weapons will fall into the hands of Jihadi Salafists for the purpose of international terrorist attacks.
M15 chief Jonathan Evans warned that Jihadi terrorists still pose a direct threat to the Olympics and beyond in a rare speech last month.
Stressing the Arab Spring has created a more permissive environment for Jihadi extremists Evans said: “Some are heading home to the Arab world again” adding:
“And a small number of British would-be jihadis are also making their way to Arab countries to seek training and opportunities for militant activity, as they do in Somalia and Yemen.”
Some will return to the UK and pose a threat here.
This is a new and worrying development.
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