In this section of our website you will find topical industry and Healthy Building International related news items which are updated on a regular basis. To talk to our team of specialists about any of these news items please contact us.
19 June 2008 HBI's successful Legionella/IAQ Seminar for the Health Sector & Councils
Healthy Buildings International (Ireland) ran a well attended seminar on Legionella and the new HTM03-01 Indoor Air Quality guidelines for the Health Sector and the Councils. Dr Tom Makin, Malcolm Thomas and Ronnie Russell were excellent speakers at the event.
April 2008 :: HBI exhibit at Ireland's first Healthcare show
HBI are exhibiting at Ireland's first Healthcare show for all involved in healthcare facility design, construction and maintenance, plus the clinical, nursing and management teams responsible for patient care and the delivery of services.
Come and meet our experienced and qualified consulting team on stand S21, who are experts in helping you with:
Air Quality
Water Quality
Environmental Services
Occupational Health
Health & Safety
From our offices in Belfast, Dublin and Cork, we are trusted by a wide range of customers from the industrial, institutional and commercial sectors, to help them meet legislative and health and safety requirements.
The Healthcare Ireland exhibition at the RDS, Dublin is the largest event of its type ever to be staged in Ireland. Featuring over 140 leading international and local suppliers who are leaders in the development of products, services, and equipment, offering attendees practical solutions to challenges faced in creating state of the art healthcare environments and delivering world class patient care.
The show runs from 23rd - 24th April 2008 and registration is FREE to professionals involved in the creation, maintenance and management of healthcare facilities and the delivery of clinical services.
April 2008 :: HBI Presents at IHEEM Northern Ireland Annual Conference in May
HBI will be speaking at the IHEEM (The Institute of Healthcare Engineering and Estate Management) Northern Ireland Annual Conference in May. The event is hosted at the Marine Court Hotel, Bangor (21-22nd May 2008).
As well as learning more about how HBI can help you manage Legionella, Asbestos, Water Managements and Indoor Air Quality issues, at the IHEEM Conference you will be able to book your place at HBI's Legionella/IAQ seminar which has been developed specifically for Health Estates Professionals, This event, which will be held late June 2008, is highly topical in the health sector and will highlight the latest legislative developments in the Validation of Operating Theatres (HTM 03-01).
Our guest speakers, Tom Makin, HSE, the internationally renouned Legionella expert and Malcolm Thomas, author of HTM03-01, Indoor Air Quality- Validation of Specialised Ventilation Systems, will take us through all the changes in legislation and the impact that this will have within the Health Sector. There is no charge for IHEEM members to attend this seminar
If you are interested in finding out more about our services or to book a place at the June Legionella/IAQ seminar, please email info@hbi.ie or tel 028 9073 8777 or Dublin 00353 1 8623794.
January 2008: HBI Launch Green Initiative with Trees for Cities
As part of our focus on Corporate Social Responsibility, HBI are delighted to announce a Partnership agreement with the prestigious organisation www.treesforcities.org.
This green initiative is aimed at encouraging HBI clients to switch from traditional paper reports to an electronic recording system. For every new client switching to electronic records and for every new client joining the scheme, HBI will donate £10 towards tree planting schemes across the UK. The main platform for HBI’s electronic records will be www.recordsforbuildings.com .
Trees for Cities were both impressed with and supportive of our initiative, stating the following "It is great that you have set up a dedicated website in a secured paperless environment and the scheme could complement this by encouraging customers to switch/join. These are also two impressive steps to meet your responsibilities towards the environment and communities as laid out in the recently amended Companies Act."
January 2008: Noise at Work Regulations will apply to the Music and Entertainment Sectors from April 2008
To date, the Control of Noise at Work Regulations (2005) have not applied to the Music and Entertainment Sectors. Since the introduction of the Noise Regulations, the European Directive (2003/10/EC) has permitted a 2-year period of consultation for this sector, primarily to allow time to adjust to the various employer's obligations relating to minimising the exposure of their staff to excessive noise in the workplace. This could be considered quite difficult in an industry that often sells itself on noise-related entertainment.
The HSE define the music and entertainment sectors as "all workplaces where a) live music is played or b) recorded music is played in a restaurant, bar, public house, discotheque or nightclub, or alongside live music or a live dramatic or dance performance"
The Noise Regulations (2005) will be applied to the Music and Entertainment Sectors, commencing in April 2008. While it well recognised that events such as music concerts and nightclubs provide sources of noise as an often 'paid-for' service, venue employers will soon have a formal obligation to help workers minimise their exposure to excessive noise at work and to provide practical (but often simple guidelines) to safeguard their long-term hearing. The public who attend such entertainment events are not protected by the Noise Regulations (2005) and must therefore continue to safeguard there own hearing should they choose to. Further details of the Workplace Noise Regulations can be found by visiting the www.hse.gov.uk/noise
If you require advice as to whether your workplace or properties are likely to be covered by the Noise Regulations please get in touch with us on 01189 889999 or email info@hbi.co.uk. Healthy Buildings International offer full Workplace Noise Assessments and Personal Noise Dosage Monitoring services.
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order came into force on 1 October 2006
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order came into force on 1 October 2006, consolidating existing fire safety law which was scattered across more than 70 pieces of legislation. Under the Order, greater emphasis is placed on fire prevention and it has given all employers and premises managers wide-reaching new responsibilities in relation to fire safety. Responsibility for carrying out fire risk assessments now lies with each business rather than fire brigades issuing fire certificates for buildings as previously. The move is aimed at streamlining fire authorities’ manpower so they can pay more attention to ‘high risk’ premises, including care homes and hostels where vulnerable people sleep.
HBI can assist in compliance with these new requirements through the Fire Management System service that can include a risk assessment or control documentation.
17 January, 2006 : New Approved Document F
The revised Building Regulation Approved Document F (ventilation) comes into force on 6th April 2006. One of the main changes from the 1995 edition is that the air supply rate for offices has been increased from 8 l/s/person to 10 l/s/person ...[more]
24 November, 2005 : New Noise Regulations
The new Noise Regulations, which come into force in February 2006, will greatly reduce noise levels allowed in the workplace...[more]
20 April, 2005 : Are noisy children damaging teachers' hearing?
Nursery and primary schools will be just some of the employers affected by new noise regulations coming into force next year...[more]
8 April, 2005 : Disability Discrimination Act receives Royal Assent
The Disability Discrimination Act 2005 (DDA) received Royal Assent on 8 April 2005...[more]
24 November, 2004 : Stress, RSI and back strains are getting worse for UK workers
Stress, repetitive strain injuries (RSI) and back strains are the top three health hazards facing UK workers and the problems are getting worse...[more]
1 November, 2004 : Fines loom as firms fail to comply with asbestos law
Many businesses are failing to carry out the risk assessment and management set out in the new asbestos regulations, running the risk of significant fines...[more]
14 September, 2004 : Legionella bugs in hot tubs
A QUARTER of hot tubs, a favourite feature in spas and health clubs, have been found to contain the potentially lethal bacteria that cause legionnaires' disease... [more]
1 September, 2004 : Cruise ship virus hits office
Sixty occupants of an office building became violently ill with nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach cramps and mild fevers and the source was traced to the Norovirus, otherwise known as 'Cruise ship virus'... [more]
22 June, 2004 : Formaldehyde definitely causes cancer
Formaldehyde, a chemical to which an estimated one million European Union workers are exposed at work, definitely causes cancer in humans, officials say... [more...]
21 April, 2004 : Inadequate management of asbestos results in prosecution
On 21st April 2004, Chelford Properties Ltd were fined at total of £43,400 for offences related to the inadequate management of asbestos...[more]
8 August, 2003 : New noise regulations on the way!
The new European Pariament noise directives are due for adoption very shortly. These will have far reaching effects throughout many types of workplace. [more]
16 June, 2003 : Pseudomonas Species
The presence of these bacteria in a variety of different types of building water systems ... [more]
27 May, 2003 : Residential accomodation and legionella
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has just published a new guide containing essential information for providers of residential accommodation. The guide contains important changes on how to control the risk of legionella bacteria ... [more]
6 January, 2003 : Asbestos management regulations
The HSE have now released the following information about the long awaited new Asbestos Regulations... [more]
3 December, 2002 : Guidelines on the handling of biological agents
The recent cases of Anthrax Bioterrorism in the United States have resulted in a number of deaths ... [more...]
Air quality monitoring