Building services engineers have the chance to contribute to two projects that will fundamentally alter the way skills are developed and delivered. Keith Marshall, Chief Executive of SummitSkills, explains more.

Proud of their long history of serving the community, the lineage of Kensington and Chelsea’s mayoral appointments is now boldly displayed in the Borough’s Civic Centre’s Central Chamber.

Delegates from The Underfloor Heating Manufacturers' Association (UHMA) and The Heating and Ventilation Contractors' Association (HVCA) have agreed a formula for a Green SKILLcard for site operatives installing wet underfloor heating systems.

Sanyo Air Conditioners are controlling the climate of furniture retailer ScS Upholstery’s stores nationwide. Sanyo’s innovative GHP range has been deployed in the solutions designed and built by engineer Spencair Mechanical to overcome a shortfall in available power across many of the sites. Because of the GHP equipment supplied by Sanyo distributor Easyairconditioning, ScS Upholstery is now benefiting from drastically reduced energy bills, as well as tax breaks offered as part of the ECA scheme for which the Sanyo GHP range qualifies.

Sir Neville Simms FREng, until recently the chairman of Carillion plc, has been appointed by the Council of the BRE Trust as its new chairman. He takes up this position from Hugh Try CBE, who has held the post since 1999.

Air handling units that effectively remove moisture from the atmosphere are helping to preserve the only surviving steamship designed and built by Brunel. The units manufactured by Barkell are fitted with Reznor indirect gas fired heating coils and a Munters dehumidification system.

Heating and cooling systems for the new Withington Community Hospital, a diagnostic and treatment centre in south Manchester are under the control of Oventrop valves to ensure comfortable conditions throughout the facility. Some 220,000 patients a year are expected to use the hospital. Oventrop equipment was selected by AMEC, the mechanical services contractors, on the basis of their quality, competitive cost and fitness for purpose.

Trox (UK) has invested £40,000 in a new dedicated facility to test fan coil units at its Thetford, Norfolk factory.

The Building Controls Engineer of the Year award is just one of six awards to be presented at the Building Controls Industry Association’s (BCIA) Training Awards Ceremony which are being presented in association with BSEE on Thursday 24 May.

Jointing Technologies, a Distributor Partner of Tyco Thermal Controls, has supplied and installed a Raychem HWAT self-regulating heat-tracing system for hot water temperature maintenance at the brand new Lymington New Forest Hospital. The temperature maintenance contract was placed through Thermal Coverings, the project’s insulation contractors, for a system that enables a single pipe hot water system to be employed throughout the hospital.

The Federation of Environmental Trade Associations (FETA) is championing its five Associations to spread the energy management message at Board level. Representatives from the five Associations within FETA have joined together and established an Energy Reduction Group (ERG); its chairman is Mike Lawrence from the British Refrigeration Association.

One of Melbourne’s most prestigious entertainment and accommodation venues, the Grand Hyatt, has recently undergone six months of extensive renovations to the Level 8 Banquet floor. The Grand Hyatt’s magnificent new Savoy Ballroom, Mayfair Ballroom and pre-function area, feature the most sophisticated technology, wedded with impressive interior design.

Buro Happold's Glasgow office in collaboration with Henning Larsens Tegnestue and Danish landscape architect Sophie Sahlqvuist has won the competition to design a new sports park in Gentofte, Copenhagen.

Connell Mott MacDonald has been appointed to provide full engineering services for the development of a new transport interchange building and the redevelopment of the bus station concourse at Ryde esplanade on the Isle of Wight. The £6 million project (approx), being developed by the Isle of Wight Council, will not only help to regenerate the area but will also enhance transport and pedestrian facilities and form a landmark gateway to the island.

Although welcoming the Government’s proposals to improve payment in the construction industry, the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA) believes an opportunity has been missed.

REFCOM is backing recently announced Government proposals for mandatory qualifications for refrigerant handlers.

What is Legionnaires Disease?

It is part of European Community policy to achieve a high level of health and environmental protection and one of the objectives to be pursued is protection against noise. In the Green Paper on Future Noise Policy, the European Commission (EC) addressed noise in the environment as one of the main environmental problems in Europe. Subsequently, in its Resolution of 10 June 1997 on the Commission Green Paper, the European Parliament:

The industry is grappling with an unprecedented range of major projects, but delivery will depend on a radical shake up of our training structure, says HVCA president Geoffrey Robinson.

On 16 January new government proposals aiming to improve payments to firms in the construction industry were published by Minister of State for Industry and the Regions, Rt Hon Alun Michael MP and Edwina Hart, the Welsh Assembly Government Minister for Social Justice and Regeneration.

Organisations are arguably coming under increasing regulatory, environmental and cost pressures to ensure that lifts are operating at maximum efficiency. Simon Mitchell of Pickerings Lifts looks at how the building services industry must re-appraise existing lift provision to satisfy this tougher marketplace.