Tenant safety

Aico, a leader in home safety products based in Shropshire, has launched a new docu-series called "From Component to Ceiling." The series explores the lifecycle of Aico’s products, highlighting innovation, quality commitment, and product serialisations. It provides insights into Aico's operations, distributor relationships, and commitment to safety and reliability standards. The docu-series consists of a trailer and four 8-minute episodes, hosted on a dedicated microsite on the Aico website. A new episode is released each week, with the full version available in the final week: https://www.aico.co.uk/docu-series/

A record-breaking number of organisations have shown their commitment to occupational health and safety, with over a thousand guests from around the world attending RoSPA’s glittering Gala Dinner in London on 16 May.

The need to deliver a supportive, good quality interior at a low cost presents difficulties in the selection of flooring within social housing projects. Speed of installation, homely design, easy maintenance and durability all at a low cost, is not something every floor can deliver.

Beauflor sheet vinyl flooring offers an attractive finish across a wide range of popular natural looks with benefits for the developer and tenant alike. For the housing association, it’s cost-effective, fast to install and durable helping to deliver value throughout its life cycle. Tenants benefit from a homely and comfortable floor that’s hygienic, easy to maintain, safe to walk on and which has the potential to support their feeling of wellbeing.

Specifying safe external components for new builds and refurbishments can be confusing, with myriad classifications and new legislation to be met. Phil Marris, Managing Director of Ecodek, manufacturers of the Adek aluminium decking system, looks to clarify the classification system, whilst also exploring the importance of the project ‘chain’ and the significant role the manufacturer can play when it comes to creating safe building components:

Fire protection solutions manufacturer, Advanced, has supplied its EvacGo evacuation alert system to two high-rise residential tower blocks in Huyton, Merseyside following a series of fire safety improvements to the buildings.

Following a significant programme of compartmentation works undertaken in 2018, the 11-storey Knowsley Heights buildings have benefitted from a refit that includes installation of Advanced’s EvacGo system, which is compliant with the BS 8629 Code of Practice, for the design, installation, commissioning, and maintenance of evacuation alert systems for use by fire and rescue services in England and Wales.

Don’t let drinking water harm your tenants

Awareness of the potential health problems caused by lead in the water supply, particularly in infants and children is growing.  Houses built before 1970 would have been constructed with lead water supply pipes and if still in place can be causing developmental harm to young occupants.

Although the use of lead in plumbing has been banned in the UK for more than 50 years, there are still many properties where a risk of lead contamination of water is a risk.  In some areas of the UK up to a third of these older properties are still receiving their water through these original lead pipes.

Following a recent government consultation, the regulations for Smoke and Carbon Monoxide alarms in England are set to expand for both privately and socially rented homes. The amendments will seek to increase resident safety and bring more consistency to regulations between the rental sectors.
The consultation proposed to amend the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 and Approved Document J, with the aim of extending the existing private rented legislation to socially rented properties; it also considered the important question of whether the existing legislation was sufficient.