Life safety systems in UK hospitals.

The type of systems covered here are not just speculative ideals but practical, working products installed in an ever increasing number of UK hospital establishments. Some sixty major hospitals have had systems supplied by my own company, very similar to those described, over the previous five year period. In addition, systems supplied by other competent companies show us that this trend is not just 'Technology for Technology's sake' but an important step forward in alarm management strategy.     

An integrated approach to public’s perception of urban water use and ownership of water companies during a period of economic crisis. Case study in Athens,Greece

ABSTRACT

This study applies an integrated approach to investigate public perception of residential water issues during a period of economic crisis. The study investigates the perceptions and practices of Athenians in water conservation, their satisfaction with the supplied water, their opinion on the privatization of Water Company and their willingness for additional payment for the improvement of water services. A survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire. Results indicate that the respondents have adopted water conservation practices, but there is still room for further saving. Most of the respondents declared to be satisfied with the supplied water and do not agree to the privatization of water companies. Women, older participants and those having lower income are less willing for additional payment. Research findings are useful tool for policymakers to design policies and make decisions regarding water management, ownership of water companies and changes in behavior of water use.     

THE 1999 CRYPTOSPORIDIUM RISK ASSESSMENT EXERCISE IN ENGLAND AND WALES- A GROUNDWATER OVERVIEW

Regulations Introduced in 1999 obliged water companies In England and Wales to conduct risk assessments of their treatment works to establish whether there was a significant risk from Cryptosporidium oocysts in the water supplied. More than 330 treatment works were identified as being at risk, just over half of which were plants treating groundwater. This paper provides an overview of what water companies themselves identified as the most at-risk settings for their groundwater-based works in terms of aquifer and type of supply. Evaluation of results from the subsequent continuous monitoring regulatory regime that came into force on many of these supplies could validate the primarily qualitative nature of the initial assessments of at-risk settings. There would also be public health benefits from confirmation of whether currently-employed risk assessment methods are well-founded because similar procedures could then be applied with confidence to the many small private supplies In Britain.     

Constructing safety: investigating senior executive long-term incentive plans and safety objectives in the construction sector

In the private sector, incentive plans are one of the major means used by Boards of Directors to align the interests of senior management with organizational interests. However, research conducted in the energy and resources sector revealed a poor alignment between incentive plans and the need to have senior management focus on safety. The research discussed here examined long-term incentive plans (LTIPs) for senior executives in the construction sector to investigate whether these direct senior managers attention to long-term safety objectives and if they include any long-term safety indicators. Annual Reports of publicly listed companies in the Australian non-domestic construction sector were used as the major information source and subjected to content analysis. Despite a strong safety commitment expressed by all the companies, LTIPs were exclusively associated with financial indicators. Although safety indicators are included in Annual Reports, these only appear in short-term incentive plans, indicating that senior executives are not incentivized to align their long-term decision-making with long-term safety objectives. Findings from the research demonstrate that valid and meaningful safety indicators should be developed and included in LTIPs in order to better align the focus of senior management to include safety performance in the construction industry.     

Pollution source control by water utilities – characterisation and implications for water management: research results from England and Wales

The treatment of agriculturally polluted water to potable standards is costly for water companies. Changes in agricultural practice can reduce these costs while also meeting the objectives of European Union (EU) environmental legislation. In this paper, the uptake of source control interventions (SCIs) by water and sewage companies in England and Wales as a means of controlling agricultural pollution is investigated. Data were gathered using semistructured interviews with water and sewage company representatives. Interview data were processed using thematic and content analysis. Results showed that SCIs are increasingly being adopted in England and Wales. Of the four types of SCI identified, the so‐called ‘Liaison’ type dominated. This type of intervention requires intermediary organisations with local expertise in water catchments. Differences in pollution source control between EU countries, and England and Wales are examined. Evidence indicated that ‘Liaison’ SCI s types may be more prevalent in countries where water supplies are privatised.     

An investigation of corporate approaches to sustainability in the US engineering and construction industry

Sustainability involves focusing on a project’s impact in three areas: (1) environmental; (2) economical; and (3) societal. In reality, companies’ approaches in the three areas are not evenly distributed. A study of current trends in the US construction industry related to the emerging focus on sustainable construction will be of great value for the engineering and construction industry to recognize the differences in corporate approaches to sustainability, for the sake of team alignment. A random cross‐section of 300 companies, consisting of 150 owner companies, 75 contractor companies and 75 design firms representing a variety of industries, was selected from annual company data assembled by the weekly construction news publication Engineering News Record (ENR). To identify sustainability‐related concepts within the context of these company documents, content analyses and chi‐square statistical analyses were performed on the selected companies’ publicly available annual reports and mission/vision/values statements. The primary objectives are to: (1) identify concepts of sustainability that are currently being emphasized within the US engineering and construction industry, possibly at the expense of other concepts; and (2) develop an understanding of the relationships between various company and industry groups related to the fundamental concepts of sustainable construction.     

Monitoring the energy consumption in a district heated apartment building in Copenhagen,with specific interest in the thermodynamic performance

The energy consumption in an apartment building in Copenhagen supplied by district heating has been monitored from November 2000 to June 2002. During the period heat cost allocators were installed on the radiators and the set point for domestic hot water was raised in order to prevent the Legionella Disease. Results from the space heating system and the loading circuit for production of domestic hot water are discussed with respect to heat loads, cooling of the district heating water and the efficiency of the pump and the heat exchangers. The Public Service Obligation for utility companies in Denmark to help their customers to save energy calls for tools to analyse the energy consumption and the efficiency of the system. The possibility to use three-dimensional plots to analyse the thermodynamic performance is discussed as one option.     

Gentrification,homelessness, and the work process: Housing markets and labour markets in the quartered city

The relationship between work and housing is much more than a relationship between labour markets and housing markets. The nature of the work process — not just how much is paid or where jobs are located — influences the type of housing that is demanded and the type of housing that is supplied. The paper provides a few examples, and then uses two cases, gentrification and homelessness, to illustrate the contention that the linkage between labour and housing is a fundamental internal one, in which the content of labour and the form of housing are directly related, and are prior to the external relations of the markets for each. The paper ends with the suggestion that these linkages vary by class, and suggests as prominent on a future research agenda an examination of the internal relationship between class, work processes, and the nature of housing provision. The examples used come from the United States, primarily New York City, but the processes clearly appear in all industrialised private market economies, and many aspects are relevant to Third World and socialist economies also.     

DEBTOR: debt evaluation,bench‐marking and tracking – a water debt management tool to address UK water debt

UK water debt has increased rapidly and has become a significant management issue for most water companies, constraining investment in necessary environmental interventions. Debt is characterised as debt penetration (percentage of customers in debt) and debt intensity (average size of debt per indebted customer). Actual debt characteristics in a water company can be plotted by intensity and penetration to demonstrate performance differences between companies, changes over time and performance relative to national norms. Using the relationships between debt and deprivation, the expected debt performance can be plotted. Using the expected position as a benchmark, the company performance can be evaluated and the remedial strategies can be targeted (if required) towards reduction of frequency and size of debt. The distance between actual and expected values is used as a metric of the requirement for additional debt management investment. Examples of these debtor plots for a range of anonymous companies are presented.     

Statistical study of the relationship between free chlorine levels and bacteriological checks on systems in the Paris area

The majority of French cities are supplied with treated surface water. The primary factor in determining the quality of this water concerns disinfection to ensure that the system is not contaminated with parasites, coliforms and streptococci; some of these organisms, especially coliforms, are capable of multiplying within the system. The presence of bacteria indicative of faecal contamination in water samples, which contains a significant amount of free chlorine, has revealed a possible link between the two. Based upon sampling points of the Parisian system (and in the suburbs for purposes of comparison), we show the existence of a linear relationship between the results of analyses for coliforms on a given day, D, and the content of free chlorine in the water on days D-2 and D-3. Subsequent ground tests confirm the explanations proposed regarding these phenomena.     

International actors and multinational water company strategies in Europe, 1990–2003

International actors and factors, including multinational companies, have constrained and influenced local decision-making on the structure of water systems in Europe since 1990. The EU itself has exercised a major influence through environmental directives, fiscal policies associated with economic and monetary union, and internal market policies. International financial institutions have also influenced developments, especially in central and eastern Europe, through policies and conditionalities linked to loans. The multinational water companies adopted policies of expansion in selected cities throughout Europe, achieving the privatisation of water services which had previously been directly provided by public authorities. This behaviour is subject to analysis in terms of the political economy of multinational company strategies, including the relationships between these strategies and political structures and developments. The multinational companies have been the most significant international actors, but their impact has been largely through political strategies rather than through competition with rival local companies.     

Numerical Investigation of Turbulent Plumes in both Ambient and Stratified Surroundings

Ventilation displacement systems have, during the last ten years, become more and more popular. In these systems cool air is supplied to the room, and the air is heated by heat sources. The rising air above these heat sources is of paramount importance to the behaviour of the ventilation displacement systems. In the present work the turbulent flow in plumes is studied numerically, using finite volume methods. The standard r-? model was found to underpredict the spreading of the plumes, and it was thus modified in two ways so as to predict spreading rates in agreement with experiments. We present a comprehensive comparison between predictions and experiments including spreading rates, velocity and temperature profiles, and turbulent shear stresses. The volume flow rate versus the vertical distance from the plume is also presented. Good agreement between predictions and experiments is obtained.     

Effect of wax on basic and rheological properties of bitumen with similar Penetration-grades

This paper presents the results of a study on the wax content, the basic and rheological properties of seven unmodified bitumens with Penetration-grades 60–70 and the effect of wax on these bitumens. Among the bitumens, one (currently used in Hong Kong) was supplied by a manufacturer in Singapore while the other six bitumens were obtained from manufacturers in Mainland China. The results of the basic tests show that all bitumens are Penetration-grade 60–70 and have similar basic properties. The test results comply with the Hong Kong bitumen specification. However, the wax contents of some of the bitumens manufactured from crude oil deposited in China are relatively high. The test results obtained by the dynamic shear rheometer further indicate that the bitumens with low wax content performed better than those with high wax content under a high temperature environment. The test results exhibit relatively good correlation between the wax contents and the rheological properties of the bitumens. Therefore, standards and procedures should be established in Hong Kong to specify requirements on wax content or Performance-grade for bitumen used in road paving.     

Balancing value creating logics in construction

Construction companies apply different logics to create value. Some companies are organized according to one primary logic, while others are based on multiple logics. Different value creating logics have different cost and value drivers according to the type of activities involved and the interdependencies between them. Where multiple logics coexist, the different cost and value drivers may generate tensions. The purpose of the paper is to study how construction companies maintain a balance between multiple logics and how they handle tensions between them through a case study from the Norwegian construction industry. Both project management and supply chain management perspectives have been used to explain construction practice. By applying a ‘value configuration analysis’, it is clear how value creation is achieved in construction practice by balancing the needs of both the project and the supply chain. Both intra‐ and inter‐organizational interactions are vital in creating value across different logics. The contribution of the study lies in applying this framework to the construction area by adding knowledge about the underlying principles of different logics, including the tensions between them. Furthermore, the case study illustrates how these may be handled in order to create value in construction.     

The influence of dietary minerals and fat on the absorption of lead

The nutritional factors influencing the absorption of lead from the gut have been studied using both intact animals and ligated gut loop preparation. Short-term feeding studies have been made in groups of six animals using diets of constant lead content (0.075 %) but in which the nutritional components were varied sequentially. Dietary lead was labelled with ²⁰³Pb. Absorption was determined in the carcass and individual organs by means of a small-animal whole-body counter. The results showed that absorption was enhanced to twenty-times control value by diets deficient in minerals and seven-fold by diets of high fat content. Conversely, high mineral diets have been shown to result in a two-fold reduction in lead absorption. The interaction of lead with individual dietary components has been further studied under controlled conditions using ligated gut loop preparations. Using this technique the relative roles of luminal interaction and tissue response for lead absorption have been explored and the kinetics of lead absorption determined.     

Environmental Performance Indicators: The Water Industry of England and Wales

Water companies in England and Wales produce reports using environmental performance indicators which have been developed in-house. However, there is no recognised methodology for the development of these indicators, and an analysis of available guidance led to the proposal of an appropriate model. This model was tested by semi-structured interviews of water-company managers, and a questionnaire was completed by managers from other industries. The responses from the interviews supported the inclusive, quality-driven approach advocated by the model, and indicated a need to examine (a) the style of management, (b) the staffing structure in water companies, (c) the connection between environmental management systems and indicator development, (d) types of objectives and targets, and (e) the use of indicators as public-relations tools. The result is a methodology for indicator development which can be applied by managers in industry.     

A framework for understanding purchasing in building construction companies

Purchasing on the part of a building construction company involves actors inside and outside the organization. These actors are driven by different motives that influence purchasing decisions in different situations. An explicit framework that assists in understanding the different purchasing situations would be of benefit to companies and researchers. Through a study of purchasing theory and practices, including interviews with a number of building construction companies, a framework of purchasing is proposed. The framework covers all stages in the purchasing process and focuses on four factors: (1) purchasing situations; (2) level of complexity; (3) active roles and (4) supply chain involvement. The inter-relationships between these factors are discussed from the perspective of the companies.     

Use of Personality Profile Assessments in the U.S. Commercial Construction Industry

Employee turnover is a continuing challenge in the construction industry with negative effects on construction companies. Other industries have begun using personality profile assessments as a tool for reducing employee turnover, and more specifically in their hiring, promoting, team building, and leadership development processes. However, it was unknown if this trend was effecting the construction industry. The purpose of this research was to determine if and how U.S. commercial construction companies utilize personality profiles in their employee retention processes. A survey was randomly sent to 235 of the top 400 commercial construction companies in the United States to determine if these companies were using assessments, and if it had any effect on the turnover within these companies. Interviews were conducted over the phone with human resources representatives from these companies, and responses were sorted into similar themes and ideas using qualitative pattern coding techniques. Of the 78 responding companies, one-third were using employee personality profiles within their business practices. This article reports the experiences and general attitudes for both the companies that do and do not utilize personality profiles. The results of this research provides strong evidence that using personality profile assessments can help construction companies reduce employee turnover.     

Experimental parametric study of forced and mixed convection in a passenger aircraft cabin mock-up

Forced and mixed convection has been investigated experimentally in a full scale passenger aircraft cabin mock-up. The mock-up represents a generic cabin section of the A380 upper deck. Large scale particle image velocimetry (PIV) and temperature field measurements were conducted in a cross sectional plane of the cabin mock-up. The flow fields for two different air inlet configurations were measured and analysed under isothermal and cooling conditions. Furthermore the flow rates at the different air inlet positions were varied while keeping the air exchange rate constant. Our extensive experimental parametric study demonstrates that the flow field in aircraft cabins is affected by various fluid mechanical phenomena. Interaction between the supplied air jets, negative buoyancy forces acting on these air jets and interaction of thermal plumes with the supplied air jets, all influence the flow field inside the cabin. The impact of these effects differs considerably depending on the ventilation configuration and relative mass flow settings at the supply inlets.     

Defects in offsite construction: timber module prefabrication

The construction industry is based on craftsmanship. Quality control and assurance procedures applied in manufacturing cannot usually be readily applied in construction, where there are higher degrees of uniqueness in each project. One category of companies, industrialized housebuilders, is attempting to bridge some of the gaps between construction and manufacturing. These companies prefabricate building modules for later assembly at the building site. Since they are wholly responsible for large parts of the building process, these companies have greater opportunities to control and improve quality in a more consistent way than ordinary construction companies. Thus, it could be hypothesized that the frequency and severity of defects should be lower in industrialized housing than in ordinary construction. The aim of the study presented here is to examine this hypothesis by measuring and characterizing defects in industrialized housing. The design and manufacturing processes at two Swedish timber module prefabrication firms has been analysed through interviews, site visits and document reviews. Quality audits from three phases of the building process were compiled, analysed and categorized to provide statistical measures of defects in industrialized housing. The results show that the case study companies are better in terms of product quality than conventional housing.