Say ‘no’ to washroom waste and noise Health & Hygiene
are two areas where the greatest savings can be made in facilities management services, according to research from the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP). Figures revealed by the Environment Agency in 2011 show that 309,450,299 tonnes of business related electrical equipment was put on the market over the previous year, of which only 5% was recycled.
B
usy washrooms in a school or college need durable, energy-efficient washroom equipment, which also makes economic sense, says Trudi Osborne, Marketing Communications Manager at Airdri.
Less is more
“School washrooms are busy hubs with a heavy daily footfall, making them costly to maintain. High energy and water consumption not only push up bills, but they leave an unenviable environmental footprint.
Reduced energy and materials consumption
Hand-dryers in washrooms are often disposed of in favour of new models when the motor becomes tired, but improved technology means that companies no longer need to constantly invest in new machines or repairs. Avoiding electrical waste is also in line with stringent new EU targets set this year, encouraging more rigid recycling of electrical equipment.
Reducing the environmental footprint Facility managers used to be reluctant to replace paper towels with electronic hand dryers because they were thought to be less effective and take too long to dry hands.
A new generation of high-speed hand dryers has dispelled that perception. There is no longer a need to fell trees and consume energy in the production of paper towels: warm air hand dryers are a more responsible choice for those concerned with their environment.
No noise please
Education establishments require a quiet, calm environment and noisy appliances are not only a nuisance, they affect concentration and can cause stress, according to the World Health Organisation.
There is no reason why washrooms in education environments should be any different from their surroundings and choosing the right equipment can help recreate the same calm, quiet atmosphere in the washroom.
Clean savings
When investing in washroom equipment, organisations can now choose products that qualify for the government’s Enhanced Capital Allowance (ECA) scheme, managed by the Carbon Trust.
Under this scheme, institutions are rewarded for investing in energy saving technologies with an accelerated tax break against the purchase of verified products, listed on its Energy Technology Product List.”
Choosing listed products enables companies to invest in energy efficient equipment with less upfront cost, resulting in lower energy bills and a decrease in Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) payments.
uwww.airdri.com
British Red Cross sends free ‘party’ first aid DVD to every secondary school in Britain
T
he British Red Cross has developed a new, hard-hitting DVD resource for secondary schools which tackles the issues around teenage drinking.
The DVD, which will be sent to 6000 British secondary schools, comes after British Red Cross research shows drinking as a major concern amongst teen groups.
Teen drinking concerns
The DVD is based on realistic scenarios that teenagers can find themselves in, in order to break through the apathy and apprehension surrounding first aid learning.
Joe Mulligan, Head of First Aid Education at the British Red Cross, said: “It’s time to move first aid into the twenty-first century, to get away from the ‘clinical’ image of first aid and show young people how and where these skills are relevant to their lives.
Mulligan continued: “We devised this DVD after talking to young people about the situations they find themselves in. We all know that teenagers drink – that’s a fact. “In a scenario like a house party, if there’s an accident it’s likely the first person on the scene will be another teenager.
“Knowing how to take action in a situation like this could save someone’s life,” concluded Mulligan.
Red Cross research
The British Red Cross asked 1000 11-18 year olds about situations they’d found themselves in where they had been at risk, and what kind of first aid advice they wanted to learn. Three quarters of 15-18 year olds said they, or their friends, had been in situations where they had drunk too much, yet only half felt confident they’d know what to do if someone collapsed from drinking.
Other situations young people identified as affecting them included: • Being involved in a fight and drinking too much alcohol are issues relevant to more than 1 in 2 young people questioned
• One in seven 11-14 year olds, and more than a quarter of 15-18 year olds, said they or someone they knew had taken drugs
• 42% of young people said that they or someone they know have self-harmed in the past. Girls are more affected by the issue (49% vs 36% for boys). But less than half of young people (42%) said they would be confident to help someone in this situation.
Free resource
The DVD comes with teaching notes and is designed as a comprehensive lesson that anyone could use. In previous research, the British Red Cross found that 93% of parents
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www.education-today.co.uk
and 83% teachers backed the teaching of first aid in schools, but 52% of PSHE teachers across the UK said they would not feel confident to teach first aid. Over a third of teachers felt their schools were ‘not geared up’ to teach the subject.
The British Red Cross have also launched their Pupil, Citizen, Lifesaver campaign to urge the government to put first aid and humanitarian education on the new curriculum.
uFor details on the campaign, visit
www.redcross.org.uk/lifeliveit
uThe DVD will be sent to UK on 18 March, but any interested groups can order it via
www.giftshop.redcross.org.uk
February 2013
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