NEWS & APPOINTMENTS
Building owners and managers face ‘blizzard’ of new fire regs
The team behind the industry’s building maintenance standard SFG20 have prepared a series of updates to help building owners and managers cope with an unprecedented increase in the number of fire regulations. New Fire Safety (England) Regulations came into force on January 23rd and introduced stringent new legal requirements for anyone responsible for fire safety in high-rise residential buildings (HRRBs). These new duties come hot on the heels of the Fire Safety Act 2021 and the Building Safety Act 2022, both of which came into force last year, along with updates to the Building Regulations Approved Document B, which were applied from December 1st last year. Some industry experts have voiced concern about the ability of the industry to absorb all these changes in such a short space of time, although they also recognise the need for a tighter focus on fire safety in buildings following the Grenfell Tower tragedy. The regulations close several important loopholes in previous legislation not least around the need for more regular checks on fire doors and better information for building residents. They also place greater responsibilities on building duty holders. The initial focus of the new fire safety regime is on HRRBs, which are defined as being at least 18 metres high or consisting of seven storeys including two or more residential units. However, the government has been clear that the new rules will eventually be extended to all types of building.
Four completely new schedules will be available in the SFG20 core library this month and four existing schedules have been updated to improve clarity and terminology and bring them in line with the legislation. The team has also cross-referenced 15 existing schedules with the new schedules for multi-occupied, multi-storey buildings where further maintenance may be required. “The blizzard of new fire safety legislation that has hit the industry in the past 12 months
is unprecedented,” said SFG20’s managing director Kirsty Cogan. “It reflects the totally understandable desire to double down on fire safety, but many building owners and maintainers are concerned about their ability to cope with the extra level of detail involved. “However, the beauty of the SFG20 system is that we can pinpoint the key changes and their associated service and maintenance tasks on behalf of our users. This considerably simplifies their job and ensures they can quickly achieve compliance – and peace of mind.” For more information about the fire safety regulations and new SFG20 schedules visit https://
blog.sfg20.co.uk/resources/news/fire-safety-regulations
Veolia passes new milestone for delivering renewable electricity to UK
Appointments
Grant UK appoints new area sales manager
Grant UK has welcomed back Gareth Grinsell, who has been appointed as area sales manager for South West England. Gareth was formerly part of Grant UK’s technical team so he brings a wealth of experience to his new role which will be providing sales support to customers throughout the South West. As the area sales manager for South West England, Gareth will be working with installers, merchants and other heating professionals throughout the counties of Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset and Avon. Gareth will be on hand to provide sales and product support for all of Grant’s sustainable heating solutions, from their HVO compatible oil-fired boilers and award-winning Aerona3 air source heat pumps through to their underfloor heating systems and other complementary technologies. “I am really looking forward to this exciting new chapter,” comments Gareth. “Having worked for Grant UK for over 10 years as part of their technical team and then installing Grant boilers and heat pumps for the past five years, I have a solid understanding of the products and what support customers need. I am looking forward to providing on-site technical support, assisting with designs and quotations, and building relationships with existing and new customers in my area.”
New Setra CEO appointed
The wood industry company Setra has appointed Marcus Westdahl as its new chief executive. Marcus Westdahl is currently chief executive of EFG European Furniture Group. He has held several other senior positions in the wood and paper industries over the past 20 years.
Anders Källström, Chairman of Setra, said: “We
are very pleased that Marcus Westdahl is taking over as CEO of Setra. He has extensive experience in leading positions in the furniture and paper industries and has achieved very good results.” “I am both proud and pleased about the confidence the company has in me. Setra has an exciting market position and owners that are keen to invest in increasing efficiency and competitiveness. Setra has great opportunities to continue its positive development even in a somewhat tougher market, and it is on a journey that I am really looking forward to help shape,” says Marcus Westdahl. In recent years, Setra has made significant investments in new modern equipment at several of its plants, with new drying facilities and new machines that increase capacity. The company has built a brand new trimming and planing line in Hasselfors and the company’s wood industry centre in Långshyttan is continuing to grow. The company manufactures glulam, CLT, joists and components there.
A-Gas appoints group commercial director
Global resource management company Veolia , has passed a new milestone for delivering Net Zero power by delivering more than six times the renewable electricity to the grid than it uses across its 400 offices and sites across the UK.
By generating 856 GWh of electricity using a combination of biomass, landfill gas, biogas and Energy Recovery facilities (ERF), that qualify under the Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGO) scheme, the company is able to supply a secure annual equivalent to power 240,000 homes. This exported electricity adds to the 2.5TWh of CHP, low carbon and renewable generation that serves around 500 customer sites spanning the industrial, healthcare, water, leisure, district heating, education and retail sectors. This output includes 134MWe of generation capacity using biogas, biomass, and solar sources which save around 200,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year for Veolia’s customers. Commenting on the achievement, Gavin Graveson, Veolia Senior Executive
Vice President Northern Europe Zone said: “Energy market volatility, and the ability to deliver stable power has highlighted the importance of reliable sources of energy that can support our modern lives and the UK power infrastructure. By actively developing renewable and low carbon generation we can already produce the affordable and sustainable energy that is essential to support communities and businesses.
A-Gas has announced the appointment of Louise McCann as group commercial director. Her objective is to lead the global commercial team in providing first class key account management, while enhancing the solutions A-Gas offers to its customers worldwide. Louise said: “I am proud to hold the position of group commercial director as we continue our environmental journey. I am highly encouraged by the dedication of our global commercial teams as we seek to support our customers in fulfilling their sustainability goals through lifecycle refrigerant management.” She joined A-Gas in 2005 and has held a number
of roles in the A-Gas business, supporting customers during periods of regulatory change in various regions in line with their corporate commitments.
In 2015, Louise became managing director of A-Gas Australia, followed by re- locating to Canada in 2019 after accepting the role of managing director of A-Gas Canada where she helped establish the business on the ground. She relocated to Dallas, Texas, in 2021 when her role was extended to include all commercial responsibilities for North America. Louise returns to Australia as she begins her role as Group Commercial Director. She will also lead the Asia-Pacific region, including Australia and New Zealand, leveraging her knowledge and skillsets across this region.
4 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER MARCH 2023 Read the latest at:
www.bsee.co.uk
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