Pensions auto-enrolment – an overview

From 2012, changes to pensions law will affect all employers with at least one worker in the UK.

This Fact sheet, provided by Citation plc and based on The Pensions Regulator’s document ‘Workplace Pensions Law is Changing’, is an overview of these changes, including what employers must do and how they might set about getting ready.

Citation plc is the UK’s leading Employment Law and Health & Safety compliance consultancy.

Download the Fact sheet here.

For more information, please call 0845 844 1111 or visit www.citation.co.uk.


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Dorma ED 100 Offers Proven Reliability in IceHotel's Sub-Zero Temperatures

Entrance to the IceHotel’s luxurious Royal Deluxe Suite

 

At the world-famous IceHotel in Sweden, ice is the key material. However, there are just some things that just can’t be made from ice, including doors and door controls.

 

For the entrance to the hotel’s luxurious Royal Deluxe Suite, a glass door and an automatic swing door operator were required but with this came the challenge of finding a product that would operate at sub-zero temperatures. DORMA market leader ED 100 door closer was up to the ice cold challenge.

Every year in Jukkasjärvi, 200km north of the Arctic Circle, the IceHotel is erected from 1,000 tonnes of snow with each unique suite created by a different designer from around the world. Faced with internal temperatures of -8°C, the IceHotel’s most luxurious suite needed intelligent door technology that would not be impaired by the climate and could still perform in the harshest conditions.

Delivering smooth operation and closing reliability at extreme temperatures, the ED 100 electromechanical swing door operator from DORMA proved ideal.

In low temperatures, the viscosity of the hydraulic fluid used in traditional swing door operators will rise. This can cause resistance and a decrease in speed which means the door may not close properly. As the ED 100 doesn’t use a closed hydraulic system, instead equipped with a multi stage gear, the operator requires only a small amount of high performance grease to continue to function at the highest standard.

New low cost card acceptance service for small businesses shortlisted for 3 awards

Payatrader, the pioneer of the UK’s first fully integrated, low cost, multi-channel debit & credit card acceptance solution developed to benefit millions of small businesses has been shortlisted in 3 categories for the prestigious Cards & Payments awards, which seek to independently recognise customer service, excellence and innovation in the card and payment industry.

Payatrader has been shortlisted in the following categories:

•    Best Initiative in Mobile Payments
•    Best Technology Initiative of the Year
•    Best Industry Innovation of the Year

Bill Thomson, MD at Acceptacard Limited and co-founder of Payatrader comments:  

"To be shortlisted in three categories for this year's awards is a real honour and huge achievement for everyone involved in developing and supporting the Payatrader solution. We are also delighted to be shortlisted in all 3 categories which in itself is recognition of our contribution to the UK cards & payments market”
 
Payatrader developed and delivered the UK’s first card acceptance proposition truly dedicated to small businesses, as a fully integrated solution enabling users to view all transactions from all channels – online, telephone, mobile, email, contact centre and secure GPRS chip and pin terminal with electronic receipting - in a single account”.

Since launch earlier this year, Payatrader has recruited a diverse range of customers and are poised to grow rapidly with an already established a mix of partnerships with trade and other membership organisations.

The finalists’ event is being held in February 2013.

For more information contact:

Acceptacard Limited
Victory House
400 Pavilion Drive
Northampton
NN4 7PA

www.payatrader.com    

Email: enquiries@payatrader.com    

Telephone Enquiries: 0333 123 1243


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Chris Lake is BWF Apprentice of the Year

18 year old Chris Lake, apprentice joiner at GS Haydon & Son Ltd in South Molton, Devon has won the prestigious British Woodworking Federation (BWF) Apprentice of the Year Award 2012.

At a glittering dinner at Lord’s Cricket Ground Pavilion on Friday attended by UK joinery industry’s most senior figures and business leaders, Chris was presented with his award by Stuart Littlefair, Specialist Manager from CITB-ConstructionSkills which sponsored the award. Chris also received a £150 cash prize from management consultants Lignum Associates.

Yale Follows Expert Advice for Doormaster™

Yale has introduced three new products to its popular Doormaster range. Two new 16mm faceplate composite locks and a smart new Gearbox Kit join the Doormaster portfolio, emphasising Yale’s commitment to satisfying customer needs.

Based on feedback from Yale’s customers, Yale has added to its popular Doormaster™ replacement multipoint lock product portfolio with two 16mm faceplate locks for composite or timber doors, offered with a 35mm or 45mm backset.

Yale has also unveiled a new Gearbox kit, providing a convenient and professional storage unit, which can be easily transported between site visits.

The new Gearbox kit has been carefully designed to enable the full Doormaster™ Replacement Gearbox range to be kept together.  There is also space to add three further Gearboxes of choice, and the kit also includes a Doormaster™ Overnight Lock and Universal PVCu keep, along with a T20 Torx driver. 

Says Paul Deans, Technical Adviser at Yale: “Our customers increasingly asked for a 16mm faceplate composite lock and we were more than happy to oblige, enabling Doormaster™ to help replace failing multipoint locks in even more door types.

“The new composite locks, together with the new Gearbox kits are both clear examples of how we will continue to introduce new additions to our Doormaster™ range and meet the needs of our customers, quickly and efficiently.”

Multipoint locks are fitted to 70% of all new external residential doors and many older multipoint locks are reaching the end of their lifecycle. Over the coming months and years, growing numbers of multipoint locks are expected to fail, with over one million expected to require replacement this year alone.

The new Composite Locks and Gearbox Kits have been cleverly designed to complement the existing Yale Doormaster™ multipoint lock range and offer a genuine ‘one visit, one repair solution.’

The complete Doormaster™ range is available now from Yale and major distributors across the UK.

To find out more, please visit www.yale.co.uk/doormaster or email locksmiths@yale.co.uk.



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Fantastic, misty fogs

 

Road safety charity the IAM is offering weekly motoring tips from Britain’s top advanced driver, Peter Rodger. This week he is advising motorists on how to drive safely through fog.

 

“Fog is one of the most difficult conditions to drive in. Ensure you are prepared so that you can carry out your journey safely, and allow lots of extra time for the trip.” commented Peter.

 

Here are some of his tips for driving in the fog:

• Before setting off, clean your windows and windscreen and ensure all your lights are working.

• When you’re ready to leave, switch on the dipped headlights. Use front and rear fog lights if visibility is less than 100 metres, but don’t forget to switch them off when visibility improves – leaving fog lights on when headlights would be adequate is an offence.

• Use your windscreen wipers on an intermittent setting to clear moisture.

• Switch the heater or air conditioning on and leave it running to keep the inside of the glass clear.

• Slow down and keep enough distance between yourself and the vehicle in front - make sure you can stop safely within the distance you can see clearly.

• Fog is not the same density all the time – it may get thicker, slow down if it does.

• Brake gently but earlier than usual so your brake lights warn drivers behind.

• Be aware that other vehicles may be travelling without their lights on, so extra care and attention is needed. At junctions, wind the window down and listen for traffic.

• Straining to see through thick fog will quickly make you tired – take regular breaks.

• Take high-viz clothing in case you have to leave the car.

 

“Don’t underestimate the effect fog has on your visibility. Adjusting your driving to the weather conditions will help you to become a safer and more confident driver through the winter months.” continued Peter.
 

To help drivers stay safe this winter, the IAM has launched a winter driving campaign which includes a dedicated website, drivingadvice.org.uk, with traffic updates, weather forecasts and tips on how to drive safely in winter.

Tips cover rain, snow, ice, fog and wind – everything you can expect in a typically unpredictable British winter. Check it out before you travel.

 

About the IAM

The IAM is the UK’s largest independent road safety charity, dedicated to improving standards and safety in driving, motorcycling and cycling. 

 

The commercial division of the IAM operates through its occupational driver training company IAM Drive & Survive. 

 

The IAM has more than 200 local volunteer groups and over 100,000 members in the UK and Ireland.

 

It is best known for the advanced driving test and the advanced driving, motorcycling and cycling courses. 

 

Its policy and research division offers advice and expertise on road safety.


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British high street is the “show room” for online and mobile shopping

Research from Skrill shows over one third of Brits window shop before buying on mobile or online, indicating a future shopping experience with the physical and digital integrated

One in three Brits use the high street just to window-shop, using mobile phones to compare prices, save details for buying online at home or make purchases, according to research commissioned for digital wallet provider Skrill as part of its Future of Money campaign. The research uncovers an evolving shopping ecosystem, where the high street, online and mobile co-exist to deliver an all round experience.

Although 82% of British adults bought online in 2012, the Skrill research reveals the high street is still playing a role in driving today’s behaviours. When out shopping, 22.8% of Brits have compared prices on their mobile, while a third have saved the details of an item in store in order to complete check-out on the web (33.6%) or have seen something in a store but ordered it online at another time (33.8%). A small, but potentially significant, 7.4% of high street shoppers have even used their mobile phone as an alternative check-out and purchased goods whilst in store, a figure that rises to 10.1% for those aged 25-34 years.

Siegfried Heimgaertner, Skrill CEO commented: "Our research has uncovered an emerging generation of shopper, one who is combining their mobile device with the internet to reach an alternative retail check-out process.

While we see cries of the ‘death of the high street’, consumers continue to leave the house for shopping inspiration, even if they then make the purchase via a smartphone or at home on the computer. As a result, we see an opportunity for high street retailers to turn browsers into buyers whilst in-store.

We expect this trend to continue as people look to remove traditional cash and card transactions, replacing them with online and mobile payments such as Skrill 1-Tap, for added speed and convenience. It will be fascinating to see what’s in-store for the future of shopping, with physical stores, online and mobile all incorporated into the retail experience.” 

Image: High Bridge, High Street, Lincoln - courtesy of Lincolnian on Flickr


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Highly demanding refurbishment of Georgian gem wins BWF technical award

The UK joinery industry’s highest technical award was announced at the annual dinner of the British Woodworking Federation (BWF) at Lord’s Cricket Ground last Friday.

Following a keynote speech about the London 2012 Olympic legacy by Dr Peter Bonfield, Chief Executive of BRE, the BWF’s 2012 award for technical excellence and innovation in joinery manufacture was given to Icklesham Joinery for its outstanding renovation of the Robert Adam designed RSA House off the Strand in London.

This Georgian masterpiece, first built in 1774 and now one of the most exclusive business, social and film location venues in London, has been the home of some of the greatest thinkers and social activists of the past 200 years. Its Great Room has a famous glass domed roof allowing daylight to illuminate the celebrated paintings ‘The Progress of Human Knowledge’ by James Barry which adorn the upper walls.

Family-owned Icklesham Joinery in East Sussex was tasked with supplying the specialist joinery items for the House’s refurbishment including air conditioning unit housings, fire-rated doorsets and shutters, roof lantern mouldings, oak wall panelling, oak speaker enclosure units, cloakroom storage and the double entrance doors into the Great Room which also had to incorporate a hidden projector.

Marc Horsman, Contracts Manager, Ross Horsman, Purchasing Manager, and Joint MDs Robert and Jim Horsman, collected the award trophy from Wendy Trott, MD of Timbmet which sponsored this year’s award.

DORMA SPECIFICATION IS FIRST CLASS AT KING’S CROSS REGENERATION

 

At the redevelopment of London’s King’s Cross Railway Station – viewed as part of the largest urban regeneration project in Europe – an extensive range of automatics, door closers and ironmongery from DORMA has been used to help transform this historic facility into a transport hub fit for the 21st Century.

 

Originally built in 1852, the new-look King’s Cross Station combines old and new architecture and includes refurbishment of the Grade I Listed Western Range to be used by station staff, train-operating companies and their management teams. Designed by John McAslan & Partners for Network Rail, the new Western Concourse – including atrium, offices, retail units and the Western Range building – will form a contemporary gateway for millions of visitors.

 

At the historic station, it was a prerequisite that the Western Range’s internal and external doors provided safe, secure and reliable access. Used by hundreds of staff members every day, it was vital that door components were robust and met the latest fire legislation, so proven performance was essential. Provided by architectural ironmongery specialists Scott Beaven Radius Ltd, a large number of DORMA automatics, door closers and ironmongery was supplied – with the company’s products renowned for elegance, reliability and long term performance.

 

For its virtually silent, smooth operation, a series of DORMA ED 100 low energy swing door operators were supplied. These were installed to enable the doors to be opened under power when required and used as a conventional manual swing door at all other times.

 

Opening the door at precisely controlled speeds and forces, the ED 100 assures safety for all users and removes the barrier of physical ability.

 

Designed as part of DORMA’s elegant Contur range, the dimensions are kept to a minimum and the product styling co-ordinates with other DORMA automatics, manual door closers and ironmongery to seamlessly blend into any interior.

 

FULHAM BRASS GOES KEY FREE WITH YALE

Fulham Brass has become the latest architectural ironmonger to sign up as a stockist of Yale’s innovative digital door lock range, to offer customers all the convenience of digital door locking, without compromising on security.

Fulham Brass has shared a partnership with Yale since its opening, incorporating many of the home security specialist’s solutions into a comprehensive security offering.

Fulham based, the specialist architectural ironmonger now presents the innovative Keyfree digital door lock to offer convenient and flexible home security to its prestigious homeowner clientele, alongside the new Keyless rim lock for composite and timber doors.

Both allow homeowners access and to secure their home using a personalised PIN code, with no need for a traditional key.

Fulham Brass Owner, Conrad Sandler said: “There is no denying that electronic locking is now part of everyday living, so we have no doubt that our customers will quickly see the benefits of a key free lifestyle.

“At the same time, the aesthetics of hardware and also the security factors have to remain at a very high level to accommodate the bespoke requirements of our customers. Yale’s digital door lock collection meets these objectives to offer total peace of mind and an innovative approach to high security.”

Yale’s Keyfree digital door lock allows keyless entry either through a push button remote keyfob or by entering a combination code into the lock. Battery operated, the standalone unit is fitted to almost any type of new or existing door and comes with a voice guide that advises users when the door is secure and a built in alarm to prevent tampering.

The new Keyless rim lock allows consumers to access and secure their home using a personalised PIN code, with no need for a traditional key. The PIN code can be set via a keypad to any 4 to 12 digit number of the user’s choice and can be reprogrammed at any time. For added convenience, users can also set up a separate visitor code to provide access for family, friends or tradesmen.

Clive Seakens, Key Account Manager for Yale commented: “We are delighted to have Fulham Brass on board as a stockist of our innovative digital door lock range, as a prestigious company that Yale has worked with for many years.

“The introduction of Keyfree and Keyless is testament to our commitment to developing digital solutions for homeowners, whilst never losing cite of our need to offer the ultimate security. Customers such as Fulham Brass who adopt these products continue to offer complete home protection and together, we can grow and work together in partnership to ensure our customers know they are in safe hands.”

For more information on Yale’s Keyfree, Keyless or digital door lock range, please visit www.yale.co.uk. For Fulham Brass information or contact details, please visit www.fulhambrassonline.com.


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