The importance of UXO surveys

Buried grenades, artillery shells and bombs pose a real threat during construction works, and may be more common than you imagine. Choosing to carry out a UXO survey will ensure health and safety levels are maintained.

 

UXO abbreviates Unexploded Ordinance, a term used to describe unexploded grenades, bullets, artillery shells and mortars. A UXB is an Unexploded Bomb, and many UXOs and UXBs remain today on ex military training areas or areas targeted by air raids in World War II. 

 

UXOs and UXBs are obviously a threat to health and safety; and they can also create unnecessary environmental damage and cost implications. A UXO survey will assess whether there are any UXO causes for concern, which may be more common than you first think. It has been reported that over 15,000 UXOs were found between 2006 and 2009, in the UK alone. A 1,000kg bomb was found in East London in 2008 which had the potential to cause considerable damage, thus highlighting the importance of a UXB or UXO survey.

 

A Geophysical UXO survey will typically detect large UXBs up to 5 metres, and smaller items which are buried up to 2 metres deep. The most common areas for World War II UXBs to be found are London and Portsmouth; the area most heavily targeted by air raids.

 

The identification and location of harmful artillery is often essential at the design stage of construction projects, and an UXO survey may be of particular relevance to the redevelopment of brownfield sites. There are many types of UXO surveys, and to choose the best option surveyors will assess a number of factors. They will look at the ground type, its proposed use, the likely type of UXO and its likely depth. The survey may be used to ensure health and safety, or for use in archaeological exploration. UXO surveys can be categorised into three groups. Non-intrusive surveys involve the sensing of items from the surface, intrusive surveys involve data collection from sensors inside the ground, and marine surveys detect UXOs and other metallic objects under the sea.

 

Magnetometry is one of the more common techniques used in non-intrusive surveys, which uses Electro Magnetic Systems. Intelligent software manages the findings of UXO surveys into a comprehensive set of data, filtering out any ambient magnetics. This data is then assessed and demonstrated in a way which the client will understand. 

 

Buried fuel tanks and air raid shelters are another reason why a geophysical survey may need to be carried out, as they can create construction problems. Geophysical surveys also show other buried features, such as mineshafts and air voids and cavities such as vaults and sewers. The prominence of badger sets also show up in these surveys, and as they are a protected species, they must be considered during construction works. Geological surveys also show the characterisation of land forms, and can be carried out on a large scale. Other uses for these surveys are reinforced concrete mapping, used for locating foundations and such, when more foundations or a borehole are required; and high frequency structural radar, used for showing features within a building, such as hidden flues and chimneys, historic features and voiding.

 

When an UXO is discovered, specialist disposal experts may need to be contacted. Once the area is declared safe it will be possible to continue development. It is important to carry out UXO surveys to ensure work is carried out in a safe manner under general health and safety guidelines.

 

 

SUMO Services Ltd carry out all areas of geological surveying nationwide. Their services cover UXO surveying, utility mapping and detection, topographic surveying, archeological surveying and geophysical surveying.

UXB Surveying

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Telecoms cabling and networking

Telecoms are so important in todays business. Getting the correct cabling and network solutions is important to having a network that functions correctly. We identify the types of cabling here.

 

Telecoms have really grown over the years. A full telecom system is now very complex and
can grow to include miles of cabling, dozens of different systems and plenty of
complication. Therefore it is essential to know of the options available to you.

 

Getting an expert in to provide your structured data cabling systems is often a daunting
affair. There are a number of different options and the costs can be large. However, dealing with a
proper specialist can result in a much more efficient system that saves plenty of money
in the long run.

 

Failure to install structured data cabling in the most efficient way can lead to a telecoms system that doesnt function as well as it could. This can mean that you have to deal with slower systems and sluggish performance. This in itself can lead to a decline in the service that you offer to your customers. This can mean a poor level of service for your clients. Slow internet or poor quality phone systems can directly affect your business. Therefore the extra cost involved in having a true expert in structured data cabling can really pay dividends in the medium to long term.

 

There has been plenty of advancement in the structured cabling industry. New procedures, products and leaps in technology have all contributed to an ever-evolving sector. Networks have become bigger and more complex than ever before. As more businesses rely on a growing number of computers and devices, networks have had to become bigger and faster. Many years ago a network may have
consisted of as little as two different systems. Now this has evolved to a large number of businesses needing to connect literally hundreds or even thousands of computers and devices to a single network. This allows all users to share information quickly and efficiently. It also allows for additional security. This has also become increasingly important over the years.

 

There are a number of different telecoms options. You could use VoIP or an existing analogue system. VoIP often works out a lot cheaper and allows for calls to be placed over an internet connection. In this case calls are much cheaper in most cases, especially internationally. However, it does mean that for optimum call quality that you will want a competent internet connection.

 

Cat 6a and Cat 7 cabling will allow 10-gigabit Ethernet over 100 metres of copper cabling. This kind of cabling consists of four twisted copper wire pairs. They are rated for transmission frequencies of up to 600mhz. This can help to provide good quality structured cable solutions which result in speed and efficiency of your system.

 

There is of course also the option of fibre optic links. This type of data cabling uses photons to transmit data rather than the traditional electrical pulses. This means that much higher speeds can be reached and data loss can be minimised. It also allows cabling to stretch much further than copper cable. This provides a great solution for larger systems or where information needs to be shared over longer distances.

 

Comm-si can provide voice and data network cabling
solutions that really help your business. They provide a large variety of solutions. They can help with
standard cat5e Lan, cat6, cat 6a, cat 7 and even fibre optic links. They provide a fast
and efficient service. structured cabling 

systems 

 

Health and safety in the workplace: Fire safety at work

Employers are legally obliged to train staff in fire safety, which also serves the bigger purpose of keeping staff and visitors safe in your place of work. This article discusses the importance of fire awareness training and the different types available.

There are three main causes for fires at work. Arson is the top cause – deliberately started fires – and these are the hardest to guard against. The other two main causes – a lack of awareness of hazards and carelessness are much easier to do something about, simply by providing good staff fire safety at work training. Good staff fire awareness training should increase fire awareness and reduce carelessness by increasing understanding of health and safety in the workplace. 

              

Each workplace is different so fire training programmes vary; although ensuring staff have fire training is a legal requirement. The style and contents of the training to be used is up to the owner or person in charge of health and safety; training must be found which is at the correct level for their company type and with content which most suits their company. There is also no law on how fire awareness training should be carried out.
Fire safety at work training can be completed as an external course attended by staff outside of the workplace; or a trainer can come into a company and run an in-house training session. An online or CD-ROM course is a perfect training medium as it means training can be done in-house, at a time which suits the company, and each member of staff can complete the training at different times, so staff are not all tied up in training at the same time.

However the training is provided there are certain elements which will always be present in a good training programme for fire safety at work –

• Fire awareness training – how fires are started, what keeps them going and what makes them spread
• Fire precautions – techniques to reduce the likelihood of a fire in the workplace.
• Fire procedures – staff should know the Fire Action Plan, who the Fire Wardens are, what the fire signs mean and what to do when evacuating
• Housekeeping – keeping fire exit routes clear and signs visible with suitable lighting to the fire assembly point, keeping flammable and combustible products safely stored away.
• Protection – fire doors, safety checks – smoke alarms, sprinkler systems and extinguishers, regular inspection and testing of electrical equipment
• What to do in the event of a fire – how to raise the alarm, what evacuation steps to take.
• Record keeping – it’s important to keep records of training and provide proof of completion for each member of staff

In addition to content it is important that health and safety programmes are not too long or short. Staff must be able to easily digest and retain the information, so interactivity is important – and a test – staff are going to pay much more attention if they know they are going to have a test at the end!

Fire safety programmes vary extensively and it is important to find the right provider. If their website includes customer reviews and testimonials, read them and listen to recommendations. With computer-based courses look for websites offering a preview.

Once fire awareness training has been completed get feedback, look for improvement in working practice and behaviour and make sure training is repeated at regular intervals. Health and safety in the workplace is of fundamental importance so take the time to get the training programme right.

 The Interactive Health And Safety Company provide all areas of health and safety training in the workplace. Their Fire Awareness In The Workplace programme can be completed online or on CD-ROM, and is a cost-effective and time-efficient way of ensuring staff stay safe and meet legal requirements.  Fire safety training 

Six steps to successful SEO

Creating successful site content is no longer about traditional SEO methods. Gone are the days of keyword-stuffing, and good quality content is taking over. Making your online content successful is simple if you follow these easy steps.

SEO is a vast area, with many directions and areas. The intention, however, is always to achieve the most visitors to a website. This is easily done if you follow these six steps:

Rule #1: Choose quality over quantity

In the online world, we often forget the old adage of ‘less is more’, as ‘more’ is exactly what we are in search of: more hits, more shares, more links. We therefore assume that the more keyword dense (and page dense) our site, the better its search engine visibility. However, this is not always the case. Google’s Panda update advised website owners to remove duplicate, similar or irrelevant content. It is far more effective is to limit less important content to fewer pages, and even go so far as to delete poor quality content from the site altogether.

Rule #2 – Vary your language

The idea of repeatedly using the exact same keyword over and over again is both unnatural and outdated. Our everyday language is varied, so why should our pages be any different? Switch between different varieties of the keyword instead. Not only will the language appear more natural, you’ll avoid being accused of keyword stuffing, or having the kind of over-optimised page that doesn’t work for Google.

Rule #3 – Captivate, don’t calculate

While there’s nothing wrong with a certain amount of scaling or automating in creating web content, it is important to keep in mind that there is no magical formula for SEO copywriting. Any formulaic approach, such as attempting to calculate the optimal level of keyword density, will only lead to laboured, unnatural copy that impresses no one. Instead, focus on creating high quality, captivating content for your audience.

Rule #4 –  Do not underestimate the impact of a clever headline

A clever headline which captures the audience’s attention will lead to more clicks, more shares and more traffic than a dull, generic headline will, no matter how good the SEO.
However, it is important to strike the right balance between clever (smart, captivating and containing at least one topic keyword) and ‘too clever’ – vague, un-engaging and potentially off-putting. Check out Copyblogger for some ideas.

Rule # 5 – Don’t focus on the word count

Write only the required amount of content. Once again, it is all about striking the correct balance – your post should be long enough to fully inform and engage the reader, but not so long that it becomes boring. Remember, whatever the length of your post, quality is your foremost priority.

Rule #6 – Don’t scrimp on writer’s fees

While you could save money by going for low quality content that costs less, in the long run, this will do more harm to your website than good. As with many of the rules above, always choose quality over quantity.

KPI  are a team of designated SEO experts, providing all manner of SEO, PPC, social media and link building services. Their team of copywriters will ensure your website content remains up-to-date, captivating and search engine friendly.
SEO by KPI