The Kirby Group

06/09/2016

06/07/2015

Ensure your service line only supplies compliant Gas Safe Engineers.

Check their ID is up to date
Take Care, Be Gas Safe!
Always use Gas Safe Registered Engineers.

www.thekirbygroup.co.uk

06/07/2015

Unsafe Gas Work Puts Pregnant Mother In Danger

A housing association has been fined after unsafe gas work put a pregnant mother and her two children at risk.

An HSE investigation found that in May 2014 a handyman who was not registered with Gas Safe Register, was dispatched to cut a gas pipe that was causing a tripping hazard in the living room of the Pregnant Mother home in Fulham, London.

The housing association staff believed the gas pipe was not connected to the gas supply. When the lady topped up her prepayment meter that evening, gas flooded into the property causing a serious risk of fire and explosion. Fortunately, there were no injuries and there was no damage to the property.

At Westminster Magistrates’ Court, Shepherd’s Bush Housing Association pleaded guilty to breaching its responsibilities as an employer under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The court imposed a £2,500 fine, which took into account the ‘not for profit’ status of the organisation and its previous record.

HSE inspector said: “It is essential that landlords have adequate procedures in place to ensure that an appropriately competent tradesperson is assigned for any repairs required. In this case, a Gas Safe registered engineer should have been used.”

Shepherd’s Bush Housing Association, based in Flanders Road, Chiswick, London, was also ordered to pay £1,000 in costs.

www.thekirbygroup.co.uk

06/07/2015

Experienced Gas Fitter Fined For Deliberate Breaches Of Gas Safety Regulations

A qualified gas fitter has been fined for deliberate breaches of Gas Safety regulations despite having worked in the gas industry for many years.

A qualified gas fitter was registered with Gas Safe Register through a former employer. However his registration ended when his contract ended but he continued to do gas work. This included issuing a landlords gas safety certificate using the Gas Safe registration details of his former employer on the form.
While still not Gas Safe registered, he replaced a boiler at a property in Twickenham. However Byrne did not return to finish the work and the boiler was later found to be dangerous due to defects with the flue, which risked carbon monoxide leaking into the property.

Westminster Magistrates’ Court was told by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) that Gas Engineer had left the boiler without effectively sealing it off from the gas supply.

The Gas engineer, pleaded guilty to three breaches of gas safety regulations and was fined a total of £3,500 plus £120 victim surcharge and ordered to pay £1,284 in costs.

HSE Inspector said: “The Engineer was not Gas Safe registered when he worked on gas appliances in two properties. Registered gas engineers are subject to checks and assessments to ensure their work is carried out safely.

“By deliberately choosing to work while unregistered, the Engineer avoided these checks and as a result put the lives of members of the public in their homes at risk.”

Further information on domestic gas safety issues can be found on the HSE website at http://www.hse.gov.uk/gas/domestic/

www.thekirbygroup.co.uk

06/07/2015

CRACK-DOWN ON COLD CALLERS

Government action to prevent nuisance calls and aggressive cold-calling would provide a significant boost for small businesses according to alldayPA.

Some companies are being targeted with as many as 30 cold calls a day. The significant increase in such calls is becoming a real problem for business owners, wasting time and therefore money as well as tying up lines needed to service customers.

It is encouraging frustrated businesses to add their voice to a campaign that has already attracted 140,000 pledges, and demand that Government takes action against cold-callers that target businesses.

David Joseph, board executive at alldayPA said: “The number of cold-callers targeting businesses is out of control and has become a real drain on the time and resources.
“Studies show that 64% of small businesses report nuisance calls as the biggest barrier to maximising productivity and 74% said that calls negatively affected workers’ abilities to focus on their jobs*.

“Data from the Information Commissioner’s Office shows that complaints about cold-calling rose by 41% during 2014 and business owners need Government to step in and provide an effective solution**.”

Research by Ofcom has shown that signing up to the telephone preference service, the traditional way businesses could remove themselves from marketing call lists, has reduced unwanted calls by 35% on average.

Some businesses are turning to call answering services as a way to screen unwanted calls and prevent the productivity of staff being affected.

David Joseph added: “We are seeing an increasing number of business owners using our services so that they can prioritise important calls without being distracted.

www.thekirbygroup.co.uk

06/07/2015

WOMEN CONCENTRATE LONGER THAN MEN

Women have long proclaimed that they are able to focus for longer than their male colleagues, and it seems it’s true; women really can concentrate for longer than men. This is according to new findings which have been released by the world’s largest flexible workspace provider, Regus.

3000 professionals were asked how long they can productively focus in a distraction-free environment without a break. Between one and two hours was the most popular option amongst male respondents, with 41% citing this as their limit. By comparison, 37% of the women canvassed said they can concentrate for between two and three hours, making this the most selected answer amongst females.

Celia Donne, Vice President for Global Operations at Regus comments: “Women often declare themselves to be more effective at multi-tasking, more organised and better able to focus than men. And although it’s amusing to see at least one of those stereotypes backed up by statistics, these findings do feed into a more serious conversation about the importance of a quiet, professional working environment for optimum productivity.

“As flexible working gains popularity, companies need to ensure that employees looking to function outside of the main office have access to a work space that is conducive to efficiency. Working at home can bring a multitude of distractions and interruptions. Similarly, using other popular alternative locations such as coffee shops will often find workers repeatedly disturbed.

“Our customers tell us that using a professional, flexible workspace minimises distractions and this translates directly into productivity gains. Having access to a global network of these workspaces means they can reap the benefits of working flexibly without compromising on output.”

www.thekirbygroup.co.uk

06/07/2015

The UK’s terrestrial TV service Freeview is about to get its first major overhaul since the launch of high definition.

The metadata system powering Freeview Play has been developed by Arqiva. The platform has been in heavy development for the past year, after its shareholders announced a five year investment to develop and market the technology.

The first Freeview Play TV will be launched by Panasonic. The company has five models planned, from Full HD to 4K UHD. Humax will sell set top boxes. More brands are certain to follow. OEM TV maker Vestel has already signed up and Freeview says it is in discussion with all other major brands. As with the existing Freeview service, there is no fee for consumers.

www.thekirbygroup.co.uk

05/07/2015

Compliance

Management of Building Services Risks and Compliance is the most important aspect of building operational management. This can be reduced at design stage with the engagement of a specialist building service provider and systems integrator.

Assessing the impact of failure from critical services at the design stage is paramount with regards to business continuity. As with all building services and equipment there must be clear procedures that have designated owners of actions that are monitored, recorded and checked periodically.

In addition to inspection and maintenance there are specific requirements for compliance applicable critical systems such as Electrical, Gas & Fire Systems etc.

It is imperative that the contracted service provider must be aware of requirements and is responsible for ensuring that checks are up to date and records are made available. Being able to demonstrate compliance is key.

Service providers should also demonstrate compliance as well. Does your provider come up to the mark and ensure that they are supplying trained and competent operatives?

If they are not compliant, then you may be at risk!

www.thekirbygroup.co.uk

05/07/2015

Demand for Office Space set to rise by 2019

Professional Service companies in London will need an additional 5.1 million square feet of office space by 2019, according to a report by real estate group CBRE.

Heightened demand for office space will mean companies will have to adopt pragmatic workplace strategies to fulfil business objectives as 92 percent of respondents to a CBRE Professional London survey suggest that they use workspace strategy to enhance employee satisfaction, and 83 percent of companies use it as a means to control costs.

Companies are placing greater emphasis on the "wellness" of employees against a backdrop of space intensification. Factors such as technology, the design and aesthetics of the building are gaining increasing importance alongside on-site amenities, connectivity, location and lifestyle offerings to aid employee satisfaction.

www.thekirbygroup.co.uk

28/06/2015

Electrical Safety/your Safety
Use a NICEIC Compliant Company
https://youtu.be/2VKHB9RbEkk
www.thekirbygroup.co.uk

Mike Power offers more of his expert electrical DIY advice. Here he shows you how to move a plug socket yourself. But it turns out Mike isn’t as qualified as...

28/06/2015

Is your Hotel Compliant?

The owner of a hotel in Paignton, Devon, was handed a jail sentence after admitting seven breaches of fire safety rules.

Doors in the hotel were not fire resistant.
Electrics were dangerous.
Safety evacuation procedures were inadequate.
Emergency lights were not tested.
Alarms were faulty.
A fire door was blocked with a wooden plinth, whilst another was left open with a hook on the wall.
Fire doors were unable to open or close properly.
There was inadequate firefighting equipment.
Fuse boxes were exposed.

- See more at: http://www.fia.uk.com/news/hotel-owner-jailed-over-fire-safety-breaches.html .M4OeoqWv.dpuf

http://www.thekirbygroup.co.uk

28/06/2015

Fire Sprinkler System Safety

A multi-million pound factory belonging to automative manufacturing company, Mitras, in Cheshire, was saved from devastation when a fire broke out due to a sprinkler system fitted at the premises.

Flames had engulfed the building and were coming out of the roof when fire crews arrived on the scene, but the sprinkler system contained the blaze, allowing crews to extinguish the fire. The building used a fixed pipe sprinkler system, which protected the manufacturing areas of the factory.

Keith Brooks, Head of Protection and Prevention: “This factory contained highly flammable products which, if a fire had got to them, could have been disastrous.

Thankfully, a sprinkler system contained the flames to an area involving a machine and ducting above. “Companies very rarely recover from a fire such as this, but the sprinkler system did its job and minimised the impact on the rest of the building, containing the flames to one area.

Mitras Managing Director, Andrew Goodier, said: “Whilst manufacturing has been paused for one week to allow for re wiring etc, without the sprinkler system we’d be talking two years, if not longer. - See more at: http://www.fia.uk.com/news/cheshire-factory-saved-by-sprinkler-system.html .Gq0y0yms.dpuf

http://www.thekirbygroup.co.uk

28/06/2015

Fire On-Board!

Obviously, it is better to avoid activities on board that could result in a fire occurring in the first place – careless use of smoking materials and cooking activities are 2 of the main causes of fires. But, even if you are the most careful of people it has to be recognised that fires do occur and because of the confined space in a boat the consequences of even a small fire can result in more serious injury to the occupants than would probably be the case if the same fire occurred in your own home. One or more smoke alarms carefully sited and maintained would almost certainly reduce the consequences of a fire should it occur as they can warn you very quickly to allow you to deal with it, if this is feasible, or for you to make your escape, hopefully unharmed. Boats are full of combustible materials and highly flammable fuels and this means that a fire can develop quickly and spread rapidly, damaging property and injuring, or worse still killing people. But, the real killers are the smoke and toxic fumes which can overcome you very quickly. Remember, you are most at risk when you are asleep so you should ensure that the alarm is sufficiently loud in the sleeping quarters in order that it will wake you as quickly as possible. If it is not the chances of you waking from the smell or sound of the fire are very remote – the smoke will probably send you into a deeper sleep rather than wake you! If there is a fire, a reliable, well sited and maintained smoke alarm will warn you and your family early enough for you to escape. They are not expensive and are readily available. In addition, you can easily fit and maintain them yourself. You should always choose an alarm that has been 3rd Party tested to the BS EN 14604 smoke alarm standard and carries a certification mark from a recognised testing house such as BSI, LPCB or VDS.

http://www.thekirbygroup.co.uk

19/06/2015

The latest research shows the intelligent video analytics (IVA) market will grow 33% by 2019

Global Intelligent Video Analytics Market 2015-2019 presents the geographical segmentation of the market for 2014 and details the major drivers, challenges, and trends in the market.

12/06/2015

Fire damage caused by a mirror focusing rays onto bedding..

http://www.kirbyhomesecurity.co.uk/protect.php

11/06/2015

A recent ruling in Europe has resulted in a change in the way domestic or household CCTV is governed in the UK, and applies to both new and existing domestic CCTV systems.

Find out more..

http://www.kirbyhomesecurity.co.uk/home.php

The UK’s independent authority set up to uphold information rights in the public interest, promoting openness by public bodies and data privacy for individuals.

01/06/2015

Did you know? Around 80% of businesses that suffer a serious fire go out of business within 3 years.

Install a robust fire protection system with the Kirby Group; you'll save lives, and your business.

http://www.thekirbygroup.co.uk/commercial/fire.html

The Kirby Group, a specialist building service provider and security systems integrator, that help clients plan, support and manage their building infrastructures.

01/06/2015

The Metropolitan Police Commissioner says CCTV cameras should be installed by homeowners and businesses to help detectives solve crimes

http://www.kirbyhomesecurity.co.uk/

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan Howe says CCTV cameras should be installed by homeowners and businesses to help detectives solve crimes

22/05/2015

What is the Connected Home?

Communicate
Control
Comfort
Feel Secure
Smart Lighting
Piece of mind
Intuitive
Relax

www.thekirbygroup.co.uk

22/05/2015

The connected smart home has become one of the most talked about and highly desired phenomena of recent years. In the past, security system customers have primarily been interested in feeling safe and secure. Today, in addition to security, consumers are looking for lifestyle-enhancing conveniences that improve their everyday lives and also offer control from their mobile devices.
www.thekirbygroup.co.uk

20/05/2015

9 men have been arrested and remain in custody in connection with the Hatton Garden safe deposit raid

http://www.thekirbygroup.co.uk/

Police continue to question nine men arrested in connection with the Hatton Garden safety deposit raid.

15/05/2015

Police in the West Midlands are trying to trace three men after a 38-year-old woman was threatened at gunpoint in her own home.

Dramatic footage shows three men smashing their way into a woman's home in the West Midlands, shortly before she was robbed at gunpoint

06/05/2015

Connect and secure your home with Kirby

http://www.kirbyhomesecurity.co.uk/

04/05/2015

People across the UK have been cold-called by fake “police officers” claiming cloned bank cards have been discovered in the Hatton Garden vault.

Their aim is to frighten targets into providing bank details with claims their finances are at risk.

http://www.thekirbygroup.co.uk/

Hatton Garden heist used as cover to steal bank details across UK

30/04/2015

Last year over 200 people died in fires in the home.

Did you know that you’re at least 4 times more likely to die in a fire in the home if there’s no working smoke alarm?

http://www.kirbyhomesecurity.co.uk/

Test your smoke alarms when you change your clocks on 29 March. We all lose an hour’s sleep – make sure you don’t lose more.

30/04/2015

First video from inside the raided vault at Hatton Garden revealed..

http://www.thekirbygroup.co.uk/

Dozens of security deposit boxes are seen with their doors forced open

24/04/2015

A report by the Department of Homeland Security's inspector general notes that the Secret Service took more than a year to make repairs to the broken alarm system at George H.W. Bush's Houston home.
http://www.thekirbygroup.co.uk

15/04/2015

The unbelievable Hatton Garden robbery has captured the public's imagination.

Carried out in full view of CCTV cameras that weren't being monitored externally, they STILL don't know who's responsible.

If they had our system, it simply wouldn't have happened.

http://www.thekirbygroup.co.uk

As more details emerge of the jewel robbery in London's Hatton Garden, questions about how the thieves got away with it proliferate.

12/04/2015

Teach Your Kids about Electricity and the importance of Electrical Safety... http://www.switchedonkids.org.uk/electrical-safety-in-your-home http://www.thekirbygroup.co.uk

Look around the house for electrical dangers, and learn how to use electrical appliances safely.

12/04/2015

Can you remember: Charley Says?
https://youtu.be/nxNgHE0rXdI

http://www.thekirbygroup.co.uk

Electrical Safety First, with help from award winning comedian and actor David Walliams, has brought back the nation's favourite safety character, Charley Sa...