Effective Ways To Boost A Property’s Privacy
Our homes are supposed to be a place where we feel safe, yet many people don’t feel secure within these walls. They fear that others are watching them and waiting for the perfect time to strike.
If you’ve experienced that sort of discomfort in your home before, it’s probably worth boosting your property’s privacy. A few tweaks here and there can really put your mind at ease, making it so much easier to relax.
For an idea of what changes to make, consider these four tips.
Buy A Security Camera
If you’re feeling a little unsafe in your home, a security camera may be a worthwhile investment. Obviously, this will give your property extra protection as you’ll be able to see if anyone acts suspicious or tries to get inside. It may also act as a deterrent to those thinking about breaking in, so be sure to make your camera clear for anyone to see.
While burglaries might be declining in the UK, hundreds of thousands still happen every year. So, if a security camera can stop you from adding to these statistics, it’s definitely worth getting one.
Alter The Windows
Windows are ideal fixtures for any home because they let light in and remind you that there’s a world outside. However, the only downside of them is that people can usually see just as clearly into your property as you can see out of it.
If this is a problem for you, it might be worth switching out some of the transparent windows for tinted or frosted glass. This will obscure the vision of anyone trying to look inside, giving you a bit more privacy.
Install Shutters
Changing the windows in somewhere like your living room might not seem ideal, in which case, it’s worth installing shutters instead. These are a better alternative than simply buying curtains, as they still allow a lot of light in but prevent people from seeing clearly inside.
You might wish to install these in rooms all over your house, in which case, you’ll want to buy affordable shutters that won’t break the bank. You’ll find these at The Oxford Shutter Company, whose 20+ years of experience offering high-quality products with three-year warranties make them one of the best in the business. With a wide range of designs that are made to measure and professionally installed, these shutters could be the perfect solution to your privacy woes.
Plant Trees/Shrubs
You don’t just have to make changes in your home if you want a little more privacy. The front and back of your house can also be defended from prying eyes by planting some greenery around the perimeter.
Although you probably have fencing already in place, it may be worth supporting that with several trees and hedges. These can be incredibly effective at blocking other people’s view of your home, particularly any nosy neighbours. Plus, all this greenery is great for the planet, and it can do a lot of good for the local wildlife, too, if you’re an animal lover.
Most people don’t want to feel like a recluse hiding away from the world in their home. However, there’s nothing wrong with making your property a little more private if you feel like there’s too much currently on display. Your house is supposed to be your safe space, after all.
Continue Reading4 Preventable Construction Site Dangers
The construction sector is one of the most inherently hazardous industries in the UK. From 2019 to 2020 alone, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recorded 61,000 non-fatal injuries and 40 fatalities to construction workers at the workplace. The good news is, the majority of these risks are avoidable as long as employers and employees adhere strictly to safety and health measures. What are the most common causes of accidents at a construction site, and how can you reduce the risks?
Working at Height
Falling from heights remains the top cause of deaths in construction sites, contributing to 47% of the industry’s fatalities in 2019/2020. Additionally, about 19% of non-fatal injuries during the same period were due to falls, with some severe enough to require hospitalization and result in more than a week of absence.
The Working at Height Regulations 2005 requires employees to avoid the risk of falling by completing their tasks on the ground if possible. If working at height is unavoidable, employers should ensure that all precautions are done to reduce the possibility of falls. They should conduct thorough risk assessments and establish a safe work system, such as wearing the appropriate gear, utilizing the right equipment, and inspecting facilities regularly. More importantly, workers should have certified working at heights training to help them perform their tasks competently, whether it’s erecting scaffolding securely, using lifts correctly, or operating cranes safely.
Electrical Cables
According to the HSE, about 1000 employees experience electrical accidents every year. Many electrocutions and shocks are due to contact with exposed electrical cables, incorrect wiring, or uninsulated power lines. Additionally, an unsafe system of work, inadequate information, and poorly maintained equipment often cause accidents. There is also a growing number of incidents that involve unqualified workers doing tasks meant for trained electricians.
Companies and workers should adhere to the precautions specified by the Electricity at Work Regulations to minimise the risks of electrical accidents. Such rules include routinely checking tools, equipment, and facilities for defects. Companies do this through a Portable Appliance Test (PAT). The workforce should also have relevant and sufficient electrical safety training to ensure they know the hazards of working with electricity and how to avoid the risks.
Sound
Constant exposure to excessive noise can result in long term ear damage, including permanent hearing impairment. The HSE records about 17,000 individuals suffer from occupational deafness. The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 requires all employers to minimise noise levels in the work premises. However, in construction sites sounds from machinery and other activities are almost impossible to restrain.
A few ways to address the issue are for employers to choose tools with low sound emissions or set up barriers and screens that reduce noise to a tolerable degree. Every worker should have access to proper personal protective equipment, such as earmuffs or earplugs. Also, they should have training on how to use the gears correctly.
Manual Handling
The frequent carrying, lifting, and moving of objects pose risks to one’s health. Of the 81,000 work-related ill-health cases in the construction industry from 2019 to 2020, 46,000 or about 57% are musculoskeletal disorders. The most common musculoskeletal conditions workers suffer are sprains, back pains, carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, and bone fractures. Often, these illnesses are due to overuse of muscles and overexertion.
Workers should know their weight limits and practice proper techniques when moving large objects and use machinery to move objects such as rented waste skips or scaffolding. Good manual handling skills keep the muscles and joints from enduring prolonged and unnecessary strains, therefore reducing the risk of injuries and ill-health.
Continue ReadingFuture of Construction Spending Market – A comprehensive study by Key Players: Ashghal, Bechtel, Consolidated Contractors
HTF MI presents an in-depth overview of the Global Construction Spending Market Study, detailing the latest product / industry coverage and market forecasts and status by 2025. Market research is categorized as a key area to accelerate marketization. Posted via Industry Today. Follow us on Twitter @IndustryToday Continue Reading5 Tips to Have Modern Lighting in Your House
Having a modern light in your house is a thing that can drastically improve the impression of your interior design. In turn, this will drastically improve the resale value of the place, as well as the quality of life of every single home’s inhabitant. Now, since lighting fixtures contribute to the power bill, it is also a matter of your home’s upkeep and maintenance. Moreover, it’s a factor that can make your household eco-friendlier. Regardless of the way you look at it, it’s something that can transform your household. Here are five ways you can make a modern lighting scheme for your home.
LED lights
There’s no talk about the present-day illumination of your home without the use of LED lights. First of all, LED fixtures are the backbone of contemporary interior design. Second, it’s worth considering that LED bulbs spend 4 to 10 times less energy than their incandescent counterparts. Most importantly, these bulbs last 25 to 50 times longer. This means that any interior decision design you make is permanent unless you decide to replace it for some other reason. It also means less maintenance, seeing as how you’ll have to replace these bulbs less frequently. All in all, there are benefits in every single aspect and without a single downside.
Layered lighting
Another amazing idea is to enhance your home with a layered lighting system. This way, you won’t ever have to resort to using lamps. Instead, you will have a fixture for every location to feel the need to place a lamp. The advantage of this is the fact that you create a simpler, safer layout with equal (some would even say superior) efficiency. The greatest downside of this is that you have to install new fixtures, requiring additional electrical work on your grid. So, ask around for a qualified local electrician and contact them with a plan. Consulting them on the subject matter is even more important, so make sure to do this quite early.
Workstations
Workstations with task lights can help minimize the general need of your home for functional light. Just think about the way light is utilized within your living space. How much light do you need at the dining table or a coffee table? At most, light is needed in the bathroom, at the vanity, in the workshop, in the home office, and in similar other areas. So, why insist on installing an intensive main lighting fixture in every room? It is much better to identify key workstations within your home and focus on providing them with decent task light. This way, you get to have your cake and eat it too. You get to keep the visibility at an all-time-high while not sacrificing the mood of the area.
Floor lights
One of the most innovative ways to use fixtures in your own home is to install some floor lights. First of all, this method can easily complement any other light idea in your home. Second, it’s highly aesthetic and available in many different designs. Keep in mind that it also helps make space appear higher, particularly handy for those with low homes trying to visually manipulate the space. Now, because these lights are installed on the floor of your home, they usually require minimal wire spread and are quite simple to install. This adds to the pragmatism and cost-efficiency of their installation. It also creates a unique ambient in your home.
Stand lighting
Another thing you can consider is to invest in stand lighting. The way these works is fairly simple, you place a fixture in the room’s corner and let it radiate across the room. Other than this, you can try being more innovative and place it in the middle of the room, like a fireplace of old. You need to try and figure out how the layout of your home will look with a stand light and whether you have the place to spare. In-wall lights are generally much more adequate as a lighting solution for those in tight spaces. Still, there’s no reason why a lighting fixture shouldn’t be used as an ornament. Here, standing lamps are second to none.
In conclusion
At the end of the day, it really comes down to your personal preference and the layout of your home. The thing is that without exploring some of these innovative options, you may have trouble figuring out the best way to improve the lighting scheme of your household. Layered lighting and floor lighting are hardly a standard solution, but they can add a completely new dimension to your home. Standing lights may seem standard, but it all comes down to the way you use them. As for LED, well, it’s really hard to argue against it.
Continue ReadingConstruction Robot Market is Witness to See Revolutionary Growth in Decade
Construction robots are semi, or fully autonomous robots designed to improve the speed and quality of construction work. The construction industry is one of the least automated industries that features manual-intensive labor as a primary source of productivity. However, with the advancement in technology, the construction industry is utilizing robots to excel at repetitive tasks in a controlled environment. Various robots have been used to ensure better productivity and quality. Demolition robots have been used to safely and precisely demolish any structure compared to the manual process.
According to AllTheResearch, “Construction robot market was valued at USD 231.5 million in 2018 and is expected to reach USD 464.8 million by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 9.5% during the forecast period.”
With the rapid advancement in technology and high demand for construction works, the construction industry is facing challenges such as a shortage of skilled labor, the inadequacy of resources, and the convergence of requisite technologies. These challenges have increased the demand for construction robot market. A construction robot plays a significant role in automating solutions and in delivering cost-effective operations. These robots have helped in automating laborious and dangerous tasks to keep laborers away from hazardous activities and thus, enable them to focus on more productive work.
These technologies have exerted a positive impact on operational cost-savings by decreasing labor costs and increasing uptime. The recent adoption of robotic technology is changing the way the industry creates homes, buildings, and other infrastructure. The growing construction industry is a major factor that will drive the demand for the construction robot market during the forecast period. However, high cost is associated with the deployment of robotic solutions and this factor is hampering the growth of the construction robot market. But the evolution of 3D printing in the construction industry is expected to create ample opportunities during the forecast period.
Construction Robot Market Segmentation
By Product Type
- Traditional Robot
- Robotic ARM
- Exoskeleton
By Automation
- Semi-Autonomous
- Fully Autonomous
By Function
- Bricklaying Robot
- 3D Printing and Contour Crafting Robot
- Demolition Robot
- Inspection Robot
- Welding Robot
- Roadwork Robots
- Others
By Application
- Public Infrastructure
- Commercial and Industrial Infrastructure
- Residential Buildings
Asia Pacific region is expected to grow at the highest CAGR throughout the forecast period.
Europe held a major share of the construction robot market in 2018. However, the Asia Pacific region is expected to grow at a rapid pace owing to the presence of abundant natural resources like minerals, ores, among others, in countries like China, India, Australia, Malaysia, and other Asian countries. These countries carry out mining and construction activities to extract natural resources in the region. The construction industry of the region has started adopting construction robots for site inspection and for speeding up construction activities on site.
Company Profiles and Competitive Intelligence Covered in the Construction Robot Market are:
The major players operating in the global construction robot market are Construction Robotics, Brokk AB, Ekso Bionics Holdings Inc., CyBe Construction, Conjet AB, TopTec Spezialmaschinen GmbH, Fastbrick Robotics, Autonomous Solutions, Inc., Advanced Construction Robotics, and Giant Hydraulic Tech, among others.
About AlltheResearch:
AllTheResearch was formed with the aim of making market research a significant tool for managing breakthroughs in the industry. As a leading market research provider, the firm empowers its global clients with business-critical research solutions. The outcome of our study of numerous companies that rely on market research and consulting data for their decision-making made us realize, that it’s not just sheer data-points, but the right analysis that creates a difference.
For all your Research needs, reach out to us at:
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Dry Construction Market Is Booming Worldwide : Pabco Gypsum, Knauf, Saint Gobain, Etex
Latest research report added by HTF MI Titled on Global Solar Dry Construction Market has witnessed continuous growth in the last few years and is projected to grow even further during the forecast period of 2020-2026. Posted via Industry Today. Follow us on Twitter @IndustryToday Continue ReadingCommercial Construction Market Forthcoming Developments and Growth Challenges by key players Hochtief, Balfour Beatty, Bouygues Construction, Kiewit
Get an extensive Global Commercial Construction Market analysis of the dominant vendors, their latest products and services, and the competitive landscape of the industry. Posted via Industry Today. Follow us on Twitter @IndustryToday Continue Reading6 Construction Strategies to Manage Progress and Improve Safety on Site
Construction projects can be incredibly complex with many moving parts, which is why it is so important that project management is made a priority. There are many administrative and human risks in terms of public safety, legal and financial responsibility, so strategies need to be implemented which will help to manage progress and improve safety on site. Here are a few of the best strategies to implement.
Identify Risks
First, you need to make sure that you take the time to identify the risks during the pre-construction phase otherwise you are putting the project and those around you at risk. You need to work with the project team and stakeholders to identify risks throughout each stage whether this is safety hazards for workers, delays in work due to the weather or labour shortages. Once you have identified the risks, you can then find ways to manage or overcome these.
Have A Clear Communication System In Place
Issues tend to arise in complex projects when there is no clear communication system in place. When you have lots of people each doing something different, it can quickly lead to inefficiencies and even dangers. This is why communication needs to be a priority with daily briefings as well as using a work execution platform so that digital communication can be synced to a single location.
Use Data to Manage the Project
In today’s day and age, data can be immensely helpful when it comes to managing a complex construction project. Data can be used to generate construction plans, creating schedules and estimates, report performance, keep machinery and tech in good condition and manage resources as well as help with reporting so that you can get a clear overview of how the project is coming along and any potential issues.
Staff Training
It is of no use having systems in place and a high-quality project plan if your team is not trained properly. This is why you need to make sure that all staff are trained and know how to perform their role both to a high standard and also safely. Accidents and issues arise when staff do not know how to work safely or safety has not been made a priority.
Invest in Safety Equipment
Following this point, you also need to make safety a priority by investing in the best safety equipment. In addition to the right tools and equipment, this should include high-quality PPE for your staff and any visitors to wear along with signage around the construction site.
Business Insurance
Finally, it is essential that you have high-quality construction insurance in place for your project. This can provide protection and cover for many aspects of a construction project, including managerial, financial, legal and safety risks. This insurance is obviously important if you encounter any issues but it is also important for providing peace of mind.
These 6 strategies will help to manage progress and improve safety on the construction site. Construction projects can be incredibly complex and challenging to manage with many risks, but when you know the best strategies to use you can eliminate or reduce these risks and find success.
Continue ReadingIs Your Home Secure? 5 Ways Smart Devices Can Add Extra Protection
With recent research predicting that there will be over 482 million smart homes in the market worldwide1 by 2025, home automation is certainly on the rise. This is due, at least in part, to the multitude of benefits that home automations can provide including increased convenience, energy conservation and security.
For most, ensuring your home is secure is a top priority, and though smart devices can be seen heavily throughout most homes, such devices are not always being used to their maximum potential. Many devices are hugely beneficial resources for deterring criminal activity and keeping your property safe when used the right way, here smart home solutions specialists, Somfy, discuss five key ways that smart home devices can be used to provide extra protection to the home.
Make use of lights
Lighting has the power to create the illusion that someone is always at home, which can be a fantastic deterrent for criminals. The use of smart lighting allows the user to switch lights on and off remotely with ease.
Such lights can easily be pre-programmed to go on and off at specific times during the day, or alternatively can be controlled at any point with a simple touch of a button from a phone or tablet.
Turn notifications on
Many houses have an alarm, but for those who have a smart or wireless alarm system, it is important to ensure it has been set up correctly with notifications turned on. This way, your alarm will notify you instantly if it is activated, or if there is any unusual activity around your property. This can help provide extra peace of mind and allow you to take immediate action if something has triggered your alarm.
Take control of entrances
Another perk of having a smart home is the automation of otherwise traditionally manual objects, such as windows, doors, blinds and even shutters. Though the ability to control these home furnishings remotely is ideal for comfort, it is also particularly good for additional home security. Remote control of items like shutters can help make it appear like someone is home, by opening and closing them at appropriate times of the day or night.
Keep valuables locked away
Even with thorough security measures, in some instances criminals can manage to force their way into a home. In the unlikely but still possible event that this could happen, it is always advisable to lock away any expensive or highly treasured items in in something such as a safe or hidden storage. Smart safes are an excellent investment as they can not only alert you if anyone tries to gain unauthorised access, but they can even activate an intruder alarm to deter any criminal from continuing their attempt to break in.
Activate cameras
Security cameras can be both a great deterrent for criminals and offer a fantastic way to monitor your property for any unusual activity. Some cameras come with sensors and night vision and can even activate the alarm system if they detect certain movements. In addition to providing a way to deter criminals, security cameras which offer recording ability, will provide evidence, and can be used by the authorities should the worst happen, and someone breaks into your property.
Mark Pekelharing, The Northern European Market Manager for Somfy Smart Home & Somfy Protect said: “Burglaries continue to be one of the most prevalent crimes across Northern Europe, so taking precaution is highly recommended. Smart devices are highly underestimated for the true value that they can bring to a home, especially when adding extra security. More and more people are turning to smart alarm systems and connected home technology to protect their space which is why smart products should be made with the safety of the customer in mind.”
These key practises to adding extra protection to your home fundamentally provide huge benefits, such as peace of mind due to the additional protection and early detection resulting in minimal loss. The power of home automation ultimately allows you to have great control to keep your home secure.
Source 1: https://www.statista.com/forecasts/887613/number-of-smart-homes-in-the-smart-home-market-worldwide
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