Cover Story
| Published date | 01 July 1981 |
| Date | 01 July 1981 |
| Pages | 30-32 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/eb057204 |
| Subject Matter | Economics,Information & knowledge management,Management science & operations |
Cover Story
High access to and around work areas is often needed
during construction, repair or maintenance of premises,
whether on large industrial sites or on small domestic
situations. Where a speedily erected, yet safe, access is
required, a movable alloy access tower may be prefer-
able to traditional scaffolding methods.
W. C. Youngman Ltd, a member company of the
SGB Group, supply the Easi-Build lightweight access
tower system to cater for such requirements. The sys-
tem, approved to BS 1139, comprises three models,
each providing a rapidly erected rigid and safe working
platform for operatives. All basic components are fully
interchangeable in standard or specialist configurations.
The Stairway tower, with 1.3m wide frames, features
an integral stairway up which operatives can walk on
non-slip treads even while the structure is being erected.
The Span tower permits a variety of platform heights
and a choice of platform areas. With just two main com-
ponents - frames and braces - the model features three
interchangeable frame heights, constant 400mm rung
spacing and 550mm of leg adjustment, enabling plat-
forms to be positioned at any required height.
The 800 tower, designed for confined or awkward
spaces, utilises frames that are merely 800mm wide,
each with an integral ladder with correctly positioned
stiles and non-slip rungs. Two standard platform lengths
of 1.5m and 2.5m are available, the latter being suitable
for two people working together. All components for a
7.5m high tower can be transported in an estate car or
small van.
Timber boarding, complying with BS 1129, twice the
width of scaffold boarding, is available in 0.6m incre-
ments for lengths from 1.8m to 7.3m. Alloy stiled light-
weight stagings are also available for lengths from 3.6m
to 6.6m, as well as a demountable alloy guardrail sys-
tem.
All Youngman products are available for hire or sale
from 15 branches throughout Britain. The head office is
at Manor Royal, Crawley, Sussex RH10 2QA, tel:
Crawley
23411.
News Briefs
Employment tide turning?
Evidence that employment prospects in Britain's com-
panies could be slowly improving from the deep reces-
sion of the past 12 months is revealed in Manpower
Ltd's latest survey of 1,334 major employers, who
together represent over 1 million employees. For the
first time since summer 1980, slightly more employers
overall are planning to increase their staffing levels in
the next three months than are planning to decrease
them. The summer periods traditionally show a relative
upswing in employment prospects but the scale of con-
tinued improvement since the low trough in the first
quarter of this year suggests that more than seasonal
factors may now be at work.
Nevertheless, by contrast with the situation at this
time two years ago, in the third quarter of 1979, emp-
loyment prospects remain very depressed in virtually all
sectors, including many of the service industries that are
normally buoyant during the summer. We are therefore
unlikely to see any substantial relief to unemployment
as yet.
Worker Participation and Quality Circles
Worker Participation and Quality Circles are both sub-
jects which have created enormous public interest in
recent years, and also evoked great emotional reaction.
So,
Coverdale is combining the relationship between the
two in the first of a series of new Workshops, to start in
the Autumn, entitled Participation for Quality. Four
subjects form the themes of Coverdale's Workshop pro-
grammes, all designed to improve individual skills and
competence and to improve on-the-job performance.
There will be several opportunities to participate in each
subject, as five 2½ day Workshops are being held be-
tween September 1981 and June 1982 at Coverdale
House, 3 Logan Place, London W8 6QN.
The first of the series Participation for Quality starts
on 21 September and examines participation from the
point of view of improving the quality of output - while
taking into account the psychological benefits of
involvement. Managers here can find a unique oppor-
tunity to assess the issues and become able to apply the
different techniques, as appropriate, in their own organ-
isation. The other three areas to be covered in the
Coverdale Workshops are Aiming for Achievement,
Strengthening Your Team and Feedback For Improve-
ment, starting respectively on 23 September, 28 Sep-
tember and 30 September.
Full details of these Workshops and the remainder of
Coverdale's new 1981/82 programme, including public
courses in the UK, USA, Germany and The Nether-
lands,
are available on request.
The importance of colour
Did you know that the same sound can seem louder in
white rooms and softer in purple rooms? Or that a dark
object appears heavier than its light coloured counter-
part? Or even that bright surfaces appear closer than
dark ones? Findings like these about colour are part of
the background knowledge of colour consultants, like
Beverley Miller.
"Colour influences our mood and behaviour far more
than most people realise," says Beverley. "The colour
of the surroundings affects our emotions; bright,
dynamic colours are tiring, while the more soothing
blues and greens are less intrusive. People can remain in
a room painted in these colours quite happily for much
longer than the challenging reds and purples.
"Translated into practical terms, if the washroom and
locker-rooms are bright, the people won't spend so long
in there, while if work areas make use of restful colours,
productivity will improve."
This year Beverley has been seconded to the Permo-
30 INDUSTRIAL MANAGEMENT + DATA SYSTEMS
To continue reading
Request your trial