Fire chiefs to beef up safety advice to businesses
They echoed praise from the Government about the CFOA’s commitment to head up a “business engagement forum” to raise future concerns and brainstorm innovative ideas. Fire chiefs will create a professional, accredited, framework of competence for fire-safety officers, and provide clearer and more consistent support and direction to businesses. “This will include consistency in formal notices across all authorities and clarity on how identified failures of compliance can be addressed,” said a CFOA spokesman. “It will clearly distinguish informal advice from compulsory requirements.” “We will promote the use, and acceptance of, recognised professional certification and accreditation for commercial fire risk assessors, and encourage all fire and rescue authorities to engage with Local Enterprise Partnerships to support better communication with firms.” Business minister Michael Fallon said: “Fire safety regulations must be robustly and clearly enforced to ensure safety without damaging productivity or business growth.” BPIF head of health and safety Simon Lunken said: “There is confusion among employers about fire risk assessments and legal requirements, so these moves are welcome. “Part of the problem is finding competent support and advice; there are people out there who dabble but are a bit out of their depth when it comes to help companies.” Lunken added: “The workplace changes very quickly in print and packaging and there are still a few issues of fire exits being blocked or locked at night and not reopened next day.” The intervention of the CFOA follows the Government’s recent Focus on Enforcement review, which identified a need for more consistent application of regulation and better guidance for companies on how to comply with the law....
read moreBrits heading for international print networking event
The firm, which includes the Paco, SmartLabel and PrintItalia operations, is inviting up to 20 leading international print experts for the conference from 5 to 10 September at Castellaneta Marina near Taranto. “The aim is to bring together some of the great minds in print broking, material buying, supplying and facilitating,” said a spokesman. “There will be debate on whether there is a trend towards a more personal touch in print services.” Well-known UK print consultant Adrian Sleeman will talk about the latest developments in the pre-press arena, while Linkz founder Andrew Perry-Smith, who last year launched an augmented reality (AR) app that tracks response rates to printed advertising or marketing material, will discuss the emerging AR technologies. StampaSud UK commercial director Antony Calo said: “The idea has been to get this off the ground for some time, but now thanks to my company and several other group members this has finally been achieved. Paul Scanlon, chairman of Liverpool-based print management company CDP, and Francis Grogan, director of Leeds-based Grg print management, are helping StampaSud plan the event....
read moreBrits heading for international print networking event
The firm, which includes the Paco, SmartLabel and PrintItalia operations, is inviting up to 20 leading international print experts for the conference from 5 to 10 September at Castellaneta Marina near Taranto. “The aim is to bring together some of the great minds in print broking, material buying, supplying and facilitating,” said a spokesman. “There will be debate on whether there is a trend towards a more personal touch in print services.” Well-known UK print consultant Adrian Sleeman will talk about the latest developments in the pre-press arena, while Linkz founder Andrew Perry-Smith, who last year launched an augmented reality (AR) app that tracks response rates to printed advertising or marketing material, will discuss the emerging AR technologies. StampaSud UK commercial director Antony Calo said: “The idea has been to get this off the ground for some time, but now thanks to my company and several other group members this has finally been achieved. Paul Scanlon, chairman of Liverpool-based print management company CDP, and Francis Grogan, director of Leeds-based Grg print management, are helping StampaSud plan the event....
read moreRBS lending review wins cautious praise from BPIF
The website will capture experiences of SMEs, including those that have approached RBS and its subsidiary NatWest. These will be fed in to a review of lending practices being undertaken by the group. “Responses will inform the findings and conclusions of our independent review, which aims to identify steps that NatWest and RBS can take to enhance support for SMEs and the economic recovery, while maintaining safe and sound lending practices,” said a spokeswoman. Chief executive Ian Cowie said: “We’re challenging ourselves to do the best possible job of supporting SME growth, so we need to hear from businesses to make sure we are tackling the things that will make a difference for them. “There are many opinions on what banks could do to lend more but the most important are those from businesses themselves – this is their chance to have their say.” BPIF chief executive Kathy Woodward said: “Feedback on what is happening at grass-roots level is vital if we are to effectively lobby. While a website is great for giving some quantification of the issues, what is important is a real shift in commitment to supporting business risk rather than applying a set of rules. She added: “It is really important SMEs have access to affordable finance for growth, consolidation and working capital, and that the balance between risk and return isn’t all one sided in favour of the banks.” A spokesman for the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) in Scotland said RBS’s approach to small business lending was crucial because of its large share of the business banking market. He called on FSB members to contribute to the review regardless of who they banked with. Last month RBS appointed Sir Andrew Large and management consultant firm Oliver Wyman to undertake an independent review of the standards and practices used by RBS and NatWest, for small and medium sized business lending in the UK....
read moreRBS lending review wins cautious praise from BPIF
The website will capture experiences of SMEs, including those that have approached RBS and its subsidiary NatWest. These will be fed in to a review of lending practices being undertaken by the group. “Responses will inform the findings and conclusions of our independent review, which aims to identify steps that NatWest and RBS can take to enhance support for SMEs and the economic recovery, while maintaining safe and sound lending practices,” said a spokeswoman. Chief executive Ian Cowie said: “We’re challenging ourselves to do the best possible job of supporting SME growth, so we need to hear from businesses to make sure we are tackling the things that will make a difference for them. “There are many opinions on what banks could do to lend more but the most important are those from businesses themselves – this is their chance to have their say.” BPIF chief executive Kathy Woodward said: “Feedback on what is happening at grass-roots level is vital if we are to effectively lobby. While a website is great for giving some quantification of the issues, what is important is a real shift in commitment to supporting business risk rather than applying a set of rules. She added: “It is really important SMEs have access to affordable finance for growth, consolidation and working capital, and that the balance between risk and return isn’t all one sided in favour of the banks.” A spokesman for the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) in Scotland said RBS’s approach to small business lending was crucial because of its large share of the business banking market. He called on FSB members to contribute to the review regardless of who they banked with. Last month RBS appointed Sir Andrew Large and management consultant firm Oliver Wyman to undertake an independent review of the standards and practices used by RBS and NatWest, for small and medium sized business lending in the UK....
read moreTesco appoints new head of print buying
Cedric Clarke, joined Tesco’s procurement team in November 2011 and following Pelsmakers exit a month ago has taken on responsibility for arguably the UK’s largest print, paper and post spend, understood to be around £400m. “Even in a multi-channel industry, paper and print are still important ways for us to communicate with our customers. I’m really excited to be taking on this role and using all our combined knowledge and experience to make sure that Tesco has the best possible supplier base for our business,” said Clarke. He has more than 17 years of buying experience across a number of disciplines. Clarke began his buying career at Booker Cash & Carry and has held various senior buying roles in food and computing products sectors with responsibility for print, paper and point of sale, including eight years at Dixons Retail where he spent more than two years working in Prague with responsibilities for buying in Central Europe. Clarke’s promotion follows the departure of Pelsmakers on 5 July. She joined Tesco in early 2011 from Williams Lea and PrintWeek understands that she left Tesco to take on a global IT procurement role for confectionery giant Mars. While the new role signals her exit from the print industry, one source hinted that she hadn’t necessarily ruled out a return to the industry at some point in future where the broader business knowledge, insight and experience she would gain in her new, non-print role might prove invaluable....
read moreTesco appoints new head of print buying
Cedric Clarke, joined Tesco’s procurement team in November 2011 and following Pelsmakers exit a month ago has taken on responsibility for arguably the UK’s largest print, paper and post spend, understood to be around £400m. “Even in a multi-channel industry, paper and print are still important ways for us to communicate with our customers. I’m really excited to be taking on this role and using all our combined knowledge and experience to make sure that Tesco has the best possible supplier base for our business,” said Clarke. He has more than 17 years of buying experience across a number of disciplines. Clarke began his buying career at Booker Cash & Carry and has held various senior buying roles in food and computing products sectors with responsibility for print, paper and point of sale, including eight years at Dixons Retail where he spent more than two years working in Prague with responsibilities for buying in Central Europe. Clarke’s promotion follows the departure of Pelsmakers on 5 July. She joined Tesco in early 2011 from Williams Lea and PrintWeek understands that she left Tesco to take on a global IT procurement role for confectionery giant Mars. While the new role signals her exit from the print industry, one source hinted that she hadn’t necessarily ruled out a return to the industry at some point in future where the broader business knowledge, insight and experience she would gain in her new, non-print role might prove invaluable....
read moreMorgana targets US market with UK launches
The System 2000S, which was launched in the UK at May’s North Print & Pack, produces booklets of up to 120 pages and is fed by an ACF510 hybrid feeder. The 2000S is capable of feeding pre-collated sets from a digital print engine, collating litho printed sections or combining both into a finished book product. The heavy-duty bookletmaking section comes with wire stitching heads, fore-edge trimmer, and the Morgana Squarefold 2000. The other US debut on the Morgana stand will be the DigiBook 300 PUR perfecter, which was launched in the UK and the rest of Europe at Drupa 2012. The unit can produce up to 300 A4 books per hour. “The kit is extremely quick and effective to set-up and shut down – ideal for very short runs of PUR bound books,” said a spokesman. “Chicago is normally good for Morgana. Small-format digital printing is a predominant market in the US, with lots of ma and pa print shops. Morgana are therefore perfectly placed to market optimum pieces of finishing kit.” Print 13 runs from 8 to 12 September....
read moreMorgana targets US market with UK launches
The System 2000S, which was launched in the UK at May’s North Print & Pack, produces booklets of up to 120 pages and is fed by an ACF510 hybrid feeder. The 2000S is capable of feeding pre-collated sets from a digital print engine, collating litho printed sections or combining both into a finished book product. The heavy-duty bookletmaking section comes with wire stitching heads, fore-edge trimmer, and the Morgana Squarefold 2000. The other US debut on the Morgana stand will be the DigiBook 300 PUR perfecter, which was launched in the UK and the rest of Europe at Drupa 2012. The unit can produce up to 300 A4 books per hour. “The kit is extremely quick and effective to set-up and shut down – ideal for very short runs of PUR bound books,” said a spokesman. “Chicago is normally good for Morgana. Small-format digital printing is a predominant market in the US, with lots of ma and pa print shops. Morgana are therefore perfectly placed to market optimum pieces of finishing kit.” Print 13 runs from 8 to 12 September....
read moreCWU ballots Parcelforce members
According to the union, 93% of members said they opposed Royal Mail privatisation, 95% supported the CWU’s rejection of Parcelforce’s pension proposal and 96% supported CWU’s pay claim. The ballot results were broadly in line with the results of the consultative ballot of Royal Mail workers held in June. More than 90% of Parcelforce’s staff are CWU members, and the ballot achieved a 72% turnout. Dave Ward, CWU deputy general secretary, said: “Workers in Parcelforce have spoken loud and clear and added their voices to those of hundreds of thousands of others – they are against Royal Mail privatisation. “There is a consistent message from both the workforce and the public that privatisation is not needed, not supported and not popular. It’s time the government looked at alternatives to privatisation – something we can help them with.” June’s Royal Mail consultative ballot proved to be a pre-cursor to a full national strike ballot at the letters operation by the CWU, which is due to be held next month. However, Parcelforce is a separate company, although wholly owned by Royal Mail, and as such is subject to separate negotiations between the union and management. Open ended talks between the union and Parcelforce management are on going and a ballot on strike action can only be held if no agreement is reached on pay and conditions. It would be illegal for Parcelforce staff to strike purely in protest against privation of the Royal Mail. “Nothing’s been ruled out at the moment, but there are no imminent indications talks will fail, but we still have no pay deal in place for this year,” said a CWU spokeswoman....
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