Rail replacement service bus blunders

Before I start, this is not a rant or moan, but yesterday I had a shocking journey from Formby to Liverpool supposedly on a train.

Now, having spent many a weekend on such works in the past, railway maintenance and renewals need doing and blockade working during holiday periods is the best option.
To set the scene, a railway bridge at Sandhills north of Liverpool was being renewed and there was a bus replacement service on. Now, considering the train to Bootle Oriel Road where the train terminated was not that full, I didn't see a problem.

However, a total lack of co-ordination, organisation and communication by the Train Operating Company (TOC) led to a chaotic experience which increased a 30 minute journey to a 1 hour one.

Can it be so hard to:

• Communicate verbally with passengers
• Have a sign saying where to queue
• Have decent information about where replacement buses pick up from

Rather than having:

• Rude and abusive staff who clearly did not like being outside the relative warmth of a railway station
• A total lack of information on which bus was for where

The big joke in this that the TOC charged full fare where some had to stand on the steps to the top deck of the bus and the bus itself was an experience.

This small example shows the totally uncoordinated nature of public transport in the UK as even a rail replacement bus service had little to no apparent planning. No wonder so many people travel by car and avoid public transport. As someone who supports our railway it's also hard to state a case at times like this.

A picture tells a thousand words (almost!)

When auditing, you can have to write a lot of information. However, do you actually have to scribe?
Recently when auditing, I've started taking many more photographs.

This is for twofold, one to save writing detail when the weather on sites is a challenge, despite using a weatherwriter. Secondly, the photos can be used to share good practice. However, for the latter, I'm very careful in not including any client logos and the photos are kept quite anonymous.

To have a look at some recent environmental good practice photos on construction sites, please visit:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/diemltd/

The Only Way Is Ethics at Christmas

It’s that time of year when you may be invited to a customer’s Christmas party, or receive a business gift from a supplier, but please beware of being compromised professionally..

RICS have mandatory rules for firms and members, but are useful for all professionals

This extract from The Bribery Act 2010 is reflected by RICS Rules of Conduct for Members (Version 4)

3. Members shall at all times act with integrity and avoid conflicts of interest and avoid any actions or situations that are inconsistent with their professional obligations.

http://www.rics.org/site/scripts/download_info.aspx?downloadID=3521

and mirrored by RICS Rules of Conduct for Firms (Version 4)

3. A Firm shall at all times act with integrity and avoid conflicts of interest and avoid any actions or situations that are inconsistent with its professional obligations.

http://www.rics.org/site/scripts/download_info.aspx?downloadID=593

Please, if you are in a position to receive Christmas gifts, please just think what could happen. I was told that a surveyor received a bottle whisky wrapped in Christmas paper, but around the actual bottle, inside the wrapping paper, were £50. What if that was to happen, what do you do? The surveyor in this occasion happened to returned the “gift” ASAP to the director of the firm donating and reported to his firm’s senior partner.

To protect yourself the best way is to decline gifts, but would this offend the giver?  You could look at setting up an office policy for receiving gifts so the process is transparent and if something is deemed inappropriate takes place, the correct reporting mechanism takes place.

The Bribery Act 2010 does not really complicate things as the guidance at

http://www.justice.gov.uk/guidance/docs/bribery-act-2010-quick-start-guide.pdf

says

So you can continue to provide tickets to sporting events, take clients to dinner, offer gifts to clients as a reflection of your good relations, or pay for reasonable travel expenses in order to demonstrate your goods or services to clients if that is reasonable and proportionate for your business.

Green Deal – The Property Perspective – Nov 11

Please click below for my slides from last night's Green Deal event in Blackburn

http://diemltd.wordpress.com/2011/11/24/slides-from-my-presentation-at-november-11s-lcbpc-greendeal-event/

Social media for environmental training and business development

Waste exemption video case studies

New video looking at waste exemption case studies

http://youtu.be/8E9rNaC1CVc

Preparing for "Preparing for Green Deal"

I'm currently preparing for a presentation called "Green Deal, the Property Perspective" for the Lancashire Construction Best Practice Club Green Deal event next week.  I'n writing it there are more questions than answers and for anyone actually preparing for Green Deal, and I'm thinking don't put all your eggs in one basket.

The business risk of relying on Green Deal may be high because of the uncertainty of future changes to Green Deal (like the recent changes to Feed in Tarifs) and just the uncertainty of the standards required and associated costs. However, you may want to be in a position to be there at the start.

I do think that the Government's stance of "let the market decide" with Green Deal is interesting as HIPS/DEAs were brought in by a meddling government, whose tinkering altered the market for providers, a product that never recovered as it had no chance to begin with.

Lets look at the positives though in that Green Deal may give possibilities for business, for premises within the golden rule and ones who fall outside it.  People who don't meet the Green Deal golden rule may still want to invest in energy saving products from either a financial, or socially related sustainability view. So if you don't go down the Green Deal path, all may not be lost as not everyone will meet the golden rule.

Nov 2011 photo examples of good site environmental practice

A link below showing some recent good practice:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/diemltd/sets/72157627953045483/

Environmental priorities for motor dealers

My other half needs a new car so we’ve been looking at new ones. I thought with all the marketing selling the environmental properties of new cars, I was amazed that buying a small car not one dealer (and we went to them all!) mentioned the mpg or emissions of the car.

Some even were a little vague on the mpg and emission tax band.

Out of interest sence prevailed and she bought a low emission car with a good mpg.

Heritage - an environmental benefit.

Today I came across some photos on the BBC website of some at risk heritage assets in the UK.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-15351162

Preserving these is sensible from both a historic, educational (to demonstrate skills of our ancestors) and environmental.  The latter is sometimes forgotten but carbon, in both construction and embedded materials can be possibly saved by converting existing historic buildings.

This, of course, has to be be within the law but we don't want progress to be hampered by unused "historic" buildings which nobody wants to save and have no real social benefit. A prime example of this is in Blackburn Lancashire, where an urban ringroad connecting a multi-million pounds railway roadbridge has been quashed by a protected building which has been empty for about 50 years and in danger of falling down. Surely is it's to be retained for heritage purposes it's either useful or it can become a negative feature. In this case in Blackburn, the building causes traffic mayhem as a dual carriageway, instead of passing straight onto the aforementioned bridge, turns into a one way single road, on which traffic crawls through some of the less welcoming of the town's streets.

DIEM Ltd is 6 years old this week

Reallised today I’ve reallised that DIEM Ltd is 6 years old. 6 years of giving clients around the UK the environmental advantage.

It’s not really an anniversary of note, so excuse the 5 year celebration video!

Thanks to all clients, friends, family, colleagues, Twitter followers, LinkedIn connections, website visitors, TV Channel subscribers, people who I’ve met at events and anyone else I’ve missed!

Climate change of seasons

Well, look at the weather this year compared to a decade or more ago. Shifted seasons, violent storms, heavy rain and hot spells in October.

Whilst I believe that people should have their own opinion, but the fact is that the climate is changing before our eyes.

For more information on climate change, please visit:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Environmentandgreenerliving/Thewiderenvironment/Climatechange/DG_072885

Public transport islands

I've got to say, my reletively short drive to visit a client this morning was horrendous, taking 1 hour 40 to do 35 miles, even setting off at 06:35. Due to cost, carbon and my loathing of being stuck in traffic, I've just looked up the journey via public transport and it would take 3hrs 15mins via 40mins of walking, 2 buses and a train.

I think public transport in our city regions is OK if you are travelling to that city centre. My journey is via Merseyside and Greater Manchester and the internal looking nature of what was the PTEs and some post Beeching rail weak points, regional commuting in the North West is awful to say the least.

Grow your own vegetables

Coming the end of the first season of me growing vegetables, I recommend it to others. Being not very familiar to gardening my fiancee and I had a go at growing beetroot, carrots and various herbs and all are a success.

Also in the garden for following seasons we have asparagus (well, we do live in Formby which is famous for it) and artichokes.  So, it's good for the environment, our health and budget as it's cheaper than buying.

Why not have a go?

Back to basics, back to Brundtland

I've been participating in the excellent RICS Sustainaiblity Group on Linkedin and today in a discussion about priorities for sustainability and home improvement at

http://www.linkedin.com/groupItem?view=&gid=3993763&type=member&item=74517467&qid=7f070d27-e3db-496e-883b-c40a85510ca9&trk=group_most_popular-0-b-ttl&goback=%2Egmp_3993763

On writing on this, all paths led to the Brundtland Report (Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development: Our Common Future).   For anyone interested in sustainability and wants links to this core topic, a good site is at:

http://www.iisd.org/sd/

With the full report text at:

http://www.un-documents.net/wced-ocf.htm

Railway safety - a bitter reminder

Having just read about a couple in Scotland who sadly lost their lives crossing a railway line, it's a sobering reminder to how dangerour the railway is for the public.

Having worked on or near the line for a few years when I was younger, you learn how little warning you have when trains are approaching, even from a position of safety.

Speaking years ago to a German friend, I noted that there are no fences on German high speed railway lines. When I said people may go on the line, the German view was "who would be so stupid".

The different view in the UK of a robust railway fencing policy and T&V policy with Network Rail and BTP, it's still sad that accidents happen.

Please remind people about how dangerous the railway is and some useful links from Network Rail are:

Level crossings http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/2292.aspx

Trespass & vandalism http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/1037.aspx

C4 Dispatches - Dispatching the obvious

Reflecting on last night's Channel 4 Dispatches programme on waste in the UK, I think it told only half a story.  This was because it totally ignored commercial waste and focussed on the more emotive and politically motivated suject of domestic kerbside collections.

Whilst the impact on kerbside collecitons and the related waste awareness of the public is high, the environmental, legal, logistical, social and financial implications of the legal duty of care for commercial waste needs to be raised in such arguments for it to be balanced.

It seems Dispatches has a rather one sided view and reveals the obvious rather than investigate and argue. The recent railway Dispatches with Richard Wilson looked at rail travel and had a dig at peak time Friday afternoon travel from London Euston on Virgin Trains. Yes, it's going to be crowded at that time of the week and if you want a quieter train wait an hour is my advice.

Such TV shows, not forgetting C4 is part public funded, should take a balanced view and non sensationalise obvious problems.

Well, the Green Deal saga rumbles on and the plot thickens. My view is that, whilst accredited certification for installers is a good idea, do we have time.
Martin Brown's excellent blog refers to the process at http://fairsnape.wordpress.com/2011/10/09/green-deal-pas-2030-necessary-control-or-unnecessary-burden/ and as someone who advises clients on accredited certification of management systems, will there be enough time to:

• Agree PAS 2030
• UKAS to accredit certificaiton bodies
• Certificaiton bodies to train auditors
• Companies to devise and apply PAS 2030 systems
• Companies to gain accredited certificaiton to PAS2030

I don't want to be a pessimist and want to follow the government line of "let the market decide" as similar state meddled schemes have ended in lots of people spending money to train with out little return, such as with HIPS/DEA, but industry needs clear guidance, especially with so little time to spare.

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Sick already of SIC codes?

I've had lots of enquires recently about SIC codes having to be put on waste transfer notes.  These codes are to use their full name The United Kingdom Standard Industrial Classification of Economic Activities (SIC) and are used to classify business establishments and other standard units by the type of economic activity in which they are engaged.

If you are unsure of these, please contact your accountant or finance department.

New environmental spill response training video

I've published new environmental spill response training video which I enjoyed making.

DIEM Ltd SWMP environmental alert 30 March 2011

Site Waste Management Plan - update March 2011

DIEM Ltd swmp environmental alert 30 march 2011

View more documents from DIEM Ltd.

Landlord energy

Been visiting a variety of rented offices and it amazes me how little there is in terms of sustainability from landlords.

There is still the halogens, inefficient heating and air conditioning. There seems to be a gap in the market of well environmentally managed premises.

Climate change rescue boat

I've been reading a rather common sence article acout climate change adaptation at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12302555

It is time we look to the future adaptation for the future. Having been involved with working with clients in this area, we must make investment rather than the current view of that the emergency services will help us.  Careful business management and location is key and much of it common sence.

The days of the excuse of saying that climate change adaptation is simply some other organisation will rescue us must go. A rethink of infrastructure engineering must happen, which the reality of having mainly Victorian or 50's/60's infrastructure must be addressed.

That was the age of the train

After surviving the holdays, especially 10 days in bed with swine flu I'm on the train after my first long journey after being ill to London.

As I sit on the train, just having a meal the difference strikes me on how I get off the Pendolino and could be getting on some squalid Sprinter back home.  Luckily for me there are no early trains to Preston to meet the 06:00 to London so I drove. Saying this, I wouldn't trust the local trains, especially when one got "lost" last year. I was waiting for a train, again to Preston and the train from Leeds was delayed then vanished from the screen. Is there a Class 158 sitting there somewhere?

As I joke, there is a serious point in this. We talk about high speed rail links, rising fuel prices and sustainable transport, but the basics aren't right in terms of local services, and not just in East Lancs, are often shocking. Actually in East Lancs, the now Chief Exec of Blackburn with Darwen BC said 5 years ago there would be a "high speed rail link to Manchester Airport" and failling that the restoration of twin tracks between Blackburn & Bolton.  As of 2011 no high speed link and still and average line speed to Manchester of 25mph.  Sadly not much has changed since the "Beeching Axe" removed one of the lines, but I bet the rolling stock wasn't much worse. The local trains are filthy, with encrusted grime everywhere, slow, unreliable and giving just an awful journey.

I'm not just blaming the TOCs, as they only operate within their franchise, but it's OK having good services to London, when local services are so infrequent and squalid.

Jimmy Saville was brought in by BR in the 1970's to save BR, but sadly I don't think Jim could fix it for the railways in 2011.