@drezha
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I think that some of the budget ones (Premier Inn or Travelodge) have switched to a Freemium model. One of them, you get 15 or 30 minutes IIRC and then you have to pay, whilst the other one offers free wifi for your stay, but you can upgrade to Premium faster version. When I stayed in Germany a few years ago, it was similar, but when I went to Amsterdam and Berlin in May, there was no charge (and it was reasonable speed).
"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett
I watched that, dedicated people even if they were chasing shadows of shadows.
Yeah it did seem like a lot of grasping at straws, but made for an amusing watch anyhow. Glammed up a bit perhaps for the TV but still interesting.
"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett
If you like conspiracy theories, then the Hunting Hitler series is an amusing watch, suggesting that Hitler did flee to Argentina.
"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett
I found the instrument that should be used. It is the Fire & Safety Legislative Guidance page 52 et seq. All it requires is that a notice is issued from the HHSRS governing body (the Minister) to all local authorities stating that evidence from numerous cases of fire has shown that use of the insulation board in question fails to meet fire safety standards and that all dwellings greater than 18 metres in height constructed using this material as an exterior cladding have now been found to have a risk assessment rating of one, requiring immediate remedial measures by local housing authorities. It requires a simple approach as the Government has ham-strung the abilities of the Fire & Rescue bodies through lack of funding. It is a pity it requires action by this inept Government.
Being a pedant, you mean the Housing Act 2004, as the document you reference is a CFOA publication. But interesting read – especially as a risk assessor, I’ve never heard of the HHSRS. But I don’t recall it being mentioned in the PAS guidance for fire risk assessments and that’s the “gold standard” for fire risk assessment.
An issue is that the testing standards may pass the material as it may be sufficient. However, installed on site poorly, it might be something different altogether and you can’t test for that.
"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett
Maybe this is a case where the HSE could earn its salt for once and issue appropriate prohibition orders. Someone needs to step up to the plate – the ‘strong & stable’ Government has already shown itself to be totally incapable of such action.
HSE wouldn’t have anything to do with it, because it’s not a workplace and doesn’t fall under the HSE regulations, except perhaps where the building is staffed.
The legislation exists to do so mind – it falls to the Fire and Rescue Services though. Issues could be raised under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and the brigades could raise enforcement notices against the buildings (which requires work to be updated within a specific time frame) or even a prohibition notice that would either limit or prevent people accessing part or all of a building.
"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett
A subject that I’ve been avoiding on here because frankly, I’ve been dealing with it elsewhere. At least no one here has jumped on the lefty “social cleansing” conspiracy theory that I’ve seen on Facebook. And no one has mentioned sprinklers or given me grief about single stair flats or point blank accused me of being a killer.
Firstly, Class 0 materials don’t actually exist – though technically, the requirements are met by being incombustible. Materials such as mineral fibre achieve this, but need some form of support which may be combustible. This should be tested to BS 8414. Buildings over 18m with a boundary greater than 1m distant can be Class 0, or Class 1 (with additional specifications). So in theory, you can have a combustible material on the side of the building fine. The Class rating comes from a BS 476 flame spread test, which measures the flame spread across a material. I used to work (before moving to Manchester) for the firm that does various testing (and wrote BR 135).
In terms of who is at fault, I think that no one will end up going to court because it’ll come down to a number of people having a minor role in causing the issues. The building may have been treated as a material alteration, rather than a material change of use when it had planning granted for the refurb works. This will mean that the current Building Regs would not be required to be met, only that the works made the building “no worse” than existing. That would be a Building Control (having worked with RBKC Building Control, they’re quite fastidious so it may have been an Approved Inspector). That might have had an effect. The contractor may have installed the panels badly, negating the fire protection (as there should be fire protection to prevent fire entering the walls and cavities). The biggest issues will come if the contractors deliberately misled on what cladding was fitted. The management company will come under flak for their fire risk assessments and if that was carried out by a competent person on behalf of the management company, then they would likely find themselves under fire (and possible imprisoned – as a fire risk assessor, I can be fined and sent to prison for poor fire risk assessments so from dropping a 6 hour inspection down to 45 minutes as one of the earlier links is just crap. Maybe if they’re a cowboy.) Mind, fire risk assessments of flats only cover what is within the common spaces, so if there’s issues between two flats, it’ll never be picked up. The fires appeared to be inside and outside the building from what I’ve seen – how the fire spread back in needs to be investigated. Or if it spread internally, it needs to be investigated. I’ve heard rumours (and until it’s proven, it’s a rumor), that gas works had been undertaken. Chances are, they breached compartment walls. Which are usually designed to prevent spread of smoke and fire into surrounding areas – currently flats are designed to contain it for 60 minutes.
As mentioned elsewhere, there is also a skills shortage in the construction industry and fire resisting materials are required to be installed exactly as per the instructions otherwise they wont work. I’ve even seen competent installers cock things up and I had to pick this up in a fire risk assessment.
No chance of using the US codes. They’re a mess and likely wouldn’t have helped – Dubai was built to the same standards and they’ve had issues with cladding.
No doubt we will see some updates to the guidance for fire (so an update to the Approved Document) but I doubt the Building Regulations will be updated (because they’re about 8 pages and the bit relating to fire essentially says “Buildings should be safe in a fire”. However, we’ve had new guidance issued (and updated) since ADB was updated – BS 9991 (Flats) and BS 9999 (Buildings other than Flats). So not sure what will be updated.
My old colleagues will no doubt be appointed to carry out the investigations and I wish them all the best (I’d probably be involved as well, had I not left last month!)
"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett
I like Steam, but I’m beginning to look at other services – specifically Good Old Games. DRM free downloads and an optional client. And they do fair trade pricing, so as the £ stinks at the minute, they’ll give you cash back for your next purchase!
"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett
I can set something up on my Synology if that’s any help? You’d be able to do it via FTP.
I think I’ve 2TB of space free so could certainly add a user with a reasonable size quota if it helps, though it is on my home connection (though is on a 53Mb download and 9Mb upload link) and only a single disk Synology so there are some limitations.
"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett
@thinktank that means a whole winter for me.
He did say competent 😉
"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett
Might give it a go. Have ordered a GTX 1050 Ti to be delivered today which may help up my graphics capability!
"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett
Always been an AMD fan – the XP chip I had knocked socks out the P4’s at the time (at the time I was big into distributed computing). Been thinking that I’ll buy myself a “blow out” rig as I’m getting to the age where unfortunately money might have to disappear on things like weddings and then kids… So get a beast now, hopefully have it for 5-10 years before I have to consider my options again! At that point, I might not be playing many games!
"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett
Post on the previous page June 7, 2017 at 12:48 pm has the link to the drivers in the first line – the word Startech. It links to https://www.startech.com/uk/support/PEXSATA22I#dnlds and then click on [JMicron JMB366] SATA Controller.zip Install, reboot and jobs done.
Could really do with one of those. My motherboard only has two SATA connections.
Mind, I could probably just drop the money onto a decent machine up front anyhow.
"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett
What do you think will happen, if and when the generation of New Voters who almost put Labour in power, get a Second Referendum on Europe?
Or if we leave the country completely with a brain drain…
"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett
I’ve one of these that probably best suits your needs – a Citizen Eco-Drive. Afraid it doesn’t get much use anymore as I’ve gone down the route of a smart watch (and use an Apple Watch now!) I replaced the watch strap (which was perfectly serviceable) for NATO straps that I could change at will. Current strap is this one.
Not been on exercise yet since moving to Manchester with cadets, but if I do, I switch to my trusty Casio (not the cheapest one, the F-91W – Bin Laden’s watch of choice, as the W-86 has an easier to read nightlight in the dark as the whole display lights up, rather than a corner). I’ve also a Timex Camper that I purchased but IT’s SO BLOODY LOUD that I had to take it off at night and leave it in a different room. The date function on it also doesn’t work to well. It’s a shame, as otherwise it’s a nice watch and would be my daily wear.
"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett
I really like the auto lights, especially the high beam, but form my experiance with lane departure, Id for go do with out them to not have it. The lights are handy evey now and then when I get you need high beam, the lane crossing will do my nut in daily. Though in your daily commute do get above 40 in a city?
The main reason for getting the car is not for commuting but for business, where I’ll be expected to drive from Manchester to where ever (so recently it’s been Shrewsbury, Liverpool and coming up is Derby and Leeming). So times when doing over 40 is more likely and along the motorway where it’s aimed for. Dunno, might give it a miss, might just get it (and then disable if needed) to make the most of my monthly car allowance.
"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett
Lane assist is a pita if it’s an option avoid it. The issue is it beeps and tugs on the wheel when you cross a white line, sounds obvious, but, in everyday life your crossing white lanes all the time. The system is stupid and shouldn’t engage untill your doing 55 (motorway speeds) when you don’t want to be drifting over the lines. Like parking sensors the can’t be set to off, only disable them for a short time. A good idea yet to be implemented well.
The Volkswagen one engages at 40mph and disables when you indicate (and therefore will be crossing the line!). Perhaps that’s why you’ve heard BMW drivers complain about it ? If I want the fancy lights with the auto high beam etc, then lane assist comes as part of that. Can’t get one without the other. And as I’ve said, I’m not paying for it. I believe that according to the tax formula, as long as the carbon emissions don’t change, the cost to me from an unspecced and a specced up version is negligible. No Android/Apple features though. Doesn’t really both me – bluetooth will be fine.
The biggest option I wanted comes as standard – cruise control. Though the GTE has adaptive cruise control which will brake for you as well to keep the distance ?
"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett
The tracker may depend. I think there is an option but if it’s an ongoing cost, it might not be covered under the work deal. Was looking at the keyless entry option and perhaps some perks such as the dynamic lighting and auto headlight adjust. And potentially lane assist.
"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett
Yeah, I think it’ll be a decent enough car for the next three years anyhow, just have to order it next week after I figure out the extras I want to add. I’ve an additional £112 a month to add some extras I think so I’ll see what they offer and what’s worth the extra cash.
"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett
Payday 2 is cracking – I’ve put a large number of hours into that. Co-Op multiplayer games like that are awesome with mates.
Rebel Galaxy is free at the minute at GOG if you purchase any game.
"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett
Oh Chris, is the new golf GTE The one with the hybrid motor. It’s ment to be be very good indeed. A big step up from the picanto in power, dynamics and style. (can a fair bit cooler).
That’s the one.
I wouldn’t go for a bigger car but after driving a Focus ST as a hire car for work last year, I thought I’d try the next step up. I don’t think I’d need anything bigger than a Golf in the future. As work are paying for it, the hybrid made sense (it’s far to pricey if I was considering purchasing it myself!) It does reduce the benefit in kind I have to pay as that’s based on the carbon emissions. And it’s been encouraged to make the most of the car allowance so I was looking at the hot hatch type cars as I don’t want what the other engineers have (Lexus, Jag, BMW’s – all saloon’s and far bigger than what I’d want).
Even now, I’m wondering if the Golf is to big!
"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett
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