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Aidan Page (left with the dark glasses) and Mick Hoey

Quarrymen quit saying “Snub it out”

Determined workers at Lafarge’s Mountsorrel Quarry are looking forward to a healthier and wealthier 2012 after stubbing out their cigarette habit.

Six staff showed true grit by giving up following a health screening day run by Leicester city’s smoking cessation team. Father of two, Mick Hoey, who lives with his wife in Narborough, packed in a 35-year, 20-a-day habit and is feeling fitter for it.
Mick, 49, said: “I started smoking as a kid at 14 – I guess it was peer pressure, everyone else seemed to be smoking and in those days it was still regarded as ‘cool’. There weren’t the warnings of the dangers of smoking around so much in those days.”

“In my job as an electrician I’m working in lots of different locations on site and it was starting to get difficult for me to climb stairs and generally get about without feeling out of breath all the time.

“I didn’t like to admit it to myself but deep down I knew it was because of the fags.”

Mick’s realisation happened to coincide with news of a visit from the NHS smoking cessation team invited in by quarry operator Lafarge Aggregates & Concrete UK.

After meeting and chatting with the team Mick decided he’d do his best to give up. Along with colleagues he attended fortnightly group sessions where the cessation team gave advice and did general health checks and the quarry workers shared experiences.

“I’ve never really been that into all this group session business but it actually was a worthwhile thing to do. You felt you were getting support and the team were really taking on board your concerns and listening to you rather than thinking you were just moaning.
”It was also good to know that the company was behind us and that our managers here were really enthusiastic about us taking steps to improve our lifestyle.”

Mick has now been a happier, healthier non-smoker for more than five months and is feeling the benefits.
“My cravings have gone now and I feel stronger and fitter in myself and I don’t get out of breath climbing stairs or doing anything strenuous.

“Giving up has been a really positive experience for me. I know there might be some people out there who made a New Year resolution to quit and might be faltering, but my message to them is keep going – you’ll be glad you did.”
[cwmags]

Flooring for new headquarters for York Council

Over 12,500 m² of Kingspan access flooring is being installed in a new civic headquarters and customer service centre for York Council on the site of a grade 2 listed former railway station within the walls of the historic city.

Northern Access Floors – a Kingspan partner contractor – is installing 12,500 m² of particleboard and steel encapsulated panels for the new-build element of the scheme and areas of the former railway station which are being redeveloped.

About 25% of the flooring has been installed to date and the remainder is due to be completed by Spring 2012. Miller Construction are the main contractors for the project.

Northern Access Floors Director Steve Robson said: “The access flooring in the areas being redeveloped had to be installed over listed floorboards, so a low cost, fit-for-purpose flooring system was required and Kingspan’s particleboard panels met those needs perfectly. The new build element of the project will have much more usage and the panels will be installed on concrete, so steel-encapsulated panels were specified there.”

The particleboard panels were installed with a finished floor height ranging from 60 mm to 150 mm, and the FFH of the steel encapsulated panels was 250 mm.

The new civic headquarters and customer service centre will enable York Council to rationalise its offices from 16 to four, providing an estimated saving of £17 million over the next 25 years.

Click here for more information
>>> Kingspan Access Flooring

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