ROCKWOOL Limited - Experts & Thought Leaders
Latest ROCKWOOL Limited news & announcements
The role of the roof in modern building design has expanded significantly in recent years. ROCKWOOL® has published a whitepaper aimed at helping specifiers and roof contractors to consider and plan for possible fire risks arising from flat roofs being used as multifunctional spaces for a variety of social and practical applications, highlighting, for example, the increasing number of solar energy installations. The Flat Roofs The Flat Roofs: The functional fifth façade paper explores the fire safety implications of modern multifunctional roofs and discusses best practices for identifying and mitigating the risks. It also explains the role of the guidance provided in approved documents, including Approved Document B (ADB) for fire safety, and examines potential limitations of such advice for non-standard flat roof circumstances and scenarios. energy efficiency infrastructure "While the use of flat roofs as functional spaces is not a new concept, the practice has become more and more popular in recent years, especially in increasingly crowded urban areas," explains Lisa Stephens, Product Manager – Building Envelope, ROCKWOOL UK. She adds, "Now, flat roofs don’t just house plant and building services, but energy efficiency infrastructure and social spaces too." addressing flat roof risks The functional fifth façade’ also places a specific focus on the lack of dedicated guidance for solar panels With the increasing complexity of the flat roof space in mind, this whitepaper addresses the risks associated with social and commercial uses of flat roofs, considering implications, such as greater footfall and the impact of penetrations from building services and cabling on compartmentation and fire resistance. With the market for solar energy growing rapidly in the UK and Europe, Flat Roofs: The functional fifth façade’ also places a specific focus on the lack of dedicated guidance for solar panels despite evidence that their presence may increase fire risk. design and installation "The information in the whitepaper will help those involved in the design and installation of flat roofs to make responsible choices, when selecting materials to enable a modern flat roof to be multifunctional, safe, and long-lasting," says Lisa Stephens. She adds, "It offers practical advice to simplify specification, while going above and beyond legislative requirements."
Although the number of women working in construction is on the rise, females still only make up around 14% of the work force. That’s why they’re proud to announce their partnership with Women Into Construction, an organization striving to promote gender equality in the industry. As a Platinum partner, they’ll help Women Into Construction to support women wishing to work in the sector. Women Into Construction provides a range of services for individuals, as well as businesses, education providers, and local authorities. Its support includes mentor schemes, employment programs and a Women Into Construction project manager can even be seconded to an organization to help embed best practices. Reducing skills gaps By working with partners such as ROCKWOOL, Women Into Construction can deliver these services, helping to reduce skills gaps and create a more gender-equal work force. Their partnership with Women Into Construction was spearheaded by Tara Wilson, Regional Sales Manager – South at ROCKWOOL. Commenting on the partnership, she said: “While things are definitely moving in the right direction and the perception of the industry is much better than it was, we’re still on a journey. Organizations like Women Into Construction, with the support of businesses like ROCKWOOL, are leading the charge, empowering women to develop careers in this dynamic industry.” Flexible work policies ROCKWOOL is working hard to achieve greater equality closer to home As well as backing organizations like Women Into Construction, ROCKWOOL is working hard to achieve greater equality closer to home. In 2020, women made up over 18% of their organization and they’re continuing to encourage greater diversity in departments that traditionally have a gender bias (towards either gender) by reviewing their recruitment processes and understanding any barriers such as career development, internal moves, working environment, and flexible work policies. Gender pay gap They’re also pleased to have achieved a further improvement in gender pay gap results for April 2020. Their results have consistently been lower than the national average and they have seen the mean pay gap reduce by 7.35% and the median pay gap reduce by 3.73%, compared to 2017. Tara added: “This is my seventh year with the business and I’ve moved through three sales roles, each time taking a step up in responsibility and now leading my own commercial team within structural sales. ROCKWOOL has a positive culture that celebrates diversity and inclusivity, recognizing that each employee has unique capabilities. It’s always the right person for the role, regardless of gender.”
The data shows 77% of the UK population deal with unwanted noise whilst in their homes, with almost a third (33%) said they have noticed more noise since COVID-19 lockdowns began in March 2020. Their research reveals that 31% of the UK population have had their sleep affected by unwanted external noise, with three in ten (30%) reporting that it stops them opening doors and windows, and a quarter (25%) saying it stops them relaxing. Impact noise pollution The increase in unwanted noise is also having a harmful effect on the wellbeing of the UK’s population, with two-thirds (65%) of those surveyed saying it negatively affects their mood. Nearly nine in ten (87%) of the general public also said a high level of external and internal noise would put them off buying a particular property. Studies have shown that exposure to unwanted noise can contribute to sleep disturbance This data adds to the growing evidence base showing the negative impact noise pollution has on everyday lives. The World Health Organisation has found that at least one million healthy life years are lost every year in Western Europe as a result of exposure to environmental noise, making it the second largest environmental cause of ill health, after air pollution. Studies have shown that exposure to unwanted noise can contribute to sleep disturbance, hypertension, and an increased risk of diabetes, dementia, stroke and heart disease Addressing noise issues Darryl Matthews, Managing Director of ROCKWOOL UK, said: “The pandemic has led to more people working, studying, and spending time in their own homes. With this they’ve become more aware of unwanted noise and our results show it’s having a detrimental effect on their ability to relax, unwind, or even sleep.” “This is a massive issue currently flying under the radar. With more people now likely to work from home after the pandemic and increasing populations in our towns and cities, noise has the potential to be a critical issue and have a negative impact on people’s physical and mental health. High-quality housing with good acoustic design can go a long way in addressing noise issues. There is a pressing need for government, local authorities, and housebuilders to recognize that how we design and build our homes, and the materials we use, can play a huge part in improving people’s lives.”
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