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Biggest Threats to the Construction Industry in 2024

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On December 15, 2023

In Uncategorized

2024 looks set to be a huge year in the world of construction with ever changing technologies making the industry an incredibly exciting place to be at this point in time.

construction security

However, things haven’t exactly been easy in construction over the past few years with the industry one of those hit hardest by global supply chain issues and ever changing regulatory environments.

We would hate to be a doom bringer during the season of goodwill, but without the right precautions your new year could quickly become anything but happy.

Be aware of the threats that are mentioned in this article, however, and take the suitable steps to guard your firm against them, and you are setting yourself up for success in 2024 and beyond.

Inflation

Inflation is a threat to pretty much every single person and industry in the UK at this point in time but construction has been hit particularly hard over the last few years.

The rising price of construction materials can dramatically increase the overall cost of a project and trying to navigate this whilst continuing to offer competitive rates and compete for contracts can be a challenge.

There are some signs of improvement in terms of inflation rate in recent times but prices will undoubtedly remain a concern during 2024.

Security

Crime has been a threat to the construction industry since its inception and as the price of living increases and the value of construction assets rise this isn’t going to change anytime soon.

When planning your construction site security services, make sure that you consult with a professional security firm and ask for their advice on what threats are currently the most prominent and exactly what measures you should be taking to guard yourself against them.

Sustainability regulations

There have already been plenty of restrictions put in place on the construction industry in terms of sustainability, both in terms of their daily activities and in terms of the structures that are being built.

For example, all new build properties must now have electric charges attached and must not have gas boilers. These are all things that will influence how you work and have a knock on effect on your business.

As the Government looks to make progress towards their ambitions of reaching net zero emissions, further restrictions will undoubtedly be introduced in the future.

More energy efficient designs and sustainable building materials are now a must, and by going above and beyond the current restrictions in place you can put yourself in a strong position for whatever 2024 throws at you.

As you probably already know far too well, trying to navigate all these restrictions whilst still operating a profitable and efficient construction firm can be a bit of a nightmare.

Digital security

In the modern world, digital security is just as important as physical security and you need to make sure you have all your cyber security needs taken care of in 2024.

Follow these tips and 2024 looks set to be a big year for you and your business.

How to get rid of squirrels in your property

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On August 29, 2023

In Uncategorized

Squirrels are quite unique in the pest control world in that most people are pretty fond of the fluffy rodents but they can still do a tremendous amount of harm.

Their ‘cute’ reputation is actually a bit of an issue sometimes as people will spot them close to their own homes and not realise the harm that they could be doing. See a rat in your garden and you’ll be on the phone to a pest control company in an instant. Would you do the same if you saw a squirrel?

Grey squirrels are some of the most destructive pests you can possibly have in your home. They not only spread diseases as prolifically as any other rodent but will also gnaw through your possessions and the very fabric of your home with prolific efficiency.

The problem with squirrels

grey squirrel

Their public image may not be too bad, but conservationists and pest control experts are well aware of the threat they pose.

Just some of the dangers of having squirrels invade your loft space include the spreading of bacteria filled droppings and urine, the gnawing of wood (including structural beams), and the chewing of electrical wiring.

This final threat is by far the most concerning as rodents chewing through wiring is responsible for a large number of house fires in the UK each year so it really is vital you call a professional if you suspect you have squirrels in your home.

Squirrels may seem pretty timid in your local park, but they certainly aren’t the politest of house guests, and can make a tremendous amount of noise scratching, scrabbling, and chewing their way through your attic and walls. This may not pose a direct threat to your physical wellbeing but can put  big toll on your mental health and make sleep and relaxation extremely hard to come by.

How to tell if you have squirrels

There are a number of signs, some obvious and some less obvious, that you should look out for that suggest you may be dealing with an infestation of grey squirrels.

These include physical sightings of squirrels, droppings found in the attic or on the floor near your property, damage or gnaw marks on wood or insulation inside your loft, and scratching sounds coming from above during the nighttime when these rodents are most active.

Some more subtle signs to be aware of include nuts and seeds rapidly vanishing from bird feeders and tree bark being stripped away.

How to get rid of squirrels

Squirrels are one of the pest species that are notoriously difficult to get rid of and the only way to ensure relief is to get in touch with a professional pest control firm such as Harvey Environmental immediately. If action isn’t taken quickly the risk of structural damage being done rises and the cost of repair goes up rapidly. The fire risk that rodents pose also means there really is no time to waster.

The link between saunas and exercise

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On August 1, 2023

In Main

Saunas have been associated with recovering from hard exercise centuries, and remain one of the best tools available for instant muscle relaxation, fast injury healing, and improved blood circulation.

What is less well known, however, is that sauna bathing actually offers many of the same benefits as the exercise itself, great news if you have been looking for home saunas UK for sale.

This isn’t some old wives tales either, and there is a huge amount of scientific research done into the effects of sauna use that has repeatedly supported the idea that sauna and exercise are very closely linked.

Having a home sauna is incredibly convenient and exciting, and whilst not a direct replacement for outdoor exercise, certainly is a fantastic asset for anyone looking to live a healthy lifestyle.

In this article, we will look in depth at the benefits of a home sauna that are shared with physical exercise and you can look forward to enjoying as a future sauna owner.

home sauna
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Endorphin Release

The most well-known health benefits of saunas are physical, but the mental boost that a good soak can give you should not be overlooked.

One of the main reasons that many people exercise is to receive a boost in their endorphins that can help to reduce stress and improve mood. A sauna session will produce a similar reaction and will almost certainly leave you feeling lighter and more relaxed than when you went inside.

Improving cardiac output

When we are exposed to hot temperatures, our bodies naturally increase cardiac output as a result, raising our heartrate to an elevated level.

Improving your body’s cardiac performance, whether through exercise, sauna use, or a combination of both (recommended), will significantly reduce your susceptibility to certain heat conditions and sudden cardia incidents such as heart attacks. With a direct correlation identified between all-cause mortality and sauna use, using a sauna on a regular basis really could be a life changing decision.

Sauna use may also be beneficial for those looking to lose weight as your metabolism experiences a noticeable boost in the minutes and even hours after leaving the sauna. This is another connection that is shared with exercise although saunas are not considered as a fast weight loss tool in themselves.

Saunas as a complement to exercise

Whilst saunas and exercise do both share some common advantages, most users find the biggest benefits from using them together in conjunction as part of a healthy lifestyle.

Saunas help your body to recover faster following a tough workout and work by easing tension and removing lactic acid that has built up within the muscle itself. Many pro athletes rely heavily on saunas to help them train as hard as they need to without injuring themselves or wearing their bodies too thin.

By increasing blood circulation as the heat of the sauna opens up your blood vessels, these sessions can also help your injuries to heal faster as oxygenated blood reaches damaged areas faster and quicker than would otherwise be the case.

Botox – The History

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On September 23, 2022

In Main

botox

Botox has become one of the most popular cosmetic treatments out there – every year millions of people receive injections to help with facial wrinkles. Despite the emergence of other treatments, Botox remains by far the most popular – and one of the safest.  But Botox isn’t an old treatment – its use as a cosmetic treatment began only in the 1990s.

In this article we’ll look at the history of Botox and how it became such an important treatment in the cosmetic field.

What is Botox?

Botox stands for Botulinum Toxin. Botulinum toxin is one of the most dangerous toxins on the planet – it is significantly more dangerous than cyanide. Despise this, Botox has gone onto become one of the most important discoveries in medical and cosmetic history.

Botulinum toxin is produced by the bacterium Bacillus botulinum. The bacteria itself is harmless, and can be found in soil, rivers, dust, and sea sediments. However, when they are deprived of oxygen, the bacteria begins to produce the Botulinum toxin. The resulting illness is called botulism. Botulism tends to be spread via food – the name Botulism is derived from the Latin word for sausages, as in many cases it resulted from tainted sausage meat.

Botulism results in paralysis of the muscles because it blocks the chemical signals our nerves send out.

The way Botox treatment works is that via small, concentrated doses, a trained professional can successfully relax the muscles in the face which create the distinct groves and lines that make up our wrinkles.

The Early History of Botulism – Discovery and Classification

  • 1820: Botulism is identified by Justinus Kerner. It is named after the Latin word for Sausages (literally Botulism, the Sausage disease) after Kerner makes a link to tainted sausage meat.
  • 1895: Professor Emile Pierre van Ermengem of Belgium identifies Bacillus botulinum as the cause of botulism – recognising it is a form of intoxication, rather than viral infection.
  • 1946: Botulinum Toxin Type A is isolated for the first time in a purified, crystalline form at the University of California in San Francisco.

Botulism is a relatively recent discovery and its proper classification as a toxin produced by the bacterium Bacillus botulinum happened only over a hundred years ago. Beforehand ‘sausage disease’, while known to exist, was not fully understood, and was viewed as an infection rather than intoxication.

Botulism from the beginning drew interest for its potential medical use – Justinus Kerner wrote about the potential benefits of botulism in the 1800s but never was able to make any developments. These would not start until the 1950s.

The emergence of Medical Botox

  • 1953: Physiologist Dr Vernon Brooks finds that small, concentrated doses of Botulinum toxin act as an effective muscle relaxant for hyperactive muscles.
  • 1978: After years of study and testing, ophthalmologist Alan B Scott begins Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved trials with botulinum toxin for the treatment of crossed eyes (strabismus) and eye twitching (blepharospasm).
  • 1989: Botulinum toxin becomes approved for use in a wide variety of different medical conditions. The company Allergan licences the treatment and brands it as ‘Botox’.

Before it was considered for the treatment of wrinkles, Botox (originally branded as Oculinum) was intended as a treatment for the eye conditions Strabismus (an issue of crossed eyes) and Blepharospasm (uncontrolled twitching of the eyes). Researchers had found that controlled injections of botulinum toxin could relax the muscles and offered a serious alternative to existing treatments. These were costly, intensive surgeries which were often unsuccessful or necessitate additional surgery later down the line. Because of this, there was a serious interest in ophthalmology. 

Botox has overtime become a widely popular medical treatment. In 1989 Botox was only approved for Strabismus and blepharospasm. But overtime it has been approved for a wide variety of different conditions. This includes,

  • Cervical dystonia (2000)
  • Glabellar lines (2002)
  • Excessive sweating (axillary hyperhidrosis) (2004)
  • Chronic migraines and upper lip spasticity (2010)
  • Urinary incontinence (2011)

The emergence of Cosmetic Botox

  • 1987: Canadian Doctors Dr Jean and Alastair Carruthers found that blepharospasm patients were losing wrinkles after Botox treatments and begin researching the potential value of Botox as a cosmetic product.
  • 1992: Jean and Alastair Carruthers publish a paper on the viability of Botox as a treatment for wrinkles.
  • 1997: Botox is so popular in the US that supplies temporarily run out due to mass usage in cosmetic treatment.
  • 2002: Botox is approved by the FDA for use in the treatment of frown lines.

The cosmetic value of Botox Before and After was purely accidental; Dr Jean Carruthers, an ophthalmologist found that her blepharospasm patients were losing wrinkles in their forehead. After they issued their initial study, Botox quickly became a runaway success.

Today Botox is used to treat a huge range of different medical issues, including frown lines, crow’s feet, excessive sweating, and smokers’ lines.

A Safe, Popular Experience

Despite some concerns, Botox is treatment which has only gotten more popular over time. Over 900,000 Botox treatments are performed every year in the UK – and in the US it is estimated the number is over 4,000,000.

When performed by a trained, experienced professional like Luxe Skin’s Dr Q, Botox is a simple, straightforward treatment that will take no time at all and requires limited recovery time. Treatment must always be performed by a professional to ensure the best possible results.

Why are non-surgical cosmetic treatments becoming so popular?

By

On June 6, 2022

In Main

non-surgical-facelift-surgery

If you have always liked the thought of sculpting your perfect appearance but have been put off by the cost and potential risks attached to surgery, non-surgical cosmetic treatments could be the answer you’ve been looking for.

The cosmetic treatment industry has made huge advances in recent years, with most desired outcomes now more than possible without venturing near an operating table.

Modern cosmetic clinics, such as the experts at Luxe Skin, offer a huge variety of different non-surgical treatments that deliver fantastic results more than equal to their surgical counterparts, at a much lower cost and with much less downtime after the treatment.

What is a non-surgical treatment?

A non-surgical treatment refers to any cosmetic procedure that doesn’t involve any medical instruments such as scalpels being used to cut skin or for any other purpose in the body.

These non-invasive alternatives to surgery offer a fantastic way to enhance your features and achieve a more youthful appearance with extremely limited downtime.

There have been non-surgical cosmetic treatment options available for many decades now, but rapid improvements in operation, product quality, and effectiveness have fuelled a dramatic rise in popularity since the turn of the century.

Just some of the most popular non-surgical cosmetic treatments currently available include:

  • Facelifts
  • Botox
  • Dermal Fillers
  • Face tightening
  • Body Sculpting
  • Laser treatments
  • Chemical Skin Peels
  • High Intensity Focussed Ultrasound (HIFU)

Benefits of non-surgical treatments vs surgery

The rise in popularity of non-surgical cosmetic treatments is not without reason, and their safe, quick, and easy nature makes surgery look like an unnecessary and old-fashioned procedure in many cases.

Just some of the reasons that the majority of those seeking cosmetic treatments are now opting for non-surgical options include:

Low Risk

Looking and feeling younger is wonderful, but your health is more important!

Cosmetic surgery is safer now than it has ever been, but any invasive surgery, especially those involving general anaesthetic comes with an inherent risk attached.

One of the main benefits of non-invasive cosmetic treatments is exactly that, they’re non-invasive.

The risk of side effects is significantly lower when undergoing a non-surgical cosmetic treatment, making it particularly attractive to those understandably hesitant about going under the knife.

Quick Process

If you have a big event coming up and want to look your best but simply don’t have several weeks to spare for a surgical treatment, the speed of the non-invasive treatment process can be extremely attractive.

One of the most popular non-surgical treatments, for example, Botox, will simply require you to undergo a quick evaluation from a cosmetic doctor before you can have the injections and go on your way.

Instant Results

You will begin to see the benefits of non-surgical treatments almost immediately, and the recovery time will rarely be more than a couple of days.

In comparison, it can take upwards of 6 weeks to recover from a significant surgical treatment meaning you will likely have to take a prolonged period of time off work and may be unable to return to everyday activity for several months.

No Scarring

One of the biggest worries that people have about cosmetic surgery is that they will be left with unsightly scars, marking the signs of surgery and increasing the risk of infection.

There will be no such problems with non-surgical procedures when a slightly red tender feeling in the target area being the only negative evidence of treatment, and this will subside within a matter of days.

However, no cosmetic treatment is without risk, even non-surgical ones, so make sure to keep an eye out for any of the potential reactions to treatments names on the list of potential side effects given to you by the clinic.

Cost

Going cheap is never a good idea when it comes to cosmetic surgery, but non-surgical treatments are a much more cost-effective option, proven to produce results of the same quality as much more expensive invasive procedures.

To give an idea of just how much of a difference there is in cost between surgical and non-surgical procedures, a standard surgical facelift will cost anywhere from £8000 to upwards of £10000, whilst a non-surgical facelift Glasgow from Luxe Skin costs between £3450-£4950.

Just how popular are non-surgical treatments?

Very! The cosmetic surgery industry as a whole has skyrocketed in the past decade, rising from £2.3bn in 2010 to upwards of £3.5bn, and the fact that non-surgical procedures account for around 90% of all treatments demonstrates just how popular these treatments are.

Contact Us

Luxe skin are a leading provider of bespoke non-surgical cosmetic procedures with all our treatments conducted solely by Dr. Usman Quareshi who has over 8 years of experience in cosmetic medicine.

For more information on any of the services we offer, contact us today by phone at 0141 573 1473, or via email at info@luxeskin.co.uk.

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