Article Abstract:
The UK government's private finance initiative (PFI) has so far had only a very limited impact in Northern Ireland. However, contractors and consultants hope that the peace settlement in Northern Ireland will lead to a rise in the number of PFI schemes. The only two PFI projects to go on site so far in Northern Ireland are a 2 million pounds sterling car park at Royal Victoria Hospital in north Belfast and a 3.3 million pounds sterling renal unit for Belfast City Hospital. The cost of bidding will be a key issue, as the overall capital budget for Northern Ireland is very small.
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Article Abstract:
The manufacture of halon gas will be phased out by the year 2000 under the 1987 Montreal Protocol. Halon is the best fire extinguishing substance as it acts fast, is non-harmful to humans, leaves no residue and does not damage delicate equipment. Halons are more damaging to the ozone layer than CFCs. There is no substitute as yet for the gas. Possibilities are: Inergen, a mixture of nitrogen, argon and carbon dioxide; NAF and an aqueous film forming foam. The Department of the Environment may create a national halon bank so that gases can be stored and reused.
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Article Abstract:
UK construction consultants Bucknall Austin has developed a best practice guide on its intranet, at a cost of 100,000 pounds sterling. The aim of the guide is to improve client service by better communications without duplicating information and wasting valuable time. The systems allows staff to call up standard files and change information for individual clients. The system runs on Microsoft Internet Explorer and will network Bucknall Austin's 17 regional offices by the end of 1998.
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