Services Ltd Research Articles

Waste and resource management: Challenges through to 2010

Peter Jones of Biffa Waste Services Ltd shares his thoughts on waste and resource management in the UK over the next few years.

Schemes of Arrangement and Asbestos Litigation: In Re Cape plc

Schemes of arrangement under section 425 of the Companies Act 1985 have been criticised by Professor Goode as being 'complex and cumbersome. Other prominent academics have also noted that this complexity may have led to a poor uptake of section 425 schemes in the reorganisation of distressed companies.2 But the latest case in the asbestos litigation concerning Cape plc has demonstrated how well schemes of arrangement under section 425 may be integrated within an emerging philosophy of corporate rescue in English law.3 Although not currently insolvent, Cape plc was faced with a present and future liability of enormous and unknowable proportions from the claims of employees exposed to asbestos dust. Under the proposed scheme, a subsidiary, Cape Claims Services Ltd (CCS), would be created for the purposes of meeting the claims. The asbestos claims would in future be enforceable against CCS only. CCS would be funded by an initial payment of £40 million from Cape plc, and would receive continued funding from the parent company. This arrangement was necessitated by the 'great uncertainty as to the likely cost of future claims.'4 The scheme would be subject to revision, in order to take account of the expanding liabilities, and to calculate the future amount of funding required from Cape to meet those claims.5 In this way, Cape could meet current asbestos liabilities and hope to trade out of future difficulties. A crucial question before the court in In re Cape plc was whether the court could approve such an arrangement, which allowed the continued revision or variation of provisions affecting creditors bound by the scheme.6 Although a number of challenges were made, the court could see no prohibition of the orders sought by Cape plc, and accordingly approved the scheme. This comment proposes an interpretation of the Cape litigation as a fusion of the rival theories of Professor Thomas Jackson and Professor Donald Korobkin, who stand at the opposite ends of the debate over the proper normative content of

Canadian Oil and Gas Companies' Activities With the Former Soviet Oil Ministry: The Cold War Era 1973 - 1980

Abstract Picture of Hugh W. Leiper (Available In Full Paper) Hugh W. Leiper is a native Albertan born in Didsbury, but raised in the Turner Valley Oilfields. During World War II, due to a shortage of manpower, he roughnecked on drilling rigs in the summer months holiday period. He graduated from South Turner Valley High and later studied Petroleum Engineering at Mount Royal College. However, due to a shortage of funds, left Mount Royal and went to work on the rigs. He was in the rig cellar when the infamous Atlantic No. 3 at Leduc blew out of control in March 1948. He assisted in the killing of this wild well. At the early age of 20 he was promoted to a Tool Push for General Petroleums. In 1954, he joined Great Plains Development Co. as Drilling Superintendent, and in 1957 joined Pacific Petroleums in the same capacity. He became Production Manager at Fort St. John and Edmonton, later moving to Calgary as Operations Manager for Canada, United States and International operations. In 1963, he was admitted to the Society of Petroleum Engineers and still maintains his membership in that society. He is a graduate of the MODC Drilling School at Odessa, Texas, the Petroleum Production School at Kilgore, Texas, Offshore Drilling and Production School at Houston, Texas, the Atlantic Advanced Business School at Dalhousie University, Halifax and the Business Management School at the Banff School of Fine Arts. His paper entitled, Use Offset Well Data to Reduce Drilling Problems, was presented to the CIME and published in the World Oil magazine. Hugh was placed on the Board of the Soviet/Canadian Oil Working Group by the Federal Energy Department and assisted in the forming of the Canadian Drilling Research Association, becoming its Charter and only Chairman, and remained in that capacity during the years 1973 to 1980. In 1980, he joined Morguard Resources as Executive Vice President and remained in this position until his retirement. Morguard operated, purchased and managed oil and gas properties for several large Canadian pension funds such as Pensionfund Energy Resources Limited, Ontario Municipal Retirement System, "OMERS " and Exchange Resources. Hugh remains active as President of his own company, Leiper Energy Services Ltd. He is on the selection committee of the Canadian Hall of Fame, a Board Member of the Petroleum Historic Society and is a member of the Calgary Petroleum Club. Hugh was inducted into the Canadian Hall of Fame in 2002. Abstract An agreement of Canadian-Soviet Cooperation in Industrial Applications of Science and Technology was signed on January 27, 1971 by the Canadian Industry Trade and Commerce Minister —Jean Luc Pepin. This agreement established a mixed Canadian-Soviet Commission of various working groups to provide cooperative technical contacts and exchanges on a systematic long-term basis. In 1974, eleven major and independent oil companies formed the Canadian Drilling Research Association. The objectives were to engage in the exchange of drilling and production technology with foreign governments or entities of interest to the members of the Association.

Management: Analysing mastitis and other disease events from herd records

LivestockVolume 12, Issue 4 p. 41-44 Management: Analysing mastitis and other disease events from herd records James Hanks BSc(Agric) MSc PhD, James Hanks BSc(Agric) MSc PhD PAN LIVESTOCK SERVICES LTD, SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE, POLICY AND DEVELOPMENT, PO BOX 237, READING. RG6 6ARSearch for more papers by this author James Hanks BSc(Agric) MSc PhD, James Hanks BSc(Agric) MSc PhD PAN LIVESTOCK SERVICES LTD, SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE, POLICY AND DEVELOPMENT, PO BOX 237, READING. RG6 6ARSearch for more papers by this author First published: 30 September 2010 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-3870.2007.tb00106.xAboutPDF ToolsExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume12, Issue4July 2007Pages 41-44 RelatedInformation

Deterring Harassment at Common Law

Green v DB Group Services (UK) Ltd [2006] IRLR 764 (QBD) In Green the employer was held to be liable following acts of harassment committed against the claimant. The employer was both personally at fault (it was aware of the situation and should have intervened) and vicariously liable for the behaviour of its employees. At first glance the decision seems unexceptional. Certainly, in the wake of Waters v Comr of Police [2000] 1 WLR 1607 and Majrowski v Guy's and St Thomas's NHS Trust [2006] IRLR 695, it comes as no surprise that the employer's responsibility to secure a non-hostile working environment should be enforced in this way. However, on closer inspection it becomes apparent that the employer was not held vicariously liable (as in Majrowski itself) for a statutory tort committed by the employee but for common law liabilities. It was assumed (as it had been in the earlier High Court decision in Barlow v Borough of Broxbourne [2003] EWHC 50) that employees owe one another a duty of care not to inflict psychiatric harm by harassment. This assumption does not appear to have been disputed. Indeed the very same assumption was also made in the more recent case of Clark v Chief Constable of Essex ([2006] EWHC 2290) where the employer was held vicariously liable, on the basis of negligence, for the activities of employees participating in bullying. Green, following Barlow, suggests that one then determines whether the duty in question has been breached by asking ‘did the person or persons involved in the victimisation or bullying know, or ought they reasonably to have known, that their conduct might cause the claimant harm … [and] could they, by the exercise of reasonable care, have taken steps which would have avoided that harm’. The imposition of such a duty on an employee may seem wholly apposite given the potential consequences for the victim of acts such as bullying, harassment and victimisation. However, a fundamental difficulty arises because it is not at all clear whether that imposition accords with precedent.

Rapid gravity sand filters: Developments in filter floor design

There are different designs for underdrains – important when removing suspended solids from potable water. David Shepherd of Severn Trent Services Ltd takes us through some recent developments.

Canadian Utilities Ltd.

AbstractGas Utilities (MIC: 7.4 SIC: 4925 NAIC: 221210)Canadian Utilities Limited is a Canada‐based holding company. Co.'s principal operating subsidiaries are engaged in regulated natural gas and electric energy operations, primarily in Alberta, and in related non‐regulated operations. Co. operates in four business segments: The Utilities Business Group, The Power Generation Business Group, The Global Enterprises Business Group, and The Corporate and Other segment. Co.'s wholly‐owned operating subsidiaries include CU Inc., ATCO Power Ltd., ATCO Midstream Ltd., ATCO I‐Tek Inc., ATCO Frontec Corp., ASHCOR Technologies Ltd., and ATCO Utility Services Ltd.

Cost-effectiveness of surgery plus radiotherapy versus radiotherapy alone for metastatic epidural spinal cord compression

A recent randomized clinical trial has demonstrated that direct decompressive surgery plus radiotherapy was superior to radiotherapy alone for the treatment of metastatic epidural spinal cord compression. The current study compared the cost-effectiveness of the two approaches. In the original clinical trial, clinical effectiveness was measured by ambulation and survival time until death. In this study, an incremental cost-effectiveness analysis was performed from a societal perspective. Costs related to treatment and posttreatment care were estimated and extended to the lifetime of the cohort. Weibull regression was applied to extrapolate outcomes in the presence of censored clinical effectiveness data. From a societal perspective, the baseline incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was found to be $60 per additional day of ambulation (all costs in 2003 Canadian dollars). Using probabilistic sensitivity analysis, 50% of all generated ICERs were lower than $57, and 95% were lower than $242 per additional day of ambulation. This analysis had a 95% CI of -$72.74 to 309.44, meaning that this intervention ranged from a financial savings of $72.74 to a cost of $309.44 per additional day of ambulation. Using survival as the measure of effectiveness resulted in an ICER of $30,940 per life-year gained. We found strong evidence that treatment of metastatic epidural spinal cord compression with surgery in addition to radiotherapy is cost-effective both in terms of cost per additional day of ambulation, and cost per life-year gained.

From sustainable management to sustainable development: a longitudinal analysis of a leading New Zealand environmental reporter

AbstractThis paper reports the results of an interpretive textual analysis of New Zealand's most consistent and arguably leading reporter on environmental and social impacts. Since 1995, Watercare Services Ltd, an Auckland‐based water utility, has been an award winning environmental reporter. The paper works with all of the organization's reports since 1993 through 2003 identifying and analysing the emergence and development of a sustainable development discourse. Focusing on the language and images used to construct meanings, and the context in which the reports emerged, the paper traces the organization's reporting developments. The paper illustrates how, in evolving from environmental reports to sustainable development reports, the organization has (re)constructed itself from one that sustainably manages resources to one that practises sustainable development. The implications of these developments are explored in terms of the literature on ‘capture’ and organizational change. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

Ultrasound Markers for Down's Syndrome—Dr Jekyll or Mr Hyde

In this personal commentary, Mike Wyldes, Director of Midlands Ultrasound and Medical Services (MUMS) Ltd and Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Birmingham Heartlands & Solihull Hospital, charts his personal feelings and experiences relating to the recognition of ultrasound 'soft markers' for Trisomy 21. He explains the rationale underpinning development and implementation of the recommendations of the West Midlands Regional Ultrasound Group and publication of their booklet Soft Markers—a Guide for Professionals.

The dawning of ‘A-Day’

Paul Cuff, Corporate Pensions Director at Albert Goodman Financial Services Ltd, gives a breakdown of the new changes to pensions as well as some advice on how to approach your own pension provision.

Reinventing the retirement paradigm

This book explores how rising pension and healthcare costs, along with workforce aging, are affecting pension and retirement planning around the world. Many middle-aged workers now realize that they will have to work longer than intended, as they begin to recognize that their retirement resources will be inadequate to finance retirement consumption. Volatile capital markets, rising medical-care costs, and low saving rates make retirement behavior and policy a moving target. Olivia Mitchell, executive director of The Pension Research Council at Wharton, and Robert L. Clark, Professor of Business Management and Economics at North Carolina State University, explore these themes with colleagues, touching on a diverse set of issues ranging from employment trends to pension accounting and investment, to retirement system overhaul. They illustrate how employers are actively reformulating the meaning of work and retirement, seeking to encourage more people to work longer than ever before in the face of projected labor shortages. At the same time, public and private trust in traditional pension offerings is rapidly eroding, as companies alter, amend, and terminate their conventional plans in the face of poor investment performance and new methods of pension accounting. Experts from the UK, the US, Japan, Sweden, and Canada offer international perspectives on the evolving institutions of retirement practice. This book provides readers a range of insights and strategies not available in other volumes, and it represents an invaluable addition to the PRC/OUP series. It will be particularly valuable for managers working toward more efficient pension plans; to scholars and policymakers seeking to maximize pension design and effectiveness; and to actuaries and tax specialists concerned with pension regulation. The Pension Research Council at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania was founded 50 years ago to encourage research and teaching on pensions and retirement security. Council projects address the long-term issues that underlie contemporary concerns and seek to broaden public understanding of these complex arrangements through research into their social, economic, legal, actuarial, and financial foundations of privately and publicly-provided benefits. Contributors to this volume - Katharine Abraham, Professor of Survey Methodology and Adjunt Professor of Economics, University of Maryland Keith Ambachtsheer, President and founder of KPA Advisory Services Ltd. Gary Anderson, Executive Director of the Texas Municipal Retirement System William J. Arnone, Partner in the Human Capital Practice of Ernst & Young LLP, New Yrok Keith Brainard, Research Director, National Association of State Retirement Administrators (NASRA) Robert L. Clark, Professor of Business Management and Economics, North Carolina State University Douglas Fore, Principal Research Fellow, TIAA-CREF Institute Susan Houseman, Senior Economicst at the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research Robert Hutchens, Professor of Labor Economics, New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Cornell University James Klein, President of the American Benefits Council David McCarthy, Faculty Member, Imperial College, University of London Olivia S. Mitchell, Executive Director of the Pension Research Council, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania Janemarie Mulvey, Assistant Director of the Research Information Center at Watson Wyatt Worldwide Steven Nyce, Senior Retirement Research Associate, Research and INformation Centre of Watson Wyatt Worldwide Pamela Perun, independent consultant on retirement income policy issues Kerry Papps, doctoral candidate in labor economics, Cornell University Silvana Pozzebon, Assocaiate Professor, Department of Human Resources Management, HEC Montreal, University of Montreal Patrick Purcell, CRS Eugene Steuerle, Senior Fellow at the The Urban Institute, and Co-Director of the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center Annika Sunden, Senior Economist at the Swedish National Social Insurance Board and a Research Associate at the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College Masaharu Usuki, Senior Research Fellow at NLI Research Institute, a research affiliate of Nippon Life Insurance Company

‘Shall I Compare Thee To...?’ On Article 141 EC and Lawrence

For a ruling which is of considerable significance, the judgment of the European Court of Justice in Lawrence v Regent Office Care Ltd, Commercial Catering Group and Mitie Secure Services Ltd (Case C-320/00 [2002] ECR I-7325) has to date remained somewhat curiously unremarked upon. The case involved, in effect, an attempt to supplement the rights enjoyed by workers in a transferred undertaking under the Acquired Rights Directive (Council Directive 2001/23/EC of 12 March 2001 (OJ L 82, 22.3.2001, p 16)) by invoking Article 141 EC as the basis of an asserted right of equal pay on the part of employees in a transferred undertaking with comparators still working for the transferor. The implications of the ruling for equality law are considerable, something subsequent case-law has by now had the opportunity to confirm. Lawrence concerned the contracting out by North Yorkshire County Council of compulsory competitive tendering of cleaning and catering...

Kershaw Mechanical Services Ltd v Kendrick Construction Ltd

Kershaw Mechanical Services Ltd v Kendrick Construction Ltd

Econet Satellite Services Ltd v Vee Networks Ltd (No 2)

Econet Satellite Services Ltd v Vee Networks Ltd (No 2)

A digital media asset ecosystem for the global film industry

This paper is addressed to business and technical decision-makers in the filmed entertainment business worldwide. Based on an analysis of recent and impending changes in the media and entertainment market, it presents the rationale for enterprise-wide digitization in the film industry, proposes that readers view the future from a broader, end-to-end “solutions” perspective rather than from a “products and packages” one, and suggests guidelines to keep in mind while using this information to implement IT systems for the unique needs of the organizations they represent. Tata Consultancy Services Ltd is an independent and neutral IT consultant. This paper therefore avoids making specific mention of the names of software and hardware vendors.

The Future of Reference Publishing

This interview is extracted from a report entitled “The Future of Reference Publishing” published by Electronic Publishing Services Ltd in October 2005, and is republished in Elucidate with their kind permission.For details of how to purchase the full report see http://www.epsltd.com reference works online affected print sales?

SBR Performance with an Excessive Long Sludge Age

In the UK water industry, the sequencing batch reactor (SBR) has been seen as a technically-economically advantageous option as an alternative to the continuous flow activated sludge process (ASP). The technology has enjoyed a booming period over the last decade, with many installations now operational. These installations appear to have achieved various degrees of success, but not without operational and performance issues. This paper reviews the typical design practices of SBR, and focuses on one particular SBR supplied by Biobubble Ltd within the spectrum of various SBR technologies. Biobubble SBR is designed as a true SBR with discrete phases of fill, aerate, settle and decant. It often guarantees an effluent quality of 15: 10: 2 (TSS : BOD : AmmN) and a low sludge production. Its main operating parameters are distinct in comparison with continuous flow ASP, and indeed other 'mainstream' SBRs. Differentiation can be seen on plant sizing, sequence control and equipment configuration. Studies have been carried out by Anglian Water Services Ltd to gain a better understanding of this type of SBRs. It has been found that the reliable performance is due to the long hydraulic retention time (HRT) of about 70 hours (aerated), which provide high tolerance against shock loadings. The good settlement is a result of a long settling phase of 1.5 hours and a low fill time ratio (FTR) of about 0.05, creating a feast/famine condition similar to a plug-flow ASP. The low sludge yield of 0.33 kgSS·kgBOD−1 is a result of a long sludge retention time (SRT) of about 200 days, which enables aerobic sludge digestion in the SBRs.

Hackwood Ltd v Areen Design Services Ltd

Hackwood Ltd v Areen Design Services Ltd

Odour management plans: a risk-based approach using stakeholder data

Annoyance is a familiar reaction to odours arising from wastewater treatment sites, a reaction which can result in complaints and prosecutions. Odour management plans can be used to assess the extent of nuisance caused and prioritise mitigation measures. Often, these plans have been developed purely on the basis of technical assessments of emission and dispersion, with the general aim of limiting odour concentrations to a specific threshold at some distance from the works. They have often been prepared with inconsistent communication between the site staff and consultant during the development process, and may not directly refer to the affected population. This paper describes a risk-based approach to developing odour management plans, in which mitigation measures are assessed and prioritised on the basis of the likely frequency and intensity of odour exposure. A key element of the approach is the use of knowledge from data gained from key stakeholder groups: customers, staff, and regulators. Emphasis is placed on the development of clear communications between these groups, which helps both in terms of raising awareness amongst operators as to the significance of odour problems, and also in managing the expectations of customers and regulators. The practical application of this approach is demonstrated by the development of odour management plans for wastewater treatment sites by Yorkshire Water Services Ltd. These have used data from staff, customers and regulators to develop risk grids, which are then used to prioritise remediation measures. Involving staff in the data collection operations has been successful in raising awareness of the significance of odours, and has in turn led to low-cost emission reductions through improved housekeeping. Improved communications between operators, customers and regulators has led to more realistic expectations with regard to odour problems, a situation which can reduce conflict and prevent the imposition of stringent and sometimes unrealistic odour standards.