North delivers network infrastructure for The 151st Open Championship

THE Networking and connectivity specialist, North has delivered an extensive audit, design, and upgrade of the network infrastructure for The 151st Open taking place at:- The Royal Liverpool Golf Club, on Merseyside, between:-16 July to 23 July 2023.

This represents the 7th time North has supported the international event, having worked in partnership with organisers, The R&A, to manage all event critical communications solutions at:- The Open, since 2016. The team at North started work at Royal Liverpool in February 2023 after 18 months of design and planning and will remain on-site for the duration of the event to provide critical event time support.

North redesigned and expanded the network infrastructure at Royal Liverpool to create a fully resilient fibre and copper network to enable the state of the art technologies required to facilitate the event for:- players, media, and spectators. This includes a high speed network infrastructure, that will support all the events:- TV and radio broadcast media, telephony, public WiFi, CCTV, point of sale technology, and digital leaderboards. These upgrades will also ensure the course has the capability to support future events.

Established in 1860 and recognised as the oldest; and arguably 1 of the most prestigious; golf tournaments in the world, The Open is always played at iconic coastal links golf courses and attracted a record number of 290,000 spectators when it was hosted in 2022, at St Andrews.

Brian McGinley, Accounts Director at North, said:-"The Open is recognised as 1 of the most important golfing events internationally and we're proud to be working in partnership once again with The R&A to support the delivery of what will no doubt be another unforgettable event for players and millions of spectators. Upgrading to high performance, best-in-class network infrastructure ensures that events are well executed and improves the experience for the media, players and spectators. As an event technology specialist, North is well-positioned to understand the unique and advanced requirements of both prestigious courses and The Open. We are looking forward to continuing our close partnership with The R&A to complete the world class, high performance network infrastructure that enables uninterrupted communications, and to being on-site to ensure seamless support for the duration of the event."

The North team is working in consultation with other event and course stakeholders, including:- broadcasters and green keepers, to ensure that their specific needs are supported.

Winning about large scale MOD training exercise!

WE have been asked to give our readers some advanced notice about the Ministry Of Defence (MOD) at Altcar Army Training Camp about a large training exercise that is due to take place…..

Mark Underhill (Altcar Training Camp) has said that:- “Altcar Training Camp will host a Military Aviation Exercise, from:- 9 July to 14 July 2023. Up to 8 helicopters, including:- Merlin Mk4/Mk2, Chinook CH47, and Wildcat HMA will all be operating daily between approximately:- 10am to 2am. This duration is needed to meet strict training objectives, that the aircrews, who are taking part in this training, are required to fly, both day and night, at low-level. We have tried, however, to carefully plan the flight times and routing to minimize disruption to the local area and its residences throughout the period as best possible. We wish to thank the community for your continued support and assistance. Your help is very much appreciated in facilitating this essential Defence Task.”

Please also remember that you must not enter the restricted area between the River Alt and Formby Beach, especially if the red flag is flying, as you could be accidentally shot or injured by stray ordinance. This is not a joke or something to be taken lightly.
 

Falls are still major killer in Britain, warns charity this Injury Awareness Week

FALLS are the 2nd leading cause of unintentional injury deaths worldwide, but do not have to happen, that's according to a leading accident prevention charity, The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).

Falls are the most common cause of death in the over 65s and cost the NHS £2 billion and over 4 million bed days every year, and 37.2 million falls are severe enough to require medical attention each year.

RoSPA's Fall Fighters scheme is open to businesses of all shapes and sizes across the UK, from housing associations and manufacturing sites to small offices and more. It helps them keep their clients, communities and colleagues safe by giving them the tools they need to help reduce the risk of falls.

RoSPA's Fall Fighters scheme builds on the World Health Organisation's advice, that states prevention strategies should emphasise education, training, creating safer environments, prioritising fall-related research and establishing effective policies to reduce risk.

Karen McDonnell, OHS Policy Advisor at RoSPA, said:- "Injury Awareness Week offers the perfect time to reflect on the types of accidents that can be life-limiting and life changing; and out of all the accidents that come to mind; falls are 1 of the most urgent issues we face. A fall at home or work has the power to strip someone of their independence, their health and their livelihood in a matter of 2nds, and we must all play our part in helping our colleagues, friends and loved ones reduce the risk of succumbing to such an accident."

Karen recommends taking a few simple steps to keep yourself and loved ones safe at home:- "Stairs are the most common place for an accident in the home, so always keep them clear of belongings and ensure there is enough space to walk up them. We know that having a handrail on either side of the stairwell can improve stability and significantly reduces the risk of falls, so this is a simple addition that can save lives. Another common place for slips, trips and falls is the bathroom, and slippery floors are often to blame. Having anti slip flooring installed can be vital in keeping you and your loved ones safe, particularly when it comes to elderly relatives. It's particularly easy to miss small objects, cords and electrical cables on the floor so these pose fall hazard too. If you can, always keep them out of walkways and keep them as close to the wall as possible. Finally, if you are worried about a relative's risk of falling, do a risk assessment of their living area and ensure you're fully up to date with the latest research in fall prevention, head to the RoSPA Falls Hub and get 1 step ahead."

Speaking on how to reduce falls in the workplace, Karen said:- "The importance of fall reduction in the workplace is vital in keeping employees safe and operations moving; so we call for stringent workplace safety regulations, particularly in high risk occupations like construction and manufacturing. We advocate having physical barriers and guardrails to prevent falls from heights and to use scaffolding if a guardrail is not possible. Appropriate signage, fall arrest systems like body harnesses, self retracting lanyards and approved anchor points are non-negotiables, as is a proper risk assessment from an internal health and safety team or external supplier like RoSPA."

To find out more about falls, please visit RoSPA's Falls Prevention Hub, or sign up to be a:- 'Fall Fighter' in your workplace for free on ROSPA's website.