Maintaining a healthy and happy working environment is perhaps the most important thing we can do as homeowners. When buying a house, it becomes our responsibility to ensure that the space is kept clean and hygienic to keep us healthy throughout our lives.

One of the biggest health risks in the home is mould, and this can spread throughout the home quicker than wildfire without you even realising. Breathing in mould spores is bad for your respiratory system and it can cause a whole load of health issues if not fixed. That’s why today we are taking a look at how to prevent mould in the house once and for all. Use these easy tips to keep mould away from your home this year.

1. Know your weak spots

Every house will have its own weak spots and areas that are more susceptible to mould than others. Take a look around your house and see what weak spots you can uncover. Do you have a basement? If so, is it prone to flooding? The installation of a sump pump with liquid level sensors to keep water controlled might be helpful. Do the windows often accumulate a lot of condensation? If so, think about wiping them with a cloth and a squeegee regularly. Consider where the worst spots for mould are in the house and you should be able to find ways to fix them.

2. Getting drying

If you are looking to create the ideal environment for mould to grow, keep everything moist and wet. Mould spores thrive in humid conditions so if your house is often wet in places and hot, you need to remedy this right away. Get yourself a dehumidifier to clear the air and wipe all wet areas to make sure they are as dry as possible. If you do this every day you will prevent mould being able to make a home in your home.

3. Ventilate the house

It’s a delicate balance when looking at insulation versus ventilation, to know which one is more important. They are both equally important for different reasons, and if you have gone a bit over the top with insulation, this could be a solid reason why you have mould in the house. Air needs to be able to flow through the house to keep it dry, and if you don’t have airflow, your home will become humid and attract mould.

4. Seal cracks

Even the smallest cracks in your walls or ceilings can be a breeding ground for mould, and if you don’t seal up cracks you’ll run the risk of letting water into the home and therefore mould too. Seal up any small cracks and chips in your walls and this will make a big difference.

5. Clean the gutters

One way for mould to creep into the home is from above, and when water seeps into the foundation of your home the mould will follow. Cleaning your gutters will ensure that water doesn’t build up and end up seeping into the home without you realising. 

One of the most commentated news regarding Instagram for the past weeks was their investigation on whether to ban likes counter on the platform or not, but mostly from the perspective of marketing strategy. It turns out that the social media platform is actually considering this new feature as a means to avoid a much bigger problem: cyberbullying.

A recent studied carried by Pew Research Center showed that fifty-nine percent of teens reported to have experienced at least one of six types of abusive online behavior, cyberbullying included. Another concerning fact brought by the study shows that 16% of these teens were already subject of physical threat of some kind due to incidents in social media.

In addition to that, a report published by the Journal of Abnormal Psychology has highlighted the popularity of smartphones among teenagers – a statistic that only grew during the past seven years. “More U.S. adolescents and young adults in the late 2010s, versus the mid-2000s, experienced serious psychological distress, major depression or suicidal thoughts, and more attempted suicide,” stresses the study’s lead author, Jean Twenge, who also wrote the book iGen, in which he ponders about the influence of smartphones in teenage and child mental health.

Besides hiding how many likes a photo has received, Instagram is also considering another feature: a “nudge” alert that is activated while the user is still writing a comment that is flagged as potentially aggressive. According to the head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, this could give an extra incentive for people to think twice before committing to an attack.

“Of all the obnoxious activities that can be carried out on the web, cyberbully is in my opinion the worst”, says Ealixir’s CEO and founder Enea Angelo Trevisan. “Cyberbullying targets those who cannot defend themselves: often minors or minorities. This is why one of our priorities as a company is to invest our technology in the fight against this plague.” In that sense, Ealixir gives support to individuals by making an early detection of offensive and troublesome contents, so they can be immediately erased and monitored to avoid further reloading. 

For Trevisan, the case for cyberbullying starts in schools, and this is the reason why Ealixir is also responsible for organizing sessions with children, so they can be warned about the dangers of the internet. “At this young age, kids think of internet as a huge playground. We teach them not to trust strangers and to think about the consequences of their virtual actions, exactly like in real life,” he explains.

Moreover, families also need to be aware of their children’s presence on the internet – they should not underestimate the possibilities and dangers of giving a smartphone to a child or a teen. “This is due to the fact that older generations were born and raised without the web, so they struggle to identify with their children. With Ealixir, we try and fill in this gap most of all through prevention, but also actively by deleting offensive contents and/or preventing harassment.

Besides monitoring and removing offensive contents published online, Ealixir also gives support to families and individuals who found themselves victims of cyberbullying by offering contact with specialized lawyers that can handle a case with expertise in the court. However, as much as in the case for health, prevention is the best scenario when coming to cyberbullying too, so internet literacy becomes an important competence to be learned by children for a healthier future of the web.

Sources: https://www.theladders.com/career-advice/how-instagram-plans-to-take-a-stand-against-cyberbullying

There are many reasons why you might require scaffolding for your project. It is the best way to protect a workforce that needs to work for extended periods at height, without damaging the structure being worked on or using expensive equipment. 

However, every single project is different. There is no one size fits all approach, and in order to get the best results you need to be able to use scaffolding that can be built and adapted for each purpose. If you are running multiple projects, or each project is very different then it is simply not practical to buy the scaffolding yourself. 

This is why for scaffolding rental Houston, USA, has been leading the way by offering to all its clients their scaffolding needs for all types of project, and now that service model is becoming readily available across the EU as well. Here are some of the varieties on offer. 

Boiler scaffold for maintenance in power plants

For companies that need to work on power plant boilers, there is a definite requirement that the scaffold is as secure as possible. The specialist boiler scaffold is perfect for this, and is made from special materials to resist the extreme conditions of the power plant boiler. It can be difficult to find a bespoke scaffolding installation that is able to be operated in special conditions, but the best providers can do this.  

Special aluminium platforms for aircraft maintenance

Maintenance on aircraft can be hard when it comes to scaffolding. The shape of the airplane is unusual, and there are some quite delicate parts that cannot be damaged in anyway. A good provider like Alufase can provide modules that are specifically designed to be able to work high and close to the machine, but also adaptable for different aircraft types and shapes. 

Scaffolding for any building of any size

By approaching a scaffolding expert you can be sure that they will have the experience and adaptability you need for your project, and a team of expert engineers available to ensure the last on safety and function. Different to traditional scaffolding, it is possible to rent aluminium scaffolding these days that is much lighter and can be transported and assembled much more easily, yet with no reduction in safety and quality standards. 

Intensive work is best handled by rolling towers

For work that requires intensive use and also the ability to move the scaffolding from one location to another on the site, then rolling towers are the best option. You can reduce the risk associated with this by using professionals machines to deliver and build the towers, and make sure that the castors, frames, braces and platforms meet all the safety standards. Then you have the flexibility to move the scaffold as much as you need to. Rolling towers are incredibly useful for construction projects. 

Shipyard scaffolding doesn’t need to be difficult with the right supplier

Another awkward shape with tricky requirements is when scaffolding is required for shipyards. Like with aircraft maintenance, it is not unusual to have to have an elevated working surface, and during boat construction in particular the scaffolding needs to be able to grow as the ship does. 

Scaffolding can also be used to create huge stages

For a temporary stage structure, for example for large outdoor music concerts that are not taking place all year round, then scaffolding is the best way to ensure the safety of the performers and crowd, while elevating the performers to a high level so the crowd can actually see them. This is very different to other types of scaffolding, and the surface area needs to be a lot larger.