SRL Traffic Systems partner with AquAid for sustainable water provision

SRL Traffic Systems partner with AquAid for sustainable water provision

Europe’s largest traffic light equipment manufacturer and hirer, SRL Traffic Systems (SRL) lead the way in the Highways sector.

Over the last few years, the company has enjoyed considerable growth, expanding its product offering to include security barriers, digital signage and CCTV. Now, with more than 200 employees, SRL has 30 regional depots situated around the UK and Ireland. The company also boasts new, impressive Headquarters and a unique Innovation Centre.

SRL predominantly work in an industry that operates within a risky environment by its very nature. Chris Thornley, procurement manager at SRL adds, “The management team always try to reflect on the services and support which we give to our team and do all that we can to make their jobs easier and safer.”

SRL acknowledge that keeping the team hydrated helps everyone to perform at their very best throughout the workday. Indeed, studies have shown that workers who have quick and easy access to drinking water are subsequently 25% more productive and happy at work, than those who go without.

Chris added, “With the opening of our new Technical and Innovation Centre, Winsford HQ and several new regional depots, we sought to find a supplier who could offer a sustainable solution to water provision. SRL’s partnership with AquAid, is another small step towards improving our sustainability – and even more importantly, has some incredible social benefits, too.”

The World Health Organisation states that water scarcity continues to affect one in three people, yet it’s something we take for granted every day. SRL’s unique relationship with AquAid has also given SRL the opportunity to help those less fortunate than ourselves, because with each purchase an automatic donation is made to The Africa Trust.

The funds from the purchase of AquAid water coolers will be used to build ‘Elephant Pumps’ – a modified version of an age-old Chinese rope pulley system, providing a much-needed source of clean and fresh drinking water for many.

AquAid look forward to being able to present the SRL team with a certificate, a photo of the pump and a letter of thanks for their participation in this life-changing build in due course.

You can read more about SRL here.

Water and Work Health & Exercise

Water and Work Health & Exercise

It’s summer. It’s holiday time. However, for those of us left to sweat it out in the office – cramps, headaches, sore muscles and wish-I-was-on-holiday blues are at an all-time high.

Here are a few tips to keep you moving and grooving and in tip-top work able shape:

Relax those shoulders. Office workers, teachers prepping lessons, site work cost efficiency forecasts – we’ve all been there. Glued to your chair, deadlines looming, shoulders tensed, making you look more like of close relation of Gru’s than you care to think. Solution? Check your body posture every twenty minutes or so. If you’ve hunched over, simply relax your shoulders. Repeat until you learn to automatically check your desk posture while seated.

Stretch out the kinks. The simplest stretches can help reduce aches, stiffness and tension, decrease muscle spasm. The benefit is stretching can be performed while seated or standing, although standing will have a more overall body benefit.

Walk! As simple as that. Stand up, stretch out and perambulate around your work place. The ideal keep fit combo is walking to replenish your water bottle or water glass at your water cooler station.

Add water to all the above.  Make sure that you drink water throughout the day and after every relaxation technique and stretch.

Remember though, whether your office / workplace is icier than the Northern Sea because of the aircon. working more overtime than you do or its au naturel baking hot, both mean you can dehydrate quickly, so make sure that you increase your water intake to stave off dehydration and compensate the amount of energy expended while exercising.

Don’t have a water cooler? There is an easy solution. Contact AquAid’s experienced and professional in-house agents. We offer a free on-site survey to assess your water dispenser requirements and whether you are best served installing bottled or mainsfed water coolers.

How to Approach the Office Water Cooler Station

How to Approach the Office Water Cooler Station

With our lives now predominately online (often whether we like it or not) and our virtual conduct changing from day to day, it can be tricky negotiating one’s conduct in the physical realm. Added to this is with so many of us having worked remotely for such a long period, returning to work in the office or school can be a little challenging.

Change is good. Of course it is. There’s no progress or movement without change. Certain things though, don’t change. That’s also good. All said it’s good to know that in the physical realm thankfully some things never change.

How you approach the water cooler station happens to be one of those things that hasn’t changed. Perhaps the banter has (massively, for obvious reasons) and very likely you’re using an AquAid touch-free water dispenser, but overall, as you head out to hydrate, water cooler station etiquette remains as it was.

Should you be feeling a little out of touch (no, not the same as a no-touch water cooler) here are a few helpful pointers:

  • Don’t block access while you’re catching up with colleagues.
  • Don’t use your water cooler to wash your containers/mug, water glass, or bottle!
  • Keep your interaction light and impersonal. It may be important to you, but most likely hearing about your Aunt Violet’s verruca removal isn’t really what a workmate had in mind.
  • Do confab about work. There are countless studies that prove exchanging ideas and comparing notes away from your office, workspace or desk often results in a good outcome.
  • Keep the area tidy, help replace the bottled water if you can and if you note the bottle water supply is uncommonly low, make sure to alert your bottled water supplier. It may help to know that at AquAid, we have 23 local depots, meaning replacing your bottled water is quick and efficient.
Tips & Tricks from AquAid to Help You Keep Cool

Tips & Tricks from AquAid to Help You Keep Cool

With temperatures set to soar, here at AquAid Water Coolers we have compiled a set of tips & tricks to help you keep cool and hydrated wherever you are:

At the office/in the workplace:

  • Stay hydrated! Set an alarm clock on your pc, laptop or mobile to make sure that you visit the water cooler as often as needs be to replenish your drinking water.
  • For spaces without aircon, see if you can create a cross breeze – open windows (but keep blinds partially closed) on both sides or open a door on the opposite side of the area.
  • Drink cool (but not icy cold) liquids to help lower your body temperature. The water cooler station is perfect for this.
  • Turn off electronics: If they’re not being used, unplug electronic devices to keep them from generating unnecessary heat.

At home:

  • Fill up a hot water bottle with tap water, place in the freezer and you have a multi-purpose ice pack.
  • Stay hydrated! Kids may not feel thirsty, but it’s essential to stay hydrated, so make sure young ones are getting lots of water. If you’re planning to leave the house, freeze your reusable water bottles and take them with you.
  • Drink cool (but not icy cold) liquids to help lower your body temperature.
  • Turn off electronics: If they’re not being used, unplug electronic devices to keep them from generating unnecessary heat.
  • Don’t cook: Make yourself that Niçoise or Greek Salad or eat no need to heat food. Not only will this cool the body’s core, it will also keep cooking-related heat from filling up the house.

Out-and-about or indoors:

  • Avoid the heat: stay out of the sun and if possible don’t go out between 10h00 and 16h00 (the hottest part of the day) if you’re vulnerable to the effects of heat.
  • Have cool or at least room temperature baths or showers.
  • Drink cold drinks regularly, such as water and fruit juice. Reduce high-caffeine drinks intake.
  • Stay tuned to the weather forecast on the radio or TV, or at the Met Office website.
  • Apply sunblock and wear loose, cool clothing and a hat if you go outdoors.
  • Try wearing open shoes, sandals or flip-flops, however, if your skin is exposed, apply sunblock, Factor 30 at minimum.
  • Check up on friends, relatives and neighbours who may be less able to look after themselves.

It’s also good to bear in mind that wherever you require a temporary or permanent hydration solution in the UK, AquAid have a wide range of water coolers tailor-made to meet your requirements. We even offer a next day water delivery service for our Bottle-Fed Water Coolers.

Contact us today.

 

AquAid Tyne & Wear Attains Charitable Donations Milestone

AquAid Tyne & Wear Attains Charitable Donations Milestone

By Fern Shaw

AquAid Tyne & Wear, operating since 2002, this year celebrates twenty years in the provision of an extensive range of innovative and high-quality water coolers and dispensers, along with a total commitment to offering superior services to their 2,000 customers.

Reaching this 20-year anniversary holds more than one reason for celebration though – it also marks an incredible achievement with the branch donating just under £500,000 to the charities AquAid have supported since our inception in 1998.

In view of this remarkable achievement, we spoke to Gordon and Emir Dobson, who own and operate AquAid Tyne & Wear and asked for their comment.

“We are absolutely delighted that our donations have reached this level: these small contributions we know have made a big difference to those who need it.

Here’s to the next £500,000!” ~ Emir Dobson, Owner Director – AquAid Tyne & Wear

Extracts below are from a letter to Emir and Gordon written by Ian Thorpe, CEO of The Africa Trust, in recognition of this milestone.

“Many congratulations as you approach your twentieth anniversary for the Tyne and Wear franchise of AquAid. I was astonished to learn that your franchise alone has raised such an extraordinary amount of money for charity during the last two decades. With a current donation figure of £487,915 I have no doubt that during your anniversary year, you will achieve the tremendous milestone of over half a million pounds raised.

Thank you for the part you and your colleagues at AquAid Tyne &Wear are playing in lifting people out of poverty to live healthier and more productive lives.

You have also raised over £240k for Christian Aid, and during the last three years alone, 3,321 people in Malawi have received entrepreneurial training (at a cost of £12 each) and assistance to start small businesses.“ ~ Ian Thorpe, Chief Executive – The Africa Trust

Should you too like to play a part in this phenomenal, philanthropic movement simply by keeping yourself and your company, organisation or school hydrated, contact AquAid today.