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RJB (Plating) Ltd., whose new factory unit at Dolphin Road, Shoreham‐by‐Sea, Sussex, commenced operation last month, was formed in February 1976 by R. Streeter, John Rolf and Robert Giles.

Every year there is a mass of technical literature published on planned maintenance and life expectancies of building materials and components: a guide published by NBA Construction Consultants, the end product of a comprehensive review of over 7000 titles and summaries published over 20 years, selects and abstracts 300 of those titles. This must represent the most thorough analysis of the available technical data on the subject which has yet been made.

As we reported in October, a draft British Standard on the management of building maintenance was published recently for public comment. Although the draft may eventually undergo considerable revision before emerging as a British Standard, it is nevertheless of considerable interest to facilities managers as a first attempt to lay down guidelines for procedures within the scope of this new profession.

There is growing concern in the more affluent, developed countries about the possible relationship between the environment created in energy‐efficient, high‐tech, air‐conditioned buildings, and the health problems of occupants. Over the past decade there has been a considerable increase in interest shown in the indoor air quality of offices, due in the main to improvements in measuring indoor air contaminants, a greater understanding of the health effects and the fact that 80 to 90 per cent of people now spend their time indoors. There is also a greater public awareness of the need for an adequate working environment. It is significant that the increased involvement of unions in white collar areas of work has generated considerable debate on the subject of hazards in the office environment which coincides with the national and international concern now materialising.

The terms multiplexing and integration are being used with increasing frequency in the context of building services installations and management systems. In this article we somewhat cautiously attempt to define the processes involved, analyse their relevance to services design and management, and look to the future. This does not purport to be the definitive scientific appraisal of all the technical matters involved. However, it is intended as a way of setting the scene which we hope to follow up in later issues of Facilities with more detailed discussion of the complex issues involved.

Last month we dealt with the problem of identifying the nature and extent of the asbestos used in your buildings. This month we offer more detailed advice on dealing with that problem.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the increasing expectation against two concepts, information and process scepticism. In light of the Centro case judgement, directors’ decisions are held to increasing standards of due care and diligence.

This is a conceptual paper, drawing upon archival material, including statute law, case law, regulatory guidance material and media releases in Australasia. The authors review the statutory duty of care, skill and diligence expected of non-executive directors.

Whether a director has exercised an appropriate level of reasonable care and skill and/or due diligence has been a matter for the courts to decide. Such retrospective analysis leaves directors vulnerable to the uncertainty of whether their individual interpretation of diligence matches up to that of the presiding judge. The authors provide directors with a framework to apply scepticism to information and processes provided by those on whom the directors may rely.

Two concepts are identified: reasonable reliance on others and the business judgement rule. The authors present arguments that challenge us to understand reasonable reliance, judgement and actions of directors in light of processing and information scepticism.

Directors do have a different role to that of auditors; incorporating scepticism can enable directors to fulfil their responsibility towards shareholders. By applying information and process scepticism, directors of companies can reduce the likelihood and magnitude of litigation costs and out-of-court settlements.

This paper provides a framework to apply scepticism to information and processes provided by people on whom the directors may rely.

During a typical diversity program, participants are encouraged to recognize, evaluate, and appreciate differences. The purpose of this paper is to explore the rationale for “Conversity^®”: an alternative approach to diversity training that is based on connections.

The paper is based on a review of the literature on “traditional” diversity training paradigms, the impact of diversity on the brain, and basic social psychology concepts such as categorization and social affiliation. The authors relate literature review findings to their experiences conducting “connections‐based” (“Conversity”) diversity training.

The human brain is already wired to perceive differences. Further, human beings tend to prefer others who share their group affiliations. Possible consequences of “typical” diversity training programs may include a “backlash” against diversity, an increase in participants' fears, and a reinforcement of inter‐group divisions.

This paper offers practitioners an alternative paradigm for diversity training design including alternative categorization (i.e. emphasis on non‐traditional diversity categories such as personality or team color) and an intentional search for connections between participants.

Historically, diversity training programs have focused on the value of differences rather than on the power of common ground.

There's no doubt that preventive medicine represents a clear investment in the future for individual, company and community — but how is it to be incorporated into the work environment? This article charts the experience in this field of the London offices of a multinational communications company.

For a number of years there has been persistent agitation for the addition of fluorides to public water supplies with the object of reducing dental caries in children. Where fluorides are absent or below about 0.25 p.p.m. in water supplies, the incidence of dental caries is said to be much higher than where the fluoride content is about 1 p.p.m. and to this extent, dental caries is in inverse proportion to the fluorides present. Reports from areas in the United States, where State legislatures have made artificial fluoridation compulsory, would appear to leave no doubt that stronger and better teeth result. In this country also, Weaver's report comparing the dental condition of children in North and South Shields, where the natural fluoride content of the different water supplies enabled one of these towns to act as a control of the other town on the opposite bank of the Tyne, confirmed the work of the other observers. There is nothing really new in all this; it has been known and discussed for many years, although it is fair to state that it is not universally accepted. Many doubt the ability of fluoridated water to reduce the incidence of dental caries in every community and still more believe that the condition remains a diagnostic index of dietary unbalance.