Latest News, Blogs & Announcements | Page 127

Legislation designed to tackle the growing problem of stolen metal failed at a second reading just before the weekend. Labour MP Graham Jones had drafted a bill banning scrap yards from making cash payments for metal and requiring them to take proof of identification and an address from any potential seller. The bill did not have government support, so it failed. A disappointed Jones said: “We will now not likely see legislation before the Olympics, possibly not until 2013.” Tensor Access Lite is the latest in our proven range of Windows™ based Access Control products, from simple door and registration point control, through to a fully computerised global network at the workplace. A variety of access equipment, devices and releases can be connected via the T8424 scanner control unit including: alarms and hooters, door locks, door release buttons, fingerprint readers and scanners. The scanner controller is the unit to which all Access Control equipment within your Tensor Access Lite network is connected.  

The police bill for carrying out evictions at the UK’s largest illegal travellers’ site came in well under budget. The cost of dealing with the Dale Farm site in Essex ran up to almost £2.4 million when original estimates stated it could cost up to £10 million. Last year there were violent scenes as police led an operation to clear protesters from the site. The operation was the culmination of a long-standing row over unauthorised plots on Dale Farm. Tensor can implement a digital CCTV camera and recording system as part of a high-tech security set-up for monitoring and/or preventing criminal activity. We have systems to suit all sites and budgets. Infra Red CCTV Cameras are ever popular due to their ability to see in ‘absolute darkness’. By utilising infra red light these cameras ensure security and safety for your sites throughout any light conditions. Infra red detectors can either be added to body cameras, or often inbuilt infra red cameras purchased for your CCTV solution.  

A meticulously planned raid robbed jewellery worth £430,000 from an auction house. There was no sign of a break-in at the Glasgow premises and the thief left just 10 minutes before staff were due to arrive. The criminal took just 25 minutes to get into the building and turn off the alarm before emptying the safe of items which the auctioneers were preparing for sale. The thief was picked up by a vehicle which pulled into the car park outside. Security experts Tensor offer the T3512 which is a one door Smart Card Access Control system that has everything you need for controlling access through a single door. It comprises a T3511 Door Access controller, WinACnet PC software, magnetic door release, push button, break glass and 10 Smart Cards. WinACnet creates alarm messages when predetermined actions take place, or if a forced entry occurs. These alarms are immediately emailed to a specified address. Optionally a warning email can be sent if communications to the PC are lost.  

MPs are debating proposals about the introduction of regional public sector pay. The rationale behind this is the UK government says it wants to create a more balanced economy, but others say some regions will be disadvantaged. Plaid Cymru MP Jonathan Edwards said Wales could stand to lose if public sector wages were cut. Mr Edwards, who tabled a Westminster Hall debate on regional pay, commented: “We are talking about huge amounts of money leaving the pockets of ordinary working people.” A Tensor time & attendance and payroll system will calculate all manner of wages, shifts and bonus data. Using the WinTA software the personnel section can view all time and attendance information for an employee or a single department. In the Employee screens an index tab system is used hold different categories of information. Some of these are user definable fields, including user definable tables and arrays. This all means that the salaries and hours of your workforce will be accurately recorded and paid.  

On Wednesday (January 18) a national clothing company which employs approximately 9,600 people confirmed it was entering administration. Chief executive of Peacocks Richard Kirk issued a statement thanking staff. He added: “Peacocks is a brand with great heritage, and it is with deep sadness that we have been left with no other option but to today place the business into administration.” Mr Kirk blamed a tough retail environment, adding that measures to seek new investment did not pay off. Contactless smart cards which save businesses time and money are used to operate Tensor time and attendance, access control and visitor monitoring systems. Our most popular smart card (pictured) is the T1305, which is about the size of a standard credit card and is thin and flexible enough to be carried in your wallet. It has up to 34 billion different combinations of ID number, so there is no chance of duplication. Each ID number has built-in security and integrity checks ensuring that it cannot be misread.  

Toilets that are no longer used have been put up for sale by a council. Stockport Council pointed out a precedent, saying toilets had already been converted into a solicitors' office. The council said the sale of the facilities would not affect the number of public conveniences, as it had plans in place to ensure other toilets were available. One of these plans involved local businesses opening up their facilities for the public to use. Tensor turnstiles fully integrate with our smart card and biometric access control systems, giving you full jurisdiction over movement and access in and around your site. Toilet turnstiles are available that can also accept coin entry for a nominal fee. They cope with high traffic volumes and can be installed at prestige access points. Tensor's turnstiles offer improved security and extend flow capacity. Available as a double half height turnstile, your throughput can be doubled while keeping the amount of space down to a minimum.

Antony Worrall Thompson has been cautioned by police for shoplifting. The famous chef was caught at his local Tesco store. Mr Worrall Thompson was questioned and given a formal caution after the incident involving “low value goods”. He added: “I must also apologise sincerely to Tesco, with whom [I’ve] had a long and genuine working relationship, and to all the staff at the Henley branch, many of whom I've got to know over the years.” Tensor is the destination for anyone wishing to implement an electronic smart card based access control system for commercial premises or offices. When a person attempts to pass through an access point, the T32xx access control unit compares the individual’s security profile with that of the access point. Security profiles are based upon the day, time of day, and the security threat level of the attempted access. An individual's security profile is based upon their access group. People are assigned to an access group, either unique to them or common to their department or status.  

A top city boss who has been on sick leave has refused his annual bonus. Antonio Horta-Osorio, head of Lloyds Banking Group, said this reflected the “impact” his leave of absence had had on the bank. Mr Horta-Osorio returned to work earlier this week and acknowledged that the impact of his absence had been felt both “inside and outside the bank, including for shareholders”. He also appreciated the “tough financial circumstances that many people are facing”. One of the features of a Tensor Time & Attendance system is its absence planning and entitlement management. Graphical calendar charts in our WinTA software provide a colourful way of viewing an individual’s or a department’s absence records at a business. Each employee can be allocated different entitlements for absence such as annual leave or allowed sickness. As absence is booked and taken, the available remainder for each entitlement is updated. Entitlement formulae are used to calculate more complex entitlements that work on a rising scale based upon length of service.  

A teacher was mistakenly paid more than £80,000 after she moved away to work. The woman was not punished after a conduct hearing heard her husband opened all her mail and totally controlled her financial affairs. The General Teaching Council for Scotland committee also found that Bernadine Hunter had not personally benefited from the money, which appeared to have been kept by her husband. Mrs Hunter left Glasgow in 2006 but continued to be paid for more than two years. Mistakes in payroll will be significantly reduced at your organisation with an advanced Tensor time and attendance network. WinTAnet will provide you with total control over your operation. All frequently used methods of hours calculation are handled by WinTAnet. It includes settings to separate ‘worked time’ into different overtime rates; it handles night shift working; and inserts unpaid breaks if employees do not clock them. The system allows you to create a series of shift premium rules that enable employees to earn bonus payments under special circumstances.  

A jury believed a defendant’s story rather than DNA evidence in the case of a raid on a warehouse store. Marc Murray (30) was cleared of violent disorder and burglary at the trial in Reading. Jurors heard that Mr Murray was arrested after blood was found on three items of electrical equipment which had been stolen. Mr Murray said he cut his hand after being knocked over by people rushing out of the Reading store as he walked past. Immediately able to recognise and allow or deny access to personnel, Tensor’s car park barriers are the number one solution for controlling vehicle access to your depot’s car park and road entry points. All automatic car park barriers are supplied complete and are ready to accept power and data connections. Boom arms are available in a number of different lengths to suit various road widths. Static or Automatic Bollards are also available. These bollards provide a genuine deterrent and are ideal for segregating certain areas of your site.  

Reducing surveillance camera time due to cost concerns in a Devon town has raised security fears. The District Council has said it cannot afford to continue providing off-peak CCTV camera coverage in Newton Abbot. The current budget of £47,000 will only cover the costs of live monitoring through weekday hours. It will cost almost as half again, a sum of £26,000, to provide the additional 22-plus hours for evening and weekends. Tensor can supply to a business effective Access Control, CCTV and Visitor Monitoring Systems (VMS) which can provide total security coverage. Unlike paper-based systems VMS provides accurate date and time stamped audit trail of visitors and contractors. VMS allows Signature Capture Tablets to be connected to the system so that the signatures of visitors and contractors can be stored at the point of entry to your premises. This signature can be used for verification purposes or as proof that the visitor has read and understood the site’s security policies.  

Pay at the executive level has been the most contentious issue hitting the headlines in the past few days. PM David Cameron at the weekend criticised the “casino-style economic boom” and “the people at the very top who filled their boots with bonuses”. To back up his strong words, the government is planning to take decisive action on excessive boardroom bonuses. Echoing the banking crisis fallout, Cameron said on the BBC: “Big rewards when people fail make people's blood boil.” Tensor’s personnel and time & attendance software is the culmination of over a decade of real world experience in the human resources sectors. Included within the package is software that ensures your company complies with the recent changes to the EU Working Time Directive. Fully customisable reports can be exported to a variety of formats including HTML and CSV, ideal for either printing or displaying within your company's intranet. The system even includes a Pay Reviewer including reports, projected pay increases and salary expenditure.