Latest news with #TomHill
South China Morning Post
07-07-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong hero's emotional journey to 2027 Rugby World Cup
Three years ago, Tom Hill was contemplating a one-and-only shot at qualifying for a Rugby World Cup. Advertisement In his 30s, the Australian-born centre considered the 2022 global repechage tournament in Dubai to be a singular chance to reach the pinnacle of his sport, having already committed five years to doing so. Days before the team flew to the Middle East, Hill told the Post he would not 'get another shot in four years' time – this is it'. 'I think most [of the squad] are like that, some of the younger guys might get another shot in four years, good luck to them, but this is it for me,' he added. How things change. On Saturday, Hill, alongside plenty of those from Dubai, was on the pitch as Hong Kong qualified for the 2027 World Cup in Australia with a 70-22 victory over South Korea. Hong Kong celebrate qualifying for the 2027 World Cup after beating South Korea in Incheon in the Asia Rugby Emirates Men's Championship. Photo: HKCR The opportunity for direct qualification, courtesy of World Rugby expanding the tournament to 24 teams, was a 'massive' reason for Hill to continue working towards that goal.
Daily Mail
03-07-2025
- Daily Mail
'Lethal' gas heater which poisoned university student, 18, with carbon monoxide had 'no visible warning label', coroner rules
A gas heater that poisoned a university student with carbon monoxide while he was staying at an aristocrat-owned holiday cottage had no visible warning label, a coroner has ruled. Tom Hill, 18, was preparing to take a bath when he became overcome by the 'lethal' gas inside the 'small' bathroom of the remote Scottish Highlands home. An inquest which took place last month, 10 years after his death in October 2015, heard the bathroom where the cabinet heater was kept was 'simply too small' - but the warning informing users of this was not obvious. Now, coroner Jason Pegg has said there was no visible label on the outside of the device which killed the teenager. Mr Pegg said that the warning was instead located on the inside of the cabinet heater and so it was 'not obvious' to users that it shouldn't be used in confined spaces. The area coroner for Hampshire, Southampton, and Portsmouth has issued a prevention of future deaths report to the Gas Safety Register, who have 56 days to respond. Highlighting his 'matters of concern', the coroner said: 'The flue-less liquified petroleum gas cabinet heater was operated in a room which was too small dimension so to safely use the heater without causing a build-up of carbon monoxide. 'A warning label was affixed inside the cabinet heater in the space occupied by the liquified petroleum gas bottle. 'There was an absence of a visible warning label on the outside of the heater. 'It was not obvious to all potential users of the heater that the heater could only be used safely in a room of sufficient dimension. 'The risk applies particularly so in the case of rented cottages and similar premises such as Glenmark Cottage.' A previous inquest at Winchester Coroner's Court, Hampshire, heard that Tom was staying at Glenmark Cottage in Angus, Scotland, with his girlfriend Charlotte Beard and her family. The house had no electricity or mains gas, and the heating was provided by a wood-burning stove and portable gas heaters. Charlotte's father Mark Beard said he had visited the cottage many times in his life, describing the location as an 'idyllic beauty' and a place to 'unwind'. Glenmark Cottage, located near the small hamlet of Tarfside, was owned by the Earl of Dalhousie and his heir Lord Ramsay. Despite being owned by the Dalhousie estate, it was rented out by retired teacher Piers Le Cheminant. Mr Beard told the inquest that the LPG Heaters were 'ubiquitously used' in the property. He said there was a cabinet heater located in the bathroom and a carbon monoxide alarm in the kitchen, which 'did activate' the night before Tom died. Mr Beard said that while he switched off devices in the kitchen, it is a 'lifelong regret' of his that he did not do the same in the bathroom. Tom, who studied aquaculture at Stirling University in Scotland, but was from Lyndhurst in Hampshire, decided to take a bath on the afternoon of October 28. Inside the bathroom - which had windows which had been sealed shut with paint - was one of the heaters. Mr Beard described hearing his daughter knocking on the bathroom door and sounding increasingly 'alarmed' as she called out for Tom. The father said he asked his teenage son to fetch a wooden axe which they used to forcibly open the 'solid' door to the bathroom. The engineer described an 'intense' atmosphere upon breaking into the room, which was 'hot and humid'. 'It was a very visceral experience,' he continued. 'It was extremely hot and the air was very humid - you could almost taste it. But, there was also a strong smell of unburnt gases. 'It smelt like the heater wasn't operating properly. The heater was also making a loud buzzing which was very unusual.' Mr Beard said he lifted Tom out of the bathroom and carried him downstairs and outside into the 'fresh air'. An ambulance was called for the teenager but he passed away in the vehicle, which was travelling from Brechin to Dundee. Jerry Hill, Tom's father, told the inquest that his son was 'very interested in life'. 'He was quite an unusual boy,' he said. 'He was very interested in wildlife and nature and he had a real understanding of how different creatures interacted. 'He didn't live a very long life but in the short time he had, he really made the most of his time.' The father said his son Tom was 'very passionate' about the practice of aquaculture. 'He had his whole ahead of him,' Mr Hill added. Mr Pegg delivered an accidental death conclusion. The coroner referred to the LPG heaters in the bathroom and said: 'It is quite clear that this type of heater, and the size of heater, shouldn't have been used in the bathroom which I'm told had the size of 11 cubic metres. 'The bathroom was simply too small for for that heater. 'In addition, there was no ventilation. The windows had been painted shut and could not be opened.' Mr Pegg also said there 'damage to the heater' which 'exacerbated' the combustion of the gas and the rate at which it was emitted. He concluded that Tom inhaled a 'fatal quantity' of this gas while he prepared for his bath. Mr Pegg said: 'There is a warning within the box where you put the gas canister, but anyone, such as the Beard family, turning up to a rented cottage, they would not know that the heater should not be used in such close confines. 'In rented cottages, and tenant cottages, there are going to be heaters of this sort which are in rooms which are too small [and] this gives rise to future deaths. 'As you sadly know, carbon monoxide is very much a silent killer and as much awareness when using potentially lethal devices that can be raised is so much better for everybody.' Tom's father, Mr Hill, said he thinks more needs to be done on what to do when a carbon monoxide alarm sounds. 'It should be made really clear to people what to do in these circumstances,' he added, 'I don't think people do know what to do when [alarms] go off.' Burghill Farms, who trade as Dalhousie Estates, and Mr Le Cheminant were prosecuted for breaches of Health & Safety regulations in 2021. Burghill Farms was fined £120,000 while Le Cheminant was ordered to pay £2,000 at Dundee Sheriff Court. A Fatal Accident Inquiry report into Tom's death took place in 2023 and found that the heaters were unsuitable for the property and no system was in place for their regular maintenance.
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The Top 5 Analyst Questions From Vulcan Materials's Q1 Earnings Call
Vulcan Materials began the year with a quarter that exceeded market expectations for profitability, even as revenue came in below Wall Street estimates. Management attributed the strong adjusted earnings to effective pricing strategies, disciplined cost control, and operational improvements, particularly within its aggregates and downstream businesses. CEO Tom Hill highlighted the company's 'Vulcan Way of Selling and Operating' as a key driver of expanded margins and improved profitability per ton, with units benefiting from both operational efficiencies and acquisition integration. The company also saw notable gains in its asphalt and concrete segments, crediting improved unit profitability and steady public infrastructure demand. Is now the time to buy VMC? Find out in our full research report (it's free). Revenue: $1.63 billion vs analyst estimates of $1.68 billion (5.8% year-on-year growth, 2.8% miss) Adjusted EPS: $1 vs analyst estimates of $0.76 (31.6% beat) Adjusted EBITDA: $410.9 million vs analyst estimates of $384.5 million (25.1% margin, 6.9% beat) EBITDA guidance for the full year is $2.45 billion at the midpoint, in line with analyst expectations Operating Margin: 13.9%, up from 11.2% in the same quarter last year Tons Shipped: 47.8 million, in line with the same quarter last year Market Capitalization: $34.94 billion While we enjoy listening to the management's commentary, our favorite part of earnings calls are the analyst questions. Those are unscripted and can often highlight topics that management teams would rather avoid or topics where the answer is complicated. Here is what has caught our attention. Jerry Revich (Goldman Sachs) asked about the sustainability of price increases and future cost trends. CEO Tom Hill explained that midyear price discussions are ongoing and expected to vary by market, with cost improvements tied to operational discipline and technology adoption. Tyler Brown (Raymond James) questioned the outlook for organic volume growth across public and private segments. Hill clarified that public demand remains strong, while private volumes face challenges, leading to a back-half weighted volume recovery. Keith Hughes (Truist) sought detail on the drivers of lower costs in the quarter and expectations for the rest of the year. Hill cited efficiency gains, controlled spending during adverse weather, and delayed expenditures, but cautioned that cost trends may be uneven throughout the year. Garik Shmois (Loop Capital) probed on pricing integration for recent acquisitions and customer reactions amid private market softness. CFO Mary Andrews Carlisle confirmed expected acquisition performance and ongoing efforts to capture synergies through established operating disciplines. Angel Castillo (Morgan Stanley) asked about the timing and scale of power generation projects as an aggregates demand driver. Hill indicated these projects will become more meaningful in late 2026 and beyond, particularly in regions with growing data center activity. In the upcoming quarters, the StockStory team will be closely monitoring (1) the pace and impact of public infrastructure contract awards and IIJA-related spending, (2) the rollout and measurable benefits of plant automation initiatives on cost efficiency, and (3) signs of stabilization or recovery in private residential and nonresidential construction volumes. Progress toward full integration of recent acquisitions and evolving industry trends around tariffs and input costs will also be important for assessing Vulcan Materials' execution. Vulcan Materials currently trades at $265.23, up from $245.16 just before the earnings. Is there an opportunity in the stock?Find out in our full research report (it's free). Market indices reached historic highs following Donald Trump's presidential victory in November 2024, but the outlook for 2025 is clouded by new trade policies that could impact business confidence and growth. While this has caused many investors to adopt a "fearful" wait-and-see approach, we're leaning into our best ideas that can grow regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate. Take advantage of Mr. Market by checking out our Top 5 Strong Momentum Stocks for this week. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 183% over the last five years (as of March 31st 2025). Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-micro-cap company Tecnoglass (+1,754% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
BBC News
16-06-2025
- BBC News
Father calls for gas heater ban following son's death
A father has called for a ban on the sale of portable gas heaters, 10 years after his son died from carbon monoxide Hill, 18, died in 2015 at a holiday cottage near Tarfside in Scotland, when a gas heater malfunctioned in the bathroom. He had been on holiday with his girlfriend's family at the time, who tried desperately to revive father Jerry, who lives in Salisbury, said: "We think that some thought should be given to whether those [gas heaters] should be legal or not."A Department of Business and Trade spokesperson said manufacturers "are required by law to place only safe gas heaters on the market". An inquest into Tom's death was held earlier this month, with the coroner recording a conclusion of accidental death. He added that he would prepare a preventing future deaths report about the lack of warnings on liquid petroleum gas (LPG) Hill, who is also supporting a campaign for greater clarity over what you should do if a carbon monoxide alarm goes off, said there were a number of issues that contributed to his son's death."The portable gas heater, which shouldn't have been in the bathroom, had a ceramic element, which had a crack in it," he said."When the fire was lit it would burn behind the element and (it caused) a catastrophic malfunction that released a lethal amount of carbon monoxide."He added that with the carbon monoxide alarm in the kitchen, it failed to go off because the door to the bathroom was shut. The inquest, which was held in Winchester, heard Tom was in the locked bathroom when those he was staying with were unable to get a response from him. They broke open the door and found him collapsed by the bath. Extensive efforts were made to revive Mr Hill but he was pronounced dead on the way to of the cottage, Burghill Farms and Piers Le Cheminant, who sub-let the property to holidaymakers, were prosecuted for health and safety breaches in 2021, with the farm being fined £120,000 and Le Cheminant being fined £2, Hill family have been working with the charity CO-Gas Safety to raise awareness of the dangers posed by the gas."In large amounts it can kill you, but in small amounts, it can make you very ill and it causes permanent damage," said Mr added that he would like to see regulation of portable gas heaters and better safety warnings."You can buy them anywhere, and you can basically install them yourself in your front room. Normally you'd have to get a gas fitter to install it," he said."They're not regulated in any way and they vent directly into the room."If an alarm sounds in a rental property, there's nothing to tell people what to do." Stephanie Trotter, president of the CO-Gas Safety charity which is supporting the family, also called for the devices to be banned and for a public safety information campaign to be held on the dangers of carbon monoxide.A Department of Business and Trade spokesperson said they "extend every sympathy to Tom's family and any injury or death from carbon monoxide is a terrible tragedy for those affected".They added: "Manufacturers are required by law to place only safe gas heaters on the market and to include clear instructions on how they should be used."
Daily Mail
05-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Parents of university student, 18, who died from carbon monoxide poisoning at holiday cottage say portable gas heaters should be banned
The parents of a university student who died after he inhaled a 'fatal quantity' of carbon monoxide while staying in a remote aristocrat-owned holiday cottage have called for 'dangerous' portable gas heaters to be banned. Tom Hill, 18, was preparing to take a bath when he succumbed to the highly poisonous gas leaking out of the 'lethal' device at an 'idyllic' rental home in the Scottish highlands. An inquest which took place this week, some 10 years after his tragic passing, heard the bathroom where the cabinet heater was kept was 'simply too small' - but the warning informing users of this was not obvious. While a coroner concluded that while Tom's death in October 2015 was accidental, he said there is a risk of future deaths being caused by such devices. 'Proud' parents Jerry and Alison Hill have now called for more awareness to be raised on the dangers of carbon monoxide and portable gas heaters. They say 'there needs to be government safety rulings' on carbon monoxide. They said that not enough has been done to confront the dangers of the poisonous gas in the decade since Tom passed, and said it should be made 'really clear' on what people should do when a carbon monoxide alarm sounds. The carbon monoxide alarm had sounded the night before Tom died, the inquest heard. Mr Hill said: 'We still think that it's surprising that you can buy heaters. 'Quite often the instructions that come with the heaters aren't very clear, and I question whether they are fit for purpose really. 'I also think that there doesn't seem to be any sort of structure of people who can maintain these heaters, because I think they are basically seen as disposables. 'You buy one, and then throw them out.' The father, who lives in Salisbury, Wilts, continued: 'And also, one of the problems with these heaters, is that quite often, they are used by quite vulnerable people in relatively low cost accommodation and they probably haven't got access to instructions, they are not going to open windows because their property is cold. 'So, from that point of view, they are very dangerous, in our opinion. 'Another thing is, people aren't really aware of the dangers of carbon monoxide. 'There needs to be government safety rulings - and films. There's no information going out. The CO alarm had been set off the day before Tom died but the family believed the fridge to be the cause and it stopped ringing when they took it outside 'From our point of view, we wouldn't have been aware of the dangers of carbon monoxide ourselves, before Tom's death. 'Not really, not in a real sense.' Mr Hill said people are 'trained' with what to do with a smoke alarm - but carbon monoxide alarms are a 'totally different thing'. The inquest at Winchester Coroner's Court, Hants, heard that in October 2015, Tom was staying at Glenmark Cottage in Angus, Scotland, with his girlfriend Charlotte Beard and her family. The house had no electricity or mains gas, and the heating was provided by a wood-burning stove and portable gas heaters. Mark Beard, Charlotte's father, told the hearing that LPG [Liquefied Petroleum Gas] heaters were 'ubiquitously used' in the property. He said there was a cabinet heater located in the bathroom and a carbon monoxide alarm in the kitchen, which sounded on the evening before Tom's death. Tom, who studied aquaculture at Stirling University in Scotland, but was from Lyndhurst in Hampshire, decided to take a bath on the afternoon of October 28. Inside the bathroom - which had windows which had been sealed shut with paint - was one of the heaters. Mr Beard said he heard his daughter knocking on the bathroom door some time after the teen had entered the bathroom. The engineer described rushing downstairs as he heard Charlotte, then 18, grow increasingly distressed as she did not hear a response from Tom. The family used a wooden axe to forcibly open the 'solid' bathroom door and Mr Beard quickly unlatched the lock. He said he was greeted by an 'intense atmosphere' with 'a strong smell of unburnt gases'. 'It smelt like the heater wasn't operating properly,' he told the inquest. 'The heater was also making a loud buzzing which was very unusual.' The teenager was 'slumped' by the door, while the bath water was still running. Mr Beard said his 'immediate thought was carbon monoxide poisoning, but the alarm in the kitchen was not sounding at that time'. The father tried to open the sash windows in the bathroom to 'eliminate fumes', but said they had been painted shut and 'wouldn't open'. An ambulance was called for the teenager but he passed away in the vehicle, which was travelling from Brechin to Dundee. Jason Pegg - area coroner for Hampshire, Southampton, and Portsmouth - concluded Tom's death was accidental. But, after hearing details of cabinet heaters, he said he will issue a prevention of future deaths report. Mr Pegg said: 'There is a warning within the box where you put the gas canister, but anyone, such as the Beard family, turning up to a rented cottage, they would not know that the heater should not be used in such close confines. 'In rented cottages, and tenant cottages, there are going to be heaters of this sort which are in rooms which are too small [and] this gives rise to future deaths. 'As you sadly know, carbon monoxide is very much a silent killer and as much awareness when using potentially lethal devices that can be raised is so much better for everybody.' Tom's father Mr Hill added that he thinks more needs to be done on what to do when a carbon monoxide alarm sounds. 'It should be made really clear to people what to do in these circumstances,' he added,' 'I don't think people do know what to do when [alarms] go off..' Glenmark Cottage, located near the small hamlet of Tarfside, was owned by the Earl of Dalhousie and his heir Lord Ramsay. While owned by the Dalhousie estate, it was rented out by retired teacher Piers Le Cheminant. Burghill Farms, who trade as Dalhousie Estates, and Mr Le Cheminant were prosecuted for breaches of Health & Safety regulations in 2021. Burghill Farms was fined £120,000 while Le Cheminant was ordered to pay £2,000 at Dundee Sheriff Court. A Fatal Accident Inquiry report into Tom's death took place in 2023 and found that the heaters were unsuitable for the property and no system was in place for their regular maintenance.
