BSI has issued the following statement concerning its continued membership of CEN & CENELEC who provide platforms for the development of European Standards and other technical specifications.

As the adoption of harmonised European Norms is agreed by the European commission, the UK Government are planning to adopt the use of a (UK Conformity Assessed) marking UKCA mark if there’s a no-deal Brexit. The UKCA is a new UK product marking that will be used for certain goods being placed on the UK market.

The UK is leaving the EU on 31 January 2020 and a transition period to negotiate a new relationship between the UK and EU will run from this date to the end of the year. BSI continues as a member of CEN and CENELEC and committee members will continue to participate as normal. The transition period will give the members of CEN and CENELEC time to update their statutes to reflect the UK’s departure from the EU. It is due to run until the end of December 2020 and the CEN and CENELEC Boards have proposed to extend it until the end of 2021. We confidently expect that BSI’s membership of CEN and CENELEC will continue following the update to the statutes.

Our Brexit page will be kept up-to-date and can be found using the link below.

CITB’s spring round of roadshows are planned between late March and May to allow communication with employers and also give insight into proposed levy rates following on from consensus this year.

CITB will also be launching its Future Made careers campaign as well as its new Mid-size Skills and Training fund (for companies up to 250 FTE). Support will be on hand for changes to Training Group Funding as well as its CTD system.

To express your interest in attending click here.

Total construction output in Great Britain is forecast to experience a slight decline of 0.3% in 2020, before a rise of 1.2% in 2021 according to the CPA Construction Forecasts January 2020. Political uncertainty and bad weather led to a slowdown in construction activity towards the end of last year, but the forecasts show little evidence to suggest that the General Election result will benefit the construction industry for the year ahead.

Whilst last year’s general election cleared up Brexit uncertainty for the near-term, certainty beyond the end of the implementation period from January 2021 continues to make large, up-front investments difficult to justify in areas such as prime residential, commercial offices and industrial factories. These high value sectors have seen falls in new orders since the 2016 referendum result, which has now started hitting activity on the ground. With the pipeline of work diminishing, there’s little in the form of new orders to replace projects completing in 2020.

The lack of clarity on the UK’s long term trading relationship with Europe explains why commercial offices and factories output is forecast to fall 4.0% and 10.0% respectively, following two years of decline in both sub-sectors. In addition, falling house prices in the south and softer growth in the north is affecting private house builder appetite to start new developments. Changes to the Help to Buy scheme from April 2021, which include restricting the scheme to first-time buyers and introducing regional price caps, are also expected to shift new builds away from higher value houses towards flats.

Despite an overall decline for construction output, the CPA’s Forecasts also show continued growth rates for the infrastructure sector, with major projects such as Crossrail, HS2, Hinkley Point C and Thames Tideway driving activity. Despite the review into HS2, work is already underway on initial contracts and the forecasts assume it will not stop. Although significant cost savings are likely to be needed on the project, the political importance of infrastructure in the North since the election result should not be underestimated. The construction of higher-value, automated warehouses continues to grow as well largely due to the wider structural shift towards e-commerce. With the associated decline of the high street, mixed-use developments led by a hotel or leisure facility with flats, shops and offices are emerging as a focus for future developments in town centres.

Commenting on the Winter Forecasts, CPA’s Economics Director, Noble Francis, said: “Construction activity has tailed off since last Summer with persistent rain affecting external construction. The main issue, however, was uncertainty, which hindered decision making, the signing of new contracts and new project starts on site.

“Looking at the year ahead, growth prospects for construction are fragile. Whilst the short-term certainty provided by a majority in the General Election does mean that day-to-day consumer spending will continue and a few more projects are likely to go ahead, further political and economic uncertainty beyond 31 December remains problematic for investment and activity. This is a particular issue in high value sectors such prime residential, office towers and factories, which require certainty to justify investment and where new contracts often take 12-18 months to feed into activity down on the ground.

“Prospects remain bright in areas such as warehouses and infrastructure. As ever though, government delivery of major infrastructure projects will be key to the fortunes of both the sector and the industry. Without this certainty, infrastructure activity is expected to remain flat and total construction output would be expected to fall by 0.9% this year.”

Download the CPA Construction Forecasts January 2020

For more market analysis visit www.thefis.org/membership-hub/memberbenefits/marketanalysis/

The Government’s response to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 Report sets out the steps it is taking to implement the report’s recommendations as well as the wider work it is doing to make building safer.

Key areas covered in this document relevant to FIS Members are an update on Fire Doors and the use of composite doors, a brief update on progress on the review of Building Regulations and the Fire Safety Order and, further highlighting of the need for tested and certificated options.  It is also interesting to note that sprinkler systems have been highlighted and that work is already underway to establish a new  immediate work will begin to establish the new Building Safety Regulator.  Overall it is a useful summary of where and how policy is and is likely to progress in the sector although there does not appear to be anything new in the report which has not already been actioned by Government.

A copy of this report can be viewed here.

This week a review of the impact of the ban on combustible cladding was also initiated.  You can find out more about this here.  FIS will be represented at a Round Table on this subject hosted by MHCLG next week looking at the impact on cavity trays in SFS systems. 

Under the Government’s Building Safety Programme, MHCLG have issued a consolidating note bringing together all previously published Advice Notes No. 1 – 22 issued by The Expert Panel. This note is directed at building owners of multi-storey, multi-occupied residential buildings, but is likely to resonate across the wider market.

Much of the focus is on the external structure (including Advice Note 14 – assessment of non-ACM external wall systems, which has implications on SFS systems and has now been superseded by this revised advice). This note also covers smoke control and carrying out of fire risk assessments for residential buildings below 18m.  Another important element to draw out for members of the FIS is that the Guidance has an annex especially dedicated to fire doors that consolidates a range of best practice advice and looks at what to do when confronted with a nominal fire door in an existing building.

FIS Technical Director, Joe Cilia added “Since Grenfell there has been somewhat of piecemeal approach to guidance and advice and so pulling together in one place is helpful and will help.  Whilst this is a welcome body of work, there remains confusion, that is leading at times to conflict, and delays to projects and even examples where completed work is not being signed off. Our advisory service continues to be on hand to help members and where we can feedback these pinch points and areas of clarity back to MHCLG through our involvement with the Working Groups.

At FIS we recognise absolutely that this is the number one issue in construction and continue to support the dedicated Working Groups looking at competence in the supply chain.  We are also focussed on developing specialist best practice guidance wherever possible (including our soon to be published Service Penetrations Guide that we are developing with industry) because we work in a community where the need to raise standards based on shared values is understood.  We are keen, however, to see work on updating the Building Regulations themselves accelerated to ensure that risk is managed in all cases, not merely contractualised.  Until Regulation catches us up we are in danger of seeing the good getting better, but may not be addressing that part of the market that where clients and contractors look at cost first and are willing to cut corners at the expense of quality and safety”.

A full copy of the guidance document and relevant annexes is available here

 This week a review of the impact of the ban on combustible cladding was also initiated.  You can find out more about this here.  FIS will be represented at a Round Table on this subject hosted by MHCLG next week looking at the impact on cavity trays in SFS systems. 

It’s easy to make comparisons between a ceiling collapse in a historic building especially when they both occur in a theatre during a performance, but the collapse at the Piccadilly Theatre in November and the Apollo theatre in 2013 are markedly different.

The failure of the fibrous ceiling at the Apollo Theatre galvanised the theatre owners and managers to look again the condition of all the ceilings and worked with the FIS Heritage and Fibrous Plastering Working Group to develop methodologies to carry out structured inspections and reports following robust competency checks.

It appears that ‘The Piccadilly Theatre incident was caused by a sudden very large influx of water from ventilation contractors working on the exterior roof in the morning’, according to Mark White, Communications and Publication Committee Chairman of the Association of British Theatre Technicians. He added  ‘This water flooded the inside of the building, running down the stairs etc and the staff embarked on a massive cleanup operation to get the theatre more or less dry to admit the public that evening to a very popular show. They did not realise that some of the water had escaped into the ceiling void as none was visible during the day. Audience members reported the drips starting just before the show and the plasterboard came in about 40 minutes after curtain up.’

FIS Heritage and Fibrous Plastering Working Group Chair Jon Riley added: ‘Whilst not knowing anything about this particular theatre or ceiling, it does underline the importance of the recent Historic England Guidance, endorsed by FIS, ABTT, Theatres Trust, Historic Environment Scotland, Department of Communities & Cadw. A copy of this can be found on https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/technical-advice/buildings/inspection-and-maintenance-of-fibrous-plaster-ceilings/

Theatre managers and owners wishing to have an inspection carried out are encouraged to use a vetted FIS member and commission the report in accordance with these process notes.

A £1.9m support package for apprenticeships has been introduced in the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. 186 small businesses have received grants of £3,000 to help create new apprenticeship opportunities via Greater Manchester’s #SeeDifferent Small-to-Medium Enterprise Apprentice Support package, offering additional incentives to smaller employers and helping to remove barriers that may prevent them from creating apprenticeship opportunities.

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said: “This support package has already created a substantial number of opportunities for residents in the city-region and we hope to create even more as we move forward.

“Apprenticeships are crucial in bridging the skills gap and creating good quality employment opportunities which boost productivity. It’s vital that we continue to remove the barriers and make job opportunities in the city-region feel accessible to Greater Manchester residents, both young and old.”

Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) commissioned the Growth Company to develop and deliver an online apprenticeship Levy Matchmaking Service that ensures as many levy payers as possible transfer unspent funds to non-levy payers – negating the need for them to pay 5% co-investment costs. Since the launch, in August 2019, over £2 million has been committed by Greater Manchester’s apprenticeship levy payers which could support over 300 apprenticeships.

Large businesses are encouraged to pledge their unspent levy to the matchmaking service and can do so by visiting the Levy Matchmaking Service website.

Councillor Sean Fielding, Leader of Oldham Council and GMCA lead for Education and Skills said: “These results show just how important apprenticeships are to the city-region and that we are doing everything we can to help businesses make the most of them.”

“Improving the quality and growth of apprenticeships is a fantastic way to get people into work, allowing them to have the support they need to enter and sustain employment and with the chance to up-skill and progress in their careers. Apprenticeships are an excellent route for anyone looking to start, change or develop their careers.”

Work has been carried out to deliver the Stimulating Employer Demand for Apprenticeships (SEDA) project which has provided 515 workforce development plans that have been implemented across the city-region. The plans aim to highlight any skills gaps or need for upskilling across businesses, then decide how to access training for existing staff or recruit new staff using the apprenticeship model and taking advantage to the funding available to them.

GMCA is continuously working to improve the quality and grow the numbers of apprenticeships in Greater Manchester with approximately 22,250 apprenticeships started in 2018/19.

Guidance and links that you need to ensure that you are complying with the building regulations.

Regulation 38 is a requirement under Building Regulations to provide critical fire safety information to the ‘responsible person’ at the point of first occupation or completion of the project in buildings other than dwelling houses yet is often forgotten. It applies where building work consists of a building where the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies, which covers most if not all the work in the fit-out sector.

This technical note will provide you with the guidance and links that you need to ensure that you are complying with the building regulations.

Please email FIS Technical Director joecilia@thefis.org  if you have any questions.

To address the largest number of questions we receive about the quality finish of plastering and drylining, we have produced the a technical note titled: How to improve the quality of internal finishes.

 The key points to remember are

• Start with the specification
• Produce an achievable benchmark that is agreed by everyone and kept available for the duration of the project.
• Ensure that the task lighting replicates the lighting including natural lighting that will be apparent in the finished work
• Inspect the work from the centre of a room or minimum of 2mm from the wall without washing the wall with lights.

Please email FIS Technical Director JoeCilia@thefis.org if you have any questions.

‘Look Beyond’ has been announced as the theme for the 13th annual National Apprenticeship Week 2020 (the Week, NAW2020), taking place from 3 to 7 February 2020.  The week is run by the National Apprenticeship Service.  The ‘Look Beyond’ themed week will celebrate the diversity and value that apprenticeships bring to employers, apprentices and communities across England today. From highlighting the breadth of industries and roles available to the talent and energy apprentices bring into the workplace.

We urge all FIS Members and Approved Training Providers to let us know about any plans they have for the week and refer any stories/case studies that could help to promote the sector to the FIS team via info@thefis.org or call us on 0121 707 0077 so that we can incorporate into our activities. 

We have established an FIS Apprenticeship hub on our new website here that we will be developing in the run-up to the week.

Approaching seven million workdays are lost in the UK due to Musculoskeletal Disorders every year with construction topping the naughty list. To combat this, The Health in Construction Leadership Group has set out its stall for 2020 with a plan to reduce musculoskeletal disorder in the sector. A specialist taskforce has been set up to look specifically at plasterboard ingress and this is to be chaired by FIS Technical Director Joe Cilia.

The Health in Construction Leadership Group (HCLG) was formed in 2014 after a challenge from the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) Construction Industry Advisory Committee (ConIAC) for the industry to do more to ‘Think Health’ and responding to the influence of ‘Construction 2025’, the Industry Strategy for Construction. The group is comprised of contractors, clients, HSE, professional bodies, trade associations and trade unions.

The taskforce is building on existing best practice guidance, but vitally also looking at the health and economic case for improvements in occupational health and how the supply chain can collaborate more effectively to understand the long term implications of poor sequencing and site lay-out and how designers can factor this thinking into their CDM responsibilities.

Work is being broken down into sections on Planning, Supply and Distribution, Delivery and Offloading, Storage, Vertical Movement, Horizontal Movement, Storage at Point of Installation, the Installation Operation itself, Storage of Off-cuts and Removal and Egress of Waste.

Joe Cilia stated “our aim is to develop a seminal report that will give us a roadmap to improve safety at each stage in the construction process, from procurement through to waste removal. In so doing we will reduce the risk of injury and improve productivity and working conditions for operatives on site. To achieve this we have brought together the supply chain and delivery teams to share best and good practice and make recommendations with health and economic outputs. Within this work it is vital that we consider not just the manual operations, but risks our decisions can create for others, ultimately how the wider construction operation and better sequencing and planning can reduce risk.”

Balfour Beatty, Chair HCLG MSD Task Group Occupational Health and Hygiene Specialist, Health team |HSES| Ian Strudley said ‘’more working days are lost in construction as a result of musculoskeletal disorders than any other single cause of ill-health. There is so much more that we could and should be doing to make sure that we keep people healthy in work and we better manage the consequence of any musculoskeletal ill-health that has been caused in and indeed out of the workplace. I am pleased to say that the Plasterboard Group has already done much to improve productivity and reduce ill-health from the movement and handling of plasterboard materials. These next steps looking at each stage of the construction process will help consolidate this effort to achieve further improvements in musculoskeletal health, and therein achieve additional risk reduction and greater productivity.”

Senior Policy Advisor, Health and Safety Executive Construction Health Team, Sue Brandrick said ‘’tackling work-related ill health is one of HSE’s priorities. There is particular focus on musculoskeletal disorders in sectors, like construction, where they are amongst the most common cause of sickness absence. This has a serious impact on the lives of sufferers, their families and the industry overall.

Working collaboratively and tackling the problem holistically is welcomed by HSE. This is a more effective approach compared to focusing on individual aspects in isolation. I am pleased to be working with HCLG in this area to reduce the health risks to construction workers from lifting, moving and handling large amounts of plasterboard”

FIS is calling for volunteers to support this group please email Joe Cilia to register your interest and find out more about the project (joecilia@thefis.org).

A proposed offer to industry stating what priorities CITB have identified in order to train and qualify the construction industry and how CITB levy will be collected for the next three years, 2021 to 2023, will be distributed in April 2020.  This is not a vote to retain or close CITB, that decision is a lot more complicated and involves the Minister of State and Parliament.  To ensure FIS members get a say in how much Levy CITB can collect from the construction industry you must ensure:

1. You complete your CITB Levy return on time.
2. You ensure you state you are a member of the Finishes and Interiors Sector at section 1A of the return.

Here is an image of the 2019 Levy Return.  The 2020 Levy Return will have the same details but, will be a different colour:

Further guidance will be available from mid-March 2020 when the CITB proposed offer (the priorities for construction and levy collection) will be distributed via multiple means e.g. roadshows, online, websites and news media.  CITB will confirm to FIS the number of Levy paying employers and the value of their CITB Levy contribution.  The final amount of levy to be collected will be confirmed in CITB’s final offer during June or early July 2020, once the proposed plans are approved.

In order to provide information so that members can make an informed decision, FIS will produce a position statement in June 2020.  We will also be dealing directly with our Levy paying employer members and will have already been in regular contact with their Levy contact.  When issuing the survey, we will send this directly to our Levy contacts and the CEO, as we will expect the CEO to be responding to the question on behalf of the company. We do however expect the Levy contact to ensure the CEO has all the relevant information to allow them and their Board to decide on how the organisation should respond to the question.

Although it is yet to be confirmed, FIS will distribute the CITB consensus survey when it is available.  Your responses will be presented to the FIS Board in early to mid-September 2020.  The final response must be sent to CITB before the end of September 2020.  The Consensus Survey window will close on Wednesday 30 September 2020.

The two measures used to demonstrate consensus has been achieved using reasonable steps to consult will be:

1. More than 50% of levy payers.

PLUS

2. More than 50% of levy payable by employers that support the proposals (the value of what is to be collected)

Data from the 2017 Levy Consensus Results for Build UK:

 Please remember to ensure you have an opportunity to vote:

1. You complete your CITB Levy return on time.
2. You ensure you state you are a member of the Finishes and Interiors Sector at section 1A of the return.

This safety alert has been published by SCOSS the Standing committee on Structural safety who only send out this type of notice following an incident so its worth noting, especially where you are involved in installing glass as a barrier.

There is a lot to take in but in summary it covers.

• The correct use of glass in balustrades
• How to comply with BS6180:2011
• The danger of glass slip and how to avoid bad practice
• Installation awareness
• The importance of the BSI Kitemark for compliance
• The benefits of using proprietary/Standard systems.

Please ensure you share this with your teams,and do let us know if you need more clarity.

To download the full guidance note click here. 

In response to a number of questions related to installing partitioning to the underside of beams coated with intumescent paint, the FIS Drylining Working Group has reviewed current guidance and issued a new Technical Notice.

FIS Technical Director Joe Cilia said:  “Concerns have centred around the impact of fixing to the steel work and the impact that this might have on the ability of the intumescent paint to react and protect the steel work, and therefore any warranty provided by the paint manufacturers. In response to this we have worked with manufacturers, contractors and experts from across the sector to develop a new guidance note.  We would encourage all members to review and ensure that this approach is reflected in their current working practices.”

Members only content – log in here or join us here

FIS Technical Engagement Manager Nigel Higgins has produced a new guidance note with help from FIS member Veitchi to address the risks of Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS).

The guide explains the syndrome, how to measure the vibration magnitude of the tool, and convert that into a point score which is compared against the daily exposure time.

This methodology assisted Veitchi in recognising the risk and leading to purchasing new machinery which improved production as well as providing a safer method of work.

This article which appeared in Construction Enquirer highlighted the real consequences  of ignoring the risk after a contractor was fined £600,000 after five employees developed Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome.

An HSE investigation found the company failed to assess or manage the risks associated with vibrating tools.

It also failed to provide suitable training or health surveillance for its maintenance workers and failed to maintain and replace tools which increased vibration levels.

Using the new FIS guidance really can save you money it seems.

The guide is available here.

In April 2020, CITB is releasing new training standards for short duration courses available to levy payers. Short duration courses are between half a days training and up to 29 days maximum.

Each of the standards will have grants attached for CITB levy paying companies.

For reference the following tiers hold the following values:

Tier 1 = £30 per delegate

Tier 2 = £70 per delegate

Tier 3 =£120 per delegate

If you need any assistance in claiming your CITB grant funding please contact the FIS Skills team on skills@thefis.org

The Welsh Government has today announced the banning on the use of combustible cladding on high rise buildings as from 13 January 2020. This will apply to all new residential buildings (flats, student accommodation and care homes) and hospitals that are over 18m high. The ban covers the entire height of the building and will apply to the complete wall assembly and certain attachments to the external wall including balconies and solar panels.  The ban will also apply to existing buildings where relevant building work is being carried out that falls within the scope of the Building Regulations, unless the building works have started on-site or an initial notice, building notice or full plans have been deposited and work has started on site within a period of 8 weeks.

The Welsh Housing Minister, Julie James, will publish a White Paper in 2020 setting out more details, FIS is working to avoid the repeat of problems that have impacted members in England.  To view the announcement click here.

The Queens Speech sets out the intent of Government over the next 12 months, attempts to lock in manifesto promises and sets out the stall of our new Government.  Probably few have been more significant than yesterday with everything at stake.

At a macro level getting Brexit done by implementing the Withdrawal Bill and fixing the exit date top the bill, but there is a fair bit in there for businesses operating in the construction sector.  In terms of specific policies related to construction we saw:

Investment in infrastructure and Housing

• Commitment to invest £100bn in infrastructure and improved Broadband coverage across the UK
• Funding to build 40 new hospitals in the UK in the next decade (over and above the refurb of 20 announced earlier in the year)
• On Housing there will be continued support for first time buyers to address housing affordability, improvement to shared ownership models and renewal of the Affordable Homes Programme.  The Government is committed to building 1 million more homes.  Further improvements to the Planning Process are also promised.
• The new £10bn Housing Infrastructure fund will be used to provide the roads, schools and GP Surgeries needed to support new homes.
• To help improve quality Government will also legislate to require that developers of new build homes must belong to a New Homes Ombudsman.

Employment and Business Responsibility

• Confirmation of the implementation of an Australian style points based immigration system post Brexit
• Increases in R&D Tax Credits to 13% (see details of our webinar on how you can claim them here)
• The introduction of a new Employment Bill that introduces a new enforcement body and enhance workers rights, support flexible working allow workers to ask for a more predictable contract and extend unpaid carers entitlement to leave.
• Government will introduce new measures to reduce the disability employment gap.
• Tighten company auditing an reporting to help improve public trust in business and help workers employed by large companies understand how resilient it is
• Clamp down on late payment more broadly and strengthen the powers of the Small Business Commissioner to support small businesses that are exploited by their larger partners
• Increase National Insurance Threshold to £9,500 and the National Living Wage to 2/3 the median wage (this is caveated by providing economic conditions allow).  Plans to lower the age of National Living Wage to 21 from 25 were also included.
• The Government has committed not to raise income tax , VAT or national insurance
• The Establishment of a National Skills Fund to improve investment in education
• Reform Business Rates, bring forward the next re-evaluation and ensure that these are more frequent

Skills and Training

• The bring renewed focus to further and technical education Government has pledged an extra £400 million for 16-19 year-old education next year, an increase of 7 per cent overall in 16-19 year-old funding and the biggest injection of new money in a single year since 2010.
• There will also be additional investment in T Levels, supporting continued preparation for these courses with the first three starting from September 2020.
• The Government will invest an additional £3 billion over the course of this Parliament to support the creation of a ‘National Skills Fund’.
• The Government will invest £1.8 billion over five years in a rebuilding programme to upgrade the entire further education college estate.
• The Government are also planning to establish 20 Institutes of Technology across England- unique collaborations between further education colleges, universities, and employers –– offering higher technical education and training in science, technology, engineering and maths subjects, to give people the skills they need for key sectors such as digital, construction, advanced manufacturing and engineering.

Sustainability

• Re-affirmation of support for net zero carbon by 2050 and confirmation that they will enshrine in law environmental principles and legally binding targets

Building Safety

Perhaps most significantly of all a new Building Safety Bill that will implement the recommendations of Dame Judith Hackitt’s review of the Building Regulations.  Key elements of the Bill will include:

• Providing clearer accountability and stronger duties for those responsible for the safety of high-rise buildings throughout the building’s design, construction and occupation, with clear competence requirements to maintain high standards.
• Giving residents a stronger voice in the system, ensuring their concerns are never ignored and they fully understand how they can contribute to maintaining safety in their buildings.
• Strengthening enforcement and sanctions to deter non-compliance with the new regime, hold the right people to account when mistakes are made and ensure they are not repeated.
• Developing a new stronger and clearer framework to provide national oversight of construction products, to ensure all products meet high performance standards.
• Developing a new system to oversee the whole built environment, with local enforcement agencies and national regulators working together to ensure that the safety of all buildings is improved.

In a separate Fire Safety Bill, the Government will ensure that building owners and managers are clear that they are responsible for assessing the risks of external walls and fire doors in buildings of any height.

You can download a fully copy of the Queens Speech here