by Clair Mooney | 30 Jul, 2020 | Main News Feed
The new scheme, designed to match job opportunities to individuals seeking employment and run by the Construction Leadership Council (CLC), went live last Friday (24 July). It’s already off to a very promising start with 482 employers currently signed up to use the scheme, and over 240 vacancies posted, with more being added every day.
If you are a business or individual looking to find out more, please visit the Talent Retention Scheme portal here.
A Covid-19 Displaced Apprentice Project team has been established by CITB; this team will be reaching out to apprentices impacted by the pandemic. They will work with Apprentices to find alternative employment where possible, or signpost them to other support services, including the Talent Retention Scheme.
Apprentices will also be supported by CITB with more practical elements, such as developing CVs and interview preparation, to provide the best possible chance at securing further employment. If you are an employer willing to take on an Apprentice that has been made redundant, register with the Talent Retention Scheme or contact CITB it’s vital the finishes and interiors sector don’t lose these people.
by Clair Mooney | 30 Jul, 2020 | Main News Feed
Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard that in the summer of 2015, to support the construction of the A556 bypass in Cheshire, work had started to build a pier designed to eventually support a bridge. This involved erecting a steel cage. On 3 August, two workers on a MEWP were working on the structure, when it collapsed. The cage crashed into the MEWP, causing it to fall on its side.
The first employee sustained life changing head injuries and the second a leg fracture. A third worker nearby escaped injury by moving away just in time.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found there was no temporary support for the reinforcement cage during construction of the central pier. Costain Limited was principal contractor and Brenbuild Limited was appointed by Costain to construct seven bridges and an underpass.
Costain Limited and Brenbuild Limited were both aware the cage was visibly leaning and that workers on site had raised concerns. Neither company recognised the inherent instability of the reinforcement cage or took measures to ensure the work could be carried out safely. Brenbuild Limited failed to stop work to prevent injuries from the risk of collapse and to implement control measures to prevent instability. Costain Limited failed to plan, manage and monitor construction of the central pier.
Brenbuild Limited of Parkway Business Park, Scunthorpe pleaded guilty to breaching sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £80,000 and ordered to pay costs of £21,730.11.
Costain Limited of Vanwall Business Park, Maidenhead, pleaded guilty to breaching sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £1.2million and ordered to pay costs of £21,644.51.
Speaking after the hearing HSE inspector Deborah Walker said: “This incident could have been easily prevented and the risk of collapse should have been identified by both companies.
“If a suitable safe system of work had been in place, this incident would not have occurred, and the two workers would not have suffered these injuries.”
by Iain McIlwee | 30 Jul, 2020 | Main News Feed
Thousands of smaller businesses in England are set to benefit from £20 million of new government funding to help them recover from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, the Minister for Regional Growth and Local Government has today (30 July 2020) announced.
Small and medium sized businesses will have access to grants of between £1,000 – £5,000 to help them access new technology and other equipment as well as professional, legal, financial or other advice to help them get back on track.
It comes on top of an unprecedented package of Government support to help businesses to recover, including the £2 billion Kickstart Scheme which will create hundreds of thousands of new, fully subsidised jobs for young people across the country, as well as £1.6 billion invested in scaling up employment support schemes, training and apprenticeships to help people looking for a job.
Minister for Regional Growth and Local Government, Simon Clarke MP said:
We have always said that we would stand behind our businesses and communities as we rebuild following the coronavirus pandemic. This new funding does exactly that.
Businesses will be able to use these new grants to pay for the expertise, equipment and technology they need to adapt, recover and rebuild.
Small and medium sized businesses are the beating heart of communities; they provide employment and contribute significantly to local economies and we are determined to give them the support they need to continue to thrive.
Today’s announcement builds on a £10 million package announced by the Minister earlier this month to help to kickstart the tourism industry and support the visitor economy.
The support will be fully funded by the government from the England European Regional Development Fund and distributed through Growth Hubs, embedded in local areas across England.
- The support will be fully funded by the Government with no obligation for businesses to contribute financially.
- The funding being provided to businesses is supported by the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is the Managing Authority for the European Regional Development Fund in England. For more information visit (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/england-2014-to-2020-european-structural-and-investment-funds)
- The funding has been allocated to Growth Hubs within each LEP area in line with the current ERDF Programme.
View Growth Hub funding: allocations for each LEP area (PDF, 202KB, 4 pages)
- To establish a viable grant programme, Government have set a minimum of £250,000 for all LEP areas. The allocation of resources will be reviewed as the grant fund is delivered.
- Growth Hubs work across the country with local and national, public and private sector partners – such as Chambers of Commerce, FSB, universities, Enterprise Zones and banks, co-ordinating local business support and connecting businesses to the right help for their needs. They are locally driven, locally owned and at the heart of the government’s plan to ensure business support is simpler, more joined up and easier to access.
- Activities supported through the £20 million can include:
- One-to-many events providing guidance to respond to coronavirus,
- Grants (£1,000 – £5,000) to help businesses access specialist professional advice such as HR, accountants, legal, financial, IT and digital, and to purchase minor equipment to adapt or adopt new technology in order to continue to deliver business activity or diversify.
by Iain McIlwee | 30 Jul, 2020 | Main News Feed
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has announced a number of new policies, which should help to support construction activity, and further detail has been published including:
- Changes to Use Classes Order ‐ From 1 September 2020, a number of existing uses will be condensed into a single commercial, business and service use, which means that planning permission will not be required for changing use going forward. There are a list of exemptions, including pubs, bars, nightclubs and take‐away food establishments, which will continue to require planning permission.
- A new permitted development right ‐ From 31 August 2020, commercial buildings will be able to be replaced with residential buildings using a streamlined prior approval process, rather than a full planning application. There will be a number of qualifications, including a vacancy test of six months, a size limitation of 1,000 square metres, and a height limit of 18 metres.
- Affordable Homes Guarantee Scheme ‐ A new £3 billion scheme will increase investment in providers of affordable housing and support the delivery of a significant number of new affordable homes. The contract for a delivery partner to operate the scheme should be awarded over the coming weeks and the scheme will be open for business by the end of the year.
The Government has also published guidance on extending construction working hours introduced in the Business and Planning Act. Companies are now able to request extended and flexible site working hours through a fast‐track application process, with Local Authorities having 14 calendar days to make a decision otherwise the revised working hours will be deemed to have been consented to.
The Chancellor has launched this week the 2020 Comprehensive Spending Review, which will set out the Government’s spending plans for the current parliament when it is published in the autumn. Due to the current uncertainty, the Chancellor has not fixed a set spending amount but confirmed that departmental spending will grow in real terms across the period.
Responding to the changes, FIS CEO, Iain McIlwee stated “these are all logical steps that should help to unlock a bit more work and right now it is all about marginal gain. I hope that this philosophy is taken into the Spending Review, it is easy to look for headlines in “big ticket items” and landmark announcements, but the devil is always in the detail. The Construction Leadership Council recognises this and is looking at the key markets and what can be done, we are glad to be supporting this work. Accelerating Government Spending, clearing the bottle-necks and removing red tape, looking at tax incentives (such as the Structural Building Allowance and Annual Investment Allowance) and availability of credit are all critical, but to protect jobs, drive productivity and encourage innovation it is not just about volume and investment, it is about sensible investment and supporting the supply chain. Earlier engagement is key to this, for years we have banged on about pipeline, but the benefit of this never cascades into the supply chain enabling the myriad of SME’s, that actually do the work to plan workforces, raise credit and invest in innovation against a predictable order book. The market is always driven by confidence and to protect jobs, encourage innovation and improve the skills and productivity of our workforce, we need any certainty to cascade rapidly through the supply chain.”
by Iain McIlwee | 30 Jul, 2020 | Main News Feed
As Scotland’s building sector continues its recovery, the CICV Forum (supported by FIS) has issued a raft of new health and safety guidance to help steer workers through the phased return.
Seven new pieces of open source collateral have been released, offering in-depth industry advice on topics including face coverings, hand washing, domestic working and what to do if there is a case of COVID-19.
In addition, the Forum has updated the comprehensive 42-page document, COVID-19 Construction Operating Guidance, which underpins the Safe Operating Guidance produced by Construction Scotland, Scottish Government and the wider industry.
Rebecca Crosland, Health and Safety Adviser at the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA), a leading member of the Forum, said: “This new collateral is another important step in protecting both our workforce and the Scottish public as we all work together to minimise the spread of infection.
“The Forum’s Health and Safety sub-group has worked collaboratively to produce clear and practical guidance that is easy to follow and which can be used immediately by businesses of all sizes to help in their ongoing return.”
The seven new guidance documents are available to download below and cover:
- Advice for businesses carrying out non-essential domestic work
- Health and safety checklist before work is carried out
- Effective use of face coverings
- Good hygiene and hand washing
- A questionnaire for clients before site visits
- What to do if someone displays symptoms of COVID-19
- Template letter for confirmed cases of COVID-19
In addition, the COVID-19 Construction Operating Guidance has been updated to reflect the latest developments on face coverings, physical distancing, travel and prevention of cross-contamination, with all new content clearly signposted.
The latest documents were compiled by members of the Forum’s Health & Safety sub-group – Pete Walker, Director of Health, Safety and Training at the British Constructional Steelwork Association, Craig Hartley, Head of Health, Safety and Improvement at Hugh LS McConnell, Jim Cornwall, Technical and Safety Adviser at SELECT and Martyn Raine, Technical and Skills Manager at SNIPEF.
Martyn said: “As the construction industry move to the next stage of the phased return, it’s vital that everyone works together to continue the excellent work done so far.
“Health and safety will be vital in the weeks and months ahead, and it’s paramount that we don’t compromise ourselves or our customers at this crucial time.
“The sector is relieved to be returning at last, but workers everywhere must be aware that there can be no let-up in health and safety awareness.”
Pete added: “This is yet another important demonstration of how the CICV Forum has the best interests of the construction at its heart.
“It’s up to everyone to use this clear and concise guidance to make sure that we operate in accordance with the highest possible standards. I know it will be welcomed by those constructors who continue to help rebuild Scotland responsibly and safely.”
The latest campaign follows two recent animations in which the Forum outlined key health and safety steps and reminded workers to observe physical distancing when not at work.
It also reinforces the Forum’s reputation for proactive innovation, which has seen it at the forefront of clear and concise information distribution throughout the COVID-19 crisis.
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CICV_Back at work_Client Control Measure Checklist
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CICV_Back at work_Staying Home
by Clair Mooney | 30 Jul, 2020 | Main News Feed
The UK Government is legally bound to reduce emissions to net zero by 2050, which means we will need to change how we build. It includes the retrofit of energy efficiency methods to existing buildings. But how can you and your business benefit?
Government is working with construction organisations to understand what skills the construction industry needs to access the new markets involved and will publish recommendations later in the year. This is a key opportunity to influence and help shape the support employers need. Please complete the CITB online survey which should take 10 minutes and closes on Wedsesday 5 August 2020.
This has been brought the attention of FIS by British Gypsum. The key area of focus for the finishes and interior sector is internal insulation.
