by Oscar Venus | Jun 16, 2021 | Labour Shortages, Main News Feed, skills
In August 2020 one of our manufacturer members was approached by the Awarding Organisation NOCN for help in preparing test materials for the Interior Systems Installer Apprentice End Point Assessment (EPA) and brought this to the attention of the FIS Skills Board. In November2020 FIS Skills Board members produced Risk Assessments and Method Statements for the end test and in January 2021 FIS brought together an EPA Development Group of Employers, Suppliers, Training Providers and NOCN. The materials developed to assess both options of this apprenticeship, Dry Liners and Ceiling and Partition Installers will soon be ready for use.
This work was facilitated by FIS with the direct support of Joe Cilia FIS Technical Director and George Swann FIS Skills and Training Lead. This would not have been achieved in the time frame allowed without the support, time, materials and expertise freely provide by FIS members. Many thanks go to: British Gypsum, Roseville, Stortford Interiors, Measom Dryline, Time Limit Interiors, Errigal, Komfort, North West Skills Academy, the Construction End Point Assessment Company and the staff at NOCN.
This is an example of collaboration at its very best. If you would like to be involved in the work of FIS, join the Skills Board or one of the Working Groups, please give us a call.
by Clair Mooney | Jun 15, 2021 | Main News Feed, Material Shortages
With shortages dominating conversations, today, FIS hosted a webinar to help review where we all sit contractually.
To kick us off we were joined by Ruth Wilkinson, Legal Director at Hill Dickinson who discussed the challenges that businesses in our sector face, including:
- What is happening on the ground and the position that clients and contractors are taking on potential delays and price variation.
- Fluctuations and common provisions are made in standard contracts.
- How to deal with existing work and contracts.
- How to manage risk and structure negotiations on your next contract.
Damian James, Delay and Quantum Expert, then focussed on the impact of delay, distruption and rising costs and how to effectively manage your contractual position through this time of shortage.
Further support and guidance is below:
FIS Latest Statement on Shortages (to support your negotiations)
FIS Contractual and Legal Toolkit (including template resources to support notifications and management of delays)
RICS Conflict Avoidance Pledge (please consider signing it).
FIS Insurance Survey (Our plan is to scope out a new approach, possibly even establishing a mutual insurance company – all pie in the sky unless we have the data. We have received a good response, but have broken the project down into gateways and need a strong response before we can progress to the next level and start committing resource).
by Oscar Venus | Jun 10, 2021 | Main News Feed
With Brexit, the debacle that was the Eurovision Song Contest and an all English Champions league final, tensions with our European neighbours are running high and it is about to get worse as we send our national football teams into the fray to give them all a jolly good thrashing. Whilst this isn’t necessarily best for helping to deliver a pragmatic agreement surrounding mutuality of obligation concerns in the withdrawal agreement, it is a chance to celebrate and have a bit of fun.
In celebration of the Euros 2021 finally taking place, FIS has launched its own fantasy league and we are inviting FIS Members to take part in the hope that we can bring our community together throughout the tournament. We will be posting weekly updates on our Instagram page so please do give us a follow to help us keep you informed.
Feel free to enter as a company or an independent – warning we will be more diligent than the ECB in ensuring that names and communications around this league are appropriate and in keeping with all of our FIR policies.
To enter, click here and create your team. To join the FIS league enter this code: 38WAY60Z10
(Rules – in order for us to see what company you are entering from please try to add that into your teams name)
by Iain McIlwee | Jun 7, 2021 | brexit, Main News Feed
BEIS has issued updated guidance on “Placing manufactured goods on the market in Great Britain”. This is dated 1st June 2021 and replaces guidance last issued on 31st December 2020.
The updated guidance can be viewed here.
Summary of changes
The main change to the document covers updates to UK legislation given in the table under the heading “Relevant UK and EU legislation”. Changes are made concerning legislation for:
- Personal protective equipment
- Gas appliances
- Ecodesign Directive
New items included are:
- Energy Directive
- Directive 2013/29/EU – Pyrotechnic Articles
Other differences in the text are as follows:
On page 2, Contents
- Paragraph 3 the following sentence has been added:
“This guidance explains what you need to do for any goods you’re placing on the GB market after 1 January 2021.”
- Paragraph 5 the following sentence has been added:
“placing a good on the market means individual good, not a type of good.”
On page 3 under ‘Old approach goods’ and ‘Other goods’
- Reference is now made to ‘goods on the GB market’ whereas previously it read ‘goods on the UK market’.
On page 3, Other goods
- Construction products has now been added to the list of goods with special rules. This links to the guidance issued on 1st September 2020 –Construction Product Regulation in Great Britain.
On page 4, Check if you need to change your conformity assessment or marking
- Paragraph 2 – The words “…after 31 December 2021” have been removed from the end of the sentence
On page 4, Using the UKCA marking
- The first sentence now read “You only need to use the new UKCA marking before 1 January 2022 if all of the following apply.” This previously read “…UKCA marking after 1 January 2021…”
On page 5, Mandatory third-party conformity assessment for the UKCA marking.
- Paragraph three – a new sentence has been added which reads “The UK Market Conformity Assessment Bodies (UKMCAB) database (link inserted in the document) lists all bodies which can provide conformity assessment for the UK market.”
On page 6, CE marking if you’re placing a qualifying Northern Ireland good on the GB market. Paragraphs 4 & 5 are new and read:
- “Find out whether your goods qualify for unfettered access (link inserted in the document).
- “Find out more about the government’s approach to unfettered access (link inserted in the document).”
On page 7, Check your legal responsibilities
- Manufacturers – new text added but nothing new as regards requirements
- UK distributors and suppliers, paragraph 3, bullet point one – the last sentence has been added and reads “After 31 December 2022, your details must be affixed to the product or, in circumstances where the legislation allows, on the packaging or on an accompanying document.”
CPA update on outstanding areas of BREXIT concern
Visit the FIS Brexit Toolkit here
Thanks to the Construction Products Association for pulling this information together on behalf of FIS Members
by Clair Mooney | Jun 3, 2021 | Main News Feed
Osborne is the latest Build UK member to adopt the Common Assessment Standard for its pre‐qualification requirements. Osborne joins a growing list of major contractors and clients which are specifying the Common Assessment Standard, meaning that members of the supply chain can obtain certification from any one of three Recognised Assessment Bodies ‐ Achilles, CHAS or Constructionline ‐ in order to tender for work with them.
The Common Assessment Standard, which is endorsed by the CLC, has two levels of certification ‐ desktop and site‐based ‐ and companies should apply for the appropriate level dependent upon their trade, size, and the requirements of their clients.
You can access the FIS Contractual and Legal Toolkit here.
by Clair Mooney | Jun 2, 2021 | Main News Feed, Technical
BEIS has issued an update to “Using the UKCA marking” guidance last issued on 31 December 2020. More information has been added on when a you can self-declare along with updates to the ‘Relevant UK and EU legislation” to remove inaccurate legislation.
The updated guidance can be viewed here.
While this is general guidance there are several references to separate guidance being available for construction products which should be read. These link back to guidance issued in September 2020 dealing with the two UK Statutory Instruments – Construction Products (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 and 2020.
Notable differences in the text are as follows:
On page 2, Selling goods in Great Britain
The following has been added:
‘The circumstances in which you can use self-declaration of conformity for UKCA marking are the same as for CE marking. If you were able to self-declare conformity for the CE marking, you will be able to do the same for the UKCA marking.
Check the list of areas where self-declaration is permitted.’
On page 3, When to use the UKCA marking
The following has been added:
‘This does not apply to existing stock, for example if your good was fully manufactured, CE marked and ready to be placed on the market before 1 January 2021. In these cases, your good can still be sold in Great Britain with a CE marking even if covered by a certificate of conformity issued by a UK body before 1st January 2021. These goods will need to be placed on the market before 31 December 2021.
On page 3, How to use UKCA marking, Placing the UKCA marking, General Rules
The following has been added:
A product may have additional markings and marks, as long as they:
-
- Fulfil a different function from that of the UKCA marking
- Are not likely to cause confusion with the UKCA marking
- Do not reduce the legibility and visibility of the UKCA marking.
On page 4, Rules for using the UKCA image:
The following has been added:
‘The UKCA marking can take different forms (for example, the colour does not have to be solid), as long as it remains visible, legible and maintains the required proportions.’
On page 5, UK Declaration of Conformity
Please note that construction products manufacturers have a Declaration of Performance so CPA recommends that this also applies to DoPs
The following sentence has been added:
‘We recommend that manufacturers have a separate UK Declaration of Conformity to their EU Declaration of Conformity.’
On pages 6-7 there is a new table titled ‘Legislative areas where self-declaration of conformity for UKCA marking is permitted’.
This lists the CPR with a product scope of AVCP System 4.
On page 8, there is a new item ‘Transitional measures relating to the UKCA marking.’
The last sentence categorically states that these transitional arrangements do not apply to construction products.
The following guidance issued in the original document “Using the UKCA mark from 1 January 2021” dated 1 September 2020 now excludes the following text:
Future use of markings in the UK
From 1 January 2022, the CE marking will not be recognised in Great Britain for areas covered by this guidance and the UKCA marking. However, a product bearing the CE marking would still be valid for sale in the UK so long as it was also UKCA marked and complied with the relevant UK rules.
