by Oscar Venus | 13 Apr, 2023 | Main News Feed, Membership
To improve access to new technology and promote the impact that improved motivation and productivity can have in the drylining industry, FIS and Mafic are offering five FIS members the chance to trial Mafic’s FAIRPAY rewards platform.
The platform has been developed to help organisations increase productivity and reduce costs by 10-20% by improving the motivation of their workforce.
This inclusive offer worth £3,500 includes:
– 12 people
– 12 weeks
– Free setup
– Subscription costs discounted by 75% to £450+VAT
FIS members taking part will still need to fund the bonuses and incentives that go directly to employees. These incentives drive savings that are multiples of the cost – you reduce cost by paying your best people more money – and Mafic will help to structure this in a way that minimises risk by basing the incentives around improvement.
Based on results elsewhere, it is estimated that you could save £10,000-£20,000 on labour costs from the demonstration, plus other benefits like improved retention rates. You can see how FIS member Errigal Contracts has benefited from using FAIRPAY here on page 7.
Iain Mcilwee, FIS CEO said: We are supporting this offer with Mafic in return for anonymised data which will be shared with FIS (i.e. no names, sites, dates, or geographic data) to help us better understand productivity in the industry, so that we can better serve and support our members. Mafic has just five discounted projects available, so please express an interest early to avoid disappointment.’
For more information contact Ed Burns at ed.burns@mafic.ltd or call him on 07967 968 346.
by Clair Mooney | 30 Mar, 2023 | Building Safety Act, Main News Feed
With colleagues from across the sector, FIS Chief Executive Iain McIlwee attended the first Building Safety Conference hosted last week by the Building Safety Regulator (and shared his reflections here).
This week we hear from colleagues at Build UK (of whom FIS is an active member) who have provided a summary of 10 lessons learnt which answers a number of the queries raised during Build UK member meetings.
Building Safety Conference – 10 Things We Learnt
- The Building Safety Regulator becomes operational on 1 April 2023.
- The new Building Safety Regime will apply to all buildings – “from Shed to Shard” in the words of the Building Safety Regulator.
- The terms ‘High-Rise Building’ and ‘High-Rise Residential Building’ are being used interchangeably with ‘Higher-Risk Building’, and the Building Safety Regulator has committed to work with Build UK to ensure consistent terminology is used across the industry.
- Existing Higher-Risk Buildings (with the exception of hospitals and care homes unless they have at least two permanent residential units) must be registered with the Building Safety Regulator by 1 October 2023. This includes those that will be occupied for the first time during the transition period between 6 April and 1 October 2023. From 1 October 2023, new Higher-Risk Buildings must be registered before they can be occupied.
- The building registration process will be a multiple-choice tick box format and require a completion certification for each building. The fee for registering each building will be £251.
- It is anticipated that those who fulfil the roles of Principal Designer and Principal Contractor under CDM will also fulfil these dutyholder roles under the Building Safety Act.
- The Building Safety Regulator will become the Building Control Authority for all Higher-Risk Buildings from 1 October 2023. Work can continue under an existing Building Control Body where a building/initial notice has been submitted or plans deposited by 1 October 2023 and work has commenced by 1 April 2024.
- Gateway Two, which requires Building Control Approval by the Building Safety Regulator before construction work can begin, and Gateway Three, which is when a completion certificate is issued by the Building Safety Regulator, are expected to come into force on 1 October 2023.
- The Building Safety Regulator will not be specifying the format for the Golden Thread of information, which is the digital record of what has been built to enable those responsible for Higher-Risk Buildings to manage and maintain them safely.
- The Industry Safety Steering Group (ISSG), chaired by Dame Judith Hackitt, will shortly be issuing its fourth report with an update on progress made by the industry.
BuildUK have developed an excellent simple introduction to the Building Safety Act which FIS Members can download for free here.
by Clair Mooney | 29 Mar, 2023 | Main News Feed
The
Building Product Performance Part 2 – Good Practice Regulatory Framework paper is now available. Developed by an International Building Quality Centre (IBQC) working group, this report incorporates elements from the
Building Product Performance Part 1 – Discussion Paper as well as the
Feedback Paper that summarised the comments and feedback on the Discussion Paper.
by Clair Mooney | 29 Mar, 2023 | Main News Feed
At the heart of our industry’s efforts to demonstrate a change in culture and practices is the Code for Construction Product Information. The Code was developed by the CPA and its members to help make product information clear, accurate, up-to-date, accessible and unambiguous. It will mark a step change for the industry by driving higher standards in construction product information management systems and assessing ethical leadership and culture standards. It also makes strong business sense as well, providing third-party verification and increased assurance to clients, customers, and insurers. Information about the Code – including FAQs, Practical Tips to Prepare, and the business case for your organisation – can be found on the CPA website here. Webinars are planned on the following dates:
If you have any questions prior to the webinar, please see the FAQs on the Code website: FAQ – Code for Construction Product Information or contact Rachel Philpott on enquiries@cpicode.org.uk
by Clair Mooney | 23 Mar, 2023 | Main News Feed, Skills
CITB’s latest Construction Skills Network report highlights that 224,900 workers will be required over the next five years to meet the demands of the construction industry. To help employers tackle the skills shortage of workers across the industry, and to address rising costs, CITB has made changes to its grants from April 2023.
The CITB Grants Scheme is available to all CITB-registered employers and provides financial support for employers who offer construction-specific training to their workforce. Below is an overview of the changes:
- Grant rates doubled for short courses. Employers can now receive up to £240 grant when an individual successfully completes a short course from 1st April 2023.
- Grant rates have been increased to support individuals impacted by the withdrawal of the Industry Accreditation card. Grant rates for specific supervision and management qualifications have increased to £1,250 and £1,500 for achievements from 1st April 2023.
- The grant application deadline has been extended to 52 weeks for all grant types.
You can find out more information on the CITB website at www.citb.co.uk/levy-grants-and-funding/grants-and-funding/what-s-new-in-the-grants-scheme
by Iain McIlwee | 17 Mar, 2023 | Main News Feed
The Competition and Markets Authority announced that they have launched a market study focused on housebuilding in England, Scotland and Wales. Alongside this, they have also launched a separate project on consumer rights in rented homes. The CMA’s market study into housebuilding will focus on four areas: Housing qualities, land management, local authority oversight, and innovation.
The CMA’s consumer enforcement work in housing will focus on: the end-to-end experience from a tenant’s perspective and identifying the consumer protection issues that may arise. The full announcement with further details can be found here.
FIS Members will note that all meetings start with a clear statement:
Members are reminded they agree to conform to FIS policy to comply with the Competition Act 1998. The meeting is convened and held in accordance with the Memorandum and Articles of Association of FIS and the regulations made by the Association. The Association has in place procedures to ensure compliance with all relevant competition laws and the meeting is subject to those procedures.
New guidance was published for all members through BuildUK in 2022 to help support compliance through your business.
You can download the latest guidance on complying with UK Competition Law here
