by Clair Mooney | 15 Oct, 2020 | Main News Feed
The COVID-19 pandemic had and continues to have a significant impact on UK construction, the sector’s finances, and its productivity but the industry has responded well. Prompt, collaborative, and creative action has shown that both individuals and businesses can restart and reset on a path to recovery. However, as we have seen across the UK, COVID-19 continues to pose risks to construction operations, even where sites are following government guidance. It is essential that firms and employees remain vigilant, continue to follow national and local guidance, and plan for disruption to operations, working collaboratively with clients and firms in the supply chain.
As the risk of disruption due to the weather increases and adds to these risks, it has never been more important for the sector to manage the uncertainties of the second wave of COVID-19 and the end of the transition period after Brexit.
The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) now urges construction businesses of all sizes and types to strengthen not only their own, but whole supply chain winter resilience. Businesses are encouraged to ensure they understand, prepare, manage and adapt for potential challenges ahead.
- Safeguard people and assets whilst maintaining business operations – Implement and keep up to date with evolving COVID-19 Site Operating Procedures including the use of face coverings and local COVID alert levels. Encourage all to download and use the NHS COVID-19 App and ensure QR codes are displayed prominently on sites and in workplaces. (see FIS COVID Hub for more details)
- Recalibration and collaborative administration of contracts – Responsible and fair behaviour in contractual arrangements impacted by COVID-19 will support the performance and viability of contracts and supply chains. Recalibration of productivity under evolving safety systems and accommodating the impact of COVID-19 in existing and future contracts, ensuring cashflow is maintained and collaboratively settling disputes and financial distress will be essential for a sustainable industry recovery. It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure payments flow down the supply chain, and vital that all businesses play their part by maintaining payment and by managing current and future contracts responsibly to preserve industry competence, capability and capacity. Extensive guidance can be found on the CLC website (sign the RICS Conflicts Avoidance Pledge here)
- Protect and retain skills of the sector – Firms should seek to ensure that as many of those in the construction workforce as possible continue to be employed during these difficult times. Subject to eligibility, government support will be available through the Job Support Scheme and Job Retentions Bonus. Support is also available to employers who hire new apprentices until 31 January 2021. Where redundancies are unavoidable, firms should take action to help their employees find new roles, in order to retain their knowledge and skills within the industry. Firms should register to use the Talent Retention Scheme, and use this where possible, as well as encouraging their employees to do so.
- Prepare for the end of the transition period on 31 Dec 2020 and beyond – Businesses should understand and prepare to maintain business continuity as we advance towards transitioning out of the European Union at the end of the year. Significant issues to consider and prepare for include the movement of people, movement of goods and materials, standards and alignment and data adequacy. Use the online GOV.UK checker to get started and keep up to date with CLC specific construction guidance and online seminars including the construction event on 28 October. Companies in the Finishes and Interiors Sector can also access the FIS Brexit Toolkit here.
- Updates on guidance – Construction businesses should register to receive updates from government in relation to COVID-19 and transition business readiness. This can be done by registering on GOV.UK.
FIS continues to support a number of workstreams through the Construction Leadership Council, including work on pipeline (through the Local, Social and Commercial workstream), movement of labour, standards and regulation and fair working practice.
You can find out more about the work of the Construction Leadership Council here.
by Clair Mooney | 15 Oct, 2020 | Main News Feed
CITB has extended the grace period for expired Site Management Safety Training Scheme (SMSTS) and Site Supervisors’ Safety Training Scheme (SSSTS) certificates until 30 November 2020. Workers whose certificates expired after 15 March 2020 now have until this date to successfully complete the relevant refresher course; if a certificate is not renewed in time, the full course will need to be completed.
The Skills and Training Fund, which was expanded to include skill retention and sustainability projects during the coronavirus pandemic, will revert to supporting productivity and innovation projects only from 1 December 2020. There is detailed guidance for both small and micro‐sized and medium‐sized businesses on how to apply.
by Clair Mooney | 15 Oct, 2020 | Main News Feed
CITB has asked for employer feedback throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to enable them to support the construction industry where it matters most and to shape the work they do. This is an opportunity to say where CITB funds are directed in order to make the most difference for you.
As part of the review of the support CITB offers, they are inviting organisations and their employees to share their views on training and the Grants Scheme. Employer feedback matters and this is your opportunity to help develop what CITB offers in the future. Please complete the feedback form, which should take no longer than 10 minutes, by 5pm on 2 November 2020.
by Clair Mooney | 15 Oct, 2020 | Main News Feed
The CLC’s Talent Retention Scheme is a not for profit programme, supported by business associations, member companies, professional institutions, unions and other stakeholder organisations.
George Swann FIS Skills and Training Lead said, “After the considerable investment it is good to see the scheme getting some traction”. The Construction Leadership Council’s Talent Retention Scheme (CLC TRS) is designed to support careers in Construction, Engineering and Building Services. It was conceived to help talented individuals showcase their experience and expertise and help businesses find the skills they need. Statistics As of 9 October 2020 the Construction Talent Retention Scheme has:
- 714 registered employers in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland;
- 56 companies have live vacancies;
- there are 639 live vacancies;
- 86% of live vacancies are in England, 6% in Scotland, 5% in Wales; 1% in Northern Ireland and 2% are international. Of those in England, 33% are in London and the South East.
- 904 individuals have registered;
- 76% of companies registered are SMEs; 9% have over 1,000 employees;
- 48% of all live vacancies are posted by SMEs;
- 51% of companies registered are contractors; 15% consultants; 5% manufacturers; 5% building merchants; and 5% home builders;
- The largest number of vacancies are in Construction & Project Management and Design & Engineering.
To make use of this free service go to: FIS Talent Retention Scheme
by Clair Mooney | 14 Oct, 2020 | Main News Feed
CITB Levy registered employers should have now received their 2020 Levy Return, covering 6 April 2019 to 5 April 2020, which must be completed and submitted by 30 November 2020. Failure to submit the Levy Return by 30 November will result in grant claims being withheld and if it is not received by 31 March 2021 employers will lose eligibility for all grant claims.
by Clair Mooney | 12 Oct, 2020 | Main News Feed
The UK has left the EU and is leaving the EU single market and customs union. The end of the transition period will affect construction businesses. Your business should take action now to prepare.
This webinar, presented by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, will provide information on the actions you should take to prepare your business for new rules from January 2021 including:
- Hiring staff from outside of the UK
- Providing services to EU customers
- Preparing for changes to importing and exporting
- Checking your goods comply with regulations in Great Britain and in the EU
- Checking tariffs that will apply to goods you import
- Complying with UK REACH chemical regulations
- Transferring personal data between the UK and the EU
Who should attend: This webinar is aimed at those who run or own construction businesses including:
- Merchants
- Manufacturers
- Housebuilders
- Consultants Engineers
- Supply chain businesses
by Clair Mooney | 8 Oct, 2020 | Main News Feed
Across October, the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) is conducting assessments across the UK to analyse any respiratory risks caused by the exposure from certain substances across construction sites.
One of the biggest causes of respiratory-related illnesses in the construction sector is the exposure of harmful dusts affecting workers’ lungs. Statistics show that more than 3,500 builders die each year from cancers related to their work, with thousands of more cases of ill-health and working days lost.
Have you got adequate measures in place to protect your workers against being exposed to harmful substances like dust?
FIS Associate Member Citation has created a free guide for FIS members summarising all you need to know about dust, how to prevent being exposed to it, and how to ensure your people are fully equipped and protected.
Your FIS Member Benefit
If you’d like to chat about how Citation can help with the HR and Health & Safety side of your business, just give them a call on 0345 844 1111, or fill in this call-back form and Citation will get back to you.
FIS members are entitled to preferential rates on Citation’s services. Quote ‘The Finishes and Interior Sector’ when enquiring to access your member benefit.
Interested in becoming a member? Visit www.thefis.org/join for more details. Or call us on 0121 707 0077 and we’d be happy to discuss this with you.
by Iain McIlwee | 7 Oct, 2020 | Main News Feed
The main reminder from the Grenfell Inquiry last week was that Building Control should be used be a safety net, not a fundamental part of the design process. We also learned more about potential communication failings between interior and exterior contractors.
It was frankly heart breaking to hear the testimony of John Hoban, the Building Control Officer for the Grenfell construction works. The catalogue of issues points to clear systemic failings and, whilst the sign off process raises an eyebrow, you have to question how Building Control could ever be resourced to make up for shortfalls in the design process. Too often in construction it has been “we’ve got a certificate, so it is compliant” not that “we engaged the supply chain early, overcame issues and made it easy for Building Control to do their job. The need through the Building Safety Bill to establish clear STOP / GO gateways is very clear.
In other testimony, another problem emerging was an apparent lack of communication between trades leaving siloed and inconsistent decisions around vital interfaces. Externally confusion over horizontal and vertical cavity closers and the role of intumescent seemed to point to a lack of knowledge from experienced fitters. Vital cavity closers were fitted the wrong way round, horizontal closers where vertical should be and poor workmanship were all cited and contributed to the situation where intumescent strips could not provide the necessary protection. A point made was that the speed at which these would have been covered up and a lack of allowance in the programme for adequate inspection made detailed inspection impossible.
The lack of joined up approach between external works was clear when Mark Dixon of SD Plastering took the stand. SD Plastering were contracted to install the window trim inside the tower. The package was under pressure to remove cost, material was switched from wood to PVC seemingly without consideration for the differening performances. Insulation Board was again added, in part to provide support related to the movement of the windows. In selecting the material, whilst Rockwool was recommended, the material selected was not of limited combustibility. Mark Dixon confirmed in testimony that he did not consider the fire performance, and assumed that strategy was in place to deal with external issues.
If you are not following the Inquiry, I do recommend setting aside 40 mins each week, to download the podcast from BBC Sounds, it without doubt creates pause for thought about how the culture and established processes in construction must change and context for the introduction of the new Building Safety Bill.
You can listen to the latest Grenfell Podcast on BBC Sounds here
You can access full transcripts and videos of the Inquiry here
Join the FIS / ASFP Debate on the incoming Building Safety Bill on the 8th October here.
by Clair Mooney | 5 Oct, 2020 | Main News Feed
The competence requirements for the proposed new role of the Building Safety Manager have been set out in a new report Safer people, safer homes: Building Safety Management.
Under new legislation being introduced in the draft Building Safety Bill published in July, those deemed responsible in law for the safety of higher-risk building, such as the landlord, will be required to appoint a Building Safety Manager. In the draft Building Safety Bill, homes that fall in the higher risk category are multi-occupied residential buildings of 18m or above, or six or more storeys in height.
The role of the Building Safety manager will be to look after the day-to-day management of fire and structural safety in higher-risk buildings and establish a clear point of contact for residents for fire and safety related issues.
The concept of the Building Safety Manager role was recommended by Dame Judith Hackitt in Building a Safer Future review of fire safety, in the wake of the Grenfell Fire, published in 2018.
Safer people, safer homes: Building Safety Management is the result of a two-year collaboration between experts from the social housing sector, commercial and residential management, facilities managers, health and safety experts and fire safety experts.
This expert group (Working Group 8) is one of a number of sub-groups within the Competence Steering Group which has brought together 150 organisations from across the built environment and fire sectors to improve competence and change the culture of those who design, construct and manage buildings. A summary of WG8’s work is included in the Competence Steering Group’s final report, Setting the Bar, which is also published at the same time.
Safer people, safer homes: Building Safety Management sets out a comprehensive framework for the new Building Safety Manager role, focusing on the competences and job functions for individuals – so called ‘Named Individual Building Safety Managers’ and how they can sit within a wider organisational structure, the Organisation Building Safety Manager, to ensure sufficient support and resources. The report updates and enhances the work undertaken and reported in WG8’s interim report issued in August 2019.
The skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours outlined in Safer people, safer homes: Building Safety Management will be used by the British Standards Institute to develop a national standard, that Building Safety Managers will be expected to meet.
Anthony Taylor, chairman of Working Group 8, said: “It is fully understood that the immediate concern is to deliver safe homes to those in ‘higher risk residential buildings’, but we have anticipated that the role, model and management systems should be rolled-out across the whole residential property sector during a reasonable, and sustainable, transition period to support the wider culture change needed.”
Graham Watts, Chairman of the Competence Steering Group and chief executive of the Construction Industry Council, said: “This is a ground breaking piece of work that will help raise the standards of people who own and manage residential blocks, and provide assurance for those that live in them.”
Safer people, safer homes: Building Safety Management is also calling for the Building Safety Manager role to retain the wider ‘holistic whole building’ obligations for occupiers’ safety and health, including public health considerations as well as those for fire and structural safety.
The full report also makes recommendations on:
- The responsibilities and role of the Accountable Person (the term for a landlord or owner responsible in law for the safety of the building)
- Calls for occupiers to play their part in improve their and their neighbours’ safety, to have access to relevant information and to be provided with clarity on their obligations to relevant stakeholders
- The need for an extended “Fire Kills” campaign to inform occupiers about potential fire safety risks and how to mitigate them
WG8 Report Safer people, safer homes: Building Safety Management is available here
The Full Report Setting the Bar and accompanying Annexes can be downloaded here.
The Executive Summary is available here
Join the FIS / ASFP Debate on the incoming Building Safety Bill on the 8th October here.
