by Oscar Venus | 22 Sep, 2022 | Drylining, Main News Feed
Due to the great number of people who have boked to attend we have decided to move the venue so more of you can join us in person to The National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC) venue at 31 Worship Street London EC2A 2DY Nearest tube is Old street or a short walk from Moorgate tube station.
There will be a light lunch and a chance to network from 12.30 and an opportunity to look and discuss new products from SpecWall and RawlPlug
The full agenda can be found here
- Compliance – Publication of the Building Safety Act in April
- Building Systems and Fire Walls – avoid delays at Gateway 2
- Deflection head details – how to avoid non-compliance and legacy issues when installing
- BS8000-8 standard. Guidance on design and tolerances in installation for drylining, to be published later this year
- Research project findings – the cause of creaking in tall residential towers in high wind conditions
- FIS vetting process – how it can support in managing compliance
- Competence management plans – toolkit to assist members implementing a plan
- Site Guide update – reducing waste and rework
We hope you can join us afterwards for a drink and a chance to network.
We look forward to meeting you all again, but please register early as space is limited.
by Clair Mooney | 21 Sep, 2022 | Contractual and Legal, Lens Blog, Main News Feed
FIS Consultant Len Bunton continues with the theme of getting paid, and what options are open to FIS members. These monthly Blogs are designed to help FIS Members avoid common traps and build on our focus on collective experience.
As I have set out previously, some of this is self-induced, and that is why I have been working with a number of organisations to help them improve their financial management of contracts. I emphasise again that your payment applications need to be made on time and be fully detailed – if you fail to do either of these, or even worse, both of these, then you will not get paid what you think you are due. However, there are other actions you can take…
by Clair Mooney | 20 Sep, 2022 | Technical, Transformation
As part of the work of the Competence Steering Group, Working Group 12 – Construction Products Competence led by CPA presents an innovative white paper, which proposes the built environment industry unite behind a single approach to construction product competence. You can download the white paper here.
by Clair Mooney | 20 Sep, 2022 | Main News Feed
In recent months FIS has been working with SFG20 to help improve access to guidance and support clients and facilities companies who need to maintain and manage Operable Walls.
Operating walls is commonly the responsibility of a member of staff or a maintenance crew and damage and undue wear can be caused through not fully understanding and following the operating procedure. Incorrect maintenance, such as applying grease to moving parts, can also create problems. A good service and maintenance regime, underwritten by a service agreement is therefore key to the wall’s serviceability and the welfare of those operating them. It is also a necessity to meet the requirements of any warranty and optimise service life.
In the summer FIS launched a new guide to the repair and maintenance of operable walls. To ensure that this guidance is circulated to the widest possible audience FIS met with SFG20 to look at how the two organisations could collaborate to share the information with the widest possible audience. The result is that the new guidance has been integrated into the scope of the SFG20 schedule for operable walls.
Originally launched in 1990, SFG20 is a subsidiary of the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA). SFG20 is a unique, mobile-enabled, maintenance system designed to support anyone who owns or manages facilities. Built around the maintenance industry’s standard, SFG20’s solution provides asset maintenance requirements in a simple and easily-digestible format, with a host of specialist tools available to support the application to assets as well as projective cost modelling.
Commenting on the collaboration, FIS Technical Director Joe Cilia stated:
“When you see the scope of content covered by SFG20 it gives a unique insight into the complexity of the FM world. It is great that we can collaborate with the team at SFG20 to ensure we aren’t producing information in a vacuum but making sure it is available and accessible to the people who have used it”.
Andi Connelly Horsley – SFG20 Technical Publications Lead, responded:
“FIS is an authority in this area and a critical source of information. We value our good working relationship with FIS and will continue to work together to help support the wider FM market in ensuring that their interior systems are maintained and managed appropriately”.
New content is now available in SFG20 maintenance schedule, 88-50 Operable Walls.
For more information on SFG20 click here
To access the FIS Guide to the Serving and Maintenance of Operable Walls click here.
by Clair Mooney | 19 Sep, 2022 | Main News Feed
FIS is delighted to announce the Mayor of the West Midlands Combined Authority is attending our Regional Conference in Birmingham on 19 October as a keynote speaker.
Andrew Street CBE is a British businessman and Conservative Party politician who was the managing director of John Lewis from 2007 to 2016, when he resigned to run for Mayor of the West Midlands. He won the May 2017 mayoral election and was re-elected in 2021.
Starting on the John Lewis graduate scheme, Andy rose through the ranks to become managing director, overseeing one of the most successful periods in the company’s history.
He was also chair of the Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP) between 2011 and 2016, helping to build the relationships that have underpinned the economic growth of the region.
Additionally, he has been lead non-executive director for the Department for Communities and Local Government as well as a member of the Prime Minister’s Business Advisory Group.
In June 2015, Andy was awarded the CBE for services to the national economy. He was named ‘Most Admired Leader’ by business magazine, Management Today in 2014 and received the ‘President’s award’ from the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce for his work in the region. He holds three honorary degrees from Birmingham City University, Aston University and the University of Birmingham.
FIS CEO Iain McIlwee commented:
“It is great to get the Mayor along to talk to our community about prospects and pipeline in the region and also a great opportunity to help him to see our sector and the amazing work that is done across the region. Andy will be joined by other experts speakers helping us to look at pipeline, compliance and how the sector is changing. This is one of a number of Regional Events taking place across the UK, starting with our AGM on 6th October”
You can book your place at the FIS Regional Event in Birmingham here.
The FIS AGM is taking place on 6 October and is featuring contributions from Peter Rogers CBE, co-founder of Stanhope, founder-Chairman of the UK Green Building Council and developer of complex projects such as Broadgate and 22 Bishopsgate.
Programmes for Manchester (9 November) and Scotland (1 December) are to be announced in the coming weeks.
by Oscar Venus | 14 Sep, 2022 | Main News Feed
The Cabinet Office has created a visual toolkit for partners, businesses, trade organisations, ALBs and the public sector during this time of mourning to show the country speaking with one voice of unity.
Click here to access
by Clair Mooney | 14 Sep, 2022 | Main News Feed
As the nation enters a period of national mourning, arrangements are being made for our late Queen’s funeral. King Charles has made an order that the day of the Queen’s funeral will be a bank holiday. Whilst employers will want to make their own decisions about how to mark the occasion, it is important to also consider what rights employees have in relation to this additional bank holiday.
Citation has provide guidance for FIS members on employees rights to the extra bank holiday.
by Iain McIlwee | 14 Sep, 2022 | Main News Feed
CLC has produced advice for London based operations in and around central London during the mourning period.
You can download the document here.
Cognisant of the need for a collaborative effort in this sensitive period and also that many businesses are already under intense pressure, FIS is urging all to consider the principles of the Conflict Avoidance Pledge. As part of this, members should consider the contractual position and the potential for a Force Majeure event if the contract has that ground of relief in it. Consideration should be given to contacting your “employer” for an “employer instruction”, which would help to clarify the situation with respect to the time and money associated with any stand-down and help avoid potential disputes in the future.
You can download a Force Majeure template notice of claim form here
FIS has further information available via our Contractual and Legal Toolkit and Helpline.
by Iain McIlwee | 14 Sep, 2022 | Material Shortages
Statement from John Newcomb, CEO of the Builders Merchants Federation and Peter Caplehorn, CEO of the Construction Products Association, co-chairs of the Construction Leadership Council’s Product Availability working group
A slight slowing of the market over the summer holiday months has resulted in product availability broadly improving. Some issues remain, with extended lead times continuing for aircrete blocks, bricks, gas boilers and various items containing semi-conductors and other electronics.
Price inflation remains the biggest issue for the entire industry and further significant increases in inflation are anticipated due to energy, raw material and labour cost rises.
We also note that although the UK Government’s recent announcement of a six-month energy price cap for business users will help manufacturers here to some degree, the risks around supply and cost of energy threaten manufacturing throughout the EU. While EU policy-makers wrestle with their own solutions, the possibility of factory shutdowns on the continent may lead to shortages of products, materials and components exported to the UK.
The root cause of the problem affecting smart meters, electrics, white goods and gas boilers is set to continue into 2023 as sub-component manufacturers struggle to secure supplies of semi-conductors and electronic components in a highly competitive market. Electrical component shortages are similarly affecting manufacturers in the wider electrical sector, likely to lead to reduced availability and increased prices.
Lead times for most roof tiles are improving. Separately, we are concerned to hear increasing reports of ungraded and poor battens being stamped as standard. Contractors are warned to ensure that correct battens are being used.
High demand for bricks, particularly for new housing, continued over the summer and led to reduced stock levels. This pattern is expected to continue in September, but manufacturers are delivering to agreed schedules with customers. Energy price hikes present a further challenge to both domestic and imported bricks, although Government support may ameliorate this issue for UK manufacturers. Aircrete supply has been compounded by a production issue at one of a major manufacturer’s sites, which meant deliveries were reduced in August.
Uncertainty around energy supply in Europe could also impact raw materials for paints and coatings, which are already affected by raw material shortages. Medium-term, there is a need to amend the UK REACH registration process to ensure chemical registration is not made so difficult and expensive that UK manufacturing loses access to key substances for products.
Overall steel supply has improved, but the EU has completely filled their quotas from non-EU countries, including the UK. Heavy sections cannot be transported from the UK mainland to Northern Ireland without incurring tariffs.
Rising energy costs are likely to affect timber prices as we move into Q4 and Q1 2023. There are good stocks on the ground of both structural softwood and wood based panels, but stocks at ports are much lower and buyers will need to consider forward purchases to ensure the specifications they require are available through to year end and into 2023. Price pressure eased considerably over the summer but log prices remain firm as demand for pulp and paper, pallets and fuel wood is currently very strong throughout Europe. With energy costs rising, forward replacement prices for structural softwood are unlikely to be at current UK levels.
The effect of high inflation and softening demand has seen shipping output and punctuality improve, and costs for some key UK routes down by a third since the beginning of the year. It is too early to gauge the impact on the construction sector of industrial action at Felixstowe, but we know that some businesses are suffering logistical headaches and added costs owing to re-directed deliveries. This Group will also monitor the two-week strike planned for 19 September at Liverpool’s port, Britain’s fourth largest.
Finally, we are saddened to note that the year to June recorded the highest annual level of insolvencies amongst UK construction firms since the financial crisis over 10 years ago, despite strong demand throughout the first half of the year. The key risk going forward, given the substantive rise in insolvencies, is to what extent sharp cost rises and slowing demand over the next six months will exacerbate the rise in insolvencies.
For all the work FIS is doing around inflation and availability, including recommended contractual terms click here
