You are invited to join us on 17 July for our first Fit-Out Futures networking event to socialise with like-minded people in the finishes and interiors sector.

This event is especially aimed at early-career professionals looking to grow their network, build confidence, and meet others at a similar stage in their journey. Whether you’re an apprentice, graduate, or just finding your feet in the industry, we’d love to meet you and your colleagues!

Alternatively, if you have a colleague or team member who would benefit from meeting peers and building connections, please spread the word and share this invitation with them.

We’ll be kicking off what we hope will be the first of many friendly, informal events to support personal and professional development, discuss STEM and youth activities, and share a drink and a laugh with new colleagues and friends.

 Bring your business cards and your drink of choice. The dress code is business-casual, whatever you’re comfortable in.

 If you have any questions or queries, please email FitOutFuturesGroup@thefis.org

Event Details

Agenda

• Welcome, David Cant, Veritas Consulting, FIS H&S Working Group Chair
• Review of FIS H&S Survey Data, Iain McIlwee, CEO Finishes and Interiors Sector
• Dust Risk, Monitoring and Managing (including feedback on recent site monitoring for Dry Lining operations) – Joe Marais LFOH, Product Development Manager – Particulates, Trolex
• The Residents, Clients & Construction Excellence Toolkit (ReACT) Improving Silica Dust Awareness and better managing our risks, Dr Scott McGibbon, Pivotal Consulting
• Bespoke manual handling training, Adam Snowden, Executive Director Pristine Condition International
• Update on FIS Projects:
  • Review of new FIS Guidance on Knife Safety
  • Occupational Health Training progress
  • Moving pallets safely onsite
• Open discussion on any H&S Concerns (topics can be raised on the day, but if you wish to raise something specific to allow people to prepare for a discussion or simply wish to raise a topic anonymously, please email iainmcilwee@thefis.org details)

Download the notes from the last meeting here.

This one day training course will be an opportunity to learn more about Environmental Product Declarations (EPD’s) and Life Cycle Assessments (LCA’s).

Delegates will have the opportunity to spend the day with two experts who will take them through the following:

• Understanding the difference between an EPD and an LCA
• What is contained in an EPD
• What is the process and data requirements to obtain an EPD

Delegates will also explore the use of tools that are available to manufacturers and there will be plenty of time to ask questions.

Event Details

FIS and Recolight have partnered to support their members in creating an environmental product declaration (EPD).  In this webinar you will hear from two experts who will explain 

• What an EPD is 
• Why it is important to have EPDs
• How to get an EPD  

Event Details

Event Details

FIS is holding its SFS working group at The Vault in Clerkenwell. We will pursue a strong health & safety agenda before delving into the government’s response to the Grenfell Inquiry Report and construction products Green Paper and the design development process as it applies to the SFS market among other subjects. Members and non-members are welcome and will have a chance to raise any of your own concerns or propose activities that will support improvement and help members.

Agenda:

• Health and Safety | Safe ingress, storage and cutting of boards, work at height and metal cutting
• Update on Rotational Movement Project
• Construction Products | Government response to Grenfell Inquiry and Green Paper consultation
• Net zero carbon targets
• Changes to fire regulations | impact on membranes
• Skills | Update on competency framework
• Design development | The design process for SFS

Event Details

Event Details

Asbestos remains a significant health hazard in the UK and each year, asbestos-related diseases continue to claim more than 5,000 lives. It is especially hazardous for those in the finishes and interiors sector who frequently work in older buildings where asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) are still present.

UK Asbestos Training Association (UKATA) is dedicated to improving the quality and standards of asbestos training, with the ultimate goal of protecting workers and the public from the risks associated with asbestos exposure.

To achieve this goal, it is vital that we continue to discuss and educate in order to debunk any myths associated with asbestos.

To support, FIS in collaboration with UKATA, is hosting a webinar to dig deeper into some of the myths around asbestos and provide an opportunity for the audience to put their questions to UKATA  Speaker, Wayne Bagnall.

Event Details

Ex-offenders can play a crucial role in addressing the skills shortage in construction. Many ex-offenders are eager to turn their lives around and contribute positively to society, and the construction sector offers ample opportunities for hands-on training and career growth.

By getting involved in training or vocational programmes, they can acquire valuable skills while helping to bridge the labour gap, proving that second chances can lead to long-term success for both individuals and the industry.

Join us for an insightful webinar, in collaboration with Wates, developed to educate you on how to employ prison leavers.

The webinar will aim to share with you the knowledge of industry leading specialists.

Attendees will gain valuable tips on understanding prison leavers and how they can help your business grow. Hear good news stories and positive outcomes of businesses recruiting in this field.

The webinar will be hosted by:

Event Details

 You are invited to join us at our next Partitions & Pods working group at The Vault in Clerkenwell where in addition to a robust discussion about a number of technical concerns, we will also be discussing the reuse of glazed partitions with a guest speaker from the Alliance for Sustainable Building Products (ASBP). Members will have the opportunity to raise any of their own concerns or propose activities that will support improvement and help members.

Agenda:

• Product safety & compliance | Summary of FIS green paper response and introduction to PAS 2000
• Sustainability | ASBP reuse of glass partitions guide and introduction to reuse of doors
• Industry competence
• Baseline installer competence, doors and fire-resistant glazing
• Estimator and procurement training
• BS 8670-2, design and fire safety competence
• Underfloor fire barriers | Understanding the limitations of design and testing

Event Details

At this meeting we will be joined by one of our legal advisors, Alistair Dean, our resident QS and contracts specialist Len Bunton and our debt recovery partner BABR, who will provide guidance and support to members.

This event is your opportunity as members to discuss the issues affecting your business. Please feed in any topics for discussion to michellearmstrong@thefis.org or complete the form below.

Agenda

09.30 Registration and refreshments

10.00 FIS and the finishes and interiors landscape – Philip Brown, FIS President

The political and economic backdrop

10.05 Keynote: A New Government and what this means for UK construction – Fergus Harradence, Deputy Director, Infrastructure & Construction – Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)

10.30 Prospects for the UK construction industry – Dr Noble Francis, Economics Director, Construction Products Association

11.00 Break

How we need to adapt to the new regulatory landscape

11.30 The developing regulatory framework for construction products – Geoffrey Brown, Assistant Director – Construction Products: Sector Compliance Team, Office for Product Safety and Standards

11.45 The competence conundrum: How we need to adapt to manage individual competence

• Jon Vanstone, Chair, Industry Competence Committee, Competence, Regulation and how the Regulatory Approach to Competence is changing
• Faye Burnett, Mace, Super Sector Chair, Installer Competence and Super Sectors

12.15 Getting  to grips with organisational capability – Paul Stevens, Aviso Consultancy

12.25 Panel discussion and Q&A (joining the panel will be James Parlour, FIS Vetting Manager).

LUNCH 12:40

Rethinking supply chains – The Responsible No

13.40 Building Resilient Businesses and Supply Chains – Richard Bartlett, Willmott Dixon

14.05 Conflict avoidance and better supply chain working – Len Bunton, Bunton Consulting

14.20 Standard form contracts, just  what the DOCTOR ordered: – Anthony Armitage, Thirdway

14.30 Panel discussion and Q&A

14.45 Break

A postcard from the future

15.00 Panel discussion hosted by the FIS Fit-Out Futures Network.  What construction nightmares do we need to consign to Room 101? Open debate on competency, risk changes to the construction landscape and the future of the fit-out sector.

15.50 We haven’t modernised yet, so how do we avoid dying…?  – Mark Farmer, CAST Consultancy

16.15 FIS Annual General Meeting, including the announcement of the elected Board members and new FIS President

16.30 Close and drinks reception

Event Details

FIS is holding its Operable Walls working group at The Vault in Clerkenwell where you will get to see a number of interior product manufacturers showrooms whilst we discuss, review and update the ongoing work that FIS is undertaking on competence standards, sustainability, technical issues and the latest developments in regulation and Government, with a chance to raise any of your own concerns or propose activities that will support improvement and help members.

Agenda:

• Legislative and economic updates
• Skills and training | new baseline competence standard – next steps
• Occupational health | site ingress, manual handling and sequencing for operable walls
• FIS technical activities and issues | void barriers and models for reuse
• Questions and open forum
• AOB (must be submitted in advance)
• Join us for a drink afterwards

Event Details

FIS is holding its SFS working group at the head offices of Hilti UK in Manchester where we will review and update the ongoing work that FIS is undertaking on Competence Standards, Sustainability, Technical issues and the latest developments in regulation and Government, with a chance to raise any of your own concerns or propose activities that will support improvement and help members.

Agenda:

• Welcome and networking
• Legislative and economic updates
• Short survey, open forum and lunch
• Skills and Training | Baseline Competence, SKEB and Occupational Health Training
• Guest speaker | Hilti and Sustainability
• FIS technical activities and issues | Passivhaus implications, internal walls using SFS and design responsibility
• Short survey, open forum and AOB

Event Details

FIS is holding our Heritage & Fibrous GRG working group at The offices of the Worshipful Company of Plaisterers where we will review and update the ongoing work that FIS is undertaking on the Repair of Historic Ceilings, Skills, Sustainability, Technical issues and the latest developments in regulation and Government, with a chance to raise any of your own concerns or propose activities that will support improvement and help members.

Agenda:

• Legislative and Economic Updates
• Skills & Training | Baseline Competence & SKEB, CSCS Carding & Industry Accreditation
• Project Update | Repair of Historic Ceilings
• FIS Technical Activities & Issues | Open Forum
• AOB (must be submitted in advance)
• Join us for a Drink Afterwards

If you have any questions, please contact Joe Cilia

Event Details

What is the session about?

Join this webinar, alongside Peter Kelly, Group Director of Sustainable Operations at ISG, to understand the practicalities of reusing materials which have been donated and then reinstalled onsite. 

This will include: 

• Finding the right materials 
• Managing design 
• Factoring in remanufacturing and repurposing
• Dealing with logistics and storage
• Tackling the tricky issues of warranty and insurance
• Lessons learnt

Materials range from structural steel to door jams to bespoke pieces of furniture. 

We will also take a look at an ongoing initiative which focuses on how the reuse of materials could be more widely adopted across the industry.

What will I achieve?

By the end of the session, you will understand:

• The practicalities of reusing and reinstalling materials
• Some of the key challenges involved and how to combat these
• Tips and tricks for embedding reuse practices into your organisation

If you have any questions feel free to contact Lucy.