Drylining Working Group

Bringing the supply chain (contractors, suppliers and manufacturers) and key stakeholders to support members with a focus on resolving common issues, raising standards and being driving force for change.

What is the FIS Drylining Working Group?

The FIS Drylining Working Group was formed to address issues that were common to those working in the drylining sector.  It provides a platform for action to focus on skills and competency, technical standards and specification and common working practices within the supply chain. The group is supported by the FIS team with the direction of the group and core activities set and agreed by the membership. 

This group is open to all members of FIS and invited guests.   The objectives of the group are to:

  • Improve quality and building safety
  • Promote best practice in the market
  • A fully qualified and competent workforce
  • Educate and inform clients and specifiers about drylining work
  • Shape the market so underpin the importance of correct adherence to standards
  • Improve main contractor relations
  • Monitor and provide collective response  to technical, commercial and legal issues as they arise
  • Promote FIS members
  • Drive sustainability and productivity in the supply chain

What are the key issues that the group is looking to address?

The group has a number of workflows being led through small subgroups (these are made up of members of the working group, the FIS team and, where appropriate external stakeholders and experts.  Current live projects include:

  • Developing a common competency framework for drylining operatives and supervisors
  • Update and establish appropriate workmanship and supervisory standards
  • Looking at alternative ways to improve the health and safety of operatives on site
  • Promoting and interrogating potential innovation in the supply chain
  • Reducing plasterboard waste

    Working Group Meetings

    Meetings are open to all members of the FIS and invited guests (prior confirmation of attendance is essential). 

    Date of Next Meeting

    The next meeting of the group will be held in Spring 2024.

    To find a drylining contractor or installer who is a vetted member of FIS click here

    Key Resources

    Drylining Quality Checklist – This quality check list for drylining has been produced by members of the FIS drylining working group to help members assess risk during the project and provide a detailed quality check list throughout the installation process.  It has been  designed to encompass a wide and detailed range of question which you may choose to consolidate depending on the performance of the drylining, the evidence you have been asked or wish to provide and the known experience and competency of the teams.

    The Group is responsible for the development of the Best Practice Guide: Installation of Drylining and the Drylining Site Guide and work is beginning in 2021 on a new Specification Guide.  

    Due to issues raised by this Group FIS has worked with colleagues from across the Construction Sector to develop the Guide to Fire Stopping of Service Penetrations and the recent Manual Handling Guide: Safe handling of plasterboard and Site Ingress of Plasterboard Guide – for more information on this activity contact the FIS team.

    Drylining Knowledge Hub – For additional information developed through this group in support of contractors and designers you can visit the Drylining Knowledge Hub

    For more information on membership of the FIS click here

    To find out more about joining the Drylining Working Group

    If you are a member of the FIS already, simply contact the FIS on info@thefis.org or call 0121 707 0077 and ask to be added to the circulation list (or book to attend the next meeting and you will be automatically added).  If you want to find out more about joining the FIS – click here