INDUSTRY NEWS CICV FORUM CALLS FOR A SCOTTISH MINISTER FOR CONSTRUCTION The construction industry in Scotland, acting through the Construction Industry Coronavirus (CICV) Forum, has come together to issue its first-ever manifesto, detailing the crucial steps which need to be taken to secure a viable and sustainable future for the sector. First among the proposals is a plea for a dedicated Government Minister for the construction industry, which would recognise its importance both to the recovery and to a net zero carbon future. As well as a Minister for Construction, the manifesto includes proposals for: a Chief Construction Adviser who would support the Minister and focus on delivery aligned with whole asset performance; the development of an effective public sector maintenance and improvement programme; investment in affordable homes; and development of the skills arena. Hew Edgar, Chair of the Forum’s Future Planning sub-group, says: “This manifesto is a declaration of intent, emerging from the environment of collaboration and co-operation which the CICV Forum has fostered during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the industry speaking with one voice, with an aim to benefit the future health, wealth and wellbeing of the country.” CICV Forum, cicvforum.co.uk
NAPIT SUPPORTS SPARKS LEARNER OF THE YEAR 2021
EDA TRAINING AWARDS GO VIRTUAL For the first time on screen, the EDA’s Annual Learner Achievement Awards trophies were presented to 10 outstanding individuals from wholesaler and manufacturer businesses recently. Around 70 guests – family members, friends, and business colleagues – joined the virtual ceremony alongside the Association’s Board of Management, celebrating outstanding performances in the Electrical Distributors’ Association’s Product Knowledge Modules or in an apprenticeship. Margaret Fitzsimons, EDA CEO, says, “The EDA wasn’t going to let the pandemic stop us celebrating these fantastic achievements. Now in its seventh year, this is the first time (and hopefully the last) that we’ve held it virtually. We hope that next year we’ll be back at our usual location high above the London skyline at The Shard.”
The SPARKS Learner of the Year 2021 search has begun and NAPIT is supporting with its technical expertise. Members of NAPIT’s Technical Team will be head judges for the competition and have assisted in the creation of the assessments for the learners, as well as donating prizes to all contestants and finalists. All participants will be given free NAPIT student membership and the finalists will receive digital copies of NAPIT’s EICR Codebreakers and On-site Solutions publications. The winner of the competition will receive all of the above, plus the very latest publication from NAPIT, the Guide to Initial Verification and Periodic Inspection and Testing of Electrical Installations. The competition is split in to three rounds ending with the winner of each regional heat completing a live practical test in May. NAPIT’s Chief Technical Officer, Frank Bertie says, “We are very much looking forward to this year’s competition, last year we saw a lot of potential and new talent. This year it will be good to raise the bar even further and see what students have to offer. It’s a great way for learners to test their skills and work with products they may not use on a daily basis.” NAPIT, napit.org.uk
EDA, eda.org.uk
FINGERPRINT DRUG TEST USED TO SUPPORT NOTTINGHAM CITYFIBRE PROJECT McCann, a Nottingham-based civil and electrical engineering construction company, is starting to use innovative fingerprint drug testing as part of its broader Health and Safety activities. The company is starting to test new employees as part of the company’s induction process. Employees must pass the Intelligent Fingerprinting drug test before starting working on the major £60m Nottingham CityFibre contract, where McCann is supporting the delivery of the infrastructure to turn Nottingham into a Gigabit City with access to fibre. The Intelligent Fingerprinting test enables the entire drug testing process to be handled in-house with results available within minutes – avoiding time away from site for testing. Candidates are simply asked to press each fingertip onto a small drug test cartridge to enable the rapid collection of a sweat sample. The cartridge is then placed in the portable DSR-Plus reader that analyses the cartridge and provides a positive or negative screening result for each drug in the test. McCann is screening for recent use of opiates, methamphetamine, cocaine or cannabis that could affect an employee and make them unfit for duty. The system is easy to use with virtual training for McCann’s team completed within an hour. McCann, mccann-ltd.co.uk
6 | April 2021
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26/03/2021 10:53
