FOCUS THE MAGAZINE OF THE FINISHES AND INTERIORS SECTOR
LEADERS OF THE PACK
JUNE 2016
All the winners in this year’s Contractors Awards How to raise your specification game BIM Task Group chair Mark Bew in profile Your views on leaving or remaining in Europe The way forward for training
FIS ❘ Contents
In this issue
WELCOME A
p14
p25
p18
p12
5 Community
14 Technical: how to specify
Round-up of recent news, contracts and products
FIS has created an 11-point strategy to help specifiers sharpen up their game
8 Opinion: EU referendum
17 Training: modern methods
Victoria Madine weighs up opinion across the sector on the UK’s political hot potato
Chris Wheal finds out what companies are doing to get more our of their training efforts
12 Interview: Mark Bew
21 Awards
Government BIM Task Force chair Mark Bew sets out his aim to sharpen up construction
Full details of all the winners in this year’s FIS Contractors Awards
Front cover: Profixed Interiors’ Gold-winning project for Amey in Oxford
ISSN: 2059-7053
FIS, Olton Bridge, 245 Warwick Road, Solihull, West Midlands B92 7AH T: 0121 707 0077 E: info@thefis.org W: www.thefis.org Printed by Pureprint Group Editorial production: Wheal Associates Ltd The views expressed in FIS Focus by contributors are not necessarily those of the FIS. The FIS does not sponsor or otherwise support or endorse any substance, commodity, equipment or service advertised by others in FIS Focus and is not responsible for the accuracy or otherwise of any statement made in any advertisement within this publication.
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s we go to press, Britain is still in Europe, both politically (the EU) and in football terms (Euro 2016). But in a month’s time this may all change. One outcome will be close; the other more predictable and probably ending in a penalty shoot-out. Either way, this is a time for uncertainty and frayed nerves, and neither are good for business. It would be nice to say that come 24 June the issue will be settled for a generation. But a close result, as Scotland has taught us, will keep the issue bubbling under. And although a more conclusive mandate may close the issue off, there will be consequences for those on both the losing and winning sides. We can expect an extended period of uncertainty that may well impact on investment decisions – and ultimately construction projects – as investors wait for the dust to settle. Almost unnoticed, the government’s April BIM deadline has been and gone. Mark Bew, the man behind the UK’s BIM policy, gives the inside track on why it’s necessary and where we go from here (page 12). With business increasingly influenced by digital technology, FIS’s BIM4FitOut group is also doing its bit to help members with BIM implementation. The influence of technology is also apparent in training, as innovative teaching methods emerge (page 17). Businesses should take note – all of us are time-poor but keeping our skills fresh is more important than ever, so there’s not a moment to lose. The FIS Awards are upon us again and yet again, the standards set by members are extraordinary. Quality workmanship is evident in every entry, the winners are stunning and the bar continues to be raised. The Awards section in this issue is a chance for you to salute those outstanding efforts (page 21). This excellence is all the more remarkable considering the challenges faced by contractors. A frequent grumble is that specifications are inappropriate, contradictory or just plain wrong. So FIS has come up with an 11-point guide to smart specifying (page 14). Follow these rules and it won’t end in tears. Which is more than can be said for the Euro – football, that is. David Frise, FIS chief executive
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Community ❘ News
FIS issues guidance as OJEC publishes ceilings standard FIS has issued guidance on the newly released standard BS EN 13964:2014 for suspended ceilings, which has now been cited in the Official Journal of the European Union. The UK’s participation in the standard’s preparation was entrusted to BSI Technical Committee B/548, Suspended Ceilings – which is chaired by FIS – over an eight-year period. It involved participation with similar committees from other member states of the European Union. There are significant technical
differences between this and the previous edition, so the new standard will coexist with predecessor BS EN 13963:2004+A1:2006 for now. This will give organisations time to fully understand it and prepare for compliance by 8 April 2017, when the previous standard will be withdrawn. • The changes are listed on page 105 of BS EN 13964:2014, which is available from the BSI online shop at http://shop.bsigroup.com • FIS guidance is at www.thefis.org/ bs-en-13964
Association aims for “live action” on Go Construct FIS is working with Go Construct to promote the construction industry to new entrants, using as much “live action” as possible. The association has been holding monthly meetings with Go Construct manager Lorraine Gregory since the initiative was launched by CITB on behalf of industry last autumn. The aim is to provide resources for new entrants to the industry, as well as advisers such as JobcentrePlus, training organisations and employers. FIS has already provided interiors descriptors for the Go Construct website and its focus is now on engaging site users with FIS's best practice guides. “We want to spice it up, rather than just expecting people to click through information,” said FIS training manager Jeremy Clayton. “Go Construct are to film our technical manager, Joe Cilia, giving one of his CPD talks about acoustics to RIBA and RICS members.” Clayton is keen to take the campaign to the next stage and is calling on contractors to allow case study videos to be filmed on their sites. Gregory said: “FIS's input has been vital in supplying details on interiors. It’s also great that FIS wants to provide information via different media such as video. Having a range of ways to present information enhances the user experience and helps bring roles to life.” www.goconstruct.org 4
British Gypsum champions evidencebased approach to office design British Gypsum has launched an online portal to provide industry professionals and building users with evidence-based design (EBD) research and solutions. Described as a way to develop better spaces, EBD provides those in commercial sectors with reliable research to aid the design process. Paul Campbell, commercial sector manager at British Gypsum, said: “Evidence-based design is a relatively new concept in the UK that all industry professionals and building users can benefit from, especially those looking to create a productive workspace. “We’ve launched Evidence Space to share the growing body of evidence on how the
physical environment affects the health, well-being and productivity of employees.” The website examines common issues in buildings in the commercial sector. It features contributions from EBD academics Michael Phiri and Giuseppe Lacanna, who look at the connection between physical spaces and the performance, health and well-being of occupants. The portal welcomes contributions from other practitioners. It also includes articles, infographics and case studies, and there is an option to sign up to an e-newsletter programme to get updates on EBD news and related articles. www.british-gypsum.com
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Cundall virtual tool wins Innovation Award Engineering consultancy Cundall has won the Innovation Award for its Virtual Acoustic Reality (VAR) system at the Built Environment Hub’s Celebrating Construction Awards. The VAR combines the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset with a gaming engine and high-quality audio to take clients and designers on an audiovisual tour of a building before it is built. “We’ve evolved from a static numerical prediction to something based on an audiovisual experience that is dynamic and immersive,” says Andrew Parkin, Cundall’s acoustics partner, who worked with FIS on its Guide to Office Acoustics. The user sees a 3D representation of the inside of the building, including furniture, partitions and so on, and hears whatever noises are input – a teacher in a classroom or a piano
in a hall, say – allowing the user to appreciate the benefits of using specific acoustic treatments. The tool links 3D graphics program Unity with CATTAcoustic software. Users operate an X-Box controller to move forward, backward and side to side, while the headset changes the direction of the virtual head. www.cundall.com
FIS SCOTTISH AWARDS FIS is to hold its first Scottish Awards presentation on 9 September. Entries must relate to projects in Scotland completed between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2015 in a range of categories – Interior Fit Out; Drywall Construction; Plasterwork (general and heritage); Suspended Ceilings; and Partitioning. There will also be an Apprentice of the Year and Supplier of the Year award. The Scottish Awards Lunch will be held in Edinburgh and feature guest speaker Sandy Strang.
ASFP and FIS team up on fire labelling The Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) and FIS are launching a fire performance partition labelling scheme to help installers, M&E contractors, building owners and facilities managers to more easily identify fire performance partitions. The scheme will highlight the risks associated with cutting holes in partitions for services, which compromises performance and allows smoke and fire to pass from one compartment to another.
The labels, which will be available from distributors of fire-rated partition systems, will be placed at a level where penetrations are likely to pass through the partition, and above the line of suspended ceilings.
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NEWS IN BRIEF
They will identify any partition that is fire-rated and highlight where to go for guidance before cutting any holes through them. Each label features a link to the ASFP’s website, which will advise on how to cut a hole and ‘fire stop’ the work to ensure the performance of the partition is maintained. By identifying the location of such partitions and providing a link to advice, the associations aim to help contractors, building owners and facility managers maintain the integrity of such compartment walls. The scheme will alert retrofit contractors to partitions that have a fire protection role, warning them that any penetration must be made good to maintain its performance. The labelling scheme is to be launched at the Firex International fire protection conference at Excel London on 21 June.
• For details visit http://asfp.org.uk/ webdocs/fire_labelling_scheme.php
BUILD UK RELEASES TWO STANDARDS Build UK has released two new industry standards. The Safety Helmet Colours Standard uses simple colour coding to identify personnel and improve communication and safety on site. The Training Standard, developed in response to a Construction Leadership Council recommendation to promote card schemes carrying the CSCS logo, will help contractors assess construction workers’ competence and their eligibility to work on site. www.builduk.org STYLE BIM OBJECTS Partitioning firm Style has made BIM objects for its folding wall systems available on the NBS National BIM Library. NBS-authored BIM objects must be consistent with the industry standard to allow for collaboration throughout a project. Style’s BIM files provide customers with up-to-date product data for planning, construction and management of buildings. www.style-partitions.co.uk GREEN OMEGAS Nine subcontractors have helped Armstrong International improve its recycling record for the second year running, gaining them Green Omega status within Armstrong’s Omega installers network. The manufacturer reports that it recycled 142,000m2 last year, thanks to the efforts of PFP, CAP, Dancor, DV McColl, East Midlands Ceilings, Eastledge, ISEC, Oatley Ceilings and Richard Kemble. www.armstrongint.com
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FIS ❘ News CONTRACTS Style adds Skyfolds to Vox and the Gherkin
Worksmart provides solutions for NHS unit Worksmart has provided glazed solutions for NHS Ayrshire & Arran’s new mental health and community facility. During the construction of the £46m Woodland View, there was an emphasis on supporting local contractors, so Worksmart’s modern apprentices were involved from the start. The company used bespoke primed timber and glazed screens in the wards and public areas, installing more than 500 pieces of glass into 140 screens consisting of 23 different screen types. Worksmart managing director Steve Neilson said: “The involvement of our modern apprentices ensured that the pledge of community benefit was continued while they had the opportunity to further their knowledge of glazing systems.” www.worksmartinteriors.co.uk
Interface completes WSP offices
Rockfon crowns Peugeot showroom
Optima adds glazing to HP Enterprise HQ
Motor group Underwoods’ new Peugeot car showroom in Sudbury, Suffolk, has been fitted with Rockfon acoustic ceiling tiles. Color-all ceiling tiles in a concrete colour were installed to help offset the potential for solar glare from the showroom’s full-height glazing and reflections from the polished cars. The ceilings were fitted with an exposed Chicago Metallic T24 Click 2890 grid in a matching colour to create a continuous appearance, while the offices have been fitted with Artic tiles to give a spacious feel to the rooms. www.rockfon.co.uk
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Style Moveable Partition Specialists has designed and installed movable wall systems to simplify the set-up of event spaces at the Vox conference and banqueting facility in Birmingham (pictured top left). The solution spans rooms up to 30m wide and 5m high and includes four Skyfold vertical-rising partitions, as well as two DORMA sliding walls. Style has also installed a Skyfold partition in the offices and meeting areas of law firm Kirkland & Ellis International at St Mary Axe in the City of London – known as the Gherkin (pictured below left). In addition, it has matched a glass moveable wall to an existing partition. www.style-partitions.co.uk
Flooring from Interface’s Human Nature collection has been used at professional services firm WSP Group’s offices in Glasgow. WSP wanted an open-plan environment, but with small partitioned pods and two meeting rooms, solutions were needed to minimise background noise. In the main office area and partitioned pods, three carpet tiles from the Human Nature range were selected, using different textures to create a pathway around the desk pods. In the meeting rooms (right), limestone tiles were broken up by orange tiles to evoke WSP Group’s branding and complement the scarlet walls of the acoustic pods and red desk dividers. www.interface.com
Optima has installed glazed partitions at Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s new offices in the City of London, the IT firm’s first UK-based customer engagement centre. The idea was to create a flexible workspace to support 700-plus staff, with clientfacing meeting, dining and presentation spaces. Optima developed the design and provided mock-ups. Its Revolution 100 partition system, with single-glazed doors, was used to create meeting rooms across the office floors, along with framed sliding glass doors and single glazed screens. www.optimasystems.com
Kingspan floors police centre Kingspan has installed 14,500m2 of access flooring as part of a transformation of the Metropolitan Police training headquarters in Hendon, London. A total of 10,000m2 of RMG panels were installed in offices, classrooms and an IT room, with 4,500m2 of DRF heavy-grade
panels in the kitchen and dining facilities at the podium level. The Peel Centre project replaces old facilities with a new training centrefor up to 120 students. It features a 560-seat auditorium, memorial garden, parade ground and firing range. www.kingspan.co.uk
Saracen’s boat comes in Saracen Interiors has completed the refurbishment of a boat at Canary Wharf for digital agency Grip Media. The refurbishment project, completed in four weeks by Saracen Small Works, involved adding partitions, mending the roof and floor areas and replacing and repairing worn panels. It also included the installation of new fixtures and fittings and decoration throughout. The new office space boasts a feature wall and bar, complete with branded mural. www.saraceninteriors.com www.thefis.org
FIS ❘ News PRODUCTS Clockwise from left: Ecophon Akusto sound absorbers; Interface’s Touch of Timber flooring; GEZE’s Levolan 120 door system; Shaw’s Verical Layers
SOUND ABSORBERS Ecophon has launched the Akusto One sound absorbers. The panels are available in circular, rectangular and square-shaped panels of various sizes; all are 40mm in depth and are complemented with white or grey painted edges. They can be produced with a smooth surface or a fabric-textured finish, with impact-resistant wall panels and trims available for sports halls and the like. The panels are manufactured from thirdgeneration high-density glass wool, with no added formaldehyde and a high recycled content. www.ecophon.co.uk CEILING SUSPENSION SYSTEM Armstrong Ceilings has launched its Drywall Grid System (DGS) in the UK. The suspension system is already used in the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow. The firm claims the DGS suspension system for plasterboard ceilings is quick to install, can be used with the firm's T-shaped grids and can incorporate service elements such as lights, access panels and ventilation systems. It is available in three versions – standard for typical flat installations; faceted for curved and domed ceilings; and shortspan for smaller areas such as corridors. www.armstrongceilings.co.uk CARPET TILES Shaw Contract Group has launched two collections of carpet tiles. Vertical Layers includes five styles – Expose, Relief, Uncover, Tinge and Undertone – which mimic www.thefis.org
25cm x 100cm skinny planks and 12 colourways. In addition, Twist and Shine offers a broadloom appearance using colour twist technology, while Silver Linings comprises three ranges of 25cm x 100cm skinny planks and is available in nine colourways. www.interface.com
SLIDING DOOR SYSTEM GEZE’s new sliding door system, Levolan 120, has a slimline fitting but can move internal doors of up to 120kg. Its 50mm-high track includes integrated derailing protection and can be installed from the front. Additional safety is provided by the Levolan 120 SoftStop draw-in damping device, which can be incorporated into the track as an option. Specially designed roller carriers maximise load distribution, enabling the leaves to move easily, and its derailing protection is triggered automatically when the height of the door leaf is adjusted. www.geze.co.uk weathered and worn effects such as paint peeling off wooden surfaces and oxidisation. Using EcoSolution Q – a carpet fibre manufactured with recyclable Type 6 nylon – the collection offers high-denier and tensile strength, suiting it to high-traffic areas. Meanwhile, Shaw has extended its Hexagon collection with four new styles – Plane, Base, Contact and Color Shift. Hexagon is cradle-to-cradle certified silver and uses EcoSolution Q fibre with 45% recycled content. All tiles feature EcoWorx backing, which is recyclable, PVC-free and contains 44% recycled content. www.shawcontractgroup.com
GLASS PARTITIONING QIC has released a range of glass partition products, which include new extrusion components and a complete suite of single- and double-glazed options. It has also launched a range of access panels with a number of size, frame and door options and fire ratings. QIC now offers a full fabrication
capability for bespoke products that need cutting, folding, punching and in-house powder coating. www.qic-trims.com
FLOORING COLLECTIONS Interface has three new flooring collections. Touch of Timber is a hybrid textile floor collection that is wooden in appearance but has the performance of a low-impact carpet tile. Made with recycled yarn, it uses recycled PVB precoat and formaldehyde-free glass fleece backing. It is available in
CEILING GRID SYSTEM Sektor has added a grid system to its recently launched ceilings range, available as a click or hook system. TruGrid Hook 24mm offers stability through its 0.4 Gauge metal, while TruGrid Click is available in 15mm and 24mm versions and has pre-punched suspension points and a stab connection that clicks into place. It provides close-locking tolerance for tight module control and a monolithic design style. www.sektorinteriors.com
READING MATTER Fermacell has released a guide to planning and installing its dry flooring systems. The 64-page A4 manual gives an overview of the range and areas of application and advises on which substrates can be used and how they should be prepared. A table gives guideline values for tolerance levels for completed floors over different coverings. Six pages are dedicated to examples of construction details for the different flooring combinations, with another 11 pages advising on building physics and construction performance in areas such as fire protection and sound insulation. Download from www.fermacell.co.uk/en/content/1038.php
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FIS ❘ Opinion
Are we in or out? With the EU referendum just around the corner, how will people in construction be voting? Victoria Madine hears the views across the sector
I
t’s crunch time for the UK’s relationship with the EU. On 23 June the UK will decide whether to leave or remain in the EU – arguably the biggest choice the country has had to make in 40 years (since we voted to remain in the European Economic Community). As the debate has raged on, voices on either side have become shriller, with politicians arguing a ‘Brexit’ could open the door to war, while others fear a ‘remain’ vote would derail the UK’s ability to steer its own future. So where do members of the finishes and interiors sector sit in this geopolitical storm? Ray Deeks, managing director at specialist plasterer G Cook and Sons, reflects many members’ position when he says a lack of objective information makes the decision a tough one. “Our relationship with the EU is like a marriage gone wrong and a fresh start is needed. We’ve not used our voice in the EU enough to shape the institution’s agenda and we’re heading in a direction (further legal and political integration) that a lot of people aren’t comfortable with. I want to see reform, but a Brexit is worrying too – no one can adequately explain what the practical effects would be of leaving the EU.” Some economists argue that the stakes for UK plc are high, while the CBI has warned that a Brexit could cost the UK economy £100bn and 950,000 jobs by 2020. The construction industry’s key trade bodies, including FIS, have avoided taking a stance. FIS chief executive David Frise explains: “This is a political issue and our position is that it’s for members to decide which way to vote; we can only provide facts – though, of course, unbiased facts are hard to come by. The only thing we can say for definite is that a Brexit would cause uncertainty for a couple of years. The question is, would the benefits be worth it?”
EUROPEAN INVESTMENT Build UK chief executive Suzannah Nichol says members have not pushed for the body to take a position in the debate, but she believes a Brexit would mean “foreign companies not investing in the UK and therefore not requiring the services of construction firms to construct their offices or facilities”. 8
The majority of companies working in the finishes and interiors sector work predominantly in the UK, which goes some way to explaining why there is not more of a stir about the referendum. One managing director comments that he’s “too busy to even think about the EU”. However, some of the facts make for sobering reading. The EU is without doubt an important trading partner of the UK, accounting for 53% of UK’s imports and 45% of exports. An ‘out’ vote would change, and potentially end, the open trade agreement the UK has had with the EU since 1973. According to the RICS’s EU Referendum Paper, published on 28 April (see box overleaf), 43% of respondents felt a Brexit would have a negative impact on the commercial property sector while only six per cent believed a leave
vote would have a positive impact. For Neil Thompson, UK head of digital research and innovation at Balfour Beatty and chair of the Construction Industry Council’s BIM2015 Group, the statistics that have and are being used by either side in the EU debate have created a confusion of real and assumed information. And that has made arriving at an informed decision a challenge. Ultimately, he says, it is the ideology of the EU that means he will vote ‘remain’. “There is a call in the construction industry for closer collaborative working, and a vote against the EU seems to go against this trend. If we can’t collaborate at a local (EU) level, then how can we collaborate in a more global context?” As an example, Thompson points to his membership of the European Network of www.thefis.org
Opinion ❘ FIS ABOUT THE EU The European Union is an economic and political union between 28 European countries. It was created in the aftermath of the Second World War to foster economic cooperation, the idea being that countries that trade with one another become economically interdependent and more likely to avoid conflict. The European Economic Community (EEC), created in 1958, initially increased economic cooperation between six countries: Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. What began as a purely economic union has evolved into an organisation spanning policy areas, from climate, environment and health to external relations and security, justice and migration. Its name changed from the EEC to the European Union (EU) in 1993.
Members (and date of entry) Austria (1995); Belgium (1958); Bulgaria (2007); Croatia (2013); Cyprus (2004); Czech Republic (2004); Denmark (1973); Estonia (2004); Finland (1995); France (1958); Germany (1958); Greece (1981) ; Hungary (2004); Ireland (1973); Italy (1958); Latvia (2004); Lithuania (2004); Luxembourg (1958); Malta (2004); Netherlands (1958); Poland (2004); Portugal (1986); Romania (2007); Slovakia (2004); Slovenia (2004); Spain (1986); Sweden (1995); United Kingdom (1973)
Candidate countries Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey
Would a Brexit have a precedent?
“If we leave the EU, the UK won’t have a voice in shaping new EU-wide standards” Construction Companies for Research and Development (ENCORD), where he works with colleagues from a range of international construction groups, including Hochtief, Vinci and Bouygues, to develop the application of digital tools in the industry. “The UK leads in the area of digitalisation, so it’s not that we need to be part of this group to develop our expertise. But our membership of the EU gives us a voice and a clear stake in the direction this sort of research takes, which will help shape the future of the industry,” he says. It seems likely that, in the event of a ‘leave’ vote, continued access to the EU market would mean compliance with EU standards, but the UK would not be able to shape those standards. For Deeks, who is a member of an EU working group (CEN/TC 125/WG5), which sets standards for the plastering industry, this is an www.thefis.org
unsettling prospect. “British Standards are, of course, highly regarded, but if we leave the EU, the UK won’t have a voice in shaping new EU-wide standards,” he says. “Yet, the world is getting smaller; we use materials from abroad and systems created abroad.”
IMPACT OF RED TAPE Much is made of the cost of EU ‘red tape’ but thinktank Open Europe estimates that the 100 most burdensome EU-derived regulations cost UK plc £33bn a year in contrast to the £59bn in annual benefits (which the government claims is derived from those regulations). In addition to free trade and standard regulations, a core principle of the EU is the right of free movement. According to data published in May by Oxford University for the Financial Times, around 75% of EU workers
No nation state has ever left the EU. But Greenland, one of Denmark’s overseas territories, held a referendum in 1982, after gaining a greater degree of self-government, and voted by 52% to 48% to leave, and leave it did.
Cameron’s deal with the EU In February 2016, the government agreed a set of reforms for the UK’s membership of the EU covering four key areas: economic governance, sovereignty, competitiveness and immigration. The deal finally agreed upon included the recognition by the EU that there is more than one currency in the EU – sterling is protected and the UK has a right to its currency. The UK is also no longer responsible for helping with euro bailouts. Welfare reforms included the decision that from 2020, all exported child benefit will be indexed to the standard of living in the country where the child lives. In addition, the deal states that the EU’s aim of ‘ever closer union’ does not apply to the UK. 9
FIS ❘ Opinion living in Britain would not be able to secure a work permit if the UK left the European Union – this rate would rise to 81% in April 2017 once new visa restrictions come into force. FIS does not have exact figures on the percentage of migrant workers employed by members, but some individual member companies report an EU immigrant workforce of up to 80%. So where does this reliance on EU immigration leave the sector in the event of a Brexit? For those fiercely opposed to remaining in the EU, the finishes and interiors trades’ wide use of EU immigrant labour is not a cause for concern. Robert Atkin, managing director at steel frame buildings specialist Atkin Trade Specialists, is voting ‘leave’ because he does not want to see the further integration of the UK’s legislative system into the EU. Atkin says he has “every confidence” that there would be systems put in place to ensure the continual supply of skilled labour. “Yes, we need our workers from the EU and they are a welcome and fully integrated part of the team, we would do everything necessary to ensure their continued employment with us,” he says.
ADDITIONAL STRAIN Trevor Rees, a specialist construction recruitment consultant at Rees Worx, however, is concerned that a Brexit could place further strain on the sector that is already facing skills shortages across the board. “It’ll take two years for the UK to withdraw from the EU, so there won’t be an immediate change to the flow of workers into the country,” he says. “But once a visa system is introduced, this will be an additional administrative burden to employers.” Others, such as John Enright, a commercial interiors consultant, are of the firm opinion that the UK already has an adequate labour supply. He is worried that the possible accession of countries with high unemployment levels, including Albania, Macedonia and Turkey, to the EU would mean a surge of unskilled
few are keen to speculate. When the Construction Products Association (CPA) conducted a snap poll of its members about their views on the referendum earlier this year, just 126 out of 21,000 companies responded. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the organisation decided not to take a stance.
“I would like to see the UK take full control of its borders … where the flow of immigration could be better managed”
AGENDA FOR CHANGE If Britain did stay in, what reforms would FIS members like to see? Responses ranged from “not joining euro and keeping control of borders” to the need to “reduce red tape”, and prevent “further political integration”. Many are concerned about the structure of the EU Commission. John Tucker, director at plasterer and render specialist ARH Tucker & Sons, says he is a “fervent Brexiter” because he considers the EU an undemocratic institution. “I cannot vote for EU commissioners and the whole EU set up seems sceptical about democracy.” Tucker says he has no concerns about the impact of a Brexit on his business. Though a ‘remainer’, Balfour Beatty’s Thompson would like to see the British public take more interest in the election of MEPs and hopes the referendum will “ignite more interest” in the workings of the institution. “Most of the UK’s MEPs are right of centre and include 24 UKIP members,” he says. “That’s not a reflection of Britain’s political landscape and skews our representation.” Ultimately, the referendum is a risk for the UK and Europe. Uncertainty surrounding the EU referendum has already had an impact on occupation and investment decisions, particularly in the capital, and many, including Build UK’s Suzannah Nichol, are keen to “just get to the vote” and get on with business. Construction is a conservative sector and for business leaders such as Lewis Foley, managing director of PIB Contractors, it’s the element of risk that means a ‘remain’ vote makes better business. As he puts it: “Leaving the EU is a step into the unknown without the visibility of guaranteed positives.”
Demand for UK commercial property has stalled in the months leading up to the referendum – just 5% of members surveyed reported an increase in interest from overseas companies over the past three months, a sharp drop from Q2 2015, when the figure was 36%. The paper found that sectors ranging from residential housing to construction and rural had been hit by uncertainty following the general election last May when the referendum date was announced. If Britain left the EU, 43% of respondents
felt that this would have a negative impact on the commercial property sector, while 6% said a Brexit would be beneficial. Despite the uncertainty across all sectors surrounding the impact of a Brexit, the long-term view of RICS members was that the value of land and property in the UK would continue to grow. At the same time, the short-term dampening of business rent growth could make for favourable conditions for entry to new markets and help fuel business growth.
workers to the country. “I would like to see the UK take full control of its borders, where skilled workers were still welcomed but the flow of immigration could be better managed,” he says. It is worth noting, however, that of the 45,000 EU2 (Bulgaria and Romania) citizens who entered the UK in the year ending September 2015, 87% came for work-related reasons, according to the ONS. At the moment, as Ray Deeks puts it, materials and products can be brought over from the continent ‘without a thought’. Deeks’ business buys lime powder from France, and he knows companies that rely on specialist plant and high-end curtain walling imported from EU. So what would be the knock-on effects of Brexit on the price and availability of materials and products? No one can be sure and
RICS EU REFERENDUM PAPER In April, the RICS published a paper examining the pros and cons of the UK remaining in and exiting Europe, to provide a balanced account of either scenario. Like most trade bodies in the built environment sector, RICS has not taken a view on the referendum. In a survey of its members, published as part of the paper, the RICS found that 38% of those working in the sector cited the referendum as the reason why major international retailers, service providers and other businesses have been nervous of investing in Britain. 10
www.thefis.org
FIS ❘ Interview
‘Capacity and consi Mark Bew, chairman of the government’s BIM Task Group, is on a mission to bring digital thinking to construction. Chris Wheal finds out how he got there – and how far the sector still has to go How did you get where you are today? I started as an aircraft engineering apprentice. When I left, defence was on the way down but construction in London was on the way up. I thought I’d give Trafalgar House six months and I was there 10 years. I went all over the world on all sorts of projects and I’ve been in construction ever since. I went from technician at Trafalgar House through running a department at Laing to being on the board at Costain. Then I went across to the main board as CIO at Scott Wilson until we sold it to URS back in 2010. I was asked to run the integration and while that was going on I worked with Paul Morrell, the government’s first chief construction adviser, on the Digital Construction Strategy, which became the BIM strategy. How did you get to run BIM for the UK government? I was chairman of Building Smart and some of Paul Morrell’s officials came to talk to me and said: “We know digital construction is important but we’ve had so many people come here and tell us a load of old tosh – you’ve got 20 minutes to convince us.” After 20 minutes they said: “Can you write this down for us so it can become part of a strategy.” When Paul received the first draft it was better than he thought it would be. He put it centre stage and asked me to run the strategy. What stage is BIM at? We’ve just completed level 2. In the budget, George Osborne said there would be £15m for level 3 but we’ve already got more. In effect, we’ve got more money per year for level 3 than we had over the whole of the level 2 programme. We’re moving from level 2 being a better way of doing an old thing to level 3 being a new way of doing a new thing. What changes will that entail? There is much more technology, much more focus on contracts, on security, on customers. Construction is seen as ‘building a building’ or ‘building a railway’ and not delivering a service to a customer. That is why we have been at the bottom of the pile in an industry with very low margins – because we’ve been seen as delivering very low value. That isn’t the way it has to be in the future. Who will be involved? Most of the innovation comes from the SMEs, but we are going to the funders, insurers and the contracts people, clients and operators. Then we are across into manufacturing, www.aisfpdc.org
FIS ❘ Interview
stency is my focus’ There are leaders and laggers and a great lump in the middle. The front does very well, the middle does what the market tells them and the back falls off and dies.
CAREER Jan 2012-present Chairman, UK government BIM Task Group Jan 2015-present Chairman, Professional Construction Strategies Group Jan 2012-present Director, Engineering Construction Strategies 2007-2015 Chairman, Building Smart (UK) 2007-2011 Director of business information systems, URS/Scott Wilson Business Systems 2001-2007 Director, Costain 1997- 2001 Integrated engineering roles, John Laing Construction 1987-1997 Manufacturing businesses within Trafalgar House Construction 1983-1987 Apprentice aircraft electronics, GEC Avionics
the digital economy and the internet of things, into computer science and security. We have to cross into finance and how we transact money across this new economy. It’s a long-term hard burn between now and 2020, when we expect to have the first sets of standards appearing, and to 2025 when we expect them to have been adopted, with live projects. How important is it that this change happens? As more information about buildings and assets becomes available through data.gov and Carbon Buzz and so on, the industry is going to have a Volkswagen moment when the public will turn round and say: “Really? You’ve never built a building that meets spec? You consume and produce more carbon than every other industry? Is that good enough?”. And the answer is probably no. Data is driving an increasing insight into economies. Social media is making the public stronger. VW’s business will not be with us in its current form in 10 years’ time and the same could happen to construction. Will industry have to change? Everybody has a smartphone and wants access to data. We’re already seeing savings as people input direct in their handheld devices rather than take notebooks back to the offices. We’re seeing 3D printing, concrete printing, robotics appearing. We are seeing interiors using more sustainable materials. We will see data allow the circular economy. Plasterboard is becoming a finite resource. To recycle it we’ll need whoever is doing the recycling to know you’re stripping out plasterboard so they can turn up with a lorry to take it back to the factory. They’re already putting RFID [radio frequency identification] into glass and plasterboard. You put your phone near it and it tells the BIM model that this plasterboard has been put in this wall; then when you do a refurb, the model tells the plasterboard manufacturer to come and take their plasterboard away. How much take-up has there been of BIM? Between 30% and 50% of public contracts are going through BIM and that’s in four years. The only programme to make that kind of impact in history has been health and safety. www.aisfpdc.org
Is BIM too technical and complex for everyone? There is more computing power on our smartphones now than launched the first space shuttle. We deliberately created the levels so people could stabilise and manage the transition. Level three will be the same. What is the role of BIM4FitOut? Talking to the communities – and having discussions between related sectors – is essential. We listen and incorporate what people come up with. We’ve modified documents when people come to us with problems and show how it doesn’t work for them. Fit-out and M&E are already talking so that the ceilings are not put up and then taken down again by M&E. Conversations will take place with manufacturers. I’ve seen massive improvements in fit-out. It’s all very well for one company to get good at doing it but there are thousands of companies and we need to see them all doing it better. Capacity and consistency is my focus. Will the industry change? We’ve seen consolidation in supply. Maybe the materials manufacturers’ desire to recycle will tie suppliers into a deal. You could have approved suppliers who have been trained to strip out materials so they can be recycled, and if becoming an approved supplier became a barrier to entry you could see consolidation. What’s the best job you’ve ever done? The Task Group, because it is completely unique. There has never been one of these in the world and we’ve made a step-change that has been recognised around the world. It is satisfying going to Australia and China and having people say: “Why didn’t we think of that?”. And the worst job? The most challenging was integrating a UK business into a US business culturally. The realisation that a nation you thought looked and sounded a bit like us was actually nothing like us at all was a real cultural learning curve.
MARK’S FAVOURITES… Book: Brideshead Revisited iPod track: Wish You Were Here, Pink Floyd Holiday location: Cowes, Isle of Wight Best city in the world: London Film: Casino Royale, with Daniel Craig Theatre: I don’t really go to the theatre TV programme: I don’t watch TV Hobby: Sailing Drink: Beer: real ale – not that fizzy stuff
FIS ❘ Technical
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hen did you find out the spec had gone wrong? Was it when the product turned up on site and didn’t look like it had in the brochure? Or when the contractor tried to install and found it didn’t fit? Or when the performance specification was checked and – too late – found wanting? Or, worst of all, two months after completion, an irate client rang up to demand why the element had already failed? None of this should ever happen – at least not if the client is properly advised by an architect who is fully informed, and their requirements are precisely articulated to a supplier who listens carefully. But along that chain of communication, there is ample scope for problems to arise. The issue is of sufficient concern to have prompted FIS to produce an 11-point guide to smart specifying (see box below). It’s a common-sense list. But talk to manufacturers of interiors products and it quickly becomes clear that an increased focus on basic good practice could be of enormous benefit to suppliers and specifiers alike. “For me, the two most important points are the first two,” says Mark Reumel, national account manager with carpet and flooring supplier Interface. “Talk to the manufacturer – because although specifiers are sometimes wary of people they see primarily as salesmen, we are the experts in our products and we have a wealth of knowledge and experience they can tap in to. “Second, performance really is king. When mistakes happen, it is often because designers are thinking about the visuals on day one, the opening ceremony when everything looks
Writing a smart specification FIS’s 11 key points 1. Talk to the manufacturer 2. Performance is king (fire, sound etc) 3. Consider the interface with other elements 4. Understand the use/now and the future 5. Understand the budget 6. Understand the programme and site conditions 7. Understand the vision and client aspiration 8. Ensure the performance and workmanship requirements and standards are clearly included 9. Understand the implications of maintenance 10. Understand the environmental implications 11: Don’t be afraid to specify something new
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ALL HANDS ON
SPEC FIS’s guide to smart specifying throws light on a widespread – and potentially expensive – problem. Tony Whitehead reports
immaculate. But is the product going to last and still be looking good years later?” Sometimes, says Reumel, the mistake is as simple as specifying light-coloured carpet in an entrance foyer. “It gets marked and quickly loses its looks,” he says. “This normally occurs because the specifier chose not to engage with us at an early stage, when we could have advised on different shade choices, for example, or the use of barrier matting.” Reumel adds that flooring is sometimes seen as a simple element, and one that needs less thorough consideration when specifying. “Carpet is relatively straightforward,” he says, “but mistakes are still made on a regular basis. Suppose the carpet doesn’t dissipate static as expected, or the post trolley leaves tracks across it? If it needs changing, then – like any specifying mistake – it can be very expensive to put right.” Kye Edwards, commercial manager with partition supplier SAS Direct, agrees that mismatches between the aesthetic vision of the designer and the performance requirements of the component – such as fire or sound rating – are often at the root of specifying problems. “You find the specification doesn’t match the detailed drawings or the system specified, so the specifier ends up not getting what they wanted,” he says. “For example, our System 8000 partition product can be quite a slim, minimalist system. A designer might like that look, but then write in a 60-minute fire rating. That makes the system chunkier and visually different from what they thought they were buying.” Similar misunderstandings can occur over budget, he adds. “You might specify a product extensively – say, to create an atrium – but not
realise that the loading involved would require stronger, more expensive glass. Then confusion arises when the budget is exceeded and alternative products have to be considered.” The solution is simple, believes Edwards. “Talk to the manufacturer,” he says. “Start with the performance, define what you want, and then we can recommend a solution that’s also acceptable visually.” Sounds reasonable. So why do specifying mistakes happen? Edwards stresses that the specifier is not always to blame. “Maybe everybody’s busy. Maybe the manufacturer isn’t close enough to architects. Perhaps the architect is trying too hard to impress the client with visuals, or perhaps the manufacturer is trying too hard to impress the architect,” he says. “But a meeting early on to focus on these issues can save a huge amount of time and expense later on.”
ARCHITECT’S VIEW So how do specifiers view the issue? At architect Make (founded by Gherkin designer Ken Shuttleworth) interiors specification is headed by Katy Ghahremani. “As architects, we come to interiors from a slightly different perspective,” she says. “The visual intent is key. But obviously getting the performance right is also vital, and so we spend a lot of time talking to manufacturers and liaising with our client to make sure that we get both the visuals and the performance right. It’s time well spent since the manufacturers are effectively doing your work for you.” She touches on item 11 of the FIS list – the need to get away from habitual specifying. “There are two sides to this,” says Ghahremani. www.thefis.org
Wellbeing Technical ❘ FIS
“On the one hand, every project is unique – different client, different brief, different site – and therefore the results should be different. “But the reality is that you are sometimes going to use a product again because you know it works. So you might take the specification from last time and just change the visual finish.” She adds: “It’s not always a bad thing to specify what you’ve used before. You develop a trust and a shorthand with the manufacturers you know, so it makes sense to go back to the same ones. We are familiar with their range and they know what we need. The flip side is that it can be difficult for interesting new products to break into that.” The business of specifying is, it seems, a balancing act. There are tensions between aesthetics and performance, as there are between reliability and innovation. Suppliers compete not only with each other, but also for the time and attention of architects, who cannot spend days on end contemplating every component. But such tensions can also form a necessary part of a dynamic process. As Edwards points out, good communication between specifiers and manufacturers can be creative. “We have to appreciate that designers need to start with a blank piece of paper sometimes,” he says. “They have a vision - and we develop as a company from responding to that and designing solutions to what they want that work technically and aesthetically. “We can even end up with a new product as a result of a particular design challenge.” And he adds: “Though it certainly can be difficult to get in front of an architect and explain our range, it is also up to us to make designers notice us by coming up with innovative products and ideas.” www.thefis.org
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FIS ❘ Training
TRICKS OF THE TRAINING Modern methods of training promise to give companies a much better return on their investment than traditional teaching practices, as Chris Wheal discovers www.thefis.org
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f your impression of training is a man in a tweed jacket with leather elbow patches in front of a blackboard using chalk, think again. And the blackboard has not just been swapped for a PowerPoint screen. As companies focus on getting a return on investment from their educational activities, training professionals are replacing traditional face-to-face techniques. This shake-up means trainers employing multimedia presentations and new delivery methods, as well as focusing on the requirements and expectations of each participant and each firm training its staff. Whether it’s for quality, safety, leadership, project management or new entrants, the days of training for training’s sake are gone. Chris Gunning, director at management training firm Oak Associates, says the change cannot be exaggerated. “When I began my career as a professional management development trainer, pretty much all I needed was an easel, a flipchart and a few marker pens. “Today I need my laptop, a projector, something on which to play music, speakers, access to the internet (for me as a trainer and sometimes the participants) to show video 17
FIS ❘ Training
clips or other material,” he says. “The days of ‘chalk and talk’ are long gone, as is the technique of ‘death by PowerPoint’.” Jeremy Clayton, FIS training manager, says the best training methods for employees now embrace three issues: • Mix it up and don’t just lecture – “Use video, real case studies, e-learning and simulations to keep the interest. If participants are bored, material retention is low; if they are engaged, retention will be substantially higher and so will the return on training,” Clayton says. • Expect application – “Demonstrate application of core concepts to a participant’s job role and show examples.” • Provide coaching and mentoring – “If you want to see the training turn into action, devote resources to coaching and mentoring.” Coaches provide single-point lessons, corrections and good feedback, Clayton explains, so they need to be someone who’s been there and done it. He adds: “With these three additions alone, the return on training expenditure can be increased and the changes within your organisation will be straightforward.” Gunning agrees. “In reality, the methods chosen are subject to the aims and objectives of the training programme and, of course, the learning styles of the participants,” he says. “There are three broad objectives to training – to impart knowledge, to develop skills, and behavioural change. If the aim is to impart knowledge, there is less scope for participation and a greater need for trainer input – ‘I know 18
something that you don’t, but after I’ve told you, you will also have the knowledge’. There is scope to be more creative – for example, by using questionnaires, (fun) knowledge ‘tests’, case studies, presentations and discussions – once the knowledge has been imparted,” Gunning says. “If the objectives are skills or behavioural, there is far greater scope for creativity, as the implementation of the skill can be observed. Providing participants with scenarios, case studies, role-plays, action mazes, ‘in tray’ activities and video clips for comment are all methods that enhance the learning experience.” And it doesn’t stop at the classroom door. “Increasingly post-training coaching and mentoring form part of the experience, helping to ‘cement’ the learning and provide excellent information for validating and evaluating the learning,” he says.
MODERN APPRENTICES Even traditional apprenticeships have been modernised. Pete Carey, director at the Construction Training Centre, says apprentices on day or block release have a mixed day. “In the classroom, we teach them maths and English but without ever calling it maths and English. We’ll give them drawings – for a raised floor, say – and explain how to work out how many boards and how many legs. Then we’ll give them the cost of the boards and get them to work out and present a quote to a customer.” That’s an apprentice’s morning activity. The
The days of chalk and talk are long gone, as is ‘death by PowerPoint’ afternoon will then be spent in a workshop being shown how to lay the same floor, with the apprentice then doing the work themselves. Training consultant John Ross says trainers have to meet the needs of modern companies whose staff cannot take days off at a time to attend away-day training courses. “Rather than staff going to colleges and training centres, trainers now go on site. I’d say 95% of the training I provide is on site. In one case, the company had a member of staff who worked remotely, and it was paying for him to come to head office and stay the night before the training; now we involve him by Skype.” Ross says training is often for just half a day rather than a whole day, and focuses exclusively on the company’s objectives. One problem with onsite training is that attendees can get called away because of sudden work demands. Some firms, he says, provide a rolling training programme, so that people can catch up on missed classes and newcomers can slot in without special dates having to be arranged. Gunning says webinars provide a costeffective way of reaching many people simultaneously, with others who cannot be www.thefis.org
Training ❘ FIS
Students from East Leake, Nottinghamshire, on a British Gypsum manufacturing tour
CASE STUDY: BRITISH GYPSUM
available for the event being able to watch at their leisure at a later time. Webinars also have the potential to form a permanent training resource. “People can watch the webinar literally anywhere – at the gym, on the train,” says Gunning. But he warns: “If webinars are optional, the potential downside is that busy, pressured people allow another activity to take priority.” The bigger the firm, the more complex and wide-ranging the training provisions need to be (see case study), but the same principles apply across the board. “The more people are consulted about their training needs and the design of a programme, the more they tend to be committed. And the more varied the delivery of the training, the more the four key styles of learning – activist, reflector, theorist, pragmatist – are met,” says Gunning. Training that is relevant, often tailored to meet specific needs and presented in varied and imaginative ways to suit individual learning styles can pay dividends. It makes training less of a cost and more of an investment. www.thefis.org
British Gypsum has an extensive range of training and learning methods and materials for its own staff, from new entrants to old hands, as well as its supply chain and distributors, users of its products and professionals who might specify its products. The manufacturer’s latest move is to develop short-duration webinars to address the importance of fire protection and sound insulation for interiors. These are targeted at architects, designers, main and subcontractors. David Hall, national technical academy manager, has the whole spectrum of training under his belt. “We support colleges delivering plastering and drylining trade qualifications for new entrants. About three years ago, we launched our online learning hub for colleges and training providers, which is a blend of ‘how to’ videos on various product and system applications. And we have recapping questions linked to this.” He says there are learning projects and learning resources that college tutors can use, which are mapped to diploma NVQ level 2 plastering and interior systems drylining. “We have approximately 18 videos produced now that have voiceover, and we’ve produced subtitled versions for those who are hard of hearing and without hearing,” says Hall. “The hub also has a forum where students can post questions. They have access to the forum for life, which allows students to keep in touch with course
tutors as well as with former students and apprentices.” British Gypsum staff visit colleges to give demonstrations of products and systems, and colleges around the UK visit the firm’s academies to gain hands-on experience of building systems. It supports 69 colleges around the UK in its Thistle Plasters Partnership and four colleges nationally in its interior systems partnership. British Gypsum has decided to sponsor regional CITB SkillBuild competitions and the WorldSkills UK Skills Show finals, as well as WorldSkills Squad UK for plastering and drywall systems. “We have produced motivational videos for students to engage and take part in competitions,” Hall says. The manufacturer revamped its course training brochure into an interactive PDF that allows people who want to come on practical courses to have a look at videos of how systems are built before they decide which courses they want to attend. For drylining and plastering contractors and main contractors, it offers supervisor and manager training and follows that up with a good practice guide accessible via mobiles or tablets. On top of running training courses for builders merchants and distributors, the firm has a series of e-learning modules based on new build or renovation projects. People who carry out the e-learning and attend a practical training course can then undertake a question paper to gain the diploma in British Gypsum products and systems knowledge.
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CONTRACTORS AWARDS 2016 With many more awards categories this year, the four-stong judging panel included Tony Pieri and Clive Perry, along with Barry and Robin Wilcox, who visited the Plastering and Fibrous and GRG entries. The winners were revealed at this year’s Awards Lunch on 7 June at The Dorchester Hotel in London by guest speaker and comedian Tony Hawks
THE JUDGES
CATEGORY INFORMATION The FIS Contractors Awards ceremony is held each year to promote high levels of craftsmanship and design. The architect or interior designer of a Gold award-winning project also receives an award.
This year’s judges (clockwise from top left): Tony Pieri, Clive Perry, Robin Wilcox and Barry Wilcox
2016’s awards comprised: • Project of the Year • Interior fit-out – over £1m and under £1m • Suspended ceilings • Partitioning • Drywall construction – residential and commercial • Steel-framed systems • Plastering – external and internal • Fibrous and GRG – heritage and new-build • Specialist joinery • Operable walls Certificates of excellence are also awarded for high standards of workmanship and technical expertise.
Awards ❘ Project of the Year
INTERIOR FIT-OUTS ❘ OFFICE
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www.thefis.org
Sponsored by Minster
G COOK & SONS Project: Architects Benevolent Society, London G Cook & Sons’ task at 43 Portland Place, an 18th century terraced house, was to conserve the existing ceiling and replace what was missing using traditional methods and materials. Among its challenges was a first floor refurbished in the 1970s and major damage to two ornate plaster ceilings when new services and a suspended ceiling were installed. Less than 50% of the ceilings remained and the areas that did were in a poor condition. This meant securing the edges of the existing areas and making good with lime plaster. The missing areas were plastered with traditional lime plaster on riven chestnut laths and the mouldings applied by running in situ, hand-modelled in lime plaster or made from moulds taken from the existing areas or from old photographs. “This project epitomises what FIS is all about: quality, precision and dedication,” said the judges. “Where do you start when you are charged with restoring an ornate plaster ceiling built in the late 18th century and extensively vandalised in the 1970s? How do you rebuild the ceilings when all you have to go on is a couple of old black and white photos and a basic plan? How do you interpret the lines, curves, detail and form of the ornate plasterwork when there are huge areas missing? And all in just 20 weeks? This is what G Cook did, by carefully hand-making and forming all the ornate detailing and then painstakingly piecing it all together to transform a severely damaged ceiling into a work of art. Truly stunning.” www.thefis.org
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Awards ❘ Interior Fit Out over £1m
Sponsored by SAS International
GOLD COLLINS CONSTRUCTION Project: Wainbridge, London Architects: JRA/MCM Collins oversaw the 11,150m2 Cat A refurbishment of six levels and both receptions of 120 Holborn – a multi-tenanted building on Holborn Circus, at the junction of Leather Lane, Holborn and Hatton Garden – as well as the refurbishment of the external courtyard. The project was completed in 36 weeks and involved the installation of high-end bespoke joinery, LED lighting, a VRV heating and cooling system, six passenger lifts, tenant WC fit-out on all floors and shower facilities in the basement. Outside, Collins installed a 160-bike rack, planters, bespoke mesh screen plant housings and composite decking in the courtyard. The judges applauded a “prestige project … completed within 36 weeks in a building that remained occupied on various levels throughout the process”. “The extensive work included MF ceilings and drylining throughout, high-end joinery, LED lighting and M&E work – all executed to the highest standard.”
SILVER QOB INTERIORS Project: Howick Place, London Architect: Coffey Architects/ Ab Rogers Design QOB has transformed 3,100m2 of ground- and first-floor industrial space into the offices of newly formed property development company U+I. “Howick Place dates back to Victorian times and was the Phillips Gallery and before that a Post Office delivery site,” said the judges. “The fit-out radically transforms the space into offices, but in a way that compliments much of the building’s rich historical past.” Existing steel and brick structures were exposed and ground-floor partitions removed to create an open reception area and flexible workspaces. A large central opening has been introduced and the atrium opened on both sides to maximize light. A ramped promenade with integrated storage and services wraps around the first-floor perimeter wall up to a mezzanine level. The mezzanine cuts through the plan, connecting the different areas and creating informal meeting spaces, and terminates at a glazed boardroom suspended across the central stair opening. “A very interesting and innovative slant away from the conventional fit-out, and a worthy winner,” concluded the judges. 24
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Awards ❘ Interior Fit Out under £1m
Sponsored by Xxxxxxxxxx SAS International
GOLD PROFIXED INTERIORS Project: Amey, Sherard Building and Winchester House, Oxford Profixed Interiors delivered a full refurbishment of the offices of infrastructure group Amey in Oxfordshire, including the testing and commissioning of partitions, ceilings, doorframes, teapoints and joinery. The judges praised the work: “The project featured a high-quality, multi-product fit-out where all the finishes, colours and textures blended effortlessly into a complete interior. Runs of curved single-glazed partitions seamlessly joined MDF faceted walls, complemented by other finishes. Profixed worked collaboratively with the client, delivering within a challenging time frame.”
SILVER TAPPER INTERIORS Project: Graypaul, Nottingham Architect: Axis 3 Tapper Interiors was contracted to provide the drylining, ceilings, perspex niches, joinery, kitchens and IPS panel systems for the refurbishment of this Ferrari and Maserati showroom in Nottingham. The brief was for uniformity, lining up carved glass partitions with the floor tiles, while niches and recesses to the walls and ceilings made for an intricate fit-out job. The judges acknowledged the work that had been put into this “excellent fit-out”. “Tapper lived up to high expectations by creating an interior that, like the vehicles in it, exuded quality and precision. Single-glazed partitions were recessed into the drylining, providing a sleek appearance; the lines from the floor tiles precisely matched features in the walls; and curved glazing and back-painted glass augmented the high-quality feel of the interior.”
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Awards ❘ Suspended Ceilings
Sponsored by SIG Interiors
GOLD BESPOKE DRYWALL Project: World Duty Free, Terminal 5, Heathrow Airport Bespoke Drywall handled ceiling installations and services during the construction of an expanded retail complex at World Duty Free in T5. Some 200m2 of MF ceilings was installed, along with suspended ceilings, bulkheads and rafts in the main liquor and beauty department, which features iconic brands such as Chanel and Gucci. The refit included new stores for Fortnum & Mason, Watches of Switzerland and Rolex and two rolling luggage stores – one airside, one landside. The work comprised brand rafts with continuous vertical signage bulkheads and central walkway rafts. A feature ceiling for Watches of Switzerland made use of a required 25% open area to allow
for smoke extract. Fortnum & Mason included wall linings with curved sections incorporating coffers with recessed light troughs and shadow bead details at the head and base of the linings. And Rolex had feature ceilings in two areas with perimeter lighting and ventilation troughs. The judges said: “In spite of testing conditions, Bespoke delivered a top-class ceiling befitting of the brands below. Works had to be carefully sequenced to ensure teams and materials arrived in a coordinated way. Bespoke could only work on areas as they became available, so work had to be completed in phases – somewhat challenging given the high degree of continuous curved dry wall required.”
GOLD BPC INTERIORS Project: Aon, London Architect: Gensler The work at the Cheesegrater involved the installation of SAS systems with plasterboard margins/shadow gap trims in general office areas and meeting rooms over 10 floors. It involved many interfaces, with hand-cut elements spread over a number of floors and further complicated by flangeless grilles and lights. The dining area/restaurant featured Hunter Douglas Luxalon strips in shaped bays, hand-cut on site in between facetted plasterboard with integrated lighting. All the profiles had to be hand cut, erected and then removed for the services to be installed, and plasterboard margins to the perimeters had long lengths of flangeless grills and lights, calling for accurate installation over long runs. The judges agreed: “The ceiling finishes exude high quality and precision. Islands of Luxalon strip and SAS metal ceilings integrate effortlessly into the MF borders. A precise, crisp recess is maintained round all the perimeters of the ceilings. The ceilings had to be fixed to allow for any deflection. Flush-fitting flangeless light fittings and grilles are integrated into the ceilings and perimeter borders, highlighting the precision required – there is literally no margin for error.”
CERTIFICATE OF EXCELLENCE INTEGRA CONTRACTS – Rio Tinto, London 26
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Awards ❘ Partitioning
Sponsored by CCF
GOLD SWIFT REFURBISHMENTS Project: UBM offices, London Architect: Gensler Swift Refurbishments worked with Komfort and Gensler to create a bespoke solution to seven of the nine floors to be occupied by publisher UBM when it took up residency in the 19-storey building. The project involved the installation of bespoke glazing featuring full-height, double-glazed, triangular corner structures emulating the sloping design of the building’s façade. This detail is incorporated throughout several runs of Komfort’s double-glazed Polar partitioning on seven floors of the building. By using the Polar system, which includes a fully relocatable deflection head, the fit-out will also accommodate UBM’s future occupancy requirements. The judges were impressed by “a high-quality, complex and unique partition feature, complementing a very impressive total fit-out by Swift”.
SILVER MODA INTERIORS Project: The Diamond building, University of Sheffield Architect: Twelve Architects Twelve’s design for this engineering sciences building was for spaces with visual connectivity and good acoustic separation using glass screens. Moda designed and installed glass screens for teaching spaces and offices of this four-storey development, as well as atria screens with barrier loadings, curved glass balustrades, curved glass ‘amorphic’ shaped glass panels, high-acoustic screens for the auditoria, 60-minute fire screens, structural glass floors and a structural glass lift enclosure. The judges acknowledged that this was a challenging project for Moda Interiors. “Apart from being a demanding and complex installation, unique solutions were required to deal with the access, lifting and installation of large glass panels weighing up to 300kg. The finished installation is exceptional, demonstrating Moda’s design and technical capabilities.” www.thefis.org
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INTERIOR FIT-OUTS ❘ OFFICE
Awards ❘ Drywall Construction ❘ Residential Sponsored by British Gypsum
GOLD PIB CONTRACTORS Project: Lexicon Tower, London Architect: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill This mixed-use project includes three buildings, including a 36-storey tower, each designed to have individual identities but linked by a shared palette of materials and detailing. The development contains more than 300 homes, along with a spa, residents’ lounge, retail space and public courtyard, with a restaurant at ground level. PIB designed and installed a curtain wall to allow for potential deflection and movement. It features glass channels set in a ventilated cavity, allowing full-height glazing to maximize views over London without compromising sustainability credentials. Full-width terraces are provided at the upper levels of the tower. The bespoke drylining detailing emphasises the “exemplar finishes throughout the tower”. The judges applauded the “many time-saving and innovative ideas incorporated into the build by PIB, including using partially constructed boards to ensure continuity with other trades. Overall this is a large-scale, high-quality, residential drywall project that is well worthy of Gold.” www.thefis.org
SILVER ROSEVILLE CONTRACTS Project: Bourneville Retirement Village, Birmingham Roseville carried out the drylining package at this new retirement village development, which includes 213 apartments, a communal area with hairdressers and craft rooms, and a large central atrium with a curved balustrade constructed from SFS framing clad with plasterboard. One of the challenges on the 45-week job was that a bird cage scaffold could not be provided in the atrium because of other works taking place from time to time, so the work had to be carried out via mobile elevated work platforms. “The finished project is excellent,” said the judges, “particularly the atrium, and reflects the high-quality ethos injected into the contract. Well done Roseville.” 29
Awards ❘ Drywall Construction ❘ Commercial Sponsored by SIG
GOLD LAKESIDE CEILINGS AND PARTITIONS Project: Farnbourough Business Park, Hampshire Architect: ESA Architecture The project at this three-storey open-plan office building included an atrium with numerous BG bulkheads around the perimeter, and a feature curved staircase drylined from the first to the third floor. Boards were skimmed on the outside and taped and jointed on the inside, with a 15mm bespoke shadow gap at all levels on the staircase. Ground to first floor was given a high-quality finish, and the wall lining in the offices was dotted around the perimeter and installed with moisture-resistant board. The judges said: “The key drywall feature is the curved staircase. What the finished effect didn’t reveal was that the steel staircase structure concealed a number of idiosyncrasies. In particular the dimensions of the contours varied considerably on each level. This meant the staircase had to be comprehensively surveyed and the drywall custom-fitted to make up for deviations. But the final finish is perfect.”
SILVER DAVID ANDREWS CONSTRUCTION (DAC) Project: Newport Street Gallery, London Architect: Caruso St John Architects DAC designed, supplied and installed the internal drylining and ceilings to this gallery in south London, which features works from Damien Hirst. The key concept was to form large blank-canvas white walls for the exhibits. DAC designed and erected Metsec SFS structural linings 12m high and 20m long. These were clad in engineered plywood and plasterboard fully taped and jointed prior to a two-coat skim. Quality control was conducted using lasers/grid lines and skimming the whole wall in one visit, when up to eight plasterers worked from scissor lifts for up to 12 hours on a continuous shift at weekends. To achieve maximum gallery space the SFS was designed and adapted to accommodate fan coil units/ductwork incorporating shelf-top bulkheads. The judges said: “Against what effectively is an impossible requirement – ‘zero tolerance’ – DAC delivered an excellent installation in pretty unforgiving conditions. The gallery features a series of areas of different shapes, angles and configurations and the work here is of the highest quality with intense attention paid to every detail.” 30
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Awards ❘ Steel-framed Systems
Sponsored by Hilti (GB)
GOLD ATKIN TRADE SPECIALISTS Project: Marlowe Lodge, Canterbury Architect: Clague The project called for modern methods of construction and finishes within a historic environment at this international boarding school, where lavish facades house en-suite student bedrooms and common rooms. Atkin Trade Specialists assembled the Metframe off-site, then delivered the wall or roof panels and craned them into position, hot-rolling steel integrated as required. Floor slabs were concrete on composite metal decking, and Metframe lift shafts and steel stair units were also installed as the building progressed. BIM-compatible 3D modelling was used to set out the mansard roof structure using cold-rolled steelwork. The judges said: “Perhaps the biggest compliment you could pay to this project is that it sits comfortably alongside existing traditional buildings. Given that the complex SFS used was fabricated off-site, then delivered in phases for installation by five men in 13 weeks, Atkin Trade is a worthy winner of a Gold.”
GOLD ERRIGAL CONTRACTS Project: Angel Lane student accommodation, London Architect: HCD Group Student accommodation provider Unite’s Angel Lane 14-storey building comprises 759 bedrooms, 903m2 of ground-floor commercial space, storage rooms and communal areas. Errigal Contracts was appointed design and build contractor for the cladding package, installing 7,500m2 of SFS over five months. The SFS to support the insulated brick-slip and copper-clad façade posed design and installation challenges – all infill panels were installed from the slab edge using a fall-arrest system; the copper-clad pop-outs incorporated hot-rolled sections with cold-rolled infill panels for walls and roofs; and a 6m-high freestanding brick slip-clad wall was created using both hot-rolled and cold-rolled sections. The judges agreed: “The overall project exhibited a high level of quality workmanship and ingenuity and was delivered within a testing construction programme. A worthy winner of Gold.”
CERTIFICATE OF EXCELLENCE STANMORE CONTRACTORS – Great West Quarter, Westgate House, Brentwood www.thefis.org
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Awards ❘ Plastering ❘ Internal
Sponsored by CCF
GOLD HUMBER SALVER DAVID FISHER & SONS (EDIN) Project: Lews Castle and Museum, Isle of Lewis Architects: Malcolm Fraser Architects/Simpson and Brown David Fisher and Sons was appointed to execute the plasterworks to the castle – built in 1850 as a country house for Sir James Matheson – and to the museum. In the castle, works included lime plaster to the hard, lath and lime plaster; in-situ cornice works; the replacement of a water-damaged ceiling; a vaulted ceiling with ribs run in-situ; and fibrous plaster works to panelled doors, windows and pilasters. Some cornice enrichments were designed from scratch, as there was no record of the original. The firm had to set up a casting workshop on site, with all raw materials shipped to the island. In the museum, 400m² of Baumit plaster was applied to the walls and left bare, but angle lighting left no room for error. As the judges said: “This was a pleasure to visit because so many facets of plastering trade were in evidence. The wide corridor with vaulted ceiling and ribs run in situ is especially well executed, and the museum plastered to a flawless standard even when illuminated with angle lighting.” 32
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Awards ❘ Plastering ❘ External
Sponsored by CCF
GOLD CRABB TROPHY FORMSCAPE Project: Strathmore House, Dorset Architect: Quinlan & Francis Terry The project involved traditional rendering to external facades and vaulted soffits on a prominent, mixed-use building in the heart of the Duchy of Cornwall’s Poundbury development. Render was carried out using K-Rend mortars to facilitate the application and logistical requirements, using timber formers and no beads. The render was enhanced by stone features and decorative relief, which called for great accuracy in the finish. “Formscape’s craftsmen have produced stunning facades,” said the judges. “The detailing of the arches and the masonryeffect joints in the render are excellent, and the formation and finish of three vaulted soffits faultless. The site manager confirmed the client’s satisfaction; Prince Charles was not available for comment!”
SILVER G COOK & SONS Project: Birch Hall, Essex Architect: Purcell The project was to extend a small Victorian country house into a large Georgian-style mansion, but only small sections of the existing elevations remained. The contractor’s work was to render all the external walls, including new and existing, in a three-coat lime render, which has a natural unpainted finish and was marked out to imitate ashlar. G Cook also ran a large cornice in situ all the way around the top of the building in the same material. The judges agreed: “This external rendering has been carried out to a very high standard and a consistent appearance has been achieved. The large cornice at eaves level is well executed and compliments the overall look.”
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Awards ❘ Fibrous and GRG ❘ Heritage GOLD HUMBER SALVER GEORGE JACKSON Project: Crichel Country House, East Dorset Architect: Peregrine Bryant
INTERIOR FIT-OUTS ❘ OFFICE This beautiful grade I-listed country house set in 400-acre parkland has been restored to its former James Wyatt-designed glory. The works focused on the hall, drawing room and dining room. George Jackson had used historical documentation and site surveys to produce a scheme for the architects, so it was commissioned to carry out the repairs and restoration of the existing plasterwork and install new fibrous plasterwork. Elements of the existing plasterwork were recovered for re-use and matching. Composition enrichments were also produced and applied to joinery. The judges commented: “Historical documentation enabled some of the eccentric whims of previous occupants to be reversed, and the works were carried out to a very high standard. The drawing room south window had its arched head with cornices and mouldings reinstated; removal of a plasterboard ceiling in the hall uncovered the original domed centerpiece, which was restored; and the dining room was enhanced, with Jackson’s reproducing a copy of door surround mouldings to create a false doorway.”
SILVER
Hayles and Howe has installed a new organ case in the Grand Temple of this grade II-listed art deco Freemasons Hall in London. The brief was to create an organ case in composite resin, replicating the detailed enrichments of the two original cases on the side walls of the temple. The new casing, though wider and projecting further forward than the originals, creates a focal point in the Grand Temple. Hayles and Howe took more than 12 thixotropic moulds from the enrichments on one of the original organ cases. The Bristol workshop replicated the detailing in plaster to create master moulds prior to casting in composite resin. “The organ case takes pride of place and is very well executed,” said 34
© John Parry
HAYLES AND HOWE Project: United Grand Lodge of England, London Architect: Adam Architecture
the judges. “One might suggest the enriched mouldings – made of composite resin – is not a plastering award entry, but the skills used in taking copies of existing enrichments and adapting them to make new ones certainly are plastering skills.” www.thefis.org
Awards ❘ Fibrous and GRG ❘ New Build
GOLD CRABB SALVER RYEDALE INTERIORS Project: Resorts World, Birmingham Architect: Benoy The brief was to carry out the design, manufacture and installation of the GRG cast plaster elliptical escalator well linings in the main foyer of this new-build hotel and casino complex at the NEC in Birmingham. The works were split over three floors and comprised: lower ground-floor escalator claddings and slab-edge bulkheads; ground-floor escalator claddings, curved window wall linings and elliptical atrium claddings; and first-floor escalator claddings, curved window wall linings and elliptical atrium claddings. In total Ryedale Interiors manufactured and installed about 975m2 of moulded GRG plaster casts, which the judges agreed “has been carried out to a high standard and withstands close scrutiny”, adding: “The bulkheads and escalator claddings have been extremely well carried out and are pleasing to the eye.”
SILVER CLARK & FENN SKANSKA Project: Birmingham Gateway, New Street Station, Birmingham Architect: Haskell Presented with a complex design concept, C&F had to prove the proposal would give a smooth finish with minimal movement and risk of cracking. So it produced a working size mock-up to replicate the movement of the structure and tested it thoroughly. One further full-size mock-up was produced and installed on site, with all support work designed in house. The team continued to look at options and enhanced the design so that continual horizontal joints were eliminated to reduce the risk of cracking and visual appearance of joints. The 3D model was used not only to set out the project but also in the manufacture of the moulds produced by a CNC machine. As the judges www.thefis.org
said: “The finished ceiling certainly has a wow factor. It was a demanding project and care was taken to eliminate continual horizontal joints when setting out the panels. Clarke & Fenn has produced stunning, large suspended ceiling panels pleasing to the eye and of a high quality.” 35
Awards ❘ Specialist Joinery GOLD STORTFORD INTERIORS (UK) Project: The Fitzroy Club, London Architect: Sheppard Robson Stortford’s contract was to install a range of products at the Fitzroy Club, a residents’ facility in the exclusive Fitzroy Place development in Fitzrovia. This included straight-grain doublefumed European oak veneer doorsets, wall panelling and cabinets, acoustic panelling and seating to the private screening room, automated glass sliding doors, fireplaces, bronze ironmongery and associated fixtures and fittings. The wall storage units were all manufactured off site in MDF and sprayed grey to compliment a “high-quality overall finish”. The judges also praised the extensive use of oak floor planks. “These 18mm planks in four widths have been meticulously pieced together to line up in various dimensions throughout the areas. The joinery package exhibits meticulous attention to detail whilst blending effectively with the other finishes, colours and textures.”
SILVER CLANSMAN INTERIORS Project: ICAS, Edinburgh Architect: P3 Consultancy This specialist joinery package was part of an interior fit-out completed by Clansman at the Haymarket Yards site of chartered accountancy body ICAS. The project involved the refurbishment of the reception area, meeting and training rooms, toilet areas and an external entrance. Clansman installed a concealed ceiling system with slate-coloured tiles, a manually operated movable acoustic wall, and a mix of carpet 36
tiles, non-slip vinyl and matting on the floors. A key aspect of the joinery was the Hi-Macs solid surface reception desk and matching hoop, which effectively circles below, alongside and above the desk to create an eye-catching feature. The package also included laminated display cabinets and a circular column with top-feature coloured lights. “Well done to Clansman, who have earned the Sliver Award for specialist joinery,” said the judges. www.thefis.org
Awards ❘ Operable Walls
GOLD STYLE MOVEABLE PARTITION SPECIALISTS Project: VOX Conference Centre, Resorts World Birmingham Architect: Monteith Scott Style’s brief was to deliver a moveable wall configuration that offered exceptional versatility, enabling the Vox to host a wide variety of events. Four Skyfolds were installed, incorporating fabric-covered sound absorption panels and high-pressure laminate. In addition, two DORMA Variflex systems were used, featuring four sets of double doors in a T configuration to give access to all areas. A significant challenge was to incorporate the Skyfold walls either
side of this double-door system, so Style came up with the solution of two stacking zones at each end of the conference space, with a laminate finish on the main elevations. “An innovative design was required to achieve the 54dB rating and enable the complete stacking of the door entry walls,” noted the judges. “Well done to Style for innovative design and installation on this project.”
SILVER HUFCOR UK Project: Erensford Grange and Alice Stevens School, Coventry The project, constructed under the Priority Schools Building Programme, featured two operable walls, 6m tall with a total of 29 panels. The structural support for the walls presented a problem as the steelwork was based on a single-span beam, but the panel parking arrangement would require additional steelwork. Hufcor proposed a single-point panel system with the panel widths reduced to ensure that the panel weights would not exceed the loading capacity of the track or support structure, alleviating the need for additional steelwork. Another hurdle was the installation of 10m-high panels weighing up to 400kg. Hufcor added a lifting bar into the manufacture of the panel, which enabled each panel to be mechanically lifted into position. “A very successful installation of which Hufcor should be very proud,” agreed the judges.
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Awards ❘ Awards Lunch A WORD FROM STEVE COLEY FIS president Steve Coley used his speech at the second FIS Awards Lunch to hail the “cream of the crop”. The annual event brought together the sector in a healthy spirit of competitivenesss, he said. “We subbies are a competitive bunch, so to win such prestigious titles is a real buzz.” It was also a chance to confront some big issues, not least the imminent EU referendum. “In 1981 visionary punk band The Clash produced the lyrics ‘Should I stay or should I go?’,” he said. “In a few days, we all go the polls to have our say – should we stay or should we go? Well, that’s your decision and it is not a question of how you vote but that you do vote – or you can’t complain about the result.” Steve took the opportunity to focus on health and safety issues. “Do you know the statistics for how many construction workers died during the construction phase of the London Olympic stadium? Zero. Compare that with 11 fatalities for Rio Olympic Stadium and 300 deaths for Qatar World Cup stadiums – staggering statistics. “Sometimes we are quick to criticise ourselves, but one of our
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great achievements is the improvement in our health and safety record. But while such statistics shine a favourable light on health and safety standards in the UK, there were still 35 construction worker fatalities last year. That’s 35 too many. “There were also 69,000 reported injuries within the workplace last year, 64% of which related to musculoskeletal disorders from manual handling – something every single construction worker does on a daily basis. “Well, watch this space. FIS is at the forefront of reducing plasterboard weights, which is one of the major contributors towards musculoskeletal shoulder disorders.” Physical stress was just part of the story, he said – 20% of absentees were through mental health issues, including anxiety and depression. “It’s no coincidence that FIS is standing back to back with industry leaders such as Lend Lease’s Martin Coyd to spread awareness about mental health first aid courses and initiatives such as Mates in Construction and Construction United,” he said. “All in all, there are 1.7 million work days lost over a 12-month period, of which 1.2 million are the result of ill health and 500,000 due to work place injury. So it makes good business sense to address these issues.”
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