PHAM NEWS JAN19 EDIT:Layout 1 20/12/2018 13:22 Page 1
Volume 57 | Issue 1 | January 2019
Urgent action needed to address skills shortages
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With too few new entrants to the building services sector, BSRIA is urging employers to step up their spend on training to address the historical challenges of skills shortages, productivity and sustainable building. BSRIA (Building Services Research and Information Association) has issued an urgent call to action to increase training within the construction industry, saying companies must invest more to bring new recruits into the fold. The sector is struggling to meet the historical problems of skills shortages, productivity levels and sustainable building, and BSRIA believes training and education will go some way to addressing these challenges. Surveys have repeatedly shown that the construction industry is not attracting enough talent to meet demand. A recent BSRIA survey (November 2018) found that 78% of member companies were having trouble finding qualified workers. With 22% of workers aged between 50 and 60, compared with only 9% being 24 or younger, the challenge is how to transfer all that knowledge to new entrants before it is lost. The survey also found that 64% of firms in the sector are planning to recruit apprentices over the next three years to help plug the gap. The Government has attempted to address
the skills crisis with the Apprenticeship Levy, however a report from the Department for Education shows that since the Levy’s introduction in April 2017, there has been a 24% fall in apprenticeship starts. Recent announcements allowing levy payments to more easily flow down through the supply chain are welcome attempts to reverse this trend, says BSRIA. Stagnant productivity is also rife within construction. A recent World Economic Forum study found that the construction industry’s productivity advancements have been ‘meagre’ compared to those in the rest of the world’s industries over the last 50 years. The study reported that the industry has in fact lost productivity over the last 40 years due to issues such as inadequate
project planning and a shortage of skilled workers. Only 25% of projects are completed within 10% of original deadlines. Sustainable construction is also a big challenge. The Government has set the industry a target to lower greenhouse emissions by 50% by 2025, which some view as unrealistic. According to the UK Green Building Council, the construction and maintenance of buildings and other structures is responsible for around half of CO2 emissions in the UK. Mike Lee, Training Manager at BSRIA, comments: “We will not be able to address these issues without focusing on the provision of vocational training in our industry. The development of training modules aimed at recent entrants will make them more productive more quickly, improve worker motivation and reduce staff turnover and absenteeism. Short courses, in particular, offer the opportunity for exposure to the latest ideas, technologies, processes and techniques, leading to an increase in our capacity to adopt new methods and technologies.”
Landlord falsified gas safety certificate A Torquay landlord has been sentenced after failing to ensure proper landlord’s gas safety checks were undertaken at his tenanted property. Newton Abbot Magistrates’ Court heard how Mr Mehmet Sevim, a former Gas Safe Register engineer and current landlord of residential properties, had contracted a fitter who was not a member of Gas Safe Register to undertake a landlord’s gas safety check at one of his tenanted properties. During an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Mr Sevim repeatedly maintained that he had used a person whom he could not name to undertake the landlord’s
gas safety check for him. He failed to make any checks on the individual, including checking if he was registered with Gas Safe Register. The investigation also found the landlord’s gas safety certificate used false Gas Safe Register engineer details. Mr Sevim later admitted to the court that he had produced the fraudulent certificate. It was also found that Mr Sevim had tried to bribe a prosecution witness before the trial by offering them £300 to change their evidence. Mehmet Sevim of Ellacombe Church Road, Torquay was found guilty of breaching Gas Safety Regulations and has been sentenced
to 26 weeks in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered to undertake 240 hours unpaid work. Mr Sevim was also ordered to pay costs of more than £5330. Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Simon Jones said: “Mr Sevim lied throughout this investigation and only at sentencing did he finally tell the truth about how he falsified a landlord’s gas safety certificate. “There can be no excuse for a landlord to ever falsify a gas safety certificate and this sentence should send a clear warning to all landlords that the courts take such matters very seriously.”
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Bubble life
Panasonic has helped to create a unique and luxury holiday experience in bubble style domes at Finn Lough Resort, offering visitors a view of the stars in the middle of a private forest. As well as a four poster bed and ensuite bathroom, the Domes are kitted out with Panasonic Aquarea fan coils which are connected to air-to-water heat pumps for quick reaction underfloor heating and cooling. Panasonic DX ERV units have also been supplied to maintain a constant air flow rate and each Dome can be monitored via Aquarea Smart Cloud technology to help maintain the optimal environment for each guest. Responding to high demand, the resort has already doubled the number of Domes from seven to 14.
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