Construction National Spring 2015

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LCCI ‘delighted’ to support London Build 2015 The weatherman has a forecast just for you!

LSA publishes updated lead manual Sika introduces dedicated team for major construction projects

HEALTH & SAFETY 11 Fighting cancer in the workplace 12 CDM 2015: is the HSE fit for purpose?

13 Cable industry voices concerns over unsafe non-conforming products 14 Health and safety: thinking differently – and changing the game 15 Half of basement projects fail safety checks 15 Midlands seminar will review H and S 15 New SmartVest concept set to enhance safety on site ROOFING 16 Finalists line up for the Roofing Awards 17 Cornwall’s finest scoops top roofing award 17 Sika Sarnafil chosen for Walkie Talkie’s curved walkways 18 End-of-year accounts show 32.8% annual growth at Metrotile UK 18 Sika Sarnafil specified for UK Border Agency 19 Winchester Cathedral’s ‘Big Lift’ sees scaffolding placed on roof 19 West Kirby Train Station showcases refurbishment with Sika Liquid Plastics roof

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WORKING AT HEIGHT 20 Principal contractors selecting NASC member companies 21 2014 NASC Apprentice of the Year award presented 23 Equipment specialist offers the complete access package 24 Total reliability of supply 25 High-profile rail repair scoops scaffolding award 25 Good news on compliance marks start of anniversary year 26 First part of revised training course goes live 26 First CISRS cardholder is still a scheme member 27 Further expansion for CISRS Overseas Training Scheme 28 Annual IPAF seminar ‘one of the best ever’ 28 Delegates hear about scaffolding safety on the railway TRAINING 29 Training commitment now a requirement for government contracts 29 Get the most from your software investment 30 Brawoliner training course for Metro Rod gains great approval 31 CDM 2015: training available for civil engineers

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BUILDING INFORMATION MODELLING 32 Do we need BIM managers?

35 Study Architecture and the Built Environment at Huddersfield 37 New MSc in Construction Project Management and BIM 39 Roan uses 3D digital model to solve pupil places shortage 39 Project Five are BEST for BIM 40 Landscape architecture, BIM and the collaborative construction process LANDSCAPING 41 Contract growing projects are flourishing

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1CHD

COVER STORY

CONTENTS Working at height Safety when working at height is one of the major topics consistently addressed by the HSE. At the forefront in terms of upgrading safety features through innovation are mobile towers, and the SafeTower mobile scaffold featured on the front cover – manufactured by Netherlands company XSPlatforms – is engineered for safe working.

read more on p25

TREE PLANNING 42 If you’re planning to build near trees, get the right advice 43 BS5837:2012 Tree Reports for development sites

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DEMOLITION 45 Award-winners find that 13 isn’t an unlucky number 45 ISP members open doors 45 Demolition without safeguards leads to prosecution CONCRETE 46 Structural Concrete Alliance – advancing education, training and advice 47 HOPEFlow used for significant Staffordshire military homes build SECURITY 49 Security lies at the heart of design

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CONSTRUCTION IN SCOTLAND 51 Major new event will showcase Scottish construction 51 Scottish apprentices raise the roof 51 Murphy pledges trans-Scotland rail link 51 New funding announced for marine energy sector

DRAINAGE 52 Wincan Embedded offers unified reporting to CCTV manufacturers 53 SuDS and the urban environment GREEN ENERGY 54 Third release of Green Deal fully allocated; remains of second release available 54 What does 2015 hold in store for renewable heat?

EMPLOYMENT LAW 55 Shared Parental Leave – are you ready?

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FINANCE 56 £500,000 Annual Investment Allowance ends 31st December 2015 HOUSING 58 Industry gives two cheers to Budget housing measures 58 How we lived – and still do 59 Historic village is back in the news 60 New show home spearheads developer’s Cumbrian collection 61 Buying can be cheaper than renting in Selby 61 Coventry development gets underway 62 A move to The Paddocks is like a day at the races 63 Partnership leads to a transformation 63 Five-star developer is committed to quality homes DVD REVIEW 66 Training video helps ensure safety at roadworks

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‹ IN THE PAST, speculation was traditionally feverish throughout the fourth and fifth years of a Parliament as to when

the Prime Minister would call an election: would they cut and run or stick it out. The current coalition government put paid to all that with the introduction of the fixed term, so the speculative activity now revolves around the campaign strategies.

In particular, who is going to promise what to whom?

The construction industry is proving to be somewhat of a collateral beneficiary on that point. We are going to have major infrastructure in the regions, a ‘Northern Powerhouse’, more help to buy our homes. All of this, of course, needs building.

A second round of promises revolves around the elections in Scotland next year. Following the ‘no’ vote in the independence referendum, the quid pro quo was increased spending powers for Holyrood. Now the political parties are vying with each other to spend the money. Labour is promising a Crossrail-style rail route from the north east to the south west of the country. It’s more like HS3, really. Now, who’s promising that?

• The current upturn in the industry is also a reflection of advances in processes and technology. Off-site construction allows more certainty of quality, as does the development of supply chain transparency.

Nowhere is the advance of technology more exciting or more spectacular, however, than in the case of Building Information Modelling, or BIM. BIM is the construction equivalent of video gaming in its development. In a matter of a few years it has grown from metaphorical beeps and blips to full-blown interactive 3D models of whole environments – actually, that’s 5D, as the latest versions incorporate timescales and finance.

Courses in the use of the software are available at most universities and the use of BIM has encompassed projects as diverse as whole university campuses and a public toilet. But are we learning to love it? John Klahn of the RICS argues that the main task of a BIM manager is to change cultural attitudes to embrace BIM as a tool, rather than a threat.

The major feature on BIM in this issue also details some examples of the use of BIM, while Landscape Institute member Martyn Horne extols the virtue of the process in working with a building within its environment, being able to incorporate drainage rates and even tree planting.

• Those two areas of environmental planning are also under scrutiny. In particular, the costs of failing to take into account the need to consult on tree preservation can be significant. You have been warned!

• Last year saw the 40th anniversary of the Health and Safety at Work Act: the legislation widely credited with a steady reduction in workplace fatalities and serious injuries over the years. It also saw the creation of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), a body which has been in turn praised and ridiculed, the latter often unfairly.

This year, new regulations have been introduced to replace (supposedly update) the Act’s successor in the construction industry, the CDM regulations. However, the rushed introduction of the new regulations – or, at least, the last-minute issuing of the guidance – has infuriated at least one trade body. The Guild of Builders and Contractors asks “…is the HSE fit for purpose?”

• ‘Slip; slap; slop!’ It’s an old Australian slogan designed to encourage people to take precautions against the sun’s harmful rays. As a nation of sunseekers we actively expose ourselves to the sunshine - often on holiday. But unprotected exposure can be harmful, even in this country, and too few of us take precautions.

Construction employers, however, who routinely employ people in an outdoor environment, would do well to take note of the example of Lend Lease, which offers skin cancer screening to its employees. q

Chris Stokes Editor, Construction National

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LCCI ‘delighted’ to support London Build 2015 ‹ THE TEAM BEHIND London Build 2015 has announced proudly that it is now officially supported by the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI). LCCI is the capital’s largest and most representative business organisation, connecting thousands of business people every year and offering a wide range of practical and professional services.

The Chamber’s chief executive, Colin Stanbridge, declared: “LCCI is delighted to be officially supporting London Build 2015. We are very aware of both the successes and issues in the property and construction sector, particularly the looming skills gap, which was revealed in our recent report with KPMG, Skills to Build. As London’s most representative business organisation, with members large and small, we have a policy agenda underpinned by research reports, quarterly surveys and member committees. Housing, infrastructure, land supply and building in the capital are an important part of that agenda.”

Alongside the LCCI, London Build has also announced that the RIBA and the RICS will be joining the Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE) as lead event partners.

The free, CPD-accredited conference will be accompanied by over 24 workshops, featuring speakers from across the construction industry and local government. They include Chris Chivers, senior vice president of the CIOB, Jamie Ratcliff of the Greater London Authority, Nigel Hardy of TfL, Simon Wright, a director of Crossrail and Dr Paul Toyne, head of sustainability at Balfour Beatty.

London Build 2015 will take place at the O2 in London on 1819 June. The show, which is free to attend, will also be hosting the London Construction Awards 2015 on 18 June. Construction National is a media partner and will have a presence at the event. q • For more information visit www.londonbuildexpo.com.

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The weatherman has a forecast just for you! ‹ THE MET OFFICE has launched a new and

unique service for the construction industry – location-based reports offering site-specific weather information to contractors, available as either monthly planning averages or monthly downtime summaries.

Weather has a major impact on every stage of a construction project, from design to scheduling work or hiring equipment. The Met Office’s new location-based reports will provide bespoke

weather reports that accurately reflect on-site conditions, giving contractors increased confidence in weather information allowing them to identify potential downtime, develop contingency plans and negotiate realistic contracts.

The new reports use weather information from over 3,600 locations, where previous reports have used information from 100 weather stations. To create the location-based reports the Met Office has combined long term average

LSA publishes updated lead manual ‹ A NEWLY-UPDATED, 2015 edition of the Lead Sheet

Association’s Rolled Lead Sheet Manual has been published and is available to purchase both as an e-book and in hard copy format.

The manual sets the technical standards for the industry and is the essential reference point for leadworkers, architects and specifiers.

It contains all of the up-to-date technical information needed to specify or install rolled lead sheet manufactured to BS EN 12588. The e-book also offers the benefit of easy, one-click indexing as well as allowing access from anywhere with an internet connection.

An electronic manual costs £35.00; the cost for both an electronic and a hard copy is £45.00. R • To place an order visit www.leadsheet.co.uk/manuals.

values from the historic gridded database with a database of present observations used to drive the supercomputer forecasting models. The new system has been rigorously tested over a year to verify its robustness. The Met Office is confident in the strength of the new reports and the value they offer.

The reports provide a greater representation of actual construction site conditions and allow contractors to get weather reports specific to their site location rather than the nearest weather station. They include data on up to 16 different weather elements such as daily rainfall totals, minimum air temperature, days with air frost, maximum wind gusts, mean wind speed, humidity and snow depth.

Eleven of these weather elements have long term averages and 1-in-10 year values generated for them. This means that the reports can be used across a variety of construction contracts including NEC clause 60.1 (13). They will help to more accurately identify compensation events, inform the tender process and help contractors understand and prepare for weather related risk.

John Faragher, Met Office construction business manager, said: “These reports are the first of their kind in the industry and will make a real difference thanks to their extremely accurate reflection of onsite weather conditions specific to individual sites”. R

Sika introduces dedicated team for major construction projects ‹ IN ORDER TO offer architects, engineers, contractors and other

specifiers dedicated support for large scale construction projects both in the UK and internationally, Sika Limited has launched a Major Projects Team.

Sika offers one of the industry’s widest product ranges for waterproofing, roofing, flooring and the protection of many other areas of the building envelope. The aim of the Major Projects Team is to enable customers to deal with a single source supplier and a single point of contact on significant construction projects, thus saving time and simplifying the entire process.

Major Projects’ Manager Lee Sleight said: “With this dedicated resource and the full range of solutions for construction, we offer unbiased advice and recommendations based on the most appropriate technical and commercially viable solutions for major projects. We have a wealth of experience of designing and delivering large complex projects and because our customers only need to deal with one provider and a single point of contact, we offer consistency and efficiency throughout the whole project cycle.”

Sika’s Major Projects Team is already adding value to multi-million pound construction projects around the UK and internationally across many sectors including retail, rail, education, health and pharmaceutical, sports stadia, transport, urban developments and hotel and leisure. Sika has a successful international track record spanning more than 100 years and the company’s products have been used on some of the world’s most prestigious construction projects.

Globally, Sika is a world-leader in its field with subsidiaries in more

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than 80 countries, over 15,000 employees and an annual turnover of £3.4 billion. In the UK and Ireland Sika have over 700 employees and an annual turnover in excess of £190 million, with manufacturing sites in Welwyn Garden City, Preston, Leeds and Dublin. R • For further information or to arrange a meeting with one of the team please contact Naomi Gornall or Jennifer Baines on 01772 255681 or visit www.sika.co.uk/majorprojects.

Fighting cancer in the workplace

By PROFESSOR GORDON WISHART, Clinical Director, Check4Cancer

‹ WHEN THE WORLD-LEADING international property and

infrastructure group Lend Lease surveyed the employees in its EMEA arm, it brought to light a shocking fact. A large proportion of those employees worked outside, on construction sites, with prolonged exposure to sunlight – yet 52% of these admitted they did not use protection against the effects of the sun, in spite of the ready availability of sunscreen and an awareness that such precautions were sensible.

Why did this happen, in an environment where the risks were already well-known? To some extent, we are all guilty of this kind of thinking from time to time. If we don’t see or feel an immediate effect, then it’s easy to push thoughts of some seemingly distant threat to one side, or to think “I’ll deal with that tomorrow...” Cancer is not something that anyone really wants to think or talk about, so the impulse to stick our heads in the sand with regard to this illness is especially strong – until it’s too late, of course, and we are forced to confront it.

When people do talk and think about cancer, however, something remarkable happens. Risk is reduced.

Deaths are averted. The stress of worrying about it is potentially reduced, too. With an obvious duty of care, employers have a key role to play in achieving this. Given that many employers are also putting their employees in cancer-provoking environments, the moral imperative is all the greater.

Let’s return to the case of Lend Lease. They decided to address this situation head on by running a skin cancer programme for the employees in its EMEA arm. This service was facilitated by Check4Cancer (C4C) – an organisation for which I act as clinical director. Our task was to raise awareness of the dangers of skin cancer, and offer skin cancer screenings in the workplace. C4C uses screening methods that are often more advanced than those currently in use in the NHS, and some of which are not available on the NHS at all, or are only offered when you report to your GP with symptoms. By making screenings available across the board to those most at risk within a workforce, cancers can be caught before they make themselves known – when they cost less to treat, and can be done so with a far higher likelihood of success.

Initially, the company offered 200 screening slots. Demand proved so high they doubled this figure – this year they intend to double them again, to 800. But even those who did not take up the offer of screenings will have had their awareness raised – it’s partly the screenings that help to make the issue immediate and real.

We know this approach is making a difference. The checks took place between May and August 2014, on Lend Lease premises all over the UK as well as in their Milan office, the idea being to make it as easy as possible for employees to attend. They were conducted by a nurse in

designated meeting rooms and Portakabin offices on the construction sites, with a consultation lasting 30 minutes. Feedback from those who took part was overwhelmingly positive. The fact that it was made available at the place of work and easily accessible for staff, increasing uptake and reducing work downtime, proved a win-win for the all concerned.

The more important win was that it also saved lives. As Gemma Bourne, head of CSR and Lend Lease Foundation (EMEA) said afterwards: “About 10% of people were referred to their GP for further checks. One of my colleagues had a tiny mole on the sole of his foot which he had to have removed. He never would have caught that – he didn’t even know it was there. That consultation effectively saved his life.” It is expected that this year’s expanded screenings will detect new cancers at an early stage and save further lives.

Another case study – Hewlett Packard (HP), who have now implemented four such campaigns for its employees – demonstrates the potential. To date, 65 cancers, which may otherwise have gone undetected, have been caught at early stages.

Perhaps unexpectedly, what these campaigns have revealed is that not only lives that can saved. HP, who paid for the screenings on their employees’ behalf, have calculated that this proactive approach will actually reduce their overall healthcare benefit costs. The question now, therefore, is not whether companies can afford to do this, but whether they can afford not to. q www.constructionnational.co.uk

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CDM 2015: is the HSE fit for purpose?

By Ted Goddard, executive director of the Guild of Builders and Contractors and Fellow of the Association for Project Safety

‹ THE NEW Construction (Design and Management) Regulations

2015 are now in place. They were placed before Parliament at the end of January this year and were implemented on 6th April. Prior to their implementation we predicted a ‘disaster’ for the construction industry in terms of fatal and serious injuries to building workers.

The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994 were introduced as a result of the European Directive 92/57/EEC to implement a minimum standard of safety and health on temporary and mobile construction sites.

These were then replaced with the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 which represented a significant improvement.

When the HSE consulted on a revision to these regulations to create the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, their consultation document stated that the reasons for the changes were as follows: • The shortening and structural simplification of the regulations with the removal of the Approved Code of Practice (ACoP) and its replacement with straightforward guidance aimed at specific industry sub-sectors.

• To replace the CDM co-ordinator role with the principal designer.

• To replace the explicit requirement for individual competence with new Regulation 8 and removing CDM’s explicit requirement for corporate competence.

• To ensure that the clients’ duties also include domestic clients.

• To reduce the threshold for appointment of the co-ordinator role.

Some of these changes were required as a result of ongoing noncompliance with the original EU Directive, and some changes were designed to remedy perceived faults with the way that the existing regulations were being implemented.

The changes had been under consideration for many years, but were delayed significantly because of problems with the solutions that have been developed. The new regulations were pushed through at the last moment in order that they could be implemented before the General Election.

The guidance documents were released literally at the last moment permissible to allow this process to take place, and they do not appear to have been considered adequately. We are very concerned that the legislation and guidance has been rushed through in an illconsidered format simply to achieve the deadline imposed by the General Election and the suspension of Parliament.

The HSE released a consultation document relating to proposed changes between 31st March 2014 and 6th June 2014. There were 1,427 responses to the consultation.

However 65% of the responses were from CDM co-ordinators and the entertainment industry. The outcome of the public consultation has stated that these responses were essentially ignored as they constituted ‘campaigns’. We understand that this is a legitimate tactic used by Government in order to drive through legislation. However most responses were in fact balanced views of the proposals, and we are aggrieved that these, and our views, could be so simply dismissed.

Our concerns are that this latest set of regulations has been poorly thought through and will: • Create a significant step backwards in health and safety regulation in the construction industry, endangering workers.

• Create significant duties for designers, who are often poorly qualified to complete them.

• Create significant duties for clients, without them having the automatic advice that was afforded to them by the CDM co-ordinator.

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• Increase the cost of compliance in the construction industry, instead of the stated aim to reduce cost.

• Increase costs to all homeowners carrying out construction works in their own homes.

The 2015 regulations will not exclude temporary and mobile structures, unlike CDM 2007 which made a specific exclusion.

This will have a significant impact on the entertainment and events industries. Any construction project (now including temporary structures) where there will be more than one contactor on site will fall under the proposed regulations and will require the client to perform their duties as outlined in the draft guidance and the appointed principal designer (presumably the set designer?) to discharge their duties. This introduces a huge amount of projects which were not previously subject to CDM 2007, such as construction of a film / TV set, music events, sports events etc.

Possibly the most significant effect of the new regulations is the removal of the client advisor role provided by CDM co-ordinators.

Previously the CDM co-ordinator was legally required to ‘give advice and assistance to the client undertaking the measures he needs to take to comply with these regulations...’ In the 2015 revision, the duty of the principal designer extends only to providing advice with respect to pre-construction information.

This change will leave clients for construction works, many of whom have no construction experience, exposed to criminal duties without the automatic advice that was afforded to them by CDM co-ordinators.

We have spoken to many high-profile clients who are extremely concerned as to how they will be exposed under these new regulations.

The HSE Guidance Document did recommend that clients may need to ‘draw on competent advice’, but this is now not automatically provided to them by the CDM co-ordinator.

We have a close working relationship with several hundred designers, in particular architects, and have consulted with them on the how these proposals will influence them.

The changes force upon them the expectation to fulfil the role of principal designer, (this role replaces the CDM co-ordinator). Most of the architects that we have spoken to feel ill-equipped to fulfil this role, and as a result they are seeking to subcontract the duties to firms of specialists.

The replacement of the CDM co-ordinator with the principal designer will simply lead to a situation whereby, far from reducing construction costs as intended by the new regulations, architects will seek a quotation from other consultants and will then in all likelihood mark these up to cover the additional responsibility of being named ‘principal designer’.

Since broadly speaking the same documentation needs to be produced, the costs are not simply going to vanish as hoped by the HSE – they will just be subcontracted and marked up. We are advised that both the APS and RIBA are currently drafting sub-consultancy contracts to be used in these new circumstances.

The CDM co-ordinator was a source of specialist health and safety advice throughout the construction process. The role has been split between clients, designers and contractors. Frequently clients and designers have little or no understanding of health and safety. The removal of the specialist CDM co-ordinator role will create a disjointed approach throughout the construction process and, in many cases, will

remove the one duty holder who did understand health and safety and provided advice. This will undoubtedly have a negative effect on health and safety on construction sites.

The proposed solution to the non-compliance issue in the EU Directive is to pass domestic client duties to the principal contractor by default. This solution is unworkable as it ignores the fact that many client duties need to be fulfilled prior to the appointment of a principal contractor.

The new regulations will undoubtedly affect the cost of small scale domestic construction works, as contractors will need to produce additional documentation and fulfil more onerous duties.

The HSE have stated on numerous occasions that the main area of focus needs to be at the SME end of the construction industry. We agree with them. However, the new regulations change the threshold of notification to the HSE from being ‘30 working days or 500 person days’ to ‘30 working days with 20 or more people on site or 500 person days’. This will substantially reduce the number of smaller projects notified to the HSE. In the Construction Industry Training Board’s Guidance Notes they give rather banal advice to principal designers on actively encouraging designers to work together as a team: “You can support their communication by providing breakfast for an early meeting or by celebrating project milestones.”

We appreciate that there may be wider political issues, including the Government’s goal of ‘reducing red tape’, but we are sure that when the public express concerns about health and safety legislation they are concerned with low risk environments, and not construction, which is one of the most dangerous industries in the UK. We also appreciate that there is a requirement to deal with under-compliance with the EU Directive, but these changes are ill-considered, were forced through in the final months of Parliament, and will have far reaching effects on the construction industry for years to come.

What a legacy to leave! q

Cable industry voices concerns over unsafe non-conforming products ‹ THE APPROVED CABLES INITIATIVE (ACI) is questioning the

prevalence of faulty products in the UK construction sector, following news from Australia that non-conforming products are a significant problem in that country’s building and construction sector.

Last year, as already reported by the ACI, a national cable recall left some Australian cable importers experiencing financial difficulties.

Around 40,000 homes and businesses still have potentially dangerous cable installed six months on from the recall.

The Australian construction sector reports a number of factors that are leading to a growth in faulty products. Factors include a rise in online purchasing, gaps in the regulatory environment, pressure to cut costs and the global market, whereby smaller, lightweight building products can be easily transported.

Australia’s Housing Industry Association is concerned that the builder is often the only person with any responsibility to make sure products are fit for purpose.

Commenting on the story, the ACI said: “We are keen to understand whether the problems experienced in Australia of non-conforming products are also being played out in the UK construction sector. Many of the reasons cited for the rise in these products have relevance for the UK, too, and we would ask all interested parties to let us know of any similar experiences they may have had.” q • For more information about the ACI campaign visit www.aci.org.uk.

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Health and safety: thinking differently – and changing the game ‹ WE LIVE IN a health and safety-obsessed world. Or so it seems.

Schools, colleges, organisations, shops and businesses up and down the land take great pains to prove that they are ultra-conscientious about health and safety practices and fully compliant with health and safety laws. They draw up strategies. They assess risks. They run health and safety courses. And – most importantly – they tick boxes.

Sometimes, though, they seem to tick boxes without thinking things through.

And that can land you in all sorts of bother.

Heard the one about the office workers who were refused permission to put up Christmas decorations, for instance? Or what about the town hall that banned candy floss in case people tripped up and impaled themselves on the sticks. Then there was the university which ordered its graduates not to throw their mortar boards into the air during the customary ‘now throw your mortar boards into the air!’ photo opportunity.

Unfortunately, while these stories are infuriatingly funny, they have the regrettable side-effect of making health and safety seem like a joke. Sadly, it isn’t. Because there are some working environments – where vehicles and human beings meet head on, for instance – where health and safety isn’t a laughing matter at all. For every example of silly, jobsworth bureaucracy there’s a grisly example of a spectacular workplace transport health and safety failure to wipe the smile off your face.

Suddenly, with real people getting really hurt, sensible health and safety procedures don’t seem like such a silly idea.

Which makes you think: in industrial workplaces, do managers really understand health and safety requirements? Or are they content to unthinkingly tick boxes, simply for health and safety appearances’ sake?

Certainly the suspicion is that some managers are so busy keeping up appearances, they often don’t investigate better options. For example, it’s important for industrial workplaces to have the right safety barrier for the right application – and many managers don’t realise the potentially dire health and safety implications of having the wrong protective barrier in the wrong place. Put simply, it’s asking for trouble to take the attitude ‘We’ve got a barrier to comply with health and safety regulations. It looks sturdy enough, so that’ll do.’

This is not necessarily the manager’s fault, mind you. Because the safety barrier they think they need may not be the one they actually need. But how can this be? How can ‘clever’ engineers not understand the physics of installing the wrong barrier and the enhanced-safety specifications of the right barrier?

Sadly, it’s probably because most industrial workplace managers simply assume that a generic metal barrier system is adequate for their health and safety needs. Yet metal barrier systems are usually rigid. Hit one in a vehicle and you’ll know about it. The vehicle will be damaged, the floor will be ruined and the barrier will need to be replaced.

But a UK company called A-SAFE – which makes a full range of independently-tested safety barriers – has been thinking differently about health and safety in the workplace and wants managers worldwide to do the same.

A-SAFE, a winner of the Queen’s Award for International Trade in 2014, has produced a world first – a modular barrier system made from a trademarked plastic-rubber blend called Memaplex (pictured above). It’s easy to install and offers a vastly superior return in investment over traditional steel counterparts;

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mainly because when an A-SAFE barrier is hit by a moving vehicle it flexes on impact and springs back into shape, dissipating the force throughout the barrier.

What’s more, it only transfers 20 per cent of the force to the floor, so floor damage isn’t an issue either.

And because A-SAFE are experts in their field and offer a full consultancy and back-up service, they can advise workplaces about installing the right barrier for the right situation.

In health and safety terms, then, it’s an absolute game-changer. And that’s no joke. q • A-SAFE are the inventors and manufacturers of fixed polymer safety barriers. Used around the world they offer unbeatable, money-saving protection for buildings, personnel and equipment – for more information call 01422 331133, email sales@asafe.com or visit asafe.com.

Half of basement projects fail safety checks ‹ ALMOST HALF OF domestic basement

projects across three London boroughs failed unannounced safety checks carried out by HSE over a two-day period, it has been revealed.

The initiative, in March, saw a team of inspectors visit 127 sites across Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea, and parts of Westminster. Enforcement action was taken at 62 of those sites, an overall rate of 48%. In a similar inspection drive last year the overall enforcement rate across 107 sites was 36%.

At two projects, conditions were so dangerous that inspectors were forced to close the sites.

More than two thirds of the Prohibition Notices served dealt with the risk of workers falling from height, either into unguarded excavations or through unprotected floor openings, as well as unshored excavations. Inadequate welfare provision accounted for half of the Improvement Notices.

James Hickman, lead HSE inspector for the construction division in the City and South West London, said: “These enforcement figures reflect the rapidly-increasing number of companies entering the basement industry to meet the current high demand for basement living space in London. Those new to basement construction work are often unaware of the risks associated with the technically challenging nature of the work or of the standards required to ensure the

safety of their workforce.

“The overall picture is similar to other targeted inspections of basement work in London, where we identified the same kind of problems relating to unsafe work at height and excavations, and poor welfare facilities. That suggests the message isn’t getting through, or that there is complacency towards health and safety across this sector of the construction industry. But that is only partly the case.

“As well as serious safety contraventions, we also found examples of better standards, often at sites managed by companies who are known to HSE, some of whom have previously received enforcement notices requiring improvements to be made. It illustrates that lessons have been learned, and we hope the latest failings that required action will have a similar impact with contractors new to the basement industry.” q

Midlands seminar will review H and S ‹

MEMBERS OF THE construction industry across the Midlands are being invited to a free seminar looking at the challenges facing the sector, including forthcoming changes to regulation.

Looking Back, Moving Forward takes place at the Barclaycard Arena in Birmingham on 22 April and coincides with the 40th anniversary of the Health and Safety at Work Act and 60 years of the Birmingham Health, Safety and Environment Association’s construction section.

The seminar and associated exhibition, which is organised jointly with the Working Well Together group, will look at the challenges ahead and innovative ways to continue the work being done to improve health and safety within the industry.

The event will be chaired by Dr Alex Grieve, an occupational physician who has worked with the armed forces, Shell and BUPA. Speakers will include HSE board member Frances Outram and John Mensforth, construction director at BAM Construction, who will talk about the company’s recent refurbishment and extension work at the venue. q • For more information or to book a place contact Belinda Hall at HSE on 0121 607 6200 or email belinda.hall@hse.gsi.gov.uk.

New SmartVest concept set to enhance safety on site ‹ SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT specialist

3Squared is pioneering a SmartVest that could help enhance the safety of construction and rail workers on site.

With the construction industry focusing on improving its record on health and safety, 3Squared recognised how an established piece of PPE (personal protective equipment) could be adapted with the latest technology to assist workers by notifying them of potential hazards.

The SmartVest expands on the current invaluable safety benefits of the high visibility vest by incorporating low energy, light emitting diodes (LEDs) that respond to potential impending dangers.

Particularly for trackside railway workers, the SmartVest will integrate with established live data feeds to provide automated visual alerts for workers to inform them of trains approaching a working area.

Different coloured lighting is used to create visual alerts for individual workers and groups of workers helping them to identify a possible hazard quickly and effectively.

Tim Jones, managing director of 3Squared,

said: “The SmartVest concept innovatively and creatively takes an established product with existing safety benefits into the 21st century. We are very excited about what this could mean for construction and infrastructure workers in terms of enhancing their safety on site.”

To further extend the SmartVest’s functionality and to ensure it responds to different situations 3Squared utilises its ‘SmartSafe’ virtual zone management platform. Its SmartSafe web-based software allows engineers to upload site plans and draw out virtual safe, exclusion and hazardous working zones, such as overhead power cables.

Once out on site, the software utilises the latest iBeacon technology to establish and monitor these virtual zones. iBeacons have revolutionised the field of micro positioning enabling devices to accurately obtain exact locations within built or open environments.

This is one of several exciting, innovative technology-focused projects in which 3Squared is currently engaged in the rail and construction sectors. 3Squared has extensive

experience in developing software for the construction and rail sector. The company has over 10 years’ experience in helping organisations to use the latest technology to overcome business problems, improve efficiency and save money. q • For more information on using wearable technology to bring major benefits to infrastructure and rail projects, contact info@3squared.com, tel 0333 121 3333 or visit the website at www.3squared.com. www.constructionnational.co.uk

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Finalists line up for the Roofing Awards ‹ THE FINALISTS HAVE been announced in the 2015

Roofing Awards. Following closure of entries at the end of January, a panel of judges whittled down the entries – which had come from across the UK – to 48 finalists across 12 categories.

The Roofing Awards cover the full spectrum of roofing disciplines and run from September to January every year. A range of criteria were taken into consideration by the judging panel, including degree of difficulty, aesthetics, problem-solving, health and safety, workmanship and environmental qualities.

The projects nominated cover a wide range of building types.

In addition to the clutch of housing developments and office buildings, there are educational and medical facilities, transport hubs, hotels and scientific facilities. There is even a children’s theme park and a Scotch whisky visitor centre. A number of heritage sites feature alongside several churches.

Among the winning projects last year was the stunning roof of the First Direct Arena in Leeds (pictured), one of two gongs scooped by Lakesmere Roofing.

At the awards ceremony in May the winners of a number of individual awards for safety and training will also be presented and the Lead Contractors’ Association will formally present its Murdoch Award and Murdoch Sponsors Award.

Formerly known as the NFRC Awards, the Roofing Awards recognise and reward outstanding standards of workmanship and safety among competent roofing companies. They are open to companies who are members of one of the supporting trade associations, including the NFRC. Submissions are also welcomed from manufacturers, architects and other specifiers.

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Along with the NFRC, the awards hosts last May were the Roofing Tile Alliance (RTA), the Liquid Roofing Waterproofing Association (LRWA), the Lead Contractors Association (LCA), the Lead Sheet Association (LSA), the Federation of Traditional Metal Roofing Contractors (FTMRC), the Single Ply Roofing Association (SPRA), the Metal Cladding and Roofing Manufacturers Association (MCRMA), CompetentRoofer and the Green Roof Centre.

The winners will be announced on 15 May at the UK Roofing Awards Luncheon at the Hilton London Metropole on Edgware Road. This year’s host is the BBC’s Louise Minchin. A spokesperson for the NFRC declared: “We wish this year’s finalists the very best of luck.” q

Cornwall’s finest scoops top roofing award ‹ ON 9 MARCH the Master and Wardens of the Worshipful Company of Tylers and Bricklayers presented their 2015 Craft Awards at Trinity House in the City of London. Guests not only enjoyed a splendid lunch and terrific views of the Tower of London, but also witnessed the presentation of an award to the first female member of the Royal Engineers to win in a bricklaying category.

The ceremony was hosted by the Master of the Company, Roger Westbrook CMG, who presented the awards together with principal guest Alderman Dr Andrew Parmley, a Sheriff of the City of London. The winners were introduced by the chairman of the craft committee, Mr Jeff Fuller.

Among the awards was the Mason Elliott Award for Roof Slating and Tiling. The finalists who won their regional heats worked against the clock to prepare and complete a roof test piece utilising a pre-formed standard rig simulating typical roofing techniques. They included ornamental detailing in both natural slates and concrete plain tile. The competition was sponsored by the National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC).

The winner was Kyle Friendship of Cornwall College in St Austell. Kyle’s course tutor was Mr Sean Sullivan.

Mr Fuller made special mention of the fact it was the third consecutive occasion that one of Mr Sullivan’s students has been the winner of the Mason Elliott Award. q

Sika Sarnafil chosen for Walkie Talkie’s curved walkways ‹ AT A DIZZYING 160m (525ft) tall,

London’s distinctive Walkie Talkie building required an exceptional roofing solution.

Fenland Flat Roofing and Sika Sarnafil single ply were up to the challenge.

Designed by architect Rafael Viñoly and costing over £200 million, 20 Fenchurch Street is a 34-storey commercial skyscraper in London, known as the ‘Walkie Talkie’ building due to its top-heavy form. A large viewing deck, bar, restaurants and sky garden are included on the top three floors.

Awarded the project in February 2014, Cambridge-based contractor Fenland Flat Roofing was required to provide a lightweight walkable roof area for the access walkways and perimeter edges of the glazed roof to the garden and restaurant. The roofing product had to be carefully selected as it needed to curve in two directions due to the unique design of the building.

Sarnafil G410-12EL single ply provided the perfect solution to this design criteria, thanks to its excellent flexibility and weldabilty, while offering outstanding resistance to weathering, including permanent UV irradiation. This was installed in Lead Grey to the BMU Track and covered with SarnaTred walkway tiles, allowing durable and slip resistant access for maintenance workers – a vital safety consideration.

The second part of the project was to provide a flexible high performance waterproofing membrane to the bespoke Shoulder areas in white, to match in with the steelwork structure colour. Again, Sarnafil had the product to suit the application, Sarnafil G410-15EL Traffic White.

The Walkie Talkie project stands out due to its sheer size and height, creating challenging access issues. As there was no

Fenland Roofing working off harness installing Sika Saranafil on the Walkie Talkie building roof, with stunning views across London scaffold available, the Fenland team had to work off harnesses and safety lines on a leading edge and had to traverse the glass roof of the building to access the work area.

All tools and equipment had to be properly secured at all times. To maintain the most

stringent health and safety standards required diligence and planning, rewarding workers with stunning views across London.

High skill levels were required to overcome the various tricky details on the roof and the team had to interface with multiple trades.

Fenland completed the project in August 2014 on time and to budget.

Internally the Walkie Talkie provides a mixture of 13,000sq ft of retail space and 680,000sq ft of top quality offices with panoramic views of London. It is designed to have a BREEAM excellence rating. q • For more information on Sika Sarnafil’s products and services, call 01707 394444, email sarnafilroofing@uk.sika.com or visit www.sarnafil.co.uk. www.constructionnational.co.uk

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End-of-year accounts show 32.8% annual growth at Metrotile UK ‹ YEAR-END ACCOUNTS SHOW 32.8 per cent year-

on-year growth at leading lightweight steel roofing tile firm Metrotile UK. The Chippenham-based company, which employs 17 staff in Wiltshire and around the UK, enjoyed sales of just over £7.1 million in its financial year 2014/15 which came to a close at the end of January.

Following a strong end to the year, the figure was even higher than forecast and is up by 32.8 per cent on the previous year’s sales of £5.3 million.

Pre-tax profits fell slightly from £510,000 in 2013/14 to £493,000 in 2014/15, following an investment in marketing activities of more than £300,000 as the company bids to break into the mainstream domestic construction sector.

John Cunningham, managing director of Metrotile UK (pictured), said: “It’s been an amazing year for us as we’ve sold more than one million tiles for the first time, with a record month in September of more than 120,000 tiles.

“We’re keen to keep breaking into new markets and I believe our products can have a major impact on the construction industry as a whole. Lightweight roofs have huge sustainability benefits as well as a variety of cost savings for developers and construction companies – reductions in transport costs, the building materials required, depth of foundations and scaffolding requirements.

“I believe this is just the beginning for the range of products we provide and I’m looking forward to what the next 12 months hold for everyone here.” q • Metrotile UK is based at Unit 3 of the Sheldon Business Park, Sheldon Corner, Chippenham, Wiltshire. For further information please visit www.metrotile.co.uk or call 01249 658514.

Sika Sarnafil specified for UK Border Agency ‹ THE UK BORDER AGENCY in Cardiff

now boasts a total of 750sq m of Sika Sarnafil single ply roofing after a skilful refurbishment by Reading-based Owlsworth Roofing.

In 2013 The UK Border Agency facilities management team contacted construction company Interserve with severe concerns about the flat roof on their building.

Substantial areas of standing water had formed on the existing coverings and the large quantity of roof-mounted air conditioning plant would likely hamper the effectiveness of any repairs.

In November 2013 Interserve tasked Owlsworth Roofing with advising on the most suitable long-term waterproofing solution for the roof. With 30 years’ experience within the construction industry, solving some of the most complex flat roofing problems, Owlsworth was well placed to lend its expertise to the project.

Following a site assessment, Owlsworth recommended a full roof refurbishment before any major problems began to occur, which would include the difficult task of removing and reinstating all of the existing roof plant.

The scaffolding went up in February 2014 and in March the works began in earnest with cut-to-falls insulation bonded to the existing

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UK Border Agency offices, Cardiff roof coverings to help reduce standing water.

Then, in order to provide a long-term and cost-effective waterproofing solution for the building, Owlsworth chose to install Sika Sarnafil roof coverings. Sarnafil G410-15ELF was selected due to its outstanding resistance to weathering and ease of installation.

The internal upstand kerbs needed to be raised to fully surround the stone parapet around the external elevations of the building.

This was in order to accommodate the increased thickness of insulation, which exceeded 300mm in places.

To further guarantee a watertight finish and to keep the roof sound for years to come, the stone parapet was covered with a layer

of Sarnafil G410-15EL membrane, finished with pre-fabricated Sarnametal edge trims around the entire perimeter. Sarnafil rain water scuppers were then installed to carry rainwater through the parapets into the existing external hoppers and downpipes, thereby removing any chance of standing water.

The original roof mounted plant was carefully reinstated on a combination of G445-13 protection sheet and inverted G410-15ELF sacrificial pads and then reconnected. This was followed by reinstalling the roof mounted handrails and adding a new non-slip Sarnatred walkway for future access and maintenance. The project was completed in April 2014.

Peter Mably, of Owlsworth Roofing, said: “The project is a fantastic example of how a single ply roof should look even when used in conjunction with lots of plant. The complex level of detail on this refurbishment was a challenge but our skilled team and the quality of the Sarnafil product produced fantastic results for the client.” q • For more information on Sika Sarnafil’s products and services call 01707 394444, email sarnafilroofing@uk.sika.com or visit www.sarnafil.co.uk.

Winchester Cathedral’s ‘Big Lift’ sees scaffolding placed on roof ‹ ON 18 MARCH a crowd of onlookers saw a

300-tonne crane – one of the largest of its type in the country – finally lifting a huge scaffolding framework on to the roof of Winchester Cathedral, to enable work to commence on remoulding and replacing 500 tonnes of lead, the condition of which has deteriorated over time.

The frame was hoisted in four sections a distance of 12m above the cathedral tower, then lowered onto the east end of the cathedral roof.

The operation took a day to complete.

“As far as we know, this is the first time that this has taken place on a cathedral in this country,” said Ian Bartlett, site construction manager, who co-ordinated the lift. “Apart from the complexities of building the framework in the first place, the logistics of working in a relatively

tight space at that end of the building to achieve the lift meant that everything had to be planned to the minutest degree.”

This is just one part of a project to repair and conserve the roof spaces at the east end of the building, which also included building a similarly impressive ‘bird’s nest’ structure inside the cathedral.

“Our aspirations have become a reality now in a very visible way,” said Annabelle Boyes, receiver general at the cathedral. “We are on a journey which started some five years ago, and will continue for at least another three. But we are custodians of a thousand-year heritage, so what we hope to achieve will protect that heritage well into the future.”

The scaffolding structures have been designed

and constructed by Salisbury-based Blencowe Scaffolding Ltd and the lift itself was co-ordinated

by King Lifting, a UK-wide company with a depot in Southampton. As much as possible, local organisations are being contracted to achieve the project. q

West Kirby Train Station showcases refurbishment with Sika Liquid Plastics roof ‹ IN A STANDOUT project by leading national roofing company Briggs

Amasco, as part of refurbishment works at West Kirby Railway Station, the main platform now includes 900 sq m of Sika Liquid Plastics roofing.

West Kirby Station’s 1930s train canopy, with its concrete/timber deck and skylights, had started to leak due to its age. Repairs were previously undertaken as a short term fix, but owing to a degree of concrete spoiling which was causing material to drop on the platform, a refurbishment of the roof was deemed well overdue.

As part of the West Kirby Railway Station building and refurbishment works, Network Rail, under CP4 funding, issued the contract for the roof repairs to Briggs Amasco. The refurbishment included a new roof, stripping and painting of the underside of the station canopy, CCTV installation and new lighting.

Asbestos testing uncovered traces of chrysotile asbestos in the roof so a highly experienced asbestos removalist, Howard Stott Demolition, was employed to undertake the job of stripping off the existing roof coverings and dealing with the issue.

Following this delay, work on renewing the roof began in July 2014. At the client’s request, Briggs Amasco installed 900 sq m of Sika Liquid Plastics roofing system, including a Decothane Delta 25 Liquid Plastics product with 120mm thick Decotherm insulation and Decothane base and top coats. These materials were chosen for their long life span and environmental credentials, as required by the client, with the cold applied system resulting in an eco-friendly application.

The main challenge of the project was undertaking the work in the middle of a busy train station near a residential area, so issues regarding noise and disturbance had to be considered.

The train station was kept open while the works took place which meant there needed to be as little disruption to staff, the public and commuters as possible. Acoustic mats and polythene were used to keep dust and noise to a minimum. Briggs Amasco was able to ensure quick application of the Sika Liquid Plastics roofing system and the product was readily available so the client’s tight time requirements were met.

Working in harnesses, during possessions and during the night in cold temperatures, the job included complex detailing, installation of new full barrel vault roof lights and a Latchways ManSave system. Concrete repairs to the roof were completed and a specific colour paint was used on the trim to match the corporate colours of the rail operator.

Gerry Ashton, Briggs Amasco contracts manager, said: “The roof installation was challenging because of the methodology of the works – all operatives had to be fully harnessed up as you could not put a handrail up due to the third rail.

Being clipped in at all times was essential while undertaking the works and working weekends was a must to ensure the project was completed on time.

“The overall aesthetics of the project is first class, everyone who worked on the project has done a great job and it is a very pleasing outcome.” q • For more info visit www.liquidplastics.co.uk. www.constructionnational.co.uk

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Principal contractors selecting NASC member companies ‹ PRINCIPAL CONTRACTORS ARE increasingly stipulating only NASC

member companies to carry out their scaffolding and access contracts on construction sites across the UK. In two out of their three regions in the UK, major UK contractor Wates Living Space are specifying the use of NASC member companies only for their access and scaffolding requirements.

This trend is being reflected across the country by most principal contractors and major construction companies – to guarantee that scaffolding best practice is being adopted on their sites. And many of these large construction brands are also joining the NASC as information members, including Wates Living Space.

The Wates Living Space regional director behind this decision is regional operations director Tom Langley, who says: “Wates Living Space are delighted to become information members of the NASC – as the national body for setting scaffolding industry standards in the UK. “We see membership as a vital part of our commitment to zero harm both to our workforce, to our supply chain partners and to the communities in which we serve. It will support our approach to training for continuous high standards of scaffolding best practice.”

NASC president, Kevin Ward said: “I am delighted that when it comes to potentially hazardous access and scaffolding activities, Wates Living Space have identified that the surest way to provide a safe working environment for all affected parties on their sites is to join the ever expanding list of blue chip organisations that stipulate the use of NASC regulated scaffolding companies only on their sites across the UK. “It is my hope that their decision may act as a catalyst for other like-minded organisations to follow suit, whilst also encouraging scaffolding contractors who

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National SHE manager for Wates Living Space, Martin Glover (left) and regional operations manager Tom Langley (right) pictured with NASC president Kevin Ward are not members of the NASC to up their game, accept working to established best practice and regulation as a positive for their business, and apply for membership of the NASC.” NASC managing director, Robin James, added: “We are seeing more and more principal contractors across the UK specifying NASC members only for their scaffolding and access requirements. This is no surprise to us, as our members are strictly audited to make sure they comply with the very latest in NASC safety and technical guidance – which represents best practice for the scaffolding industry as a whole.” q • For details about becoming an NASC full member or information member and to find out more about TG20:13 and other technical and safety guidance, please visit www.nasc.org.uk or email: enquiries@nasc.org.uk.

2014 NASC Apprentice of the Year award presented ‹ THE INAUGURAL NASC Apprentice

of the Year award winner – Josh Kerwin of KAEFER C&D Ltd – was presented with his trophy, certificate and £500 cash prize in January by NASC training director and CISRS scheme manager Dave Mosley and Diane Wood, award scheme judge and specialist account co-ordinator for the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).

The presentation took place at KAEFER’s offices in Mansfield – the company also received a trophy and £500 to be spent on CISRS training with an approved provider.

Josh said:“I’m very pleased to win this new award from the NASC and am very grateful to KAEFER for supporting me through the scaffolding apprentice programme. It’s been an incredibly positive experience and I would recommend the scaffolding apprenticeship route to anyone looking to get qualified within the sector.

“It was really interesting to meet up with other lads on the course from all over the country with different levels of scaffolding experience. Everyone got on well and the instructors would ask more experienced lads to work with those who were finding it harder going.

“I have enjoyed my training experience so far and have also volunteered to attend additional training on behavioural issues in order to boost my skillset and career prospects. I’m now looking forward to getting more on site experience and progressing to advanced scaffolder training when the company feels I am ready.”

Richard Llewellyn, midlands area operations manager for KAEFER added: “Two years ago, we decided to go down the apprenticeship route, as we became aware we had an ageing workforce and wanted to bring in some new blood. We could not be more pleased with the results, with young lads like Josh Kerwin far exceeding our expectations.

As a result of the success of the apprenticeship scheme to date we have taken on a further 15 new apprenticeships across the UK. The new NASC Apprentice of the Year scheme – sponsored by both CITB and CISRS – is aimed at individuals who are directly employed by an NASC member company and are either part way through a formal scaffolding apprenticeship with an approved CISRS provider, or

Diane Wood and David Mosley with Apprentice of the Year winner Josh Kerwin alternatively have successfully completed the apprenticeship programme.

The successful candidate needed to be conscientious, show a willingness to learn, and develop skills and go above and beyond the call of duty whilst working their way through the qualification.

Award scheme judge Diane Wood wanted to see evidence of someone who through hard work, personal development and a commitment to the industry would be viewed as a shining example to others looking to enter the scaffolding sector. She said: “Josh originally started as a yard lad in 2011.

He then applied for a labourer’s job and worked for a year labouring before moving into the scaffold division and starting an apprenticeship. He has not only overcome his own personal challenges of working away from home while so young, but he has also helped others – in particular another

team member who was finding it difficult attending college and being away from home. Joshua’s support enabled this person to continue at college.”

Dave Mosley said: “Congratulations to both Josh and KAEFER on their achievement.

The scaffolding sector is not always given the credit it deserves for the level of commitment that is required on the parts of both the apprentice and their employer to complete the CISRS scaffolding training programme.

The competition for next year’s award should be particularly strong, thanks to the NASC president’s New Apprenticeship Challenge which has generated over 240 new scaffolding apprenticeships since November 2013. It’s all very positive for the industry, highlighting that the scaffolding sector is leading the way in apprentice training.

At the presentation, Dave Mosley and Diane Wood also gave a special mention to the two runners-up for the 2014 award, Dean Fry of Chris Sedgeman Scaffolding Ltd and Matt Wernham of Connect Scaffolding Ltd, both of whom will also receive a trophy in recognition of their efforts whilst working towards the achievement of their apprenticeships.

Those wishing to enter the NASC Apprentice of the Year 2015 award should go to the CISRS section in the member’s area on the NASC website. Details will be available from September. q

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Equipment specialist offers the complete access package ‹ WORKING SAFELY AT HEIGHT continues to

(which can be transported in the boot of most cars) and Omegadeck (a bridging system).

Recently launched was the Deltadeck GO, a unique low level work platform with full guardrail protection – it was recently specified by one of the UK’s leading multi-discipline civil engineering contractors. Falls from low heights can happen just as easily as those at greater heights and can be just as costly.

be a topical discussion point. With an ever-increasing range of access and scaffolding equipment, it is still a wonder that falls from height continue to occur on such a large scale. Two factors can help reduce the risk of fall. Firstly, selection of appropriate equipment, and secondly appropriate training.

Selection of appropriate equipment The Work at Height Regulations state a simple hierarchy – avoid, prevent and minimise the consequences. It is important that users of access equipment assess the risks and through doing so, should be able to identify the type of equipment necessary to carry out the task at hand.

Turner Access Ltd has recently celebrated its 30th anniversary in the industry and recognises that the reason for its continued success is down to high quality products and the experience and expertise of its staff.

As well as offering product solutions, the company can provide help, advice and guidance on the type of access equipment a customer may need. They support this with training and design, and offer a contract service for installation and dismantling.

Products are manufactured at Turner’s head offices in Glasgow in a facility accredited with ISO 9001:2008 and BSOHSAS 18001:2007. This includes: the Turner Access range of aluminium towers, incorporating advance guardrails; a series of low level access platforms that provide a safer alternative to ladders, steps and trestles; and the Turner OCTO® steel scaffolding system used in numerous market sectors from construction to oil and gas.

Aluminium towers: The OCTO 250 and Beta aluminium towers offer simplicity, strength and safety. Components are manufactured from high quality materials and rigorously tested.

The BetaGuard® integral advance guardrail has been developed to provide users with not only a safer process for building towers, but also a more productive one. Instead of having numerous braces to fit, the BetaGuard® frame incorporates bracing in one component, simplifying tower assembly.

Low level access: The Turner Access range of low level work platforms includes Alphastep (a podium), Sigmadeck (a folding tower), Deltadeck

Turner OCTO® system scaffolding: Turner OCTO® is the only original system scaffolding currently manufactured in the UK. Turner OCTO® scaffold designers have over 20 years combined service in scaffolding component and scaffold structure design, and have produced detailed designs and systems of work for the construction, oil and gas, industrial and aviation markets.

Turner OCTO® is used extensively throughout the company’s contracts division. As an accredited NASC contractor, Turner Access is obliged to follow safe systems of work. The use of Turner OCTO® ensures scaffolders are working safely at height with a product of superior quality and strength.

Turner OCTO® has been used in various contract jobs across the Glasgow and west-central Scotland area, where the contracts division mainly operates.

Recent sales of the product have been made across the world – from Scandinavia to North America, and in specific industries such as offshore, oil and gas and aviation MRO markets.

Training On selection of appropriate equipment for working at height, it is equally important that users of that equipment are properly trained. Many accidents occur as a result of incompetency and not the equipment itself.

Turner Access can provide a number of training courses related to work at height and general safety in the workplace. The company is an accredited training provider for PASMA, IPAF and IOSH, and can provide training for the safe use of aluminium towers, low level access and powered access machines, as well as on harness awareness and manual handling.

Turner Access hopes to continue providing industry with safe systems of work and to drive better practices with innovative products, supported by services such as training, contract and design. Through this type of offering, the company are confident it can offer the customer a complete access package. q

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Total reliability of supply ‹ ESTABLISHED IN 1992, George Roberts (North West) Limited has

developed and expanded to become one of the leading suppliers of scaffolding and access products in both the UK and international markets, exporting equipment to more than 40 countries worldwide.

The company’s reputation for service, quality, price and customer satisfaction is supported by the belief that their most important assets are their clients.

Maintaining and improving this reputation will remain the key to future investment in their people and infrastructure – and to further strengthen their position as the first choice provider of access equipment.

With a product range of over 2,500 items and in excess of 15,000 tonnes of equipment available immediately for both sale and hire, George Roberts have the capacity to meet the most demanding requirements on all types of scaffolding and access materials. From traditional tube, fittings and boards to system scaffolds, falsework support systems, alloy beams, temporary roofs and much more, they truly are the one stop shop for all access requirements.

Supplying the best quality products available is of course essential to meet the requirements of an increasingly health and safety conscious scaffolding and access industry. In recognising this, the company has successfully achieved accreditation to ISO 9001:2008 with regards to all of their quality management systems, and they are planning to implement ISO 180001 and ISO 140001 in the near future. All products supplied by the company conform to current UK and European standards, with certification available to all customers.

Currently supplying onshore and offshore to the oil and gas, nuclear power, petrochemical and pharmaceutical industries, together with many major construction and scaffolding contractors, their customer base is continuing to grow. According to chairman George Roberts: “We are proud to provide our services and support to all our clients and look forward to doing so for many years to come.” q • For further info visit www.scaffoldingsales.co.uk or call 0151 524 2434.

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‹ THE FRONT COVER of this issue shows a SafeTower mobile

COVER STORY

scaffold manufactured by Netherlands-based XSPlatforms.

Safety when working at height is one of the major topics and campaigns consistently addressed by HSE and falls from height lead to frequent prosecutions, including a case in Lancashire as recently as 20 March.

According to XSPlatforms: “Mobile towers are at the forefront in terms of upgrading safety features through innovation. It's a good thing to know that the tower scaffold of XSPlatforms on the cover of this issue is engineered for safety in every way.”

That assertion is evidenced by the fact that the tower is certified to WAHR 2005 and EN 1004:2005, and approved

by PASMA Its three-step system makes assembly safe and easy using only four horizontal braces known as the QuiXSafe system.

The specially developed and patented QuiXSafe allows the SafeTower to be erected from the inside while standing on a lower platform. The brace encloses both sides of the platform above, immediately creating a safe working situation on the next level – a safer method than is standard with conventional scaffolding towers.

As the company says: “The QuiXSafe guarantees super-fast, supersafe scaffolding tower erection.” q

High-profile rail repair scoops scaffolding award

‹ VIEWERS OF THE BBC’s Countryfile programme in January will

have seen the sterling work done to repair the coastal railway line in Dawlish, Devon, in only two months, following the catastrophic collapse in the storms of February last year.

Further recognition was given to the project at the Construction News Specialist Awards in March when the scaffolding contractor, NASC member Chris Sedgeman Scaffolding Ltd, won the award in the Access and Scaffolding category for the project.

This latest achievement by the Cornish firm follows a prestigious Project of the Year award last year for outstanding scaffolding at the South Crofty Tin Mine – in the Subcontract up to 500K category. In fact, the company has won four awards in four years, having scooped two awards in 2012.

NASC members figured prominently among shortlisted entries in the category. Full contracting members Brogan Group and GKR Scaffolding Ltd joined information member 48.3 Scaffold Design, while Altrad Beaver 84 Ltd was shortlisted for one of the supplier category awards. q

Good news on compliance marks start of anniversary year ‹ AT-PAC LTD, who became members of the NASC last year, were

delighted to start 2015 with the news that their Ringlock system is now fully compliant with the NASC Code of Conduct for System Scaffolds. “It is an excellent way to start the year in which we celebrate our 20th anniversary,” said David Johnston, the company’s regional director for the UK, Europe and the Middle East.

A global family hire and sale business, At-Pac have their headquarters in Atlanta, USA and operate from eight locations across the USA, Canada, Australia and now Europe, supplying products to many major petrochemical projects around the world.

The UK and Europe is covered by their operation in Belvedere, Kent.

“We have assembled a very strong team with senior management experience at Harsco, SGB, RMD Kwikform, Interserve and ScafomRux,” added David Johnston. “Our engineering team is headed by our chief engineer, Ian Nicoll, who also sits on the NASC Technical Committee. Ian and his team work with our customers to provide innovative access solutions and hands-on technical support.

“At-Pac UK is now able to offer an ‘equivalent’ Ring system at industry leading prices backed up by a global business and a professional local team. The UK has a comprehensive stock of both ‘U’ and ‘O’ Ringlock components and we are happy to work with our customers to develop additional items if needed to meet their access requirements.

“Whether you are thinking of converting from T & F to system

scaffold, or already have a Ring system and require additional components, At-Pac is now a very cost-effective alternative supplier for both hire and sale.

We welcome the opportunity to work with customers to provide them with a complete scaffolding solution.” q • For further information contact the UK team on 0208-310-3559 or email UKOffice@at-pac.com. If you want to know more about At-Pac globally visit the website at www.at-pac.com. www.constructionnational.co.uk

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First part of revised training course goes live ‹ THE NEW YEAR brought with it an improved, fully revised and

standardised CISRS Part 1 training package, which has been issued to all CISRS approved training providers. The course standardisation is the culmination of around nine months work by a working party made up of representatives of the National Construction College (NCC) and private training providers, together with former NASC president Bob Whincap and the CISRS scheme manager Dave Mosley. They have been working with the support of other instructors from participating training centres.

The CISRS scheme is the recognised qualification for all those working within the scaffolding sector. The core scheme programmes have undergone several transformations over the years, such as the withdrawal of industry accreditation (so-called ‘grandfather rights’) and the introduction of NVQ, health and safety testing and mandatory skills tests.

The improvements to the CISRS scheme – coupled with changes that have been enforced by new health and safety guidance or innovation in equipment and work practices – have meant CISRS has had to evolve over the years to stay relevant.

Following the introduction of NASC TG20:13 tube and fitting best practice guidance last February, together with a call from industry to include mobile aluminium tower training and scaffold inspection modules in the courses, CISRS agreed it was time for a radical review which would result in a standardised training package for use by all centres.

In addition to updated paperwork for both the delegate and provider and electronic files that are split into separate days, a new, 24-page Practical Scaffolding Module One document has been produced. That includes all the necessary information on scaffolding components and the basic requirements needed to safely erect and dismantle scaffold structures within the Part 1 syllabus.

Scheme manager Dave Mosley said: “Following the instructors conference in March 2014, everyone agreed that producing standardised course materials was the right thing to do. It has taken a little longer than we had anticipated, but we feel that this is a massive step in the right direction for the scheme. CISRS would like to thank all of those on the working party as well as those at participating centres who have put a lot of time and effort into putting this package together.” R • For further details about CISRS training courses visit www.cisrs.org.uk or email enquiries@cisrs.org.uk.

First CISRS cardholder is still a scheme member ‹ FOLLOWING NEWS THAT the CISRS scheme has reached the 50,000 cardholder mark,

the first scaffolder to be issued with a CISRS card back in 1979 has been in touch – he is Alan Craigen, director of NASC member company Heywood Scaffolding Services in Lancashire. Alan, who worked for a small building company in the North West at the time, was among the first cohort of trainees to attend National Construction College East (Bircham Newton) under the new CISRS rules introduced at the end of the 1970s.

Although a scaffolder record scheme has existed since the mid-1960s, formal training attendance had been on a voluntary basis, with the vast majority of cardholders qualifying through industry accreditation. They learnt their trade on the job with their employer then applying for a card when they felt they had the required amount of experience and skill.

Upon successful completion of his training, Alan was issued with his new CISRS card – which had the registration number 100001 – a plaque from the college and a ‘golden scaffold spanner’ by his employer to commemorate being the first scaffolder to complete the new style course.

He said: “I really enjoyed my time at Bircham Newton and it has stood me in good stead over the past 30-plus years. I’ve continued to support CISRS training, making sure the lads who work for me at Heywood Scaffolding Services complete their training and assessments and carry the right card. And looking at my original card from 1979 it’s nice to see I haven’t aged a bit!” R

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Further expansion for CISRS Overseas Training Scheme ‹ FOLLOWING THE RECENT news that

there are now more than 50,000 CISRS card holders in the UK, the CISRS Overseas Scaffolder Training Scheme (OSTS) has reached another milestone – with 2,500 operatives having completed training and holding CISRS OSTS cards.

CISRS scheme manager and NASC director of training, Dave Mosley, said: “The news that we have trained 2,500 overseas card holders in such a short period of time is very positive indeed. We are really getting the message out across the globe that CISRS is the right training programme for scaffolders.

The OSTS was originally developed around three years ago by CISRS with support from two of its UK approved training providers, Safety and Access Ltd and Simian Skill Ltd. It is based upon the same sound principles as the UK training scheme, including on site experience and assessment. The practical course elements are almost identical to the UK programme, although Level 1 to Level 3 Scaffolder course delivery takes place in 5 day blocks as opposed to 10.

Health and safety and UK industry guidance remain an integral element of the OSTS, and it is felt that this could provide a major boost to working practices in countries where operatives may not always be required to adhere to the safest working methods for the erection and dismantling of scaffolding.

After a relatively steady start OSTS is beginning to make a real impact within the regions in which it operates. These include UAE, Qatar, South Korea, India and the Philippines.

CISRS has been the established qualification for the scaffolding industry within the UK for over 40 years. There has been a misconception internationally that CITB is the relevant industry qualification for scaffolding in the UK, when in fact CITB’s main role in relation to scaffolding training is to issue cards on behalf of CISRS and provide grant funding. The CITB logo did historically appear on CISRS cards, however this was removed around 15 years ago.

Through further promotion of the OSTS course, CISRS are seeking to establish themselves as the brand of choice for scaffolder training worldwide.

CISRS OSTS centres are operated either solely by, or in partnership with, accredited UK providers, which allows their experience, knowledge and good practice established over the years to be directly transferred to the overseas centres. UK approved instructors carry out the training and local instructors are required to qualify via OSTS and shadow UK instructors prior to gaining accreditation to deliver training in their own right.

To have the support of major players within the sector is essential to the success of CISRS OSTS. This has become apparent in South Korea, where a partnership between Safety & Access and Samsung Heavy Industries has seen OSTS courses run continuously since the centre initially gained accreditation in July 2013. Several hundred scaffolders have now completed both Level 1 and Level 2 OSTS training with regular Scaffold Inspection and Scaffolding Supervisor courses being completed within the same period. The aim ultimately is to put all scaffolders and supervisors on site through the CISRS OSTS programme.

The most recent addition to OSTS has seen a brand new purpose built scaffolding training centre opened in Chennai (Southern India)

by UG/Safety & Access UK (PVT) Ltd. There are currently thousands of Indian scaffolders working all over the world, with very few of them having undertaken any formal or industry recognised training. More often than not they have been trained ‘in-house’ or on the job once arriving in the country where they are working. To provide a CISRS facility at source in India will allow high quality training to be completed prior to operatives arriving on site.

Rick Statham, joint managing director for Safety & Access, said: “It’s been a real pleasure helping to get OSTS off the ground and assist in cementing CISRS’s reputation across the globe. We are confident that the scheme’s solid start will continue to snowball and we hope to be celebrating further milestones in training completed and CISRS cards issued as the scheme develops.”

In April CISRS will be returning to Dubai, Ajman and Qatar to carry out an annual

Scaffolders undertaking CISRS OSTS training at Safety & Access/Samsung Heavy Industries centre in South Korea audits on both Simian Skill and Safety & Access approved training centres in the region. Whilst there they will be meeting with clients within the oil and gas sector in order to further promote CISRS OSTS. CISRS OSTS has made a very positive start in a relatively short period of time and is hoping that it can continue to grow as news of its arrival on the world stage reaches more of those within the sector. q • For further details about CISRS Overseas Scaffolder Training Scheme (OSTS), a list of approved training providers, or to find out more about CISRS, please visit www.cisrs.org. uk or email enquiries@cisrs.org.uk.

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Annual IPAF seminar ‘one of the best ever’ ‹ MORE THAN 720 instructors and training centre staff attended IPAF

(International Powered Access Federation) Professional Development Seminars (PDS) in the past few months – across 25 countries and in eight languages.

The PDS is the annual event for IPAF-certified instructors and ensures that they remain up-to-date with legislation and training. Through attending the event, instructors gain valuable CPD points, necessary to maintain their IPAF instructor status. This commitment to continuous learning is one of the unique features of the IPAF training programme.

“The 2015 PDS was one of the best ever,” said IPAF instructor Roberto Catana from Setif in Italy. “It was precise, timely, well-planned and dynamic, capturing technical excellence, legislation and teaching. The PDS provided answers to questions and gave clarity to uncertainties. It was done with the heart and goodwill of all those who work to keep this industry safe.”

“It was a successful PDS on all counts,” declared IPAF instructor Beat Schütz from Regiomech in Switzerland. “Always exciting are the discussions among fellow instructors, who don’t meet very often. The presentation by guest speaker Christoph Kunz was very moving. He made clear what it means to find new goals after an accident and to fight your way back in life.”

IPAF’s operator training programme is certified by TÜV – the German safety certification body – as conforming to ISO 18878, and meets or exceeds ANSI standards and OSHA requirements. The industry-led training programme is offered by leading manufacturers and rental companies. A requirement is that accredited partner training centres pass initial, annual and unannounced audits as part of the quality management system. Instructors are certified and undertake on-going professional development, which includes free annual updates to the training materials and educational workshops.

Trainees complete theoretical and practical training, and must pass the written and practical tests before being issued a PAL Card (Powered Access Licence) as proof of successfully completed operator training. PAL Cards are ‘smart’, ie machine-readable, and are valid for five years.

There are more than half a million valid PAL Cards worldwide. The validity of a card can be checked by using the online verification tool on the IPAF website at www.ipaf.org/checkpal. q

Delegates hear about scaffolding safety on the railway

‹ IN JANUARY Network Rail hosted a number of events highlighting

safety initiatives for contractors and suppliers to the network.

At Donington Park in the Midlands and at the Novotel London City South, representatives of NASC and CISRS exhibited and gave presentations, with the assistance of safety and training experts Simian Risk Management Ltd. Both events were organised by Network Rail Infrastructure Projects as part of a national safety Stand Down Day showcasing industry innovations designed to improve health and safety standards. The exhibition and presentations by Simian Risk Management were part of an ongoing NASC/ CISRS 2015 events campaign which aims to spread the safe scaffolding message of both organisations.

The event at Donington Park – dubbed Safe Start 2015 Day – was attended by Simian Risk safety director Dave Randles. NASC and CISRS were represented on a trade stand shared with NASC member company JFE Attridge Scaffolding Services. At the London event Simian Risk managing director Simon Hughes gave a presentation on TG20:13, the industry best practice guide for tube and fitting scaffolding.

Simon Hughes said: “I delivered a presentation to more than 40 delegates on behalf of the NASC entitled A Scaffolding Update. The main topic was how TG20:13 can be used in the rail sector, and how CISRS scaffolding training schemes have been affected by TG20:13.”

Dave Randles said: “There were about 700 industry people at the event – mainly rail professionals. Many were not aware of TG20:13 because current Network Rail standards require bespoke designs for scaffold structures. However, the eGuide demonstrations were very well received, with many delegates expressing their belief that the simplicity of the eGuide and its associated compliance sheets could add real benefits to their scaffold management processes.” q

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Training commitment now a requirement for government contracts ‹ EMPLOYERS NOW HAVE to commit to training their workers

if they are awarded contracts for major government infrastructure projects. From 1 April, all firms that are successful in bids for a share of government work worth over £50m will be contracted into making training a key priority. It is hoped the strategy will help to eliminate the UK’s skills shortages by encouraging investment in apprenticeships and developing workers’ abilities.

HS2 Ltd, which has been charged with building the high-speed rail link between London and Birmingham, had already promised to apply the principles to its next bidding process.

Announcing the move in March, Skills Minister Nick Boles said: “As economic growth continues, it is vitally important that there is significant and meaningful investment in skills.

“Under these new plans, bidders for all major government projects will have to demonstrate a clear commitment to developing the skills of the current and future workforce.”

Bidders for smaller, lower-value projects are also being encouraged to focus on worker development.

While ministers hope to place the onus on employers to develop their own skills practices, they have tasked the Construction Leadership Council with putting together a set of guidelines for procurers to follow.

Requirements and targets will be written into initial agreements,

Get the most from your software investment

monitored and even taken into account when future bids are under consideration.

With the construction sector thriving, it is hoped the changes will ensure there is a pool of skilled workers for firms to draw on, which will help to drive growth even further. As predictions show that around 224,000 jobs will need to be created in the building sector by 2019, the plans should also make it easier for young people to get a start in the industry.

Lord Deighton, Commercial Secretary to the Treasury, said: “This new approach to procurement will generate real and lasting changes in the sector’s investment in people, helping to avoid skills shortages.” q

‹ MAN AND MACHINE’S professional training centre at Thame,

Oxfordshire is a fantastic environment where customers can learn from industry experts, gain authorised qualifications and ensure that any CAD investment is utilised to its full potential.

If you are looking to improve design efficiency, reduce costs and bring products or infrastructure to market faster, then their consultative approach will help you to gain a competitive advantage and leverage your own expertise to increase productivity and innovation.

Being an educationally-rich environment, the training academy allows clients to select an appropriate learning track to help them derive the most from their software investment.

According to Phil Read, Managing Director: “Our goal is to help you optimise your design process. Whether you are in the architecture, plant or construction industries, we have the experience to understand your business and what you are trying to achieve, and we have the expertise to enable you to do it better.”

Established in 1989, Man and Machine is part of a pan-European group, operating in 11 countries, with over 750 staff and more than 500,000 installed CAD seats. The company provide expertise in digital design and data management with over 60 years of combined technical and industry experience.

Their specialist knowledge has allowed them to develop a wide variety of services that address the needs of their customers across multiple industries to enable them to design, visualise and simulate to the highest standard. q • For more information on all of the CAD services Man and Machine provide, including their latest training schedule and upcoming webinars, please visit www.manandmachine.co.uk, call 01844 263700 or email marketing@manandmachine.co.uk. www.constructionnational.co.uk

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Brawoliner training course for Metro Rod gains great approval ‹ C J KELLY ASSOCIATES recently took four

members of two Metro Rod franchises to the Brawoliner headquarters and training facility in Wolfstein, Germany. There they undertook a two day training course covering both the basic and the most up-to-date capabilities of the Brawoliner product range.

From Metro Rod (Deeside and Merseyside), John Pardoe, co-owner of the franchise (with Roy Dean) and manager took with him Stephen Callaghan, the company’s lining engineer.

John commented, in respect of the course, that whilst looking forward to the course, one he had been meaning to attend for some time, he did not know what to expect of it – particularly given that it was to be held in Germany.

John said: “The course was very informative and not just about Brawoliner. Both Stephen and I took away some very useful information that we can apply not only to our Brawoliner works but also to lining using CIPP techniques across the board.

“Brawoliner is probably the ‘Rolls Royce’ of the liners used in this area of the industry and subsequent to the training course we are seriously looking as to where we can further apply the various Brawoliner products in our daily operations.

This is not just because of the quality we feel the Brawoliner products offer us but also in that this level of quality is something that we can then offer and pass on to our customers.”

John went on the say that the training was concise, thorough and took place in very wellequipped facilities. “The German trainers had a command of the English language that was excellent, making understanding the course so much easier than expected. Along with high quality accommodation we were made to feel very welcome and we took away more than we first thought we might.” On returning from the course John said he had emailed the complete Metro Rod franchise network recommending that they consider attending.

From Metro Rod (Mid Lancs), which covers a region from Blackpool to Barnoldswick and from

(L) The Brawoliner training course attendees pictured with John Kelly in the centre and (R) the trainees installing a Brawoliner 3D liner into a multi-diameter pipe Wigan to Ashton-under-Lyne, Matt Yates, owner (in partnership with his brother Mike), director and technical manager took with him Michael Hodgson, the company senior technical engineer on the course.

In explaining what they both gained from the course Matt said: “As a franchise, we have not undertaken lining before so it was all new to us. We did find the course very informative and both John Kelly and the German trainer, Jaap Sanders, made this learning process a fantastic experience. We both gained an excellent and broad understanding of CIPP lining in general, and the potential for using Brawoliner in particular from the ground up which was good for us as newcomers.

“We understand that even having taken the course we do need some practice in the field, but with the back-up and support available through C J Kelly Associates we know this will not be a problem. Now we looking for our first lining job but we also see this as a springboard into a whole new business area for us, all thanks to one training course with Brawoliner.”

The course The training course covers all of the health and safety implications of a Brawoliner Epoxy CIPP lining operation. In addition to this, all the practical aspects of handling the liners, impregnation operations and all the necessary equipment and the additional systems needed for the various curing options are also covered. There

(L-R) The CIPP resin impregnation station at the Brawoliner training centre; A typical Brawoliner inversion drum; Utilising the steam generator for installing the Brawoliner HT into the vertical pipe

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are then practical, training installations at the centre to ensure that the theory can be effectively put into practice.

The types of cure options covered on the course include Hot Water curing as well as Steam curing of Brawoliner. The course also includes the installation of a hot water cured liner in a horizontal pipe and an installation of a Brawoliner in a vertical application. This latter option is becoming increasingly sought after by building renovators that have rainwater downpipes to rehabilitate.

Also covered on the course are topics including: • Manhole to manhole lining • Upstream lining • Blind shot lining (one way/single access • lining) • Double inversion (inverting liner and calibration • hose at the same time) • Connection collars (lateral connection) • demonstrations • Liner impregnation • Resin mixing and vacuum impregnation During the Metro Rod course, two liners were installed by the trainees which included an approximately 8 m long hot water cured liner using Brawoliner 3D where the liner passed through a pipe of varying diameters including 100, 125 and 150 mm (4,5 and 6 in) all in one single lining operation. The second practice liner was a similar length installation but with some 5 m of the host pipe being a vertical downpipe. Here, the Brawoliner HT variation was utilised with a steam cure option. The liner was installed and cured in just 50 minutes.

John Kelly, senior partner in C J Kelly Associates, said of the course: “We were very pleased to find that both Metro Rod franchisees gained so much from the Brawoliner training course. Furthermore, we are looking forward to being able to help in the growth of the lining businesses with both companies. It is interesting to note that following John Pardoe’s contact with the rest of the Metro Rod franchisees there are already three other companies looking to complete the course.” q • For further information please visit the website www.cjkelly.com, tel 01832 293030 or email john@cjkelly.com.

CDM 2015: training available for civil engineers ‹ THE INSTITUTION OF CIVIL ENGINEERS (ICE) has launched a new

training series for professionals with a responsibility for health and safety.

The training will provide those working in design and management roles in construction with the skills and knowledge needed to comply with the new 2015 CDM Regulations. The updated regulations came into force on 6 April, with a lead-in period for existing contracts.

It is a legal requirement for all organisations to use the new regulations, so it is vital that health and safety professionals have all the necessary skills required.

Delivered by industry experts, the training courses will provide guidance to help organisations and their project teams achieve a smooth transition from the previous CDM 2007 Regulations and maintain the highest standards of health and safety.

There are courses tailored to meet different levels and specialities – some offer a broad overview of the key 2015 changes, while others focus on specifics such as the roles and responsibilities of the client, the principal designer and designer, or the links between the new regulations and accepted project management principles.

The courses run from April at various venues and can be booked at www.icetraining.org.uk/courses/cdm2015. They can also be run in-house at a company’s own premises.

ICE are also holding a free webinar on 13 April: 10 things you need to know about CDM 2015. Hosted by members of ICE’s health and safety panel, the webinar will provide a snapshot of the changes and an overview of how they will affect construction and design companies. q • For more information about the webinar visit www.ice.org.uk/Eventsconferences/Events/10-Things-You-Need-to-Know-about-CDM-2015.

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Do we need BIM managers?

By JOHN KLAHN, Certifications Development Manager at RICS

‹ THE RICS BIM strategy was developed in 2011 to support

the construction industry with understanding, implementing and delivering BIM for the benefit of all stakeholders. The strategy spans the organisation, involving the development of standards, training, conferences and qualifications, as well as information and data products.

With conference speakers at the recent RICS BIM Conference using terms such as infobesity and BIMdigestion, how much more information can construction stakeholders manage? Are information managers needed for BIM implementation and BIM management?

RICS BIM Manager Certification was developed to recognise managers of information who are championing and supporting BIM implementation within the industry, whether as construction consultants, property managers, contractors or clients. It is widely accepted that 80% of the success of BIM delivery relies on culture changes and 20% on technology developments, and this is reflected in the skills required to achieve certification (see competencies box below).

BIM Manager Certification competencies Applicants must demonstrate the three core competencies and one optional competency.

Initiation (core) Demonstrate what BIM is, why it’s needed and how you justify this to others.

Process (core) Demonstrate how BIM is used, why a defined process is needed and what you need to do to follow this.

Collaboration and integration (core) Demonstrate what environment is needed to use BIM, why collaboration is essential and how you create this environment.

Technology (optional) Demonstrate how software is selected and used to create an effective BIM environment.

One year on from the announcement of the first Certified BIM Managers, we asked them how their BIM journeys have progressed.

How did you get involved with BIM? For Jane Foulkes, associate director at Faithful+Gould, there was no choice in the matter – she was a pre-construction project manager on Cookham Wood Prison Young Offenders Institution, the first government BIM Trials project to test the application and benefits of BIM Level 2.

Allister Lewis’ start at Portsmouth City Council demonstrates how the use of BIM has grown. Beginning with a ‘lonely’ BIM project (a sports hall) with only design input from himself, his next project (a community centre) included collaboration with a structural engineer. When he moved to his current role (see profile below) this was followed by the addition of the MEP consultants for a primary school project.

Shahida Rajabdeen has been involved in various internal initiatives relating to collaborative technologies and processes as a senior quantity surveyor at Faithful+Gould. She first heard of BIM when asked if she wanted to be involved in what was ‘widely considered to be the future of the construction industry’. Others started their BIM journeys as part of their master’s degree dissertations.

What is the reality of BIM? “Don’t be distracted by flashy technology”, argues Sarah Davidson, director of research at Gleeds. Daniel Rossiter agrees: “BIM is about how the data is structured and exchanged; it is a process driven system.” Having achieved RICS BIM Manager Certification at Cardiff City Council he is now BIM consulting/training manager at BRE, and believes that there will be a lot less confusion in the industry if this message is given to everyone at the start of their BIM journey.

In Hong Kong, Sunny S L Choi encountered familiar mindsets among quantity surveyors – ‘I’m afraid BIM will replace me’ or ‘BIM is just a design tool and nothing to do with quantity surveying’. However, his experience at the Housing Department ‘reinforced [his] vision that by collaborating with designers, modellers, software vendors and contractors it is possible for quantity surveyors to use BIM for preparation of bills of quantities’.

Commercial and contract (optional) Demonstrate how the model and datasets are used to allow all parties to

How has BIM affected your job responsibilities?

meet their responsibilities and provide an effective asset handover.

Mac Muzvimwe, associate director and head of BIM at Faithful+Gould, believes the facilitation of faster information by the advance of technology

Here are some profiles of our certified BIM managers. Find a full list at rics.org/bimmanager

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with BIM means that the information ‘needs managing to ensure it remains effective’. For him ‘BIM is not a career but a way of working. I view being a BIM manager as an added value service to core duties’.

Jane Foulkes agrees: “BIM enhances and makes simpler and more efficient what people already do in construction.” Her knowledge of BIM makes her able to help clients and project stakeholders ‘define what they want to achieve and ensure that the right questions are being asked of their supply chains to get the result they aspire to’.

This holistic view of BIM as both an adjunct to existing professional roles and a role in its own right is mirrored in the responsibilities stated by other RICS Certified BIM Managers: • produce BIM Execution Plans • challenge the requirements • co-ordinate output to deliver efficiently • update internal protocols • audit BIM on colleagues’ projects • contribute to external BIM groups • educate internal and external stakeholders.

What projects have you been involved with?

The scale of projects range in both financial value (from a £1.2bn university estate to a £10,000 toilet refurbishment), in area and from new build to existing buildings. Jason Whittall, director at One Creative Environments Ltd, was design leader and BIM manager for a micro-hotel accommodation project to convert hundreds of shipping containers into four high-quality bedrooms in each 45ft unit.

The client required rapidly deployable accommodation for events and workers. Without BIM to integrate the architect, structural and mechanical engineer and create a multi-disciplinary model within the same digital environment the project ‘would have taken much longer and been far less efficient and co-ordinated…. BIM was the glue we were looking for to improve inter-disciplinary collaboration and data management.’

In contrast, Allister Lewis has used BIM to plan the refurbishment and extension of an existing Victorian building. All consultants are working together in 3D and producing information on this £4.5m project and the quantity surveyors have just completed using the model to form the bill of quantities: “I’m looking forward to this beginning on site and examining the benefits the BIM process has given us – particularly with clash detection and co-ordination of a complex job.”

Is RICS BIM Manager Certification relevant?

“It has given credibility in an area where there is a lot of hype and uncertainty”, says Sarah Davidson. Rossiter adds: “There is a lot of misinformation and ‘BIMwash’ in the industry, which can confuse those who may not fully understand BIM.” Certification gives confidence to BIM practitioners, employers, clients and other project stakeholders – ‘it

validates my BIM experience to date’ … ‘we are going about BIM the right way’ … ‘it recognises genuine expertise’.

The process of gaining certification has also formed part of their BIM journeys by providing a benchmark and allowing them to reflect on what they have learnt. Davidson admits that ‘there is still a lot to learn’ but the industry needs a standard and Lewis is ‘impressed that RICS recognised this so early and put its certification in place’.

What is the future of BIM management?

Ian Aldous, associate quantity surveyor at EC Harris LLP, became BIM-enabled in 2008: “I was constantly amazed at how it can remove a lot of the uncertainties and release people to add true value to projects.

Since then I have always viewed it as an obvious benefit that should be championed in order to ensure the industry meets its potential.

Eventually it will become business as usual.” Rossiter supports this last point in hoping that ‘within 30 years the term BIM will become redundant’. Mac Muzvimwe, who also started his BIM journey in 2008, foresees the evolution of ‘green BIM’ allowing the industry to achieve its sustainability aspirations. Technology advances are the focus of Rajabdeen’s aspirations: “The integration of intelligent and smarter tools is inevitable for BIM’s future. As BIM matures, I believe we will be exploring and integrating augmented reality with our BIM models”.

What advice would you give to others?

“Be prepared to continually adapt”, says Whittall. “Get involved and ask questions”, is Aldous’ advice. “There is no stupid question to ask, and a specialist interest in BIM will stand you in good stead for any meaningful construction career.” Davidson recommends identifying what you want to achieve: “Think about where you can really add value and what excites you.”

Conclusion For the industry to realise BIM’s potential, information needs to be controlled. The role of the BIM manager supports industry to embrace BIM, supports clients to adopt it, and supports projects to utilise it. A BIM journey can use many vehicles and routes and isn’t always consistent with existing roles, but BIM will always complement objectives. Whether your activity is defined by your responsibilities as a manager, technician or co-ordinator, by your identity as a client, consultant or contractor, or by the roles stipulated in protocols, the success of BIM requires proactive involvement from all stakeholders and management of information for both implementation and use throughout the property lifecycle. R • If you are planning or are already championing and supporting BIM implementation for the industry, visit rics.org/biminsight to find out how RICS’ solutions can help you.

www.constructionnational.co.uk

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Study Architecture and the Built Environment at Huddersfield ‹ ARCHITECTURE AND THE built

environment encompasses most of what is around us; it is the human-made physical, spatial and cultural spaces that support living, working and playing. The programmes at the University of Huddersfield, THE University of the year in 2013, focus on cutting edge design and construction practice and address some of the latest challenges and opportunities for our industries, including critical urbanism, sustainability, new methods of construction, off-site manufacture and Building Information Modelling (BIM).

The university’s global and industry-led focus provides students with opportunities to really broaden their perspectives and understand the need to deliver innovative solutions that satisfy the physical, cultural and social conditions wherever development is required.

The university has recently expanded its portfolio to incorporate the wider built environment, which include courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate level, coupled with globally-leading academics and practitioners. The uniqueness of the courses is their innovative approach to traditional subject areas to reflect the needs of the modern and changing architecture and built environment

industry. In doing so, new and innovative course content provides the skills and develops the abilities to meet the industry and government requirements.

Digital technology, lean construction and multidisciplinary working are main themes that cut across the courses. Entrepreneurship is also a key theme – Huddersfield was THE Entrepreneurial University of the year in 2012 and enjoys the QS five star ratings in teaching, internationalisation, facilities and access and employability.

Innovative delivery, industry engagement and placement opportunities will enable the university’s graduates to effectively respond to the forthcoming government BIM mandate for the present and the future. Research has clearly demonstrated the benefits that can be achieved through the adoption of BIM, including improved design co-ordination, information management and exchange, clash detection, clearer scheduling and improved sustainability outcomes. With the growing uptake of BIM technologies worldwide, their courses provide a clear opportunity for up-skilling in this area.

Advanced architecture and urban design have become increasingly prevalent components of the

built environment, globally. It is an important area for inherently inter-disciplinary working, dealing with the complexity of spatial, social, economic, cultural and political aspects with the integral need for sustainability.

Research within architecture and the built environment is relevant and impactful and is supported by three interdisciplinary research centres: The Innovative Design Lab (IDL) develops theory-based applied research into the relationships between the built environment, products and people. The ethos of the Centre for Urban Design, Architecture and Sustainability (CUDAS) is that design informs all aspects of research in the built environment, in the historical, cultural, theoretical or environmental contexts.

The Global Disaster Resilience Centre (GDRC) is committed to improving the ability of countries and communities to plan for, and recover from, natural and man-made disasters.

The research developed within these research centres directly informs their teaching. q • For more information on all of the University of Huddersfield’s courses and research, please visit the website and be inspired! http://hud.ac/Ak

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Oxford Brookes University to offer new MSc in the emerging field of Construction Project Management and Building Information Modelling ‚ FROM SEPTEMBER 2015, Oxford Brookes University will offer a new masters course in Construction Project Management and Building Information Modelling. This new MSc builds on the firm foundation of masters courses already offered at Brookes, by embracing the emerging field of Building Information Modelling.

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is the means by which an intelligent digital model of a building is created to help stakeholders understand the infrastructure, it can be used to inform and communicate project decisions.

The UK Government has mandated the use of BIM on all publically funded construction projects from 2016, meaning that construction companies that do not demonstrate BIM capability will not be allowed to tender for these projects.

This change in practice has led to an emergence of new roles relating to BIM and project management within the construction industry with job titles such as BIM manager, BIM co-ordinator, project information manager and task information manager. Through an intense programme of study of subject-specific

knowledge, the MSc in Construction Project Management and BIM provides students with the knowledge and professional skills that have been identified by both the Royal Institution of

Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the Chartered Institute Of Building (CIOB) as essential for the construction project manager taking a lead role in BIM adoption and development.

The MSc will be available both as a one year full-time programme, as well as an openlearning mode which can be taken over two years (extendable up to five years). The course, offered by the Department of Real Estate and Construction (within the Faculty of Technology, Design and Environment), is accredited by both RICS and CIOB, thus providing graduates with access to the widest range of professions the built environment offers. The department has strong links with the construction industry, both locally and nationally, and the teaching team provides a strong professional emphasis underpinned by a rigorous academic approach.

The course will start in September 2015, and further information about the course will be available soon at http://rec.brookes.ac.uk/ postgraduate/. q • Please contact REC-enquiry@brookes.ac.uk to find out more.

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Roan uses 3D digital model to solve pupil places shortage ‹ ROAN BUILDING SOLUTIONS has invested in BIM to deliver a

£1.9m classroom complex to a primary school in the heart of London as the capital looks to accommodate its increasing number of pupils.

The new facility at Granard Primary School is Roan’s first BIM project – a process covering the entire life cycle of a building from conception to demolition in a 3D digital model of its physical and functional characteristics. Designed to meet BIM level two requirements, Roan is designing and delivering a sustainable, two-storey, standalone, classroom complex comprising of seven classrooms, open learning studios, cloakrooms, WCs, kitchen facilities and staffrooms.

On-site piling at the school began in January 2015 with a guaranteed delivery date of mid-June, meaning a timescale from initial design to full completion will take just 22 weeks.

Matthew Goff, sales director at Roan Building Solutions, said: “By July 2015, BIM will be fully implemented within Roan to not only provide a smoother construction process but also to reduce costs and waste by identifying potential issues before they arise.

“3D animation allowed Granard Primary School to see their ideas formed into a realistic fly-through of their building before construction starts on site and to see how it would add to the school’s existing landscape.”

Designed to surpass all sustainability targets and to meet BREEAM ‘excellent’ standards, Granard’s new building will include mono-crystalline PV panels to reduce energy costs, wind catchers to increase ventilation and sun pipes to use more natural light.

“With schools up and down the country looking for economical ways to accommodate their pupil numbers, it was clear to us we’d prefer an off-site solution because it’s just as high quality as traditional build but delivered much faster,” said Cheryl Grigg, headteacher at Granard Primary School.

“Through the 3D animation, we were able to see how the new building will be integrated into the current school environment. Using Roan’s regular step-by-step progress reports, the construction process will form a special project on the pupils’ curriculum and, once complete, the new build will provide high quality learning space.”

Wandsworth Borough Council has invested £10m into permanently expanding 11 primary schools across the borough with Granard Primary School being just one of the schools benefiting from a new education facility.

Matthew Goff added: “There is always the need for a speedy construction method which causes minimal disruption to everyday schooling activities and because of this, modular build is becoming increasingly favoured in education.” R • For more information visit www.roanbuildings.co.uk.

Project Five are BEST for BIM ‹ BUILDING INFORMATION MODELLING (BIM) is key to providing

greater efficiencies, value and collaboration – highlighting the need for its adoption as a business process, not just a design technology.

The Welsh Government has aligned itself with the UK Government’s mandate to adopt BIM on all government-funded construction projects

by March 2016, illustrating a commitment to BIM and a need for Welsh business to become ‘BIM Ready’.

Working in collaboration with Cardiff University and the Built Environment Sustainability Training (BEST) Programme, Chester-based Project Five Consulting Ltd are delivering a series of accredited BIM training throughout Wales.

The programme, which is supported by European Social Fund through the Welsh Government, will provide free BIM training to individuals throughout Wales, specifically aimed at those living or working within the 15 local authority convergence areas.

The courses are CPD certified and CQFW accredited by Cardiff University, meaning attendees receive recognition for their attendance.

Upcoming courses include: • Unlocking the Potential of BIM in Wales • BIM for Facilities Management • What BIM Means for Me. R To enrol on an upcoming course, or for more information, contact the BEST Events Team at Project Five on 0151 390 0980. www.constructionnational.co.uk

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Landscape architecture, BIM and the collaborative construction process

By MARTYN HORNE, Product Development Manager for Vectorworks UK, Computers Unlimited and member of the Landscape Institute BIM Working Group

‹ ANY PERSON OR company

setting out on the BIM journey may understandably think that Building Information Modelling (BIM) and its associated term, the Building Information Model, refers directly to buildings or more specifically architecture.

However, BIM embraces the entire construction industry – the B in BIM is not a noun as in ‘the building’, but a verb as in ‘to build’. This is the first step to understanding how the discipline of landscape architecture integrates into the BIM process.

Collaboration and communication A building cannot and does not exist as a separate entity to its site.

As seen above, even at a basic planning level stage, the 3D model and its linked 2D plans, elevations, sections and information schedules communicate so much more information because they involve the site.

How does landscape BIM inform the construction process?

The sequence of images below shows the ‘3 in 1’ nature of a landscape BIM model. From this model, it is possible to extract both visual and data-based information to aid the construction process. Site plans, elevations and sections can be taken or cut through the landscape model and information can be generated in the form of reports and schedules. Crucially, because the information can be taken from the live model, a great deal of the repetitive work encountered in traditional 2D CAD based drawing and schedule creation can be reduced and just as importantly, errors can be reduced or eliminated.

In addition to the traditional documentation stage, the landscape BIM can offer terrain water flow analysis, min and max grading analysis, site cut and fill calculations, water volumes, existing tree survey and tree protection planning, planting schedules, material quantities, maintenance reports and clash avoidance with underground services.

It is unlikely that the best design technology and/or BIM technology for landscape architects is going to be the same as that used by

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architects or structural engineers.

Each industry and discipline has unique requirements. A recognition of this fact has, for the first time, led to a concerted effort within the construction industry towards an inclusive, collaborative environment whereby the various disciplines, including landscape architecture, can share internationally certified common file formats for information exchange such as IFC. In a nutshell, this means that a project’s deliverables should not be described in terms of specific file formats from specific software manufacturers and instead should concentrate on the type of information required. Add to this the greater drive towards a set of common standards for the entire construction industry, such as BS1192, COBie and Product Data Templates, and we can see the importance placed on collaboration. And to further emphasise this importance, these aspects are key to the UK Governments BIM Level 2 Mandate, due in 2016.

Helping the industry change The Landscape Institute BIM Working Group was set up approximately two years ago to help develop and implement the use of BIM within the industry. To highlight a couple of the group’s recent activities, a series of BIM Masterclasses are currently presenting the landscape BIM workflow within the context of the UK Government’s mandate for BIM Level 2 and the Digital Plan of Work. The group is also involved in developing a series of Landscape Industries Product Data Templates which will feed directly into BIM Level 2 COBie datasets.

Conclusion The construction industry is changing and any change of such proportions can be disruptive. An understanding of new processes and the acquisition of new skills will be undoubtably be required. But it is really important that as we explore digital approaches and embrace the efficiencies of the new, that we also maintain the best of our traditional techniques, skills and expertise at the same time.

It is critical that as a design profession, we maintain the values that make us unique and ensure that subjects such as quality of design, creativity and visual communication exist alongside or are integrated into the BIM processes. Maintaining such a holistic perspective is going to be extremely valuable throughout these interesting times for the construction industry, something that the landscape architect is well accustomed to doing. q

Contract growing projects are flourishing ‹ WITH DEMANDS FOR just-in-time delivery on plants, shrubs and trees

from contractors and landscape architects increasing, Boningale Nurseries confirm that there has been a renewed focus for contract growing; simply because it is the most efficient and cost effective way of producing quality and quantity.

Boningale, one of the UK’s largest nurseries and environmental horticultural specialists and one of the only nurseries that can supply both traditional nursery and green roof planting stock, says that contract growing enables clients to get the trees, shrubs and SkyPlugs they need at exactly the right time and on budget – with quality assured.

With this bespoke service, architects can also specify unusual species and varieties; delivering exactly what is required at a time when it is needed. Plus, with plant specifications now playing an integral part of the eco-rating of a building, contract growing ensures the project receives the correct varieties needed to achieve the targeted BREEAM rating.

Frank Sandford, Boningale’s sales director said: “We work with house builders, contractors and landscape architects on all types of contract growing projects, large and small, offering expert advice and help, to ensure they achieve the look they want on budget. We find that our clients are far happier when they have more control and have ordered in advance.”

The most recent example is at Rathbone Market in Canning Town, which is undergoing an £180 million revitalisation. Boningale not only provided hundreds of semi-mature trees and perennials to the ongoing development, it was also given the time to contract grow bespoke Green Roof Plug species that extend beyond the normal stock. “Contract growing has given the client the opportunity to use more unusual native species and create bespoke habitat areas for the community’s new green roofs and living walls,” added Frank. q • For further information visit www.boningale.co.uk.

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If you’re planning to build near trees, get the right advice

‹ MANY NEW HOUSING developments list the presence of ‘mature

trees’ as a major selling point for the properties, with ‘Woodland Rise’, ‘Woodland View’ and many similar names chosen for developments.

As Mark Chester of Herefordshire-based Cedarwood Tree Care says: “When we have a potential development setting containing trees, there can be a temptation to see them as an obstacle, a problem to be removed.

However, carefully managed, trees can enhance a development – whether it is a minor extension to an existing property or a large scale multiple unit development, trees provide maturity to an otherwise blank canvas.”

Trees are certainly a major asset to any neighbourhood, but building on or near woodland, or indeed close to any trees, is beset with sanctions and regulations.

British Standards has this to say in its overview of BS5837:2012: “Where tree retention or planting is proposed in conjunction with nearby construction, the objective should be to achieve a harmonious relationship between trees and structures that can be sustained in the long term. The good practice recommended in this British Standard is intended to assist in achieving this objective. BS5837:2012 is applicable whether or not planning permission is required.”

The standard places great emphasis on consulting an expert when any development near trees is considered, to participate in feasibility and planning, detailed technical design, construction site management, implementation and aftercare. It significantly promotes the proactive role of consultants in protecting existing tree resources on development sites – and that advice applies regardless of the size of the development.

Dorset-based arboricultural consultant Mark Hinsley says: “Whether you are a developer about to embark on a major new building project or a householder extending your property you will need to take into

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consideration any trees within 15m of the proposed building work, with or without Tree Preservation Orders. Remember that as tree roots do not respect property boundaries, this may include trees on neighbouring land.”

To fully assess the viability of a development site at the outset, Mark Hinsley offers clients a fixed fee verbal site appraisal service. This is because it can be immediately obvious that protected trees are likely to make some developments impossible. Under such circumstances there may be no point in spending large sums of money on full BS5837:2012 tree surveys, just to find out that the project has no chance of success.

The role of the consultant is explained by Ian Barnes of Yorkshirebased Barnes & Associates: “The arboricultural consultant will conduct a survey of the site and surrounding area – assessing trees in line with BS5837:2012 to provide a full understanding of them. This includes categorisation, dimensions, vitality and life span as well as making general observations and recommendations.”

A consultant can also assess whether any statutory protection is in place. He will identify the extent of current legislative protection to ascertain whether or not the site and its trees are either covered by a Tree Preservation Order or located within a conservation area. In addition to general background checks a consultant will review local policies and their implications for planning where relevant.

When the trees are protected, the consequences of failing to follow the proper procedure can be costly. Mark Chester again: “Recently, several prosecutions have been made where trees have been damaged in connection with improving properties and the level of fines has included an allowance for the increased value of the property. One such prosecution included a fine of £50,000 for an increase in the value of the property where a tree had previously been growing.” R

BS5837:2012 Tree Reports for development sites

By MARK CHESTER of Cedarwood Tree Care

‚ BS5837 TREE REPORTS are often requested for planning applications

involving trees. If the topic is new to you, where do you go to get one of these reports, and what should it include? The principle components for a report are specified in the British Standard, but there is no one single template for achieving this and some reports do not meet the requirements of BS5837:2012. The only way to be sure you are getting a proper report is to commission one which has been subject to peer review. I have successfully completed this for my reports via a scheme administered by Lantra.

A report starts with the Tree Constraints Plan. Each tree is surveyed to assess its suitability for retention within the site. It is also measured to calculate how much space it would need if retained. These show the constraints that the trees place on development, and which trees are worth retaining. We then explore which trees should be retained, and how they can be accommodated within the development. At the outline stage, this should suffice.

The Arboricultural Impact Assessment shows the impact of the development (once it has been designed) on the trees, and which (if any) are to be retained. This is where details are added and we negotiate tree retention.

The Arboricultural Method Statement specifies how retained trees are to be accommodated within the development, and explains how any special measures for this will be implemented.

The Tree Protection Plan shows how retained trees are to be protected

during the development process whilst the Landscape Scheme indicates planting proposed in mitigation for any tree loss.

The journey to obtaining consent can be challenging. I am here to guide you through it. q • For more information visit www.cedarwoodtreecare.co.uk.

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Award-winners find that 13 isn’t an unlucky number ‹ FOR SOME MEMBERS of the National Federation of Demolition Contractors, Friday

the 13th proved far from unlucky – they were the winners in the annual Demolition Awards ceremony held on 13 March at the Dorchester Hotel on London’s Park Lane.

It was yet another sell-out event that saw 300 guests enjoy the afternoon’s proceedings, starting with a silver service luncheon.

After lunch, the host for the Demolition Awards, Hayley McQueen from Sky Sports, entertained guests with stories of her time working for MUTV and her growing journalistic career.

The first award of the day was for Demolition Operative. Central Demolition’s John Carpenter won the overall award with Quincy Milford of Maylarch Environmental being Highly Commended.

The Demolition Plant Operative of the Year went to Jason Davey of Tilley and Barrett.

Kevin Brooks from Connell Brothers took the top prize in the Demolition Manager category, with Paul Sharkey from Dem-Master Highly Commended. Erith Group won the Demolition Innovation Award for their utilisation of a grey water scheme.

The Demolition Training Award went to AR Demolition with managing director Richard Dolman collecting the trophy.

A number of categories featured the NFDC Industry Service Provider (ISP) members: the Demolition Innovation Award was won by Komatsu for their PC490LC high-reach machine, while Swanton Consulting were Highly Commended for their training courses.

Investing in Skills for a New Generation was won by ISP member Liebherr GB, who won it for their growing apprenticeship scheme. The new Demolition Achievement Award was won by a shocked John Woodward from C&D Consultancy who was lost for words at his win.

Another new award, The Asbestos Removal Operative Award, was won by Erith Group’s Ade Parreira with Gary Beach from Maylarch Environmental being Highly Commended.

The final two awards were won by two generations of the same family. William Sinclair was recognised as Man of the Year, while father David was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his work in the world demolition industry.

The federation and its membership will come together again in June, along with the Institute of Demolition Engineers, for Demolition Expo 2015. The two-day event will take place at the premises of J Mould (Reading) on the 26-27 June. q • For more information visit demolition-nfdc.com.

ISP members Demolition without safeguards leads to prosecution open doors ‹ IN ADDITION TO the many corporate

members of the NFDC, who offer the full range of demolition and dismantling services to the construction industry, just under 100 companies comprise the Industry Service Provider (ISP) membership.

These are companies working in associated fields of expertise such as insurance, finance, training, consultancy and the manufacture, sale and hire of specialist equipment for demolition projects.

NFDC corporate members have the opportunity to make direct contact with senior directors and representatives from these companies.

The roll call is impressive and includes names such as Atlas Copco, Finning UK, Hitachi, JCB, Komatsu, Prime Safety, Sandvik, Volvo and Worsley Plant. q

‹ THE CONSEQUENCES THAT can arise when demolition work is carried out by unqualified

and non-accredited contractors have been highlighted time and time again – particularly where the killer substance asbestos is concerned.

Even as recently as last December a building firm was prosecuted by the HSE after displaying a ‘shocking disregard’ for workers’ safety during the demolition of a house.

Redhill Magistrates were told that an HSE inspector had been driving past when he saw the twostorey, part-demolished house. On top of it, standing at the edges of where a pitched room had been, were three workers.

Roof tiles and masonry had been thrown from the structure as it was being demolished. HSE served a further Prohibition Notice to ensure that an asbestos survey was carried out prior to any further demolition taking place.

Asbestos was found on-site and, had it not been removed, could have caused serious long term and irreversible ill health to on-site workers and passers-by who may have been exposed to the dust from its demolition. HSE also required a demolition plan to be drawn up, and for workers to halt the uncontrolled and unsafe throwing of building materials to ground level.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Russell Beckett, who investigated, said: “Demolition of a property requires planning and that includes a survey to establish whether asbestos is present.

The demolition industry has vastly improved its health and safety record but Mr Lautier (the MD of the building company) decided to cut corners and to try to do it himself. If this demolition had been simply carried out using an excavator machine then there would have been very few risks involved.” q www.constructionnational.co.uk

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Structural Concrete Alliance

– advancing education, training and advice ‹ WHILE VARIOUS BUILDERS and contractors may claim to be able

to provide asset protection and repair services, those involved in the construction, maintenance and refurbishment of concrete structures must be aware that, unless contractors have the necessary specialist knowledge and experience, it is unlikely that work carried out will be safe, fit for purpose and durable.

This is where selecting a member of one of the associations that comprise the Structural Concrete Alliance can help to ensure that repairs are completed properly and are appropriate to the service life expectations for the structure.

The Structural Concrete Alliance is an umbrella organisation which brings together the Concrete Repair Association (CRA), Corrosion Prevention Association (CPA) and Sprayed Concrete Association (SCA) to provide a single co-ordinated voice for the structural concrete refurbishment and repair industry.

The Alliance offers a single point of contact for major clients and a definitive source of information and advice for all involved in the repair, refurbishment and management of concrete infrastructure and the protection from corrosion of a wide range of structures.

The Alliance offers a range of free to attend regional Continuing Professional Development (CPD) seminars

Advancing education “The Structural Concrete Alliance aims to advance education, technical training and health and safety in the sector and campaigns for greater recognition of competence and quality for both services and products,” says Alliance spokesperson Ken Dykes.

In a bid to improve awareness, the Alliance offers a range of free to attend regional Continuing Professional Development (CPD) seminars designed to provide delegates with an introduction to Structural Asset Protection and Repair. These half-day events offer an introduction to corrosion as well as techniques for repair, protection and strengthening.

Presentations are varied to reflect the region in which the seminar takes place but include: An introduction to corrosion; an overview of electrochemical systems available; concrete repairs and coatings; carbon fibre strengthening; introduction to sprayed concrete; and inspection of reinforced buildings and structures.

Five CPD seminars are scheduled for 2015: • 28 April – Whitburn, Scotland • 19 May – Portsmouth • 15 September – Coventry • 20 October – Liverpool • 24 November – Swansea Select a member of the Structural Concrete Alliance to ensure that repairs are completed properly

For those who can’t make it to a seminar the CRA, CPA and SCA also offer CPD presentations which can be delivered on site to interested organisations at a time to suit.

Technical guidance The Alliance also maintains an extensive library of guidance documents available for free download from each of the association websites. These provide best practice advice on the repair, maintenance and protection of concrete structures.

Three new guidance documents were recently released, including a new CRA document offering advice on Coating and protecting concrete in accordance with BS EN 1504 and two CPA Technical Notes on Cathodic protection for buried & immersed structures and Cathodic protection for new structures.

Ensuring competency The Alliance also strives to ensure its members remain fully up to date with the latest techniques and advances in technology, to assure clients of the best service and skills.

The Alliance is working closely with Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) to ensure its operatives are able to obtain a CSCS card appropriate to their skills. It is also looking to develop suitable courses and apprenticeships to help all operatives reach their full potential.

The CPA offers a full range of ICorr courses for Cathodic Protection of Steel in Concrete in accordance with BS EN 15257 (Levels 1-3) and the SCA offers a uniform national certification programme for sprayed concrete operatives. The CRA requires all members to be BS EN ISO 90001 and BS EN ISO 14001 accredited, to be able to demonstrate a proven track record and capability and to comply with its stringent codes of practice.

This is why many clients often insist on membership of the CRA, CPA or SCA as a requirement in tenders involving asset protection and repair. q • For further information on Structural Concrete Alliance skills and services, guidance documents and for details of its free regional CPD seminar programme and CPD presentations visit the website at www.structuralconcretealliance.org.uk.

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HOPEFlow used for significant Staffordshire military homes build ‹ HOPE CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS, the UK’s largest independent

supplier of construction materials, has completed the supply of 12,500m3 of concrete for the build of more than 300 new military homes.

The project, which launched in August, saw 346 new homes built, with Hope providing the concrete slab flooring for each home, using their HOPEFlow high-performance, self-compacting concretes, to ensure that the build was completed to a stringent timescale.

Around 1,000 troops from the 16 Signal Regiment and 1 Armoured Division Signal Regiment will be housed on the Beaconside site as part of the £51m ‘super garrison’ development funded by the Ministry of Defence.

The timber frame housing build, the largest of its kind in Britain, is being fulfilled by social housing specialists Lovell.

Typically a build of this size would take between three and four years, however to be able to accommodate troops returning from Germany, it needs to be completed in just 11 months.

As such, the HOPEFlow performance products were used in a bid to minimise cost and project duration, laying 20 slabs (and homes) per week as opposed to an average of four. By doing so groundwork subcontractor Chasetown were able to save time and money, pouring the slabs without the need of power floating, with slab construction time reduced by nearly 75 per cent.

Throughout the build Hope supplied a total of 2,500m3 of HOPEFlow concrete and 10,000m3 of conventional concrete, from their Four Ashes and Staffordshire concrete plants respectively. The conventional concrete was used to build the footings, drainage, curbing and road access.

Both sites are within close proximity to the Beaconsfield site, ensuring that the carbon footprint of the project was kept to a minimum, in line with Hope’s ambitious sustainability targets.

Paul Coleman, area commercial manager at Hope Construction Materials, said the project highlighted a growing demand for high quality, quick-pour products.

He said: “Since its launch, the HOPEFlow product has proven particularly popular and we are delighted to have used it on what was an important and substantial building initiative.

“This was a large-scale project and there was a real desire to complete the build quickly and professionally to ensure available housing when our troops return to Britain. We’re pleased that by using HOPEFlow we vastly reduced the build time of the project to get the soldiers in their homes as soon as possible.”

Kevin Pugh, contract manager at Chasetown said: “We were working to particularly tight deadlines in order to ensure that the homes were ready for when the troops return home. HOPEFlow has played a major role in being able to meet this demand due to its fast pouring time. This simply wouldn’t be possible without it.” q • For more information please visit www.hopeconstructionmaterials.com or call 0207 647 6220.

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Security lies at the heart of design ‹ A NEW SHOPPING centre in London demonstrates that security systems within

developments and buildings can be incorporated from the very beginning of the planning process, incorporating the principals of the Association of Chief Police Officer’s Secured by Design process.

East Shopping Centre is an indoor Asian shopping mall in the heart of East London’s E7. The centre was developed on the site of a former bus depot, which is a landmark in the area. It comprises 35 two-storey units, a 17-unit souk (a marketplace for retailers and local businesses) and a spacious food court.

Spearheaded by ACR Investments Ltd, the project is set to generate 150-200 jobs.

Throughout the planning process and design of the development there were meetings with Designing Out Crime officers from the North East London team. Secured by Design’s commercial standards were applied and the centre has incorporated Secured by Design accredited doors rated to LPS1175 SR2 and PAS24 glazing at the entrance to the development.

The delivery entrance in the perimeter is secured by a security gate and controlled with an electronic access control system, ensuring a reduction of permeability within the centre.

The units within the souk have security-rated grills and the area can be secured and segregated from the remainder of the shopping centre.

Additionally, there is a dedicated CCTV system providing 60 cameras placed throughout the centre, which are monitored within a secure purpose-built control centre. Finally, there is a Secured by Design residential unit occupied by dedicated caretaker within the development providing 24hr security cover. q

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Major new event will showcase Scottish construction ‹ WITH THE General Election campaign in full swing, all the political

parties are taking advantage of the opportunity to offer financial incentives that will become more accessible with Scotland’s new borrowing powers. In particular, infrastructure and housebuilding are at the forefront.

And with such an extensive level of construction activity both on-going and under discussion in the Scotland economy, the events company Oliver Kinross have taken the initiative to fill this gap in the market and organise an event solely dedicated to the Scottish construction industry.

The event – Scotland Build 2015 – will consist of a two-day exhibition and high-level conference which will bring to together key stakeholders and decision makers from across the Scottish construction industry. Scotland Build 2015 will take place at the SECC in Glasgow on the 25-26 November, hosting more than 175 exhibitors and with thousands expected to attend.

With numerous event partnerships such as Scottish Renewables, Glasgow City Chamber of Commerce and the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists already confirmed, along with having all the event’s workshops CPD accredited, Scotland Build 2015 is already looking like it is going to be a big success with over eight months to go. Registration is now open and the event is free to attend. q • For more information visit the website at www.scotlandbuildexpo.com.

• Construction National is a media partner for Scotland Build 2015 and will have a presence at the event. In addition, to highlight the increasing significance of construction activity in Scotland, we will be including a major feature – ‘Construction in Scotland’ – in the next issue of the magazine.

Scottish apprentices raise the roof ‹ SUPPORT OF ROOFING apprentices at a leading Scottish construction college has reached new heights, with the

announcement that Welsh Slate has donated a further 12 tonnes of mixed roofing slates to South Lanarkshire College.

The company also sponsored a regional apprentice craft award, which was won by Scott Cunningham ahead of a dozen other advanced craft apprentices from all over the west of Scotland. As well as his original trophy from Welsh Slate, Scott was presented with a £100 B&Q voucher by the company’s Scottish and North East representative Alex Grant (pictured).

Alex had previously presented two CPD seminars to block release students on the four-year roof slating and tiling course to SCQF Level 7. This was in addition to Welsh Slate donating eight pallets of slates to give first, second and third-year students hands-on experience of cutting and fixing slate on mobile training rigs in the college workshops.

South Lanarkshire College’s curriculum manager John McGinley said: “This latest help from Welsh Slate is absolutely fantastic. Most colleges have a budget to work to and we could probably never afford the amount of slate they have given us. The fact that it’s such a quality product is an even bigger bonus.” q IN MARCH Scottish Enterprise announced WATERS funding of almost

New funding announced for marine energy sector ‹

Murphy pledges trans-Scotland rail link ‹ SCOTTISH LABOUR LEADER Jim Murphy has announced that if

Labour wins the Scottish elections next year, they will implement a multimillion pound ‘Crossrail’ project, describing it as the ‘missing link’ in the Scottish railway system. Murphy stated that the new Holyrood borrowing powers would be used to fund the project which would link the north and east to those in the south and west of Scotland.

He made the announcement at the Core Cities UK Devolution Summit at Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall in February. Murphy pledged that the project would have the power to create a ‘twin-city powerhouse’ for Edinburgh and Glasgow which could potentially serve around four million passengers per year, with the aim to compete with closely linked cities such as London and Manchester.

The Strathclyde Partnership for Transport stated that the project could create up to 130 new jobs over 10 years, while contributing £36m to Glasgow’s economy. However, the project would also come at a staggering cost with previous years’ estimates reaching as much as £200m, according to the BBC. q

£3.7m to further test and develop new marine energy prototypes in the seas around Scotland.

Awards have been made to three companies – Albatern, Nova Innovation and Sustainable Marine Energy – to support total project costs of £7m for the development of new wave and tidal energy devices. It is the third round from the remaining competitive funding from the initial WATERS fund, which was developed in conjunction with the Scottish Government and Highlands & Islands Enterprise.

It follows the success of the first two rounds of WATERS, where six marine energy developers benefitted from £7.1m of WATERS funding towards total project costs of £15m.

Welcoming the announcement, Energy Minister Fergus Ewing said: “The Scottish Government and its enterprise agencies are working hard to ensure that small and medium-sized businesses in Scotland are well placed to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the low-carbon economy.

“WATERS is designed to foster a culture of innovation and research and development and I am very pleased that as well as supporting two Scottish ocean power companies [Albatern and Nova Innovation], we are assisting a third from the Isle of Wight [Sustainable Marine Energy] to set up a production hub in Scotland. I am determined that we make the most of the clean, secure and abundant energy stored in the waters around our coasts and these three companies are developing pioneering technologies to help us do that.” q www.constructionnational.co.uk

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Wincan Embedded offers unified reporting to CCTV manufacturers ‹ INCREASINGLY, ACROSS THE pipeline

inspection market, clients are looking to obtain standardised survey reports that can easily be compared to highlight changes and deterioration in pipe networks. This is particularly true of the UK water sector, but also in many other countries across the globe, where WinCan reporting software is fast becoming the industry standard.

In the past, surveys have often been undertaken which then have to be handled a second time to match the in-field survey report with the standard defect catalogues to create final client reports.

Now however, this need no longer be the case. With the explosion in portable devices such as smart phones, phablets and tablets and the huge expansion of their use as part of the control systems and data recording package now being offered by CCTV inspection systems manufactures, WinCan has developed a new software package ‘WinCan Embedded’ that will run behind the scene during a pipeline survey to make the report creation much quicker and simpler for the operator.

Some innovative manufacturers, including iPek, Mini-Cam and Scanprobe, have now launched WinCan Embedded controllers where certain parts of the WinCan software can be licensed to allow the capture of more than just traditional video and pictures using just the CCTV system control unit.

Traditionally, the camera control unit simply captured video and still pictures that could be transferred to WinCan for coding back in the office, the double handling mentioned earlier.

In effect, this meant that the operators had to complete the survey twice – once to capture the survey video and once to report and analyse it.

The WinCan Embedded option can cut out this double handling whilst also working perfectly as if it were a full blown WinCan connected to the system installed on a PC. With a fully licensed version of WinCan Embedded, true WinCan raw data can be captured in real time at the time of survey. This is then later imported to a desktop WinCan or uploaded to WinCan WEB for creation and

delivery of a finalised report directly from site.

For data collection, no other licence or hardware is required – everything is included within the system control unit.

The advantages for the CCTV manufacturer is that WinCan is not involved in the design or manufacture of the survey hardware, only components of the software portion for reporting.

This means that, for the manufacturer, the survey system will ultimately remain as individual to the end-users as it normally would. The system manufacturer will design its front-end look and feel to the specifications of its usual design and retain the familiarity for users. This also means that the operation of the WinCan Embedded software will differ from system to system but ultimately, and perhaps most importantly, the data produced will be fully WinCan compatible.

Why Wincan Embedded?

The three major CCTV manufacturers currently utilising WinCan Embedded each has both common ground and an individual take on where the software will advance their product ranges.

Paul White, UK sales and business development manager of iPek International, said: “We are using WinCan Embedded across the range of our products. We have two control panels for both our push rod and crawler systems. Our VC200 portable controller system has the WinCan Embedded software in it and can drive both types of camera. The advantage for the user is that they do not necessarily have to have a full WinCan set up, provided they have access available they can produce a WinCan report. The data needed for the full report is collected and created on site by the operator using the standard defect and reporting catalogues. This data is then later downloaded to WinCan to make the full report which can be edited if necessary. It also means that a full WinCan setup is not needed on every survey vehicle.”

For Mini-Cam Ltd, managing director Nigel Wilson said: “We use WinCan Embedded on all our push rod and crawler cameras. Why? Simply because it offers a level of portability that is not

possible without it. Ours is a self-made survey system with our own processor and customdesigned software. WinCan Embedded then works within this so that the operator fills in information within the Mini-Cam system using the standard references and defect catalogues. It is not a good idea to have all the extra hardware previously required to generate the report on site, so it was often the case that this was done later, back at the office, taking considerably more time. Our WinCan Embedded eliminates this, leading to a very fast, simple and convenient solution.

“With our system, surveyors do not have to be over-familiar with WinCan, they just need to recognise the codes used within the catalogues and use them correctly. Any extra information that is required to make the report complete is requested of the operator from within our software system. To make it easy for users to export their surveys into WinCan, the Mini-Cam systems save surveys in their own unique folder with everything needed all in one place.

“This all then can be very simply imported directly into WinCan on a PC so a full report can be generated automatically. This can then be checked, validated and provided to the client. Our customers tell us that our Mini-Cam systems with in-built WinCan Embedded offer significant advantages.”

Jon Barry, managing director at Scanprobe Ltd, said: “Having looked at the market and seen the UK water companies using only WinCan as a reporting requirement, we are now looking to use it as standard. This will allow operators not currently able to offer WinCan reporting based services to look at doing so. Scanprobe has designed its own interface so as to keep its commercial identity whilst being able to ‘talk’ to the WinCan Embedded software in a manner that is useable by the surveyor. Anyone using existing WinCan software, but using competitor’s cameras, can buy Scanprobe with WinCan Embedded and still use the WinCan system they already hold. This means they are no longer beholden to any specific CCTV manufacturer and have an option to use a broader spectrum of CCTV kit.” q

(L-R) The iPek Rovion crawler system can be operated with the VC200 controller which utilises WinCan Embedded software; The Mini-Cam range uses the WinCan Embedded software option; Scanprobe currently offers its Maxprobe system with Wincan Embedded software

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SuDS and the urban environment

By Sam Ibbott, Deputy Public Affairs Director, Environmental Industries Commission (EIC)

‹ THE PHOTO-OP. When staged, politicians love them. If you follow

politics, particularly at a local level, they can often be unintentionally hilarious – such as the classic pose of an MP crouched down and pointing at a pothole with a look of horror on his or her face as if the pothole had just said something rather untoward about their mother. So when the country saw widespread flooding last year it was unsurprising that MPs of all colours hastily donned waders and took the opportunity to get photos of themselves looking sympathetic next to people whose lives had at best been inconvenienced and, at worst, devastated by rising water levels.

Flooding is a national infrastructure concern, and with the issue so high in the public’s consciousness it would have been an opportune moment to announce at least one practical step forward – the implementation of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS), the process of dealing with excess surface water by mimicking natural processes which slow the movement of water before it enters rivers or streams, or stores the water so it can either soak into the ground or evaporate. Not in themselves the answer to all flooding concerns by any means, but SuDS have an important role to play – particularly in urban environments.

The independent Pitt Review on flooding, which first recommended the greater uptake of SuDS, was published in 2008 and they were formally legislated for two years later in the Flood & Water Management Act (2010).

After an initial consultation on their implementation in early 2012 and two aborted ‘go live’ dates, the Government went to consultation again in September last year with a new proposal to deliver SuDS through the planning system.

At the Environmental Industries Commission (EIC) we raised a number of concerns, chief among which was that the latest consultation document framed SuDS almost exclusively in terms of flooding, and did not take into account their potential impact on water quality. Nor did it account for the fact that local planning conditions have not always been effective in the past, with houses being built on flood plains for example, or for a potential loophole in the proposed exemption from SuDS requirements for ‘micro’ developments (fewer than nine properties) in that a major development could be reclassified as numerous smaller ones – placing an onus on the local planning authority to monitor the cumulative impact of numerous micro developments in their area.

In a Written Ministerial Statement published alongside the consultation response the Government made clear their ‘expectation’ that sustainable drainage should now be included as part of major new developments ‘unless demonstrated to be inappropriate’ – which could, for example, be the result of ongoing SuDS maintenance not being ‘economically proportionate’; if SuDS were to impair the deliverability of the development; or if they were to place ‘an excessive burden on business.’

Despite this, EIC welcomed the Government’s emphasis on a requirement for SuDS to be maintained over the lifetime of a development. Although the market in third party SuDS maintenance is relatively immature and there are potential difficulties in gauging the robustness of maintenance providers and their expertise, we feel it is an important principle to have set out from the start.

Responses to the consultation did however raise concerns over a lack of technical expertise at local government level, particularly in smaller local authorities, to determine the suitability of sustainable drainage proposals when assessing planning applications – which can lead to inconsistencies.

Although not originally proposed in the consultation document as a channel for securing the required expert advice, the Government did subsequently accept that the Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) are well placed to provide advice on such issues due to recent provisions in the Flood and Water Management Act which gives these bodies overall strategic responsibility for local flood risk management, including surface water.

These changes to the planning system came into effect at the start of April, alongside which the Government published revised planning guidance and non-statutory standards for sustainable drainage systems. The standards in particular were a disappointment, being very lightweight and seemingly saying nothing new despite the amount of effort put in by both Government and Industry since 2010. And being non-statutory of course, what has been published has little to no force.

It took seven years from recommendation to implementation – far longer than had been hoped – but despite these ongoing concerns the new approach is workable and certainly preferable to even further delays by going back to the drawing board.

To this end, the drainage industry should now push ahead within the framework as it stands. With an ever-increasing call for more housing to be built, and all political parties likely to make a related commitment in their General Election manifestos, it is important to get SuDS in place in new developments at the earliest opportunity as our towns, cities and urban spaces become ever more densely populated. If the result of a wider spread use of sustainable drainage is fewer photo opportunities for MPs, that’s a price worth paying. q • EIC is the trade association for the UK’s environmental technologies and services sector. For more information visit www.eic-uk.co.uk.

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Third release of Green Deal fully allocated; remains of second release available ‹ THE £70M AVAILABLE through the third release of the Green

Deal Home Improvement Fund (GDHIF) has now been fully allocated, the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) announced on 26 March. This has created a pipeline of energy efficiency work for the industry over the coming months, with households in England and Wales benefiting from improvements carried out under the scheme.

At the same time, DECC announced that an additional £5m remaining from release two of GDHIF is being made available immediately, so that householders can continue to apply for funding to make energy saving home improvements. The funding will be allocated as follows: • Up to £1,250 for installing two measures from an approved list • Up to £100 refunded for a Green Deal Assessment if it • recommends the measures applied for • Up to £500 more if applying within 12 months of buying a new • home Money for GDHIF is part of over £0.5bn allocated for household energy efficiency between 2014 – 2017.

Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey said: “The Green Deal Home Improvement Fund is extremely popular, and the third release has proved no exception. Thanks to this scheme, some of the country’s leakiest homes will be warmer and cheaper to heat – permanently.

“We know the best way to help people use less energy and drive down their bills is to make their homes more energy efficient, and through ECO and Green Deal we’ve improved over one million homes across the country.”

The approved list of measures for the £5m remaining from the second release of GDHIF is: • Cavity wall insulation • Condensing mains gas boiler • Secondary glazing • Double/triple glazing (replacing single glazing) • Flat roof insulation • Replacement warm air unit • Fan-assisted storage heaters • Energy efficient replacement doors • Floor insulation • Room-in-roof insulation • Waste water heat recovery Remaining funds are limited and DECC may vary the terms of the scheme (including the incentive rates) or suspend or close the scheme, with immediate effect, without notice and at any time.

A refund towards the cost of a Green Deal Advice Report is subject to a successful voucher application, the installation of the eligible measures through the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund and compliance with the scheme terms and conditions. q

What does 2015 hold in store for renewable heat? ‹ OIL RESOURCE EXPERTS predict the price in coming years to be

‘somewhere between $20 and $200!’ According to John Findlay, Managing Director of Carbon Zero Consulting: “Although we all welcome recent reductions in fuel costs, the latest bout of oil-price mayhem demonstrates why you cannot build a long-term strategy around cheap oil or gas.”

Despite clear government objectives to electrify the UK’s heating systems using ground source heat pumps, the uptake of biomass boilers outstrips other technologies. This is almost entirely due to favourable Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) payments for biomass. This position is about to change as biomass RHI tariffs reduce from April 1st – small non-domestic biomass by 15% and domestic biomass by 20%. There is no change to ground source heat pump tariffs.

John Findlay added: “The RHI is becoming more firmly established and the realisation is dawning that this is a great time to buy a ground source heat pump or other renewable heat system. However, it seems the impending election is causing a bout of nerves!

“Regardless of who moves into number 10 in May, the worst outcome for a healthy renewable heat market would be the imposition of another review of tariffs. This would (once again) stall the market and cause an unwelcome loss of experienced designers and installers. The RHI should continue, although there remain some major discrepancies to be addressed.

“Some even predict the RHI might be scrapped altogether. This would be ill advised and would send the wrong signals with regard to the UK’s role in tackling climate change – especially with the Paris Climate Summit due in December. However, if the RHI were to go, it should be remembered that prior to the advent of the RHI, the uptake of (ground source) heat pumps outstripped biomass. ‘’The choice of technology should always be based on site specific technical issues – not simply which technology yields the highest RHI’’. q

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Shared Parental Leave – are you ready?

In a male dominated industry like construction the forthcoming updates to the family friendly legislation this April may well have an impact on your business. According to employment law consultants THSP, the introduction of Shared Parental Leave – which gives parents more choice on how they care for their children during the first year of life, could bring with it an influx of requests.

‹ THE NEW POLICY means that shared

parental leave is available to eligible parents of babies due on or after 5 April 2015. Mothers can choose to end their maternity leave early to enable their partner to take shared parental leave.

In short, parents will now have the opportunity to share 50 weeks leave and 37 weeks pay between them. Similar rules will apply to adoptive parents.

So will Shared Parental Leave replace current maternity, adoption and statutory paternity leave?

No, shared parental leave is optional for parents. It is intended to give working families more flexibility and choice over when they take leave during the first year of their child’s life or adoption. They can

also choose who takes it and, if they wish, both parents can be on leave at the same time.

Shared parental leave does not replace the maternity or adoption leave entitlements of 52 weeks (39 weeks paid and 13 unpaid), and the two week compulsory maternity leave period immediately following the birth of a child or adoption placement will also remain in place.

The current two weeks statutory paternity leave will remain available, meaning that parents can still choose to take leave following a birth or adoption placement in line with the current system. Fathers or partners may take both the two weeks statutory paternity leave and shared parental leave if they wish.

So will Shared Parental Leave replace Additional Paternity Leave? Yes it will, the additional paternity leave provisions introduced in 2011, which allows the child’s father or the mother’s partner to take up to 26 weeks leave, will be abolished from 5 April 2015 and effectively be replaced by shared parental leave. Therefore, if expectant fathers or partners now wish to take a longer period of family leave, they would need to do so via the new shared parental leave regulations. q • Give THSP a call on 08456 122 144 to discuss how this could affect your workforce.

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£500,000 Annual Investment 31st December 2015

JCB Finance warns that a £500,000 - £875,000 tax saving opportunity is drawing to a close. ‹ THE AUTUMN STATEMENT of 3rd

December 2014 confirmed what had already been announced in the March 2014 Budget – a temporary increase in the Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) from £250,000 to £500,000 with it scheduled to revert back to £25,000 on 1st January 2016.

The enhanced AIA of £500,000 is available for capital expenditure on plant, machinery and commercial vehicles (not cars) purchased from April 2014 until 31st December 2015. This an important tax incentive which accelerates the tax relief so that 100% of eligible expenditure can be offset against taxable profits in the first year instead of taking up to 12 years to reclaim 90%

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of the original cost using the normal 18% annual writing down allowance.

In effect, for every £1 spent the Government will give you £1 back in the form of relief against your taxable profits. The net benefit will depend on the rate of income tax or corporation tax that your business pays – which could be between 20% and 45%. It is the equivalent of a subsidy to encourage businesses to invest in plant and machinery.

Capital expenditure via a Hire Purchase (HP) agreement is also eligible for exactly the same AIA, just as if you had paid cash, but you will also gain a terrific cash flow advantage.

Potentially your business could gain up to

£500,000 in tax relief after only having paid the deposit – and the interest charged is also 100% tax deductible. All businesses, including plant hire businesses, can claim the AIA. The only exceptions are mixed partnerships or trusts, i.e. those in which a company is a member.

If you have not already planned how to maximise the benefit speak to your accountant or finance director now. If your financial year end is March or your tax year end is April then your £500,000 AIA is about to drop to £375,000 – get the timing right and under these circumstances there may still be an opportunity to claim £500,000 + £375,000 in AIA tax relief during 2015.

Allowance ends Timing is critical Proper advice is needed because different financial years that straddle either the tax year or calendar year end may result in complicated calculations that could result in a lesser AIA being granted in that financial year.

The chart opposite illustrates the maximum amounts available by showing four different financial year end companies and how vital it is to spend the right amount within the right periods in order to maximise the tax benefits.

For financial years ending in 2015 the maximum AIA actually available may be lower than the amounts indicated in the chart, depending on the timing of the expenditure.

Given the lead times of some plant and machinery, from order to delivery, this also needs to be carefully factored in to your buying plans.

Get the timing and/or the amounts wrong and your business could either miss out on available tax relief or worse still, end up paying far more tax then is required.

Other factors being equal, if your business is contemplating purchasing plant in the near future, there are some strong tax-based and cash flow arguments to carefully plan plant purchases before the end of your financial year and certainly before 1st January 2016, so that you can maximise on the available AIA before it drops to a paltry £25,000.

Following the 18th March Budget the Chancellor said: “I am clear from my conversations with business groups that a reduction to £25,000 would not be remotely acceptable – and so it will be set at a much more generous rate.”

Sounds encouraging but it relies on the Conservatives getting back into power and he didn’t say what he would change it to. His comments can be interpreted that the AIA may still drop but nobody knows when or by how much. Clarity should be forthcoming at the next Autumn Statement in December or following an emergency budget when a new government is formed. R • JCB Finance Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. JCB Finance provides asset finance for UK businesses for both JCB and non-competitive plant, including vehicles and cars but it is not a tax or financial advisor. Always seek advice from your accountant or finance director, because every business’ circumstances are different. Businesses should not make investment decisions purely on a tax basis. www.constructionnational.co.uk

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Industry gives two cheers to Budget housing measures ‹ THE MEASURES TO TACKLE the housing shortage contained

in the Chancellor’s Budget on 18 March were met with a lukewarm response from many in the industry, with commentators left feeling that, although welcome, the measures did not go far enough.

The President of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), Stephen Hodder, said: “Although the Chancellor’s announcements about new housing and infrastructure in London are positive, such piecemeal measures fall short of the commitment needed to end the housing crisis within a generation. Whoever forms the next government must go much further and champion the long-term sustainable supply of high-quality new homes that people want to live in and communities will support.”

The Royal Town Planning Institute was equally frustrated. In its Budget response it said: “Housing zones can be a welcome initiative if they are accompanied by comprehensive plans to ensure that new communities are great places to live by being well served by transport infrastructure, employment opportunities, and social and wider amenity infrastructure.”

The announcement of the new Help to Buy ISA to encourage saving for deposits was more warmly welcomed.

Lucian Cook, UK head of residential research at Savills, said: “The Help to Buy ISA is a further attempt to keep alive the aspiration of home ownership and help first-time buyers overcome the deposit

constraints that have been the biggest barrier faced since the credit crunch.

“While it will be welcomed by prospective first-time buyers, limiting the ISA to a £12,000 savings plan with a £3,000 government contribution should prevent a surge in house prices.

It is more likely to help get buyers over the deposit hurdle in the lower value, lower growth markets of the Midlands and the North than, say, London and the South East, where significant constraints remain.

“It is also likely to be welcomed by parents and grandparents by making first time buyers less dependent on the ‘Bank of Mum and Dad’. However, those first time buyers who are keen to lock into low interest rates and who have access to parental support are unlikely to commit to what is effectively a five year savings plan.”

Liam Bailey, global head of research at Knight Frank, told Housebuilder and Developer: “Almost 83,000 households have already purchased a home through the Help to Buy scheme and there is no doubt it has had a positive, if modest, impact on transaction volumes over the last two to three years. The new Help to Buy ISA is likely to be another support for first time buyers.

However we do not expect the impact to lead to a substantial number of new transactions, and is very unlikely to influence pricing in the market.” R

How we lived – and still do ‹ A NEW GUIDE charting the history of the modern home from

Victorian times to the digital age has been launched by the NHBC Foundation.

Homes through the decades: the making of modern housing examines the political and social drivers, and technological changes that have shaped the modern home and the way we live. From the gadgets we use to the way our homes are built, the guide contains evocative images and informative charts which illustrate and define key periods in our housing history.

The study also poses questions about what our homes might look like in the future – will demographic changes such as decreasing family sizes and an ageing population lead to new designs of homes? How much further will sustainability targets be pushed in housing design, and will higher levels of automation become the norm? The report notes how people living in today’s homes have greater protection than their predecessors through the introduction of building regulations, comprehensive building standards and warranties.

Commenting on the report, Neil Smith, head of research and innovation at NHBC, said: “Since the beginning of the 20th century, Britain has experienced seismic changes in society, politics, technology and culture.

“We are now embarking on a further historically-important step for housing as we seek to establish a generation of new homes suitable for the 21st century. Our thinking should be informed by a clear understanding of what has gone before and an enlightened view of how we should address the challenges of today and tomorrow.

“Homes through the decades is an account of the drivers, endeavour and experience that over the past century has shaped the modern home.

In its pages we are reminded of the pivotal events and inspirational people – reformers, planners, architects, designers, technologists and construction teams – who grappled with the pressures and constraints

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of their time to deliver our unique housing heritage.

“The future, by definition is uncertain. However, as in the past, British ingenuity will once again be central to our success in overcoming technical challenges and delivering homes that are right for the coming decade.”

To accompany the report, the NHBC Foundation has also produced a Top 10 moments in housing history infographic, charting a number of significant dates that shaped Britain’s homes. R

Historic village is back in the news ‹ THE VILLAGE OF Smalley in Derbyshire

has been in and out of the news for a long time, now. According to the parish council: “Smalley was mentioned in a Charter of 1009 by King Æþelræd Unræd (Ethelred the Unready) relating to a manor known as Westune (modern-day Weston-on-Trent), which land included the areas now known as Shardlow, Great Wilne, Church Wilne, Crich, Smalley, Morley, Weston and Astonon-Trent. Under this charter Ethelred gave his minister, Morcar, some exemptions from tax.”

To be fair, the village rarely disturbed chroniclers until a few years ago, when its open-cast mine expanded and Smalley began to thrive. That rise in fortunes has led to a number of developments, the latest being Smalley Manor, a site of 99 homes by locally-based Peveril Homes.

With a selection of two-bedroom bungalows and four-bedroom detached houses currently on offer, Smalley Manor is a chance for purchasers to buy from a company with a real interest in its locality. The company name derives from a Derbyshire heritage site (the ruined Peveril Castle near Castleton) and the company builds in Derbyshire and the nearby counties

The spacious four-bedroom Claremont of Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and Staffordshire.

The homes currently available include the compact Woodcote – a two-bedroom bungalow – and the spacious four-bedroom

Claremont. Other homes on the site, but not currently available, include the grandiose Grangewood, the sprawling Sherringham with its double garage and the threebedroom Lichfield A. q

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New show home spearheads developer’s Cumbrian collection ‹ IN MARCH PERSIMMON HOMES launched

a new show home on one of its developments in Cumbria, giving buyers a glimpse of what it would be like to live there. Persimmon Lancashire’s new site is known as Bellaport Gardens, in the popular village of Harrington.

The development boasts a wide range of properties, including two, three and four-bedroom homes which provide contemporary living with two-storey and three-storey properties. The new show home, the Penshaw, offers three-storey living with a top-floor master bedroom featuring an en-suite.

Sales and marketing director Diane Finch said: “Bellaport Gardens is appealing to a wide range of buyers, including first-time, professional couples, growing families and downsizers. It is in a great location and proving to be really sought-after.

There are excellent commuter links as well as great amenities on the doorstep and good schools.”

Harrington, which has its own harbour, is on the Cumbrian coast on the outskirts of Workington and around four miles to the north of Whitehaven.

Diane Finch added: “The development really does offer the best of

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Inside one of the homes at Bellaport Gardens both worlds, especially with the Lake District nearby with all its stunning scenery, towns and walks. Days out and weekends away could not be easier.

“It has never been a better time to move with schemes such as Help to Buy available. Buyers need just a 5% deposit while the Government provides a 20% equity loan, which is interest and repayment free for the first five years, meaning buyers just need a 75% mortgage. Our sales advisors are here to help guide people through the process.”

Bellaport Gardens is one of a number of developments Persimmon is building in Cumbria. In nearby Workington, Forgehill Park provides a mix of two, three and four-bedroom homes, while a little further away the semi-rural village of Dearham offers a wide range of properties at the Newlands Park development.

Newlands Park is a truly flagship site, with just a few remaining homes left on the market. They range from the three-bedroom semi-detached Hanbury to the five-bedroom detached Winster.

In Cumbria’s main city, Carlisle, Persimmon have available a collection of two, three and four-bedroom homes at its Brackenleigh development.

Brackenleigh is situated in a countryside location close to the city, with three and four-bedroom detached show homes now available to view. q

Buying can be cheaper than renting in Selby ‹ PERSIMMON HOMES SAYS renters in

Selby, Yorkshire, could be wasting money when they could buy their own brand new apartment in the same area for less. Apartments at its Staynor Hall development start from as little as £62 a week – less than an equivalent rental property.

Kevin Thubron, sales director at Persimmon

Homes Yorkshire, believes using the Government backed Help to Buy scheme offers an affordable solution for first time buyers wanting to make the move to property ownership.

He said: “We have an exciting range of 12 two–bedroom apartments at our development off Bawtry Lane, which offer all the luxuries of

Coventry development gets underway ‹ JUST THREE MILES from the city of Coventry is the village of Binley, which is the site of

Persimmon Homes’s brand new development of two, three and four-bedroom homes on 2.4 acres of undeveloped land.

The development, Binley Place, was begun last May and represents a £3.5m investment for Persimmon, including a commitment to provide funding of over £200,000 for community facilities, including education and off-site open space.

Speaking after Coventry City Council passed the plans for the development, Persimmon Homes South Midlands managing director Richard Oldroyd said: “We are committed to building high quality homes in sought after locations that are within easy reach of local amenities and transport links.

“Our plans for Binley Place include a mix of two, three and four-bedroom homes to suit a range of buyers, from those looking to get on the property ladder for the first time to families seeking more space as they grow.”

Binley is on the eastern fringe of Coventry and has developed from a small mining village to a thriving suburban hub. q

modern-day living with a spacious open-plan kitchen/diner and living room with a Juliet-style balcony and good size bedrooms. By using the Help to Buy scheme there has never been a better time for buyers to ditch their rental bills and start investing in their own future.

“Currently buyers can get the best deals by purchasing the apartments off-plan,” added Kevin. “Reserving at this stage means you can truly personalise your home by choosing from a range of fixtures and fittings such as kitchen units, flooring, tiles or accessories.

“Staynor Hall is in a great location, under a mile from Selby centre with shops and local amenities on its doorstep. There are also great commuter links, by rail and road, to York, Leeds, Doncaster and Hull making it a popular destination for homebuyers.” q

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A move to The Paddocks is like a day at the races ‹ PERSIMMON HOMES HAS announced

the release of the latest phase of new homes at The Paddocks @ Ffos Las in Trimsaran, near Llanelli, Carmarthenshire.

The Paddocks @ Ffos Las boasts eight different house styles, including two, three, four and five-bedroom homes. Its location, at 7 miles west of Llanelli and 11 miles south of Carmarthen, means it is ideallysituated to take advantage of both the Welsh countryside and the bustling life of the town.

It is also within easy reach of South Wales’s spectacular coastline.

For those who enjoy the sporting life, Ffos Las racecourse is on the doorstep, giving the development its name. Ffos Las is the country’s newest racecourse and the third in Wales. It was opened in 2009 and was the first National Hunt racecourse to be built in the UK for 80 years.

To mark the opening of the show homes at the development, local radio station The Wave presented a Persimmon Ideal Home Show over a weekend period. In addition to

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free drinks and cupcakes and face painting for the kids on both the Saturday and Sunday, there was expert advice on hand from mortgage advisors.

Plus, a free prize draw gave visitors the chance to win an X Box, Apple TV, iPad Mini, Itunes vouchers and a 43 inch Plasma TV. q

Partnership leads to a transformation

Five-star developer is committed to quality homes ‹ LIONCOURT HOMES HAS been awarded a 5-Star Quality

‹ WHAT WAS ONE of the less popular areas to live in the Welsh town

of Bridgend has been transformed by Bellway Homes into a much soughtafter development – with some residents benefitting from a unique hookup with a local housing trust to buy their homes on a shared ownership basis.

Described by Valleys2Coast as ‘one of our most popular regeneration projects’, Wood Green, as the new development has been named, has provided eight homes for low-cost purchase, with V2C retaining 30% of the equity and the residents paying the other 70%. The scheme is one of a number being run by Bellway to enable first-time buyers to access the property ladder.

The development, in Cefn Glas, also features 80 homes for open sale, comprising two, three, four and five-bedroom homes in a wide range of styles, including apartments and spacious detached properties.

At the launch of the development in 2012 Bellway Homes Wales sales manager Denise Swift said: “Wood Green has been warmly welcomed in Bridgend as it is creating a new community in an established area. In a cul-de-sac location, the brand new homes are surrounded by mature trees which give the development a rural feel with the benefit of being so close to Bridgend and with great transport links. Wood Green is the perfect place to buy for both families and first-time buyers who want to live close to Bridgend and all of its amenities at an affordable price.”

That launch, marked by a visit from Welsh Grand Slam-winning rugby star Jamie Roberts (pictured), saw the unveiling of a number of show homes, including the Brockweir and Pembroke designs.

The three-bedroom Brockweir boasts a fully-fitted kitchen-dining area with French doors to the rear garden, a living room with feature bay window and two double bedrooms. Meanwhile, the traditional Pembroke home offers family living with four bedrooms which include two spacious double bedrooms. q

rating in the annual Home Builders Federation (HBF) customer satisfaction survey. That is the maximum score that can be achieved and enables Lioncourt to stand out as one of the premium builders in the UK. The survey is designed to provide homebuyers with information about housebuilders’ approach to quality, in order to help guide their purchasing decision. It is also designed to encourage excellent levels of service to be delivered by developers.

Colin Cole, chief executive of Lioncourt Homes, said: “Everyone in the business is totally committed to delivering the best possible quality and this approach has resulted in Lioncourt Homes being awarded the HBF 5-Star status. We are one of only 15 housebuilders in the country to be awarded five stars this year.”

The results show that 100% of Lioncourt customers have said that they would recommend Lioncourt Homes to a friend.

Lioncourt Homes build quality homes in the Midlands and Central England and is led by an experienced team of senior executives. Together, its management team has over 100 years experience in the housebuilding industry.

Under Colin Cole’s leadership the company has developed into one of the fastest-growing land and property businesses in Central England.

In his chief executive statement he says: “Lioncourt Homes provides high quality homes in desirable locations at affordable prices. We offer a wide range of properties from one-bedroom apartments and starter homes to five-bedroom executive homes.

“Lioncourt Homes have created a new range of properties which are designed to provide aspirational living in well thoughtout accommodation and attractive looking developments. We set exceptional standards in our approach to new house building.

“Quality of workmanship, quality of service and customer satisfaction are at the forefront of our business. Everyone in the Lioncourt business is focused on these important factors and we provide a personal touch to the purchase of your new home.” q

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Welcome to our A to Z guide of the websites of some of the industry’s leading players.

If you are one of our many online readers simply click on any of the logos listed below and you will be automatically directed to that company’s website.

To get your company’s website listed on this page just give us a call on 0161 710 3873 or email cathy@dmmonline.co.uk

Saving Time, Saving Money

www.competentroofer.co.uk

The Construction Publication Specialist

Cable Management Systems

www.skyhook-gb.com

Innovative Manufacturers of Adhesives, Grouts, Cements and Coatings

www.cip-books.com

www.rotafix.co.uk

New & Used Portable & Modular Building Sales.

• Alteration • Refurbs • Installation • Relocation

Online Tradesman Search Facility & Directory

www.cotacabin.co.uk

www.stockporttradesmen.com

Suppliers and Distributors of Scaffolding and Access Equipment

Construction Finance Specialists

www.scaffoldingsales.co.uk

Think Roofs, Think NFRC

www.ultimatefinance.co.uk

High Speed 4G Wireless Broadband Routers

www.nfrc.co.uk

www.4grouter.co.uk

Working within the Construction Industry • Health & Safety Training • Roofing Training

Your partner for working safely at heights

www.nimrod-training.co.uk

www.xsplatforms.com

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BUILDERS & PLUMBERS MERCHANTS

HEALTH & SAFETY

BUILDING CONTROL

PORTABLE BUILDINGS

CONCRETE

TRAINING & ASSESSMENT

DUST MONITORING

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DVD REVIEW

Training video helps ensure

safety at roadworks A Guide to Safer Roadworks: Paragon Training Distributed by CIP Books; DVD 29 mins; £295 + VAT

‹ ANYONE WHO HAS been travelling along the main road running past

this reviewer’s home will be aware of the complex and sometimes extensive nature of roadworks carried out to maintain and improve the services we take for granted. To drivers they are an inconvenience; but to the operatives working behind the barriers they are a workplace that can be hazardous and even dangerous if not set up and carried out properly.

This training video from Paragon Training has been designed for operatives of a number of different types of road works on roads other than motorways or dual carriageways with a speed limit of 50mph or more. The stated purpose of the film is to “…help all persons involved make sure that all street and roadworks are safe for both operatives and the public”. It takes as its reference point the Safety at Street Works and Road Works revised Code of Practice, published by the Department for Transport (£10.99 from CIP Books). The training can be used towards the gaining of the Street Works Qualification.

The emphasis from the beginning is on the importance of carrying out a site-specific risk assessment before and during the setting up of the roadworks. One of the main changes in the revised code is in the holistic nature of the risk assessment, taking in the surrounding area and environment of the site. The video offers a scenario with a number of considerations to be taken into account before the work even starts – indeed it goes into detail of issues to be considered before the crew leaves their depot.

The film then sets out in detail a particular example of one kind of roadworks site – set-up, signing, traffic control, distances for approaching traffic and the all-important safety zone. A diagram from the revised code is used to illustrate the layout involved and all dimensions and distances are set out in a table at the back of the document. Various other examples of site configurations are also shown, from works at roundabouts to those at T-junctions.

Particular attention is paid to the types of traffic control available, from ‘give-and-take’ to portable traffic signals. The latter are detailed in the Introduction to the Use of Portable Vehicular Signs – the socalled Pink Book (£9.00 from CIP Books).

Following instructions on the dismantling and removal of the works, the video then looks at other types of works – works on footways, on cycle and equestrian routes, on tramways and at railway crossings and finally • Construction Industry Publications (CIP) publishes a range of mobile and short-duration works.

The whole ethos of the training session is construction, health and safety and environmental titles. summed up by the mnemonic WIDE: Warn, Inform, Direct, End. At the end a reminder As well as its own publications and DVDs, including the iconic Construction is made as to why all the rules are there – to Health and Safety Manual and the new Environmental Manual, CIP protect the public and the operatives. Safe supplies a wide range of DVDs, books and report forms from all of the working is in everybody’s interest. R

leading specialist publishers including the HSE, Paragon Training and CIRIA for construction professionals, architects, designers, civil engineers, training organisations and specialist consultants.

All can be purchased from the CIP website at www.cip-books.com or ordered by phone on 0870 078 4400.

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