Constructive

[SAFETY AND SUSTAINABILITY are two themes that crop up repeatedly in this issue. Since April the Building Safety Regulator has been accepting registrations of high-rise buildings. The mandatory process has seen a flood of registrations prior to the deadline of September. The new regime applies to buildings over 18 metres in height or with seven or more floors. All new buildings have many safety-critical elements that have to be addressed at the planning stage. To help developers and architects deal with those elements in a structured way, the CIOB and RIBA have produced a free guide, available to all.

• The move towards more sustainable buildings applies to all areas of a development, including the drainage system. Sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) are increasingly being included in new developments, as well as being retrofitted into existing buildings.

• The construction process has been transformed in recent years by the emergence of modern methods of construction (MMCs). At the forefront of that transformation has been the modular building industry. The modular industry in turn is being driven by rising demand in the health, education and housing sectors. That latter has been boosted by the announcement of the £1.2bn NH3 framework for public sector housing in England.

• In Scotland the picture is not nearly so rosy, as a roundtable of MSPs and others at Holyrood heard. Two in five homes in Scotland do not conform to quality standards, leading to a call for a major retrofit programme.

• A threat to health that has hung over both construction workers and building occupants for over a century is the presence of asbestos. It’s still there, as the HSE is reminding all construction workers. Another source of potential ill health on site is the presence of rats and other pests. They, too, need to be dealt with by suitably qualified contractors.

• In terms of safety on site, the main cause of serious and fatal injury is work at height. Ladders are often the culprit, either because of misuse or, it transpires, poor quality of manufacture. The Ladder Association is warning both tradesmen and the public to ensure their ladders are fit for purpose.

• More work at height these days is being carried out from the safe environment of powered access equipment, albeit appropriate training is still needed. The safe use of such equipment is one of the priorities of a new entrant to the market. Genesis Equipment Sales is devoted to providing its customers with a full programme of after-sales support throughout the lifecycle of their machines. A line-up of examples of one of the prides of their fleet creates a stunning image for our front cover.

• Training is, of course, the bedrock of any construction industry and the key to its future. In April the CLC launched its Skills Plan, outlining a number of projects aimed at equipping the industry of the future with the modern skills it will need. The outcome of that skills training is showcased annually by the SkillBuild competition. This year’s national final will be held in Milton Keynes.

• Showcasing the skills and prowess of those who have already been working on site for some time is the role of the NHBC’s Pride in the Job Awards. The winners of the first round have been announced and we congratulate them all.

• Hand-in-hand with health and safety on site goes sustainability. The drive towards net-zero carbon applies as much to the building site as it does to the buildings themselves. The latest string to the CLC’s CO2nstruct Zero programme’s bow is the Zero Diesel Sites Route Map. Its aspiration is to see the use of diesel on sites reduced by 78% by 2035. q

Chris Stokes Editor, Construction National