Construction National Summer 2013 (CHW) by DMMonline

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COVER STORY

CONTENTS Working at Height The latest HSE statistics show that 40 workers were killed and more than 3,400 were seriously injured in falls from height in 2011/12. In this special feature we take a look at some of the measures - including improved training and equipment - which are being implemented to protect both employees and the public alike and to help reduce the number of these entirely preventable incidents. read more on p9 NEWS 5 5 6 7 7

Mayor announces London docklands transformation deal New measures reform planning rules Flexibility of Sika Sarnafil roofing fits intricate design SMEs are ‘missing out on public sector projects’ More government land to be released for development

Front cover image courtesy of www.NASC.org.uk

DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE

TRAINING

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Dealing with drug and alcohol abuse on the construction site Which sample should you use in what circumstances? Adding value through health Drugs, alcohol and building sites don’t mix Getting and keeping the numbers down

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WORKING AT HEIGHT

TRANSPORT

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NASC TG20:13 – launch update CISRS new training centres Sisters are doing it – CISRS training, that is A training provider you can trust Enforcing the law – a look at two cases when falls from height have led to prosecution Dedicated Work at Height training provider for East Anglia has ‘been a long time coming’ Access all areas – from Aberdeen Scotland welcomes the Norsemen – and woman! Combisafe launches new counterweight system for fast and efficient flat roof edge protection George Roberts offer UK wide 48 hour delivery service Up on the roof at Hollandgreen Scaffolding bears its own unique ID Major award winning project makes the most of Layher scaffolding Providing a step in the right direction

FINANCE 21 22 23

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GREEN ISSUES 32

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Equipping your business for future growth Seeking advice on tax? Everybody wants to get Britain building – but where’s the money coming from? Struggling to raise finance?

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Geotechnics and geosynthetics for the rail sector Four-year rail upgrade puts Reading back on track Keeping the site secure is a 24/7 job

Natural stone: the oldest and possibly greenest of building materials Timber challenge for Coventry students TRADA members get publications free online Think Fabric First – a building’s fabric gives substance to its thermal performance Specialists in laminated timber engineered structures Glued and laminated – Glulam has strength, beauty and the green cred of timber Nesting birds halt bridge repairs AMEC to provide contaminated land consultancy services Getting advice can save a great deal of money

HOUSING 44 45 45 45 46 47 47 48 48 49 49 49

CE MARKING 37 39

CE marking: it’s all change CE marking is standard practice for this old hand in the fastener industry

Health and safety training needs commitment from the top Oldham apprentices on the road The Skills Show calls for volunteers from the construction industry £15 million investment by building college in Leeds Helmsman launch e-learning for construction industry ECITB develops construction manager pathway NEBOSH and APS announce new partnership

Come home again to Wales with Bellway The only way is Bellway New range offers a surprise or two Bloor offers six of the best Local people reap the benefits of a cleaner environment Housing partnership celebrates development launch Neighbourly community gets planning go-ahead NHBC announces first round PiJ winners Planning permissions rise on back of policy framework Porotherm a winner at Housebuilder Product Awards NHBC and BSRIA join forces on air leakage testing Cedral Weatherboard helps satisfy planning on coastal site

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For all other enquiries: Tel: 0161 710 3880 Fax: 0161 710 3879 Email: editorial@dmmonline.co.uk Suite 2, 61 Lower Hillgate, Stockport SK1 3AW Editor: Chris Stokes Copyright Construction National. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced or transmitted in any form without prior permission of Construction National. Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher.

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CHW

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Mayor announces London docklands transformation deal ‹ THE MAYOR OF LONDON, Boris Johnson,

has announced details of a £1bn deal to transform London’s historic docklands into the capital’s next business district, forging new trade links with China and other economies in the Asia-Pacific region and securing billions of pounds of inward investment into the UK economy. The 35-acre site at Royal Albert Dock is set to be transformed by ABP China (Holding) into a gateway for Asian and Chinese businesses seeking to establish headquarters in Europe, as well as other businesses wanting to set up in the capital. The deal will re-instate the Royal Docks as a commercial and trading centre for the 21st century, delivering around 20,000 full-time jobs and boosting local employment in Newham by 30%. When complete the site will become London’s third business district and, according to initial projections, be worth £6bn to the UK economy, generating £23m in business rates annually and acting as a catalyst for further development in the area. The largest development of its kind in the UK, the state-of-the-art business district will eventually be home to over 3.2 million ft2 of high-quality work, retail and leisure space, including 2.5 million ft2 of prime office space. An experienced developer in China, this is ABP’s first development project in Europe. With a track record of investing in and transforming large areas in need of regeneration, the company specialises in delivering projects of significant scale. Working with UK developer Stanhope and architects and master-planners Farrells, ABP has a commitment to developing a minimum of 600,000ft2 in the first phase, with strong interest for office space already being shown by Chinese companies, including some of the country’s top banks. The first occupiers are due to move in in 2017. The deal is a key part of the Mayor’s ongoing commitment to regenerate London’s docklands, bringing jobs and homes back to the capital’s waterways and building on the momentum of the development of the Olympic Park and Stratford City. It is the latest in a string of investments in the area including the Siemens Crystal Centre, the UK's first urban cable car, Emirates Air Line and new homes at Great Eastern Quay, as well as upcoming developments at Silvertown Quays and the plans to create the UK’s largest floating village at Royal Victoria Dock. Boris Johnson said: “For centuries the waterways of east London were the throbbing arteries of UK trade and commerce. This deal symbolises the revival of that great

era, continuing the re-invention of this once maligned part of the capital into a 21stcentury centre of trade and investment. Creating a third financial district in the capital, this development will act as a beacon for eastern investors looking west, bringing with it tens of thousands of jobs and billions of pounds of investment for the UK economy.”

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles added: “This is a significant investment deal for London and will boost employment and growth in the capital. I am delighted that the benefits of Enterprise Zone status are attracting foreign investment to the country and strengthening our trade relations with major international players like China.” q

New measures reform planning rules ‹ A PACKAGE OF REFORMS to the planning application process came into force in June.

The measures were confirmed by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) in its response to a consultation on a package of measures to simplify and streamline the planning application process in England. The measures include reforms to the validation regime for planning applications, Design and Access Statements and changes to decision notices. The new rules mean only major developments, some applications in designated areas and listed building consents will require Design and Access Statements. “Reducing the number of applications that require a Design and Access Statement would remove statutory burdens on applicants, but it is not considered that this would be at the expense of good design and accessibility,” said DCLG. In designated areas – conservation areas and World Heritage Sites – there is a lower threshold: that of one or more dwellings or a building or buildings where the floor space created by the development is 100m2 or more. DCLG said the changes do not affect an applicant’s ability to explain or justify their design and neither would they alter a local planning authority’s ability to apply its design and access policies when determining applications. Some of the requirements for the contents of Design and Access Statements, including explanations of certain specific design principles and details of access maintenance, have been removed. At the same time the Government is introducing a new approach to the validation of planning applications under which the information a local authority requires must be ‘genuinely necessary’ and material to the application. q www.constructionnational.co.uk

Flexibility of Sika Sarnafil roofing fits intricate design

The Sika Sarnafil system was chosen for this intricate and bespoke roof because of its flexibility. (Image courtesy of ATASS Group.)

‹ THE FLEXIBILITY OF THE Sika Sarnafil single ply system lent itself

to a bespoke and intricate roof crowning a landmark Exeter building. With a 40,000 sq ft footprint, Oxygen House is the impressive new headquarters for statistical research company, ATASS Group. Designed by Broadway Malyan architects, the building draws upon stadium and yacht design in reference to the work of ATASS Sports, and boasts a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating and an array of sustainable features. A key part of the design was the complex geometry of the east and west wing roofs which flank a tapering conical roof above the entrance, dubbed ‘the eyebrow’. Local Sika Sarnafil registered contractor Progressive Systems was tasked with installing the 2,970 sq m of membrane to the roofs, overcoming a number of technical challenges to perform the intricate detailing. Progressive’s Chris Curtis says that precision was key to pulling off this geometric look. “Our attention to detail and high standards of workmanship ensured the finished roof was geometrically perfect across all the lead roll feature detailing. The look was then further complemented by the extensive use of bullnose fascias and soffits in polyester-powdercoated aluminium.” But Chris says that ‘the eyebrow’ posed the biggest challenge. “The detailing to the intersection between the two asymmetric curved roofs of the east and west wings was very complex, featuring tapering, inclined conical entrance features. We used full sized Sika Sarnafil templates to ensure the aesthetics were perfectly achieved.” And, with the roofing featuring several steeply sloping sections, Progressive also ensured the roof was installed with the highest standards

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of health and safety in mind. Careful consideration was given to roof drainage and the behaviour of the water collecting within the converging lead rolls, too. Chris says that the roof was successfully installed to the satisfaction of the architect, main contractor Midas Construction, developer Summerfield Developments and ATASS Group. As he concludes: “It is a landmark building for Exeter and, since opening in summer 2012, it has won ‘Building of the Year’ in a prestigious regional property competition and is expected to win more awards this year. As such, we are extremely proud to be associated with the project, and of the very high standards of workmanship and aesthetics we achieved.” q • For more information on the Sika Sarnafil system visit www.sarnafil. co.uk, call 01603 709360 or email sarnafilroofing@uk.sika.com.

SMEs are ‘missing out on public sector projects’ ‹ MORE THAN 40% OF SMEs in the construction sector are failing to win nine out of ten public sector contracts and over half have seen their success rate fall when bidding for public sector work over the past five years, according to a new report by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). The report, Improving Public Procurement for Construction SMEs, examines the barriers facing small construction firms when attempting to engage with the public sector procurement process, and outlines a series of recommendations to tackle the problems. These include requiring all public sector clients to: • Use PAS 91 as the basis for their construction pre-qualification questionnaires • Review the limitations they impose when assessing the financial viability of SMEs attempting to get on to a framework • Use their regional on-line portals to advertise opportunities to buyers. Cabinet Office Minister Chloe Smith MP gave the keynote speech at a launch event in the House of Commons attended by MPs, Peers, local government representatives and FMB members. She said work was already underway to publish data and make central government pipelines more accessible and that this was enabling companies to search for specific opportunities which are relevant to their expertise or region. The example could now be followed by councils in making their own business opportunities open to more SMEs. She said “We want to promote best practice in the publication and use of such pipelines to ensure new opportunities are transparent to SMEs working with local authorities. “We are keen for local government and private sector clients to follow our example and publish their own pipelines, enabling a comprehensive picture of regional investment opportunities for SMEs.”

Brian Berry, chief executive of the FMB, said: “Public sector construction contracts are worth more than £37bn per year – almost 40% of all construction output – so it is vital that SMEs are able to win their fair share of this work. The economic and environmental arguments for procuring with small local businesses are widely accepted, so now it’s a case of finding ways to increase this type of procurement. “Our report highlights a number of barriers that are preventing construction SMEs from winning public sector contracts, and proposes a range of sensible and achievable recommendations for how these can be overcome. Although some parts of the public sector are good at engaging with construction SMEs, others are not and our report shines a light on best-practice in the hope that it will improve performance right across the public sector.” Cllr Peter Fleming, chair of the Local Government Association’s Improvement and Innovation Board, said: “Councils have a vital role to play in driving economic growth, helping to create the right infrastructure and environment for local businesses to succeed. “At the heart of this, councils are ensuring that they are open for business, in particular working with SMEs and local suppliers to make it easier for them to bid successfully for public contracts on everything from building houses to caring for the elderly. Indeed, many councils from all over the country now award more than half their contracts to small and medium sized UK businesses. “But with council funding being cut by more than a third by central government, there is simply less work around, particularly in the construction sector. The LGA is therefore working with the FMB to highlight local authorities that have streamlined their procurement practices or introduced support for local suppliers and using these examples to promote best-practice across the sector and help level the playing field as much as possible for SMEs.” q

More government land to be released for development ‹ THE HOMES AND COMMUNITIES Agency

(HCA) has revealed its latest list of sites set to be released for development to support housing, jobs and growth in local communities. The fourth Land Development and Disposal Plan provides an updated schedule of sites that the Agency expects to bring forward for development and/or disposal up until March 2015. The plan includes a range of commercial and housing developments in a mix of sizes and locations across England and provides information about the landholdings and their anticipated disposal dates. Richard Hill, Deputy Chief Executive of the HCA, said: “As at 1 April 2013, the HCA is responsible for approximately 9,400 hectares of land, property assets and liabilities across England. We have a significant role to play in ensuring public sector land is brought forward for housing or commercial development in a timely and appropriate way. “Land is key to promoting economic growth and this plan sets out how we will bring forward opportunities for new homes, employment and community facilities at sites across the country.

We have already released sites to support custom build and private renting, and will now be working with local partners to identify further opportunities in 2013/14.” The HCA’s principles for disposing of its land are described as: • Being transparent about landholdings and disposal principles and selling land in a way that creates a level playing field for potential end users to access sites when they are brought to market • Not holding land longer than necessary – making sure it is disposed of to support local

plans and ambitions and that it is transferred to end users as quickly as possible • Carrying out disposals on terms that promote development, economic activity and growth While seeking market value for its land, the HCA will also aim to carry out disposals on terms that promote development. For example, using deferred payments – Build Now, Pay Later – helps developers with up-front cash flow and makes marginal sites financially viable. There are also faster procurement methods, for example through the Delivery Partner Panel, which help improve the speed at which land becomes available for development. Sites listed will be disposed of on a competitive basis or by disposing of them through an OJEU process or auction. The plan is aimed at those carrying out development in the housing, commercial and mixed use sectors, who may be potential purchasers of HCA landholdings. Sites will be advertised via the HCA website and on the Government’s site Find Me Some Government Space. q www.constructionnational.co.uk

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NASC TG20:13 – launch update ‹ THE NATIONAL ACCESS AND Scaffolding Confederation (NASC) has

unveiled further launch details of the forthcoming influential, all-new TG20:13 scaffolding industry standard technical guidelines – developed in conjunction with technical software experts, CADS. With the endorsement of the UK Contractors Group, HSE and CITB, the NASC expects TG20:13 to be taken up by the industry, with principal contractors adopting the guidelines as a minimum requirement – making it an essential tool for the scaffolding sector, whether an NASC member or not. The objective of TG20 is to provide guidance for everyone in the wider construction industry. It is a user-friendly document which will be essential for the expert and occasional user. The NASC sees it as a vital part of improving standards of all scaffolding. TG20:13 – which will launch in the autumn – is totally re-vamped and will feature three sections: • An all-new, user-friendly 250-page ‘Management Guide’ with illustrations encompassing a very wide range of everday scaffolds. The guide provides practical guidance for common types of scaffolding supported by detailed structural research and calculations. Guidance is provided for independent scaffolding (2m/3m lifts), interior birdcages, chimney stack scaffolds, loading bays, ladder-access towers, free-standing towers, lift shaft towers and putlog scaffolding. New ‘compliance sheets’ are also included, supported by structural research and design to BS EN 12811. The guide includes leg loads for all the scaffolds covered in the guide. • A new ‘Design Guide’ for engineers and designers. Guidance for engineers from TG20:08 Volumes 1 and 2 has been amalgamated, edited and updated into the TG20:13 Design Guide and a design standard for prefabricated (‘Readylock’) transoms has been defined. • The exciting, innovative and superbly easy-use, modern, electronic ‘e-Guide’ – serving as a digital ‘simple pocket reference guide’ – making it incredibly easy to check 100’s of different scaffolds for compliance without the need for additional, costly design work. Further improvements of TG20:13 over the out-going (but still relevant) TG20:08 technical guidelines include: • New technical guidance notes for scaffolding designers including many more types of scaffold that will be exempt from further design, including loading bays, ladder towers, interior birdcages, bridges and the use of pre-fabricated (‘Readylock’) transom units and high yield scaffold tube – all will be supplied with leg loads. • TG20 ‘Compliance Sheets’ providing a clear summary of the requirements for TG20 scaffolding, to allow easy signing-off and compliance – available in both the Management Guide (paper) and eGuide (PDF). These will feature safe heights, tie duties, bay lengths, transom spacing, location and other vital criteria. • A new, simplified, heavily R&D’d wind map system with an automatic, accurate wind calculator. The e-guide automatically calculates your current location, height above sea level and wind speed on site. • Outstanding issues with TG20:08 have been resolved and simplified – the guidance now supports standard working practices fully. • The new e-Guide will include safe height results, including those with add-ons and Readylock transoms, calculations have been added for scaffolds with doubled standards and a new option has been provided to reduce the tie duty by providing more ties. Robin James, NASC’s managing director said: “We are very excited about the launch of TG20:13. It is a hugely improved, more user-friendly and modernised guidance system, which we are confident our members – and the wider industry – will see as revolutionary. The NASC has invested huge sums of money into the research and development of TG20:13 and aims to resolve some of the areas of TG20:08 that do not match practice. We are very confident it will be a huge success and be positively received by members and the wider industry, as it has been in the NASC Regional Member and Council meetings.” NASC President Rob Lynch said: “We are all very positive about TG20:13 and the new e-Guide is especially exciting. It was a risk we took developing this, but it’s exceeded all our expectations. We believe if you are having scaffold on site, you will need the e-Guide

– every site should have one. We also believe that the TG20:13 e-Guide will be an essential tool for every site manager and every safety consultant – providing an accessible and reliable reference point for assessing the safety and compliance of scaffolds.” The TG20:13 Management Guide and Design Guide are currently under final review by the NASC and the e-Guide is being completed and tested. Currently, all existing guidance remains valid. The new TG20:13 will be launched by the NASC this autumn. • For details about becoming an NASC member please visit www.nasc.org.uk or email: enquiries@nasc.org.uk. The all-new, user-friendly, Management Guide and (bottom) the exciting, innovative and superbly easy-use, electronic e-Guide

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CISRS new training centres ‹ CISRS TRAINING CONTINUES TO thrive

despite continuing tough economic times – with four new training centres gaining accreditation in the first four months of 2013. The newly accredited training providers – Muehlhan Training of Paisley in Scotland, systems scaffold manufacturer Haki of Tamworth, Harsco Infrastructure at Immingham in Humberside and Britannia Training at Wymondham in Norfolk – highlight the continued high demand for CISRS qualifications within the scaffolding industry, bucking the trend of the UK’s current economic downturn.

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Interestingly, showing a marked increase in the use of system scaffolding and system training in the UK, three of the four new CISRS-accredited training providers have focussed on the System Scaffold Product Training Scheme (SSPTS). CISRS Training Manager, Dave Mosley said: “It’s always great to see new training providers coming on board with CISRS. When you consider that the current economic climate has led to a downturn in training in many other sectors, to gain four accreditations in as many months is excellent news. This will greatly increase availability for those seeking system

product and scaffold inspection training. “After a relatively limited uptake on CISRS systems training initially, the sector is beginning to see an increased demand from NASC, HSE and UKCG as well as smaller clients for proof of CISRS training for those using systems scaffold products. These new centres will be crucial in satisfying the demand for this type of training.” q • For further details about the new CISRS centres and courses available please visit www. cisrs.org.uk, email enquiries@cisrs.org.uk or call 0844 815 7223.

Sisters are doing it – CISRS training, that is ‹ THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY SCAFFOLDERS Record Scheme

(CISRS) has provided training for two sisters at the National Construction College at Inchinnan, Scotland. The female scaffolders – Kelly and Connory Hay from Double Kwik Scaffolding Ltd in Leven, Fife – are both enrolled as scaffolding apprentices at the college. Kelly said: “My sister Connory and I are employed as apprentices by our father William J F Hay at Double Kwik – which I will be hoping to run as my own company in the future. We are the fourth generation of scaffolders in our family and I started working in the business aged 18. I soon realised I wouldn’t be able to price for work if I didn’t know what type of scaffold would be needed and what the job was for – so I thought I should get the proper training and work my way up. “When doing my CISRS Parts 1 and 2, I absolutely loved it. My sister Connory could not wait to get back to college either. My instructors were fantastic. They saw me as a person – not male or female – and they taught me really well. No matter how long you have been doing scaffolding, whether one year or 10 years, I think there’s always more to learn at a CISRS college. “Both of us learned so much about health and safety, the correct procedures for erection and dismantling of scaffold, how to work as a team and much more. I could PART OF THE MUEHLHAN Group, Muehlhan Training Services is a training provider you can put your not fault the CISRS programme. I trust in. They understand their clients’ training and assessment needs and know what is important to them. would recommend the courses to Quite simply, their objective is to provide the best possible training services that meet your precise needs. anyone. According to company spokesperson Gregor Shaw: “Our fully-accredited programme of courses is delivered “I feel I have a little more to prove by a core team of expert trainers and instructors committed to that objective. Certified by CISRS, PASMA, being a woman in a man’s job, as it’s CIEH, IRATA and the Ladder Association you can rest assured that you are getting the best quality and most not that common for a woman to be up-to-date training available at very competitive prices. in the scaffolding industry. But I hope I “Muehlhan Training Services have first class training facilities in Aberdeen and Paisley and can also provide show that a woman can do the job, if training onsite or offshore. With a global reach we have delivered training all over the world, distance is no fully committed. I feel I can work really object.” q well with male scaffolders – once they realise I really can do it. I have 10 years experience now but I am not afraid to ask questions, as there are still many things I'm learning.” CISRS training manager David Mosley said: “It’s fantastic to get such diversity on our courses – it is rare to get young women wanting a career in scaffolding. We are open to all at CISRS and want to encourage all of those who are interested in a career in scaffolding onto our excellent training programmes. “The two sisters have been extremely positive about the experience of our CISRS courses, which I think is something we should be very proud of. CISRS training should be seen as a real opportunity for a young person that can lead to a varied and interesting career in construction, offshore, nuclear, overseas and health and safety. It gives you lots of options.” q

A training provider you can trust ‹

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Enforcing the Law ‹ ENFORCING HEALTH AND SAFETY legislation across the construction industry is the role

of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). HSE inspectors normally enforce standards by giving advice on how to comply with the law, sometimes ordering people to make improvements. However, with HSE’s own most recent statistics showing that 40 workers were killed and more than 3,400 seriously injured in falls from height in 2011/12, prosecutions for breaches of the law – against both companies and individuals – in this sector of the industry are inevitable. The two cases featured here highlight the ways in which such breaches of the law can lead to unnecessary and preventable loss of life and serious injury. q

Supervisor fined after roof fall paralyses worker

Fall death brings prosecutions

‹ A SITE SUPERVISOR HAS been fined after a worker was left

‹ A KENT MAN DIED after plunging six metres through a fragile

paralysed after falling 10m from the roof of a warehouse in Tyneside in September 2011. The employee, Phillip Giles, fell from an unprotected and fragile roof after supervisor Paul Burke allowed workers, who were removing cement sheets, to go onto the roof – ignoring his company’s safety policy. Mr Giles has been left paralysed from the neck down. On 14 June Durham Crown Court heard that Mr Giles and colleagues were removing roof sheets by gaining access from below via a scissor lift. HSE found that, when that became difficult, Mr Burke allowed the workers to go onto the roof itself but without the knowledge of his contracts manager as was required. At one stage Mr Giles got onto the roof to strip off more sheets, but trod on a loose skylight panel that gave way under him. The court was told Mr Burke’s employer, which had a contract to remove asbestos cement roofs from a number of warehouses at the site, had identified them as fragile. The company had agreed a system of work where its employees used scissor lifts, removing the roof sheets from the underside. Mr Burke supervised the work on site, but when they encountered problems in the work he did not bring these to the attention of the contracts manager, as required by company procedure. Instead he permitted a change to the system of work, whereby he and other employees went onto the roof itself to carry out some of the work. The HSE found the company’s agreed system was safe, but by changing it Mr Burke had sanctioned an unsafe system of work. The company was unaware of the changed way of working and Mr Burke had failed to consult with them. He had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to breaching Regulation 4(1) (b) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 by failing to properly supervise work at height and make sure it was carried out safely. He was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay £9,765 costs. Speaking after the case, HSE Inspector Keith Partington said: “Mr Burke allowed some of the work to be undertaken on the roof without any measures in place to guard against falls and injury. He was not authorised to make changes of this nature and also failed to discuss the changes with his employer.” q

skylight, because safety measures were neglected by both his employer and a major drinks wholesaler, a court has heard. Robert Rogers was working for Richard Parker – trading as Ovenden Engineering – which had been contracted by Allied Domecq Spirits and Wine Ltd to mend a leak in the roof and clean the gutters of their bonded warehouse in Dover. Canterbury Crown Court was told that Mr Rogers was on the roof with his brother Trevor, also an employee of Richard Parker, when he fell through one of the 80 skylights and hit the concrete floor below. He suffered multiple injuries and died later in hospital. The incident, which happened in November 2010, was investigated by the Health and Safety Executive. HSE brought prosecutions against Richard Parker of Folkestone and Allied Domecq Spirits and Wine Ltd, trading as CG Hibbert Ltd, of West London, for safety breaches. HSE’s investigation identified failures by both defendants. The court heard there was no safety equipment in place for anyone working on the roof, which was itself fragile. That was despite Mr Parker’s employees working on the warehouse roof as often as every month. There were no crawling boards, scaffolding boards, harnesses or nets to protect workers from the risks. As the owner of the warehouse, Allied Domecq had responsibility for the site and should have ensured contractors planned their work and carried it out safely and that proper control measures were in place. After the sentencing hearing in June, at which both parties were heavily fined, HSE Inspector Guy Widdowson said: “This is a tragic case in which a devoted husband, father and grandfather has lost his life while at work. It is sickening that such incidents happen despite the widespread industry knowledge of the risks of working at height and of working on fragile roofs with equally fragile skylights. “Mr Rogers’ death was entirely preventable. Mr Parker should have provided his workers with suitable equipment to work on the roof. He failed to do so. “Allied Domecq do not contract out their health and safety responsibilities just by contracting out a particular job. It was their duty to ensure there was a safe system of work before the job started and that their contractors followed agreed safe procedures. They too failed to do so.” q www.constructionnational.co.uk

Dedicated Work at Height training provider for East Anglia has ‘been a long time coming’ ‹ ALAN BARKER FORMED SkillsTEC as

a dedicated Work at Height Training Centre just over a year ago because he felt it so important to ensure people are adequately trained when working at height and that East Anglia had been lacking such a service for too long. Before this Alan was employed as a work at height safety trainer within a multi-disciplined access company for eight years. Prior to that, he had experience working in all areas of the access industry, including hire and sales and the operation of all types of access equipment. Said Alan: “We are a registered Training Centre for IPAF and PASMA in Brooke, just outside Norwich, providing specialist access training in mobile elevated work platforms and mobile towers. I am also a registered Instructor for the Ladder Association running courses in the use of steps and ladders. Even though we have this facility, we are just as happy to come to your premises and train using your equipment. “We have also set up SkillsTEC courses covering harness, roof access, system scaffold, scaffold inspections, goods hoist users and a general work at height course. On request we can do bespoke courses tailored to a client’s work environment and needs. We cater for the individual as well as larger businesses and once booked will not cancel due to short numbers.” q • All the different courses provided by SkillsTEC are listed on their website at www.skillstec.co.uk. Or if you want to discuss your requirements call 01508 550430.

Access all areas – from Aberdeen ‹ THE PAST COUPLE OF decades have seen

a dramatic increase in the market for powered access in all kinds of industries. MEWPs of all kinds – scissor lifts, articulated boom lifts, vertical masts and even truck mounted – are to be found on construction sites, engineering plants and petrochemical facilities around the country. Based in the heart of the Scottish offshore industry is Access Platforms Aberdeen. Since its formation in 2005 the company has established itself as one of the largest powered access hire companies in the north east of Scotland, and unsurprisingly numbers Shell, BP and Total among

its varied client list. Success has led to expansion, with depots in Elgin, Invergordon and Inverness following. With a portfolio of over 180 access platforms for hire the company can supply virtually any need and their own transport fleet can deliver plant quickly and efficiently across mainland Scotland. And to ensure clients’ platform operators are trained and safe on site there is a training capability in house for certification to the PAL (Powered Access Licence) card from IPAF, the International Powered Access Federation. Training can be carried out on site or at the main hire depot in Aberdeen.

Access Platforms Aberdeen can also provide training in the safe use, fitting and inspection of safety harnesses. Regular servicing of lifting and access equipment is essential and the company’s service and maintenance engineers can carry out repairs and periodic servicing on all types of access equipment, as well as offering fixed cost servicing contracts compliant with manufacturers’ specifications. Access Platforms Aberdeen is a registered member of the Construction Plant Hire Association as well as IPAF and prides itself in providing a safe, effective and efficient service with modern powered access equipment. q

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Scotland welcomes the Norsemen – and woman! ‹ THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY SCAFFOLDERS’ Record

Scheme (CISRS) has attracted groups of trainees from as far afield as Scandinavia. In April a team of Norwegian scaffolders attended a training centre in Scotland – proving the popularity and appeal of CISRS throughout Europe. It was the third consecutive year that a group of nine Scandinavian students – which included one woman – have attended the National Construction College (NCC) at Inchinnan for CISRS training. The trip was arranged by Frode Skervo of the Norwegian funding group NordTrøndelag County Council. Said Frode: “We started these CISRS courses after hearing many positive things about them and the NCC centre in Scotland. We are very pleased with the education that our students receive on the two-week course. Both students and teachers who have been here before and those who are here this year spoke very highly about the experience and of the academic programme offered. We are very excited to have the opportunity for this type of education for our students – made possible by Leonardo scholarships offered through the EU system. “We have seen a lot of different cultures and experiences that are slightly different from Norway and we hope that this is a partnership that can be developed further. We were all very excited to be in the UK completing the CISRS training and really appreciate the knowledge, hospitality and friendliness of the staff at the NCC.” CISRS training manager David Mosley added: “It’s fantastic to get such consistent support from the teams of trainees from Scandinavia. They really rate the CISRS training scheme very highly – so much so they have brought a large group of scaffolding students for training every year for the past three years. That speaks volumes for the standard of our training centres, the staff, facilities and course content. “CISRS is open to all and we want to encourage more and more people from other countries onto our excellent training programmes, to boost the scaffolding industry as a whole here in the UK and beyond into Europe. “The course the Norwegians have just finished is our Part I Trainee Scaffolding Tube and Fitting. Considering the fact that outside of the UK the vast majority of scaffolding used is modular systems scaffold it gives us great satisfaction that these groups want to travel to the UK to get experience of tube and fitting and hold our methods in such high esteem. Taking their positive experience back to their own country may hopefully encourage others to follow suit. “The two-week programme focuses on key health and safety practices and legislation, drawing interpretation, tie methods, alterations to scaffolding and core scaffolding structures like birdcage, putlog and static tower builds. It’s a fabulous course and the foundation for anyone wanting to begin a career in scaffolding.”q www.constructionnational.co.uk

Combisafe launches new counterweight system for fast and efficient flat roof edge protection ‹ LEADING PROVIDER OF SAFETY at height

solutions, Combisafe International, has launched its new Counterweight System to provide freestanding, ergonomic and secure temporary edge protection for flat roof applications. Quick and easy to install, the Counterweight System takes temporary edge protection to new levels of speed and efficiency. The latest innovation from COMBISAFE not only meets the stringent specifications of EN 13374: The European standard for temporary edge protection systems, but further enhances the business’s market leading range of systemised edge protection solutions. Requiring just a hammer for its rapid assembly, it also uses a specially designed trolley to provide a quicker, more ergonomic installation which removes the need for heavy lifting. The trolley allows up to three weights (45 kg) to be lifted and moved as one unit for improved health and safety performance. Stability to the guardrails is provided by a simple lever arm which can be installed in two different ways – either at deck level or elevated. The lever arm can also be adjusted whilst the weights are still in place using the ergonomic

trolley, or detached and swung alongside the guardrail, to provide simple and efficient access to the roof surface. Each counterweight is made of durable recycled rubber and weighs just 15 kg, which remains accurate as there will be no chipping or degradation – a common issue with concrete weights. The optional steel toe board also reduces the risk of dropped objects and debris falling from the roof, to provide much improved safety and durability when compared to traditional systems which use wooden toe boards. The system also prevents the need for any kind of fixation to the building structure or penetration of the existing roof covering. For additional protection to the roof deck, a load distribution plate can be used when working on soft surfaces such as EPDM rubber and mastic asphalt. COMBISAFE has added to its comprehensive edge protection solutions with the launch of the Counterweight System – confirming its position as the number one provider of edge protection and safety at height solutions. q • For further information call 01604 660600 or visit www.combisafe.com.

George Roberts offer UK wide 48 hour delivery service

‹ THE SALES TEAM AT Liverpool based George Roberts is a highly

motivated group of professionals with many years experience in the scaffolding and construction industry, obtained through a number of the leading international suppliers of scaffold and access equipment. The company is one of the largest independent scaffolding suppliers of its kind and is totally committed to its customers, providing quality products and services at the right price to meet the demands of a competitive market place. Over the last few years they have invested heavily in the business, facilitating growth through expansion and business change. From their Liverpool base, George Roberts offer a delivery service to anywhere in the UK, within 48 hours, from their extensive stock yard. Both existing and new clients provide repeat and new business to the company every year, emphasising their commitment to both quality and service. From a small parcel of scaffolding tools to a full load of scaffold equipment, the team at George Roberts give their industry-renowned personal attention to all their clients’ needs and expectations. The promise they make to their customers is to supply only the highest quality materials, which must pass strict quality control procedures before they can enter stock. q

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Up on the roof at Hollandgreen

‹ Pictured are early works well underway at Hollandgreen – a

recent project by NASC member GKR Scaffolding for Mace Ltd. GKR were required to supply a scaffold platform to the hip. The initial idea was to provide a stepped platform all the way up the hip but it soon became apparent that this would not be a workable solution as the workforce had to be as close to the hip as possible. Each staircase contains 87 aluminium stair treads, and the staircase can only be accessed using a double lanyard. An access gate to the hip was supplied every 4m and the structure was completed in aluminium taking just over a week to construct. Working at such heights the 100% tethering system enforced by GKR proved successful once again. q Images courtesy of www.NASC.org.uk

Scaffolding bears its own unique ID ‹ Scaffolding contractors who are members of the National Access and Scaffolding

Confederation now mark their scaffold plant with a unique colour paint which identifies it by its description and the British Standard number. The paints invariably contain a ‘forensic marker’ which is unique to the individual company and which can be identified scientifically. Therefore, the equipment on a lorry should all bear the same paint colours. An online directory outlines the identification marking systems of members of the NASC. It also provides the principle company address and contact details for the person responsible within the company for security. The system enables NASC members to prosecute in cases of theft. q

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Major award winning project makes the most of Layher scaffolding ‹ A HIGHLY PRESTIGIOUS FEDERATION of Master Builders

award, recently achieved by Derbyshire based Alan Staley Building Contractors, has recognised the quality of its work and reflects, says the company, on the suitability of Layher scaffolding and temporary roofing systems for high profile building refurbishment. The company is proud to have won the Master Builder of the Year Award for Large Renovation Projects in Yorkshire and Trent for its re-roofing and high level repair of Grade II listed Melbourne Hall. The organisation appointed Allround Scaffolding Services (Midlands) Ltd. who, in turn, made excellent use of Layher’s Allround® modular scaffolding and Keder temporary roofing system designs. “We congratulate Alan Staley and his team for being recognised in this way and for achieving this prestigious accolade,” comments Sean Pike, Layher’s UK managing director. “Because nominations are made by satisfied clients, and the judgement is based on a builder’s technical capability and customer services skills, we believe the recognition pays testimony to success, both in the region and within the building industry.” The use of the Layher equipment provided clear access, excellent weather protection and high quality appearance – all of which were key factors in the success of the refurbishment. “The project called for full working area access to be provided and so the minimum number of components of the Layher system was important,” said Alan Staley, managing director of Alan Staley Building Contractors.

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“Allround® scaffolding was built from ground level to support the mono-pitched Keder roof structure which then allowed natural light into the area while providing excellent weather protection. “We are extremely proud of this achievement and wish to thank everybody involved in the project, particularly our staff on site and all equipment and system suppliers – of which Layher was a key element,” he concluded. q

Providing a step in the right direction ‹ ESTABLISHED IN 1947, SWANSEA based Lyte Industries

(Wales) Ltd have been manufacturing aluminium and glass fibre access equipment for over 65 years. Indeed, ladders and towers from Lyte have been used in many countries all over the world and for all sorts of reasons. One of the most famous expeditions in the world, the ascent to the summit of Mount Everest in May 1953, by Sir Edmund Hilary and Tenzing Norgay, involved the use of a Lyte sectional aluminium ladder. This was used to negotiate the crevasse they encountered and it's thought that ladder is still there today! Lyte’s products have also been used in many box office smash hit films as well as various popular television DIY programmes. Lyte are proud to be one of the few companies still producing products in the UK and the majority of their portfolio is manufactured at their factory in South Wales.

In an ever changing world of health and safety Lyte are fully aware of the issues their customers face and so, where relevant, all products are certified to the relevant BSI standards. The company also have a fully PASMA and LMA accredited training centre, giving customers and the users of ladders and towers the opportunity to ensure they are fully competent to use the equipment they have – safely! With products being delivered throughout the UK, Lyte have a fleet of vehicles ready to deliver as well as a reliable courier service. Their experienced sales and customer services team are available to deal with any queries and can guide a customer through the process of buying the ‘correct tool for the job’. Lyte also have a highly skilled production department and an excellent team of engineers who successfully build the current product range to the highest quality as well as dealing with bespoke ladders and towers, upon request. q

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Equipping your business for future growth Getting the right finance to secure the equipment your business needs is one of the biggest challenges facing construction businesses throughout the UK. With a plethora of funding options available to you, how does a business choose the most suitable form of finance to ensure it secures a competitive platform to attract new contracts? In this, the first of a 3-part finance series, Ian Isaac (pictured), Managing Director of Lombard, the UK’s largest asset finance provider, discusses why it makes sense to consider using asset finance to fund your investment.

‹ THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN HAS

arguably impacted the construction industry more than any other but its resilience is paying off and some parts of the sector are beginning to regain a sense of optimism. Investment in the right tools for the job remains a critical factor in our economic recovery and in securing a sustainable future – and a key part of the planning process is considering of the best means of funding. One option is asset finance.

What is asset finance? Asset finance is a form of funding that uses the asset as security and can help your business release working capital. Rather than using up cash reserves to purchase tangible assets that depreciate over time, it is a flexible means of funding investment in capital equipment and provides an affordable and secure means of finance. This enables you to free up your cash flow to invest in other parts of your business. The key benefit of asset finance is its flexibility: finance solutions can be tailored around the specific needs of your business. Using asset finance means that the assets themselves – whether construction equipment, technology, office equipment, vehicles or plant and machinery – stand as the security against the repayment of the funding.

Asset finance companies are lending more At a time when accessing finance is crucial for a business’s investment plans, more and more are discovering the benefits of asset finance. Nearly a third of fixed capital investment in the UK was funded through asset finance in 2012, and during the same period, Lombard saw an increase of 10% in overall lending. There are a number of different asset finance products available, each offering different benefits (see panel opposite).

Asset Finance Products Hire Purchase (or Lease Purchase) • • • •

Fix costs for the duration of the agreement with the option to buy the asset at the end Reduce monthly payments by paying a final lump sum or balloon payment Choose either a fixed or variable interest rate to suit your needs Can claim ‘writing-down’ allowances and capital grants

Finance Lease • • • • •

Rent the asset for a tailored monthly repayment rather than buy it At the end the asset financier sells the asset and you receive a significant proportion of the proceeds Rental repayments calculated over an agreed term and tailored to match cash flow Choose either fixed or variable interest rate to suit your needs Tax benefits

Operating Lease • • • • • •

Effective for high-value, specialised equipment or assets needed to support a specific contract Rent the asset while you are using it and link this cost directly to the revenue generated Can help you take the asset off your balance sheet Residual values can help reduce your payments and boost your cash flow Repayments can be tailored to match seasonal cash flow Can choose fixed or variable interest rate to suit your needs

Sale & Leaseback • • •

Free the capital tied up in your pre-purchased assets Inject cash straight back into your company’s reserves Helps with budgeting as fixed monthly payments will help you plan your finances

Security may be required and product fees apply. For more information on these and other asset finance products, log on to www.lombard.co.uk/products-services/finance-solutions

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What is the Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) and how can you benefit from the increase? The AIA is a capital allowance that offers a 100% allowance on qualifying capital expenditure in the year of purchase. In a bid for the Government to stimulate investment in new or used plant or machinery, the Chancellor announced that it has been temporarily increased from £25,000 to £250,000 until 31 December 2014. Asset finance can be linked to capital expenditure on a range of qualifying assets purchased for use by your business, although there are some items that do not qualify. To find out how your business can use this to help its investment plans, please consult with your financial adviser. Lombard has developed a useful guide that answers a range of questions relating to the increased AIA. To access this log on to: www.lombard.co.uk/media/news/2013/april/ guide-temporary-increase-annual-investmentallowance. Security may be required and product fees apply. R • To find out more about how asset finance can help your business, tel 0800 502 402, Text Relay 18001 0800 502 402 or log on to www.lombard.co.uk.

Asset finance in practice: How a construction company used asset finance to improve efficiency and productivity ‹ LYNCH PLANT, A PLANT hire, haulage and transport firm established over 30 years

ago, has a fleet of modern and well-maintained equipment to meet any construction requirement from dump trucks to excavators. It is now a leading name in the plant hire industry. Health and safety is very important to Lynch Plant and in order to meet its own standards it regularly updates its fleet. As a continued user of asset finance, the company is clear that this form of finance provides the best way of funding its capital investment. Liam Lynch, Managing Director of Lynch Plant, explains: “We are a capital intensive business and regularly need to purchase new equipment. It’s essential for the company’s growth and our customers also appreciate the new machines. With new machines you get better productivity, reliability and lower emissions. Using asset finance has helped us achieve this.” The company’s investment strategy has been rewarded by a growing number of high profile contracts including the Olympics, Crossrail and the M25. R

Seeking advice on tax? ‹ THERE HAS BEEN NO shortage of reports this year highlighting

the slump in the UK construction industry, with the Office of National Statistics showing that output reached its lowest level in 15 years during Q1 of 2013 – falling by almost a fifth since the industry boom in 2008. It is hoped that the government’s recently announced ‘Help to Buy Scheme’ will give the industry a much needed boost by increasing the amount of first time buyers and therefore the demand for new build properties. With this in mind it is paramount that those in the industry are taking the time to plan their finances properly, and are aware of any schemes that they can take advantage of. One such area is that of Capital Allowances which has seen significant changes from April 2012. The main change is that for a two year period from 1 January 2013 the Annual Investment Allowance has increased from £25,000 to £250,000 for the purchase of plant and machinery, benefitting those investing substantial amounts. The Construction Industry Scheme is a set of rules created by HMRC regarding payments between subcontractors and contractors, which can be complex. It applies mainly to mainstream construction work but can also apply to businesses whose core activity isn’t construction but who have a high spend on construction. Due to these complexities it is worth seeking advice from an experienced professional to make sure that your business is covered and that you aren’t paying more than you should be. Glasgow based Abercrombie Gemmell specialise in providing accounting services to the construction industry, including architecture and engineering as well as for chartered and quantity surveyors and other related professions. With over 21 years of experience they are well placed to provide expertise where it’s needed. R • To find out what Abercrombie Gemmell can do for you contact them on 0141 943 3600 for a free, no obligation initial consultation.

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Everybody wants to get Britain building – but where’s the money coming from? ‹ WHILE MUCH OF THE construction industry

has welcomed government efforts to kick start the industry, particularly with initiatives for housebuilding, the major stumbling block is widely regarded as being a continued reluctance by banks to lend. That is particularly true when it comes to SMEs in the sector. The Homes and Communities Agency has expressed a willingness to make development opportunities accessible by initiatives such as deferred payments – so-called Build Now, Pay Later. In the social housing sector, there has been interest in real estate investment trusts (REIT), with 10 housing associations from across south east England launching an ‘aggregated REIT’ last September. Access to funding for plant and equipment is equally hard to come by with the banks remaining

reluctant to lend – despite the Government urging them to release equity provided for that purpose. For larger infrastructure projects the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) called for the establishment of a National Infrastructure Investment Bank as far back as 2009. In a policy paper calling for the foundation of such a bank, the ICE said: “When infrastructure is properly financed, planned and prioritised the economic and social benefits always outweigh the initial costs. “But during the current challenging economic climate securing the funding required for these projects has never been more difficult. At the same time, with new power stations urgently required and projects such as high speed rail supported by the main political parties, securing the capital to ensure timely delivery has never been more important.”

The policy paper went on to explain how it saw such a project working: “What is needed is a source of long-term financing that supports projects that will strengthen UK competitiveness and help with the transition to a low carbon economy. A National Infrastructure Investment Bank (NIIB), initially capitalised by government and then able to use the government’s [then] AAA rating to raise funds on international markets, can meet this need. “The projects to which a NIIB lent would create valuable assets, further underpinning the bank’s creditworthiness. We also believe that the presence of a vigorous NIIB will help hold down the cost of capital across all infrastructure sectors.” R

Struggling to raise finance? ‹ BUSINESSES IN THE CONSTRUCTION

industry and associated trades who are struggling to raise finance can now turn to Ultimate Construction Finance Limited as a viable funding alternative. Offering a fully confidential funding solution for clients operating under various forms of sub-contracts, Ultimate Construction Finance is spearheaded by experienced professionals with a specialised understanding of the construction industry. The business is working in partnership with a long-established quantity surveyor and is backed by the strength of its parent company, Ultimate Finance Group plc. Tim Wilkinson, sales director of Ultimate Construction Finance, said: “We are principally

aiming to fund first tier sub-contractors with a minimum turnover in excess of £2m and at least two years’ filed accounts. “Despite being a new player in the construction finance market we can offer some noticeable differences to existing propositions. Critically, we will fund an application for payment, prior to certification, which provides a solid platform for growth. We understand the sector and importantly our fee and pricing structure is highly transparent and communicated upfront. “These key variances will ensure that our clients know what level of funding they will get, when they will receive it and what fees they will be charged from the outset, which truly sets us apart from existing players in the market.

“According to the National Infrastructure Plan, more than £400bn will need to be invested in the UK’s infrastructure system between now and 2020 if we want to remain competitive in a global market. Clearly there will be great opportunities arising and Ultimate Construction Finance will be able to assist those subcontractors looking to take advantage of such developments.” R • Ultimate Construction Finance Limited is a leading provider of financial solutions to SMEs across the UK. The company is headquartered in Bristol with offices in London, Manchester, Norwich and Lutterworth. www.ultimatefinance.co.uk.

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Dealing with drug and alcohol abuse on the construction site

‹ STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT there is

a significant financial impact on employers who employ anyone who has a drug or alcohol related dependence or problem. Employers need to be able to defend themselves from a range of civil and criminal legislation on the subject. They have a legal and moral duty to provide a safe working environment. Studies however have also shown that the abuse of substances can, and should be, managed to the benefit of the individual, the employer and society. Consequently, a company’s D&A policy should apply to each and every employee and contractor. Workplace D&A policies should reflect the use and abuse of illegal drugs as well as the use and abuse of prescribed medicines (on or off prescription). Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 it is an employee’s duty to be fit for work, whatever the position that employee holds. It therefore follows that it must be the duty of the employer to ensure that this is indeed the case and that an appropriate and proportionate manner of testing is available to any given circumstance. CSI Drug & Alcohol Testing Ltd specialise solely in workplace D&A solutions from their independent, state of the art 20,000 sq ft laboratories in County Durham. CSI provide five core services to industry and commerce for the total management of drug abuse and its direct correlation with criminality in the workplace and society. The crimes of society are ever present in the workplace, indeed

crimes in the workplace fuel some of those issues that society and the police struggle to control. In the construction industry the employer has to protect its staff, plant and machinery and raw materials against health and safety risks as well as risks from both organised and opportunist crime. The industry has to manage those issues whilst under threat from legislation that can impact on a business’s profitability and reputation as an employer or contractor of choice. CSI’s approach to workplace D&A testing has been proven to work, particularly when it is integrated within a strategic management approach that is a client-provider partnership. A company’s D&A programme should not interfere with workplace efficiencies and should avoid unnecessary suspension of staff on full pay. This is a significant risk when an instant read out (or point-of-care) device is used that detects potentially innocent, over the counter, opiate-based medicines. The CSI philosophy is to prevent illegal drug abusers entering the workforce in the first place, and to provide a toolkit to manage those employees who are already in-situ or who succumb to the effects of D&A issues whilst in service. CSI laboratories specialise in rapid turnaround of samples for both screening and confirmation services, thus generally eliminating the need to use inappropriate instant result devices. Sample screening

will occur as soon as the sample arrives at the laboratory and a negative result will be reported within a few hours. Confirmation results will be provided within 24hrs of the screen being completed. Sample tracking is available from collection, through every subsequent stage, to the delivery of the result. Completed client reports are passed to investigative analysts who will build a client profile to highlight any issues and suggest how each situation can be best managed. They will also alert the employer to any specific trends of drug abuse or criminal activity and develop an individual client historical reference library for multiple site locations or specific contractors. As an independent laboratory CSI is able to cherry pick the very best drug testing mediums available in the world today while still conducting research and development into new methodologies and equipment. CSI use the patented Psychemedics hair analysis programme combined with oral fluid and urine devices. Draeger is their preferred supplier of alcohol and some drug testing devices. R • For more details of CSI’s services tel 0800 121 8994, email info@csi.gb.net or visit www.csidrugsandalcohol.co.uk. www.constructionnational.co.uk

Which sample should you use in what circumstances? ‹ DRUG USE IN THE construction industry is well documented and,

in the experience of Cardiff based Cansford Laboratories, whilst many companies are choosing to test for drug and alcohol use to reduce the risk of workplace accidents, they don’t necessarily understand the difference between hair, oral fluid and urine testing. Here is a simple explanation of each type of test and its use in each circumstance: 1. Pre-employment. A 3-centimetre hair sample covering a period of three months is ideal because the candidate will have to abstain from drugs for three months for the test to be negative. Many industries, however, still use a urine drug screen which can only provide a 3 to 5 day window of detection and, if the candidate is pre-warned of the test, it is probably useless. 2 Random testing. It is possible to test to ensure that no drugs are present in the person’s system that may impair performance or put others at risk. When drugs are present in oral fluid samples this reflects the use of drugs in the last 24 – 36 hours, very relevant in assessing impairment. The use of saliva (oral fluid), which is less invasive than urine, is far easier to collect and therefore ideal in such cases. 3 Post-accident. Again, saliva (oral fluid) testing is best suited to assess very recent use of drugs when a blood test is not possible. Clearly, each sample type has different advantages depending on the purpose of the test. It is well established that there is no perfect sample for drug analysis, but the ideal sample for a particular purpose can be established. q • For further information call Cansford’s friendly team of experts on 029 2068 2031 or visit www.cansfordlabs.co.uk.

Adding value through health ‹ BASED IN PENRITH

CUMBRIA, Occupational Health International (OHI) are specialists in mobile health screening and occupational health consultancy. They work closely with, but are not limited to, the following industries: • Construction • Civil Engineering • Temporary Works • Steel Industry • Nuclear Power • Manufacturing and Services Sectors • Oil Exploration • Mines and Quarries • Chemical and Pharmaceutical • Local Government and Retail. Installing an occupational health screening plan may be more expensive than necessary if not planned properly. In order to minimise costs without compromising standards, OHI carefully examine your company’s risk assessment and tailor their service to fit the need. Assistance can also be given to companies needing to prepare a risk assessment. They run a fleet of mobile units that bring their facilities to the client, saving the time and expense of travelling to a clinic. The company uses the best personnel and equipment available in occupational health screening and their fleet of mobile health screening vehicles all have industry standard hearing booths installed. Their technicians and advisors all have portable health screening equipment using the latest equipment available to ensure a professional service. So if you have been asked to set up an occupational health programme, then please don’t hesitate to contact Occuational Health International to see how they can benefit your company and your staff, and set you apart from your competition. q

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Drugs, alcohol and building sites don’t mix ‹ THERE HAS BEEN A great deal of debate in the press and among politicians recently on what is

referred to as ‘binge drinking’ among young people and the social disruption caused in our towns and cities. Similarly, a number of high-profile court cases have shone a light onto the social consequences of drug use. What is regarded less seriously – and in some quarters not seriously at all – is the issue of drug and alcohol abuse at work. Popular soap operas often portray factory workers spending lunch hours in the local pub, while the House of Commons itself has acknowledged a culture of drinking. When drinking or drug use at work is coupled with an inherently hazardous work environment such as a construction site, the consequences can be catastrophic. So it is essential for construction employers to be up to speed on the issues. The HSE states in its information leaflet Drug Misuse at Work: “If you knowingly allow an employee under the influence of drug misuse to continue working and his or her behaviour places the employee or others at risk, you could be prosecuted. Your employees are also required to take reasonable care of themselves and others who could be affected by what they do at work.” Similar obligations apply to the misuse of alcohol. The HSE further points out that where a job involves driving, there are obligations under the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the Transport and Works Act 1992. The guidance states: “Drivers of road vehicles must not be under the influence of alcohol while driving, attempting to drive or when they are in charge of a vehicle. Certain rail, tram and other guided transport system workers must not be unfit through drink while working on the system. The operator of such a system must exercise all due diligence to avoid those workers being unfit.” The economic consequences are also staggering. The alcohol abuse charity Alcohol Concern reports that more than four and a half million working days in the UK can be lost to hangovers in January alone. “It's estimated that around 200,000 thousand people go to work with a hangover every day, costing the economy around £6.4bn each year,” says the charity. Where alcohol or drug abuse on a site results in a serious accident, the cost to the victim and their family can be lifelong and irreversible. R

Getting and keeping the numbers down ‹ IT

HAS BEEN REPORTED by the HSE that 22% of fatal accidents and 10% of major injuries reported have happened within the construction industry, which currently employs 5% of those in employment within the UK. Whilst huge improvements have been made to the construction industry safety record, the drive must now be to build on that improvement and ensure that all workers, both on site and off site, operate in a safe environment. This will be achieved in part by continued focus on the design and monitoring of equipment safety, along with safe working practices, which are currently the main drivers in accident prevention. In addition, monitoring the health and performance of workers will also play a key role in

improving the safety of the working environment, as fatigue is now acknowledged to be a main contributor to unsafe work practices, and the effects of inappropriate alcohol and drug use cannot be treated lightly. A robust drug and alcohol policy is therefore one of the tools that can be used to help ensure misuse of drugs or alcohol is not a contributor to poor performance or unsafe work practices. A good drug and alcohol policy is owned by all and contributed to by all sections of the work place. It allows for education of staff on the appropriate use of medications in the workplace and the longevity of the effects of alcohol. It also allows for better knowledge concerning the effects of illicit drugs and likely effects on performance and behaviour. This in turn leads

to a greater understanding of the reasons why the drug and alcohol policy needs to be in place, together with any testing deemed appropriate and the likely outcomes of positive results. Whilst UK industries have been using drug and alcohol policies in the workplace together with testing regimes for in excess of 30 years, no two companies are the same, and as such, it is essential that your policy is developed by experts in this field. Such expert advice and consultancy services can be provided by Staffordshire based ESG, who have a proven experience working with companies to provide drug and alcohol monitoring within the construction industry. This makes them ideally placed to assist you in developing a policy that meets the unique needs of your business. R

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Geotechnics and geosynthetics for the rail sector ‹ WITHIN THE RAIL SECTOR the use of

geosynthetics has become fundamental in solving an increasingly diverse range of geotechnical and environmental problems associated with track construction and rehabilitation. Geotechnical engineering is the method used to evaluate the physical properties of the ground, stability of slopes and to design earthworks and foundations of structures. Meanwhile, geosynthetics is the name given to products such as geotextiles that separate layers of dissimilar stone or other materials, geogrids that reinforce or stabilise the layers and geocomposites that can combine the properties of geotextiles with geogrids or drainage layers. When correctly specified and installed, the use of geosynthetics within permanent-way construction has been proven to enhance trackbed performance and significantly extend overall design life. There are four major functions – separation, filtration, drainage and reinforcement/ stabilisation – that geosynthetics fulfil when they are employed within, beneath and around ballast and sub-ballast layers. The functions of separation and filtration are often considered as singular. Geosynthetics can replace the functionality of traditional construction materials whilst providing significant construction savings and increased speed of installation. The on-going impact of changes in construction

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and the requirement to deliver sustainable development is increasingly creating the need for more diverse and innovative geosynthetics solutions across all aspects of rail construction. Researchers in the UK and around the world have found that geogrid stabilisation of ballast has led to better preservation of rail line and level. In fact, the improvement is found to be three to five times better than a sleeper settlement without geogrid stabilisation, and therefore allows the time between maintenance cycles to be significantly increased.

The increasing use of geosynthetics in track applications and embankments and structures has contributed to a reduction in time on site, increasingly an issue in these days of restricted possession times. Meanwhile, materials such as the radar detectable geotextile offer a significant contribution to track safety and allow for better planning of maintenance schedules. With the advent of higher speed rail lines and rising demand on the network the reliance on engineered solutions to allow for a safer, more reliable railway system will only increase moving forward. q

• The Keyline National Rail Division is the leading provider of civil engineering and specialist products to the rail industry. Keyline is committed to providing the most comprehensive range of core and specialist products including the latest geosynthetic innovations. Earlier this year, Keyline teamed up with Tensar International to become one of the first companies within the UK rail sector to offer a new TriAx® geogrid solution for the mechanical stabilisation of track bed. Tensar TX190L is a large aperture TriAx geogrid, designed to substantially delay track deformation and therefore increasing the period between maintenance by as much as three times, making it ideal for weak or variable stiffness foundations. Meanwhile, Keyline is a key supplier of Fiberweb's range of TERRAM Permanent Way solutions and the newly launched Hydrotex product within the UK, which provides a permanent way solution for trackbed stability that not only acts as a filter and separator for fine soils, but also removes the requirement for a sand blanket.

Four-year rail upgrade puts Reading back on track ‹ WHEN THE THEN TRANSPORT Minister

Theresa Villiers visited Reading railway station in October 2010, she signalled the lift-off for what has become one of the biggest and most comprehensive railway redevelopment projects to be carried out in recent decades. During the visit the minister announced funding of £850m for Network Rail to carry out the complete overhaul of Reading station and the entire surrounding railway network. Work began that Christmas and the project is expected to be completed in 2015 – one year ahead of its original schedule. The main visible element of the refurbishment is the creation of virtually a new station at Reading. In June 2011 the contract for the station was awarded to Costain/Hochtief Joint Ventures. Although work will continue until next February, passengers are already enjoying the improvements.

An Easter marathon A major element of the upgrade was completed over the Easter weekend, when more than 2,000 engineers from Network Rail and its contractors worked round the clock to carry out work on the station and signalling which would ordinarily have taken around 20 full weekends. As a result, the station now has two new entrances, four new platforms and a new 110-metre long and 30-metre-wide passenger bridge, with escalators and lifts providing stepfree access to the new platforms. Graham Denny, Network Rail senior programme manager, station works, said on the following Tuesday morning: “It’s gone absolutely brilliantly. We opened some of the improvements over the weekend and this morning we opened the new platforms, which were ready to receive the first train when it came in at 04:40.

“The station was ready to go for passengers, and the people we’ve had through already seem very pleased with the results.” Two more platform upgrades followed in April and more are scheduled throughout this year. In all there will be five new platforms, meaning trains no longer need to queue while approaching the station and can still run if there are temporary problems with other services. Reading station is used by 14 million passengers every year, with numbers predicted to more than double to 30 million by 2030. It is one of the busiest parts of country’s rail network and hitherto its complicated track layout constricted the number of trains that could run.

A complete network upgrade In addition to building the new station, the track and signalling network of the

surrounding area has been upgraded and a number of bridges have been replaced. One such was re-opened on 8 April this year by nine-year-old railway enthusiast Archie Swell. A time-lapse video produced by Network Rail shows another being completed by contractor J Murphy and Sons at Christmas 2011. The bridge was constructed at the side of the road and manoeuvred into a space cleared by contractors. To the west of Reading a new viaduct is being built, allowing the fast mainline trains to pass over freight and local lines. That will pave the way for electrification and an increase in train capacity. Freight capacity will also be increased as a result of the upgrade. Six extra freight trains per day will be able to use the new track, taking an estimated 200 lorries off the roads. q

Careers showcase ‹ PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT AND EDUCATION has gone hand-in-

hand with the Reading refurbishment project. On 25 April, Network Rail’s maintenance delivery unit held an open evening for young people and parents showcasing the careers in engineering available on the rail network. Patrick Hallgate, Western route managing director for Network Rail said: “With a big focus on infrastructure investment, Britain needs more engineers and highly skilled people. We believe we have a responsibility to support education beyond our own workforce to encourage the next generation to get into engineering and show how it applies in the real world.” q www.constructionnational.co.uk

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Keeping the site secure is a 24/7 job

‹ SUCH A COMPLEX AND specialist project as the complete restructuring of Reading Station and

its surrounding rail system necessarily involves an enormous investment in equipment, materials and other assets. That, in turn, requires an effective, specialist security operation. The company contracted to look after the security of the site at Reading is H&M Security Services. Based in central London, H&M have been working with Network Rail at various sites for over five years. In that time they have succeeded in saving the track operator many thousands of pounds by preventing theft and trespass. Their proven ‘track’ record meant they could demonstrate proven added value when they commenced the contract in 2010. The security effort at the site centres on the effective utilisation of the eight CCTV cameras and co-ordinating their operation with security staff, British Transport Police and Network Rail itself. The cameras are equipped with the latest infrared technology, enabling them to ‘see’ in the dark and in virtually all weathers. The system has already led to the detection and arrest of raiders planning night-time attacks. It is also effective in detecting and deterring trespassers, which can cause disruption and incur costs – quite apart from the danger to the trespassers themselves. A spokesperson for H&M explained: “If a train is delayed for a significant length of time due to track upgrades, trespass or theft or anything relating to the track or its safety, the train company running the line will charge Network Rail. It is the job of our staff, using patrols and surveillance equipment, to reduce or limit any of these costs being incurred through security issues. Up to this point we have done that job very well, saving NWR thousands of pounds a year, providing an effective and pro-active service watching over the Reading project area. Our efforts there have not only saved money for NWR, but have helped to catch criminals in the act through response, and also sped up the timescales for completion of upgrades.” The sophisticated CCTV system has been praised by British Transport Police as one of the best they have ever seen. It is co-ordinated from a security command centre from where staff can monitor every inch of the site, use thermal imaging and zoom in on number plates and even name badges in full colour, passing GPS co-ordinates onto police if they see trespassers. The spokesperson continued: “Our security presence and ability of technology management on the project speaks for itself, with crime prevention, station upgrade timescales, uninterrupted services and cost reductions. We have been rewarded with increased recognition and work in the area. As an addition we now have the ability to provide a similar camera system with a portable facility for temporary works or depots.” Following the success of H&M’s dedicated control room monitoring and mobile patrol response, it has been decided to extend the technology, along with the security, from Reading to Paddington. This is a significant development of the system and resources on a 30-mile stretch of track. Bill Henry, Network Rail’s project manager, commented: “We've got a lot of very expensive stuff here so it helps to keep it absolutely secure. Instead of masses of people on the ground trying to prevent crime, we've got this technology which works fantastically. It's like having a chopper in the air 24/7 – one that doesn't need refuelling – meaning we can just see everything.” q

H&M Security operate to the highest standards within the security and rail industries. Its management systems are accredited to ISO 9001 Quality, ISO 14001 Environmental and OHSAS 18001 Health & Safety. They were also in the first group of contractors to gain Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS) status from the Security Industry Authority (SIA) – in 2007. The company currently holds ACS status for the provision of manned guarding and CCTV. Their 2013 SIA ACS audit score puts them in the top 5% of the scheme’s 750 registered security providers. Within specific industry sectors they are approved by Achilles Link-up for rail and UVDB for utilities. They have also gained accreditation from SAFEcontractor and are registered with CHAS. Both are members of the SSIP, governed by HSE. They are also members of Constructing Better Health (CBH): a minimum requirement for Crossrail subcontractors.

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Natural stone: the oldest and possibly greenest of building materials ‹ WHEN THE ANNOUNCEMENT WAS

made that the Sainsbury Laboratory in Cambridge (pictured) had won the Stirling Prize last year, there was a general consensus that the judges had plumped for an entirely appropriate choice. One of the qualities the building exhibited in its design was the precious one of sustainability, both in its energy performance and in its construction. What is perhaps less well known is that the same building was a runner up in the New Build: Modern Style Stone Cladding category of the Natural Stone Awards. It lost out to a spectacular project at the Merchant Hotel in Belfast. Natural stone never really went out of fashion, although for a time it became seen as a little staid. Now, with the increasing importance of sustainable building, it is coming into its own again. The Stone Federation GB describes natural stone as ‘the oldest sustainable material’. In its promotional material the trade association states: “Although the details of green specifications are not fixed, there is a general

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consensus that for a building to be sustainable it needs to use materials that: improve energy efficiency, reduce waste and pollution, conserve natural resources such as water and wood, are non-toxic, use renewable energies and have a long life-span. Natural stone is typically one of these materials.” It quotes research carried out by a report produced by SISTech in collaboration with Heriot-Watt University for Historic Scotland. The research compared the embodied carbon of natural stone with other building materials and quantifies the environmental advantages of using stone. The results of the research show

that, within the UK, the carbon footprints of sandstone and granite – the main building stones – are lower than those of other building materials. The conclusion was that indigenous natural stone is a low carbon building material compared with other construction materials, with the main carbon impacts being related to processing the stone, transport to site and volume of waste produced. While other traditional building materials can claim to be recyclable and even renewable, natural stone can rightly claim to be the oldest – after all, some rocks have been around for four billion years! q

Timber challenge for Coventry students ‹ FOUR STUDENTS FROM COVENTRY University’s Department of Civil

Engineering, Architecture and Building have each won a copy of Timber in Contemporary Architecture, published by TRADA (Timber Research and Development Association) as part of a competition to design, build and test a beam. The challenge for students was to use the appropriate design codes to design and build the beam and then to test if predictions on strength and stiffness calculated using the codes were correct. TRADA’s university liaison manager, Elizabeth Turner, attended the end of

TRADA members get publications free online

year show and prize giving, having previously helped to judge the competition devised by senior lecturer David Trejillo as part of the Timber and Masonry in Construction module. She said: “The aim was to give students an insight into use of these codes and the approaches followed reflecting timber’s characteristics and properties. “An exercise such as this is extremely useful in helping students to understand the reality of designing with a natural material such as timber, allowing them to get to grips with the codes and what timber can achieve in practice.” The winning team was the one that delivered the most accurate strength and stiffness predictions, an efficient design and the best build quality. David Trejillo said: “We were really pleased with the effort that all of the students put into the project and the competition – the winners were only a few points ahead of other teams.” q

‹ TWO OF TRADA’S MOST popular recent publications have been

made available to download free for members, in addition to being for sale to non-members. The Concise Illustrated Guide to Timber Connections is a comprehensive guide detailing types of timber connections used, what they look like and the structural design constraints that affect configuration and appearance. Meanwhile, the 5th edition of Timber Frame Construction is the definitive design guide for timber frame buildings, incorporating the latest requirements for Part L and increased performance. q

• For more information about TRADA’s University Engagement Programme and how to get involved email Elizabeth Turner at eturner@trada.co.uk.

Think Fabric First – a building’s fabric gives substance to its thermal performance ‹ ONE OF THE MAIN issues facing the housing sector is the amount of CO

emissions that different types of design and construction generate over the life time of a property. In practice, the energy efficiency of a building boils down to a couple of things – how much fuel is required to power its heating and water systems and how well the building manages to retain the heat that is generated. According to Peter Hall, marketing manager of Aberdeenshire based Scotframe Timber Engineering: “The better a building performs in these two areas, the less fuel its occupants will use on a daily basis and the lower its emissions will be. As such, the fabric of a building is central to its green credentials and this is becoming an increasingly significant factor in the decision making process for all house builders. An energy efficient and air tight property

will also be a lot more attractive to prospective buyers come the time to sell.” Scotframe has embraced this approach to construction and in using the very latest techniques and materials has brought to the market place an innovative and unique new injected PU closed panel timber frame system called Val-UTherm®. Val-U-Therm® panels are factory injected with a high performance PU material which fills every void. This makes it exceptionally thermally efficient, achieving extremely low U values, and it is virtually airtight. In short, the fabric of the building and the way it is put together means homes of this type can be heated up very quickly and retain their temperature for incredibly long periods of time. This reduces their energy needs significantly. q

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Specialists in laminated timber engineered structures ‹

TECHNICAL TIMBER SERVICES LTD has over 40 years experience in the design and supply of laminated timber structures (‘glulam’) engineered to a high specification and is recognised as one of the UK’s leading companies in this field. The company is a founder member of the Glued Laminated Timber Association – GLTA. In collaboration with its associate glulam manufacturing company, Late-Rakenteet Oy based in Finland, Technical Timber Services has been responsible for supplying the laminated timber structures of some of the UK’s largest and most prestigious building projects. Their staff, and those of associated companies, have expertise in the disciplines of design and engineering, wood technology and project management. The company has successfully supplied and/or completed projects in conjunction with many principal contractors as well as numerous local authorities in the UK. In addition, overseas projects have included locations in the Falklands, Ascension Islands, Gibraltar, Moscow and Saudi Arabia. Projects have included laminated timber structures for schools, churches, community centres, domestic buildings, libraries, sports & leisure complexes, swimming pools and supermarkets. Examples of their work may be seen on their web site at www.technicaltimber.co.uk. As regards quality control, all laminated timber structures supplied by Technical Timber Services are manufactured under strict quality controlled supervision in accordance with BSEN 385, 386 & 390 – Manufacturing Standards for Glued Laminated Timber. All European Whitewood and Redwood glulam constructions are supplied in accordance with PEFC Certification. q

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Glued and laminated Glulam has strength, beauty and the green cred of timber ‹ ONE OF THE MAJOR recent successes in the progression towards

sustainable construction has been the growth in off-site construction. Thus, anything from a concrete beam to a steel structure for an entire house frame can be manufactured in a controlled environment and transported on to site for assembly. Engineered timber products are particularly suitable for the off-site process. Timber frames have been in use for many decades and can be manufactured to a lesser or greater degree. But one of the fastest-growing and most versatile engineered timber products is the glulam beam. Type ‘glulam’ into a search engine and a myriad of hits appears – most of them suppliers, installers or designers of glulam beams or structures. The reason for the product’s popularity is simple: glulam beams open up the possibilities for structural timber by the combination of strength and versatility with the attractiveness of wood. One of the sites to be encountered in our search engine headlines its description with the motto: ‘Visible beauty, hidden strength’. Put simply, glulam means ‘glued and laminated’. Individual laminations of timber are placed together and glued together using special adhesives. The genius is the way the laminations are selected and positioned according to their performance characteristics. The result can be anything from a simple beam in a house to a massive arched span over 100 metres across. TRADA, the research and development body for timber, described glulam thus: “Glulam is a high-performance product for structural engineering applications, produced in factories with robust production control systems. It often catches the eye of designers for use in specialist buildings, but it can be used for most load-bearing structures, especially where appearance is important and where long spans or curved members are crucial.” The Glued Laminated Timber Association (GLTA) traces the growth in popularity of the material to the Festival of Britain in 1951, although glulam beams were used in railway arches in the 1800s and the association traces the material’s origins back to the ancient Egyptians. The oldest extant glued

laminated timber structure in this country is now the wedding ceremony hall at Southampton Registry Office which dates from 1860. The emergence of more durable and watertight adhesives, however, coincided with the massive upsurge in building following World War Two and the post-war optimism typified by the Festival of Britain. The GLTA takes up the story: “The parabolic entrance arches for the festival itself were made from glulam and many of the new geometric forms of the 50s – including shells, hyperbolic paraboloids and conoids – were also formed from glulam.” Its aesthetic attractiveness made glulam popular for churches and its waterproof property led to its installation in the roof of swimming pools and ice rinks. That was until the 1970s. According to the GLTA: “Curved beam techniques improved and modern high-volume plants were laid down throughout Europe to produce straight beams in a wide choice of standard section sizes. Many of these sizes were made available ex-stock through distributors. “This revolutionised the availability and cost of glulam, and gave it almost limitless potential. It transformed glulam from an aesthetic indulgence or an environmental necessity into a basic structural material with substantial benefits over steel and concrete in a host of applications.” The ‘environmental necessity’ has taken on a new meaning and significance in recent decades. In addition to the practicalities of its durability, the environmental properties of glulam are propelling it into the forefront of ‘green’ building. The GLTA states that a glulam beam requires one-sixth of the energy to produce than a steel ‘I’ beam and one-fifth that of a reinforced concrete beam. Being made of timber, it also does not create the same pollutants and is the only building material that is renewable. Added to that, it has all the energy efficiency of timber. Again, according to the GLTA: “The well-known insulation property of timber eliminates the risk of cold bridging where the frame may penetrate external elements of the structure. Its low thermal mass helps reduce fuel bills by absorbing little space heating energy.” q

Standard pitched-tapered glulam beams – one economical solution for process and storage buildings www.constructionnational.co.uk

Nesting birds halt bridge repairs

‹ Work to repair a Grade II listed bridge across the River Lune in

Lancashire, which was closed in March 2011 after safety concerns, has been halted because of nesting birds. When engineers were preparing to demolish the old bridge deck they found a blue tits’ nest and four nests of jackdaws beneath it. Lancashire County Council said work should resume at the end of June when the birds’ young have flown. Jim Robson, a council engineer working on the refurbishment, said: “The discovery was made when we prepared to remove the old deck,

which was rotten. It is one of the many contingencies you meet when doing work like this. “The jackdaws are virtually fully fledged and almost ready to go. The blue tits have a little longer to go and we're expecting them to be flying away in a week to 10 days.” He added: “Birds are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act and the county council as a responsible landowner wants to set an example as to how it deals with these issues when it comes across them.” R

Getting advice AMEC to provide contaminated can save a great land consultancy services deal of money ‹ AMEC, THE INTERNATIONAL ENGINEERING and project management

company, has been appointed to the Environment Agency’s National Contaminated Land Consultancy Framework to provide consultancy services for contaminated land investigation, risk assessment and remediation projects across England and Wales. The value of the work to AMEC has not been announced but the projects for which services will be provided may vary in size from small schemes costing thousands of pounds to large and complex schemes costing millions. AMEC will provide environmental impact assessments, site investigations, risk assessments and remediation options appraisals, design, supervision and verification. The agreement will run for an initial two-year term and can be extended up to a maximum of four years. The National Contaminated Land Consultancy Framework will also be available for use by other public bodies, such the local authorities in England and the newly formed Natural Resources Wales. Philip Bourne, managing director of AMEC’s Environment and Infrastructure Europe business, said: “The Environment Agency is a key client for AMEC and we welcome the opportunity to operate under this new framework agreement. It will allow us to continue delivering high quality consultancy services to the Environment Agency and other public bodies in this challenging and complex area.” AMEC has extensive experience of contaminated land remediation, which is often a legacy of historical industrial activity. In addition to handling the technical challenges this presents, the company will also bring to the framework experience of working with local communities and other stakeholders affected by land contamination, particularly around identifying risks and managing risk perception. R

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‹ FINDING NESTING BIRDS IS just

one of the environmental issues developers may come across. All new development is likely to either have some impact on the local environment or be affected by the existing environmental conditions, and formal environmental assessments are needed in certain circumstances. Perhaps the most obvious event in the popular mind is the discovery of roosting bats on a site – immortalised in the TV drama Coronation Street. Other issues are the presence of Japanese knotweed and other environmental hazards or the need to remove trees. Environmental considerations are also in the financial interest of the developer/builder – having a job stopped is a financial nightmare, while the cost of removing knotweed from the London 2012 site is estimated at £5m. Forewarned is forearmed and, fortunately, there is a wealth of advice and consultancy available. The next issue of Construction National will be featuring the services offered by environmental consultancies in some depth. R

CE marking: it’s all change ‹ WHAT HAS BEEN DESCRIBED as ‘…the

most significant change for a decade in the way construction products are sold in Europe’ is now underway as the new Construction Products Regulation comes into force. Construction products within the scope of the regulation are now required to carry a CE mark. To help manufacturers deal with the changes, a second edition of the official UK Guidance Note was published in December by the Construction Products Association, the British Board of Agrément, British Standards Institution and FBE Management Limited in consultation with the Trading Standards Institute. In its introductory paragraphs, the guidance states: “From 1 July 2013, under the Construction Products Regulation 2011 (CPR), it will become mandatory for manufacturers to draw up a declaration of performance and apply CE marking to any of their construction products which is covered by a harmonised European standard or conforms to a European Technical Assessment which has been issued for it, when such a product is placed on the market.” It explains that: “This is a major change, as affixing of CE marking under the provisions of the existing Construction Products Directive (CPD) is currently voluntary in the UK.” Dr Geoff Edgell is the director of materials testing company Ceram, which in May published a video guide for manufacturers. He commented: “There is an extraordinary degree of confusion around the CE marking of construction products in the marketplace at present and this has not been helped by the amount of inaccurate advice available. “On 1 July, manufacturers will need to focus on the CPR, which will be the law, and the published harmonised standards applicable to them, in order to legally CE mark their products. Following alternative guidance may lead manufacturers to operate illegally – supplying CE marked products which do not provide customers with the required product characteristics.” Duncan King, technical officer at the Construction Products Association said: “For the majority of manufacturers the changes to legislation will not be an issue as they have already been CE marking under the existing Construction Products Directive. However, for those product sectors which up to now have not undertaken CE marking these changes will be more of a revolution as they will need to implement a European testing methodology. “However, despite the changes from the CPD, there really is nothing which will cause undue concern to the industry. Even for those who are having to CE mark for the first time and will have a more extensive learning curve to climb, it is nothing more than the rest of the construction

products industry has already undergone and therefore should not cause undue problems.” The directive will not apply to the structural steel sector until July 2014. That, according to the British Constructional Steelwork Association (BCSA), followed lobbying last year by the European Steelwork Contractor groups. The result was that the European Standing Committee for Construction extended the coexistence period for the CE marking standard for fabricated steelwork – BS EN 1090-1 – by two years. The BCSA said: “This extended timing will mean that CE marking of fabricated steelwork covered by BS EN 1090-1 will not be a legal requirement in member states, including the UK and Republic of Ireland, until 1 July 2014.” The Manufacturing Advisory Service of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills states: “CE marking of structural steelwork is a declaration by you, the manufacturer, that your product meets certain public safety requirements. The public safety requirements are a set of ‘essential characteristics’ that each

product must satisfy and these characteristics are given in the product’s harmonised standard. “The deadline for the mandatory CE marking of fabricated steelwork is 1 July 2014. After this date it will be illegal to trade fabricated steelwork and related products on the European market. CE marking is regulated by criminal law and the penalties for not CE marking or incorrect CE marking, if found guilty, are a fine, imprisonment or both. Potentially, however, the greatest impact could be on your business, which could be closed until the proper certification is in place and be forced to recall non-complying products already on the market.” R www.constructionnational.co.uk

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CE Marking is standard practice for this old hand in the fastener industry

‹ ONE COMPANY THAT HAS no worries

about the impending Construction Products Regulation is leading fastener supplier Bapp Group. Bapp Group’s range of structural ‘CE’ Marked Fastener Assemblies, specifically for the structural engineering sector, have been approved since 2011. Bapp are renowned as a market leader in quality assurance measures that continue to provide the highest levels of confidence throughout its worldwide customer base. Bapp Group was founded in 1972 as a family business and has continued to grow steadily over the ensuing four decades to become the UK’s largest independent supplier of fasteners into the structural engineering, construction, general engineering, renewable energy and offshore sectors. The company is fully approved by Lloyds Register to supply ‘CE’ Marked products to BS EN 15048 Non Pre-Load and BS EN 14399 Pre-Load Structural Bolting Assemblies to the European Harmonised Standards. In addition to the requirements of ‘CE’ Marking, Bapp Group continues to apply its own stringent quality standards to all its products throughout the range. Bapp Group Chairman Mr Dean Cook writes: “Our manufacturing philosophy is a major facet of our business that continues to differentiate us from our competitors. All of our partner factories are annually audited, supplying components only in strict compliance with our 136 page Purchasing Handbook which details everything from the stringent testing requirements we demand to the world class packaging and documentation for which we are well known”.

One of the major benefits of dealing with Bapp Group is the packaging and marking of ‘CE’ assemblies, which is simple, clear and above all identifiable. Because of the packaging and documentation this assures full traceability to the client ensuring that the goods and paperwork arrive in pristine condition. All of Bapp’s extensive systems provide further evidence that traceability is 100% assured throughout its supply chain. This constant attention to detail has been the hallmark of the company for many years and allows Bapp to offer valuable advice to both designers and buyers alike. Bapp’s technical team are available 24/7 to offer clients advice not just on fastener standards, but also on tightening procedures and coating finishes best suited to prevent corrosion in difficult and testing environments. As a quality orientated company, Bapp Group has a number of approvals, apart from Lloyd’s Register approval for its ‘FPC’ and ‘CE’ Marking Structural Assemblies. They are also Highways Agency Sector Scheme 3 and Link-Up Rail approved. Bapp Group products are to be found in a myriad of different environments, but its main expertise is within the structural steelwork sector and as such they are represented on many industrial bodies helping to both shape and drive innovation. Following the company’s foundation by a highly qualified mining engineer, Bapp also have a major involvement in both the civil engineering and tunnelling sectors which also

provide major markets within which the group has unparalleled experience. Bapp also play a major part in supplying the UK’s rail industry which like the structural engineering sector, is a very demanding environment. Bapp Group supply a wide and varied range of standard rail parts and also offer bespoke solutions as part of its Link-Up approval. Another market in which Bapp have become heavily involved is renewable energy where wind turbine manufacture is very closely linked to structural engineering. This too is an extremely demanding market due to the constant new innovations and the aggressive environment that these projects require. Bapp have seen both the onshore and offshore wind sectors as an extension of its standard offshore business, where it has been highly successful for many years in supplying safety critical parts on a daily basis. With such a range of demanding structural applications that require comprehensive support and advice, Bapp have now proved they are the team to trust with all of your demanding requirements. q

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Health and safety training needs commitment from the top ‹ NEARLY A FIFTH OF construction sites

failed safety checks in March as part of the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) monthlong inspection drive. Whilst figures released by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) in April saw a rise in corporate manslaughter claims, with five new cases since July 2012. According to Kim Bendzak, managing director of Apple Construction Training, businesses that want to survive and reap the benefits of any upturn in the construction industry need to ensure that health and safety is led from the top, with strong leadership driving change in the way safety is managed and maintained on site. Senior management taking ownership of health and safety is especially important since the introduction of The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act in 2007, which means senior managers themselves can now face penalties, disqualification from being a director or even imprisonment. Kim Bendzak explains further: “There’s hope that the construction sector will improve should work come through from the Government’s commitment of £33 billion investment in infrastructure this year. But, to be in a strong position to win this work, senior management

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within firms need to have a strong standpoint on health and safety and be driving and communicating this across the company. “A breach in health and safety puts the safety of workers at risk, leaves the company facing a hefty fine and senior managers could also be held liable. The publicity it generates can be damaging, either putting the company out of the running for any major projects or even out of business completely. Between 2011 and 2012, 646 cases were prosecuted by the HSE and local authorities, with fines totalling £16.9 million.” Kim continued: “Leaders and senior managers need to build a strong health and safety culture that expects high standards of safety across all parts of the business at all times. Staff should be required to have the most recent and relevant training qualifications to carry out their duties, and managers kept up to date on the latest health and safety legislation and skill requirements. Site supervisors, responsible for the safety of others, should at least have had site management safety training and all staff should have regular refresher courses so they can recall safety instructions. “Budgets are tight but health and safety legislation is becoming tougher. Site inspectors can now issue on-the-spot fines, which companies can’t afford not to be ready for.” q

Kim Bendzak recently won The Banbury Women in Business awards for Most Established Business and Most Inspirational Business Owner

Oldham apprentices on the road ‹ APPRENTICES WORKING FOR OLDHAM based construction and

regeneration company Emanuel Whittaker have been given the chance to take subsidised driving lessons, thanks to an initiative from Procure Plus, the company’s procurement partner. Lee Bradbury, Health, Safety and Environment Manager for Emanuel Whittaker said: “Our trainees are not office based and are regularly asked to work on sites all across Greater Manchester. These are young men and women and chances are they have not yet had the opportunity, or the cash, to pass their driving tests. This can have an adverse effect on the effectiveness of their training and their futures in the industry. “Procure Plus has recognised the issue and is giving 20 top performing trainees a head start by providing up to 20 hours of driving lessons as well as paying for their theory and practical tests which is a saving of between £300 - £400.” Despite the best efforts of Emanuel Whittaker to keep trainees in their local area, it is not always possible and so having the ability to drive is a real bonus for these young trainees. Apprentice external wall insulation operative, Rachel Howarth and bricklayer, Katie Lockwood

The Skills Show calls for volunteers from the construction industry

Rachel Howarth inside the car and Katie Lockwood as they celebrate their driving test success were part of the first intake to benefit from the scheme and are now the proud owners of a driving licence. Katie said: “The help from Procure Plus has really made a difference. I live in Royton, but have to work all over Manchester and so being able to drive will not only make getting to and from work considerably easier, but will also help my career as having my driving licence is an obvious bonus. It would have probably taken me a lot longer and cost me a lot more money to get my licence if I had not had this help from Procure Plus. I am very grateful to have been given this opportunity.” Three more trainees based at Emanuel Whittaker have just been selected for the scheme. Matthew Casey, Rhys Jones and Bradley Healey will soon be starting their driving lessons and are hoping to secure their driving licences and get on the road before the end of the year. q

‹ The Skills Show, the

UK’s largest skills and careers event, is calling for businesses within the construction sector to encourage their employees to volunteer at its 2013 event, which will be held in Birmingham at the NEC from the 14-16 November 2013. Volunteers selected to join the show’s 750-strong team will have a unique opportunity to contribute to the production of a national event, while sharing their skills and expertise with younger volunteers. From event management to construction, communications, transport management and more, there are many different roles available and a wealth of opportunities to contribute to this large-scale event which supports young people in their search for a career. All volunteers will receive a branded uniform, a contribution of up to £10 in travel costs, lunch and refreshments. They will also receive a certificate confirming their participation in the event. Miriam Farley, Senior Event Manager at The Skills Show, commented: “Volunteering at The Skills Show will provide individuals with experience of working at a large scale public event, as well as giving the volunteers an insight into the many different roles involved in bringing a show together. Working so closely with others from different disciplines builds teamwork and enthusiasm – and gives individuals the opportunity to share their skills while coaching and working with younger volunteers.” q • For further information visit www.theskillsshow.com. www.constructionnational.co.uk

£15 million investment by building college in Leeds

‹ LEEDS COLLEGE OF BUILDING is investing around £15 million to create

a new state of the art 8,000 m2 facility on land purchased from Yorkshire Design Group at Hunslet Lane and Black Bull Street in Leeds city centre. The deal will enable the college to build an exciting new education and training facility that will serve a large proportion of its 7,500 students. Ian Billyard, Principal at Leeds College of Building says: “This is extremely good news for our students, staff and the construction industry as a whole. This is the start of our consolidation of the six sites we currently operate from into this new purpose built development, along with our North Street and Millwright Street sites. “The deal has been many years in the making and we feel that the location, which is just a 10 minute walk from both the bus station and the train station, is ideal for our needs. Planning will be submitted this month and work is programmed to start on-site in October 2013 with a view to opening the new facility in January 2015. “We will be offering a wide range of the traditional courses at the new site including mechanical and electrical, roofing and brickwork programmes, as well as being able to provide more courses in the ever expanding area of renewable and sustainability technologies.”

The college has appointed architects Fuse Studios to design the scheme, Davis Langdon as project managers and engineers Buro Happold. Ian adds: “Leeds College of Building was established in 1960 and we are still the only specialist further education construction college in the UK. We have built a sound reputation with employers, students, schools and the community and we look forward to this exciting chapter in our very successful story.” Leeds College of Building currently offers a wide range of apprenticeships in courses including brickwork, carpentry and joinery, electrical, painting and decorating, plastering, plumbing, surveying and wall and floor tiling. In addition the college offers 22 advanced apprenticeship routes in the above as well as technical routes such as civil engineering together with two Higher Level Apprenticeships in Construction and Built Environment (Sustainability) and Facilities Management which offer university equivalent, work based education at an affordable price. The College also works with over 1,500 employers across the region providing on-site training and development for their staff. q • For more information visit www.lcb.ac.uk or call 0845 129 7857.

Helmsman launch e-learning for construction industry ‹ A NEW RANGE OF e-learning courses have been launched by award-

winning outsourced services company, Helmsman. The online training programmes have been tailored to meet the needs of the construction industry and are set to save companies huge amounts of time and money whilst increasing training efficiency. With years of experience in managing training and development for clients in the construction industry, Helmsman spotted a gap in the market for an e-learning solution. The company has developed a new range of high-impact, video based courses, which can be accessed on-site, at-home or anywhere with an internet connection. The online courses cover health and safety related subjects through to UKATA approved asbestos programmes and boast professionally made films which graphically demonstrate the right and the wrong way to approach best practice, offering so much more than a text book or classroom trainer ever could! Tony Willson, managing director of Helmsman Services says: “The construction industry has lagged behind other industries in e-learning. Thanks to the widespread distribution of wi-fi, construction workers are now able to access online training at site offices or direct to their tablets, laptops or smartphones. “The fully customisable training courses are devised to allow an individual to take part in training activities at times convenient to them and on-site, at their own pace 24/7. The new system will track a participant’s development so that the individual and manager can monitor progress. “Our new online training package will also save companies time and money – e-learning can save companies up to 50 per cent of the costs of bringing in

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a trainer. In addition, and even more importantly, the amount of down time employees can save is vast and it also helps reduce a company’s carbon footprint. “Helmsman will also be able to help levy-paying clients claim grants from CITB. The cost saving for companies is vast, yet the quality and efficiency of these courses will be far greater than traditional means.” q • The new online training programmes are now available and there are free previews on the website at www.elearningforconstruction.co.uk or you can call Helmsman on 01206 363 710.

ECITB develops construction manager pathway ‹ AS THE UK ENGINEERING construction

industry meets an ageing and retiring workforce, the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) has recognised a critical shortage of construction managers for the future demands of the industry. Jacobs, a leading provider of technical, professional and construction services, is working with ECITB to help address this skilled resource shortage. Utilising the Governments’ Employer Ownership of Skills Pilot (Round 1), Jacobs’ UK operations led a bid for Government funding of a Construction Apprenticeship pathway. The aim of the pathway is to attract quality people into the industry and to guide qualified individuals on the path to becoming construction managers. Jacobs and ECITB are working with five training providers to implement the project. Jacobs’ successful bid secured £2.7 million of funding for the project. The ECITB’s research and development team is currently working alongside Jacobs and other industry professionals to define the frameworks of the pathway. This will include the development of three Construction Apprenticeships which include Construction Design, Construction Control and Construction Build. To meet expansion demands and bring new talent through to replace retirees, the UK engineering construction industry is expected to need 60,000 people to enter the industry over the next ten years. It is the ECITB’s remit to build the capacity and capability of the workforce through working in partnership to develop new programmes, to secure skills now and for the future. Ian Muscroft, manager of professional development at Jacobs, commented: “To address the anticipated demand in our industry, it’s vital that we educate and encourage people to consider careers in construction, engineering, science and related fields. We’re very excited about this initiative, and we welcome the opportunity to work closely with educators such as ECITB and other industry professionals to help new talent develop the right skills and recognise the tremendous opportunities available in the industry.” The first cohort of 60 apprentices will commence their learning experience in September. Forty of these apprentices will be employed by Jacobs and the rest will come from other employers across the industry. The pathway will guide the apprentices through both off-site learning and on-the-job training and development. Over three to four years, they will learn the

necessary skills to become construction coordinators and then construction managers. A construction manager is critical to the success of any infrastructure or industrial project.

However big or small the project, the role of the construction manager requires a broad range of skills to co-ordinate all activities and ensure plans become a reality. q

NEBOSH and APS announce new partnership ‹ NEBOSH AND THE ASSOCIATION of Project Safety (APS) have announced a new partnership

in order to promote competence in health, safety and risk management. The partnership was confirmed through the signing of a memorandum at the Safety and Health Expo in Birmingham with NEBOSH chief executive Teresa Budworth and APS head of membership and practice Greg Brown. Greg Brown said: “We are delighted at the opportunity to be working with NEBOSH to develop the practice of construction project risk management throughout the industry.” The agreement marks the formalising of the commitment to looking into areas of mutual cooperation. Teresa Budworth stated: “We are excited by the prospect of being able to encourage safer practice in project and risk management within the construction sector.” NEBOSH and APS are both committed to promoting competence within construction design and management. The NEBOSH National Certificate in Construction Health and Safety is established as a leading health and safety award for the construction industry, with over 12,000 successful candidates since 1989. APS is the largest multi-disciplinary membership body in the UK for individuals and organisations involved in the design, planning and managing of construction projects as defined in the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007. They are committed to shaping and sharing best practice in construction health and safety. Recognition of NEBOSH qualifications as meeting the construction health and safety academic criteria for APS professional membership provides an indication of the co-operation already achieved. q www.constructionnational.co.uk

HOUSING

Come home again to Wales with Bellway ‹ AT THE END OF MARCH Bellway Homes began marketing a new

phase at Prospect Place, the landmark waterside apartment scheme in Cardiff Bay. Named Horizon, it is to be a collection of 76 one and twobedroom apartments over 18 storeys – all of which will be water-facing. Billie Oaten, sales director at Bellway Homes Wales, said: “We are delighted to announce that we are launching sales on a new phase of apartments at Prospect Place. Horizon will create a new collection of modern apartments offering cosmopolitan living and a fantastic water-front location on our landmark development in Cardiff Bay. “Prospect Place is a vibrant development which benefits from striking water views and all the cultural attractions and amenities of the popular Cardiff Bay on the doorstep. It also offers convenient access both to Cardiff city centre and the M4 making it ideal for a range of buyers from first-time buyers and commuters to second-home owners wanting to visit Cardiff at weekends.” The waterside urban village setting of Prospect Place contrasts with the leafy ambiance of Cyncoed, another of Cardiff’s most desirable areas. That is the setting for Ty Gwyn Gardens, an exclusive collection of just 19 new homes from Bellway Wales. These four and five-bedroom homes have been described as ‘elegant in looks, with luxuriously spacious interiors finished to superb levels of specification’.

Horizon – the prestigious new phase at Prospect Place in Cardiff Bay

Those two developments epitomise the exclusive end of the market served by Bellway Homes in Wales. There is another side to the Bellway coin though and an example is the Llais Tawe development in Swansea. Comprising a collection of three and four-bedroom houses and two-bedroom apartments, Llais Tawe is aimed at both first-time buyers and those looking to buy in conjunction with a group of friends, with spacious three-storey homes. With developments throughout south Wales, Bellway offers a choice of homes for all kinds of buyers. q

The Picasso at Ty Gwyn Gardens (left) and The Selby at Llais Tawe

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HOUSING

The only way is Bellway Bloor offers six of the best ‹ NOWHERE HAS THE

RECENT rise in optimism in the housing market been more apparent than in Essex. With London priced out of the market for ordinary families, the mix of rural and suburban – with a touch of the metropolitan where the The Warwick at Kingley Grange county meets the city – has seen Essex live up to its TV billing. And housebuilder Bellway, which has always been adept at spotting good locations and building homes to suit a range of pocket sizes, has no fewer than 17 developments in progress in the county. Their latest development – in Rayleigh – is Kingley Grange. Here Bellway are building a new residential quarter with homes ranging in size from two to five bedrooms. The mid-terrace Montrose design is the lowest price, offering 750ft2 of living space – ideal for a young couple looking to take their first steps into the housing market. Set against this are five bedroom homes with nearly 2,000ft2 of living space which are ideal for the more mature family, offering accommodation over three floors. Karen Coulson, sales director at Bellway, said at the launch of the site in March: “The proximity of the site to the local train station and major road links, together with the attractive mix of homes on the development seem to have encouraged interest.” q

New range offers a surprise or two

‹ THE COUNTY OF LEICESTERSHIRE is a fruitful one for

housebuilder Bloor Homes, which currently has six developments in the county. Two boast award-winning site managers from last year’s NHBC awards, while a third has its own designer show home. In the north of the county is Castle Donnington, known for its motorracing track and near to the burgeoning East Midlands Airport. That is where Bloor’s Fairfield Manor is under construction – a development of no fewer than 15 home styles, ranging from the compact Farnham coach house apartment to the grandiose five-bedroom Tunstall. Fairfield Manor has NHBC award-winner Richard Gibbons as its site manager. Richard’s colleague Stuart Clay also pocketed the award last year. Stuart’s site is Windmill Way in Hinckley, where three and four-bedroom homes in five popular styles share a compact site with affordable units. Hinckley is the second-largest town in the county and was the site of the Battle of Bosworth Field, the deciding encounter of the Wars of the Roses. It is also the site of Hinckley Park, where Bloor’s Marford show home has been fitted out by Lorna Jones, interior designer at Euphorium Design Consultancy. Said Lorna: “I suggested keeping things simple. I chose a neutral palette and taupe hues with the addition of strong red accents to punctuate it. This overall scheme is both aspirational and achievable, and is what we have created in the show home here especially for first time buyers.” Bloor’s Leicestershire line-up is completed by two collections of fourbedroom homes – Otters Bank in Aylestone and Fox Meadows in Earl Shilton – and Heritage Walk in Newbold Verdon, which features three and four-bedroom homes. q

‹ IN AUGUST LAST YEAR Bellway launched the third phase of its

Birchwood development at Cowdenbeath in Fife, close to the Firth of Forth – and with it a new collection of house styles. Fraser Conn, sales and marketing director at Bellway Homes, said at the time: “Fife is a very active region in terms of the number of new developments being built, as demand for quality homes remains constant. This contributed in part to our decision to come up with several fresh styles and offer buyers something different. I’m confident their response to the new designs will be nothing less than positive.” The range includes the Angus two-bedroom terraced home, three-bedroom semi-detached and detached villas and the Islay four-bedroom town house. Fraser Conn said of the Islay: “Viewers will be pleasantly surprised as to exactly how much square footage they can secure for their money with the Islay. It’s an impressive property in terms of layout and specification, which can be had for less than the price of a two-bedroom apartment in the city.” q

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HOUSING

Local people reap the benefits of a cleaner environment ‹ CONTRACT CLEANING COMPANY CLEANSCAPES have

expressed themselves “absolutely delighted” to be working with leading housing association Moat to carry out the cleaning of communal areas at Moat schemes across Essex, Kent, Sussex and south London. A spokesperson for the company explained: “We really focused on understanding the Moat brief and requirements, fully taking on board the issues residents had highlighted as really important to them.” The contract with Moat is just one of a number of the same nature for Cleanscapes and its sister company Groundscapes. They manage cleaning and grounds maintenance on behalf of many housing association clients including London & Quadrant, Thames Valley Housing, Rosebery, Mole Valley Housing, Viridian, Hexagon, Orbit and Anchor Trust. All of their services – whether it is vacuuming, cleaning windows, mowing grass, pruning shrubs or collecting litter – are given the highest levels of service and attention to detail by fully trained staff. Residents are able to spot team members by their distinctive uniform branding and the livery on the vans. The spokesperson continued: “As a progressive company we strive for excellence in all aspects of our work to ensure complete customer satisfaction. We are flexible and listen carefully to our clients. We continually innovate to make sure we are giving people those ‘value added’ elements that are really important to such a customer-centric service. “The services we offer really do impact on people’s day-to-day living standards and so we take great interest in the feedback they give. We have even set up individual Twitter feeds for our residents so that we can keep them updated! We also consult with residents

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wherever possible, especially when we’re about to implement a new way of working. By involving residents and seeking their guidance on the way we do things, the results are so much better! “A major feature of the contract is helping Moat to reduce ‘worklessness’ by assisting long-term unemployed residents back into work. We have absolutely committed to that by undertaking resident workshops to prepare people for getting back into the world of work. These include 16-week work placements to give people experience in a new career area and four-week work experience placements to give Moat residents a ‘snapshot’ of the work environment.” The initial feedback is one of great excitement, whereby people can see the benefits that Cleanscapes, working with Moat, are already bringing to their local areas. q

HOUSING

Housing partnership celebrates development launch ‹ ON 17 MAY A development of new homes

was launched in Harlow, Essex. Aurora is being developed by a partnership between Moat Housing Association, Denne Construction and Harlow Council. Local MP Robert Halfon marked the launch with the unveiling of a unique site hoarding which has been specially designed as part of an arts project with pupils at a local primary school. The event also celebrated the launch of Minerva at Carters Mead, a sister development which forms part of the council’s plans to renew and provide new housing in four of the town’s neighbourhood areas – Old Harlow, Clifton Hatch, Carters Mead and Prentice Place. When complete, the developments will provide 134 new homes, with 57 going to local people on the housing register. Built by Denne, part of the Bouygues Construction group, Aurora and Minerva also offer 55 one, two and threebedroom apartments and homes for private sale, shared ownership or affordable rent. The Aurora development will also include new retail units. Shared ownership is available at both developments with shares starting at just 30%. Darren Welch, a director at Denne Construction, said: “We are delighted to be involved in these fantastic projects to provide high-quality, sustainable housing for Harlow residents. We are also thrilled to be offering opportunities for local people to gain valuable skills and training in the construction industry through our skills academy, and will continue to provide these throughout the development of Aurora and Minerva.” The launch of the new development follows on from success for Moat at the First Time Buyer magazine Readers’ Awards in April.

Moat won the award for Most Innovative Redevelopment of an Existing Property for The Coronet in Eltham – 21 homes for shared ownership built on the site of an old cinema. The building’s original foyer, façade and staircase were preserved, with plans for restoration, while the contemporary architecture of the new apartments complements the original art deco features. The majority of the homes look out on a shared courtyard, with a unique ‘mood wall’ depicting an iconic scene from Gone with the Wind. Moat worked with Bugler to develop this innovative and unusual scheme, and the spacious, light homes proved popular – six apartments in the first phase sold off-plan with enormous demand.

Another Moat development, Love living @ the new Stanhope, won the award for Most Innovative Marketing Campaign. Halfway through selling 73 new apartments across eight phases at Stanhope – a regeneration scheme in Ashford, Kent – sales started to become a challenge. Moat tapped into its internal design resource, at minimal cost, to develop a campaign that would breathe fresh life into sales at Stanhope. They rebranded the scheme ‘the new Stanhope’ to demonstrate to local residents the positive effect of the regeneration transformation. Moat marketed the scheme to people earning around £12,000 to match the low deposit and £18,750, 25% share available. q

Neighbourly community gets planning go-ahead ‹ HANOVER HOUSING ASSOCIATION, a

specialist housing provider for older people, has been granted planning permission from the London Borough of Barnet to develop an innovative cohousing scheme with 25 flats and shared facilities. Hanover has been working with Older Women's Cohousing (OWCH) – a group of women ranging in age from 55 to 80, for whom Hanover wants to develop this imaginative and attractive scheme. Members of the OWCH group are agreed that they will live as friendly, helpful neighbours, share cars where possible and generally collaborate. Once they are in residence, they will manage their housing scheme themselves as a fully mutual

co-operative. Housing for Women, a small housing association, will act as landlord to the scheme’s social rental tenants in partnership with OWCH. The development will be on the site of a former convent school that has been empty for some years. Its forbidding high wall and asphalt playground will be replaced by an attractive development more in keeping with the conservation area surrounding it. The proposals envisage a total of 25 flats, ranging in size from one to three bedrooms and with attractive gardens and communal areas where residents can come together. A south-facing courtyard garden will be used as an external social area and will express the

communal aspirations of the group. Most of the living rooms will look out onto that space and all will have private balconies or terraces. Climbing plants will give a green outlook to flats on the first and second floors. Cohousing developments – popular in Scandinavia and other parts of Northern Europe – typically combine individual independent living with an intentional community that brings together like-minded people who want to live in a social and neighbourly environment. Their residents frequently pool resources such as gardening, laundry and recreational facilities and they may also come together to share meals and social activities in the common room. q www.constructionnational.co.uk

HOUSING

NHBC announces first round PiJ winners ‹ ON 22 JUNE THE National House Builders

Council (NHBC) announced the winners of the Quality Awards and the Single Home Commendations – the first round in its annual Pride in the Job competition. Pride in the Job recognises the achievement of the UK’s housebuilding site managers in creating homes of outstanding quality. Site managers are uniquely positioned to influence the quality of new homes, being responsible for managing a site from beginning to end. The 450 individuals shortlisted for these awards can justifiably claim to be in the top few per cent of their profession. Mike Quinton, chief executive of the NHBC, which is the leading standards setter and warranty provider for new UK homes, said: “Winning a Pride in the Job award is a major achievement for any site manager. These people are at the top of their game, ensuring that the homes they help create are of the highest standards. Each of our award recipients can be truly proud of this accolade. “For over three decades, Pride in the Job has been a foundation of NHBC’s work to improve housing standards, encouraging best practice on site. The homes these individuals have built are without doubt among the best in the UK.” The winners were shortlisted from

around 13,000 site managers working on NHBC registered sites, having excelled in a comprehensive year-long judging process, assessed against the stringent criteria defined by NHBC’s technical standards for building new homes. The Quality Award winners will go on to contest the second round of the competition, the Regional Awards, where, in addition to the regional winners in the various categories, the prestigious Seal of Excellence awards will be announced. The Regional Award winners will progress to the Gala Final at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel in London in January, hoping to become their category’s Supreme Champion. For many years Construction National has devoted extensive coverage to the awards. The next issue will see the first of the special features on the winners. q

Planning permissions rise on back of policy framework ‹ PERMISSIONS FOR NEW HOMES approved in the year since the National Planning Policy

Framework (NPPF) came into force increased by over 20% compared to the previous 12 months, according a new report from the Home Builders Federation (HBF). The HBF’s latest Housing Pipeline Report reported that planning permission had been granted for 144,427 homes in the year to March. That compared to 118,723 homes in the year to March 2012 – an increase of 21.7% since the final version of the NPPF was published. The framework sets out measures intended to boost the supply of housing, including a requirement for local authorities to demonstrate a five-year housing supply with an additional buffer of up to 20% for under-performing authorities. The executive chairman of the HBF, Stewart Baseley, said: “The overall trend in residential permissions is very positive and hopefully reflects both the principles of the new planning system and an improving market place. “The Government has unveiled some extremely positive measures aimed at boosting housing supply. The Help to Buy Equity Loan Scheme is making a real difference on the demand side, but it will only succeed in increasing house building if the planning system allows home builders to increase activity.” q

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HOUSING

Porotherm a winner at Housebuilder Product Awards ‹ WIENERBERGER, THE LEADING PROVIDER of wall, roof and

landscaping innovations, is celebrating its first award win of the year after its clay block walling system, Porotherm, achieved a ‘Highly Commended’ at the Housebuilder Product Awards 2013. As a winner from the ‘Best Internal/External Product’ category, the award win means that Porotherm will be automatically entered into the ‘Product of the Year’ category at the 2013 Housebuilder Awards to be held later this year. Darren White, Porotherm sales director at Wienerberger, commented: “We’re absolutely delighted! Over the last few years it has been one of our key objectives to raise awareness about the Porotherm system’s remarkable efficiency and cost-saving properties, so it is fantastic to have the system recognised by our peers at such a prestigious industry event. Hopefully this is just the beginning – we’re confident that Porotherm stands a good chance in the final”. q • For more information on visit www.wienerberger.co.uk.

NHBC and BSRIA join forces on air leakage testing

Cedral Weatherboard helps satisfy planning on coastal site

‹ MARLEY ETERNIT’S FIBRE CEMENT Cedral

‹ HOUSEBUILDERS ARE NOW ABLE

to benefit from a more efficient, faster onsite air leakage testing service following the announcement of a new partnership between NHBC and leading consultancy and research organisation BSRIA (Building Services Research and Information Association). Since June, NHBC and BSRIA – an organisation with over 50 years’ experience supporting and advising the construction industry and which has carried out 50,000 energy tests across the industry since 2006 - have been jointly providing responsive air leakage testing as part of NHBC’s overall Part L compliance package which includes SAP and EPC’s. Richard Stockholm, NHBC operation manager, said: “The new partnership will result in a more cost-effective and streamlined Part L compliance

solution for NHBC registered builders. A faster response time will be achieved through this new partnership, increasing capacity and resource and ultimately minimising disruption on site. “NHBC continues to lead the way in helping homebuilders meet their sustainability and energy requirements and we are confident that the new partnership will help us to reinforce this message further across the industry.” There will be no change to the service that builder customers receive, however the onsite service will now be undertaken by BSRIA, on behalf of NHBC. q • For further information about energy and air leakage testing please visit www.nhbc.co.uk/ productsandservices/consultancyandtesting or call 0844 633 1000 and ask for ‘energy’.

Weatherboard has helped a developer satisfy planning requirements on a stylish collection of apartments and houses in Camber, on the East Sussex coast. Cedral Weatherboard was chosen specifically by Ward Homes because it complemented the style of nearby properties and recreated the traditional weatherboard look found in this picturesque region of East Sussex. Both of these factors were taken into consideration at planning stage. Over 400 properties at the White Sand development have been clad in weatherboard to create a contemporary development of oneto three-bedroom homes in a peaceful coastal getaway. “Cedral Weatherboard was ideal for the White Sand development as it helped us to meet strict planning requirements whilst offering a lower maintenance solution to timber weatherboard,” said Simon Witchell, senior buyer at Ward Homes. Being made from fibre cement means that Cedral Weatherboard provides a durable, long term low maintenance solution which is ideal for this development, where proximity to the sea means the properties are in an exposed location. • For further information visit www.marleyeternit.co.uk. www.constructionnational.co.uk

BUILDING CONTROL

DRILLING & SAWING

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ECOLOGICAL CONSULTANTS

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TRAINING & ASSESSMENT JAPANESE KNOTWEED

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