Chief Executive’s comment

Steve Sadley, Chief Executive

OUR MISSION

To give the best possible service and support to assist ARCA members and customers in providing safe, effective and ethical management of asbestos, thereby safeguarding the public.

OUR VISION

We envision being an essential strategic partner, through membership of ARCA and ATaC, to all companies providing asbestos management and licensed asbestos removal services, or services to those companies, by providing solutions which contribute to the overall success of their businesses and provide reassurance to their clients.

OUR VALUES

Our values define the culture at ARCA. The values of integrity, service, excellence, teamwork and responsibility guide the way we work, our behaviour and our commitment to support members, customers and colleagues.

Changing Times Continue

As we approach the end of the year the spectre of COVID-19 still hangs over us, as it has done for most of the year. The recent news about the early success of the vaccine trials does at least give us some hope that the worst is almost over, and the situation has the prospect of improving as we move into next year, let us hope so.

One of our events that suffered because of COVID-19 was the ARCA Annual General Meeting. We are legally obliged to hold an AGM at least once every calendar year and so needed to hold an AGM before 31st December 2020. With no real prospect of the COVID-19 restrictions being lifted before the end of the year the decision was taken to hold the AGM remotely on the usual first Friday in October, which this year was October 2nd. The event was held via Zoom and in the region of 100 people logged on to watch the proceedings from the comfort of their office or home. During the AGM the outgoing Chairman, Jason Davy, introduced various members of the ARCA Management team to give presentations on the work that had been done by the Association over the past 12 months. Much of the content of these presentations is reproduced in various articles throughout this issue of ARCA News. The final act of the 2020 ARCA AGM was for the outgoing Chairman to welcome and introduce the incoming Chairman, Scott Murray of ECT Environmental Ltd. Scott gave the incoming Chairman’s address and reflected on the original goals of the ARCA founder members, which were to promote professionalism and improve standards within the industry, something Scott vowed to continue to strive to achieve.

Last month we completed the second round of regional meetings via Zoom. While not a substitute for getting out and meeting members around the country, it at least keeps us in contact and allows us to provide you with the industry updates that I know you want to hear about at these meetings. I am hoping that we will be able to resume face to face regional meetings at some point next year. I imagine that the meetings planned for February will still have to be remote, but it would be nice to think that we can have a face to face meeting at the usual regional meeting venues by the summer of next year. When face to face regional meetings do resume, we are planning to add a remote meeting to the usual series of meetings. This will allow members who cannot make the face to face meetings for whatever reason to participate in the regional meetings. The same philosophy applies to our training provision, the remote courses we have developed will continue to be delivered alongside our face to face training courses even after COVID-19 restrictions have passed.

In the previous edition of ARCA News, I was pleased to be able to report that the Asbestos Labour Feedback App (ALFA) had been launched. In this issue I am delighted to be able to inform you that ALFA goes from strength to strength. As of the date of writing this Chief Executives Comment (23rd November 2020), there are over 840 operatives registered on the App, that means over 840 operatives have accepted the invitation to register on ALFA and to submit themselves for ratings while working on ARCA members asbestos removal sites. Over 1,700 ratings have already been submitted and over 120 operatives have already been given at least 5 ratings and as such awarded an overall performance rating. Members are already reporting that the competency of the shortterm operatives they are sourcing from labour suppliers is noticeably improved because of the introduction of ALFA. It is great to see that ALFA is having the effect on the industry that we hoped it would. We will continue to support and develop the App, so continuing to provide a valuable tool for all parties who are committed to improving professionalism and standards within the industry, namely ARCA, ARCA members, ARCA Labour Supply members and the short-term operatives they supply.

Finally, with the year coming to an end, I would like to take the opportunity to wish all our members and readers a very Merry Christmas, and let’s hope and pray for a much better year to come in 2021.

Steve Sadley Chief Executive