Two roofing companies have been fined after worker falls through skylight nine metres through a skylight onto concrete flooring below.
The man suffered life-changing injuries and required surgery to install metal rods into his back.
Coventry Magistrates Court heard how ACG Roofing Limited had been subcontracted by JDB Industrial Roofing Limited to complete re-cladding work on the fragile roof.
At the time of the fall, on 15 December 2015, no nets or guardrails were being used.
The Mobile Elevating Working Platform which had been provided as an anchor point for the fall arrest equipment did not have enough capacity.
When he fell the injured person did not have his harness attached to anything.
Worker Falls Through Skylight
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that JDB, the principal contractors of the work, failed to have effective management systems in place to control the risk associated with working at height and on fragile roofing.
JDB Industrial Roofing Limited of Brooklands Court, Kettering, Northamptonshire pleaded guilty of breaching Section 13(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, has been fined £112,000 and ordered to pay costs of £2216.68.
ACG Roofing Limited of High Street, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire have pleaded guilty of breaching Section 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and have been fined £35,000 and ordered to pay costs of £1721.78.
Speaking after the hearing HSE inspector Edward Fryer said: “This incident could have been fatal; the worker has suffered life-changing injuries due to the company failing to properly plan and supervise work at height.
“This case highlights the importance of proper planning, supervision and implementation of work at height especially on fragile roofing.”
Designed to be robust, reliable and easy to use, the new 2R (270 N·m) and 2AR (340 N·m) torque wrenches, featuring a break-back torque signal, are the latest products from Norbar Torque Tools.
The new 2R and 2AR responds to the need for a smaller model of the enduringly popular industrial break-back torque wrenches.
Simple to use, the 2R and 2AR’s design offers a profiled cam and reaction plate, providing a much clearer ‘torque break point’. For the operator, this means that the possibility of over-torqueing has been reduced dramatically in comparison to traditional clicker torque wrenches, optimising performance and precision in any task.
The unmistakable torque signal that the break-back provides, means that the wrench can be safely used in noisy environments where the ‘click’ signal of other wrenches may be missed, such as when changing a tyre on the roadside. Furthermore, the ‘break’ can not only be seen by the operator, but also by supervisors, meaning they can visually check for correct operation of the wrench from many metres away.
The 2R and 2AR also feature an improved scale, which is said to be easy to read and set, and is fitted with a protective lens to shield the screen from dust, dirt and spray.
Offering impeccable control, the 2R and 2AR are calibrated to deliver accurate results within +4% of a reading, despite the demanding working conditions expected for the wrenches.
Additional features include the push-through ratchet which is easily replaceable and allows two direction torqueing, and the integral pull-out adjustment bar which means no additional torque setting tools are required.
The 2R and 2AR wrenches also come with a padded fabric shoulder bag, which also holds a set of instructions and a copy of the calibration certificate. This ensures all important documents are kept in one place, and alongside the wrenches.
In this series of videos Skill Builder is taking a look at a selection of products from Real Deals for You, the consumer campaign which provides big brand tools at competitive prices through local independent retailers.
Real Deals for You is a year-round campaign run by one of Europe’s leading hand and power tool distributors, Toolbank, and created to support a network of participating retail outlets and trade merchants across the UK and Ireland.
Over 2,000 stockists throughout the UK and Ireland feature the Real Deals for You promotion, which is designed to provide significant savings on leading brand products while helping to support local trade.
In the fourth installment of the series Roger Bisby takes a look at the Roughneck 50cm Wide Mouth Tool Tote Bag.
Roger gets his hands on Triton’s pendulum action jigsaw for #powertoolfriday; find out if this cost-effective jig can cut it in this Triton Jigsaw review.
Product Features:
Dual axis grips and balanced body design keep the tool on the workpiece, and move the tool with improved stability
4-position mode selector with 3-stage pendulum action for optimised, fast cutting and reduced wear on the tool and blades
Constant speed under load maintains a stable cut rate with improved results over conventional jigsaws
Tool-free, quick-release blade change with T-shank bayonet mounting for fast blade changes and compatibility with a wide range of blades
Non-trigger variable speed control and sliding on/off switch with lock-on for easy presetting of speed without having to maintain trigger pressure in use
Includes 3 high-performance blades for curved cutting in wood, high speed cutting in wood and plastic, and straight cutting of ferrous and non-ferrous metals
Includes Triton track adaptor for short length internal/pocket cuts, cut-outs with straight edges below the length of the plunge saw blade or cuts to an exact length
Includes parallel guide for easy parallel cutting with fast set-up
Includes soft case with slot-in accessory organiser for easy portability and protection of the tool and all accessories
A London based construction company has been fined for safety failings after complaints from the public.
Basildon Magistrates’ Court heard how Malik Contractors and Engineers Ltd were working at a site St John’s Way in Corringham, Essex in 2016 when concerned members of the public contacted the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
Malik Contractors and Engineers Ltd are the principal contractors for the development of a public house and 24 flats.
Acting on the public concerns, HSE carried out three inspections of the site. On each visit the inspectors and visiting officers found numerous breaches of health and safety legislation, including dangerous electrical systems, unsafe work at height across the site, and no fire detection alarm. There was no fire-fighting equipment, despite workers sleeping on site.
As a result HSE issued four Prohibition Notices (PNs) and three Improvement Notices (INs) on the firm.
Malik Contractors and Engineers Ltd of Neasden Goods Depot, Neasden, London, was fined a total of £52,000, and ordered to pay £4,415 in costs after pleading guilty to an offence under Regulation 13(1) of The Construction Design and Management Regulations 2015.
Speaking after the hearing HSE inspector David King said: “This case highlights the importance complying with enforcement action. Duty holders have the responsibility to provide their workers with appropriate training and equipment so they can work safely. In this case Malik Contractors failed to do so.
“It is essential those responsible for construction work understand they are also responsible for the health and safety of those on and around the construction site, and ensure suitable and sufficient arrangements are in place to plan..”
When it comes to making vital decisions regarding building work, women are twice as likely to have the final say on the style and scope of the project, according to new research by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).
In advance of Mother’s Day this Sunday, the FMB also asked female homeowners if they have ever carried out a range of basic DIY tasks around the home and the results were as follows:
• Almost 80 percent have painted a room;
• 65 percent have put together flat-pack furniture;
• 58 percent have unblocked a sink;
• Over 50 percent have changed a fuse;
• 44 percent have unblocked a toilet;
• Over a quarter have cleared the guttering.
Jenny Carter, mum of one from North West London, said: “I’m happy to hire a builder for the big jobs but it would cost me a fortune if I had to pay a tradesperson every time I needed to change a fuse.
If I’m a bit unsure, I tend to search online for “how-to” videos to help guide me through the process – these videos give people like me a bit more confidence to tackle the smaller jobs.
Every family is different but in our house, when it comes to these sorts of tasks, I’m easily as handy as my other half.”
Any lingering gender stereotypes regarding domestic life are totally outdated. Not only do women lead on decisions regarding the style and scope of building projects, they also get stuck in themselves when hiring a builder isn’t necessary
Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the Federation of Master Builders, said: “This research shows that any lingering gender stereotypes regarding domestic life are totally outdated.
Not only do women lead on decisions regarding the style and scope of building projects, they also get stuck in themselves when hiring a builder isn’t necessary.
In 21st century Britain, you’re just as likely to find a woman up a ladder clearing out the guttering or battling with flat-pack furniture, as you might be likely to find her performing some of the more traditional domestic chores.”
Berry concluded: “On a more serious note, the construction industry is facing a massive skills shortage and we’re crying out for more female builders.
At present, only 2% of construction workers onsite are female and until we start to appeal to 50% of the population, we won’t be able to plug the skills gap.
It is my hope that these hands-on women, many of whom will be mums, are inspiring their daughters to think differently about what is an acceptable career path for girls.
There is no reason why young women can’t become the next generation of brickies and sparks and it’s our job to remind them of that.”
In this new series of videos Skill Builder is taking a look at a selection of products from Real Deals for You, the consumer campaign which provides big brand tools at competitive prices through local independent retailers.
Real Deals for You is a year-round campaign run by one of Europe’s leading hand and power tool distributors, Toolbank, and created to support a network of participating retail outlets and trade merchants across the UK and Ireland.
Over 2,000 stockists throughout the UK and Ireland feature the Real Deals for You promotion, which is designed to provide significant savings on leading brand products while helping to support local trade.
In the third installment of the series Roger Bisby takes a look at Irwin’s Vise-Grip Max Leverage Diagonal Cutting Pliers.
London startup Plentific.com, a growing home services marketplace, has announced a new feature that will allow customers to book home improvement jobs with just a few taps on their phone.
This new service lets customers skip the process of searching for potential tradesmen, comparing quotes and haggling for a fair price just to book a minor home improvement job such as a clogged sink.
Instant bookings are made possible by Plentific’s network of Verified Pros, who are now available to book for more than 90 home improvement services, though this will increase to 450 soon. These include hanging a picture, installing new flooring and rewiring a light fixture. Since only Verified Pros can take on these jobs, according to Plentific.com customers are guaranteed a top quality trade professional for every project.
Larger and more expensive jobs, which tend to require more consideration, dialogue and planning, can still be booked in the traditional way via Plentific.
This is not the first new feature that Plentific has introduced to the home service market. Late in 2016 the company launched the ‘Plentific Guarantee’, an insurance policy which protects homeowners when hiring trade professionals.
hiring someone for a repair, maintenance or home improvement project is now as easy as ordering food for delivery
Plentific Co-Founder Emre Kazan, who leads Product and Tech, said: “This is a huge step forward for both homeowners and trade professionals, whereby hiring someone for a repair, maintenance or home improvement project is as easy as ordering food for delivery.
It wasn’t that long ago that you had to go through page after page just to find the right tradesman for your home improvement work. Now, any jobs that you need doing can take just a couple of seconds to book.
It will give Pros an advantage as well. Tradesmen have to waste a huge amount of time looking for local leads, preparing quotes and chasing invoices to get paid, when they could be carrying out jobs and building their businesses. Once a Verified Pro accepts an Instant job, it’s theirs. All they have to do then is agree on a date with the customer, do a stellar job and see the payment go to their account without any delay.”
Once a Verified Pro accepts an Instant job, it’s theirs. All they have to do then is agree on a date with the customer, do a stellar job and see the payment go to their account without any delay
Plentific Instant is currently available in the Greater London and will be rolled out nationwide later on in 2017. It will also be available via several Plentific partner websites, including Zoopla, PrimeLocation and HomeOwners Alliance, as well as a number of large consumer brands thanks to several partnerships which will be announced shortly.
Baxi is opening two new training facilities in 2017.
The Crawley training centre, a partnership with Central Sussex College, opened in January and Godmanchester in Cambridgeshire, a standalone Baxi training centre, will open in March. Each will offer customers access to Baxi’s full range of comprehensive training courses.
Designed using feedback from its customers, Baxi training includes hands-on sessions, insider knowledge, tips from the company’s expert trainers and professional advice on products and troubleshooting.
Customers can choose to participate in a range of courses including free Baxi product training, repair and maintenance courses, system wiring and controls, and accredited courses such as G3 Unvented cylinder training and assessment.
Baxi now operates a total of 16 training centres across the UK and Ireland, with Baxi’s own centres carrying CIPHE accreditation.
Steve Owen, national training manager at Baxi, comments: “At Baxi we’ve always been committed to providing industry leading training for customers, so we’re delighted to be strengthening our presence in 2017 with the addition of two new centres.
“We know that engineers are busy and it can be difficult for them to keep up to date with the latest products and practices. We also know that they need training opportunities to be close to them, to avoid them having to take additional time away from work to travel.
“Our courses have been designed to help engineers acquire the skills and expertise they need to grow their businesses and keep their customers happy. With a total of 16 training centres spanning Glasgow to Exeter we can make training more accessible than ever before.”
In the second part of our series of videos from Milwaukee’s Heavy Duty Fest 2107 in Berlin, Sendi Spoljaric shows us the M18 FUEL SURGE ¼˝ Hex hydraulic driver, said to be the quietest cordless fastening solution on the market.
Features include:
– On board fuel gauge and LED light
– Flexible battery system: works with all Milwaukee® M18™ batteries
– FLUID-DRIVE™ hydraulic powertrain reduces metal on metal contact within the tool, delivering quieter operation, smoother performance and increased durability over a standard impact
– Delivers same performance in wood fastening as standard brushless impact drivers
– POWERSTATE™ brushless motor delivers up to 0 – 3000 RPM with constant power output to drive screws faster
– REDLINK PLUS™ intelligence system delivers the most advanced digital overload protection for tool and battery and uniquely enhances the tool performance under load
– The Milwaukee® DRIVE CONTROL™ allows the user to shift into four different speed and torque settings to maximise application versatility
– Self-tapping screw mode is designed to reduce walking when starting self-tapping screws as well as reduce overdriving, breaking and stripping out screws
– REDLITHIUM-ION™ battery pack delivers up to 2.5x more run time, up to 20% more power, up to 2x more battery life and operates better down to -20°C than other lithium-ion technologies
– Individual battery cell monitoring optimises tool run time and ensures long term pack durability
Mira Showers is supporting the nation’s young installer talent by sponsoring this year’s HIP UK Heating Apprentice of the Year competition.
The annual event, launched in 2009, represents an opportunity to recognise the hard work, ability and dedication of the next generation of installers.
The regional heats offered apprentices across the country the chance to participate in a series of challenges and practical tasks to test their skills, and pit themselves against other students at a national level. With the heats now concluded, the winners of each, plus the person who received the highest score overall from all, are going forward to a grand final to be held in Cheltenham at the end of March.
Mira has donated over 100 mixer showers to the competition for competitors to install as part of their practical tests
For its part, Mira has donated over 100 mixer showers to the competition for competitors to install as part of their practical tests; and is providing prizes to the regional finalists and the overall winner.
Mira Showers is no stranger to supporting apprenticeships, having relaunched its own in-house programme in September 2015. Mira’s scheme emulates and exceeds the high standard of training offered by the company in the 1960s, and is designed to guarantee its reputation for engineering excellence well into the future.
With more than 300 people having passed through the course over the years, the original scheme celebrated its 45th anniversary in 2011. Dozens of its alumni are still with the business, including Sarah Sadler, Finance Director; Director, Supply Chain Tim Birch and Wayne Walker, VP Manufacturing – Global Faucets.
In 2017, Mira is seeking to add five new apprentices to its complement – two in business administration, and three in engineering.
Skill Builder’s ‘Day in the life’ feature takes a look at a typical day in the life of different tradespeople. In this installment, we talk to the inspirational Kevin Skeith who, against all the odds, recovered from a serious motorcycle accident which threatened to leave him as a quadriplegic. He now runs a thriving flooring business and became Dickie’s UK Worker of the Year 2016.
Name: Kevin Skeith Trade: Domestic and commercial flooring supply and installation Company: Kevin Skeith Flooring
Kevin won a Honda Crosstourer 1200cc motorbike when he was crowned Dickies UK Worker of the Year
What time does your day start?
The alarm goes off at 6.30am. I get our children (Hayden 3 and Reuben 1) up, washed, fed, dressed and ready for nursery.
What gets you out of bed in the morning?
Easy. I love my job, I enjoy meeting new people, I like being on my knees in the trades, I enjoy seeing the transformation that new flooring makes and I get a great satisfaction from seeing the end result of a completed flooring install, whether it’s a small bathroom or large commercial premises.
My job is also the thing that provides for my family and I get a great buzz from showing my family the pictures of my work and knowing that my family also has pride in the work that I do.
What does a typical day entail for you?
I’m up and loading up the day’s work by 8am. Go to the store collect the day’s materials and tools, cut up any flooring required. Arrive with the first customer by 9am. I’ll fit carpets, vinyls, laminates, engineered and real wood, contract vinyls and luxury vinyl tile feature floors, I screed floors, ply floors, perform damp tests and damp proof floors too. My days are very varied and that’s all part of the joy of being a flooring fitter for me.
I might have up to six houses a day or I might be at one address all day long. I generally get home between 5pm and 6pm. If I can, I collect my children from nursery and walk home with them and I have Thursday afternoons with them too, but I work Saturday to make up for the lost time in the week. We eat tea as a family, I do the bedtime preparations and stories then after 7pm I’ll go out again and visit customers to do quotes and show them samples, often getting back in around 9pm. After 9pm I will email suppliers and order materials, type up quotes and deal with social media requests on facebook and twitter.
What’s the best thing about your job?
The customers and the job satisfaction; every day I see a room transformed and a customer who is happy and appreciates my work and the products I supply.
My customers are a vital part of my business; they champion my work in public, in the press and on social media and I wouldn’t be where I am if it wasn’t for their support.
What’s the worst thing about your job?
Having to challenge the sometimes negative perception of flooring fitters. Some say that anyone who can hold a knife can fit a carpet. To a degree that is true, the mechanics of fitting a carpet are not particularly hard but to be doing the job to a high standard, with a professional approach and covering a wide range of materials with great product knowledge takes dedication and commitment.
As a flooring fitter there is very very little room for error, and small mistakes can be very very costly so your concentration levels have to be high
Thankfully in recent years, I have seen a welcome change in the trade with the introduction of more professional qualifications and more fitters getting qualified and standards being raised.
What qualifications do you have?
I’m Grammar School educated with 9 GCSEs and a GNVQ in Construction & the Built Environment.
I started in flooring fitting before there were qualifications, you went with a fitter for two years who taught you the job and when he thought you were ready he told the boss, the boss went with you for a couple of weeks and if you met the standard they needed you were let loose with your knives among the general public.
Since then I have been on several flooring training courses. I am FITA (Flooring Industry Training Association) trained in resilient flooring and luxury vinyl tiles. I have been on several flooring industry supplier courses (adhesives and subfloor preparation) including Mapei, F Ball, Ardex, and Uzin.
I’m asbestos awareness and removal trained. Later this month I will be taking the Moduleo Moods advanced installer course and I’m also booked in for two further manufacturer installer courses for later in the year, one for laminate flooring and one for luxury vinyl tile installation.
I’m also currently doing my NVQ Level 2 in both hard flooring and my NVQ Level 2 in soft furnishings & carpets.
Measure twice, cut once – most serious errors in my job come about through mismeasurement, which result in miscalculating sizes and areas, which means either extra expense if there is wasted or excess material or stupid unnecessary delays if there isn’t enough
What tool couldn’t you live without?
There are two:
1. My phone. It’s my communication device, my calculator, my diary, my emails, my social media access and it’s my also my arch nemesis and the bain of my life.
2. My Stanley Tylon 8m tape measure. Measure twice, cut once – most serious errors in my job come about through mismeasurement, which result in miscalculating sizes and areas, which means either extra expense, if there is wasted or excess materia, or stupid unnecessary delays if there isn’t enough. I prfer tylon tape measures because in my experience metal ones twist and get bent too easily, then they either go brittle and snap or won’t retract correctly. I also find that the tylon ones don’t flick about as much when measuring down stair cases and the edges aren’t as sharp as metal tapes, so they don’t cut you by mistake.
What do you drive?
A high roof long wheel base Ford Transit, 200bhp and fully loaded with all the extra’s. I spend a massive amount of time in my van, if it doesn’t work I don’t work. I over-service it and treat it like a princess.
What do you do to unwind?
I love spending time with my wife Anna and children and our two dogs Missy and Sweep.
I now also ride a motorbike again, I’ve been a fan of motorbikes and motorbike racing since I was young. I broke my spine in 2010 in a horrific motorcycle accident and was told to expect to be a quadriplegic for the rest of my life. Thankfully the amazing doctors and specialists at Queens medical centre in Nottingham saved my spine and gave me my life back. The accident was a turning point in my life and a catalyst to get me to where I am today.
Since recovering from the spinal injury, I have got married and had two beautiful children, I have worked tirelessly to get us out of the financial debt the accident caused, to build myself back up and to get back to work, and to build up my reputation and customer base.
The accident was also a significant part of my story and it explains where I came from, went through and why I went on to win the Dickies UK worker of the year in 2016.
What advice would you give an up and coming apprentice.
1. Take the grief the ‘old boys give you’, it’s meant in jest and if they are having a laugh with you, it’s because they like you. The other reason they will give you grief is because they can see your potential, we know if you are a natural with a knife, and if you are we want you to be the very best you can be, we aren’t going to get off your back until we have seen that you have got to where you deserve to be.
2. Train hard, work hard and make the customer the focus of your work. Customers are the people you need to please, if the customer is happy, your boss is happy and in turn you’ll be happy.
3. When you do think you’ve qualified and you ‘know’ it all, think again, there is always something new to learn, a new approach to try and a new skill to gain and a new product to learn about that you haven’t heard of.
4. Never sell yourself short. If some one calls you it is because they want you to use your skills for them. Never forget that.
and finally
5. Be kind…. you never know what is going to happen, so you never know when you might need a favour back.
I was visiting a manufacturer of safety equipment recently and went to use the gents and found the place flooded out. There was one guy with a mop trying to clear it up but he was like the Sorcerer’s apprentice, the loo just kept overflowing. As fast as he cleared it up more appeared. Even though I was dressed in my smart(ish) clothes and had no tools with me I managed to stop the overflowing loo and, more importantly clear the blockage with a mop wrapped in a polythene sack to act as a plunger. They offered to pay me but I refused, preferring to bask in the glory of being their knight in shining armour.
They offered to pay me but I refused, preferring to bask in the glory of being their knight in shining armour.
This is a feeling that every plumber knows and, for me, it helps to have some motivation that goes beyond money, but it is a bit of a drug and if I am not careful I find it creeps into other areas of my life. If for example I am walking down the street with my wife en- route to a nice restaurant and I see somebody with their car bonnet up and their head bent over it I find it difficult/impossible to walk past. I am ashamed to say that it is even harder if it is a pretty woman, but usually in that case there’s a queue of similarly motivated men in front of me.
It was only relatively recently that I discovered that there is a term for what I do and that is a ‘rescuers syndrome’. Most of the published research on this is to do with relationships not plumbing. People find emotionally vulnerable or damaged partners and ride in on a white charger to put everything right. My wife certainly doesn’t fit into this category so I must assume that my rescuer’s syndrome is more a hobby than a life force. Nevertheless it is there and it has manifested itself most noticeably in my plumbing and building work by doing favours for people that I hardly even know. In other words not charging them for extras I should have charged for or giving them a discount if I felt they were strapped for cash. The psychiatrist concludes that this is not really an attempt to rescue strangers but all about rescuing myself. Apparently I am trying to slay the dragons that developed in childhood.
It was only relatively recently that I discovered that there is a term for what I do and that is a ‘rescuers syndrome’ – it has manifested itself most noticeably in my plumbing and building work by doing favours for people that I hardly even know.
Even more alarming is that the experts say this doesn’t work and very soon frustration and resentment creeps in. That bloke down the road who’s leak I fixed for a tenner has just come back from a Caribbean cruise. In truth he never asked for the discount but I feel he owes me and I am now giving him evil stares.
Armed with this new self awareness, I am resisting all urges to act as The Good Samaritan. From this day forward it is all about me. Me first, me first. I will not simply pass by on the other side. I will cross the road, give them a good kicking and then walk away laughing. I am now operating on jungle law, survival of the fittest, kill or be killed. Apparently it is a much healthier attitude.
Roger finally gets his hands on the Hitachi DV18DBXL, but was it worth the wait? Find out in this bench test.
Hitachi DV18DBXL/JX 18v Brushless Combi Drill inc 2x 6.0Ah Batteries, Charger and Carry Case
Features:
Combi drill with brushless motor technology
All new 6.0Ah Li-Ion batteries with multifunction protection circuit
Class leading hard torque of 136Nm
New fast charger with 38 minute charge time
Reactive Force Control (RFC) kickback control safety feature
Compact body at only 204mm long
High-performance Röhm chuck with spindle lock
22 stage torque setting
New robust aluminium gear case
Low battery indicator
Built-in LED work light
Packed in Hitachi stackable carry case
Specification:
Voltage: 18v
Battery Capacity: 6.0Ah Lithium-Ion
Charge Time: 38 mins
No-load Speed Low: 0-500/min
No-load Speed High: 2100/min
Impact Rate: 0-31500/min
Max Torque (hard): 136Nm
Max Drilling Capacity in Brick: 16mm
Max Drilling Capacity in Wood: 76mm
Max Drilling Capacity in Metal: 13mm
Overall Length: 204mm
Weight inc Battery: 2.5kg
The Government has made the right decision to row back on its plan to hike up National Insurance Contributions for the self-employed, the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has said.
Brian Berry, FMB Chief Executive, said: “At a time when we need to do everything we can to ensure economic stability, this would have been a destabilising tax increase which would have hit large numbers of tradespeople on quite modest incomes. That would have felt very unfair and would have been in danger of undermining the entrepreneurial spirit Britain will need to rely on as we approach the economic uncertainty of Brexit. There is an important debate to be had about how we ensure an even playing field in the taxation of the self-employed and the directly employed. But we need to do that in a way that allows people to plan ahead and ensures the total package of tax and benefits is fair to the self-employed.”
New figures from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) reveal that the UK construction industry could lose almost 200,000 EU workers post-Brexit should Britain lose access to the single market, putting some of the country’s biggest infrastructure and construction projects under threat.
RICS has cautioned that for Brexit to succeed, it is essential to secure continued access to the EU Single Market or to put alternative plans in place to safeguard the future of the property and construction sectors in the UK.
The UK is already in the grip of a construction skills crisis. While some overseas professionals, such as ballet dancers, are regarded as critical by the UK Government, and are therefore prioritised during the visa application process, construction professions have not yet been added to the ‘UK Shortage Occupations List’.
Latest RICS figures show that 8% of the UK’s construction workers are EU nationals, accounting for some 176,500 people. 30% of construction professionals surveyed revealed that hiring non-UK workers was important to the success of their businesses.
The UK is already in the grip of a construction skills crisis. While some overseas professionals, such as ballet dancers, are regarded as critical by the UK Government, and are therefore prioritised during the visa application process, construction professions have not yet been added to the ‘UK Shortage Occupations List’. RICS is warning that this could already be placing the UK’s predicted £500 billion infrastructure pipeline under threat and must be addressed as a priority.
When asked about the effectiveness of current plans to address the UK’s long-term skills shortages, 20% of respondents felt that apprenticeship schemes were not effective at all.
A Manchester building contractor and a company owner have appeared in court after a worker was seriously injured on a refurbishment site.
The 53-year-old father of two from Salford was employed as a labourer at the site of a refurbishment project at Manchester One, Portland Street Manchester when the incident occurred on 29 August 2014.
The incident was investigated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and on 9 March 2017 Workspace Design and Build Ltd, the principal contractor for the project, and Paul Harrison former director of Access Flooring Specialist Ltd were prosecuted for serious safety failings.
Manchester Magistrates’ Court heard how two operatives working for Access Flooring Specialist Ltd had started the demolition of a freestanding concrete block wall on the site using a demolition hammer.
One of the men had started to cut into the wall just above the half way point, when the second man took over and continued from the top using step ladders for access. As he did so, the top half of the wall collapsed knocking him from the ladder and landing on top of him.
The injured person suffered fractures to his neck and back and spent three months in hospital following the incident. He has been unable to return to work since.
The HSE investigation found there was no suitable risk assessment in place for the work that was being carried out and the workers had not been provided with suitable work instructions for carrying out this task safely.
In addition to this no checks had been made regarding the injured workers training or experience, he was not provided with a site induction or adequate PPE for the task and the work on site was not being supervised.
Workspace Design and Build Ltd of Manchester One, Portland Street, Manchester pleaded guilty to breach of Regulation 22(1)(a) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 and was fined £14,000 and ordered to pay costs of £2972.
Paul Harrison of Kirkfell Drive, Tyldsley, Manchester pleaded guilty to a breach of Section 37 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 relating to his companies’ breach of Regulation 13 (2) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 and was fined £1300and ordered to pay costs of £2851
Speaking after the hearing HSE Inspector Laura Moran said: “The risks associated with the demolition of the internal walls at Manchester One were not properly considered and, as a result, there was no safe system of work in place for the operatives to follow.
“Together with a lack of adequate supervision, these failings resulted in one man suffering serious and life changing injuries, which could have been prevented had the work been properly planned and managed.”
For more information about working safely at demolition sites visit:
In this brand new series of videos Skill Builder is taking a look at a selection of products from Real Deals for You, the consumer campaign which provides big brand tools at competitive prices through local independent retailers.
Real Deals for You is a year-round campaign run by one of Europe’s leading hand and power tool distributors, Toolbank, and created to support a network of participating retail outlets and trade merchants across the UK and Ireland.
Over 2,000 stockists throughout the UK and Ireland feature the Real Deals for You promotion, which is designed to provide significant savings on leading brand products while helping to support local trade.
In the second installment of the series Roger Bisby takes a look at the Komelon Powerblade II 8m/26ft Tape Measure.
Following the launch of its Baxi 200 and 400 Combis, boiler manufacturer Baxi has added heat only models to its super-powered range.
Weighing in at just 19.5kg, the Baxi 200 and 400 Heat boilers are said to be the lightest in the UK, and include a number of time-saving features, which mean installations can be completed quickly.
Available in outputs from 12Kw to 30Kw, Baxi 200 and 400 Heat boilers are compact enough to fit into a kitchen cupboard, and are suitable for most property sizes. An easy fit wall mounting bracket, along with a one metre lead which removes the need to access the control box, allows installers to fit these models in a flash. What’s more, front and side access means servicing is quicker and easier, with no special tools required.
These heat only heroes are bound to be a favourite with homeowners too – with no need for pump overrun or permanent live, disruption is kept to an absolute minimum and saves time during installation. And for ultimate flexibility, an industry leading choice of flue lengths means they can be sited anywhere.
Jon Phillips, head of product management at Baxi, comments: “The entire Baxi 200 and 400 range has been designed to make life easier for our loyal Baxi installers – and the new heat only boilers are no exception.
“These lightweight heat only boilers make installation as simple as possible, and by removing the need for a pump over-run and permanent live, disturbance to customers’ homes is kept to an absolute minimum.”
The new Baxi 200 and 400 Heat boilers are available now, exclusively from independent merchants.
The Baxi 200 Heat comes with a three year parts and labour warranty, whilst the Baxi 400 Heat is available with a five year promotional parts and labour warranty.
To learn more about the new boilers, installers can register for a free hands-on training course at centres around the UK.
They can also benefit from the Baxi Works online loyalty and business support scheme, nationwide technical support and aftercare through Baxi Customer Support and same or next day spare part delivery through Baxi Genuine Parts.
The average British worker spends as many as 120 hours per year using their smartphones in the workplace, and those working in construction are among the highest users, according to new research.
Research of 2,012 UK adults carried out by gadgets and technology etailer, LaptopsDirect.co.uk, has revealed more than three quarters (78%) of construction workers admit to using their smartphones during working hours.
78% regularly respond to personal text messages during working hours, and 59% regularly take personal phone calls whilst working.
52% admit to answering instant messages via platforms such as Whatsapp and Facebook, whilst 9% have sent a Snapchat from their workplace.
44% of respondents said their workplace permitted reasonable use of smartphones.
More than a third (38%) regularly check their social media accounts while in the workplace.
Mark Kelly, marketing manager at LaptopsDirect.co.uk, said: “It’s no surprise that we are addicted to our smartphones however overuse during working hours can add up, leaving a serious shortfall in productivity. Although companies monitor and prohibit the use of social media during the working day, the research shows that there is still a large amount of people continuing to use their device.
“Use of smartphones and social media in the workplace can lead to hundreds of thousands of hours in lost productivity per year, which could cost UK companies millions of pounds.”
