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On Anti-Slavery Day (18th October), the Home Office announced that it is to write to the chief executives of 17,000 businesses, telling them to open up about modern slavery in their supply chains or risk being names as being in breach of the law. In the UK businesses with a turnover of more than £36 million must publish annual transparency statements, setting out what they are doing to ... more
Tool theft is plaguing the construction industry with more than half of builders (51%) in the UK having had their tools stolen, according to new research by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). Of those builders that have been victim to van tool theft: · 46% had their side panel or door broken/pierced and prised open · &nbs ... more
Young people in the construction sector will go on to earn "thousands" more each year after apprenticeships while university graduates' salaries lag behind, according to industry research. The average bricklayer or roofer is earning £42,000 a year across the UK while former students typically earn £32,000 annually, according to a study by the FMB. The FMB research ... more
During last month, the HSE carried out around 1,000 construction site inspections, focusing on health issues and particularly asbestos and dust. The HSE estimates that there are around 8,000 work-related cancer deaths a year. The construction industry accounts for around 3,500 of these, with asbestos and silica the major causes. During the inspections, the HSE worked with site leaders to ... more
A new concise safety document entitled ‘Rescue of Persons from MEWPs’ is now freely available. Published by the Strategic Forum Plant Safety Group (SFPSG), the 10-page publication provides guidance to put plans in place to rescue powered access users if they ever become stranded at height. Discussing the guide, Kevin Minton, Chief Executive of the CPA, said: “We anticipate that ... more
Members of the Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA) are invited to become involved in the CPA’s Training on Plant in Construction (TOPIC) Interest Group. It is hoping to hear from CPA members who are involved in training in the construction plant sector and would like to make their voices heard on issues such as the changing landscape of training, qualifications and card schemes. ... more
Council officials struck a deal for the work on Conwy Road Bridge in 2016. However, the costs shot up by £844,000 to £1.53m after an inspection revealed rust on the structure was hidden by the birds' droppings. Conwy council chief executive Iwan Davies said it was not possible to identify the extent of the works but a councillor said it was "disappointing". Gele wa ... more
Transport for London (TfL) could face an independent probe into delays to Crossrail, it has emerged. Andrew Bailey, chief executive of the Financial Conduct Authority, revealed in a letter to Caroline Pidgeon that the watchdog was considering an investigation of TfL's handling of the project, according to construction news website Building. Transport Secretary Chris Grayling had earlier cl ... more
Not many people can say they’ve come face-to-face with a Chinook in flight, but in October 2012, that’s just what happened to a member of the Facelift team. Working 35metres above the English countryside in a Bronto 34, he spotted the Chinook in the far distance, but it soon came close enough for him to be able to wave to those on board and take this picture. ... more
A farming partnership has been fined after an employee was struck by a tractor, sustaining fatal head injuries. Carlisle Crown Court heard how, in January 2017, an employee of Wragmire Bank Farm, Cumwhinton, was knocked over by a moving tractor in the farmyard as he stepped out a door from the calf shed. The HSE’s investigation found that JS Wood and Son, the partnership that owned the f ... more
