Many construction businesses think they’re providing their teams with sufficient high-visibility work wear, when in fact they could be putting their lives at risk. At this time of year when a lot of construction teams are working outside in low light and poor visibility conditions, they need to be wearing high visibility clothing that reflects from all angles. When buying PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) for your employees, there are a number of things that need to be considered. What factors need to be considered The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 require a number of factors to be taken into account to ensure the correct clothing is chosen for a particular task. Some of the things your business needs to asks itself are: Is it suitable for the risk? – the choice of clothing should take into account any ambient and artificial lighting conditions, as well as the effect of conditions such as fog or snow. Is it suitable for the job? – if your employees are working in a warehouse for example, they may find that some types of loose fitting hi-vis vests snag on moving machinery parts. Is it compatible with other forms of PPE? – if two or more types are being worn, they shouldn’t interfere with each other. Are there any standards the clothing should meet? – hi-visibility clothing should be manufactured to a recognised standard. The current British standard is BS EN 471. Different types of high-vis jackets that can be used There are a number of options available depending on the job being undertaken. Whether you opt for a hi-vis vest which are perfect for warehouse work or a long-sleeve hi-vis polo shirt or jacket for outdoor construction in the colder temperatures, it’s important to get the right ones for your employees. There are even trouser and jacket combinations for even more high risk environments, for example while working on a motorway. What employers need to offer their workforce As an employer you must do the following according to the 1992 regulation: Provide any hi-vis clothing free of charge to any employees who may be exposed to risk Maintain any hi-vis clothing. It must be in a clean state and in good working order Provide adequate information, instruction and training to allow employees to use the high visibility clothing correctly Supervise employees to make sure they’re wearing the clothing correctly whenever it’s needed What employees need to do If required, employees should wear hi-vis clothing provided as instructed by your employer. They should also look after any clothing that is issued to them, check for and report any damage and use any storage facilities provided when the clothing isn’t in use.

A group of students at The Manchester College’s Industry Excellence Academy for Construction & Engineering are helping to build part of their own campus thanks to an Industry placement scheme with Caddick Construction. Forming part of the College’s blueprint for the new T Level qualification, students studying on The Manchester College Architectural & Construction Engineering (ACE) Scholarship programme are spending two days each week on Caddick’s live Openshaw campus construction site as part of their two-year studies. On completion, the students will gain a BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Construction and Built Environment, an industry and university-recognised qualification equivalent to three A Levels. They will also benefit from a range of bespoke, co-developed modules to help fill industry skills gaps identified by an employer consortium working with the College. Caddick Construction was awarded the contract to build the £25m teaching facility at The Manchester College’s Openshaw campus in September. They will continue to have students on site each week on a half termly rotation until the completion of the project. The students will undertake on-site supervised tasks working with site engineers and health & safety managers before delivering a project at the end of the six-week placement. The state of the art facility they are helping to build will feature a range of industry standard facilities, including a six court sports hall, outdoor pitch, gym and sports lab; a health suite with a hospital ward and infectious disease area for healthcare students; and brand new workshops for construction, mechanics and engineering students. Caddick Construction Framework Scholarship Manager, Michelle Swarbrick, said: “As a family business Caddick Construction has always championed industry placements as the ideal way to learn the right skills on the job and become part of a very experienced team. This partnership with The Manchester College is ideal for both parties as we know we are going to get committed students on site, and the students receive fantastic work experience on an exciting construction project that’s going to be an important part of the College’s future educational provision.” Caddick’s North West Managing Director Ian Threadgold added: “It is through these type of industry partnerships that the students get the best of both worlds in terms of hands-on work experience coupled with quality teaching and a recognised industry qualification. These students are the next generation for construction companies and we want to be part of preparing them for their future careers.” Chris Wright, Assistant Principal at The Manchester College added: “We are now working with a consortium of 10 of the largest and most influential Constructors in the North West to co-design and co-deliver our scholarship programmes. Students have a unique opportunity to work alongside industry experts at the cutting edge of construction technology on a weekly basis, amassing over 90 days of Industry Placement experience over the two years of the programme. “Partnering with Caddick on the College’s own construction campus development is a fantastic opportunity for students to experience work with modern methods of construction on the very workshops and classrooms they themselves will inhabit from September 2021. I’m really excited to be working with Caddick as part of our consortium and for the future of Technical Education as we move towards the introduction of T Levels in Construction from September 2021.” The Manchester College is the number one provider of 16-19 education in Greater Manchester and one of the largest Further Education colleges in the UK.   

Specialist housing and construction recruitment firm, Andersen James, has secured a long term partnership with J Tomlinson, a provider of refurbishment, new build and maintenance services in the built environment and social housing spaces.  Having worked together since 2015, Andersen James has previously recruited more than 100 candidates for the group, with key senior appointments including three of J Tomlinson’s Managing Directors and its Financial Director.  As a result of past successes, the new long term partnership will focus on creating an embedded recruitment solution to amplify J Tomlinson across a variety of sectors including care, maintenance, FM and engineering, improve the candidate journey through a consistency of approach, and placing a significant focus on cradle to grave recruitment.  Working as an extension of the J Tomlinson team, Andersen James will assist the group in nurturing the sector’s next generation of talent with an apprenticeship assessment strategy and the rollout of a trainee programme.  Priding themselves on value-add propositions, Andersen James will also offer strategic support in the attraction and recruitment of talent, as well as future proofing the business with employee engagement and retention strategies.  The contract win has resulted in Andersen James committing to two new hires, supporting its plans to secure sustainable future growth.  James Leighton, Managing Director of Andersen James, said: “We’re thrilled that our past work with J Tomlinson has led to a long term partnership to overhaul its recruitment process with our innovative solutions. We know the coronavirus pandemic has had a particular impact on youth employment, so we’re proud to be working with J Tomlinson to provide these new opportunities.”  Mark Davis, Chief Executive at J Tomlinson, said: “Andersen James have demonstrated real value through our past work together with their focus on providing an efficient recruitment process. Our new partnership will take this to the next level through working as an extension of our team to provide a world class recruitment service to the business.” The news follows Andersen James’ recent investment into its innovative strategic partnerships service to support clients in the better attraction, recruitment and retention of talent, as well as to ensure sustainable growth following the coronavirus pandemic.  Andersen James also recently secured a long term exclusive partnership with regeneration firm, Urban Splash, and housing association, Riverside. Andersen James is a specialist recruitment partner for the housing and construction sector and offers strategic partnerships in the attracting, recruiting and retention of talent. 

Plant reliability and asset management specialist AVT Reliability has expanded its training offering in a new partnership with internationally renowned skills provider Mobius Institute. The partnership will enable the AVT Reliability group of companies to deliver on-site, accredited courses in Europe, United States of America and Canada, as well as remote learning courses across the globe, in addition to its long-established UK and Ireland offering. The company has a 40-year track record of providing a wide range of ISO18436 and non-certified training to give plant managers, reliability engineers and condition monitoring staff the sound knowledge-base required to implement a successful reliability improvement programme. In conjunction with Mobius, AVT Reliability will offer Category I to III Vibration Analysis, Certified Level I and II Ultrasound, as well as Asset Reliability Practitioner (ARP) training, with certification through public, on-site and online courses, as well as iLearn self-study programmes. “Our goal is to help people achieve their reliability, performance, and personal goals. We are proud to have our material taught by the practical, skilled, and professional team at AVT Reliability,” said Jason Tranter, CEO and Founder of Mobius Institute. Specialists from across the group, including AVT Sealing Solutions Inc. in the USA, and Netherlands-based asset management specialist Van Geffen, will support the international training provision. “The world-class Mobius Institute materials and certification are a highly valuable addition to the 2021 AVT Reliability training offer and will enable us to share our expertise with our growing international client base. Our comprehensive range of courses in condition based maintenance, engineering best practice and asset management is vital at a time when industry skill sets are declining and it is even more critical to give clients the internal knowledge to tackle and implement reliability focused programmes. The importance of being able to gain knowledge and qualifications remotely can also not be overstated in light of the Covid-19 pandemic,” added AVT Reliability Technical Director, Lee McFarlane.