Running a business from your own premises can be costly, not only in terms of regular outgoing bills but also to pay external contractors to come in and conduct work, whether that is to redecorate the office or to get on the roof and clear the gutters. Whatever work is
Workers all over the country need to be made aware of the various methods and new implementations of health and safety operations that have been put into place for them. It was reported by the Health and Safety Executive recently that a total of 144 people working on building sites
The result of the EU referendum has tipped the tables with regards to what the future holds for the building industry in terms of growth and stability. Whilst a number of trading and building companies have signed lucrative deals and partnerships to increase their revenue and plans for investment in
A survey is currently being conducted to determine what are the most popular options of food for builders working on sites in and around the country. Whilst this might be an easy answer to determine (sandwiches, duh!) this is not always the case and it is quite evident that the
The Building Services Research and Information Association (also known as the BSRIA) have made their new report available on how building businesses can benefit from maintenance contracts from all over the rest of the country. The primary objective of the report itself is to aid and facilitate responsible personnel in
Small-to-medium enterprises have expressed their hopes that they will be given a good deal by the government that will help them progress into the future economic years ahead. However, is this a real likelihood or mere wishful thinking guff? What is clear is that the British government in Westminster is
The National House Building Council (NHBC) has compiled and released a number of statistics that suggest that the amount of new properties being registered all across Great Britain is on the rise. Indeed, the NHBC found that over 150,000 new properties had been on its register, making it the second
With the recent declarations of the Bank of England to freeze the amounts of interest rates that it normally gives out, it is always useful to seek out advice from someone who knows what they are talking about when referring to how this will affect the different property and construction
Northumberland College has launched a new Apprenticeship Academy and welcomed its 1,000th Apprentice. Northumberland College has recently launched its new Apprenticeship Academy that will focus on meeting the needs of Apprentices and their employers. This new Academy sees Apprenticeship Support Officers and Assessors for all subjects working more closely together.
The much anticipated MyBuilder Job of the Year contest is an award that is a testament to the hard building and construction work that goes on in this country as well as a testament to the collaborative and friendly relationship maintenance between client and worker. Every year, MyBuilder works hard
Running a business from your own premises can be costly, not only in terms of regular outgoing bills but also to pay external contractors to come in and conduct work, whether that is to redecorate the office or to get on the roof and clear the gutters. Whatever work is needed to be completed by contractors you need to make sure your business premises is safe enough to conduct work in, and implementing the following into your workplace is essential. Site Induction for All New Visitors It doesn’t matter how big your premises is you should always do a site induction for any new contractors that have to work on the site, and that will mean explaining to them where the nearest fire exits are, and of course letting them know where the fire assembly point is if there is a fire. There are many other safety explanations to make sure contractors are aware of. Doing a site induction may take time out of your day, but it’s something that needs to be done to ensure the safety of all visitors. Built-in Ladders around the Warehouse A lot of business premises are built around warehouse environments so you need to make sure there are numerous built-in ladders to ensure contractors can get to their place of work safely. Sometimes you may need to get roof access ladders if contractors need to conduct work on the roof, and other times you may need to look at built-in ladder options if there are roofs within the warehouse environment itself. Make Sure Working Areas Are Clean & Tidy Not only will you want to make sure your working environment is clean and tidy for your employees to work more efficiently and safe in, but when you have visitors you will also want to protect them as much as possible. In a warehouse environment, you will find that there is always banding around that can be tripped over, and plenty of other materials that can cause slips and potential injuries. Always make sure your employees keep the working environment clean and tidy as that will protect you if any other contractors come in to conduct work. Abide By Health & Safety Regulations Health & safety regulators are sometimes known to be over the top when it comes to making warehouse environments safe to work in, but following the rules is important for the safety of all employees and external contractors. If you do not follow the rules not only will you be subject to fines, but your employees could succumb to injury. Implementing the above into any warehouse environment is important for your employees and visitors. If you do not implement the above you may find workers get injured and that could be a costly expense to your business, and in some cases, it could mean you lose your business altogether. It might be a costly investment in terms of money and time to make your working environment safe, but it’s a mandatory practice and all business owners should be doing it to protect themselves and everyone working in the area.
Workers all over the country need to be made aware of the various methods and new implementations of health and safety operations that have been put into place for them. It was reported by the Health and Safety Executive recently that a total of 144 people working on building sites were killed at work between 2015 and 2016. This is a very alarming statistic that betrays the dangers of working companies in this country that do not take into consideration enough the wellbeing of their workers and it is a sign that more and more businesses in the construction industry need to get with the program and put the safety of their workers first. Whilst the number of workmen dying on-site has decreased in the 21st Century from the previous ones in Britain, it is a worrying sign in these times to still see that a considerable number are being reported to have died on site. It is clear, for example, that putting unobtainable targets before the safety of working contractors does result in them having to put their health and safety at risk. With the amount of increased investment and lucrative contractual deals being won every day by companies, more needs to be done to relieve the pressure off workers that can distract them from remaining in a safe working environment. Indeed, every worker in this country ought to have the right to not have to put their very lives at risk in the jobs that they carry out and this is also true for those committing to work in the building design and construction enterprises in this country. The statistics of people dying on building sites is something that needs to be significantly lowered as the years go by and it is hoped that the Health and Safety Executive will have less to report in the future on this particular matter.
The result of the EU referendum has tipped the tables with regards to what the future holds for the building industry in terms of growth and stability. Whilst a number of trading and building companies have signed lucrative deals and partnerships to increase their revenue and plans for investment in the future, a number of members of the building industry have been concerned that the effects of leaving the European Union will have a negative impact on their plans for growth. It is evident that companies around the country will be affected in one way or another through the impact of the referendum result and businesses in the construction industry will need to brace themselves for what to expect in the near future: the unexpected. Whilst it is a good idea for building companies to have an action plan for the frustrating and uncertain years ahead, there will need to be reshuffles among many for what has been a tumultuous past few months in the shoddy world of English politics. Indeed, the fact that the government does not have a plan to pave the way forward and has not yet reassured companies that they are safe and held in high regard by them demonstrates that the future is extremely uncertain and building companies will need to remain vigilant throughout the next few months and keep their eyes and ears open for new developments that are due to take place. Whilst it is easy for enterprises within the industry to ignore the possibilities of what could happen to them and simply assume that there will be no discernible effects, it is absolutely necessary that the members of the construction industry be careful now more than ever before. Similarly, the constant contractual signings that ensure the growth of these building businesses needs to continue and more relationships between companies need to be developed in order to ensure the future of the building industry in this country.
A survey is currently being conducted to determine what are the most popular options of food for builders working on sites in and around the country. Whilst this might be an easy answer to determine (sandwiches, duh!) this is not always the case and it is quite evident that the answer to this perplexing question is not an easy one. Indeed, if it is a sandwich, what kind of filling does it have? What sort of sauce is most favoured by our country’s hard-working men? Being a ketchup and chicken man myself, that is what I would automatically choose to have if I were working on a building site. But I don’t. On the other hand, it is quite clear that there are a range of answers that are available to this question and it will be very interesting to find out what snacks and lunches are favoured as compared with others. Of course, it will also help to determine whether or not eating healthily is on the agenda for workers all around the country. It is also quite clear that the choice of food also varies on the kind of project or contractual deal that is under way. Indeed, one doubts whether cucumber sandwiches would be the right option if one was on a high building site, the temptation to drop it from a high height being incredibly tempting for someone to do. In a similar way, it is also clear that assessing eating habits in any industry is a good idea because it draws awareness to one’s own eating and drinking habits which could also sometimes be called into question. (He said as he reached for another donut, the twentieth of that evening.) It is hoped that the results collected will be of good use and will help us to clarify what it is that most tickles workers’ fancy on building sites dotted all around the expanses of this country.
The Building Services Research and Information Association (also known as the BSRIA) have made their new report available on how building businesses can benefit from maintenance contracts from all over the rest of the country. The primary objective of the report itself is to aid and facilitate responsible personnel in the building and construction industries to gain a better understanding to how they can obtain maintenance contracts in the world of today. Indeed, every single step along the ladder to securing such contracts frequently sought out by businesses in the construction industry from all over the United Kingdom is covered with the acute attention to detail and precision that the BSRIA is famed for. No stone has been left unturned in this new report, which highlights different methods such as using different teams of workers and employees that are “in-house” in order to make it easier for businesses in the industry to procure contracts, as well as how to maintain a sense of control and ability to make well-formed decisions on how to proceed when these contracts are acquired. In conjunction with the Building Maintenance Set (or BFM5) the report is set to be the definitive document that businesses can seek out in order to find out more about how they can obtain and what they can do to successfully maintain these kinds of contractual agreements. Mister David Bleicher of BSRIA also explains that the report will help introduce readers to the advantages of these kinds of contractual deals and it is hoped that whatever questions or queries that they may have about these particular forms of contracts will be sufficiently answered by the report. Available online to those members of the public that are already BSRIA members, paper copies of these especially useful guidelines will also be made available to those that request them at the modest price of £30 each.
Small-to-medium enterprises have expressed their hopes that they will be given a good deal by the government that will help them progress into the future economic years ahead. However, is this a real likelihood or mere wishful thinking guff? What is clear is that the British government in Westminster is in total disarray at the current moment in time and it is impossible to tell what the prospects really are for the building design and construction industries at the moment. It is quite clear that a lot of small firms and enterprises have indeed been successful in the acquisition of certain lucrative contracts, such as the announced deal that will enable contractual company Barnwood Construction Limited to build Oxford’s first Grade A structure in the Oxford Science Park. Whilst this puts the company in an excellent current economic position (the contract awarded them is worth an impressive £13 million!) it is uncertain what situation the rest of the country will indeed be in by the time of 2018 when the Oxford Science Park project is due to be finished. Indeed, it is impossible to tell what position we will be in next week, never mind in a year’s time! What is clear however is that businesses and enterprises in the building and construction industry will need to consider very carefully the impact that the combined double-whammy potential disaster of leaving the single market as well as the customs union. The debate and outcomes of the government officials in Westminster will undoubtedly have an impact on the building design and construction enterprises all around the country. Whilst there have been initiatives to try and determine what that outcome will be, there will need to be a clearer strategy to bear in mind, rather than simply thinking that whatever happens will not affect the industry as a whole. Mark these words, dear reader: whether for the better or for the worse, it will.
The National House Building Council (NHBC) has compiled and released a number of statistics that suggest that the amount of new properties being registered all across Great Britain is on the rise. Indeed, the NHBC found that over 150,000 new properties had been on its register, making it the second largest number increase in homes to have been put on the register since the noughties. In total, 151,687 properties were listed by the national council body dedicated to the registration of homes across the land in 2016, which in actual fact was a figure 2 per cent lower than in 2015 the previous year. However, the figures still show an impressive 70 per cent advance on the amount of homes that were registered back in the disastrous housing crisis that occurred between 2008 and 2009 a few years later: does this indicate that Britain is well on the road to recovery? Certainly, regions in the country outside of London do indeed seem to have seen growth in the amount of NHBC-registered properties, totaling an overall rise outside of London by 4 per cent. Similarly, it was areas outside of the city capital, such as in Yorkshire and the Humber regions of the country, which saw the largest rise in home property registrations from the year before, which for Yorkshire totaled an impressive 27 per cent rise. On the other hand, there are clear concerns that need to be raised from these figures. There has, for example, been a decrease in the amount of homes registered in the “affordable sector” in this country, with a total of 35,998 this year from 37,998 in 2015 which has dropped more than the amount of homes in the private sector, which this year was at 115,689. Whether the optimism raised by the NHBC figures remains is yet to be seen.
With the recent declarations of the Bank of England to freeze the amounts of interest rates that it normally gives out, it is always useful to seek out advice from someone who knows what they are talking about when referring to how this will affect the different property and construction industries around the country. Indeed, it seems clear that Mister Russell Quirk sees the bank’s decision to freeze these rates as an encouraging sign to the property and construction industries that this sector of the British economy will prosper as the year goes on. Indeed, Mister Quirk has explained that the housing market itself is in a strong position for the year ahead and the steadiness of interest rates remaining the same is a sign that the economy will be able to put itself back on its feet in terms of allowing more people to buy more homes and allowing the building and construction industries to invest in more projects and initiatives for land and housing development. The Bank of England’s decision, he intimates, will also have a positive effect on those wishing to buy a home for the very first time, but he has explained that people in this position will be more than ever advised to buy within their own affordable means and budget. This is due to the fact that the current interest rates will increase at some point rather than remain in their current static position: Mister Quirk therefore advises first-time buyers to be wary of the fluctuations in the housing market and encourages them to not be foolhardy in their buying enterprises. The same caution ought to be the case with members of the building, design and construction industries. Whilst investment in land capital and various project initiatives is undoubtedly a good thing, the amount of fluctuations within the British economy at this present time means that caution ought to be taken now more than ever before.
Northumberland College has launched a new Apprenticeship Academy and welcomed its 1,000th Apprentice. Northumberland College has recently launched its new Apprenticeship Academy that will focus on meeting the needs of Apprentices and their employers. This new Academy sees Apprenticeship Support Officers and Assessors for all subjects working more closely together. Susan Goldstein, Director of the Apprenticeship Academy said: “Apprenticeships offer a fantastic opportunity for employers to recruit and further develop staff with the skills and expertise needed for their organisation’s success.” “For individuals, regardless of their age or background, apprenticeships offer access to structured industry-standard learning and qualifications. Successful apprenticeships are delivered by a robust and cohesive partnership between employer, apprentice and the College. The Apprenticeship Academy will ensure that each partner is clear about their responsibilities and opportunities within this process. Our aim is to support as many Apprentices as we can in achieving their career and educational goals and at the same time help employers to meet current and future skills needs.” Northumberland College is in a unique position to meet skills needs, offering as it does, more than 40 different Apprenticeships at Level 2, 3 and 4, one of the largest ranges of apprenticeship subjects in the region. The College has invested more than £10m in modern learning facilities, plus recently received further funding from the North East Local Enterprise Partnership for a £2.5m science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) centre, which will open later this year. Susan says: “We are constantly reviewing our offer to make sure that it meets the needs of apprentices and contributes to the economic well- being of our region.” National figures show that for every £1 of government investment in Level 2 or 3 apprenticeships, there is typically a return of £26 to £28 and that someone with a Higher Apprentice (Level 4) could earn £150,000 more on average over their lifetime. The Apprenticeship Academy, working in partnership with the College’s Business Training Solutions team provide bespoke information, advice and support to employers and their Apprentices. With a history of delivering training over the last 60 years the College has now recruited it’s 1000th Apprentice, April Halligan. April, aged 18 from Fenham, Newcastle, is a Bricklaying Apprentice with Newcastle City Council. Newcastle City Council Apprenticeship Manager, Paul Maddison said: “Building and Commercial Enterprise and indeed Newcastle City Council as a wider organisation, has supported apprentices for many years and boasts a successful track record of providing opportunities for young people to develop skills and secure employment. “More recently, in partnership with Northumberland College, to increase employment opportunities for local 16-18 year olds, April Halligan has been part of a new Apprentice Pathway Programme that has been developed to provide further placement opportunities for young people within the City, in particular those Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET).” April said: “The programme has provided an excellent opportunity, opening new doors to my career. I’ve improved my skills and experienced different workplaces including maintenance and building sites. I’m a lot closer to my goal of becoming a qualified brick layer and gaining full-time employment thanks to this experience and the support from Northumberland College.” April’s Apprenticeship Assessor, Ged Tait, plays a pivotal role of working with Construction Apprentices including April, on site and at College has a primary role in supporting the learners. He said: “An assessor’s job includes supporting Apprentices while they are at College and in the workplace, by encouraging them and giving feedback to improve their performance and enhance their skills. “Every eight weeks I go out to visit my apprentices for assessment and progress reviews and the learners are able to contact me any time if there is a problem relating to their NVQ qualification. “April is the first female apprentice bricklayer I have worked with. She is making good progress with her qualification and I have received great feedback from her mentors at Newcastle City Works.” Graham Charlton, Northumberland College’s Brickwork tutor said: “April is a model student with a 100% attendance record for her theory, practical and functional skills lessons, she has a fantastic attitude towards her programme of study, both in the classroom and workshop. She has settled in with the group right from day one.” The College is also supporting employers through a range of Government changes to Apprenticeships. One key change is the move towards the use of Apprenticeship Standards. Standards show what an apprentice will be doing in a particular job and the skills they need to demonstrate, in order to be considered competent. Standards were developed by employer groups called Trailblazers. Another change, from 6 April 2017, is the government’s Apprenticeship Levy. This will see all employers with an annual payroll over £3million, contribute to apprenticeship training at a rate of 0.5%. The College’s Business Training Solutions team is currently offering a series of free events for employers to guide them through the Levy and other Apprenticeship changes. Employers wishing to find out more about apprenticeship training and the Levy may contact the College’s Business Training Solutions team on 0170 841 268 or email training@northland.ac.uk
The much anticipated MyBuilder Job of the Year contest is an award that is a testament to the hard building and construction work that goes on in this country as well as a testament to the collaborative and friendly relationship maintenance between client and worker. Every year, MyBuilder works hard to ensure that the cash prize that it awards is split between the winning contractor and the client who nominated them. With 34,000 votes and 12 entrants for the judging panel to choose from, the competition is not quite as divisive as the EU referendum but is nevertheless just as intense and important for the building design and construction industries that operate all over this country. This year’s prize has been granted to a business known as MJO Limited based in Sleaford, whose star tradesman was known other than the great Martin Robinson, who has been awarded a £5,000 cash prize for his efforts by the MyBuilder online service. Mr Robinson was nominated by house owning client Ellouise Hampstead, who was delighted to put him forward due to his consistent hard work, determination and personal kindness towards her: indeed, he even went so far as to furnish building materials for the project that she employed him for free of charge. Thanks to this, she was able to complete her project within the budget that she had set herself, and her nomination of him for Job of the Year can be seen as a heartfelt reminder that the work that builders conduct all over the country is very much appreciated by Brits everywhere. For Mister Robinson, his share of the winnings will probably go towards his own property, as his partner has vetoed his desires to buy a Harley Davidson bike. Whilst his days as a would-be Hells Angel of Lincolnshire or Sleaford mod are missed, his work as a builder for Ellouise Hampstead continues and he will work tirelessly once more to ensure that she is able to move into her repaired home by Christmas time.