New research, commissioned by the Association for Project Management (APM) and conducted by PwC UK, has for the first time revealed the scale of the contribution the project profession makes to the UK economy. The new report, entitled ‘The Golden Thread’, has identified that project management in the UK generates
The lead contractor on a new £50 million fire safety framework is Kier, who will serve as the leader for construction management on Hyde’s four-year framework. “We are delighted to be appointed to this very important framework and to be working with Hyde to help them ensure residents continue to be
This year’s Offsite Construction Awards, which celebrate the best in precision building design and delivery, have recognised a project led by ISG and Manchester City Council. The Beaver Road Primary School was named Education Project of the Year 2019 at the ceremony in London. What impressed the judges the most
A new student accommodation development is due to arrive in Leeds as construction work commences on the site after funding is provided. The Refinery scheme progressed after local developer Gregory Property Group announced forward funding from Curlew. “We are pleased to have secured funding for an immediate start on site.
Construction work is due to be carried out by Huyton Asphalt to upgrade an arterial route in Liverpool. Improvement works along Prescot Road (A57) began on Monday, 18 February, and will run from Low Hill, near the Royal Liverpool Hospital, to Newton Road by Newsham Park. The first phase will
Manchester City Council joined UK construction union Unite’s Construction Charter and now they have announced a new partnership. Both institutions will work together to stand up for the city’s construction workers and outlaw poor construction practices on building projects under its control. “By signing up to Unite’s Construction Charter, Manchester
GRAHAM is celebrating the huge success of being named on all three lots of the North West Construction Hub’s (NWCH) new High Value Framework. Aiming to improve efficiencies, the framework will see contractors deliver construction projects in markets including education, health, retail and leisure. “We have strategically developed the GRAHAM business
The ground has been broken on a new £300 million state-of-the-art physics laboratory and shared facilities hub at the University of Cambridge. Bouygues UK was joined by members of the university to celebrate the beginning of construction. “This is a great step in the development of physics research and learning at
Kubota has announced the launch of the KX037-4, a new and improved zero tail swing mini-excavator for 2019. The new KX037-4 replaces another model in Kubota’s construction range, the KX101-3a4, and boasts a wealth of new features to improve everyday efficiency, ease of use and compliance with construction industry regulations.
Alcohol and drugs misuse is becoming something of a thorny issue for the UK construction sector. For reasons that aren’t fully understood, the industry has been identified as ‘higher risk’ in terms of drug use, and more than a third of construction workers say they have witnessed a colleague under
New research, commissioned by the Association for Project Management (APM) and conducted by PwC UK, has for the first time revealed the scale of the contribution the project profession makes to the UK economy. The new report, entitled ‘The Golden Thread’, has identified that project management in the UK generates around £156.5 billion of annual Gross Value Added (GVA) and that an estimated 2.13 million full-time equivalent workers (FTEs) are employed in the UK project management profession. This means around 7.9 per cent of UK employment (full time equivalents FTEs) delivers almost nine percent (8.9%) of total UK GVA. The new APM and PwC report seeks to highlight the contribution of the project profession to all aspects of UK plc, and reveals that the profession generates GVA that far outstrips other cross-business activity such as design, law and marketing. Debbie Dore, chief executive of APM welcomed the report stating: “Project management has for too long been cast as a ‘Cinderella’ or ‘hidden’ profession, working hard behind the scenes to ensure other’s success. But this new report recasts the profession into the role of a ‘golden thread’ – a seam that runs through UK plc, helping to develop new services, drive strategic change and sector-wide reform. In short, this report finds that the project profession is a thread truly woven into the fabric of UK societal and economic success.” Having established the real value of the profession, APM, the chartered body for the project profession, is now building on these findings to raise a red flag, warning of the factors that could inhibit the potential growth of the profession’s economic contribution. Of particular concern is the potential for a growing skills gap which, if not addressed, could lead to the rise of the ‘accidental project manager’ – employees without any recognised professional standards or training, who are given project management roles – decisions that can often jeopardise project success. Debbie Dore explains “Our report suggests that the contribution from and demand for the project profession is more extensive than many commentators thought and is set to increase. This could lead to demand for qualified and experienced project personnel starting to outstrip supply – ultimately leading to the failure of increasing numbers of projects. That’s why this report highlights to business, government and the education sector, the importance of training, development and professional standards (such as chartership) as the best way to develop a talent pool that is to scale and fit for purpose in today and tomorrow’s world.” Measured optimism PwC interviewed over 400 businesses for The Golden Thread and concluded that, as recognition of the importance of good project management grows, so too does the level of optimism among organisations in all sectors about the future of project management. 40 per cent of those interviewed in this research predicted a growth in projects, and 34 per cent were expecting project budgets to grow over the next three years. However, the report concludes that challenges remain – with over half of organisations (52 per cent) expressing concern over the current uncertainties caused by government policy – and just over one third (35 per cent) ranking this as the single greatest challenge of the past three years – with 56 per cent of businesses forecasting that this will still be an issue by 2021. Skills shortage Skills and capability shortages were also cited in the report as a potential barrier by a third of organisations questioned. Having access to enough people with the right project management skills and capabilities in the UK is a concern for 39 per cent and financial pressures leading to severe cost containment issues is a worry for 37 per cent. 32 per cent and 39 per cent of businesses respectively expect these to continue to be a challenge in the next three years. Sectoral trends Types of projects undertaken vary from sector to sector, but overall IT and digital transformations and new product development projects tend to dominate with 55 per cent and 46 per cent of organisations respectively having undertaken these types of project in the past year. Perhaps not surprisingly, in the construction and local government sectors, fixed capital projects are the main project type undertaken. Sandie Grimshaw, Partner, PwC UK explains the need for the UK to focus on skills further: “As ‘megaprojects’ increase in size and complexity, project professionals’ skills and attributes will need to change and adapt to handle media and political pressure along with strategic stakeholders in ways that are akin to professional diplomats. Whilst the UK has a strong and growing number of project professionals, this research helps to provide a better baseline for the skills sets and numbers of professionals required to support the capability for delivering projects – both large and small – in the years ahead.”
The lead contractor on a new £50 million fire safety framework is Kier, who will serve as the leader for construction management on Hyde’s four-year framework. “We are delighted to be appointed to this very important framework and to be working with Hyde to help them ensure residents continue to be safe in their homes. This appointment builds on the strong partnership approach we have established with Hyde delivering fire safety projects,” commented David Mawson, executive director of Kier specialist services. Launched in March 2019, it will provide safety works to homes in the Hyde portfolio and other external users across the country. Works included in the framework range from the installation of fire doors, emergency lighting and sprinkler systems to fire proofing, electrical works and business continuity planning. Kier will fulfill a construction management role to Hyde and/or framework users who wish to utilise works or services from any of the framework lots. “Fire safety is a really important issue and we are really proud to have established this framework with excellent partners and to have made it available to all public sector organisations to use. Resident safety has always been our priority and through this framework we can deliver quality services, ensure that we can manage and address fire safety issues accordingly and get better value for money,” added Jake Le Page, Fire Safety Taskforce Lead at Hyde.
This year’s Offsite Construction Awards, which celebrate the best in precision building design and delivery, have recognised a project led by ISG and Manchester City Council. The Beaver Road Primary School was named Education Project of the Year 2019 at the ceremony in London. What impressed the judges the most was ISG and Premier Modular’s integrated team approach to the project, which saw Beaver Road achieve RIBA Stage 5 in 19 weeks from a standing start and beat 32 other projects to win the highly-sought-after award. Volumetric, offsie manufacturing was used for the £7.2 million Beaver Road scheme to ensure the school could open ahead of the 2018/2019 academic year. This application saved at least 10 weeks against a traditional build programme. Ahead of the academic year in 2018, the ISG and Premier Modular team completed six projects for the council. This wider programme of schools was also recognised at the event, coming highly commended in the BIM/Digital Construction Award category. All six projects were to BIM Level 2, including a fully integrated asset information model. “Early engagement of the right supply chain and standard repeatable designs – informed by lessons learned from two earlier modular school schemes – allowed us to ensure design for manufacture from the outset,” said Neil Walker, framework director at ISG. “The speed of the wider schools programme, including the project at Beaver Road, was extraordinary. Together the project team delivered six schools, with a construction value of circa £31 million in just 57 weeks from a standing start.”
A new student accommodation development is due to arrive in Leeds as construction work commences on the site after funding is provided. The Refinery scheme progressed after local developer Gregory Property Group announced forward funding from Curlew. “We are pleased to have secured funding for an immediate start on site. The scheme’s design is impressive, delivering high quality accommodation for Leeds students in a prime location that connects student life to the vibrant city centre in a matter of minutes,” said Barry Gregory, Chairman of Gregory Property Group. The development is worth more than £30 million and it will include 407 beds comprising studios and bedroom clusters with terrace and garden features, along with share social hubs, a cinema, gym, games room, concierge and state-of-the-art 24-hour security. “Leeds remains a top ten university destination in the UK and with a growing student population of around 60,000 students the city needs more homes. We expect to complete the development in time for occupation from the September 2020 University term and Fresh Student Living will be managing that occupation on behalf of Curlew,” added Barry. The nine, 10 and 11-storey scheme on Bingley Street was designed by AHR Architects. Planning permission was granted for the project in November 2018, with GMI Construction Group securing a £21.5 million contract to build the development.
Construction work is due to be carried out by Huyton Asphalt to upgrade an arterial route in Liverpool. Improvement works along Prescot Road (A57) began on Monday, 18 February, and will run from Low Hill, near the Royal Liverpool Hospital, to Newton Road by Newsham Park. The first phase will start between Shiel Road and Laurel Road. Running until Autumn, the £3.5 million scheme will include the replacement of the existing road surface, which has deteriorated over the years, and the upgrade of the highway drainage, pedestrian facilities, footways and traffic signals. The work forms part of Liverpool City Council’s £500 million highway investment programme – Better Roads – in conjunction with the council’s commitment “to deliver a strong and growing city” and provide a “connected and accessible city with quality infrastructure”, as set out in the Inclusive Growth Plan. Diversion routes will be in place and road users are advise that delays will be likely and to explore alternative journeys for those travelling to and from the Islington, Fairfield and Kensington and Old Swan areas. The A57 programme has received £2.7 million from the Local Growth Fund (LGF). LGF funding is awarded to the Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and invested through the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority through its Strategic Investment Fund.
Manchester City Council joined UK construction union Unite’s Construction Charter and now they have announced a new partnership. Both institutions will work together to stand up for the city’s construction workers and outlaw poor construction practices on building projects under its control. “By signing up to Unite’s Construction Charter, Manchester City Council is making a serious commitment to securing the best employment standards for construction workers. The Charter will protect workers from poor industry practices which result in the loss of employment rights, it stops blacklisting and means workers can raise health and safety issues without fear,” said Unite’s regional coordinating officer for construction, Andy Fisher. “It’s fantastic news that one of the UK’s major cities has pledged to lead the way and demand the highest standards in construction. It means that projects across the city including the ongoing work at Manchester Airport will need to meet the highest employment standards. Unite representatives at Manchester City Council deserve a special thanks for the work they did to help get the Charter up and running,” Andy Fisher added. Manchester City Council is the latest local authority to sign up to Unite’s Construction Charter, which ensures building contractors and sub-contractors under the control of the local authority provide good jobs, good apprentice training, excellent health and safety and that they ensure workers are paid the going rate for the industry. “Manchester City Council has ambitious plans for the city and we are delighted to work with Unite to ensure that our construction projects meet the highest standards for workers and for residents. The council has a number of important development projects in progress including the renovation of Manchester Town Hall and the Factory project. The Charter means that workers and residents can be confident that these projects will move forward with ethical construction practices,” commented Councillor Carl Ollerhead.
GRAHAM is celebrating the huge success of being named on all three lots of the North West Construction Hub’s (NWCH) new High Value Framework. Aiming to improve efficiencies, the framework will see contractors deliver construction projects in markets including education, health, retail and leisure. “We have strategically developed the GRAHAM business in the North West of England, beginning with the opening of our Manchester office in Salford (2012) and more recently our Liverpool office (2018), and this award underlines our now established reputation in the region. It is a tremendous result and presents us with unique opportunities to deliver lasting impact right across the North West. As a business, we are focused on partnering with clients and procurement bodies who share our vision and values. Collaboration is central to NWCH and that fits perfectly into the GRAHAM approach whereby true collaboration is at the forefront of every relationship. Working in partnership allows us to engage locally, provide greater efficiency and generate better value for money and social value outcomes for our clients and partners. We look forward to undertaking our first projects with NWCH in 2019,” commented the firm’s Strategic Alliances and Frameworks Director, Patrick McDonald. Available to public sector bodies in the North West of England, the framework icovers Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Lancashire, Cheshire and Cumbria. The lots range in value from £8 million – £15 million (Lot 1), £15 million – £35 million (Lot 2) and £35 million+ (Lot 3). “It is very exciting to see some new names join our existing partners and there are already some interesting projects lined up with clients who have been eagerly awaiting this announcement,” added NWCH Framework Lead, Joanna Chomeniuk. GRAHAM will deliver ‘Design & Build’ or ‘Construct Only’ projects within each lot over a four-year term.
The ground has been broken on a new £300 million state-of-the-art physics laboratory and shared facilities hub at the University of Cambridge. Bouygues UK was joined by members of the university to celebrate the beginning of construction. “This is a great step in the development of physics research and learning at the University of Cambridge. We look forward to moving in to our new facilities and opening our doors to the wider research community and the public to increase understanding and foster discovery,” commented Professor Andy Parker, Head of Department of Physics at the University of Cambridge. The development will provide a purpose-built centre for world-leading physics research, bringing together all of the Cavendish Laboratory’s research groups under one roof. Located at the West Cambridge campus off Madingley Road, the flagship building of the development will be named the Ray Dolby Centre to recognise a £75 million gift from the estate of sound pioneer Ray Dolby. It will house a range of laboratories, offices, clean rooms, workshops and multiple lecture theatres. “Bouygues UK and our sister company Bouygues Energies & Services have been involved from the start on this exciting scheme, working alongside the University of Cambridge’s existing project team to develop proposals for a new world-class laboratory. It is exciting to break ground on this project that will see us bringing innovation, a collaborative approach and our technical expertise to create a new home for major academic research,” said Fabienne Viala, Chairman of Bouygues UK and UK Country Manager for Bouygues Construction. The new facility is expected to be completed in 2022.
Kubota has announced the launch of the KX037-4, a new and improved zero tail swing mini-excavator for 2019. The new KX037-4 replaces another model in Kubota’s construction range, the KX101-3a4, and boasts a wealth of new features to improve everyday efficiency, ease of use and compliance with construction industry regulations. The 3.7-tonne machine will be available from Kubota dealers in the UK and mainland Europe from January 2019. Numerous safety features come as standard on the KX037-4, including four top frame tie-down points for safe transportation of the machine on other vehicles. The new model also features Kubota’s engine safe start system plus a hydraulic lockout on the left-hand console, and optional safety valves for the boom, arm and dozer. A fuel tank buzzer alerts operators to prevent fuel waste and minimise financial cost to operators and harm to the environment. The machine also features easy access for daily maintenance and safety checks, with large opening panels covering the engine and side of the vehicle. The KX037-4 is protected by Kubota’s highly-regarded anti-theft system, which is fitted as standard. The updated excavator also features numerous improvements to comfort for operators, including a larger and more spacious cab with improved foot space, and a new door configuration which is approximately 40% wider than that of the previous KX101-3a4, offering improved access. The cab also features a weight-adjustable full suspension seat as standard, and air conditioning as an optional extra. An easy-to-read LCD panel in the cab enables effortless monitoring of the machine’s status at all times. The KX037-4 is powered by a Stage V-ready 17.8 kW Kubota engine delivering power, economy and low emissions. The excavator also has auto-shift and auto-idle features as standard, which offer both smoother operation when dozing and turning and reduced fuel consumption with lower noise levels and emissions. “Offering powerful digging force, market-leading versatility, and smooth, simple and comfortable operation, the KX037-4 is a mid-weight compact excavator which does not compromise on performance. As well as Kubota’s traditional reliability and ease of servicing, the new features of this model are designed to aid compliance with environmental and construction industry standards making this the ideal excavator for multiple applications,” commented Glen Hampson, Business Development Manager, Construction Division, Kubota UK. The KX037-4 also offers proportional controlled Aux 1, with 11% greater flow than the previous model, with proportional Aux 2 available as an option. In addition, large capacity variable displacement pumps enable smooth, synchronised operation of the boom, arm and bucket, returning exceptional productivity.
Alcohol and drugs misuse is becoming something of a thorny issue for the UK construction sector. For reasons that aren’t fully understood, the industry has been identified as ‘higher risk’ in terms of drug use, and more than a third of construction workers say they have witnessed a colleague under the influence of drugs or alcohol. According to a survey carried out by risk assessors protecting.co.uk on employees from a range of sectors, nearly a third admitted to using drugs at work. A significant number claimed to be ‘under the influence’ every working day. In fact, many of those admitting to taking drugs were using cannabis or other illegal narcotics. Despite the availability and increasing use of screening tests, around 65% of workers say they have never been tested, while a quarter said they had been tired at work because of the effects of drugs or alcohol. Construction is the most dangerous industry to work within in the UK. There were 38 fatalities in the past year, according to provisional figures issued by the Health and Safety Executive. Falls from a height were the most common cause of death, followed by being struck by moving vehicles or objects. In terms of non-fatal injuries, there are 58,000 incidents each year, and there are 82,000 work-related ill-health cases. Of these ill-health cases, 62% were caused by musculoskeletal disorders and 25% were caused by stress, depression and anxiety. This is significant as these conditions have been linked with the use of drugs and alcohol. While there is no data available to establish if any of these incidents were related to drugs or alcohol, it seems likely that they may have played a part in a proportion of cases. Screening and the law So what is the law for workplace testing in construction? Testing is legislated for in certain sectors, such as the aviation, rail and shipping industries. But while most larger companies now have a policy in place to deal with drug and alcohol misuse in the workplace, the construction industry is not legally required to enforce testing. However, employers do have a duty of care to maintain a safe working environment under the provisions of the Health and Safety at Work Act. If methods for detecting misuse are not implemented and an accident occurs, employers could face hefty fines or even be prosecuted. In the high-risk construction industry, it’s therefore vital that a robust policy is introduced. Evidential tests For high associated risk industries, it’s recommended that drugs and alcohol testing is carried out on a regular basis. For alcohol testing, a range of professional police-grade breathalysers are available for screening workers, such as AlcoDigital’s AlcoSaber (£295 + VAT), that will provide quick, accurate and instantaneous results. Alcohol interlocks are also available, which prevent equipment or machinery from starting until a negative breath test has been given. For many years, urine tests have been used as a reliable and cost-effective form of drug testing, providing instant results. This is useful for random testing and can serve as a deterrent to employees. However, urine tests often fail to reveal if an individual has consumed drugs in the last two hours. Blood testing is the most accurate method of establishing what drugs are in a person’s system – but the medical training and laboratory analysis required mean it’s impractical for regular testing policy. Hair testing can provide historical data of what drugs a person has used – but not from the most recent few weeks. For this reason, oral fluid collection has been established as the most practical method for drug-testing. With a far simpler collection process and a window of detection that mimics that of blood testing, this is the method of choice for UK Police roadside testing. Action is needed Over the last decade, huge progress has been made in terms of tackling illegal drug use and alcohol abuse in the workplace. Now it’s time for the construction industry to address the issues head-on and direct their attention towards putting in place policies and practices to make drug and alcohol screening compulsory across the industry.
