Construction remains a disproportionately dangerous industry where improvements in health and safety are important

Construction remains a disproportionately dangerous industry where improvements in health and safety are important. So we welcome new, simplified Construction (Design and Management) Regulations being launched in April. They will require all employers of construction workers to provide training on a regular basis - something that more than a third of companies currently fail to do. However, help is at hand, as ConstructionSkills have launched a new integrated, industry led health and safety training programme - Site Safety Plus. If you are a builders merchant you maybe also interested in the latest BMF’s Employee Safety Handbook.

Still on the safety theme, we have an interesting new work platform from TB Davies. The self-propelled Mobi-Platform is driven by the user, without the need for a battery or engine - so an eco-friendly. and efficient way to comply with Working at Height Regulations. Also Planet Platforms has launched a brand new mobile trailer scissor lift.

We hear from Ischebeck Titan about a new post and panel system called Speedpost which enables twenty metres of edge protection to be installed in less than ten minutes. Other new products include a new high performance door hinge launched by SFS intec and a new range of handrail and balustrade components from Laidlaw that can easily be assembled on site by shopfitters and ‘fit-out’ specialists. Also, Dimplex have an extensive new commercial products brochure available.

Online purchasing in the construction industry continues to develop. Broxwood have a new ‘online shop’ as an alternative method of buying high quality Scandinavian timber windows and doors.
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Last week we heard the good news that construction industry orders rose by six per cent in 2006

Last week we heard the good news that construction industry orders rose by six per cent in 2006. Though infrastructure orders were well down last year these were more than offset by big increases in the private commercial, public housing and housing associations sectors. In a separate report, cost consultancy Davis Langdon predicts that the commercial sector will also lead the way in 2007.

In London this week the extension to the congestion zone begins. The experience so far is that though there are 20% fewer cars, congestion has continually risen since 2004. The Mayor blames utility firms such as Thames Water for digging up more streets in the capital.

Tony Blair’s plans to start building new nuclear power stations took a bit of hit last week. Critics and noe Judges have taken exception to his energy review in November 2005 being undermined by him having already made up his mind.

The Buildingtalk newsletter this week seems to have a health and safety theme running through it. ConstructionSkills tell us about Site Safety Plus which aims to translate recent legislation changes into practical application. Jackson Products launch three new ranges of CE approved safety eyewear, and Arco have a new catalogue packed with over 1000 core safety products. Aico offer us a new carbon monoxide safety and alarm guide, and Crowcon have a new CO2 detector which they say is the lightest on the market .

Philips Lumileds announce they have solved the problem of ‘droop’. Before you get too excited this has to do with efficacy of white power LEDs which normally decreases as current increases. This technology breakthrough means more light and higher efficacy which is essential to expanding the reach of LED lighting into the residential lighting market. Also on the LED front, Cooper Lighting and Security have a new range of exit signs, which take advantage of the long-life and low maintenance benefits of LED technology with reliable operation ensured for 60,000 hours.

We welcome any suggestions as to how we might improve the website or the newsletter so do feel free to email me directly.
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On Thursday Buildingtalk was in Swindon to witness the opening of the new National Self Build and Renovation Centre

On Thursday Buildingtalk was in Swindon to witness the opening of the new National Self Build and Renovation Centre, a project that promises to equip tens of thousands of people with the knowledge, tools, materials, finance and confidence to undertake self build and renovation schemes. As well as the usual speeches, we heard DIY king Tommy Walsh expand on his wish to see self-build grow and develop above its current 10% market share.

The scale of the project is impressive. In addition to more than 200 ‘trade stands’, the centre houses two… houses! The flagship of the Potton self-build range has pride of place, an entire finished house fitted out with every luxury. A ‘renovation zone’ building shows before and after elevations and rooms, illustrating the various processes and some of the available products for a complete renovation. In total, a massive 67,000 square feet of exhibits and features, including live presentations and seminars.

Many of the companies involved are worthy of mention. Potton, of course, with its ‘flat-pack’ luxury home, sponsors EDF Energy and Intelligent Finance as well as the Federation of Master Builders. One product that stands out as having been embraced at the Centre is the Unico System, providing heating and cooling throughout the Potton house, the Centre’s reception area and the conference rooms - as well as featuring on its own stand.

Visitors will be able to ’swipe’ bar codes on trade stands to receive details of products and services of interest. Numerous staff will be on hand to ensure that those visitors get the most from their day.

After our discussions last week on the construction industry response to climate change we received a number of interesting stories. You can check these out on the website. I have included a selection of them in the newsletter along with a number of new product launches and new literature available from suppliers.

Next month we will be visiting the new Ecohomes Show, part of the National Homebuilding and Renovating Show at the NEC. It looks like being a very interesting event including a free daily seminar on Ecological Home Design and Sustainable Construction, plus a wide range of eco-products and services on show.
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Climatic changes seen around the world are ‘very likely’ to have a human cause

Climatic changes seen around the world are ‘very likely’ to have a human cause, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concluded in its report released on Friday in Paris. By ‘very likely’, the IPCC means greater than 90% probability.

Construction has for a number of years been introducing new products aimed at reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions. Recently the Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly unveiled proposals to make all new homes ‘zero carbon’ by 2016 - a target the industry seems to be embracing.

In our Buildingtalk newsletter this week we include a report from a survey of self builders - now creating more homes than the UK’s largest commercial house builder. It seems that self builders have put top priority on eco-friendly features like wind turbines and solar panels. This is another indication of the increasing consumer demand for these kind of products. For example, we spotlight the solar-powered heating and dehumidification systems from SolarVenti which claim to significantly cut heating costs and reduce ‘carbon footprint’ because they use no energy and give no harmful emissions.

The UK Timber Frame Association tell us about their focus at Futurebuild 2007, later this month at Earls Court in London. They will be demonstrating how their members will be contributing to the drive towards zero carbon housing.

In another report this week the CIOB annual skills shortage survey concludes that the skills shortage in UK construction industry is set to worsen significantly this year. However, despite this, according to the latest Business in Britain survey from Lloyds TSB, the construction industry is poised for a buoyant 2007, with an increase in profits following a steep rise in orders. No doubt one of the most important current construction drivers, London’s Olympic Games, will add to this. The cost of the Games remains a mystery but no one will be surprised if the final spend isn’t way more than we were told at the bid stage.

I hope you find this issue of our weekly newsletter useful. Remember that the full stories behind all the summaries and headlines in the newsletter are easily accessed. You can also use the full power of Google and interrogate Pro-Talk sites with Pro-Talk Research: http://www.pro-talk.com/research

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