NEWS
insideindustry
Industry has rallied behind Peter Aldous MP’s efforts to reform damaging payment practices and abuse in the construction industry. In the wake of the Carillion collapse, an industry coalition of over 60 construction and maintenance trade bodies now back the Aldous Bill, which proposes that cash retentions owed to the supply chain be held in trust through special ring-fenced deposit schemes.
In by far the largest industry coalition to be formed on the issue of late and unfair payment, and amid growing support and clear industry appetite for reform, there is also an increasing amount of political backing from MPs and Lords.
Those favouring reform hail from a broad cross section of the supply chain, including the electrical, plumbing, heating, interiors, house building, roofing, scaffolding and demolition sectors. Major trade bodies in support include the Federation of Master Builders and the Federation of Small Businesses. ECA director of business Paul Reeve commented: “Quite simply, the time for major change to retentions is now. Putting retentions in trust would help to protect the supply chain from future upstream insolvency, and it would reduce the amount held in retentions when buyers see that they can no longer use suppliers’ cash to support their own business model.” BESA public affairs and policy manager Alexi Ozioro added: “Levels of support for the Bill are very encouraging, and this is a real opportunity for government to show it can respond to urgent
developments and legislate on more than just Brexit. It will take months, maybe years, to feel the full effect of Carillion, and what this Bill will do is make sure thousands of people can enjoy a more secure future.” Peter Aldous MP said: “This coalition of support shows the urgent need for reform and unity of industry following Carillion. Support covers so much of the industry that we now have a golden opportunity to change construction for the better. I hope the Government gets behind industry and this Bill. We need action to protect SMEs before more millions are lost, and this Bill is about ensuring people’s money is safe so businesses can grow and invest in their future.” Carillion’s collapse, six days after the Bill’s first reading, has pushed payment abuse higher up the political agenda.
Support for the Bill is being coordinated by BESA and the ECA and its second reading is set to be held on Friday 27 April.
The Building Engineering Services Association has been appointed as a Registered End Point Assessment Organisation (RoEPAO), which allows it to assess new training standards in England.
This follows its appointment late last year as an officially registered New Standard apprentice delivery body able to operate across England, Scotland and Wales with Northern Ireland soon to follow.
BESA members were responsible for the development of six of the New Standards and more are expected in 2018 as a result of the
Institute for Apprenticeships’ stated determination to increase the pace of approval.
The use of end point assessment is another improvement to the apprenticeship programme, with candidates given a final test to ensure they have developed the necessary knowledge, skills and behaviours to equip them for the ‘real world’ of work. BESA is currently the only end point assessment organisation for these standards.
The assessment involves a series of interviews, practical tasks and questions where students are examined, independent of their training provider. This should give employers greater peace of mind that they are receiving apprentices with fully rounded competence ready for productive work.
Previously, the system was based on continuous assessment, but employers often felt there were weaknesses in that approach, according to BESA Training’s director Tony Howard.
He said: “BESA members often told us that they were doubtful whether the previous system of assessment was actually very useful. The assessments were carried out by the trainers, whose employers were incentivised to ensure all of their candidates completed the courses successfully.
“Although there is no question that much of the training was perfectly good, having an independent assessment at the end does provide a much more satisfactory conclusion and makes certification that bit more meaningful.”
As New Standard apprenticeships are rolled out, independent end point assessment is being gradually adopted for most industry sectors – and this is the start of a journey towards the adoption of ‘qualifications for life’, says Mr Howard.
End point assessment can now be carried out for apprenticeships in BSE Craftsperson, BSE Installer, BSE Ductwork Installer, BSE Ductwork Craftsperson, BSE Service and Maintenance Engineer, and BSE Vent Hygiene Technician.
The Institute of Refrigeration has updated its Safety Code of Practice for Non Flammable, Lower Toxicity Refrigerants (Group A1). The manual provides essential industry guidance for owners, designers, installers and operators of vapour compression refrigerating systems that use any of the Group A1 refrigerants, including HFC and HFC blends.
The Safety Code covers properties of refrigerants, decommissioning, testing and maintenance as well as design issues, with useful appendices such as typical schedules for inspection and maintenance, system register details, machinery rooms, definitions and an updated list of relevant standards.
Downloadable from
www.ior.org. uk, the Code has been prepared by the IOR Technical Committee as a reference source and guide to the interpretation of current safety standards such as BS EN378:2016, and legal requirements such as F-Gas, PED, and PSSR.
10 April 2018
www.acr-news.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72
