NEWSDESK
BPF Pipes Group ‘future Industry Group’ focuses on Skills and Sustainability
New Chair of the BPF Pipes Group’s Future Industry Group Paul Grills has set out plans for 2024, and they include improving the skills of those within and outside the pipes industry.
The Future Industry Group (FIG) comprises people new to the industry and in a variety of roles. Part of the 2024 plans include inviting key speakers to provide detail on topics such as the European plastic pipes industry, construction products regulations and how the new Building Regulations may change. Other plans include developing a factsheet on PVC, designed to answer common industry questions and provide clarity on areas where people may have concerns, promotional work on the correct types of pipes to install and guides for builders’ merchants and contractors on Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). The latter will help show what to look for in an EPD and how to compare one with another, so should help improve understanding of EPDs.
As Paul commented: “FIG is a young industry group and we want to support and revitalise the whole industry by improving knowledge and understanding of regulations, standards and issues within the group as well as outside it. We hope to bring a fresh perspective to existing industry issues that people care about – skills, sustainability and future projects are
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all part of this – and we look forward to being able to share our ideas with others.”
Other FIG plans include providing support to the BPF Pipes Group Technical Groups, which cover pressure systems including water and gas, non-pressure systems for drains, sewers and surface water, systems for soil, waste and rainwater and systems for water supply and heating for buildings. Pipes networks provide some of the world’s most essential infrastructures for potable water and sanitation and a key
focus of the BPF Pipes Group is in raising standards across all construction sectors and improving installation skills, including those within future heating and cooling networks using renewable energy.
The plastic pipes industry has a lot to offer the future of construction and encouraging those new to the pipes industry to play an active role and bring fresh ideas will be good for the delivery of sustainable solutions in plastic pipes and fittings generally.
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: A Call to Action
Energy & Utility Skills has released the 2023 Inclusion Measurement Framework results. This fourth annual report highlights progress in equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) within the energy and utilities sector. The Inclusion Measurement Framework evaluates diversity characteristics across leadership, recruitment, retention, and progression.
Louise Parry, Director of People and Organisational Development at Energy & Utility Skills said, “While the results demonstrate some progress, the sector is still significantly behind being reflective of
| June 2024 |
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the UK workforce across many diversity characteristics. With recommendations that include increased accountability for leaders and leadership engagement in EDI, the report offers key insights on where to focus our efforts as individual organisations and as a sector."
Background
The Inclusion Measurement Framework captures the sector’s progress in attracting, recruiting, retaining and developing a diverse workforce, with some encouraging areas of improvement. The report provides
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