26
APRIL 2016 PRO INSTALLER
PRO NEWS
www.proinstaller.co.uk
New checklist
combats ‘modern
slavery’
NEW LOOK
ECOBUILD
VOTED A HIT
Tens of thousands of
industry professionals
flocked to Ecobuild
2016 to see 800 brands
across core areas of industry such as housing,
infrastructure, design,
energy efficiency, technology and skills.
The show unveiled a new
direction, shook up its layout and delivered a robust
three days of business.
Berkeley Group Chairman,
Tony Pidgley CBE opened
the Ecobuild Conference,
which together with
dedicated learning hubs
across the show featured
more than 350 high level
speakers, celebrities such
as Stephen Fry and Will
Gompertz, and industry
A-listers.
Martin Hurn, Event Director at Ecobuild, said: “The
built environment has fundamentally changed since
Ecobuild launched 12 years
ago. Government policy is
at a crossroads but sustainability has become normalised. While we continue
to maintain the eco-focus
and promote sustainability
standards with our partners
across the industry, the
smarter end of the market is
taking a broader approach
to sustainability, aiming to
ensure buildings appeal to
occupiers well into the future with improved building
performance, design, efficiency, health and wellbeing
benefits.”
He added that Ecobuild
had confidently set out a
repositioned show to reflect
market priorities after
consultation with customers
and stakeholders. New areas
introduced for infrastructure, digital construction,
smart technology and
resource efficiency in the
built environment are hot
prospects set to grow for
the event in 2017.
People from across the
industry gave feedback
including Sadie Morgan,
Founding Director of dRMM
Architects. Sadie, who is
also Chair of the Independent High-Speed Design
Panel and Member of the
National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) said:
The Considerate Constructors Scheme - the
national scheme to improve the image of the
construction industry
- has launched a new
Monitors’ Checklist.
“The good news is that
sustainability now is embodied into so many parts of
the building industry that it
doesn’t make sense to have
a show that’s just about it. It
makes sense to have a show
that talks about the green
agenda, but does so by
highlighting and showcasing
the construction industry.”
The next Ecobuild is from
7 to 9 March 2017, at ExCeL
London.
www.ecobuild.co.uk
New solid glass roof is best of both worlds
Specialist toughened
glass manufacturer
TuffX Processed Glass
is launching a new
product which will
give conservatory roof
installers a more cost
effective alternative to
the solid tiled conservatory roof replacement.
Called Ambi-Solid, the new
solid glass roof system is
lighter, quicker and easier to
install than traditional solid
tile effect roofs.
Graham Price, TuffX’s
Managing Director, explained: “In recent times
there has been an explosion
in solid tile effect roofs to
satisfy the dilemma of a
conservatory being too cold
in winter and too warm in
summer. But while this
option is fine for some, a
conservatory is sold as a
light and airy light-filled
space and a solid tiled effect
roof will not only make the
conservatory a darker space,
but it can reduce light to
adjoining rooms too. With
Ambi-Solid you now have
the option of a solid glass
panel solution which eliminates the too hot, too cold
dilemma but without loss of
light. In short, with Ambi-Solid you have the best of
both worlds.”
The Ambi-Solid Glass
is a 24mm double-glazed
unit that can be used in all
or part of the roof, offering total flexibility for the
customer. The remaining
panels can be replaced with
tinted high performance
conservatory roof glass to
match the performance and
aesthetics of the solid glass.
The Ambi-Solid Glass Panel
has an impressive U-value
of just 1.1 W/m2K and can
improve the energy efficiency of a conservatory.
The Ambi-Solid Glass is
around 50% cheaper than a
solid tile effect alternative
and requires no structural
work to the roof in order to
accommodate the panels.
The solid glass panels are
quick and easy to fit and no
additional tradesmen are required to complete the roof
as you can often find with
solid tiled roof systems. Furthermore, because installers
are not having to change
the structure of the conservatory into an extension, as
you would with a solid tiled
roof, the Ambi-Solid roof is
exempt from Building Regulations too.
As you would expect
from a market-leading glass
manufacturer, TuffX spent
much time analysing the
market before developing
the product. Graham said:
“Our research has shown
that homeowners clearly
enjoy a viable alternative to
a full roof replacement.
They welcome the benefits
the Ambi-Solid Glass can
offer in terms of light, speed
of installation and cost. And
because the product offers
78% solar heat reflection,
they have a room that can
be enjoyed throughout the
seasons too.”
www.tuffxglass.co.uk
The Checklist is the key
method which scheme
monitors use to assess
and score sites, companies
and suppliers’ performance against the Code
of Considerate Practice.
It came into effect from 1
February 2016, but there
will be a three-month transition period until 1 May
2016, to ensure all scheme
registered members have
sufficient time to familiarise themselves with the
new requirements before
any changes affect their
scores.
As the scheme carries out
around 18,000 sites, companies and supplier visits
every year, the information
gathered within the Monitors’ Checklist provides an
essential barometer of how
the industry is improving
and the key issues it must
tackle.
Whilst the 2016 Checklist
has undergone changes
in all five sections of the
code, the most significant
changes are within the
‘Value their Workforce’
section. A number of new
questions have been introduced to help the industry
tackle the critical issues
such as combating illegal
workers and modern slavery on site and in supply
chains, as well as attracting and retaining a skilled
and diverse workforce.
New questions include:
How does the site assess
and monitor the legitimacy
and competency of the
workforce, and what is
the site doing to improve
its image and the overall image of the industry
to attract and retain the
workforce necessary for
the future of construction?
Commenting on the new
Checklist, Immigration
Minister James Brokenshire said: “Our work to
stamp out illegal working
involves close collaborative
working with lead industry
bodies. We are fully supportive of genuine efforts,
such as this scheme, to
drive compliance with the
rules.
“Employers within the
construction sector have
a crucial and ongoing
part to play in helping to
combat illegal working by
ensuring they carry out the
straightforward ‘Right to
Work’ checks on potential
employees.”
Chief Executive Edward
Hardy said: “Scheme registered sites, companies,
suppliers and their clients
are demonstrating a continued eagerness to keep
raising the bar of considerate construction and improve industry standards
across the UK. The new
Checklist will be a significant driver in helping to
achieve this goal.”
Mr Hardy added: “The
Checklist is reviewed
annually to ensure it
remains current, relevant
and challenging. The new
questions including those
around the legitimacy of
the workforce and attracting and retaining skills are
clearly crucial issues for
the future of the industry.”
Visit www.ccscheme.org.uk