CIC Cascade

1 March 2005

1. CIC Publications – Sustainability Pack offer
2. Association for Project Safety heralds first accredited training provider
3. ConstructionSkills response to the White Paper on 14-19 Education
4. Consultancy and engineering firms back London Olympic bid
5. Keep up to date with regulations at businesslink.gov.uk
6. Opening the door to electricity in buildings
7. Purple Wednesday?!
8. Events

1. CIC Publications – Sustainability Pack offer

Following the recent Sustainable Communities Summit CIC is offering a special deal on sustainability publications. The Sustainability Pack, which includes 4 publications, can be bought for £10.00 plus postage, a saving of over £17.00

The Sustainability Pack (£10.00 plus £1.50 P&P) includes:

• Constructing for Sustainability (A Basic Guide for Clients and their Professional Advisors)
How to reduce risk and protect profits while constructing sustainably and: briefly explains some of the thinking behind the principles of sustainable development and looks at how to adopt these principles throughout the life of your projects from inception to demolition. Published June 2003, ISBN 1 898671 35 4 (full price £12.50)

• Water Conservation in Business (A briefing guide for Construction Clients and Building owners)
This guide is aimed at providing guidance on how to incorporate the concepts of efficient use of water and how to evaluate and design water systems which will ensure sustainable water savings. The guide outlines some of the available technology and sets out a methodology for clients and their professional advisers to follow.
ISBN 1 898671 20 6 (full price £5.00)

• Building for Energy Efficiency (The Clients briefing guide)
This booklet emphasises the need for energy efficient buildings, describes their advantages and is designed to be ‘user friendly’, following a logical sequence from concept stage through operation and management of the completed building. It will help clients to understand the issues that need to be addressed within their projects and will enable consultants and constructors to respond to clients’ needs by enabling them to provide the best advice.
ISBN 1 89867 09 5 (full price £5.00)

• Brownfields – building on previously developed land
This briefing Guide aims to give clients a better understanding of the processes involved in building on previously developed sites, the importance of taking a sound business approach and how to interact successfully with construction advisors.
Published June 2003, ISBN 1 89867 121 4 (full price £5.00)

To order a Sustainability Pack please complete the booking form or call the publications department at CIC on 020 7399 7400

Please note that members are not entitled to discounted rates on this offer.
Offer available until 31 March 2005

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2. Association for Project Safety heralds first accredited training provider

The Association for Project Safety has announced it’s first Validated and Accredited training provider: Synergy Construction Management Consultancy Ltd, to offer courses in ‘The Management of Planning Supervision’

Accreditation is the APS quality mark for courses provided by other organisations: it endorses those training providers who offer fist rate courses in the management of planning and supervision. It goes beyond the strict requirements of the Construction (Design and Management) ‘CDM’ regulations and promotes best practice so that the validated and accredited courses reflect the function typically required by clients when appointing planning supervisors.

To become accredited, Synergy had to provide a range of information including:
* papers and related documentation on course content
* methods of delivery
* examination and test papers
* information on course tutors
AND demonstrate its understanding of:
* legal, political and policy frameworks and influences on the enforcement of health& safety law and CDM regulations including current HSE implementation and interventionist strategies;
* procurement issues
* ability to carry out planning supervision duties during the construction phase;
* ability to work with designers to ensure that adequate regard is given and design contributions made to health and safety in construction design and risk management, to enable designers to co-operate and communicate effectively and so ensure that information is made available for H&S plans and files.

Course materials include comprehensive notes and copies of the HSC’s Approved Code of Practice (HSG 224) as well as the APD Guide to the Management of Planning Supervision.

APS is the UK’s largest representative body for planning supervisors with over 5,000 members drawn from all disciplines in the construction industry. More effective application of the CDM regulations and enforcement of the planning supervisor role will enable the industry to reduce risk for those working in construction and allow the HSE to make best use of its resources.

For further information on the course on offer by Synergy or on becoming an APD accredited training provider contact:

Brian Law, Chief Executive of the Association for Project Safety
16 Rutland Square, Edinburgh EH1 2BB
telephone 0131 221 9959 or view www.aps.org.uk

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3. ConstructionSkills response to 14-19 Paper – Where are the employers?

ConstructionSkills has issued a press release in response to the 14-19 White Paper. The vocational education framework is welcomed by ConstructionSkills, but industry input is needed at every level

Text from the complete Press Release below:

ConstructionSkills response to the White Paper on 14-19 Education
Where are the employers?

Vocational education framework welcomed by ConstructionSkills, but industry input at every level vital.

We welcome, once again, the government's desire to end the snobbery that puts vocational qualifications second to academic qualifications, but to really turn the words into action employers need to be partners at every level.

The desire for students to stay in education post 16 is a fine one and we in the construction industry stand ready to build on our record of delivery in this area through apprenticeships and partnerships with Further Education Colleges.

We want four key commitments from Government as it seeks to implement this White Paper;

1. Industry through Sector Skills Councils and direct partnership to be central to building the curriculum for vocational qualifications and acting as partners in delivering them.

2. Apprenticeships to be a central route to core skills and qualifications, with employers once again leading the charge for more apprentices supported by schools, careers advisers, government and colleges.

3. A construction skills diploma before 2008. We know what needs to be done to deliver it and we stand ready to help build it now.

4. The Government to put its money where its mouth is. The Construction industry has already pledged £1.25bn to fund training and education in our sector. We want government to use this new focus on vocational education to match that funding within the new framework.

CITB-ConstructionSkills Chief Executive Peter Lobban said:

"Vocational skills cannot be taught unless the industry that practices that vocation is involved at every level. We have enough problems with classroom based vocational courses not preparing students with the qualifications and practice they need. You can teach skills but you need practice to master them.

We will work with Government to ensure that employers in our industry are at the core of the drive to make to achieve parity of esteem between vocational and academic education.

After all, without vocationally trained construction workers, who will build the schools, the new university departments and the Skills Academies of which Ruth Kelly speaks?"

ConstructionSkills is a partnership between CIC, CITB-ConstructionSkills, and CITB(NI).
http://www.constructionskills.net
http://www.citb.co.uk
http://www.citbni.org.uk/

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4. Consultancy and engineering firms back London Olympic bid

The UK’s leading consultancy and engineering companies have backed the bid to bring the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics to London in a statement of support organised by industry business association, Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE)

Contributors to the statement, which was presented to International Olympic Committee inspectors on their recent visit to London to evaluate the capital’s bid, included leading executives from 24 top consultancy firms including Arup, Building Design Partnership, Buro Happold, Capita Symonds, Mott MacDonald, Scott Wilson, Waterman, White young Green, WSP and the others who would play a key role in delivering infrastructure and facilities if London secured the Games.

The statement offers full backing for the bid. “A successful bid for the Olympic Games in 2012 will leave a legacy of facilities, homes and infrastructure that will regenerate one of the most underdeveloped areas of the country for generations to come, “ it says. Stratford, the main centre for the new Olympic park, will have ten rail lines running through it by 2012, making it one of the best connected venues in the world. A London Olympics would provide a significant boost for consultancy and engineering, with major opportunities in construction and infrastructure development, giving us the chance to showcase UK consultancy at its best.”

ACE chief executive Nelson Ogunshakin said: “Given the closeness of the race between the bidding cities it’s vital that business backs London’s bid. The city is technically capable of staging a successful games and consultancy companies will play a key role in the lasting regeneration of east London and legacy of sustainable infrastructure that a successful bid would bring.”

Further information from Andy Walker, ACE communications director on 020 7227 1889

Read the full press release which includes the full statement of support plus a list of the consultancy firms which have signed up to the statement.

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5. Keep up to date with regulations at businesslink.gov.uk

The Government has recently launched three new services on the Business Link website to help companies influence and keep up to date with new and amended regulations

Common Commencement Dates Annual Statements
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) last week published their Common Commencement Dates Annual Statements. The statements list all new and amended regulations that the DTI and HSE will be introducing on the two common commencement dates - 6th April and 1st October - in 2005. As more Government Departments join the common commencement dates scheme, they too will be publishing their annual statements through this service.
To view the Common Commencement Dates Annual Statements click on this link

At-a-Glance Regulations
Keep on top of the laws that affect your business with regulation updates. They give you at-a-glance, plain English guidance about new and changing regulations that affect small businesses. Each regulation update is published several weeks before the change becomes law - and stays live on the website until 30 days later.
There is also an email alert service that can tell you about every new regulation update.
To see new and amended regulations at-a-glance click on this link

At-a-Glance Consultations
If you would like to have your say on developing proposed new Government regulations, then at-a-glance consultations will help you. This service pulls together consultations that affect small businesses from all Government websites and explains what they cover and who they affect. You can link direct to any consultation you wish to view from this page.
To see consultations that affect small businesses at-a-glance click on this link

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6. Opening the door to electricity in buildings

A new guide to electricity in buildings is now available from the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE). The publication will be invaluable to design and construction professionals and building managers who require easy access to information on electrical services.

Although primarily intended as a design guide, the publication gives an easy-to-read overview of all the different elements of electricity within a building, highlighting available solutions for specific applications such as standby generators and uninterruptible power supplies. In each section there is also comprehensive information on system selection, operation and maintenance procedures.

The guide has been written by experts in their respective fields from leading consultants, contractors and manufacturers. Areas covered are: regulations and standards; load assessment; power supplies; high voltage distribution, transformers, low voltage switchgear and distribution, building wiring systems; earthing; uninterruptible power supplies; electromagnetic compatibility; inspection, testing, operation and maintenance.

A full list of references and a bibliography for further reading are included at the end of every chapter. There are also numerous schematic diagrams, tables, graphs, illustrations and a detailed index at the end of the book so that the reader can quickly locate the relevant information.

Guide K: Electricity in buildings is a 146-page A4 format book and can be purchased from CIBSE Publication Sales on 020 8772 3618 or online at www.cibse.org/publications. The cost is £22 (plus P&P) for CIBSE members and £86 (plus P&P) for non-members. (NB. Qualifying CIBSE members will receive a free copy of the Guide in June 2005).

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7. Purple Wednesday?!

A number of companies and individuals went Purple on 16 February to raise awareness of Carbon emission issues.

This was to celebrate Russia signing the Kyoto Agreement and to show support for urgent government action to tackle Global Warming. Dave Hampton, Chair of the Construction Industry Council Sustainability Committee said “If CO2 were purple we'd have witnessed the sky changing hue - over our lifetime! Staggeringly, there is one tenth more CO2 in the air that we all share than there was just 20 years ago!”

A few construction industry people go purple, including staff from BCA, plus others from
The Concrete Centre, Concrete Information Limited and The Concrete Society.

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8. Events The events page of the CIC website is frequently updated visit the events page for details.

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Sir Howard Bernstein to speak at CIC’s Happold Medal Lecture on 4 April
Don’t miss out – find out more and reserve your place now by visiting the homepage of www.cic.org.uk
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