Archives for July 2021

Construction output is currently very buoyant and is forecast to rise by 13.7% in 2021 and 6.3% in 2022, according to the Construction Products Association’s latest Summer Forecast published today. This positive outlook comes despite the dual constraints of shortages and sharp cost rises in both imported construction products and skilled labour over the next 12 months. Infrastructure and private house building are expected to be key drivers of construction growth in 2021 and 2022, while the outlook for the commercial sector remains subdued.

As all major house builders continue to report that demand in the housing market and house price inflation continues to be robust, CPA forecasts house building starts to rise by 20.9% in 2021 and a further 9.0% in 2022. This is despite the government’s stamp duty holiday and Help to Buy schemes continuing currently in a restricted form. The outlook is particularly strong for houses outside major cities, owing to shifts in working patterns, and is likely to remain so for the next 6-9 months at least according to house builders.

Changes to the way people work as a result of the coronavirus pandemic have also positively impacted on private housing repair, maintenance and improvements (rm&i), which has been the quickest construction sector to recover since the initial national lockdown. Output in March 2021 was 19.3% higher than pre-Covid times, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), due to the ‘race for space’ – i.e. demand for better quality outdoor domestic leisure space and home office work environments. Most SME contractors are reporting projects lined up for at least the next six months.

In the commercial sector, the beginning of the year saw a rise in activity owing to fit-out work remodelling offices for staff to return in a socially distant manner. This was also the case in retail and leisure where refurbishing, reusing and repurposing helped prepare for reopening as social distancing restrictions eased. In addition, some larger office towers projects that had the contract signed or were started pre-Covid-19 continued in the first half of this year. Outlook for sector remains subdued, however, largely because of fewer big projects in the pipeline – particularly for new towers in London.

Commenting on the Summer Forecast, CPA Economics Director Noble Francis, said:

“The key constraint to the CPA construction forecasts remains the cost and availability of imported products and skilled labour.

The sharp recovery for both UK construction and also in places such as the US, has led to sharp cost increases and extended lead times for some key products such as paints and varnishes, timber, roofing materials, copper and steel. This is of concern particularly for SMEs, which account for 86% of construction employment.

“Whilst larger contractors and house builders have greater certainty in their pipelines of work and are better able to plan and purchase in advance, SMEs often purchase what they need on the day at builders merchants.

This makes them subject to greater issues if supply is limited or costs have risen significantly, particularly for firms working on fixed price contracts.

On the labour side, some contractors are finding that there is currently a shortage of key skills in some key hotspots of activity, which has been exacerbated by the fall in EU construction labour by 42% over the past four years according to the ONS.”

The buzzword that is being used by many in the media and political arena at present is “ping”demic. Here’s what it means, and the rules around it to help you deal with the pingdemic.

What is the ‘pingdemic’?

The phrase is a play on words made up of the terms “pandemic” and “ping”. It refers to being notified by the NHS Covid-19 app on your phone.

When you are “pinged” by the app on your mobile device, you are advised to self-isolate for a set amount of time. The notification is sent after the app registers that you have been close contact with someone who has tested positive with Covid-19.

There has been a sharp increase in the number of people being “pinged” by the app in the last few weeks, causing problems for some industries who have staff that have to self-isolate and stay at home.

When are you legally required to self isolate?

An individual must self-isolate under the regulations when

• they receive a notification (including results of tests) from a relevant person that they have tested positive for covid or
  • a child for whom they are responsible has, or
  • they receive a notification from a relevant person that they or their child for whom they are responsible have had close contact with someone who has tested positive for covid, or
  • they have travelled from a location (country) that requires them to self-isolate

“relevant person” means—

1.  the Secretary of State,
   1. a person who is employed or engaged for the purposes of the health service (within the meaning of section 275 of the National Health Service Act 2006) in communicable disease control, or
   1. a person employed or engaged by a local authority in communicable disease control;
   1. It does not include notification by means of the NHS Covid 19 smartphone app.

If you know that a worker has been told to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace, (of other relevant persons) you must not allow them to come into work or work anywhere other than where they are self-isolating (usually, their home) for their full self-isolation period. Failure to do so could result in your firm facing a fine, starting from £1,000.

Can isolation end early with a negative test?

You still need to self-isolate for 10 full days if you get a negative test result and:

• someone you live with has tested positive
  • you’ve been told by a relevant person to self-isolate because you’ve been in close contact with someone who tested positive
  • you had a PCR test (a test that is sent to a lab) because you had a positive rapid lateral flow test, and there were more than 2 days between the tests (England only)

What about  the COVID App?

The NHS have explained that the app pings those who have been in ‘close contact’ with a positive-testing person: ‘Close contact is based on an algorithm, but generally means you’ve been within 2 metres of someone with coronavirus for 15 minutes or more.’  The app alert is advisory only and not enforceable by law, unlike a phone call from the Test and Trace team.

Several members of the government have encouraged all members of the public and the GGF to self isolate when ‘pinged’ by the app however the app is guidance and not a legal requirment.

Therefore, organisations can take a risk based approach to deal with the app ‘pinging’ staff to isolate. Thing to consider when taking this approach.

• How do you stop an employee coming to work with COVID? You could deal with this by;
  • Regular testing of staff
  • Once ‘pinged’ staff isolate until results confirmed by a PCR test, if negative end isolation
  • Evidence of negative test of staff returning from isolation
• Ensuring that COVID risk mitigations are in place and affective, these could be;
  • Managing social distancing
  • Increasing ventilation
  • High standards of personal hygiene
  • High standards of cleaning and hygiene on site
  • Face coverings when social distancing is not possible

Remember that whilst the legal requirement in England have been removed and some measures in other parts of the UK and Ireland have been relaxed that employers still have a duty to manage the risks of COVID by taking reasonable and practical steps to ensure employees and other that are connected to your operations are not affected.

If you are working with chemicals, and especially if you are working with quantities over 1 tonne and purchasing from an EU company (or a company based outside Great Britain) it is vital that you are aware of the obligations under REACH and the impact of the transition to UK REACH.

The GGF has been raising awareness regarding UK REACH for a few months now with little feedback however it has come to our attention that there are significant business risks that a lot of members may not be aware of, therefore we have produced this short guide for members to review and if applicable we advise you to act immediately.

What is UK REACH?
The EU REACH Regulation was brought into UK law on 1 January 2021 and this regulation is now in operation; it is known as UK REACH. This was triggered by the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 and the EU legislation has been replicated in the UK with the necessary changes to make it operable in a domestic context. The key principles of the EU REACH Regulation have been retained. UK REACH maintains EU REACH’s aims and principles. These include:

 To provide a high level of protection of human health and the environment from the use of chemicals.
 the ‘no data, no market’ principle
 the ‘last resort’ principle on animal testing
 access to information for workers
 the precautionary principle

UK REACH and the EU REACH regulations operate independently from each other. Companies that are supplying and purchasing substances, mixtures, or articles to and from the EU/EEA/Northern Ireland and Great Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales) will need to ensure that the relevant duties are met under both pieces of legislation.

Under the Northern Ireland Protocol the EU REACH Regulation continues to apply to Northern Ireland, while UK REACH provides the regulatory framework for chemicals in GB.

Who is UK REACH applicable to?
Businesses that manufacture or import (from outside GB) 1 tonne or more of any given substance each year are responsible for ‘registering’ that substance with ‘The Agency’ which is the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Downstream users of adhesives or sealants who purchase these ‘mixtures of chemicals’ in large enough quantities to exceed the 1T per annum individual substance limit from a non-GB supplier will assume these UK REACH obligations for the chemical substances in the mixtures they are purchasing (unless that non-GB supplier has appointed a UK legal entity to take care of the UK REACH obligations).

Registration involves submitting a dossier of information about the substance and its uses to the HSE. Substances in mixtures will also require registration and substances in articles may also require registration (if these substances are intended to be released during use).

 Manufacturers: produce or extract a substance either through chemical synthesis, smelting or extraction. They are required to hold a valid registration for these substances under UK REACH.
 Importers: bring chemical substances into GB from either the EU/EEA or NI or from the rest of the world. They have responsibilities to hold registrations for these substances unless their non-GB suppliers, where applicable, have appointed an Only Representative to take on the duties on behalf of the GB importers
 Downstream users: are companies or individual workers who directly handle chemical substances in the course of their business activities and are not themselves the GB-based manufacturer or importer of the substances. Some businesses who were classed as downstream users under EU REACH may find that they are classed as importers under UK REACH if they are sourcing substances directly from the EU/EEA. This will mean they may have new registration
responsibilities.
 Importers under UK REACH who were downstream users under EU REACH: GB downstream users (who before the end of the transition period imported chemicals from EU/EEA and relied on an EU REACH registration held further up the supply chain) will become importers under UK REACH. They must ensure that the substances they import are covered by a valid UK REACH registration.

Downstream User Notification
If you are any of the following you will need to submit a Downstream User Notification before the 28th October 2021 deadline (this is within 300 days after the end of the 1st January 2021 transition period) enabling you to defer your UK REACH registration for up to 6 years plus 300 days. This would apply to members that are;

 GB-based legal entities that were importing substances and mixtures into GB from the EU and intend to continue after the end of the transition period. Or;
 GB-based legal entities that were importing substances and mixtures into GB from outside of the EU, under an OR agreement held by an EU-based entity and intend to continue post-TP.
 Manufacturers, formulators, and article producers based outside of GB that wish to appoint a GB-based OR (after the end of the transition period) to notify on behalf of their GB-based importers.

If you were not previously a registrant, downstream user or distributor under EU REACH, and you wish to import chemicals into GB for the first time, you will be required to submit a new registration under UK REACH.

How to register chemicals

You can register and manage your chemicals on the “Comply with UK REACH” system, CLICK HERE

CLICK HERE for guidance on the Fees and Charges

Registration Deadlines as they currently stand. For full guidance CLICK HERE

Action Flowchart
Below we have provided a flowchart to help guide you through the process however if you are purchasing chemicals from a company that is based outside of Great Britain you must immediately engage with your provider and ask them what they are doing regarding UK REACH.

Despite industry lock downs and fewer people working due to the pandemic, a recent Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Report has shown an increase in fatalities in the work place in the last 12 months. Generally, the industry has been stuck on the plateau of around 130 to 140 for the last decade and this year was not hugely different but it was still 142 lives lost at work in Great Britain in 2020/2021, an increase of 29 lives from last year.

All companies and employees in the industry need to ensure that there is no complacency regarding the loss of life in the workplace just because in the grand scheme of things, compared with the total number of people working in the UK these numbers are low, and from a global comparison we are one of the better nations.

This latest data should be used to inform our work and we should never think, that will never happen to us. When we think about our work, and our sector we need to consider what we do, is a fatal accident in our industry a possibility? Is it a possibility in your business? That’s why companies UK-wide need to improve their Risk Assessment and consider the types of accidents that are causing fatalities and the likelihood of them happening in the workplace.

The two charts illustrate the scale and causes of fatalities.

Falls from height are still the main cause of death by accident in the workplace in the UK and companies in the Glass and Glazing industry are more often than not working at height, and have been for decades. What about the sectors, construction is the main contributor and manufacturing third largest, the glass and glazing supply chain operates predominantly in these sectors and all of the other sectors could be our customers, it’s therefore quite possible that a fatal accident happens our sector, and these kind of accidents aren’t selective, they can happen in any business.

“77% of all fatal injuries were accounted for by just 5 different accident kinds in the five-year period 2016/17-2020/21 “ 

77% of the fatal injuries are from falls from height, struck by a moving vehicle, struck by falling/flying object, trapped by something collapsing or overturning and contact with moving machinery. It is therefore worth considering to ask yourself honestly and critically if these kind of accidents could happen in your workplace. If that is the case, then it is advisable to get a risk assessment document and look at the rating you gave to the likelihood of something going wrong.  Check what data you using to measure that rating of likelihood? The data received from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is telling you it is likely. Does your assessment reflect this?  

It could be argued, that companies who have had fatalities and are included in the HSE report are not “compliant” or safe companies, and you may even argue that your company is fully safe and compliant. However consider this line from the HSE report;

“Falls from a height, being struck by a moving vehicle and being struck by a moving, including flying or falling, object continue as the three main causes of fatal injury, between them accounting for over half of all fatal injuries each year since at least 2001/02.”

Since at least 2001 these three types of accidents all of which could occur in our industry any day of the week, have been the main causes of a fatal injury. In view of this, it is worth critically looking at the risk assessment for your business and ask yourself, “Do you agree with the likelihood rating and if you do what data is driving that decision?”

To reduce the likelihood of the causes mentioned earlier, why not shift your philosophies from managing likelihood to building resilient strategies, focusing on;

• Early detection, if something is going to go wrong how soon will you know? Before or after it goes wrong?
• Capacity to fail and recover- Can you fail safe and/or recover from the failure reasonably undamaged
• Early exploitation (learning) – How quick can you learn from the “failure” or a near failure?

It is essential that you are critical with yourself and your systems and really push and test them. Ask yourself, are you safe by design or safe by luck? If you think it’s by design then you should be able to trace that back and explain how it was by design. If it’s by luck then you will reach a conclusion that it is normally at the point of human error, i.e. “if Bob followed the procedure it wouldn’t have happened” so luck then, not design.

The GGF delivers presentations on high risk work at the quarterly Regional Meetings. These presentations are designed to help GGF Members become more resilient organizations. The GGF is currently reviewing its Glass Charter which is focused on guiding members in this direction and a vital part of that is getting feedback and data from Members. So you can help the GGF and your own company by completing our Health, Safety and Environment Survey by clicking here

Also you can now submit your accident and incident data for the year so far by clicking here

For more information or guidance on Health, Safety and Environment, please contact James MacPherson via email healthandsafety@ggf.org.uk

Overview

The Construction Innovation Hub (CI Hub) and the Construction Products Association (CPA) have launched an open consultation on the report: ‘LEXiCON Methodology: Creating Relevant Authorities and Achieving Consensus’.

The success of the LEXiCON project is dependent on the processes and structures outlined in this report adequately reflecting the requirements of the built environment, both providers and users of product information. As such, the CI Hub and CPA would like to hear back from the wider industry on the proposed methodology for the LEXiCON project, comprising the process, platform, and people.

The consultation is seeking a breadth of feedback from UK Construction industry stakeholders, including designers, constructors, commissioning engineers, architects, and contractors; Relevant Authorities; and UK Manufacturers. 

The review period for responses will run until Wednesday 18 August 2021.

Results will inform the next critical phases of this project, with a public update on the consultation results release in September and the proof of concept demonstrator and early adopters programme launched in November 2021.

Background

There are considerable benefits to the construction industry, and wider sectors, of having well-structured and reliable digital construction product data. This can support improvements in productivity, safety and wider social, economic and environmental outcomes.

The Construction Products Association (CPA) and BRE have worked together in the past on the LEXiCON initiative with the aim of developing a definitive approach to managing the creation, use, storage and preservation of manufacturers product data via product data templates. Many other initiatives and precedents have also emerged in this area in the past few years, and it will be important to both acknowledge and build upon them.

The aim of the LEXiCON project is to support international best practice for the creation and management of product data by standardising the production, use, and management of product data. This will be achieved through the development of a consensus process for the collaborative formation of product data templates and a software platform with a free-to-access industry portal to facilitate the creation, grouping, filtering and verification of parameters to form Product Data Templates. The templates and properties will be made available on a free-to access software platform for wider industry, which will be created by BRE as part of the Construction Innovation Hub programme.

LEXiCON builds on existing efforts and will highlight through demonstrator projects the value of collating and publishing product data templates, taking industry on a journey to align to data dictionary standards and processes, and facilitating the distribution of these to be used throughout the industry.

The Consultation can be accessed here-

Many GGF members may not be aware that they can achieve a discount on their next year’s GGF membership subscription by introducing a company to the GGF, if the referred company becomes a GGF member.

The GGF Member Get Member Scheme rewards GGF Members who successfully introduce a new company into GGF Membership with a one-off discount on their following year’s GGF membership subscription. That discount will amount to 20% of the value of the new Member’s subscription.

The discount can be used to reduce your 2022 subscription or can be offered to the new Member to reduce their subscription in year one of their GGF Membership, (a good way for some to reward loyal trade customers).

If you introduce enough new Members, depending on their size, you could accrue enough discount to qualify for free GGF Membership in 2022.

Members should note that the offer only applies if you are first to recommend the potential new members and the company you recommend does join the GGF as a full member.

So why wait, ask the companies you are dealing with if they are in the GGF and if not, then recommend them to the GGF Membership team and get the discount.

To take advantage of this generous offer, email the GGF Membership Department at membership@ggf.org.uk and remember to state the name of the company, contact details of the person in that company you wish to introduce and that if they join that you’ll claim the discount through the Member Get Member Scheme.

With net zero targets being high on the governments’ agendas in not just the UK but worldwide, the GGF is pleased to announce that it is working with British Glass to research the impact glass and glazing has in making buildings more energy efficient and carbon reducing.

This new research will show how glass types perform in buildings and why the government should be giving the glass and glazing industry more consideration in future initiatives or policies when it comes to energy efficiency and zero carbon. The report is expected to be finalised in the coming months.

John Agnew GGF Group Managing Director comments “The GGF has been working closer with British Glass for a few years and this latest collaboration cements our strong working relationship.”

Dave Dalton, Chief Executive of British Glass adds, “British Glass and the GGF have had a long standing partnership for many years and on several projects and campaigns. It’s essential for the industry to collaborate to amplify our voice to government for the benefit of the sector.”

Aligned to the research, the GGF will also survey other trade bodies in the glass, glazing and fenestration sectors to explore concerns and find common ground. In doing so the GGF aims to present the importance of energy efficient glass and glazing, to improve the existing and new building stock, whilst making a valuable contribution to reducing carbon emissions.

This recent collaboration complements the GGF’s current activity with other trade associations in the wider construction sector including; Construction Products Association (CPA), National Home Improvement Council (NHIC), British Energy Efficiency Federation (BEEF) and the Construction Leadership Council (CLC).

James Lee, Director of External Affairs explains, “Working with the wider industry bodies is hugely beneficial for the GGF as they provide live forums to share information and to find out how other sectors are coping with the challenges facing the broader construction industry. Our regular meetings with CPA, NHIC, BEEF and CLC focus on helping the wider environment by engaging with government on how our sector can reduce carbon emissions and achieve the net zero targets.”

John Agnew summarises, “Since 1977, when trade associations from all sides of the industry came together to form the GGF, the Federation has continuously worked with other trade organisations to advance the interests of Members and in many cases, for the betterment of the entire industry. Our industry collaborations are imperative to increase our voice and progress our shared objectives for the benefit of all in the industry and the consumer.”

A presentation on the current Net Zero activity will take place at the GGF’s annual conference, GGF Members’ Day on the 22^nd September. This event is virtual only and the GGF will release more details in the coming weeks.

The GGF is pleased to confirm that GGF Members’ Day will take place on Wednesday 22^nd September and due to the uncertainty over the COVID-19 pandemic, the event will be virtual only. 

On the decision to run Members’ Day as a virtual only event John Agnew, GGF Group Managing Director commented:

“The GGF has taken this decision after careful consideration. We looked at the Government’s latest information, the views of Members and Staff and also the risk assessments provided by the venue we were planning to use in the North West. The consensus was that it was just too early to run the risk of a full scale annual conference in a physical format this year. However we are looking forward to Members joining us for the virtual event.”

Tony Smith, GGF President added:

“The full impact of the government’s recent unlocking of restrictions has yet to be fed into the government statistics so there is uncertainty about the containment of the spread of the virus over the next few months. With under eight weeks to Members’ Day, the GGF felt it was best to take an early decision and cautionary approach. The decision to go virtual eliminates all risk but still allows all Members to attend and participate at GGF Members’ Day.  With so much being covered, it promises to be an interesting and engaging event.” 

GGF Members’ Day as per previous years will also incorporate the Annual General Meeting and will also include, open forums, guest speakers, a special presentation by GK Strategy on the GGF’s Zero Carbon Report as well as a preview of the new GLASS Charter. In addition, the GGF will also host technical presentations and will be launching a new initiative to assists Members in developing and retaining the skilled labour they need to run their businesses.

James Lee, GGF Director of External Affairs commented:

“Last year GGF Members’ Week was held over three days and received over 450 bookings. This year will be a simpler format of three sessions, morning, mid-morning and afternoon. Though the presentations will be more succinct, there will still be ample opportunity for Members to air their views and interact via the video technology.”

John Agnew summarised:

“Members’ Day traditionally has attracted Members from all parts of the industry. This year our focus will be on the key technical, environmental, political, training and health and safety issues affecting our sector. I look forward to welcoming all Members to this exclusive online event.”

More details and a booking form for GGF Members’ Day will be released in the coming weeks. In the meantime, Members are advised to pencil the date into the diary.

The GGF has recently received three new applications to join the GGF. Please see applicants listed below.

Bespoke Bifold & Glazing Systems

A leader in Bespoke Bi-fold doors Glasgow. Bespoke Bifold’s, both design and manufacture custom aluminium bi-fold doors and windows and deliver high-quality products combined with an efficient service.

10 Bouverie St, Rutherglen

Glasgow, G73 2RX

https://www.bespokebifolds.com/

Customade Limited (applying for GGF Promotion Programme)

Customade Group caters for the entire fenestration industry. The Customade Group product range spans PVCu and aluminium windows and doors, composite doors, aluminium glazed roofs, sealed glass units, specialist glazing and nationwide trade counter.

Newton Centre, Stroudwater Business Park

Stonehouse, GL10 3SW

https://www.customade.co.uk/

Affix Windows & Doors Ltd

Affix Windows offers double glazing services in Blackfen, Welling, Dartford, Sidcup, Gillingham, Bexleyheath, Chislehurst, Bromley and surrounding Kent areas.

226 Blackfen Road, Sidcup

Kent, DA15 8PW

https://www.affixwindows.co.uk/

If you have any queries regarding the above applications please contact the GGF Membership department membership@ggf.org.uk

The GGF welcomes four companies into Membership this month.

Alufold Direct Limited

AluFold Direct fabricates and delivers ‘everything aluminium,’ direct to site on fast lead times.

The AluFold Direct product range and service has been developed to help installers, builders and architects make the most of aluminium glazing. Their dedicated aluminium fabrication facility in Blackburn covers 35,000 sq. ft. and features the Aluminium Glazing Design Centre. It’s the only showroom and advice centre dedicated to aluminium glazing outside of London.

Unit 13, Philips Road

Whitebirk Industrial Estate

Blackburn, BB1 5AQ

https://www.alufolddirect.co.uk/

Adept Glaziers Limited

Adept Glaziers are a small highly skilled team of friendly, time served glaziers have a vast knowledge within the glazing industry and work to the highest standards.

Unit F2, Fiveways Business Units

Ponsanooth, TR3 7JQ

http://www.adeptglaziers.co.uk/

RRS Improvements Limited

RRS Improvements Ltd has grown from being a small family run business to a large established company, carrying out roofing, building work and home improvements throughout Glasgow and all over Scotland. With over 69 years’ experience within the industry they offer quality advice and work to the highest standards.

Maritime House, 143 Woodville Street

Glasgow, G51 2RQ

http://www.rrsimprovements.co.uk/

CNC Recycling Limited

Grown from a single North East operation, CNC Recycling is a Nationwide UPVC window recycling specialist company committed to offering a sustainable alternative to landfill for old windows and doors for the Fenestration Industry.

They collect thousands of tonnes across the UK every year saving Installers and Fabricators money on landfill charges. This enables recycled materials to be fed back into the supply chain as a valuable secondary raw material to produce new, recycled windows and doors. CNC currently runs the GGF, FENSA and BFRC UPVC recycling schemes.

2 Vulcan Street, Middlesbrough, TS2 1AD

http://www.upvc-recycling.com/