Construction

13.11.18

Has the rise impacted you?

Some positive news… Wages rose at the fastest pace in nearly a decade in the three months to September, Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show. Compared with a year earlier, wages excluding bonuses, rose by 3.2% – the biggest rise since the end of 2008 and up slightly on the previous quarter.

Followed by some not so positive… However, the ONS warned that real wage growth was below the 2015 level. The unemployment total went up for the first time this year, rising by 21,000 in the same period to 1.38 million. Click here for the full story.

I’m a Celebrity 2018 line-up revealed! ITV confirms 10 names, including Actor John Barrowman, football manager Harry Redknapp and TV presenter Nick Knowles.

Stars pay tribute to Marvel Comics pioneer, Stan Lee, who has died at 95.

In construction news this week…

Pre-construction work starts on £1bn Silvertown Tunnel. Structural and environmental monitoring is now underway on the site of the 1.4km twin-bore road tunnel.

Plan for Sheffield’s tallest building approved. Property owner Turner Investments has gained outline planning for the redevelopment of Midcity House in Sheffield city centre.

Spurs strike deal to use Wembley for whole season. Tottenham Hotspur have agreed a deal to use Wembley Stadium for the remainder of the season as a back-stop in the event of further delays handing over their new ground.

In MECsafe news this week…

We still have plenty of availability on the following courses:

UKATA Asbestos Awareness – 19th November 2018

H&S Awareness – 20th November 2018 (ask us about completing your CSCS test on the same day)!

CCNSG Safety Passport – 22nd & 23rd November 2018

If you would like any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

21.09.18

It’s been ages!

We’ve been very busy at MECsafe over the last few months, hence no blog! Primarily, improving our NVQ portfolio has been taking up a lot of our time, but it has been worth it, as we are now able to offer you the following NVQ’s:

Level 2
– Construction Operations
– Decorative Finishing and Painting
– Formwork
– Interior Systems (Dry Lining Fixing)
– Cranes & Specialist Lifting
– Forklift Trucks
– Plastering (Solid)
– Steelfixing Occupations
– Trowel Occupations (Bricklaying)
– Wood Occupations (Site Carpentry)

Level 3
– Decorative Finishing and Painting
– Occupational Work Supervision
– Plastering (Solid)

Level 4
– Site Supervision

Level 6
– Construction Contracting Ops
– Site Management

Level 7
– Construction Senior Management

We’ve also been scheduling lots of courses at Doncaster, including:

UKATA Asbestos Awareness – 1^st Oct

CCNSG – 1^st & 2^nd Oct

IPAF scissor lift & cherry picker – 1^st Oct

If you need an NVQ for a CSCS card or simply just for CPD etc. or would like to book on a training course, please contact us 01302 775900 ext 1.

Anyway, enough about us, let’s talk about general news this week:

The NHS to save ‘hundreds of millions’ in landmark drug ruling. Novartis and Bayer were trying to stop NHS doctors from prescribing a cheaper treatment for a serious eye condition. Health bosses said the judgement in the High Court may reduce the power of companies to set prices. Drug company Novartis said they were “disappointed” because patients were being asked to accept an unlicensed treatment to save the NHS money. The case centred on the treatment of patients with the common eye condition, wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Facebook will no longer send employees to work at the offices of political campaigns during elections, the company has announced. The social network used to offer dedicated staff to political campaigns to help them develop their online advertising campaigns. Donald Trump’s digital director for the 2016 presidential election has said Facebook’s assistance helped him win. Facebook said rival Hillary Clinton was offered the same support, but declined. The social network is the second largest online advertising broker, behind Google.

In construction news this week…

Are safety fines are getting out of control? Galliford Try and Costain were fined £1.4m each this week after a worker lost three toes at a water treatment plant.

Caddick takes workforce plastic-free. Caddick Construction is pushing to become a single-use plastic free workforce by handing out reusable water bottles across the Yorkshire company.

That’s all for now folks!

2.07.18

England v Colombia

Following Germany and Spain’s shock eliminations, no previous winners now stand between England and the World Cup final. Now, Gareth Southgate’s team are the second highest-ranked side in their half of the draw, behind sixth-placed Switzerland.

This means one of England, Colombia, Sweden, Switzerland, Croatia or Russia will definitely be in the Moscow final on 15 July.

Not that anybody should be getting too carried away – this is England, and a record of two World Cup knockout stage wins since 1990 makes for grim reading.

In construction news this week…

Skanska Papworth hospital job fails cladding check. Skanska has suffered a major setback on its £165m Papworth hospital project after flammable cladding was found fitted to the building.

M&E specialist Lorne Stewart suffers £8.5m loss. Building services specialist Lorne Stewart has counted the cost of problem contracts suffering a £8.5m loss last year.

Kier terminates Mackintosh building contract. Kier and the Glasgow School of Art have both mutually agreed to terminate the Mackintosh building contract following the devastating fire.

In MECsafe news this week…

We still have plenty of availability on the following courses:

Health & Safety Awareness – 11th July 2018 (ask us about completing your CSCS test after the course)!

SMSTS Refresher – 12th & 13th July 2018

UKATA Asbestos Awareness – 16th July 2018

If you would like any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

21.05.18

Britain’s biggest rail timetable shake-up

More than four million trains have been rescheduled in what’s been touted as the biggest timetable alteration in UK railway history.
The timetable changes came in on Sunday with the aim to improve rail efficiency – affecting Gatwick Express, Great Northern, Southern and Thameslink.
Some travel experts say the overhaul will benefit passengers and make journey times 15 minutes faster. But passengers in a number of smaller locations have complained, saying they will be served with fewer or slower services.

Just incase you have been hiding under a rock this weekend (or have been for the last 6 months) – Harry & Megan have now been pronounced husband and wife at their wedding ceremony in front of the Royal family, celebrities and the eyes of millions from around the world. For those of you who did watch it there may have been some moments you missed!

In construction news this week…

Homes for England launches consultants framework. Homes England launches the procurement of its new multidisciplinary and technical services frameworks at the end of this month.

Contractor saved after being sunk by the “Carillion effect”. A Telford based contractor sunk by the collapse of Carillion has been bought out of administration by its directors.

Wates Living Space looking for new subcontractors. Wates Living Space is looking to add new subcontractors to its supply chain.

In MECsafe news this week…

We still have plenty of availability on the following courses:

Emergency First Aid – 29th May 2018

Health & Safety Awareness – 30th May 2018 (ask us about completing your CSCS test after the course)!

PASMA (Mobile Tower Scaffolding) – 30th May 2018

If you would like any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

16.04.18

First Blog in a while!

The Prime Minister is expected to face fierce criticism in the Commons today as she defends her decision to bomb Syria without consulting MPs. Theresa May will reiterate her belief that the overnight strikes on chemical weapons plants was in Britain’s “national interest”. Opposition members, including Jeremy Corbyn, have questioned why Mrs May gave the go-ahead to the strikes without Parliamentary approval.

On a slightly different note – Is drinking wine good or bad for you?
Bon viveurs have been left reeling by reports that drinking ten glasses of wine a week can shorten life expectancy by two years.
Or to put it another way, you lose “15 minutes of life for each unit above the safe amount, the equivalent of smoking a cigarette”, says The Daily Telegraph’s science editor Sarah Knapton.

The warning comes in a study led by the University of Cambridge and the British Heart Foundation that makes for sobering reading.

In construction news this week…

BAM wins £90m King’s Cross office deal for Argent. Bam Construction has secured another major office scheme for developer Argent in the wake of Carillion’s collapse.

Carillion collapse hits 2018 commercial property lending. The collapse of Carillion is being blamed for a unexpected 4% fall in lending to the commercial property sector in January to £4.1bn.

SME contractors agree 3.1% pay rise deal. Employers and unions have agreed a one-year pay rise deal of 3.1% under the Building and Allied Trades Joint Industrial Council (BATJIC) agreement.

In MECsafe news this week…

We still have plenty of availability on the following courses:

H&S Awareness (required for the green Labourers CSCS card) – 25th April 2018

SSSTS Refresher – 27th April 2018

UKATA Asbestos Awareness – 30th April 2018

If you would like any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

22.01.18

More Political Scandals

The head of the British Army will warn today that the country’s ability to respond to Russian threats will erode if the UK does not keep up with its enemies. General Sir Nick Carter will use a speech to the Royal United Services Institute to highlight how Moscow is building an increasingly aggressive and expeditionary force that already boasts capabilities that outmatch UK forces.

UKIP’s ruling committee has unanimously backed a vote of no confidence in party leader Henry Bolton, just hours after he warned the party ‘is probably over’ if he is forced out. Mr Bolton, whose leadership of the party was called into question following revelations that his girlfriend Jo Marney sent racist text messages, told TV show ‘Peston on Sunday’ it could not survive another leadership contest.

Today marks a year since President Trump took office, and his administration is once again mired in controversy amid a costly federal funding row that has led to a government shutdown.

In construction news this week…

Sheffield United submits plan for South Stand. Sheffield United have submitted plans for a new South Stand to add more than 5,400 seats, new executive boxes and a media centre at Bramall Lane.

Kier fined £100,000 for hospital oil spill. Kier and its subcontractor BKP Waste Recycling Limited have been sentenced for polluting groundwater with over 11,000 litres of diesel during the redevelopment of Christchurch Hospital, Dorset.

Site safety stand-down to cover whole of construction. Sites across the whole construction sector will stop work as part of a safety stand-down in April.

In MECsafe news this week…

We still have plenty of availability on the following courses:

SSSTS (Supervisors) – 1st & 2nd Feb 2018

H&S Awareness (required for the green Labourers CSCS card) – 7th Feb 2018

IPAF 3a & 3b – 8th Feb 2018

If you would like any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

4.12.17

Great idea!

The Co-op has become the first big retailer to sell food after its “best before” date in an attempt to cut down on £500 million worth of waste every year in Britain. 125 shops in East Anglia will sell the dried and tinned food at a flat rate of 10 pence.

Driving test examiners have begun a 48 hour strike in protest at the biggest changes to the exam in decades. They say it will mean longer working hours for no extra pay.

In construction news this week…

Fire-break scare forces £100m student scheme refit. Urgent retrofit to start at award-winning modular student scheme in West London.

Road worker killed by passing car. South West Highways Limited fined £500,000 after court hears of poor traffic management on site.

Second major private hospital project shelved. Kier’s £70m Manchester Nuffield Health scheme mothballed.

In MECsafe news this week…

We still have plenty of availability on the following courses:

SSSTS Refresher – 8th December

CCNSG Refresher – 8th December

PASMA – 14th December

If you would like any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

13.11.17

Another day, another Twitter outburst!

An insult about Donald Trump’s age was enough to prompt another Twitter outburst from the US president. In response to being called “old” by Kim Jong-un, Trump wrote on Twitter: “Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me “old,” when I would NEVER call him “short and fat?”.

Northern Ireland’s World Cup dreams are over, after they failed to beat Switzerland in the second leg of their World Cup qualifier game. The green and white army had to overturn a 1 0 deficit they suffered in the opening leg, but failed to break the deadlock in the city of Basel and drew the match 0 0.

In construction news this week…

Worker set on fire by cable strike. Court hears how site was not mapped out properly and worker had no training.

Kier tops October contracts league after 30 wins. HMRC win in Cardiff gives McAlpine biggest new work haul over 12 months.

In MECsafe news this week…

We still have plenty of availability on the following courses:

SSSTS (Supervisors) – 16th & 17th November

UKATA Asbestos Awareness – 20th November

SSSTS Refresher – 24th November

If you would like any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

30.10.17

We’re winning!

England’s under-17 football team won the World Cup after coming back from two goals down to win 5-2 in the final. Steve Cooper’s side completed the sensational victory to join England’s World Cup-winning under 20’s side, who won the competition in June.

The mental health response following the Grenfell Tower fire is the biggest operation of its kind in Europe, a doctor has said, with numbers affected likely to exceed 11,000. More than 1,300 people have been seen by Central and North West London NHS Trust and GPs after the fire, either for post-traumatic stress disorder screening or Grenfell-related physical health concerns.

In construction news this week…

Track repair team in 125mph train near miss. Rail safety experts have launched an investigation after a team of track workers narrowly avoided being hit by a 125mph passenger train.

Edinburgh tram extension race starts. Edinburgh City Council has started the hunt for two contractors to deliver its tram extension project from York Place to Newhaven.

Plans for 1,200 London homes on ex-Tesco land. The Meyer Homes development business set up by a former Redrow London MD has submitted plans for two London schemes totalling nearly 1,200 apartments.

In MECsafe news this week…

We still have plenty of availability on the following courses:

SSSTS (Supervisors) – 2nd & 3rd November

Health & Safety Awareness – 8th November (ask us about completing your CSCS test after the course)!

SMSTS Refresher – 9th & 10th November

If you would like any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

9.10.17

Time is running out to spend your old pound coins

Prince Harry is set to team up with the Ministry of Defence to promote a new mental health strategy for those in the military, including veterans. The joint initiative is the latest in a series of Royal efforts to highlight mental health issues in the armed forces.

Dove has apologised after their brand was accused of racism in their online marketing campaign where it showed a black woman turning white. Dove responded to the huge social media backlash with the following tweet: “An image we recently posted on Facebook missed the mark in representing women of color thoughtfully. We deeply regret the offense it caused.”

Time is running out to spend your old pound coins – we have just under a week before the coins cease to be a legal tender. Check down the back of your sofa, coat pockets, bags and piggy banks to make sure you don’t have any old pounds in your possession.

England finished the World Cup Qualifiers with three points as they beat Lithuania 1-0 thanks to a Harry Kane penalty. Northern Ireland are through to the play-offs, meanwhile, Scotland’s World Cup hopes were dashed after drawing with Slovenia 2 2.

In construction news this week…

Scaffolder loses hands and feet after hitting power line. A scaffolding company and its director have been sentenced after a worker lost his hands and feet in a horrific site accident.

London Mayor doubles affordable housing at Barratt scheme. London mayor Sadiq Khan has approved an application for 460 homes on a green belt site in north-west London after developer Barratt doubled the number of affordable homes.

Mace tipped for Mitsubishi London skyscraper. Developers Mitsubishi Estate London and Stanhope are understood to be in talks with contractor Mace to build their planned London tower project at 150 Leadenhall Street.

In MECsafe news this week…

We still have plenty of availability on the following courses:

UKATA Asbestos Awareness – 16th October

Health & Safety Awareness – 17th October

SSSTS (Supervisors) – 19th & 20th October

If you would like any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.