Did you know it is illegal to kill, capture or disturb bats? And that only licensed bat-workers are allowed to enter bat roosts or to capture or handle bats?

Consider that every building and mature tree is potentially a bat roost and the scale of the matter becomes apparent. Would you know the steps necessary to avoid falling foul of the law if bats moved into your site? And if you fall foul of the law, individuals and the company could be prosecuted, resulting in fines of up to £5,000 or a six-month prison sentence.

And it\'s not just bats. Under the Wildlife & Countryside Act (WCA) 1981, more than 20 types of butterfly, eight different species of beetle, badgers (as well as other common mammals) and great crested newts are protected by various levels of legislation.

To help you keep the right side of the wildlife law, CIRIA have produced a new resource and training pack called \'Working with wildlife\'.

It addresses the relationship between wildlife and construction projects. It promotes the principle of moving beyond simply complying with the minimum legal requirement and highlights the role industry can have in contributing to biodiversity.

The pack demonstrates how project staff at all levels can be involved in improving performance in relation to wildlife issues, and what to do when certain species are encountered on site.

The pack includes species and habitat briefing sheets, toolbox talks, a video, and presentation slides.

The Working with wildlife training pack (C587) costs £160+VAT and is available from: