There are more than 2million CSCS cards in circulation and 70,000 of them will expire in 2024 because the industry accreditation route that led to them being issued is no longer accepted. Holding a card now requires a qualification, which for many people means an NVQ or SVQ.

The industry accreditation route to the card was introduced when the Construction Skills Certification Scheme was created in 1995, so that those working in the industry who were considered capable of doing the work did not have to go through the process of obtaining a qualification, especially those in specialist areas such as stonemasonry. But in future they will have to and time is running out for people to obtain that qualification in order to retain a card before all the industry accreditation cards are withdrawn in September 2024.

The message is not new. The industry has been told for several years that the industry accreditation route is ending and the cards issued under it will be withdrawn – but there are still 70,000 of them in use.

That was why the message was reiterated by Gordon Jenkins from CSCS at the Natural Stone Industry Training Group (NSITG) meeting that followed the AGM on 22 November, all online, as is now standard for the group.

Gordon said his previous boss had described industry accreditations as being for “the old and the bold”. They are often known as ‘grandfather rights’, which Gordon said managed to be both ageist and sexist.

However, industry accredited cards are predominantly held by men over 50. And there is a concern that when industry accreditation cards are withdrawn, those holding them will also withdraw from the industry, which is undesirable when companies are already facing skills shortages.

Gordon Jenkins said that in the stone sector ‘grandfather rights’ had come through what was called managed industry accreditation, which was itself quite a detailed process to go through. He said the alternative of obtaining a vocational qualification (VQ) through OSAT (on site accreditation and training) will continue, but CSCS is working with the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) to develop a process to make obtaining a VQ even easier and more efficient for those with proven work experience.

He said: “There’s this myth that you have to go back to college. That’s not what this is about.”

Gordon pointed out that it is not only NVQs that qualify people for CSCS cards. Apprenticeships and City & Guilds are also valid, although not everyone has retained their certificates or finds it easy to lay their hands on evidence showing the training they went through. And City & Guilds does not have comprehensive records of everyone who ever obtained its certificates.

For those who do need to obtain an NVQ or SVQ, age should not be a barrier. Gordon said one person who had obtained an NVQ in order to renew his card was 72.

Gordon pointed out that CSCS cards are not a mandatory requirement, although developers and contractors are at liberty to restrict site access to those who hold them and to restrict certain activities to those who hold appropriate cards showing relevant qualifications.

NSITG members also heard from Steve Farrow of apprenticeship training agency (ATA) Evolve Apprentices. Steve conceded that ATAs do not have a great reputation, but said they work well in construction.

He said ‘diversity’ is a term frequently used to encourage businesses to recruit and employ people from outside their traditional pool of labour and Evolve Apprentices is working towards increasing diversity in construction.

It employes 50 apprentices in London and the West Midlands and 67% of them do not describe themselves as ‘white British’.

Evolve had identified areas where there is a shortage of apprentices, which include the stone industry, especially in the heritage sector, and roofing.

A problem is that many companies operating in these sectors do not have projects lasting long enough to cover an apprenticeship and are reluctant to take on apprentices that they might not be able to keep fully employed.

However, they can be obliged by Section 106 agreements to provide employment and skills initiatives on a project, so Evolve’s solution is to employ the apprentices itself and fit them into various projects as required.

If there is no job to move them on to, Evolve will continue to employ them until one becomes available so that the apprenticeship continues. It also takes responsibility for them when they are attending college courses.

Steve said Evolve covers its costs of paying the apprentices, providing personal protective equipment (apart from site requirements such as hard hats), and its administration fees by charging the host companies that offer the apprentices positions.

If the host company wants to be sure an apprentice will fit in, work experience and trial periods can be arranged. Otherwise, placements normally last between three and 12 months.

Michelle Turner, who Chairs the NSITG, said after hearing Steve’s presentation: “It sounds a really great scheme.” Steve said it was proving a successful way of recruiting people into the sector.

Stone companies are once again reminded of the need to assess, monitor and reduce the risk of employees' exposure to vibration injuries when using power tools. 

This reminder comes as a health board in Wales, responsible for looking after people’s health, is fined £160,000 for exposing its own workers to vibration injuries that led to three cases of Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS).

An investigation by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) found the health board had even ignored requests from its own occupational health department to conduct an assessment of the risks being faced by employees, who routinely operated handheld power tools such as lawnmowers, strimmers and hedge cutters for several hours a day, particularly during the summer.

The health board had not carried out any assessment of the risks its employees faced. There was no monitoring nor any estimate of exposure levels. Information, instruction and training given was also minimal.

Some of the employees had been operating power tools for several decades when three of them were diagnosed as suffering from Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS).

Powys Teaching Health Board of Glasbury House, Bronllys Hospital, Bronllys, Powys, Wales, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974 when it appeared before Wrexham Magistrates on 22 November. As well as being fined £160,000 it was ordered to pay costs of £5,599.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Joe Boast said: “This was a case of the health board completely failing to grasp the importance of managing its staff’s exposure to vibration while using handheld power tools.

“Employers should conduct a full assessment of the vibration magnitude and exposure duration before reviewing whether employees are at risk. There is a simple online calculator to help employers complete this process.

“If the health board had followed the free guidance, it would not have exposed employees to risk and possibly have prevented the ill health that has been suffered.”

HSE’s hand-arm vibration exposure calculator can be found here along with more advice on controlling exposure to the risk of vibration injuries. 

hse.gov.uk

Australia has always been hot on tackling the danger of inhaling respirable crystalline silica (RCS) while processing engineered quartz, and now a union is calling on the government to ban it altogether.

Zach Smith , the incoming National Secretary of the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining & Energy Union (CFMEU) has said if the federal government does not ban production, importation and use of engineered stone by July 2024, it will ban its members from handling it.

"This product is killing workers and the reality is Australian workers will keep dying unless we ban engineered stone," he told Australia’s ABC News.

Supporting the call is Kyle Goodwin, who was a fit, young worker in a stone worktop company in 2004. Now he's a 37-year-old with silicosis who can't go for a walk without getting out of breath. "You're just suffocating slowly,” he says.

Four years ago he was told he had five years to live. Now he wants the engineered stone he spent many years working to be banned. "This is a preventable illness and we need to make sure that it does not continue to happen," he said.

In 2021 a report by Australia’s National Dust Disease Taskforce said nearly one in four workers exposed to silica dust from engineered stone before 2018 has been diagnosed with silicosis.

The report said existing workplace health & safety regulations had not protected stonemasons and recommended further safety measures should be imposed, although it stopped short of calling for the product to be banned.

Zach Smith says he knows of a number of workplaces that have followed best practice to manage the risk of exposure to silica dust but cases of silicosis have still arisen.

Kate Cole, the President of the Australian Institute of Occupational Hygienists, likens the risk of exposure to silica to that of asbestos and supports the call for banning products containing high levels of crystalline silica.

Chris Churm, the new Managing Director of landscape product company Marshalls' Landscape Protection business, is working with experts in the company's team to ensure it can offer a range of products to meet the requirements of the Protect Duty expected to become law next year.

Also known as Martyn’s Law, the Protect Duty will require the owners of publicly accessible areas to implement protective measures to mitigate against the threat of terrorist attacks.

It earned the name of Martyn's Law as a result of the attack on the Manchester Arena during an Ariana Grande concert in 2017. The name refers to Martyn Hett, one of the victims of the attack where a suicide bomber killed 22 people and injured hundreds more.

Chris Churm says: “Protect Duty is also an important topic in our industry right now. The new legislation expected to come into force in 2023 is one of our priorities and we are working with the experts in our team to ensure that our product range offers suitable solutions to meet requirements.”

To go to the section of Marshalls website dealing with Landscape Protection and street furniture, click here. 

Chris Churm was appointed Managing Director of Marshalls Landscape Protection in June, also becoming MD of Marshalls Natural Stone. He has taken responsibility for the day-to-day management and trading performance of the two business areas of the leading landscape company.  

Chris joined Marshalls in 2006 and has worked across the company in various roles, most recently as Trading Director responsible for the company's business with domestic installers, including responsibility for Marshalls' Register of Accredited Landscape Contractors.

Before that his roles included Commercial Regional Trading Manager, engaging with specifiers and commercial contractors across all Marshalls' catalogues, and National Accounts Director, managing sales teams focused on builders merchants.

Commenting on his latest promotion, Chris said: “I am delighted to be working in this role, which covers our Landscape Protection and Natural Stone businesses. With the support of a fantastic team, we have already begun to develop the business areas further.

"In terms of Landscape Protection, we have placed a focus on supporting those responsible for the safety and design of the public realm with our vast portfolio of protective and non-protective street furniture, post and rail and active travelling products.

"Additionally, our stone business gives me the opportunity to work with colleagues and customers to really develop our total value proposition across Marshalls’ portfolio of beautiful and technically outstanding ranges."

The delivery of Tarmac bagged cement loaded on green Pallet Loop pallets at builders merchant Bradfords' Glastonbury branch marks the start of the first end-to-end trial of a new circular economy pallet re-use scheme for construction.

Bradfords and Tarmac are trialling the use of The Loop Pallet system to move goods between their businesses and out to a select number of Bradfords’ customers in Somerset. (Read our report of the launch of the scheme earlier this year here.)

Loop is based on the principle of recover, repair, re-use, to help the construction industry meet its net zero emissions target by 2050 and reduce some of the enormous amount of waste the building industry disposes of every year.

The Pallet Loop uses 100% Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) pallets that are easily identifiable because they are bright green and printed with the word ‘Loop’. They all follow the same standard design, making them safer to move, manage and stack, and helping to maximise lorry distribution capacity.

The Pallet Loop operates using a returnable pallet charge that incentivises re-use.

By attaching a value to the pallet, which is refunded at the point of return, The Pallet Loop provides a financial motivation for individuals and companies to put pallets back into the Loop rather than skipping or scrapping them.

This positive shift in behaviour will greatly reduce the burden that pallet production currently places on the environment and our forests, with an estimated 6,000 acres of forest harvested each year for construction industry pallets (although a further 236,000 acres are growing to cater for future demand). The wood can easily be used elsewhere.

Switching to The Pallet Loop also has the potential to produce savings on waste costs. The Pallet Loop estimates that companies could save as much as £10,000 for every 1,000 green pallets they put back into the Loop.

The standard collection charge for the collection of mixed Loop and white pallets within 72hrs is £125 for up to 50 pallets. Putting a pallet in a waste skip is likely to cost at least £6 per pallet and could be as much as £12.

Giles Bradford, Head of Sustainability at Bradfords Building Supplies, says: “We see examples of both unsafe pallets and pallet waste every day across our sector. They’re a crucial enabler for the construction industry, but the evidence of stacks of pallets clogging merchant branches or being skipped on-site is only too apparent. It’s important for us to assess environmental sustainability at every stage of the supply chain. Trialling The Pallet Loop is the latest step in our efforts to reduce our own environmental impact, but looks to support a much wider benefit across the sector.

“We are delighted to be supporting the initiative and looking forward to seeing how the trial progresses.”

Developers and trades receive the distinctive Loop pallets during the Bradfords / Tarmac trial should either return them to Bradfords on their next visit or ready them to be loaded on to a Bradfords delivery lorry the next time one visits their site. When pallets are returned the refundable pallet charge will be credited to company or person returning it.

Garry Gregory, Packed Products Director at Tarmac, says: “We’re proud to be part of this UK construction industry first with our involvement in the end-to-end trial of the new pallet re-use scheme.

“The Pallet Loop re-use scheme is key to reducing waste and the demand for natural resources, ensuring we use and supply pallets in a greener, more sustainable way - this aligns closely with our 2030 circular economy goals in ‘Act’, our sustainability strategy. We are looking forward to seeing how the trial progresses and hope to see a successful roll out of the scheme in the months ahead.”

Paul Lewis, Founder of The Pallet Loop, praises Tarmac and Bradfords for their forward-thinking approach to sustainability and having “clearly recognised the value that a circular economy pallet re-use scheme will have not just for their businesses but also their customers, the wider industry, and the environment.

“We’ve spent the past year speaking to key players throughout the construction sector, explaining the simplicity of our model and how easily it can be integrated into the sector. Tarmac and Bradfords are now proving that in practice – putting the Loop to the test. We look forward to working with both companies on this trial as we plan the wider roll out of The Pallet Loop in early 2023.”

To service its circular economy pallet re-use scheme, The Pallet Loop operates collection sites and repair hubs nationwide. Pallets are taken back to the nearest site where they re-enter the pallet pool after being checked for damage.

The Pallet Loop plans to be fully operational in early 2023. It will work the same way as in the Bradfords-Tarmac trial.

Smaller developers and trades will be able to return pallets to the merchant branch that delivered them or call them to discuss the possibility of backhauling when additional deliveries are made to site or vehicles are in the proximity of the sites. Larger developers and principal contractors will be able to book a collection slot for multiple pallets to be picked up directly by The Pallet Loop.

Companies interested in evaluating The Pallet Loop’s pallets or organising a trial of their own should email info@thepalletloop.com, call 0800 024 6130 or take a look at the website www.thepalletloop.com.

A country mansion that was once one of Britain’s most at risk Grade II* listed buildings is enjoying a new lease of life, thanks in part to Welsh Slate.

It is Bank Hall, in Bretherton, Lancashire, which was removed from the Buildings at Risk register in October following its renovation.

Cwt-y-Bugail Dark Blue Grey roofing slates from Welsh Slate have been used over 1,000m2 of roof at Bank Hall, which has been converted into luxury residential accommodation and exhibition spaces.

The Welsh slates were specified for the £5.6million renovation on a like-for-like basis by architect Miles Pearson as the existing Welsh slates had been on the roof, in diminishing courses (as was the build method of the time), since the building was remodelled in the early 1830s.

“We chose the slate in conjunction with the National Lottery Heritage Fund’s team, who oversaw the project and felt a historic supplier was far more suitable than an overseas import,” says Miles.

The five-year project has converted the Hall into 10 apartments and two houses. In addition, the central four-storey Prospect Tower, a regionally significant architectural feature, now houses educational and exhibition spaces that are open to the public for two days a week. The public also have access to the outer gardens and walled garden.

Specialist sub-contractor RL Lovatt took nine months to complete the re-roof. The company’s team used 1F bitumen underlay and custom lead boxes to cater for the resident bat population. All abutments used lead soakers / flashings with stainless steel valleys and land valleys and conservation roof windows.

Contracts manager Andy Wilson says: “This project was quite the challenge due to time scales, the weather and the overall complexity of a job of this magnitude. Working with true Welsh Slate made all the difference – they are more durable, look fantastic and overall are much better to work with [than imported slate].”

Lovatt was supplied with the Welsh Slate products by distributor UK Slate.

Andy Wilson added: “Neil Purcell from UK Slate was instrumental in picking the correct slates for the job as he went to multiple meetings on site in regards to this and dropped a lot of samples off for the architectural team. His expertise in this was incredibly helpful to both the site teams and to ourselves.”

Bank Hall had been vacant and decaying steadily since 1971. It was the first building to feature on BBC Two’s Restoration series on television. Its restoration, thanks to a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant of £2.2million, was delivered by Chorley Borough Council in partnership with the owners, Heritage Trust North West, and developers Urban Splash and Next Big Thing Developments, specialising in difficult conservation building projects in the North West of England.

Architect Miles Pearson says: “Chorley planning and conservation were very proactive and welcomed the project. It’s gratifying for all stakeholders to know we saved the building.”

The earliest identifiable phase of the present building dates from the early 17th Century, although the house was extensively remodelled in the early 1830s. It is an early example of 19th Century Jacobean style by George Webster, an architect in Kendal, for owner George Anthony Legh-Keck. The main entrance porch on the north side, a drawing room wing at the west end and extensive service accommodation were all added at that time.

The Lilford family inherited the Hall in 1860. Although they never fully occupied it, they maintained it until the late 19th Century, when they decided to rent it out. During the Second World War it was used by the military and then handed back to the Ilford estate and used by the estate managers until it became derelict.

In addition to the house, Bank Hall includes 15 acres of gardens, an orchard and a copse. The orchard and copse are to be built on as they are the site of an enabling development of 23 homes, construction of which is due to begin in January.

It is more than 35 years since Save Britain’s Heritage drew attention to the plight of Bank Hall in its buildings at risk publication Silent Mansions. The Bank Hall Action Group (now Friends of Bank Hall) was formed in response to that and has campaigned to save the Hall. There is more about the renovation of the Hall on the National Lottery Heritage Fund website.

The British designed and made Trolex Air XS Silica Monitor, which measures respirable crystalline silica (RCS) in the air in real time, has won two more awards, bringing this year's total to five.

Its latest honours come in the Most Innovative Instrument, Product or Digital Solution category of the Air Quality & Emissions Awards at the Air Quality & Emissions exhibition in Telford, Shropshire, and The Best Health & Safety Innovation Product in the Building Innovation Awards presented at The Point in Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester.

Silica is the biggest respiratory health risk construction workers face after asbestos, which is why the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has extended its focus on inspections of companies where it is prevalent – which includes worktop fabricators (read more about the HSE campaign against RCS here).

It is estimated that 600,000 people are exposed to silica at work each year in the UK, most of them in the construction industry.

The Air XS Silica Monitor delivers real-time detection of potentially lethal respirable crystalline silica (RCS) particulates in airborne dust mixtures in factories and on-site. It can be moved easily to various locations where silica dust might be generated. It uses laser technology to differentiate the particular footprint of silica from other dust.

Requiring no complicated set-up and only five minutes of maintenance a month, the Air XS is easy-to-use and provides accurate readings with minimal training.

The units are not cheap at around £10,000, but they could save the NHS and wider economy billions in debilitated workers and the long-term care of silicosis sufferers, as well as helping to prevent the suffering of thousands of people. And many accept the principle that it should be the polluter who meets the cost of avoiding or clearing up the pollution.

The Air XS Silica Monitor displays the presence of RCS in the air by volume. It can be used to record the results and track changing concentrations over time, letting workers know if the amount of RCS in their workspace is increasing as they work and when it has risen to dangerous levels.

On winning the recent awards, Trolex Managing Director Steve Holland said: “2022 has been an important year for Trolex, bringing our ground-breaking Silica Monitor to market. A world first, in real-time respirable crystalline silica monitoring we are proud to have been recognised alongside our peers, including some of the most prestigious and well-respected companies within the health & safety industry across the UK.”

“Winning these awards is not just a win for our dedicated team at Trolex but for construction workers around the globe. It gives us a platform to raise awareness among employers about the extreme dangers of inhalation of silica dust particulates in airborne dust mixtures and the risk of silicosis while highlighting there is a cost-effective solution to increase worker safety.”

“Our objective is to save lives within hazardous working environments and the AIR XS Silica Monitor is doing just that – with the potential to save millions of lives, globally.”

Championing the Trolex Air XS Silica Monitor to the stone industry is Stone Industry Group (SiG). Anyone who would like to speak to Simon Bradbury at SiG about the Monitor can find his contact details on the SiG website at sig.ltd. There is also more about the Monitor on the Trolex website at trolex.com.

Guest presenter of the Natural Stone Awards in London's Leonardo Royal London Tower Bridge Hotel on 2 December is architect and television presenter Charlie Luxton.

Charlie is a champion of the environment and communicates his enthusiasm for sustainable architecture and eco-friendly design on his television appearances.

After achieving a first-class honours degree in Architecture at Oxford Brookes University and an MA at the Royal College of Art in London, he began his broadcasting career presenting Modern British Architects for Channel 5.

He has gone on to present Britain’s Hidden Heritage (BBC 1), Restored to Glory and Rebuilding The Past (BBC 2), Homes and Property (ITV), Supercommuters and World’s Weirdest Homes (Channel 4) and Build A New Life In The Country (Channel 5).

Charlie will be on stage at the Natural Stone Awards with sports presenter Jim Rosenthal, announcing the winners, with voiceover artist Alan Dedicoat behind the scenes describing the winning projects.

The Natural Stone Awards presentation lunch is a highlight of the stone industry calendar. It provides an opportunity for the professionals involved with the natural stone sector to celebrate the exemplary projects that win the Awards and the teams behind them.

Architects, interior designers, main contractors, clients, and natural stone companies will meet for the Awards lunch and to discover who are this year's winners.

If you would like to be there with your guests, there is still time to book your places. Just email awards@stonefed.org.uk and state how many seats you would like. For details, click here to download a booking form.

The Autumn Statement by Chancellor of the Exchequor Jeremy Hunt on 17 November concluded the unravelling of his predecessor’s business-friendly tax cuts of just eight weeks earlier (read more about that here).

Key tax announcements on 17 November include threshold and allowances measures, energy levy changes, changes to R&D tax reliefs, and reforms of business rates.

Threshold freezes and personal tax allowance measures

National Insurance contributions thresholds will be fixed at their current rates until April 2028. The government will legislate for the measure through secondary legislation early next year.

The National Insurance contributions secondary threshold will be fixed at £9,100 from April 2023 until April 2028. The Employment Allowance means the smallest employers will not be affected.

Energy Levies

Energy Profits Levy (EPL) – from 1 January 2023, the EPL rate will rise by 10 percentage points to 35% and will be extended to 31 March 2028. The investment allowance will be reduced to 29% for all investment expenditure (other than decarbonisation expenditure) broadly maintaining its existing cash value. Decarbonisation expenditure will continue to qualify for the current investment allowance rate of 80%. The government will legislate for these measures in the Autumn Finance Bill 2022, except the changes related to decarbonisation expenditure which will be legislated for in the Spring Finance Bill 2023.

Corporate Tax changes

Reforms to R&D tax relief for expenditure on or after 1 April 2023 mean the Research & Development Expenditure Credit rate will increase from 13% to 20%, the Small & Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) additional deduction will decrease from 130% to 86%, and the SME credit rate will decrease from 14.5% to 10%. The government is continuing to review R&D tax reliefs, which were launched in the Budget of 2021, and will consult on the design of a single scheme.

Other measures include:

• Company Car Tax (CCT) Rates – the government is setting rates for CCT until April 2028 to provide long term certainty for taxpayers and industry in Autumn Finance Bill 2022
• Van Benefit Charge and Car & Van Fuel Benefit Charges – from 6 April 2023, Car and Van Fuel Benefit Charges and Van Benefit Charge will increase in line with the September 2022 Consumer Price Inflation (CPI) rate.
• A substantial package of reforms to business rates has also been announced and you can read the details on the government website here.