FIT FOR PURPOSE LEADING FROM THE FRONT

“The creation of the National Retrofit Hub is a means to bring clarity to those who work in the retrofit sector by signposting and sharing best practice to speed up the roll out of greener homes. Creating the Hub will cement links with the finance community and the skills providers to enable locally based delivery programmes to be scaled up and deliver significant economic and social benefits.”

Asbestos: Young tradespeople need to know the risk

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE NATIONAL RETROFIT HUB VISIT: WWW.RDR.LINK/BAR002

Millennials, gen Z workers and other younger people who work as plumbers, electricians, and in other trades need to take the risk of asbestos much more seriously. That’s the message from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The workplace regulator is launching a new campaign to raise awareness of the risks associated with the dangerous substance.

The construction sector boomed by further growth predicted this year Analysis by easyMoney has shown that at £97.6bn (2022) the UK construction sector is by far the largest in Europe and is expected to grow by a further 3.9% this year, having rebounded from the previous pandemic decline seen since 2020. The figures show that residential construction accounts for the vast majority of this market size (80.8%). The sector is expected to see a further 3.9% increase in 2023, pushing it above the £100bn mark for the first time since 2020, to an estimated £101.4bn.

FOR MORE DETAILS, VISIT WWW.RDR.LINK/BAR003

Talk About It

New data reveals half of construction workers feel lonely at work

New data reveals that 47% of construction workers in the UK feel lonely in the workplace. The findings, which are part of the NESCAFÉ ‘Make Chat Work’ campaign, also reveal that 79% of construction workers agree that having opportunities to talk to colleagues around coffee breaks would make them feel less lonely.

FOR MORE DETAILS, VISIT WWW.RDR.LINK/BAR004

The campaign, called Asbestos and You, will target all tradespeople with a focus on younger workers in trades such as plastering and joinery. HSE wants to reach construction workers who started their careers after the use of asbestos was banned in 1999.

The regulator is concerned the length of time it takes for symptoms to develop after asbestos exposure could lead to a perception among today’s younger workers that it is something that only impacts older people who were working before the ban.

Five thousand people a year still die from asbestos related illnesses and asbestos can still be found in buildings built or refurbished before the year 2000.

Asbestos containing materials were used extensively in the construction and maintenance of buildings in Great Britain from the 1950s until the ban. That means construction workers of all ages could still be exposed to asbestos fibres today.

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE ASBESTOS AND YOU CAMPAIGN, VISIT HSE’S WEBSITE FOR FURTHER GUIDANCE ON THE SUBJECT: WWW.RDR.LINK/BAR005

Heritage Matters

DBR partners with QEST on built heritage skills scholarship programme

DBR (London) has announced a three-year partnership with the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST), to support its ongoing scholarship programme. The scholarship is open to anyone looking to enhance their craft skills in built heritage, from stonemasonry and plasterwork to leadwork and joinery. The successful candidate will receive a substantial bursary funded by DBR, which will go towards specialist training in their chosen field. Applications will open in July 2023 for an award in November 2023, judged by a panel of QEST experts.