Plant Sector Webinar
The Plant Sector Representative Organisation is hosting a webinar on Tuesday 24 March from 2:00pm to 3:00pm to provide an update on the competence frameworks being developed setting out the skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours required for construction plant occupations. Members interested in finding out more can register for the webinar.
Annual Report on Grenfell Tower Inquiry Published
The Government has published its first annual report following the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, which details the progress that has been made on implementing the 58 recommendations in the Inquiry’s final report and sets out milestones and plans for the year ahead. It confirms that 12 recommendations have been completed, including two from the Phase 1 report, with 70% expected to be closed by the end of 2026.
Alongside the annual report, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published a Construction Products Reform White Paper, setting out system‐wide reforms to strengthen the regulatory framework for construction products. These include a new licensing regime for testing and certification bodies, new requirements for product information and transparency, and greater enforcement powers for the national construction products regulator.
For construction products not covered by designated standards, which means they are currently unregulated, MHCLG is consulting on the introduction of a General Safety Requirement for Construction Productsthat will place specific obligations on businesses to ensure that these products are safe. The deadline for submitting a response to both the consultation and the White Paper is Wednesday 20 May.
In addition, the BSI has developed PAS 2000 ‐ Bringing Safe Products to Market, which sets out a framework for manufacturers to demonstrate that they have taken all reasonable steps to ensure their products are safe for their intended uses. Members can book a place at the launch event in London next Tuesday 10 March from 9:30am ‐ 11:30am.
The Interim Chief Construction Adviser, Thouria Istephan, has published a statement outlining her work to date, including engagement with Build UK and the CLC, as well as the priorities for the remainder of her term until September 2026. These include supporting the development of the new Chief Construction and Scientific Adviser role, which will be appointed by the end of the year.
Driving for Better Business – free resources
Driving is for most people the most dangerous activity they can do. It should go without saying that any load on your vehicle must be both legal – in other words, not overloaded – and secure.
And remember, ‘load’ refers to anything being carried, including any tools or materials for use by the driver as part of their role – such as an engineer, for example.
Overloading can significantly affect the way a vehicle handles, especially in an emergency, and insecure loads can kill.
It’s vital that as an organisation and as a manager or owner you are confident that your drivers are trained, and understand the need to secure loads, how to secure loads, and how to correctly use and secure all the equipment this might involve.
The Driving for Better Business fleet safety focus can help.Download your driver resources here.
DRIVER INFO – SHARE WITH YOUR DRIVERS
Employment Rights Act – Next Steps
The Employment Rights Act is introducing significant reforms to employment law over the next two years. The changes fall broadly into three categories – new rights and protections for workers; fair pay, terms and working conditions; and enforcement and trade unions – and the next measures will come into force from 6 April 2026, including:
- Employees will be entitled to Statutory Sick Pay from the first day of illness, instead of the fourth day, and the lower earnings limit will be removed.
- Paternity leave and unpaid parental leave will also become a ‘day one’ right, and the restriction on taking paternity leave after shared parental leave will be removed.
- Sexual harassment will become a protected disclosure under whistleblowing law, meaning that employees making a sexual harassment disclosure will be protected from unfair dismissal.
- The maximum ‘protective award’ for failure to meet collective redundancy consultation obligations will double from 90 days’ pay to 180 days’ pay.
- Large employers will need to publish Equality Action Plans to address their gender pay gap and support employees affected by the menopause. These will be voluntary from 6 April 2026 and mandatory from spring 2027.
Further changes will take effect in October, and the Government has published a timeline detailing all the measures that will be introduced under the Act throughout 2026 and 2027.