Our Blog

The revised version of BS 8417:2024, Preservation of wood. Code of practice,  has been released with the main revisions and  copies available for purchased from the following link: https://knowledge.bsigroup.com/products/preservation-of-wood-code-of-practice-1?version=standard The continued inclusion…

Countdown to CITB Consensus CITB has confirmed it will begin engaging with the industry in September on the Levy arrangements for 2026 – 2029, ahead of the formal Consensus process…

Contract Terms Guidance Updated Following the release of the first JCT 2024 contracts, which include a number of changes in response to our recommendation on contract terms, Build UK has…

Construction’s Gender Pay Gap As part of our work on Recruiting, Training and Retaining Talent, Build UK collates information each year on the Gender Pay Gap (GPG) of its Contractor…

Skills England to Tackle Skills Shortage Following last week’s King’s Speech, which included the Skills England Bill to transform the skills system, the Government has announced the launch of the…

Demonstrating Organisational Capability The latest version of the Common Assessment Standard, which has been streamlined following the withdrawal of PAS 91 and updated to include a new Building Safety section, is…

Industry Priorities for New Labour Government After being confirmed as the country’s new Prime Minister last week, Sir Keir Starmer has now appointed his cabinet to start delivering the pledges…

Tornado Wire Contractors Social Event, 30th July All welcome to attend Tornado Wire Contractors Social BBQ at Three Counties Showground campsite  after the fencing competition on 30th July – details…

Common Assessment Standard ‐ Version 4  Build UK will be publishing an updated version of the Common Assessment Standard on Monday 1 July. This will be Version 4, which has been…

The clock is counting down for entries for the 2024 UK Fencing Awards Could YOU be a Contractor of the Year? Trophies available for all sectors of fencing: Agricultural and…

Infrastructure Progress Review 2024 The National Infrastructure Commission has released its Infrastructure Progress Review 2024, which shows that the Government’s record on infrastructure delivery over the last 12 months has…

Demonstrating Competence Under the Building Safety Act, anyone appointing an individual or organisation to undertake design and construction work has a duty to ensure that they are competent. For individuals…

View the video here    

Mental Health Awareness Week (13 to 19 May) Over half of all work-related ill health is due to stress, depression or anxiety. The HSE’s Working Minds campaign aims to raise awareness of…

Tackling Modern Slavery Construction has been identified by the Home Office as a high‐risk sector for modern slavery due to its complex supply chains, multiple levels of sub‐contracting and high…

End of Industry Accreditation In line with the latest version of the CLC recommendation on Industry Card Schemes, which confirms that all cards carrying the CSCS logo for skilled occupations…

2024 UK Fencing Awards  – entries are open! Categories are Apprentice of the Year Agricultural and Equine Contractor of the Year Domestic Contractor of the Year Gates & Barriers Contractor…

April is Stress Awareness Month Use Stress Awareness Month to make it routine to prevent stress and support mental health at work, and encourage others in the construction industry too.…

Common Assessment Standard Latest The Cabinet Office has published Procurement Policy Note 03/24 which removes reference to PAS 91 meaning the Common Assessment Standard should now be used across the…

CLC Industry Card Schemes Recommendation The CLC has updated its recommendation on Industry Card Schemes following the introduction of the Building Safety Act and the increased focus on competence. The…

An Introduction to the Fencing Industry with Littlewood Group Littlewood Group want to show the next generation that there is a career in construction for everyone. On Tuesday 19th March,…

CLC Card Schemes Recommendation At its annual conference earlier this week, the CLC published an updated version of its recommendation on Industry Card Schemes following the introduction of the Building…

AFI News Government Support for SMEs Build UK Chair Julie White joined members from the Midlands at the Government’s Business Connect conference earlier this week, where the Prime Minister announced…

The AFI’s Best Practice Day held at Plumpton College in East Sussex was a resounding success, bringing together professionals and students from the fencing industry for a day of learning…

    The AFI are celebrating International Women’s Day 2024 by highlighting the amazing work of women in the fencing industry – read the full article here Budget for Long…

    Scanpole Oy has bought the entire share capital of the Irish PDM Timber Treatment Ltd and agreed to buy the entire share capital of the English Calders & Grandidge Ltd both owned by…

The fencing industry has lots of women working across all roles and we’re championing the work they do! The AFI supports equality and the industry needs more women so we…

Companies House Fees The Government has now published the increases in Companies House fees that will apply from 1 May 2024 following the introduction of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act. The…

Countdown to Open Doors 2024 Open Doors 2024 will kick off in less than a month with more than 210 events across Great Britain set to take people behind the scenes…

HSE Stress at Work The HSE are inviting you to tell them about your experiences of HSE tools and resources you have (or haven’t) heard about when it comes to…

End of Industry Accreditation From 30 June 2024, cards carrying the CSCS logo obtained via Industry Accreditation will no longer be renewed and all such cards will expire on 31…

The Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) has published the National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline setting out 660 projects and programmes to be delivered over the next 10 years with an estimated…

Recruiting the Next Generation To coincide with National Apprenticeship Week, Build UK has published the results of its latest survey of members to understand current employment trends in the industry,…

Drugs & Alcohol in the Workplace Build UK hosts roundtable meetings to bring members together to develop solutions to issues impacting the supply chain. A recent meeting, hosted by Eurofins…

Celebrate Your Apprentices! National Apprenticeship Week 2024 will run from Monday 5 ‐ Sunday 11 February to showcase the positive impact that apprentices make to communities, businesses and the wider economy. The theme…

Well done to the Association of Fencing Industries (AFI) and Dominique Stevenson for their unwavering dedication to establishing a robust Fencing Apprenticeship Scheme following a skills shortage. The updated apprenticeship…

In June the UK’s Association of Fencing Industries (AFI) announced the venue for this year’s UK Fencing Awards ceremony. It will be held at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales,…

Members of the AFI board rubber stamped the agreement last month. ‘We are delighted at having this opportunity and view it as a major steppingstone in our ambitious plans to…

Continuing our rugby theme for the UK Fencing Awards, the 2023 presentation day will take us to the home of Welsh rugby the Principality Stadium in Cardiff On Thursday 5th…

In recent years, security has become an increasingly important concern for individuals and businesses alike. Traditional fencing solutions have long been used to safeguard properties, but with the addition of…

The UK Fencing Awards 2023 is gaining momentum and with so many excellent entries coming in we’ll be taking you through who our sponsors are this year. We’ve got nine…

The UK Fencing Awards 2023 is gaining momentum and with so many excellent entries coming in we’ll be taking you through who our sponsors are this year. We’ve got nine…

The UK Fencing Awards 2023 is gaining momentum and with so many excellent entries coming in we’ll be taking you through who our sponsors are this year. We’ve got nine…

The UK Fencing Awards 2023 is gaining momentum and with so many excellent entries coming in we’ll be taking you through who our sponsors are this year. We’ve got nine…

At CLD Physical Security Systems, we take pride in being a world leading provider of physical security solutions. With over 50 years of experience in the industry, we have been…

The UK Fencing Awards 2023 is gaining momentum and with so many excellent entries coming in we’ll be taking you through who our sponsors are this year. We’ve got nine…

The UK Fencing Awards 2023 is gaining momentum and with so many excellent entries coming in we’ll be taking you through who our sponsors are this year. We’ve got nine…

The UK Fencing Awards 2023 is gaining momentum and with so many excellent entries coming in we’ll be taking you through who our sponsors are this year. We’ve got nine…

Our first best practice day of the year sold out in record time and we’re looking forward to welcoming everyone on the 24th May. Held in conjunction with Tornado Wire…

Are you thinking of entering the UK Fencing Awards but not sure what you need? We’ve detailed everything below and an example from one of winners last year, Littlewood Fencing,…

The UK Fencing Awards 2023 is gaining momentum and with so many excellent entries coming in we’ll be taking you through who our sponsors are this year. We’ve got nine…

The Government has published Procurement Policy Note (PPN) 03/23 in response to calls from Build UK and its members which enables central Government departments and wider public sector bodies to…

After the success of the 2022 best practice day, the AFI is once again bringing this popular event for summer 2023. In conjunction with Tornado Wire, the free best practice…

A new growth assessment has been developed in partnership with major construction clients, contractors and the Supply Chain Sustainability School to enable organisations in the built environment and construction sectors…

The AFI is pleased to announce the approval for the creation of a new standard under the B201 committee. This will be the introduction of BS 1722-19: Specification, design, installation,…

The Association of Fencing Industries (AFI) and the Wood Protection Association (WPA) are conducting a joint investigation into reports by AFI members about the poor performance of recently installed treated…

The AFI is pleased to announce that we have secured a membership only deal with UK Fuels to get 4ppl discount on diesel to help the recent increased costs of…

With equity as the theme for International Women’s Day 2023, Lucy Dixon, Product Manager at CHAS, the supply chain and risk management experts, outlines five steps businesses can take to…

Important Questionnaire on Labour Requirements within fencing! Please complete now, closing date April 30th 2023. If you need staff have your say!  The AFI and Build UK are been working…

After the resounding success of the inaugural 2022 awards, the AFI has gone one step further for 2023, enhancing the categories to reflect the wide ranging excellence within our fencing…

LANDSCAPE – The Industry Trade Show and the AFI are teaming up for another year, with a bonus discount for AFI members exhibiting at LANDSCAPE. Are you an AFI member?…

The Association is sad to announce the death of Wendy Baker who has been a leading light in the fencing industry for over 40 years and we send our condolences…

Public procurement is set for development, with the new Procurement Bill currently making its way through parliament. The post-Brexit reforms focus on creating a single regime for all public procurement,…

National Highways have just released the attached guide. It is supported by a short video and the aim is to help organisations understand the barriers to developing and sustaining desired…

The AFI are pleased to announce that AJS Training are now registered to provide the apprenticeship for all in the fencing industry. This means that any employees or young people…

Finally, we are good to go! After a lot of work, AFI member AJS Training Ltd are finally approved onto the Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers as a MAIN Provider…

Environmental, social and governance have become common reporting standards for all businesses. Alex Minett, Head of Product, CHAS explores what they are and why they’re important to your business. ESG…

The agenda for the wood conference has been released with less than 1 week to go! Book your tickets here Want to see the agenda for the day? Have a…

Come and have a look, learn & chat The AFA and AFI will be holding the second Best Practice Day of 2023, in conjunction with Tornado at Royal Agricultural University…

We know a lot of AFI members install gates so we’ve asked Gate Safe for advice on maintenance questions that our installers are regularly asked so you can have a…

The AFI will be at the Landscape Show at Birmingham NEC on 28th and 29th September 2022. Come and visit us on stand A5 if you are attending. Fencing is…

Gate Safe have released a new edition to their portfolio of practical and easy to follow guides to assist anyone involved in the installation of gates in a commercial setting.…

As businesses look to drive progress on workplace diversity, buyers and suppliers should be prepared to evidence their competence around Fairness, Inclusion and Respect (FIR). Alex Minett, Head of Products…

A statement from Build UK Chair Paul Cossell As an industry, we are currently facing inflationary pressures not seen in the UK for 40 years. The latest update from the…

The AFI will be at the National Sheep Event on Wednesday 27th July at Three Counties Showground, Malvern, WR13 6NW. Let us know if you are visiting and make sure…

The Association of Fencing Industries is supporting Safe digging week www.safe-digging.co.uk to help minimise accidents within fencing. A couple of weeks ago saw a fencing accident that cause a gas…

UK Conformity Assessed (UKCA) marking is replacing CE marking and the Government has announced changes to make it simpler for businesses to apply the UKCA mark for most products placed…

Tackling loneliness at work Loneliness is the focus of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week, which takes place from the 9th-15th May 2022. Alex Minett, Head of Products and Markets at…

As part of Mental Health Awareness Week we’re reminding all AFI members of the access they have to help and support from Perennial. The AFI has partnered with Perennial, a…

The UK Fencing Awards celebration evening will be held at Twickenham on October 13th 2022. We’re busy planning the day to make sure all finalists, guests and sponsors have a…

Shining a light on loneliness The Mental Health Foundation has announced ‘loneliness’ as the key theme for Mental Health Awareness Week, running between Monday 9th May and Sunday 15th May…

Did you do some hedgehog spotting during Hedgehog Awareness Week? Are you making sure your fences help them as much as possible? A good way to help hedgehogs is to…

Delivering the AFI apprenticeship so that we can continue to bring in talent to the industry remains a priority for us and we understand the frustrations for members who continue…

Common Assessment Standard – An Industry-Wide Pre-Qualification System Pre-qualification costs the construction industry up to £1 billion each year and we know AFI members have had duplication of standards in…

With the continued apprehension over the longevity of timber in ground contact and the confusion over other offerings that are available and how they can help with the various sectors…

Being an AFI member and being represented by the trade association specific to your sector could be less than your daily coffee habit. From as little as £1.40 a day*…

The AFI are pleased to announce that world cup winning rugby star Kyran Bracken MBE will be presenting the awards at the awards lunch on the 13th October 2022 at…

Build UK is encouraging companies across the supply chain to sign up as Business Champions as part of the CLC’s CO2nstruct Zero programme to drive carbon out of the sector.…

The sun has been shining and lots of projects are being completed! Entries are coming in for all levels of the UK Fencing Awards, with some interesting submissions for Project…

AFI members can access 25% discount on all British standards documents to make sure you have the knowledge of the requirements for the products you are using, including materials, design…

Watch the rot AFI members know that when wooden posts are used to hang gates, it is important to regularly check their condition as part of the maintenance schedule. Overlooking…

From 6 April 2022, the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations are being updated. CHAS explains what you need to know. The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 2022 come…

Cyber threats are a risk for all AFI members and it is important to keep on top of your online defences. The National Cyber Security Centre has published in depth…

Following our announcement of the fantastic sponsors of Heras, McVeigh Parker, Birkdale, Zaun and CLD Fencing Systems for the UK Fencing Awards we’re excited to reveal that the awards presentation…

This should not be just the cost of doing business Running vans can be an expensive business. While poor driving can obviously put your drivers and other road users at…

The latest version of the Common Assessment Standard has been published following extensive consultation with members and the wider industry. Version 3 includes new questions on sustainability, diversity and cyber security,…

AFI members are reminded that from from tomorrow (1 April), the entitlement to use rebated red diesel will be removed from most sectors, including construction, which means it will be…

The AFI are pleased to announce that the sponsors for the 2022 UK Fencing Awards include several of the major players that supply the fencing industry across its various disciplines…

1 in 4 respondents to the @PerennialGRBS Health & Wellbeing survey reported that their income does not cover their daily living costs. For female respondents the percentage increases to 33%,…

1 in 4 respondents to the @PerennialGRBS Health & Wellbeing survey reported that their income does not cover their daily living costs. For female respondents the percentage increases to 33%,…

The Chancellor has used his Spring Statement to ‘help people and businesses deal with rising costs’ and strengthen the UK economy in the face of global uncertainty following COVID‐19 and…

The AFI will again be attending The LANDSCAPE Show this year. We’re also able to offer AFI members  10% discount on a stand! Welcoming over 250 exhibitors with a vast…

Over three quarters of people are experiencing aches and pains, with back and joint pain being prevalent. 78% of respondents to the @PerennialGRBS Health & Wellbeing survey had experienced back…

The AFI, along with other construction and building organisations, have written to the Chancellor asking for the deferral of the removal of the red diesel rebate due to the present…

CSCS Smart Check app The CSCS Smart Check app will be rolled out from April 2022, allowing all 2.1 million cards in the construction industry displaying the CSCS logo to…

Protect your business today BEB are passionate about protecting businesses with robust contracts – typically terms & conditions, sub-contractor agreements, shareholder agreements, GDPR policies, supplier agreements, and much more. We…

If you’re feeling stressed, you’re not alone. Results from the @PerennialGRBS Health & Wellbeing Survey showed that mental health was seen to be the biggest challenge facing our industry. At…

The challenge Commercial vehicles travel billions of miles on our roads every year, transporting goods, trade professionals and service engineers around the country. They, and the roads they operate on,…

The CLC Product Availability Group has issued its latest statement, confirming that ‘price inflation, largely caused by a shortage of raw materials, rising energy, freight, and labour costs, is of…

The APF Exhibition is the UK’s largest forestry, woodland, arboriculture, fencing and biomass show and this year the AFI are exhibiting! The show caters not just for the forestry, woodland…

The AFI has welcome more excellent members who all share the same commitment to standards and support of the fencing industry. Our new members are: Ground Screw Centre (Fence-Lok Systems)…

Is this really how we do things round here? Culture can be defined as ‘the way we do things round here’. When new people start working for an organization, they’ll…