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CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY NEWS
The UK has opened its first dedicated training facility for modern methods of construction. Situated at Barnsley College, the centre officially launched in November last year in collaboration with Laing O’Rourke and T3 Training & Development. The new centre, part-funded by the Local Skills Improvement Fund (LSIF), will train apprentices to assemble construction and engineering components that have been manufactured offsite. It will be the first purpose- built facility to offer a Level 2 apprenticeship in construction assembly installation – approved by the Institute for Apprenticeships & Technical Education (IfATE) in 2019. Barnsley College Principal and Chief Executive David Akeroyd said: “This facility will no doubt equip students with the expertise needed to succeed in a rapidly evolving construction sector, lead the way on more sustainable methods of construction, and ensure they are prepared for the ambitious demands of the modern workforce.” Akeroyd believed the centre will “play a vital role in addressing skills shortages and supporting the development of a highly skilled, future-ready workforce for the local region and beyond”. Assembly apprentices get their own centre
Cowboy roofer hit with six-year sentence
C owboy roofer, Jack Avanzo of Weather Master Roofing Limited in London, received a six-year prison sentence, suspended for two years, for putting workers’ lives at risk. Avanzo, who pleaded guilty at Brighton Magistrates’ Court of breaching the Work at Height Regulations, was disqualified from being a company director for three years and ordered to: ● Pay £1,500 in costs ● Pay £1,600 as a victim surcharge ● Complete 120 hours of unpaid work. The court found Avanzo guilty of putting workers’ lives at risk during a job in Dorking, with the Health & Safety Executive’s (HSE) investigation revealing that there were no safety
measures in place for workers. They were working on the roof without any scaffolding or edge protection, posing a risk to their safety. They were also seen working at night, using their phones and torches for light. HSE inspector Stephanie Hickford- Smith said: “Falls from height are still the single biggest cause of work- related deaths in Great Britain. The law is clear – suitable and sufficient measures must be taken to prevent, where reasonably practicable, any person falling a distance liable to cause personal injury. “Support and practical guidance on how to comply with the law is publicly available, free of charge. There is no excuse for putting workers’ lives at risk.”
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