Fired up

It is entirely coincidence that fire is in our headlines twice this week but it does add emphasis to the point made by Wrightstyle’s Tim Kempster that any regulation is only as good as the people who police and enforce it, especially as the case in point shows how widespread such an oversight can become before it is detected. Read Story

Still on safety issues, just a few weeks after the warning of a swoop of construction sites to detect fraudulent CSCS cards Read Story, we now hear the Considerate Constructors Scheme is targeting illegal site workers because a large proportion of people believe the practice impacts on health & safety. Read Story

Elsewhere, the run of acquisitions is continuing, though this time in the more low-profile ‘as you were’ form of CorpAcq and Shepley Read Story and, in a takeover in another sense, Deceuninck has just won itself another very big chunk of business in the new build sector. Read Story

And finally, it is no surprise that we have another helping of FIT Show previews when the organisers tell us they now have 99 new exhibitors at this year’s event. We can only guess how hard they will be trying to bump it up to a big, round century before the day. Read Story

Meanwhile, we hope you enjoy this week’s issue.

Chris Church Editor

Please send all your news stories to news@the-glazine.com

This Week's News

‘Business as usual’ as CorpAcq acquires Shepley

Shepley, said to be the UK’s biggest exclusive Rehau fabricator, has undertaken a management-led acquisition with CorpAcq Ltd, which has purchased all Shepley shares for an undisclosed sum.

Former Sales Director Ian Griffiths, who becomes Managing Director, says the move means ‘Business as usual for Shelpey’ in keeping with CorpAcq’s philosophy of keeping the identity and culture of businesses it buys.

Tony Ball succeeds him as Sales Director and Lindsey Roden is Finance Director. Outgoing MD Tim Walker and Operations Director Tony Fry, remain on hand to offer support.

Read More Here...

Fire door code revised

BSI has revised BS 8214 Code of practice for fire door assemblies for the specification, installation and maintenance of timber-based fire doors.

BS 8214 now includes updated guidance associated with the sealing between the door assembly and the surrounding structure. The recommendations are applicable to timber-based hinged or pivoted pedestrian door assemblies or door leaves, fitted into frames of any material. 

Other changes include new fire precautions in the design, construction and use of building to ensure the standard is harmonized with recently revised BS 9999 Code of practice for fire safety in the design, management and use of buildings.

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Campaign launched to target site illegal workers

The Home Office is backing a national campaign by the Considerate Constructors Scheme to target illegal workers in construction, following a survey which revealed that over 90% believe more could be done to tackle the growth of illegal working and 30% agreed that the practice placed health and safety at greatest risk.

‘Spotlight On…Illegal Workers’ aims to provide the construction industry with an essential resource to increase understanding of the risks posed by illegal construction workers, and what can be done to tackle the problem.

Organisers say the Home Office recognises the harm illegitimate labour does to the industry and Home Office has supported the campaign by providing detailed, practical information about how to conduct the necessary and correct right to work checks.

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BPS makes profile switch

Building Product Solutions, fabricating around 1,200 frames a week for the new build sector, has announced that it is switching to Deceuninck profile.

Ian Harrison, Managing Director of the Rotherham-based manufacturer said of the move: “Building Product Solutions was established in 2009 and from a standing start is set to achieve a £7m turnover this year. However, to ensure this level of growth continues we need to up the ante. That’s why we have moved to Deceuninck for our Next Generation suite of products, to give our customers an ever better looking profile and improved energy efficiency.”

“We have only just started manufacturing with the Deceuninck profile but the support they have given us through the entire switch over period has been excellent.

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Demand for better education on fire glazing

Glazing system supplier Wrightstyle has called for better education and enforcement in the industry in the wake of a recent fraud trial in Northern Ireland, saying that many people in the specification, supply and installation of fire-rated glazing systems do not have the appropriate technical skills.

That Ulster court case saw a glass company employee jailed in January for supplying ordinary laminated glass in place of fire-resistant glass to dozens of customers across Britain and Ireland including hospitals and primary schools.

The police officer in charge had said that “the potential loss of life in this case cannot be underestimated.”

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