Category: Opinion
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How is building safety impacting insurance premiums in construction?
Overall, the limits to cover are at more viable levels, although, given the cost of premiums, higher limits may remain out of reach for some. However, the exclusions and/or restrictions for cladding and/or fire safety related claims still remain. There is also the difficulty that certain professions, such as managing agents, have in obtaining cover. …
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Why construction needs a consistent approach to whole-life carbon
One example of where we are seeing good practice happening is in the US, where the RLB team has been working with our American colleagues to provide cost management and sustainability services to deliver whole-life embodied carbon analysis and consultancy for the redevelopment of a convention centre. Once complete, it will be the first zero-carbon-certified…
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Five tips to help construction recruit and retain women
To feel included and supported in the workplace, it’s important for women to see themselves reflected in the organisation. Low-cost initiatives such as mentoring, shadowing, targeted training courses, and positive action in recruitment can all help in the move towards a more diverse and inclusive environment. View the original article and our Inspiration here
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Women in skilled trades: are numbers improving?
Construction can learn important lessons from manufacturing when it comes to attracting women to hands-on roles, writes Ridha Shah. The UK construction industry has experienced significant workforce structure changes over the past decade. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), 15% of UK construction professionals are women, with a small percentage in the manual…
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Readers react to Caroline Gumble stepping down from CIOB
She has helped individuals to grow and develop, built collaborative links with other institutions, been unafraid to challenge where necessary and has consolidated CIOB as community of modern professionals committed to fulfilling the social value of the built environment. Thank you, Caroline, and all success in your next role.Sandi Rhys Jones OBE FCIOB View the…
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Advancing building safety through systemic change
Matt Mahony explains the work CIC is doing to prevent tragedies like Grenfell from happening again. Building on this, in September 2020, CIC introduced a Building Safety Committee, led by former CIC chair Professor John Nolan CBE. This committee, chaired now by David McCullogh, comprises leading industry experts from our member organisations, who convene regularly to…
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Construction must embrace real diversity if it wants change
Commitment to modern professionalism and an inclusive approach will be necessary to meet society’s evolving needs, writes Caroline Gumble. CIOB’s plan includes a focus on measures to encourage a more representative workforce Our virtual Members’ Forum meeting a few weeks ago was a great opportunity to share updates on the progress of our corporate plan…
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Is the Building Safety Act slowing down Labour’s housing targets?
However, while rightly seeking to ensure parties take responsibility for their roles in construction projects, the industry is facing frustrations with the resourcing and capacity of the Building Safety Regulator (BSR), which is inevitably slowing down higher-risk building (HRB) projects and will have a knock-on effect for hitting government housing targets if not resolved quickly.…
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Navigating fire safety challenges in social housing: a critical examination
Anthony Walker looks at the fire safety issues facing landlords in the social housing sector. Many landlords are grappling with a backlog of remedial actions (Image: Dreamstime) The landscape of fire safety in social housing is undergoing significant scrutiny, with recent regulatory notices issued by the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) highlighting the pressing challenges…
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Awaab’s Law coming into force is good news – but it doesn’t go far enough
The second phase will be rolled out in 2026, when Awaab’s Law will be expanded to address all category 1 hazards in the housing health and safety rating system (HHSRS), which go beyond just mould and damp issues. This includes hazards such as excess cold and heat, falls, structural collapse, fire, electrical, explosions and hygiene.…