Policy on Waste in Wales Seminar, July 4th

We'd like to bring your attention to a new seminar that has appeared on our radar that will be of interest to anyone involved in the waste industry, especially in or around Wales.

The Policy Forum for Wales has announced a seminar being held on July 4th in Cardiff entitled "Policy on waste in Wales - next steps for management, energy generation and the circular economy," and includes a keynote address from Andy Rees, Head of Waste Strategy Branch, Welsh Government.

The seminar is CPD Certified and will focus on the future of waste policy in Wales and the implications for waste management, energy generation and the circular economy. It comes as the Welsh Government updates its waste strategy Towards Zero Waste and seeks to become a zero waste nation by 2050.

The seminar is scheduled during uncertainty over the impact of Brexit on waste regulations, and as Wales prepares to implement its own landfill tax.

Delegates will also discuss the impact of legislation such as the Environment (Wales) Act, Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act and Planning (Wales) Act on waste policy.

Further planned sessions focus on managing waste to deliver the target of recycling 70% of waste by 2025, developing the circular economy and progress so far in gaining energy from waste and the potential for further action.

The seminar will run from 9am to 1pm and costs £210 +VAT per delegate. Materials and refreshments are included, with a PDF document covering transcripts of the speeches, questions and comments, as well as extra articles submitted by delegates, which is distributed to all attendees approximately working days after the seminar.

For more information and access to a booking form, please visit the Policy Forum for Wales website.

Demolishing Perceptions

When you think of the demolition sector, images of a big black wrecking ball and tonnes of rubble spring readily to mind. In fact, ‘a means to an end’ are often words associated with this industry.

Often seen in the shadows of its more illustrious rivals civil engineering and construction, it’s fair to say it has a somewhat challenging image issue to address. The good news is that the Institute of Demolition Engineers (IDE) – celebrating its 40 th year and buoyed by an increasing membership of over 400 professionals – is in the mood to start changing perceptions.

This was clearly evident during my first visit to an IDE Seminar, a bi-annual gathering to discuss breaking trends, issues and techniques, not to mention a convenient excuse to undertake some important networking over a few pints in the Westminster Arms.

As a relative newcomer to the industry, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I thought there may be a fair few ‘big blokes’ present and I wasn’t disappointed. However, there were also a smattering of female engineers and some stunning examples of meticulous planning, ground-breaking technology and creative solutions.

Holding all this together was a passion to promote demolition and make it an exciting and attractive career for people to follow.

What struck me straight away is all the things we, the general public, take for granted. We see a building that has gone past its sell-by date and is going to be replaced with an all singing, all dancing new development.

We don’t really care how the old one comes down as long as we get to enjoy the new dream we’ve been sold.

This attitude is doing demolition a massive disservice. The morning presentations proved this very point, with experts from Erith Group and Keltbray Decommissioning talking in great detail about the work, knowledge, skills and understanding of demolition techniques that go into making projects successful.

In the first instance, months of preparation and planning had been deployed into temporary works so that the façade of a prestigious London building can be retained and made safe for the first phase of demolition. Very few people outside the sector will appreciate the difficulty involved in this.

Delegates were even treated to an insight on what it takes to remove a nuclear pipe under the sea and the extreme conditions engineers have to experience whilst working under water.

The afternoon sessions were equally lively, with a captivating talk on the ‘White Mice of Clydebank’ and the asbestos issue affecting the removal of Red Road Flats, so long an icon of Glasgow life. This was followed by the introduction of AutoStem, a cutting-edge alternative to using explosives when looking to break concrete.

We even had one of the most entertaining talks on Occupational Health I’d ever heard from the hilarious Nichola Elvy, MD of Building Health.

All of this provided a great backdrop for the most telling presentation of the day, the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the IDE and the University of Wolverhampton to launch the UK’s first ever Demolition Degree.

The only other course like it is currently being delivering in Indiana just to give you an idea of the magnitude of this announcement.

What this basically means, is that existing engineers and newcomers to the sector will be able to study towards a BSc or MSc in demolition from September 2017. 100 places will be up to grabs in the first year, a fifth of which were booked on the day.

Now if ever there was a statement of intent than this was it. Hundreds of unpaid hours have gone into developing the framework and forging the partnership and many more are still required to get it right.

The degree will fill two roles…raise standards within the industry and provide it with a higher education option that means its engineers will ultimately be chartered.

So my debut at a demolition conference was interesting to say the least and I came away with the feeling that the ‘underdog’ was beginning to find its bark again.

However, I thought one veteran summed it up best when he said ‘we clear the past, to make way for your future’. Thankfully for society, they do a pretty good job of it!

Russ Cockburn is Director of Cucumber PR, a full service communications agency based in Shropshire.

Tickets are selling fast for the IDE Seminar at One Great George Street

The IDE Autumn Seminar is next Friday, 27th September and tickets are selling fast. Stuart Accleton, events director and Vice President Duncan Rudall have put together an interesting programme of speakers for the day in the wonderful surroundings of OGGS and I would urge you to go to the event.

Tickets are available from the IDE at www.ide.org.uk

Free Stimulating BIM Seminar this Wednesday

This Wednesday, September 11th, a free Stimulating BIM Seminar is being held at Millenium Point in Birmingham.

This is actually the third seminar in a series given by David Boyd, Professor of Construction and Director of the Centre for Research in the Environment and Society in the Birmingham School of the Built Environment at Birmingham City University. Below is the description of the seminar in full:

Supply chain management in construction has mostly been limited to client partnering and reduced sub-contractor lists. BIM opens the opportunity for interchange and coordination of information amongst sub-contractors in order to achieve more efficient building production approaches. By working on the flow of work for each party with good operative access and with the correct materials then every trade can manage their work better and so remove costs and reduce job times. This seminar will consider how the supply chain needs to be developed and how new procurement arrangements need to be devised to realise this. BIM allows subcontractors to be involved in production planning and even the design process. The knowledge of sub-contractors is key and this elevates their position giving them greater responsibility and authority. New skills need to be developed and the role of main contractor moves to a coordinator rather than a manager of subcontracts.

If you would like to attend for free then simply register your place via the Eventbrite page.

Free Stimulating BIM Seminar Series

A series of free Stimulating BIM Seminar Series are set to be held at Millennium Point, Birmingham in the coming weeks and months. All seminars will involve a 30 minute presentation followed by an expert panel discussion and interaction with the audience, and it is hoped both consultants and contractors will attend.

Here's a description of what the seminars cover:

BIM allows us to look at costs of buildings differently. This will challenge past approaches to bills of quantity, tendering and production payments. This seminar will explore the significance of these developments for design and construction processes, roles and client interaction. Current approaches to costing have arisen from the construction clients’ desire to control costs. It is possible to use different principles of costing and aligned these with different task in the construction process. This can also acknowledge how costs are used and even viewed differently by different parties in construction. The seminar will consider the new skills of the 5D quantity surveyor and how BIM can be used more effectively for decision making.

The seminars are planned for 10th July, 11th September and 30th November 2013, at 5.30pm for 6pm to 7pm respectively. The person giving the seminars is David Boyd, Professor of Construction and Director of the Centre for Research in the Environment and Society in the Birmingham School of the Built Environment at Birmingham City University.

If you;re interested in attending then please sign up at the associated Eventbrite page.

Temporary Works Seminar on May 22nd

The Temporary Works Seminar is set to take place on May 22nd at the Princess Royal Suite at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool. The seminar covers the following:

How things go wrong including:
Mobile Cranes
Structural Steelwork
Falsework

Session 1 & 2 both cover:
Mobile crane piling platforms - Jonothan Mack (Keepmoat)
Scaffolding - Ivan McManus and Martin Reader (Morgan Sindall)
Site set up - Chris Bennion (Keir Construction)
Excavations - Steve Hall (Costain)
Propping - Michael Greenhalgh (Lend Lease)

There's also the following to look forward to in the afternoon:
DfMA – The implications for temporary works - Martin Holland & John Carson (Laing O’Rourke)
Catastrophic events - Mike Cross (HSE)
Q&A Panel
Overview - John Carpenter

Registration starts at 8am and the day runs to 3:30pm with refreshments being available throughout as well as there being a lunch.

The reason the seminar exists is because there have been a number of high profile incidents in recent years which has highlighted the often poor management of temporary works during construction projects. The seminar aims to increase the understanding of the management of temporary works and will provide details on the successful management of typical temporary works scenarios.

To book you place, please email karen.nicholson@hse.gsi.gov.uk. Please include the names of your delegates, their positions, and contacts details.

An Introduction to Demolition seminar on January 31st

The West Midlands NOVUS group are proud to present 'An Introduction to Demolition' by Chris Holland from Coleman & Company on Thursday, 31st January.

It's a CPD event for students, young professionals or anyone wanting to brush up their skills on this topic.

C&C Technical Manager, Chris Holland, will reflect on the way the industry has evolved over the years and with a selection of case studies showcases the innovation and complexity of demolition in the 21st century. The seminar will provide an overview of the broad range of demolition techniques from asbestos removal to high reach demolition, complex deconstruction and explosive engineering.

If you want to know more, or book places, head on over to the CIOB website.

Free Breakfast Seminar: Employment and Tax

Hudson Contract, the UK's largest CIS Contract & Payroll Partner, is holding a free seminar on March 22nd. Here's the details of what it focuses on:

"Three costly threats to your business (HMRC Status Inspections, Employment Tribunal Claims, Choosing The Wrong Labour Provider). Discover how you can eliminate these threats and engage labour-only subbies risk free.

The right to engage labour-only subbies is hugely important to all of us in construction. But as we all know, engage them incorrectly and you can count on costly intervention.

With plenty of real life examples, Richard Crisp explains how using labour-only subbies under a contract for service (even one drawn up by an accountant), is a risk."

The seminar will be held at the Ramada Hotel in Newcastle-Under-Lyme and begins at 7am. Tea, coffee, and bacon butties are all promised, and you may learn something while enjoying them.

To attend the seminar just sign-up on the Hudson Contract website.

But could it have all been different? IOSH seminar

The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has announced a seminar aimed at health and safety practitioners, facilities managers, occupational health practitioners and other professionals with the responsibility for accident prevention, investigation and behavioural change.

It has been titled "But could it have all been different?" and will deal with the important health and safety issues relating to accident prevention and behavioral safety, and will provide advice and information on developing a positive safety culture within a workforce.

The seminar includes key informative and motivational speakers, and will be spearheaded by Ken Woodward OBE, who will deliver a keynote session highlighting the horrific workplace accident in which he lost his eyesight and sense of smell and taste.

The seminar is taking place at the Uttoxeter Racecourse in Staffordshire on the 2nd February. IOSH members only have to pay £102 inc. VAT, non-members pay slightly more at £117.60 inc. VAT.

For more information and booking details visit the IOSH website.

IMechE Seminar Redundant Plant: Engineering and Safety

We have just been told of a seminar happening later this year by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) covering ageing plant decommissions.

Here's the blurb of what will be covered during Redundant Plant: Engineering and Safety seminar:

The work required to decommission a plant depends on a number of options that need to be followed in the longer term. These include mothballing, dismantling and sale and demolition; understanding the implications of these actions is essential in the preparation.

Understand the safety aspects that must be considered when assessing how redundant plants should be managed, including the presence of asbestos and the implications of regulations and codes of practice; key industry experts will present all the options and discuss the actions required.

Benefits of attendance:

- Get up to date with current thinking on the future of redundant plants
- Identify and consider a number of suitable options when planning the next stages once a plant is to become redundant
- Learn about the relative advantages and disadvantages of demolition, mothballing or dismantling and sale
- Increase awareness of the necessary safety aspects of a redundant plant

If you are interested in attending the seminar takes place on the 19th May at:
The Wilton Centre
Wilton
Redcar
Cleveland, TS10 4RF

It's important to note that Members of the Institute of Demolition Engineers can attend at the Reduced IMechE Member Rate.

For more details and to book, visit the Redundant Plant: Engineering and Safety page on the IMechE website.

IDE Leeds Seminar 25th February

The date for the IDE Leeds Seminar is fast approaching. This year it's happening on the 25th February at the Royal Armouries with the following speakers in attendance:

• Legal Definition of Waste - Phil Charlesworth


• Dallas Stadium Blast - Dick Green


• New Bribery & Corruption Law - RJW Solicitors - Craig McAdam


• The Piacenza-Lodi Bridge Demolition Italy - Federico Fanti /Paolo Scorza


• Masco Salvage Demolition Reclaim - Steve Tomlin


• International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM) - Brian Nimick


• As it was then “Film of Old Blow Down” - Bruce Atkinson


• As it is now - Blasting USA - Eric Kelly


• BS6187:2000 Up Date - Brian Neale


• HSE Priorities for 2011 - Bruce Sutherland

The IDE gives some good reasons why attending might be in your interests. They include:

• Your attendance at the seminar will fulfil the 2011 requirement for the 6 IDE core CPD hours and the achievement of CPD became mandatory in the Institute from 1 January 2011.


• We have more than a dozen companies exhibiting their services and are there to answer any questions you may have.


• 10 award winning international experts will be speaking throughout the day (see above)


• Fantastic food and an opportunity to network to make for an enjoyable and informative day.

We hope to see you there!

And the IDE Autumn Seminar speakers are...

The IDE has announced the guest speakers for the Autumn Seminar to be held on September 25th at One Great George Street in London’s Westminster.

The confirmed list includes:

- Ruud Schreijer of Ruusch Super High Reach Machines is coming over from Holland to talk about the World’s biggest High Reach machine and how they see High Reach moving forward.

- Stuart Marchand of Wentworth House Partnership will be talking about demolition from a structural engineer’s viewpoint.

- Rainer Cremer is coming over from Germany to talk about chimney demolition by robotic machines.

- Dick Green is making a welcome return to talk about demolition by explosives in India.

- Peter Jones will offer an alternative viewpoint in the disposal of composite panels

Arne Marx will also be in attendance.

If you would like to attend tickets are available now by visiting www.ide.org.uk

Working Wednesdays for NFDC and NDTG members

The September 2009 Working Wednesday mini-seminar details have been announced with the following line-up:

14.30 to 16.00 - BRE workshop on the disposal of Ozone Depleting roof sheeting
16.00 to 17.00 – NFDC solution to the issue of utility service disconnections

The seminars are free to members and will be held at Resurgam House in Hemel Hempstead on 16 September.

If you wish to attend contact training group manager Sophie Francis either by phone or e-mail:
E-mail: Sophie@demolition-nfdc.com
Tel: 01442 217144

IDE Seminar 25th September

On 25 September, the IDE will gather for its next seminar at One Great George Street in London.

We've managed to put together an excellent international programme that includes presentations from:

* Ruud Schreijer of Ruusch, creator of the world’s largest ever high reach machine.

* Rainer Cremer is from Germany who will look at chimney demolition by robotic machines.

* Dick Green is making a welcome return to talk about demolition by explosives in India.

* Stuart Marchand of Wentworth House Partnership discussing demolition from a structural engineer’s viewpoint.

* Peter Jones offers and alternative viewpoint on the disposal of composite panels

If you would like to attend tickets are available now by visiting www.ide.org.uk