October 2019

Industry News
WORKERS: TIME TO
BREATHE MORE EASILY
The British Safety Council says news that
London’s homebuyers are being offered 20%
discounts for homes in polluted streets is a
wakeup call for us all.
It says this reflects the magnitude of the
problem and the extent to which it affects
every aspect of our lives.
Matthew Holder, Head of Campaigns, British
Safety Council, said: “If air pollution is
damaging house prices, imagine how it’s
affecting the health of people who work
outside in the most polluted parts of our
cities. Thousands of people, from
construction workers to couriers, work in
illegal levels of air pollution day after day.”
In March 2019, the British Safety Council
launched the Time to Breathe campaign to
reduce outdoor workers’ exposure to ambient
air pollution. The cornerstone of the
campaign is Canairy, a unique free mobile
app that calculates an individual’s exposure
to ambient air pollution based on the London
Air Quality Network (LAQN) data and
emissions modelling by King’s College
London. The employers supporting the app
have been using it since March 2019 to
collect the air pollution data of their
workforce. Very shortly the British Safety
Council will release the results of the first
phase of this research.
Matthew Holder added: “The Canairy data
suggests that employers might need to adjust
the ways they manage their outdoor staff to
reduce their exposure to harmful levels of
ambient air pollution. The British Safety
Council would like to work with employers to
help them do this. We also believe that a
great leap forward on this issue will be made
when the government and the regulators
recognise that exposure to ambient air
pollution is an occupational health hazard.”
INCREASE IN TOOL THEFTS FROM VANS
The cost of insurance claims for
commitments, and insurance costs.
theft of tools from vans have
At ECIC we always find ways to pay
increased by more than half –
claims but some contractors may find
55% – in the past year according
themselves facing an uphill battle if
to analysis by ECIC, the specialist
their insurer feels they have not
insurer for the building services
taken enough precautions to protect
sector.
their property from theft.
With recent reports of increased keyless entry “Ideally tools will be removed from vehicles and
vehicle thefts, including vans, and the average stored securely elsewhere over night or between
theft of tools claim reaching £2,685, ECIC is jobs, or within a secure box fixed inside the van.
warning contractors that keeping tools in a locked Not only will this reduce the chances of the tools
van is not enough to protect them from
being stolen, and disrupting the work schedule,
determined thieves.
but it will also mean insurance covering the tools
is not invalidated in the event that a determined
ECIC’s analysis has also revealed that while the
thief still manages to get away with the tools.
number claims for theft of tools from vans has
remained largely static H1 2019 vs H1 2018, the “When it comes to insurance, contractors’ tools
claims costs resulting from theft of tools have are often covered as standard within a
already surpassed 2018’s total figure. This Contractors’ All Risks insurance policy. However,
suggests thieves are specifically targeting higher some policies may require cover extensions for
value tools and making away with a larger haul tools hired, and for tools belonging to employees
through brazen measures such as peel and steal, rather than the insured company. Goods in Transit
whereby the side of the van is cut open and cover will provide protection only when the tools
ransacked.
are in transit, sometimes with a limited sum
insured. With such a huge increase in theft of
Ian Hollingworth, of ECIC, commented: “The
tools over the past 6 months we would urge
increase of van thefts is widely recognised but
contractors to review their insurance policies to
showing no signs of abating. It is hugely
check tools are covered, and to add extensions
disruptive to contractors, impacting work
where necessary.”
FMB: VAT CHANGE DELAY MAKES SENSE
The Government’s decision to delay by one Brian Berry of the FMB explained: “It is
year the implementation of potentially
reassuring that the Government has listened to
damaging VAT changes for construction the construction industry, which has come
companies is a victory for common sense, together to make clear to the Government that
says the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). sticking to the October 2019 timetable could lead
to a loss of productivity, reduced cashflow and in
Reverse charge VAT was due to come into force
the worst cases, lead to a hit on jobs, tipping
from 1st October 2019, but the Government has
some companies over the edge. What’s required
delayed implementation until 1st October 2020 after
now is for the Government and industry to work
a coalition of construction organisations wrote to the
together to deliver a sector-wide communications
Government to point out the damaging impact this
campaign, which must include plain English
badly-timed policy would have on the sector.
guidance on the changes.”
10 TC OCTOBER 2019