Today’s BuilderScrap blog post is from a guest blogger.  Paul Martin is Health and Safety Manager for The Trustland Group, an industrial and commercial contractor based in the North West of England.  Paul writes this month about The Ladder Exchange Initiative, which all builders and contractor should be aware of.

 The HSE run an annual ladder exchange. This year the Ladder Exchange Initiative will run from 1st September until 31st December 2009.

The Ladder Exchange Initiative is simple; if you have a ladder which is bent, broken or battered you can part exchange it for a new one at any one of the HSE’s partner outlets who are offering discounts on the sales of all ladders at very competitive rates. It also provides dutyholders with an opportunity to review pre-use checks, training, supervision and other arrangements for ladder work.
Over the last two years HSE has worked collaboratively with Local Authorities, and several partner outlets, to remove over 5,500 ‘dodgy’ ladders from the workplace. As a result of these successes, Ladder Exchange will now be an annual initiative.

During 2007/2008 58 workers died and 3623 suffered a serious injury as a result of a fall from height. Ladders remain the most common agent involved and account for more than a quarter of all reported falls from height incidents.

There are a few simple checks you can make as a user.

Every time you use a ladder you should do a pre-use check beforehand to make sure that it is safe for use.

A pre use check should be carried out by the user:

• At the beginning of the working day; and
• After something has changed i.e. ladder dropped or moved from a dirty area to a clean area

The benefit of conducting daily pre-use checks is that they provide the opportunity to pick up any immediate/serious defects before they cause an accident.

Leaning Ladder checks:

• Check the stiles; do not use the ladder if they are bent or damaged – the ladder could buckle or collapse.
 
• Check the feet; do not use the ladder if they are missing or worn or damaged – the ladder could slip.

• Check the rungs; do not use the ladder if they are bent, missing or loose – the ladder could become unstable.

Step Ladder checks:

• Check the locking bars; do not use the ladder if they are bent or the fixings are worn or damaged – the ladder could collapse.

• Check the feet; do not use the ladder if they are missing or worn or damaged – the ladder could slip.
 
• Check the stepladder platform; do not use the ladder if it is split or buckled – the ladder could become unstable or collapse.

• Check the steps or treads; do not use the ladder if they are contaminated – they could be slippery.

• Check the steps; do not use the ladder if the fixings are loose – they could collapse.

• Check the stiles; do not use the ladder if they are bent or damaged – the ladder could buckle or collapse.

Following these simple rules may save your life. For more information on the HSE’s shattered lives campaign visit their website.

Continuing the BuilderScrap.com recycling around the world series… we look at DENMARK

Waste is not just waste. That is the underlying philosophy of one of Europe’s “greenest” countries. For decades, the Danish environment policy has been to regard waste as a resource.

Tough standards have been set by consecutive governments, but it is up to the local authorities to collect whatever waste households may produce.

In 2003 that averaged 559 kg of waste per Dane, ranging from plastic and paper to bottles and batteries. In those councils where not all types of waste are collected at the house, nearby disposal sites or citizen helplines are in place.

Nearly 10,000 Danes are in the business of collecting waste – more than 0.1% of the entire population.

The hard push towards a greener Denmark has given he country a proud record.

Government figures for 2003 suggest that 31% of all household waste was recycled, while 62% was incinerated. The remaining 6% was landfill waste.

However, often the total amount of waste is not big enough for Denmark to have its own recycling plants. In particular, plastic waste, waste from electrical and electronic products, and batteries and metal are sent abroad for recycling.

The government also aims to limit the waste mountain by encouraging industry to promote products that leave a minimum of waste after use.

Todays BuilderScrap.com posts continues our look at how other countries deal with waste and recycling.

We are looking at the UNITED STATES: with a BBC report from Matthew Davis

Efforts to improve recycling rates and to reduce household and commercial waste are led by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Today, the US recycles about 28% of its waste, the EPA says, a rate that has almost doubled during the past 15 years.

Recycling of specific materials has grown even more drastically: 42% of all paper, 40% of all plastic soft drink bottles, 55% of all aluminium beer and soft drink cans, 57% of all steel packaging, and 52% of all major appliances are now recycled.

Twenty years ago, only one roadside recycling programme existed in the US.

By 1998 there were 9,000 roadside programmes and 12,000 recyclable drop-off centres across the nation.

Some 480 materials recovery plants have been established to process the collected materials.

In 1999, recycling and composting activities prevented about 64 million tons of material from ending up in landfills and incinerators.

The EPA’s WasteWise scheme is aimed at businesses and other organisations and targets the reduction of municipal solid waste and certain industrial wastes.

Recycling rates vary from state to state. At the bottom end of the scale Alaska, Wyoming and Montana recycle less than 9% of waste, while in New York, Virginia and five other states more than 40% of waste is recycled.

Here in the BuilderScrap offices we’re really enjoying these insights into how other countries operate. We love to find out about different systems, contrasting attitudes and how the we can benchmark and improve our systems.

BuilderScrap.com is looking into the Recycling effort around the world

We know the UK government is trying to encourage more people to recycle their waste and reduce the UK’s waste mountain. Figures suggested in 2005 that 60% of all household waste could be recycled or composted, but the largest nation in the UK, England, appears to be reusing only 17.7%.

We’ve found some articles from BBC correspondents that provide a snapshot of how the UK’s European neighbours and other countries approach recycling of everyday rubbish.

Todays country is: SWITZERLAND: Imogen Foulkes investigates.

Switzerland is proud of its recycling efforts, and with good reason. Glass and paper are just some of the things the average Swiss refuses to simply throw away.

There are bottle banks at every supermarket, with separate slots for clear, green and brown glass. Every town has a free paper collection once a month, and that does not mean just old newspapers; most people recycle everything made of cardboard or paper, from cereal packets to old telephone bills.

Then there is green waste. If you have a garden, all the trimmings can be put out on the street (neatly bundled of course) every two weeks, and they will be collected.

Aluminium and tin can be taken to local depots, batteries handed over at the supermarket, and old oil or other chemicals deposited at special sites.

Plastic PET bottles are the most common drinks containers in Switzerland, and 80% of them are recycled – far higher than the European average of 20 to 40%.

But the Swiss do not recycle just because they care about the environment. There is a strong financial incentive. Recycling is free, but in most parts of Switzerland throwing away rubbish costs money – each rubbish bag has to have a sticker on it, and each sticker costs at least one euro (60 pence).

So the less you throw out, the less you pay. No sticker? Then the rubbish will be left outside your house to rot.

At BuilderScrap, we are always keen to hear about successful reuse projects.  The following case study shows how, with proper planning and coordination, huge savings can be made on even small projects.  This project reuses many building materials to create a brand new office.

A medium sized contractor in the North West required a new, 18 m² office to be constructed on a mezzanine floor, to accommodate a growth in staff numbers.

Half glazed office partitioning was deconstructed from a client project and installed around the outer edge of the mezzanine.  This was a total of 22 sections.  3 fire doors were also installed along with 3 large radiators.

Although the ceiling tiles were purchased new to avoid a patchwork effect, the grid was reused (approximately 60m²).  Shelving, insulation and plasterboard were also reused, or surplus from previous projects.

Office furniture (3 desks and underdesk filing units) plus swivel chairs were also returned from another project and used in the furnishing of the office.

 If purchasing these materials new, they would have cost £14,010.  To have disposed of them, they would have equalled 3816 kg to landfill.  The volume of these items would have filled approximately 2 roll on roll off skips at a cost of £500 each (plus 3 men for one day at £480).  The total saving equated to £15,490

 The end result was a success, with the office now being used by several members of staff.

If you have any interesting case studies, please let us here at BuilderScrap know.

The final part of the BuilderScrap.com Draft Strategy for Sustainable Construction.

There were no consultation questions relating specifically to innovation, however, several comments were made by respondents regarding the Innovation chapter and these are summarised below:

1. The main points made on innovation were:

Support for R&D or Knowledge Transfer Some suggested that sustainable construction might not act as a direct driver for change within the industry since its economic benefits might be long-term or hidden. The industry was unlikely to fund research into sustainability or sustainable construction on its own; Government support and / or additional fiscal incentives for R&D might be needed. Some attached importance to the testing, demonstration and independent third party certification of new products or services. Greater certainty on funding streams for developers and end-users would assist product development.

Innovation Measurement The consultation document suggested using the BERR Community Innovation Survey to track a target of increasing the numbers of “innovation active” companies in the sector. Respondents felt that some work was needed to clarify “innovation active” in the context of the sector and develop challenging benchmarks and targets recognised and
accepted by the industry.

Learning from overseas Some respondents said the UK construction industry could benefit from greater awareness of overseas experience.

Regulation and standards Some suggested that Building Regulations should aim to be more outcome based and non-prescriptive to assist innovation.

Thanks for reading.

This weeks first post from BuilderScrap.com.

Q: What can you do to implement a whole life approach to sustainability in your business?

1. Most respondents were willing to develop a whole life approach, life tools and databases in their business.

2. Some said they would promote a whole life approach among design teams rather than `lowest cost’, e.g. through conferences, training, workshops and publications.

3. Other suggestions included finding end-of-life applications for products; improving robustness of materials; introducing environmental management systems; carrying out life cycle assessments; and carbon foot-printing of business activities.

We have recently come across this interesting article which highlights ten tips for complying with the Code for Sustainable Homes.

Whilst much of the housing industry has become familiar with the Code for Sustainable Homes rating, the 300-page Technical Guide can still present a daunting prospect.
The Code Simply Explained, produced by experts from BRE and NHBC, has been produced as a handy guide to help developers, builders and contractors comply with the Code and achieve a good score in a practical and cost-effective manner.

In particular it focuses on Levels 3 and 4 as the most commonly specified at present, but with principles equally applicable to all levels of the Code.

Below are ten top tips from the NHBC Foundation for climbing up the Code rating system, adapted from The Code Simply Explained (full copy):

1. Start early
At a very early stage, before the site layout has been finalised, start to consider Code-related issues. Particularly mandatory requirements which must be implemented in full to achieve any Code level rating in many cases. But credits may be achieved more easily for issues such as energy, daylighting, and ecology amongst others if measures are integrated into the design now, for example by orientating roofs and living spaces to the south to make best use of solar energy. Seek advice from a qualified Code assessor to ensure that the criteria have been correctly understood.
2. Target easy-win credits
Several credits can be achieved through measures which are independent of the design and achievable in all developments. This includes simple measures such as energy-efficient light fittings and a drying line, and will be cost-effective to specify in most developments.
 3. Enhance ecology and reduce flood risk
By taking site factors such as flood risk and ecological values into account at an early stage, the baseline for the Code score can be assessed. Sites of high ecological value or with a risk of flooding are likely to increase the cost of achieving a high Code rating, so this needs to be considered. An ecological survey following Code guidelines will still be worthwhile to improve the score for most sites, both Greenfield and previously developed.
 4. Effective construction and supply chain management
Implementing measures relating to the construction stage such as monitoring of energy and water use and reducing pollution risk can be a cost-effective way to improve your score, but requires preparation in advance of starting on site so that procedures are in place and the workforce are aware of them. In particular, a Site Waste Management Plan is a mandatory requirement so must be given early consideration. Modern Methods of Construction using offsite construction can help make this process easier.
5. Reduce water consumption in the planning stages
Early attention to Sustainable Drainage Systems (SUDs) can be cost-effective and potentially provide amenity value through the use of water features such as ponds.  The mandatory requirement to reduce runoff volumes, and not just peak run off rates, is an important one to get right, necessitating full consideration of infiltration and rainwater harvesting opportunities. Rainwater harvesting can contribute to reducing surface water runoff and reduce internal water use, but this needs very careful design to meet the requirements of both.
6. Plan the layout to give the space you need
Considering the site layout from an early stage gives the best opportunity to include space requirements for highly weighted Lifetime Homes credits, and a design that enables direct access to rear gardens means that garden sheds can be used for cycle storage. An option for a room-in-the-roof means that an extra credit can be gained to improve the score later on, if this proves to be the preferred strategy.
7. Consider the environmental impact of your materials
Looking at the proposed building materials early means that most types of constructions can perform well – there are many equivalent products with lower environmental impact but equally fit for purpose. There is a mandatory requirement for ratings against the Green Guide so a strategy to achieve that is vital.
8. Ensure your house is Secured By Design
Incorporate the recommendations of a police architectural liaison officer or crime prevention design officer to meet Part 2 of the Secured By Design award is a straightforward way to gain extra credits
9. Insulate to improve performance and reduce consumption
Designing the building fabric to achieve a good sound performance and air tightness and to avoid thermal bridges requires many of the same principles and can help achieve credits in several different areas. Building fabric with a high thermal performance will help to reduce carbon emissions and provide benefits to residents for the full lifetime of the building,
10. Employ strategies to enhance energy sources
Ensure a strategy is in place for low and zero carbon energy technologies, such as renewables and CHP. Most developments will need these technologies to meet Code Level 3 or higher, and the mandatory requirements for carbon dioxide emissions can be very expensive or impractical to achieve unless their integration is planned from the start.

BuilderScrap have recently begun workign with BRE to discuss how the two initiatives can benefit each other.  Watch this space for news!

The final of this weeks BuilderScrap.com post on the Sustainable Construction Draft.

Q: Do you agree that the targets and milestones proposed for Materials will deliver improved resource efficiency with reduced environmental and societal impacts, and are sufficiently ambitious? If not, then please propose alternative targets.

1. Most of the respondents who answered the question thought the targets were reasonable, though some thought they might be very difficult to achieve by 2010. Some questioned whether the targets would drive improvement in performance.

2. Some respondents said that if the targets were adopted, a mechanism should be introduced to monitor performance, taking account of ongoing research on sustainability of materials. Phased implementation and shorter-term milestones were also suggested as a way of making the targets more achievable and effective.

3. A number of respondents suggested that the targets should be consistent with a forthcoming European standard on Environmental Product Declarations developed within CEN/TC 350.

4. Some advocated incentives for manufacturers and developers to create a stronger market demand for more sustainable products.

5. Some respondents expressed the need for an independent tool or certification scheme to rate the sustainability of all products and enable direct comparisons across the sector. Some suggested there was a need for specification guides and sustainable toolkit templates.

6. Other suggestions included: a target for recycled content; more widespread use of Life Cycle Assessments; and the need to support SMEs.

Todays BuilderScrap.com question for the draft proposal. What do you guys think?

Q: New measures to stimulate action from companies to improve resource efficiency are proposed. Please prioritise these proposals and identify quick win opportunities with high impact.

1. There was a broad level of support for measures proposed. Many respondents ranked all five measures in order while others highlighted those to which they attached particular importance. The results are set out in the table below (NB: as details have been added from those who did not rank all responses, rows do not necessarily add up to the same figure).

Numbers of respondents     1st     2nd   3rd    4th      5th

Programme for
smaller contractors                2       0         2        2        16

Halve amount of
construction waste at             3       0          7        9         3
site level by 2015

Manufacturers to
consider lifecycle of                4       8          6        4         0
Products

Designers/architects
to consider waste                   14      8          3        0         0
minimisation

Contractors and
Subcontractors to
reduce, reuse,                         6       9          4         4         1
recycle

2. Some of those who did not rank the measures commented that they were interlinking proposals which would all contribute to waste minimisation but that there was no single “silver bullet”. Some argued that more comprehensive data on waste, waste streams and recycled content material were necessary to underpin a successful waste action plan.

3. On design, there were various comments on the need for standard sizes, greater focus on off-site construction and/or the adoption of lean standards. A number of respondents argued for an extension of producer responsibility, particularly with regard to packaging, so that products could be considered over their life cycle. The importance of full life cycle assessments was highlighted. Others suggested that voluntary sectoral agreements could help deliver targets.

4. Other ideas included broadening the scope of codes of best practice to include more information on waste; greater use of WRAP processes; and greater education across the supply chain, possibly through resource programmes.