In today’s news, we will look into the footprint of the recruitment firm in the construction business is expanded through acquisition. In the meantime, a partnership that is funded by the DBS has launched a construction sector handbook that supports safer labour recruiting. In addition, a different contractor in the United Kingdom has used BESS for tower cranes and building sites. Other than that, the President of the BCIA will participate in the discussion on sustainability that will take place during this year’s UK Construction Week.
Acquisition Expands Recruitment Agency’s Construction Footprint
Original Source: Acquisition grows recruitment agency’s presence in construction industry
CLS Construction Labour Solutions (UK) Infrastructure specialised in recruiting for the construction and civil engineering industries, and was bought by ORB Recruitment, a Doncaster-based recruitment agency.
Finalized for an undisclosed sum, the acquisition propels ORB’s expansion plans, fortifying its standing in the UK construction recruitment industry and broadening its service offerings to customers all throughout the country.
CLS, with headquarters in Normanton, has been around since 1999 and has a database of more than 50,000 active contractors in addition to 25 years of experience in the civils and construction industries.
The company’s stellar reputation in the UK is based on its solid partnerships with top-tier contractors.
ORB Recruitment is a staffing agency with offices in Balby Carr, Doncaster, with a clientele in the building, medical, and engineering industries.
“The acquisition of CLS by ORB is an exciting opportunity to expand our footprint within the construction industry,” stated Stewart Olsen, CEO of ORB Recruitment.
“ORB’s current capabilities are enhanced by CLS’s stellar reputation and extensive industry expertise.
“Our clients and candidates in the construction sector and beyond will benefit even more from our combined resources and expertise.”
After the acquisition, CLS will keep using its own name and brand to serve its clients, but it will get access to ORB Recruitment’s resources and financial support.
ORB intends to hire two more people for the Normanton office before the year ends, bringing the total number of employees to seven, as an investment in CLS’s expansion.
Clients of both firms can anticipate the continuation of business as normal, with the additional benefit of improved services and capabilities,” Olsen noted.
“Overseas efficiencies for CLS’s operations, customer service, and production are all expected to be enhanced by the move.”
Having lately increased its permanent recruiting capabilities, ORB Recruitment is experiencing growth at the moment of this purchase. It has 14 employees now, and by year’s end, that number will have risen to 15.
Construction Sector Advice Launched by Dbs-supported Partnership for Safer Recruiting
Original Source: DBS-supported partnership launches construction sector guide supporting safer recruitment
The goal of the Better Hiring Toolkit is to help construction companies improve their hiring practices by analyzing their present policies and procedures.
With the help of the Better Hiring Institute, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) has released a new “Better Hiring Toolkit” tailored to the construction sector. Employers in the construction industry can use the toolkit as a crucial reference to make safer, more educated hiring selections.
This toolkit is the result of a joint effort by the Better Hiring Institute, the Disclosure and Barring Service, Reed Screening, the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), and the Gangmasters & Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) to provide employers with accessible guidelines for safer and more effective recruitment.
Due to the high risk nature of employment in the construction sector, this toolkit will serve as a standard against which businesses can evaluate their present policies and procedures, with the goal of facilitating thorough and equitable pre-employment screenings.
One of the most important aspects of safer recruiting methods is thorough pre-employment screening. Every year, through the processing and issuance of DBS checks, DBS assists companies in making safer recruitment decisions.
To safeguard an organization’s reputation, make better recruiting decisions, and get insight into a candidate’s appropriateness for a position, employers should run a Basic DBS check on them before hiring them. In order to prevent arbitrary exclusion of individuals with minor, unconnected crimes from employment, the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act mandates the implementation of Basic checks in the construction industry. While ensuring that recovered individuals have equal opportunity, basic inspections concentrate on pertinent offenses.
Employers are able to make safer recruitment decisions with the help of the Disclosure and Barring Service, and our partnership with the Better Hiring Institute is a big step forward in protecting best practices in the construction industry,” stated Helen Chandler, Acting Associate Director of Business Development for the DBS. To guarantee better and more informed recruitment across the sector, we’re happy to be supporting the development of the free toolkit.
Another UK Contractor Implements Battery Energy Storage Systems for Tower Cranes and Building Sites
Original Source: Another UK contractor adopts BESS for tower cranes, construction sites
A growing number of people are considering using battery energy storage systems (BESS) instead of diesel generators to power tower cranes and other construction equipment. This is because, in response to new circumstances, contractors in the UK have rethought their strategy. The construction industry’s diesel fuel, for instance, lost its tax break in April 2022. Diesel prices spiked as a result, sometimes reaching two or three times their prior levels.
A building contractor in Birmingham, England, was recently featured in an article by Power Progress for their use of BESS to power their construction site. However, they aren’t alone.
Crane & Transport Briefing’s special contributor Phil Bishop said that UK construction business Bowmer & Kirkland has chosen BESS as their crane power solution of choice. Moreover, the company has found that one BESS is sufficient to power a whole building site.
In Manchester, England, Bowmer & Kirkland has a contract of $170 million (£130 million) to build a facility specifically for students. The project’s energy manager is an Enertainer L+ BESS. Two Terex CTL 180 luffing jib tower cranes, two twin hoists, and eleven mast-climbing work platforms (MCWP) (with the potential for that number to reach thirty-three at its busiest) get power from the unit. Offices, lights, and other electrical necessities on the site are also powered by the BESS.
An amalgamation of the words “energy” and “container,” the name of the system is Enertainer. Ampd Energy, located in Hong Kong, is the manufacturer. The Birmingham project is also utilizing the BESS system.
Diesel vs. BESS
The UK business development manager for Ampd, Tom Carter, came to the company after working for Bowmer & Kirkland. Cranes used in the student housing building project were originally required to have 300 kVA diesel generators, which could provide 420 Amps at peak utilization in the extremely unlikely event that all motors needed to run at once, according to his explanation.
Two 300 kVA generators for the cranes, two 100 kVA generators for the hoists, and three 200 kVA generators for the MCWPs would have been needed for the conventional method that relies on diesel generators, for a total capacity of 1,660 kVA.
Select Plant, a rental company, instead offers a single huge Enertainer unit that can produce 2,500 kW of electricity weekly. The device has a nominal current output of 663 Amps per minute and receives a 44 Amp trickle charge from a neighboring building’s grid supply. An overload of 795 Amps per minute is within the unit’s capabilities.
The BESS has not yet dropped below 53% capacity, and it charges continually, drawing different quantities of grid power depending on site activity. The Enertainer returns to approximately 95% every morning.
Reducing Emissions
If you believe Carter, a standard 1,660 kVA diesel generator would produce 999 metric tons of CO2 per year. Carter made the observation that, “We are removing 913 tonnes of this with the Enertainer.” This estimate is based on an emissions measure of 0.02 kg of CO? per kWh of electricity generated, while the actual emissions can vary depending on the power source.
Using diesel generators at half capacity would have resulted in an annual diesel consumption of 429,000 liters, or about 150 liters per hour. It is anticipated that the Enertainer BESS will save more than one million liters of gasoline over the two-year building phase and the nine-month fitting and commissioning phase.
The price of that unsubsidized gasoline might range from $1.9 million to $2.0 million, or £1.4 million to £1.5 million. In contrast, power is predicted to cost about $67,000 (£50,000) per year, for a total of around $134,000 (£100,000) throughout the two-year building period. This represents a significant savings even when considering rental expenses.
A 60 to 100 kVA generator might charge the Enertainer at off-grid sites, according to Carter, as not all construction sites have access to a power grid. He claimed that even with this configuration, the student housing project will only reduce carbon emissions by 60%, compared to 91% when linked to the grid.
Further Advantages
In comparison to diesel, battery power has additional benefits. To illustrate the point, on a residential building in Sheffield, England, worth $402 million (£300 million), Bowmer & Kirkland opted for BESS rather than diesel generators in the past. One of the first big UK construction sites to depend entirely on battery power, the project featured 17- and 19-story towers. Here, energy demand spikes were managed using a Dumarey Peak Power flywheel device, which was previously known as Punch Power. At first, the building’s commissioning was delayed due to the lack of a permanent power source. However, the battery system was enough, and five floors of the development could be commissioned.
Bowmer & Kirkland has stated its dedication to the BESS methodology. With eleven batteries in operation at various locations, the corporation has made it a policy to use battery power whenever possible. With the purchase of two Enertainer units, it is now making an investment in its own equipment.
2019 UK Construction Week Sustainability Debate to Include BCIA President
Original Source: BCIA President to join sustainability debate at this year’s UK Construction Week
BCIA President Stacey Lucas will attend the Construction Leadership Council’s (CLC) thought-provoking session at UK Construction Week 2024 to discuss built environment sustainability.
The panel will introduce the eighth version of the CLC’s CZ Performance Framework, providing a great opportunity to address construction sector sustainability and the UK’s net zero goal in 2050.
The Performance Framework aligns with Government policy and emphasises carbon measurement and assessment to give the CLC a sector-level dashboard on net zero progress and encourage firms to improve their sustainability strategy.
The BCIA wants to cooperate with other industry leaders and policymakers to raise awareness of decarbonisation and building automation as an association that prioritises sustainability.
BCIA President Stacey Lucas urged the building industry to collaborate on sustainability and carbon reduction to meet the 2050 net zero target.
She said: “The framework is highlighting sustainability, which is crucial to the built environment. The building industry is still a major source of carbon emissions, so it must collaborate to cut energy use.
“I’m honored to be on this panel and excited to discuss how building automation can improve energy efficiency and sustainability in UK buildings.
The panel discussion begins the three-day event at NEC Birmingham on Tuesday, October 1, 2024. More than 20,000 guests and 300 exhibitors are expected at the industry’s largest and greatest event.
Summary of today’s construction news
Overall, we discussed ORB Recruitment, headquartered in Doncaster, acquired CLS Construction Labour Solutions (UK) Infrastructure, a recruitment firm that focused on the building and civil engineering sectors. The purchase, which was finalized for an unknown amount, will help ORB expand its business and strengthen its position in the UK construction recruitment market. This will allow ORB to provide more services to clients across the nation. The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) has collaborated with the Better Hiring Institute to launch a new “Better Hiring Toolkit” specifically designed for the construction industry. In order to make better-informed, safer recruiting decisions, the toolkit is an indispensable resource for construction industry employers. Apart from that, more and more people are thinking about switching from diesel generators to battery energy storage systems (BESS) to power construction equipment like tower cranes. The reason behind this is because contractors in the UK have reconsidered their approach due to recent changes. For example, in April 2022, the tax discount for diesel fuel used in the construction industry was eliminated. The outcome was a dramatic increase in the price of diesel, which reached levels two or three times higher than before. On top of that, BCIA President Stacey Lucas will be in attendance at UK Construction Week 2024 for the Construction Leadership Council’s (CLC) stimulating session on sustainability in the built environment. An excellent chance to discuss sustainability in the construction industry and the United Kingdom’s net-zero target for 2050 will be presented by the panel as they unveil the CLC’s CZ Performance Framework, now in its eighth version.
