PCA Weekly News - 11th January 2020
In your weekly PCA update this week:
- Wishing you all a Prosperous 2020
- Amenity Forum launch New Standard
- PCA Represents Members at LABC Conference
- UK expertise applied to Japanese Knotweed in Netherlands
- Mental Health First Aid Training Course
- Spam Email Alert Claiming to be PCA
- National Minimum Wage Increase
- A reminder of the importance of Risk Assessments
- Beat the Winter Blues with PCA Training
- Welcome to our New Members
Wishing you all a Prosperous 2020
As it’s officially the first week back for most of us and our first weekly news for 2020, we’d like to take this opportunity to wish all of our members a Happy New Year! We hope that you had a restful break over the holidays and that 2020 will be a healthy and prosperous year for all. We continue to work hard for and with our members and look forward to catching up with you throughout the year.
Amenity Forum launch New Standard
The Amenity Forum has kicked off 2020 with the launch of their new Amenity Standard. We reported some weeks ago that members of the PCA’s Invasive Weed Group will automatically form part of the initial membership of this Standard – this Standard is akin to the Red Tractor in food and agriculture.
For PCA Invasive Weed members, this is an added benefit to your PCA membership that comes at no additional cost to yourselves. It is effectively another ‘feather to your cap’. The display of the new Amenity Standard logo within your marketing material will help to demonstrate your continued adherence to recognised assured standards in the use of chemicals. If you are an PCA Invasive Weed Member, feel free to download the new Amenity Standard logo now. To find out more, click to visit the new Amenity Standard website.
New Amenity Standard >>
PCA Represents Members at LABC Conference
Next week the PCA will be taking the opportunity to represent the good work and practices of our members at the LABC Warranty & Premier Guarantees Conference in Hinckley, Leicestershire.
With approximately 240 attending (who mostly come from technical surveying backgrounds UK wide), our presence will aim to show why PCA members are the go to people for structural waterproofing.
More Info about the Conference >>
UK expertise applied to Japanese Knotweed in Netherlands
Invasive Weed Control members can give themselves a big pat on the back as it seems your Code of Practice and our whole industry’s approach to managing Japanese knotweed is now being recognised in Europe!
This is based on the news from CABI that they have received funding to start an ambitious research project to investigate biological control strategies for Japanese knotweed – in the Netherlands. This is part-funded by a consortium of Dutch municipal boroughs (local government) who have recently adopted formal protocols (similar to PCA Codes etc.) for Japanese knotweed management in their areas – and to our knowledge this is a first in Europe!
This biocontrol research will be directly relatable to the UK so is a significant development and one we will report on in more detail in the future. For now, the full CABI news release is available via the button below.
Click to Read More >>
Mental Health First Aid Training Course
Off the back of last years Regional Meetings and the raising of awareness towards mental health and at the request of many members, we are running a number of two-day ‘Mental Health First Aid’ training courses for PCA members
– Huntingdon: 12th – 13th February 2020
– Stirling (Scotland): 18th – 19th February 2020
– Bradford: 3rd – 4th March 2020
– Bristol: 11th -12th March 2020
The cost to come along for the 2 days is £260 +vat. However, if you are CITB registered, there is a £70 cost-saving.
This two-day course (to be rolled out to non-members in the future), will result in your employees being qualified as Mental Health First Aiders. Attendees will gain an in-depth understanding of mental health and the factors that can affect wellbeing, together with the practical skills to spot the triggers and signs of a range of mental health issues – and much, much more!
Find out more – contact the training team today on 01480 400 000 or email [email protected]
Get in Touch >>
Spam Email Alert Claiming to be PCA
It has come the PCA’s attention that some of our members have been receiving spam emails under the disguise of it coming from the Property Care Association. These emails arrive in your inbox under the subject title “The Property Care Association (PCA) !!MEMBERS VALIDATION!!” and goes onto to request you to ‘validate your email address‘. PLEASE DO NOT CLICK ON ANY LINKS OR CARRY OUT ANY REQUESTED ACTIONS WITHIN THIS EMAIL.
This email has not been sent from the PCA and it may be potentially harmful to your computer or mobile device if you click on any links within it. For more information to help protect you from spam emails, click on the button below.
Click to Read More >>
National Minimum Wage Increase
As of 1st April 2020, the national minimum wage (for employees over 25 years of age) is set to rise by a huge 6.2%! For all PCA members, it is important to ensure that, where required, your employees’ rates of pay are increased in line with the updated figures. Please be aware that HM Revenue and Customs can take employers to court for failing to pay at least the statutory rate.
One of the benefits of PCA membership is the Business Shield, through Health and Safety consultants Stallard Kane. If you are looking to find out more, click on the button below where there is lots of helpful information and guidance.
Click for More Information >>
A reminder of the importance of Risk Assessments
Health & Safety Executive (HSE) found that a construction company was fined over £260,000 after their employee suffered multiple injuries after a fall from height, highlighting the importance of risk assessment. HSE reported, “this incident could have easily been prevented if the company had undertaken a thorough risk assessment and installed adequate edge protection around the opening to prevent falls.”
Click to Read More >>
Beat those Winter Blues with PCA Training
Calling all Surveyors!!!
Gaining accreditation and certification through the PCA demonstrates to employers and clients alike that, as a surveyor, your knowledge and expertise is beyond reproach. There are three surveyor level training courses for professionals working in Damp & Timber, Structural Waterproofing and Invasive Weed Control:
The above training courses can all be used as part of a candidates foundation study and preparation for the related PCA Industry examinations for formal qualifications.
Contact the training team today on 01480 400 000 or email [email protected].
Click to Contact Us >>
Welcome to our New Members
We are very pleased to welcome the following contractors into Property Care Association membership:
Japanese Knotweed Removal Wales (Full Contractor – Invasive Weed Sector)
1, Tyn Y Groes Cottages
Ganllwyd
Powys
LL40 2HN
Premier Contractors (South West) Ltd (Full Contractor – Damp and Timber, and Structural Waterproofing Sectors)
19 Albany Road
Redruth
Cornwall
TR15 2HU
In the News
This week, coverage on our recent PCA Best Practise Awards has been published within the Daily Echo, Southern Daily Echo and West Sussex County Times.
In addition, the new methodology into the ‘Investigation of Moisture and its Effects in Traditional buildings’ is continuing to gain traction with coverage appearing within ‘Today’s Conveyancer‘.
Remember to keep in the loop…
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