In your weekly PCA update this week:

• Ground Gas Sector Launched
• CLC Releases Site Operating Procedures – Version 4
• CITB’s COVID-19 Site Safety Checklists and Forms
• New Re-vegetation Guidance Note
• Up Next: The Insect Factor in Wood Decay
• Closed Offices and Legionnaires’ Disease
• Missed the Webinar? View the Recording
• Your weekly ‘Tune-In Tuesday’ is off for a week!

Ground Gas Sector Launched

The Property Care Association is pleased to say the newly launched Ground Gas sector is progressing well. We have welcomed a number of new members to this sector of membership and very much look forward to developing this further. All associated web pages are now live for members to view from homeowner based help and advice, to our pages for professionals and how you can get involved, trained and apply for membership. The Association will be continuing to promote this new sector, so keep an eye out!

For our PCA members that are interested in finding out more about ground gas, click on the button below to visit our ‘professionals’ and ‘homeowners’ pages. If you are interested in Ground Gas membership, please contact Sue on 01480 400000 or via email at: [email protected].

CLC releases Site Operating Procedures – Version 4

For all our PCA members currently following the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) guidance, they have released Version 4 of their Site Operating Procedures. They have been updated to incorporate a number of technical changes as a result of the recently published Government guidance on Working Safely during Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Construction & Other Outdoor Work. The changes are minimal and include:

• Removal of the requirement for face to face contact to be kept to 15 minutes or less
• The section on PPE now links to the latest Government guidance on face coverings
• References to one-way systems and the reconfiguration of seating and tables and an update on portable toilets
• The requirement to share risk assessments with the workforce
• Clarification on when to travel to work, as set out in the Government’s COVID-19 Recovery Strategy
• Updated links and wording on social distancing

We advise all members and anyone associated within the construction industry to familiarise themselves with these documents. We will continue to share updates with members as soon as they become available and as always, are here to help on 01480 400000.

CITB’s COVID-19 – Site Safety Checklists and Forms

Following the release of Site Operating Procedures from the Construction Leadership Council (CLC), CITB has produced a comprehensive range of interactive checklists and forms to assist construction employers, during the pandemic.

These resources will ensure that those who are permitted and able to return to work will have a clear understanding of how they can minimise the risk of infection on construction sites.

You can access the checklists via the button below.

New Re-vegetation Guidance Note

We are pleased to be able to give our Invasive Weed Control Group members another excellent Guidance Note – ‘Re-vegetation following Invasive Non-Native Weed Management’ which is available via the link below.

We hope that this document will help you create your own re-vegetation strategies or can be a useful guide for your clients as a reference. For habitats to remain sustainable we need to ensure when clearing an area of one dominant invasive species that you don’t find it is replaced by another! Re-vegetation is an important aspect of any and all management plans. Your Association is putting you, our members, at the forefront of the industry enabling you to demonstrate your environmental responsibilities.

If you have any comments, questions or feedback, please contact Peter Fitzsimons on [email protected].

Next Webinar: The Insect Factor in Wood Decay

Our series of CPD webinars continues with ‘The Insect Factor in Wood Decay‘ on Thursday 28th May 2020, from 9-10am. Find out more and join us as Nicholas Donnithorne gives us his unique view on some of the more unusual wood destroying insects you may encounter in the built environment.

This is sure to be an insightful and extremely knowledgeable webinar that you won’t want to miss!

Register now for the live webinar and gain those all important 2 CPD points too!

Closed Offices and Legionnaires’ Disease

We alert both our members amd all business owners to the advice from the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) on the risk of Legionnaires’ Disease. As we begin to return to work it is important that employers, the self-employed and people in control of premises, identify and control risks associated with legionella.

If your building has been closed or had reduced occupancy during the coronavirus outbreak, water system stagnation can occur due to lack of use, increasing the risks of Legionnaires’ disease.

PCA Members can access detailed guidance on managing legionella risks during the COVID-19 outbreak and how to protect people when the water system is reinstated or returned to use, by clicking on the button below.

Next Webinar: The Insect Factor in Wood Decay

A big thank you to all who joined our ‘Under the Radar: Buddleia & Bamboo‘ live webinar. For our Invasive Weed members, this was greatly attended and presented much engagement on the chat!

Our thanks go to Invasive Weed Group Member Jim Glaister gave us a practical overview of treatment methods available for controlling/eradicating bamboo and buddleia and raised the question…’are Buddleia and Bamboo more structurally damaging than Japanese Knotweed and if so, why are we not more concerned?’

To view the recording by simply clicking on the button below.

Weekly ‘Tune-in Tuesday’ – On Holiday!

With Monday being Bank Holiday, our regular ‘Tune in Tuesday‘ event is taking the week off, but will be back on Tuesday 2nd June! Remember these ‘Tune in Tuesday’ webinars are all about you. It’s Your forum – Your platform – and Your opportunity to engage with your Association and ask the questions on the topics that matter to you.

To register for the 2nd June, simply click on the button below.

Remember to keep in the loop…

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