In your weekly PCA update this week:

• Invasive Species – so what is the cost?
• Future Buildings Standard – Last chance to comment!
• Mediterranean Furniture Beetle
• Free Twice-weekly Rapid Flow Tests for All!
• Understanding wood-destroying insects webinar!
• Invasive Plant ID Training
• Stress Awareness Month

Invasive Species – so what is the cost?

A flurry of international reports highlighting the astonishing economic costs of invasive species caught the attention of your Technical Manager Peter Fitzsimons recently. Following the publication of these reports, Peter shares his thoughts and asks, ‘so what is the cost of invasive species?.

You can read the blog in full by clicking on the button below.

Future Buildings Standard – Last chance to comment!

A reminder that this is your LAST CHANCE to comment on the Future Buildings Standard consultation – the proposal on the revision to Approved Document F (ADF).

The Property Care Association has fed comments back to the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) directly, including collated feedback from members. The opportunity to connect the PCA Technical Team with Government Policy Makers on industry standards is fantastic and emphasises the high regard your Association is now held in.

You can comment on the consultation, which closes at 11:45pm on 13th April 2021, via the button below.

Mediterranean Furniture Beetle

Is the Mediterranean Furniture Beetle the new kid on the block? This beetle first appeared on the radar after its presence was confirmed at Hampton Court Palace in 2015, and readers may remember us sharing this news. However, an article from a recent issue of Pest Control News has created a bit of a buzz about possible new cases of Mediterranean Furniture Beetle…

Reports of the beetle being found in residential properties was highly intriguing, but after doing some digging neither case highlighted appears to have affected any structural timber. Tropical beetles being imported in furniture items is somewhat of a common occurrence and these appear to be just another two examples. We will of course share with you if any further discoveries are made.

In the meantime, PCA’s Technical Manager James Berry will be sharing lots of interesting facts about woodboring beetles in his upcoming webinar (scroll down further for more info). You can read the article by clicking on the button below…

Free Twice-weekly Rapid Flow Tests for All!

The Government announced on Monday that from today, 9th April, everyone in England will be able to access free, regular, rapid Covid-19 testing. Getting a rapid test is quick, convenient and you can access the tests through:

• a home ordering service
• workplace testing programmes – on-site or at home
• community testing – offered by all local authorities
• collection at a local test site – specific collection time windows
• testing on-site at schools and colleges
• a new ‘Pharmacy Collect’ service is also launching – providing an additional route to regular testing

The PCA is one of the 100,000+ businesses in England who have registered to provide rapid tests to their employees. You can find out more via the button below.

Understanding wood destroying insects webinar!

Just 3 weeks until our next webinar! Join us and PCA’s James Berry on Thursday 29th April 2021 from 9-10am for our LIVE broadcast on ‘Understanding Wood-destroying Insects’. What exactly are ‘Wood destroying insects’? How much damage can these insects do to our homes and how can we spot the ‘tell-tale’ signs of infestation?

James will share advice and expertise on how to identify these common insects and how to treat the issue. Members can click on the button below to register.

Invasive Plant ID Training

Invasive Plant ID Training
Date: 13th May 2021
Location: PCA Head Office, Huntingdon
Cost: Members £355 +VAT / Non-members £350 +VAT
>> Need more information on the course – click here

This one-day workshop will provide candidates with the opportunity to be hands-on with around 15+ common terrestrial invasive species in the UK, and will focus on:

• Identification of live specimens
• Ecology and habitats for each species
• Similar native and/or non-native species
• UK distribution, Growth stages & Biosecurity

Contact the training team today on 01480 400 000, or email [email protected].

Stress Awareness Month

April is stress awareness month and to help recognise the signs of work-related stress, you can access the ‘Building a Mentally Resilient Workforce’ webinar we held last year. Russell Mott of ATAS UK shares his advice and useful information on trigger signals for you to help your colleagues and staff, which is just as relevant today as it was a year ago.

The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) also has a range of practical support and guidance available, including risk assessment templates, a talking toolkit to help start conversations, workbooks, posters, a new mobile app and a new automated stress indicator tool (SIT). You can access this information via the button below.

Remember to keep in the loop…

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