Changing regulations to blame for skills shortage, say construction professionals.

Almost three quarters (72%) of construction workers claim that the changing regulatory landscape is one of the biggest causes of the industry’s skills shortage, according to new research.

The research of 200 construction professionals conducted by Siniat also found that 67.5% believe that current skills in the sector are out-dated when considering new regulations and government targets.

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Benedict Wallbank, Trimble’s BIM Strategy and Partnerships Manager, explores how digital workflows can help housebuilders to achieve compliance with recent and forthcoming construction regulations, demonstrating a clear golden thread of traceable and accessible data.

The last few years have featured a lot of change for those in housebuilding, from the amended Part L regulations in June 2022, the Building Safety Act 2022, the new Labour government with its ambitious housing plans and, looking ahead, the 2025 Future Homes Standard.

With new rigid frameworks in place for housebuilders, it’s essential that they can efficiently demonstrate compliance with these regulations, requiring enhanced oversight, transparency and accountability, throughout the construction process and beyond.

Differing implementation approaches
While many developers are addressing the regulatory changes with systems and procedures already in places, approaches do vary.

Some may have implemented a centralised Construction Management System, which pulls together the activities of different disciplines. Tracking regulatory changes, monitoring compliance activities and managing documentation, it provides a unified platform for communication across departments. This allows for the easy sharing of data, reports, and compliance status, ensuring that all teams have access to the same information and are aware of any issues that may cross departmental boundaries.

Other housebuilders use a standard sharing ‘drive’, such as Google Drive or Dropbox, or even a largely paper-based process, both of which can often be inefficient with the possibility of information being lost.

Achieving a clear golden thread of traceable and accessible data
Take Building Regulations UK Part L (BRUKL), for example. Compliance reports and certificates are required to verify that the building meets energy efficiency standards. There should be both the design stage report, highlighting intended calculations and specifications, and the as-built report, submitted to the building control body and building owner Photographic evidence of the installed components should be included in the BRUKL as-built report, along with up-to-date product specification and calculation actuals. High-resolution images should capture each detail within a plot, with at least one photo per detail per plot. These photographs must be taken nearing completion of each stage, allowing building control to audit before that stage is closed out.

How a technology solution helps with evidencing
Digital construction tools, like Trimble’s Viewpoint Field View, can support housebuilders to deliver this ‘golden thread’ throughout the construction supply chain, providing a comprehensive and traceable audit trail. These tools can be used to track site activities, including quality checks, safety inspections, progress reports and project milestones, ensuring that all actions are documented for full compliance.

Anyone authorised should be able to use a tablet or device, go to the site location and undertake an inspection without prior knowledge of the details, guided by specific questions and clear, accessible information. This ensures inspections can be completed quickly and thoroughly.

Documentation and compliance tracking
Any form or approval process currently done with pen and paper can be digitally replicated and improved. From toolbox talks and site diaries to quality checks and project progress, everything is digitised so site teams can spend less time handling paperwork. Everyone in the business and supply chain follows the same paperless format, with cloud-based documents that are accessible offline and stored throughout the project’s lifecycle and beyond.

For Part L compliance, energy performance data like air tightness test results and thermal insulation details can be recorded. The installation of energyefficient systems such as solar panels, heat pumps, and triple-glazed windows can be tracked, with photographic evidence attached and electronic signature signoff.

Look out for digital construction systems that allow for real-time inspection and defect tracking on-site, even without an internet connection. This allows contractors to record issues like gaps in insulation or improperly installed windows and doors that could affect the energy performance of the building, for prompt rectification.

Checklists and workflow management
To aid the workflow of teams and ensure nothing is missed, digital checklists can be tailored with specific tasks to ensure compliance. These checklists provide assurance that site teams follow best practices, confirm correct installations and meet regulatory requirements throughout the construction process.

Collaboration across teams
Effective compliance with the new standards can demand collaboration across multiple teams, from design and sustainability to project management and construction. Selecting a centralised digital platform for communication ensures that all stakeholders have access to the latest updates, reports, and compliance information.

With many of the building products covered by these regulations installed by subcontractors, this approach can help manage compliance by enabling real-time documentation and checklists for third-party installers, to ensure they are meeting regulatory requirements.

Handover documentation and post-completion
When homes are completed, the building regulations require detailed documentation to be handed over to building owners or occupiers. All the necessary handover documentation, including documents like energy performance certificates (EPCs), heating system manuals, and as-built information, can be organised and stored in a centralised place.

Incorporating digital construction tools into everyday processes not only provides enhanced efficiencies and streamlined quality control, but also helps contractors stay ahead of evolving standards – like Part L and the Future Homes Standard. By embracing these technologies, housebuilders can ensure they are meeting regulations, improving building performance and delivering energy-efficient homes that stand the test of time.

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JCB was celebrating after securing a change in regulations which will allow trailers to be towed on the road by wheeled construction machinery – potentially saving customers thousands of pounds a year.

The decision affects towing rules in England, Scotland and Wales and has seen the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) create a new Vehicle Special Order (VSO). Under the new regulation, it will be possible for customers to use wheeled engineering plant, such as backhoe loaders and wheeled excavators, to tow a trailer on the highway, for the purposes of construction, maintenance, and repair of roads.

Richard Brooks, JCB’s Group Product Innovation Director said: “Recognition by the VCA of the benefits of safely towing a trailer behind these types of wheeled machines will be welcomed by contractors and equipment owners.

“We have been pushing for this change in legislation, as it will greatly increase the versatility and productivity of this type of wheeled machine. By towing a trailer to and from site, customers will reduce the need for additional vehicles to carry materials and tools, cutting emissions and unnecessary traffic, while increasing efficiency in road construction maintenance and repair.”

It has taken some years for JCB to demonstrate to the Department for Transport (DfT) and VCA that this is an effective and efficient use of machinery and will facilitate, amongst other issues, the repair of potholes. While this is only a temporary derogation to The Road Vehicles (Authorisation of Special Types) General Order 2003, the company remains committed to a permanent change and will continue to work with all agencies to effect this.

Despite the availability of trailer hitches and towing equipment for a range of wheeled machines, it has until now, not been possible for this type of machinery to legally tow a trailer on public highways. Under the new order, backhoe loaders like JCB’s 3CX Compact, along with wheeled excavators such as JCB’s Hydradig and Pothole Pro, will now be permitted to tow a trailer that is unladen, or that is carrying material or tools to and from a road construction, repair, or maintenance site, greatly increasing versatility and productivity for the customer, while reducing the need for additional transportation.

The machines will be allowed to tow on all types of roads, other than motorways, at speeds of up to 20mph. The wheeled engineering plant must be road-registered and shall comply with all applicable aspects of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986. The overall length of the combined machine and trailer cannot exceed 8m and the trailer must bear the same number plate as the towing machine.

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Liam Hale, construction director at Taylor Lane Timber Frame explains the company’s  new work at height technique for use when constructing roofs which require top hat trusses: the top hat gantry walkway method.

The Government is encouraging the use of modern methods of construction (MMC) to deliver high-quality, efficient homes, quickly.  One of the many benefits attributed to offsite construction is accuracy. Precision engineering in a controlled environment offers greater efficiencies than a traditional onsite build.  Labour, manual handling, and waste are just some of the areas where savings can be made.

Yet MMC is not without its challenges, e.g., transporting of goods from factory to site.  For timber frame and roof truss manufacturers issues can arise when tall roofs are specified.  This is something we, as an established timber frame supplier are coming across more frequently.

Tall roof challenge
Industry is typically governed by a maximum truss height of four metres (Trussed Rafter Association).  This measurement is taken from the underside of the truss to the apex of the roof.  This limitation is driven by restrictions during transportation (bridge heights) and in manufacturing processes.

Anything over four metres and the main body of the truss and its topmost point (the top hat) may be produced separately, taken to the site as two individual components, and then fitted in place.

In our experience, around 10-15% of jobs each year require a top hat truss.

Working at height
While the top hat truss solves problems regarding manufacture and delivery, it does present potential health and safety issues which come from the need to work at height.

Generally, there is no easy way of doing this, safely.  The top hat can be fitted on the ground first and then craned into position, but this can be complex.  The installation of a scaffold handrail, or similar, is the most common technique but this can be costly as it requires scaffold tubes down to ground level.  Plus, fitters are still required to work at height to fit the handrail.

While we have always used the correct equipment and fall arrest in such instances, we felt that there must be a safer method, one which focusses on prevention of a fall.  I am pleased to say that we have been successful in achieving this, developing a method that exceeds the basic requirements of the Work at Height Regulations 2005.

Top hat gantry walkway method
The top hat gantry walkway method was developed in-house with the aim of moving the procedure up the Hierarchy of Control – from fall arrest to fall prevention, with the creation and use of a safe work platform.

The installation of top hat trusses is considered a hazardous working at height operation, our method designs out potential risk.  A working platform or, in this instance, a gantry walkway can be made once the main roof section is braced, and a handrail is fixed within the gantry walkway to create a ‘safe’ place of work .

How does it work?
Wearing appropriate PPE throughout the procedure, the timber frame operative must first be clipped to the scaffold structure when accessing the gantry.  Once the gantry sub-deck is installed, timber bracing provides handrail guardrails.  These, along with an intermediate guardrail, are fitted in line with Work at Height Regulations and fixed according to our engineering analysis document.

The guardrails are fitted when a leading edge is present to provide a safe gantry from which to carry out roof work.  The top hat trusses can then be loaded out to the operative on the gantry from an operative on the scaffold, and the roof structure completed from the gantry walkway. 

Fall prevention brace method
The erecting of timber frame kits makes working at height a necessity so, after rolling out our top hat gantry walkway method we are exploring other ways of reducing risk, particularly during works to roof structures.

Where possible we use a lifted floor and lifted roof methodology.  This means the components are formed into structures on the ground, prior to being lifted into position.  While reducing the need to work at height, it is still necessary to complete the roof structure and for follow-on trades working above the rafter line.

The Work at Height Regulations 2005 stipulate that any work carried out at height requires adequate measures to prevent injury or death caused by a fall.  Fall arrest methods such as bean bags and safety nets are often used, placed below the elevated working area, or a fall prevention technique such as a OSB sub deck to roof ceiling cord is installed.  While adequate, these solutions are not ideal.

It would be far better to prevent a person from falling as opposed to limiting the impact of a fall.  Plus, fall arrest and prevention techniques are temporary and need to be removed once the work at height is complete – this costs time and money.

And so, we have developed a fall prevention brace method.  Sitting within stage 2 of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 Hierarchy of Controls, this method is a Collective Fall Prevention solution and offers protection to all those working in the area.  The brace becomes an integral and permanent part of the roof structure and does not need to be removed following completion of the roof covering.

While the top hat gantry walkway method is only relevant to a small percentage of the houses being built in the UK, this method has the potential to be adopted by sites right across the country.  As such, we are seeking endorsement for the fall prevention brace method by a leading trade association.

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