Construction Industry Council (CIC) News

Katy Robinson of East Riding of Yorkshire Council said, “From having to create makeshift insoles in uncomfortable footwear, having to deal with stomach cramps from wearing high visibility trousers designed for men, and losing oversized boots in muddy fields, I’m one of many women in the construction industry to have an issue with the personal protective equipment I’ve been given. And now I’m on a mission to change that.” She adds, “In 2023, I celebrated six y...

Marking the 35th anniversary of the Construction Industry Council (CIC), they reflect on the remarkable journey of CIC and look into its future. It all began in 1988 with the establishment of the organization as the Building Industry Council (BIC) under the visionary leadership of Professor Sir Edmund (Ted) Happold, who, along with five founder members - CIBSE, CIOB, IStructE, RIBA, and RICS - laid the foundation for what was to become the Construction Industry Council. CIC now stands as a unif...

CIC, the foremost membership body representing professionals within the built environment sector, is thrilled on Wednesday, 1 November 2023 to celebrate their 35th anniversary. Since its establishment in 1988, CIC has played a pivotal role in advancing the construction industry by promoting collaboration, knowledge sharing, and excellence among professionals. visionary idea CIC was born from a visionary idea: to unite professional bodies across the diverse built environment sector. In the p...

Boosting productivity in the construction sector could generate £45 billion of additional added value each year for the UK; equivalent to 2% of UK GDP; and enough to build more than 220,000 houses a year or pay for two-thirds of the UK’s ten-year infrastructure pipeline, including covering the cost of both HS2 and the new nuclear program. UK industry potential  The Construction Leadership Council has published a new report exploring the potential for the UK industry to...

UK Prime Minister - Rishi Sunak has announced a series of delays to government plans to reach Net Zero with the scrapping of further measures on energy efficiency revealed over the week. CIC Climate Change Committee Chair - Stephen Hodder reacted to the announcements, stating "In the construction industry, we are becoming accustomed to indecision having been hit by delays and policy uncertainty in several areas including HS2, UKCA Marking, and nutrient neutrality." Skidmore Review Stephen H...

The Construction Industry Council (CIC) has appointed Nasir Khan as the new Chair of their Liability Panel for a three-year term until June 2026, succeeding Sarah Lupton who had chaired the Panel for 11 years. Nasir Khan Nasir is a Principal at HKA, leading the Advisory, Claims, and Construction Management team based out of London. He is an Engineer, chartered Quantity Surveyor, Chartered Procurement, and an expert in construction law and dispute resolution. He has over 20 years of experien...

NBS has launched its annual Digital Construction Survey giving designers, specifiers, manufacturers, contractors, clients and others working in the built environment the chance to have their voices heard.  The results of the survey, which is the most comprehensive in the sector, enable those working in the construction industry to better understand the development of their industry, including deep-level insights into the rate of digital adoption. This year’s survey includes a renewe...

CIC is seeking three Specialist non-executive Directors to join its statutory Board. These are voluntary, non-executive (non-renumerated) roles and it is expected that the role will average eight hours per month. Meetings are generally held in Central London and are hybrid. Specialist directors would normally serve for three years and are eligible to be reappointed for one further term by mutual agreement. Leadership teams and workforce CIC is seeking specialist input in the following ar...

CABE’s Building Inspector Competence Assessment Scheme has been approved as an independent provider scheme by the Building Safety Regulator (BSR). CABE’s new process will enable Building Inspectors to evidence their skills, knowledge, and experience, and gain the necessary certification to allow them to apply to the BSR’s register of Building Inspectors. The Building Safety Act 2022 has made it a mandatory requirement for all building control inspectors undertaking restricted...

The built environment and construction industry, as well as associated professional and educational bodies, are showing a momentous culture shift, reporting much more awareness and activity around climate literacy than what was the case a few years ago. However, for every organization striving for improvement, there are some stuck in ‘business as usual’ mode, making only limited, ad-hoc progress. Built environment Some don’t even know where to start – either due to a l...

As summer approaches we start to think about sun protection for the skin and overall health. However, for those outside workers who are exposed to solar radiation day in and day out, there continues to be little awareness about the risk that they are being subjected to. skin cancer Studies over recent years such as that carried out by Imperial College London demonstrate that working in the sun could lead to one skin cancer death a week and five new cases of melanoma skin cancer with the hig...

RIBA and seven built environment bodies, fire safety organizations and disability rights groups have signed a joint letter to the Secretary of State for Leveling Up, Housing and Communities, Rt Hon Michael Gove MP. The united call urges the Government to reduce the height threshold for more than one staircase in new residential buildings to 18 meters (approximately six storeys), from the government’s current proposed 30 meters (approximately ten storeys). new residential buildings Yest...

Building a Safer Future has announced the first group of organizations to be awarded BSF Champion status, having successfully completed its new building safety culture change assessment scheme. The BSF Champion assessment process gives companies detailed insight into their existing leadership and culture around building safety and equips them with actionable data and practical tools to help review and upgrade processes, driving meaningful and measurable improvement in leadership and culture aro...

Enhanced connectivity is essential to maximizing the efficiency of how a building operates, be it commercial or residential irrespective of its age. Sensors such as those that measure occupancy, energy, and water use and alert for maintenance depend on robust and reliable connectivity. Equally, at a time when many are struggling to attract people back to the office, removing barriers to attendance is important. That includes ensuring all employees can make and receive mobile phone calls whereve...

CONIAC was established in 2003, to advise the HSE on the protection of people from health and safety hazards within the building, civil engineering, and engineering construction industries. Its membership comes from the HSE, employers, employees, and key industry stakeholders, including small and medium-sized enterprises. It is chaired by the Chief Inspector of Construction. This is their first website which is an important step in helping the industry move forward post-pandemic as CONIAC seek...

At a recent Council meeting of its members, the Construction Industry Council (CIC) elected Paul Bussey and Philip Baker as the new Chair and Deputy Chair of the CIC Health & Safety Committee. The CIC Health and Safety Committee provides a forum for health and safety representatives of CIC member institutions and to meet, shape policy, discuss initiatives and develop responses on behalf of CIC and built environment professionals. Prior roles of Bussey  Paul Bussey, who was previousl...

The Passive Fire Knowledge Group (PFKG), has been launched to drive culture change through the design and construction process to improve fire safety in buildings. The Passive Fire Knowledge Group (PFKG) brings together Tier 1 contractors, specialist installers, and relevant trade associations to promote passive fire protection guidance and so improve the delivery of well-designed, specified and installed passive fire protection. Tier 1 contractors comprise the largest stakeholder group and hav...

Most people in construction are familiar with Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) cards. It is the card (either physical or digital), that provides proof that individuals working on construction sites have the appropriate training and qualifications for the job they do on-site. CSCS licence However, not everyone is aware that CSCS cards are made up of an alliance of 38 different organizations representing not just the traditional construction trades but the many specialist o...

With increasing focus on the importance of both the technical aspects and management of fire safety, the FPA is introducing four new training courses to help meet the demand for trained and competent fire safety professionals. The new courses cover a range of topics – mathematics for engineering, the fundamental principles of fire risk assessment, fire risk management in residential properties, and fire in non-loadbearing external walls. Updated range of courses Launching these addition...

Projects to tackle fire safety risks on high-rise residential buildings have been boosted by the publication of a new model insurance clause covering fire safety risks. The wording has been developed by the International Underwriting Association (IUA) and the Department for Leveling Up, Housing and Communities for use in work being completed under the government’s £4.5 billion Building Safety Fund.  It will help speed up the removal of unsafe cladding, encourage a greater saf...

To raise the standards of competence across the built environment sector and improve the safety of residents and the workforce, BSI has developed a suite of standards, supported by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (DLUHC). The three new Publicly Available Specifications (PAS) will make it easier for different parts of the built environment industry to work together by establishing agreed core principles, terminology, and requirements on competence, providing a shared u...

The FPA’s expert surveyors have been conducting comprehensive, non-destructive fire compartmentation surveys and delivering detailed reports for several years. They are delighted to announce that they have recently developed new technology to significantly improve the outputs for the customers. New technology benefits Using a tablet device, the software application enables the surveyors to upload building floor plans which are used to describe the compartmentation strategy, and identif...

After the five-year anniversary of the Grenfell Tower disaster, the Fire Industry can take stock of improvements to increase fire safety in high-rise residential buildings. However, the feeling of positivity is not mutual for the disabled residents of tower blocks. Despite all Grenfell Tower survivors now being safely rehoused, thousands of disabled people across the UK still live in high-rise buildings similar to Grenfell, without proper evacuation support. Proper evacuation support So, are...

Improving the quality of the built environment is one of the core objectives of the Fire Protection Association and to support this they have created one of the most versatile and comprehensive fire testing and research facilities in the UK. They have recently expanded the testing capabilities at the laboratory in Gloucestershire by investing in a new material identification testing service to help identify the type of insulation material used on a building. How are samples tested? A total of...

BAFE continues to stress the importance of verifying appropriate UKAS-accredited third-party certification with growing industry support. 'Don’t just Specify, Verify' campaign As the nation moves towards stronger responsibility and accountability for fire safety measures, the BAFE Fire Safety Register reiterates their message on the significance of UKAS-accredited third-party certification. BAFE’s 'Don’t just Specify, Verify' campaign launched in March 2020 identifies the im...

As the world prepares for COP26, the time for action and concrete agreement to reduce carbon emissions and invest in the future. Government and industry have a crucial opportunity to agree on tangible commitments, that benefit future generations across the world. The role as part of the Built Environment and Construction Sector (which accounts for 38% of global carbon emissions) is vital. The Construction Leadership Council’s Construct Zero program is heading the industry’s drive to...

CIC has been welcomed by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) as its newest and twentieth Member, following a positive vote at the UKAS AGM, which took place on 19 October 2021. certification, and inspection UKAS is the government-appointed sole National Accreditation Body, whose role is to provide oversight of testing, certification, and inspection organizations across the full spectrum of economic activity. UKAS is a not-for-profit, non-profit-distributing independent company ope...

The United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) has welcomed the Construction Industry Council (CIC) as its newest and twentieth Member, following a positive vote at the UKAS AGM. UKAS is the government-appointed sole National Accreditation Body, whose role is to provide oversight of testing, certification, and inspection organizations across the full spectrum of economic activity. Important link to the sectors UKAS is a not-for-profit, non-profit-distributing independent company operating un...

CIC will be at COP26 on 11 November to present on ‘Carbon Zero: the professional institutions’ climate action plan’. The presentation is in support of the Construction Leadership Council’s Construct Zero session which will take place in the Green Zone as part of the COP26 Cities, Regions, and Built Environment Day. reduce carbon emissions The built environment and construction sector accounts for 38% of global carbon emissions and it has been estimated that collectivel...

The Business Model workstream of the Construction Leadership Council publishes a refreshed suite of guidance on managing COVID-19 within construction contracts. The updated documents now include revised information on future-proofing JCT / NEC amendments for new contracts to ensure that if circumstances change parties take a collaborative approach. The suite also provides templates to allow parties to formally record how they can avoid disputes. Provides additional templates The COVID-19 pand...