Building Briefs – September 3rd

UCATT general secretary resigns

UCATT general secretary Steve Murphy has tendered his resignation which comes into effect on 8th September.

Mr Murphy has been on sick leave from the union since April this year.

His decision to quit will now trigger a new leadership race, which is likely start before the end of the year.

Brian Rye, UCATT’s national secretary, said: “We wish Steve and his family all the best for the future. “

Work starts on £5m Paisley housing project tackling fuel poverty

Work is underway on the first phase of a £5 million programme to reduce the risk of fuel poverty among hundreds of households in Paisley.

The phase one project will see more than 700 homes in the Gallowhill area benefit from measures to help residents save money on heating bills and make homes more energy efficient as part of a joint project between Renfrewshire Council and energy supplier E.ON.

The hard-to-heat properties, which were built in the 1930s, will receive external wall insulation, potentially saving residents hundreds of pounds each year on their energy bills. The work, which is in addition to loft insulation work already carried out to homes in the Gallowhill area, is the first phase to begin after the council successfully pulled together a £5m package of funding based on extensive research showing that residents in the Gallowhill and George Street areas of Paisley are at high risk of fuel poverty due to poor wall insulation or outdated heating systems.

The major funding package, announced earlier this year, includes £3.35m from the Scottish Government’s Home Energy Efficiency Programme for Scotland: Area Based Schemes (HEEPS:ABS) combined with over £700,000 from the council and around £1m from E.ON through its commitment to the Energy Company Obligation scheme.

Perth and Kinross Council HQ revamp ‘on time and on budget’

Perth and Kinross Council has said the multi-million-pound redevelopment of its Perth headquarters is both “on time and on budget”.

In one of the biggest projects undertaken at local level, the majority of the structure at 2 High Street, Perth, has been covered in scaffolding with builders busy ripping out much of the inside of the building.

Council staff moved out in January to temporary accommodation at The Atrium on Glover Street, with council committee meetings being held at the Dewar’s Centre.

It is understood the council HQ will be completed by Christmas next year, in a move which is aimed to “preserve” the building for future use.

A council spokeswoman confirmed the mammoth project is on schedule and should be within the budget set out in January.

Company fined after worker falls installing solar panels

A solar panel installation company has been fined after a worker fell while installing solar panels at a property in Dumfries and Galloway.

RJW Electrical Services (Lochmaben) Limited of Vendace Place, Lochmaben, Lockerbie pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4 of the Work at Height Regulations 2005, and Section 33(1)(c) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

It was fined £10,000 at Stranrear Sheriff Court.

The court heard how on 25 April 2014, an employee was placing solar panels onto a roof of a barn in Newton Stewart.

The worker stepped back on to a roof-light and fell through it, falling 3.6 metres to the floor below.

The court was told of how RJW Electrical Services had no measures in place to prevent the risk of falling from the edge of the roof, or falling through roof-lights.

By not having these measures in place, the company exposed the employee to the risk of serious injury.