It is now possible to go from green concrete to green roof in just three days. There will of course be many who say it cannot be done, but they are being proved wrong by a company that is leading the market with a new kind of waterproofing technology – and it’s confounding the traditionalists. With increasing pressure on building costs and owners strictly enforcing projects to be delivered on time and within budget, any roof waterproofing system that can save almost a calendar month in time and allow other trades to begin work within days of new concrete being laid, has to be welcome. At present it is generally considered that green concrete cannot be waterproofed until around 28 days after installation. The maximum amount of trapped water contained in the concrete has to be allowed to escape for the concrete to cure properly which effectively means that the project can be on hold during that time. So all credit to Proteus Waterproofing, one the fastest growing companies of its kind, for developing such a system - Cold-Melt® - which is making all other waterproof membranes look obsolete. It’s a seamless application consisting of two main waterproofing layers – the first of which can be laid over green concrete after just three days sealing the building while still allowing the concrete to cure and continue drying out in the usual way. The system is so advanced that the first layer is all that is needed to waterproof the building and if the project demands it, then the final layer does not have to be applied until all other trades have completed their work. This is another significant plus as other trades frequently damage membranes leading to costly repairs and delays. Cold-Melt® is not as prone to such damage, is easily repaired and will have an additional finishing waterproof layer as the project progresses. In fact the BBA have certified that the Cold-Melt® system is so tough that it will last for the life time of the building on which it is installed. No one is saying that Cold-Melt® will replace all other types of waterproof membrane – each has its own particular place in the market – but there is no doubt that this is a unique product that is ticking a lot of boxes for building owners and specifiers. As well as the fact that it can be rapidly installed, Cold-Melt® as the name suggests, does not use any naked flame or molten material and because it is virtually odour free, delivers maximum health and safety and minimum disruption. It is manufactured from recycled rubber crumb and other environment friendly materials such as castor oil and other organically grown products to create an elastomeric, cold applied membrane so sustainability also gets the thumbs up. But let’s get back to the beginning – green concrete to green roof in just three days is now a reality. This seems to be a system that is ready for anything and for the moment - there is nothing else like it in the roofing market. Visit: http://proteuswaterproofing.co.uk/

The National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC) should be congratulated for their latest initiative to raise the profile of the workforce and improve standards. Chief executive James Talman has set out three objectives which he believes are needed to take the industry forward in what he calls “The Roofing Sector Workforce Development Strategy.” These are to: Establish roofing as a professional, modern respected and aspirational sector with clear career paths; able to attract the best and brightest apprentices, students and new works. Formalise and standardise a higher UK-wide training, accreditation and assessment infrastructure, to upskill and multi-skill its growing work force. Proactive engagement with all roofing sector companies, suppliers and trade associations and seeking endorsement and commitment from all procurement stakeholders; enabling growth increased training and access to grants and higher standards. In all the excitement it would be easy to forget that there is one key sector within roofing that successfully went down this path many years ago – and that would be the mastic asphalt industry. Most of the major contractors within mastic asphalt, via its trade association MAC, have successfully encouraged and supported apprenticeships for many years. All operatives have to have some three years of training before they reach the required craft skills - backed by CITB-approved training schemes, to a minimum of NVQ Level 2 and, ideally, to NVQ Level 3. It has resulted in the most highly trained workforce within roofing which has enabled the industry to support some of the most comprehensive guarantee schemes and warranties – knowing that it has a proven product that can only be installed by the very best. Until now there have been few other areas within roofing that offer the same high standards and support for building owners, architects and all other construction professionals, so it can only be hoped that James Talman will succeed with his new initiative. MAC successfully gives accreditation to all its members and over the years the NFRC has also ensured that it attracts the best operatives, but it only has around 1,000 members and these already represent the cream of the industry. Proof that the scheme will work will only be seen when this initiative goes out to a wider audience. We still have many thousands of so called “ladder and bucket” roofers which are traditionally hard to reach with any new message. We have even more general builders who call themselves roofing contractors when a potential job is in the offing – so it will be intriguing to see how the strategy will work in these areas. The rest of Europe does things slightly differently and roofing is seen for the highly skilled job it really is so I hope that this initiative will succeed at every level and root out the cowboys and make it impossible for them to operate. I fear that this is still a long way off – but you have to start somewhere – so all power to the NFRC. By John Ridgeway  Follow me on Twitter @JohnRidgeway99  

Earlier this year, data released by the Office for National Statistics revealed the risk of suicide among low-skilled male laborers, particularly those working in construction, was three times higher than the national average. Mental illness has long been considered something of a taboo subject within the building industry, leading to companies such as BriggsAmasco, the UK’s leading national commercial roofing company investing in training schemes designed to educate employees and help them recognise the symptoms of psychological stress. Dave Maginnis, Managing Director at BriggsAmasco, talks about the education programme and his company’s aim to highlight  issues surrounding ‘the invisible illness’. Construction is a tough environment to inhabit. The physical demands are heavy and the pace at which workers have to toil is unrelenting. There are also mental pressures. Deadlines need to be met on a daily basis to satisfy a seemingly never-ending chain of command that begins with the client, but can include a host of contractors and various trades which are dependent on a person a lot further down the line getting their bit right for a project to proceed at sufficient speed. Therefore, it’s fair to say the building industry, particularly the roofing sector, is not for the faint-hearted. If we concur with the stereotypical view, then construction workers are as tough as the materials in their possession; they’re insensitive to the perils they face in their line of duty, and they’re mostly easy-going types whose hard-earned brawn has insulated them against the fears and anxieties felt by those engaged in less-rigorous employment. The reality is somewhat different, however. This is borne out by figures that reveal one-in-six construction-based workers are suffering from a form of mental illness. The fact that suicide kills more people in the building sector than falls is even more daunting. Thankfully, it appears the industry itself is becoming aware of the health issue in its midst. Initiatives such as Mates in Mind, a recently-launched charitable programme designed to improve and promote positive mental health in construction, has the backing of the British Safety Council, the Health in Construction Leadership Group, and the Samaritans. However, when it’s considered a 2006 CIOB report, showed 70% of workers suffered from stress-related mental conditions as a direct result of working in the industry, its clear employees within the sector should be taking a firmer lead on ways to address the issue. Warning signs In June, BriggsAmasco staged a workshop for employees to help them recognise signs of mental health problems and encourage individuals to seek the right help. It was held as part of our annual Health and Safety forum on behalf of contract-related staff and subcontractors.The Mental Health First Aid coursewas delivered by a qualified, external trainer to ensure an effective and efficient approach was taken in relation to the subject. People often respond better to an outsider with a proper understanding of the topic they are delivering, and our aim was to ensure that our employees fully-absorbed the message being conveyed.   Staff interaction was encouraged throughout the course by sharing knowledge and personal experiences of the illness in an open-floor environment. Details were also shared on various mental health issues, and the warning signs to look out for, such as stress, anxiety and depression, that could indicate someone has a condition. The feedback from colleagues who attended the course was extremely positive. Most told us they found it incredibly insightful and gave them a new approach in their thought process regarding mental health issues. This was precisely the result we were hoping for. BriggsAmasco has covered more than 1,000 hours in health and safety training and awareness through internal and external courses. We also hold annual health surveillance assessments for our 200-plus safety-critical employees in which a detailed wellbeing assessment is carried out by a medical professional. This robust approach to the welfare of staff led to the company achieving ISO, 9001, 14001 and 18001 – one of a few UK organisations to meet all three standards. Adapting to change Health and Safety is paramount at BriggsAmasco. However, with so much focus being applied to the day-to-day safety aspect; the health issue is sometimes left in the background. Therefore, we felt it extremely important to raise awareness on the subject of mental health and reassure our employees that the support is there if and when required. Mental health issues reportedly account for people taking nearly 70 million days off sick per year – the most of any health condition – costing the UK economy between £70 billion and £100 billion a year. Proof, therefore, the ramifications of this debilitating condition can travel far beyond the distress it causes an individual. The construction industry has been viewed by some as resistant to adapting to changes in working practices and behaviours, but it’s been swift to act in relation to a hitherto unspoken issue: the psychological wellbeing of its employers. At BriggsAmasco, we are aiming to overturn the negative view of mental illness and open-up discussion about its causes, symptoms and diagnoses. In our opinion, the construction industry should approach the welfare of its members with the same precision applied to a high-profile building or engineering project, which means paying as much attention to the interior, as well as the exterior details.

Building owners have become increasingly nervous in recent years about sanctioning the use of any kind of naked flame at roof level, traditionally a long standing method of applying waterproof membranes. This has resulted from increased pressure from insurance companies concerned about fire risk and some have banned the use completely of naked flame at roof level following several high profile incidents. The industry has responded with a huge range of cold applied membranes – some more effective than others – but now there is a new trend which could totally transform the way flat roofs are waterproofed. It is called Cold Melt®, an application registered by Proteus Waterproofing which offers building owners a membrane with all the advantages of the seamless application offered by mastic asphalt and hot melt products – with none of the perceived risks associated with other types of membrane. It must be emphasised that the roofing industry has an exemplary safety record with flame applied membranes and modern torches used for products such as felt significantly reduce the potential for fire risks, but cold melt seems to offer a lot more than a simple health and safety boost. By eliminating the need for heat then Cold Melt can be applied significantly more quickly by helping to reduce labour costs, but more importantly the membrane, according to the BBA (British Board of Agrement) will, when correctly applied will last for literally as long as the building remains standing. That’s quite a claim but when endorsed by the BBA it suggests that roofing membranes are now entering a new era but what is Cold Melt? Let’s look at the Commercial. Cold-Melt® is claimed to incorporate recycled rubber crumb and other organically grown products to create an elastomeric, seamless, cold applied membrane that can be applied to a wide range of substrates including concrete, asphalt and timber. As it exhibits extremely low odour, Cold-Melt® can also be applied in confined working spaces. So it seems there is a new kid on the block with some healthy credentials to back up his performance and if nothing else – it will keep the insurance companies happy. Visit: http://proteuswaterproofing.co.uk