As we move into the autumn, PSJ keeps you informed about a change of APS president, the rollout of the Building Safety Act and autumn webinar plans.
Hello autumn! And welcome to this edition of Project Safety Journal (PSJ), the membership magazine of the Association for Project Safety. We will be looking forward to the new shape of the association and the events we have planned. We also take a deep dive into some of the key issues facing health and safety in construction.
The autumn season heralds new beginnings at APS. In October the association will start up its autumn webinar series. But on a more emotional note we will also be bidding a fond farewell to president Jonathan Moulam. His two-year tenure of the hot seat comes to an end and Ray Bone takes over.
Jonathan’s presidency has witnessed a period of rapid change and challenge for the construction industry.
There was the pandemic and its effect on work practices – on site and in the office. We hear from Steve Coppin and the HSE’s Gordon Crick about how CDM is moving into a digital future. And, as you will see from the events we have coming up, APS has also learned from lockdown – adopting the best of remote working to respond quickly to emerging issues.
The association has learned to love new technology and is now delivering an ever-increasing number of member webinars – all of which are on the website to access or watch again.
APS is going to develop this further and you will see we have more and more planned. We are also looking to reintroduce some face-to-face meetings because we know you have missed getting out to meet your friends and colleagues.
One of those areas on which we will be focusing is the rollout of the Building Safety Act. The BSA – arguably the biggest industry shake-up in a generation – has finally completed the first part of its parliamentary passage.
Now, five years on from the disaster at Grenfell, the law is catching up with the changes needed to ensure buildings are safe in use and occupation as well as when they are being built. We draw on the insights of industry colleagues in our cover piece on the ‘golden thread’.
Ray will bring his own stamp to the presidency. And you will have ample opportunities to get to know him better. Suffice to say for now: he is one of the good guys. He has wide sector experience and a deep-rooted interest, not just in the technicalities of health and safety, but underlying skills and attitudes. You will be seeing a focus on training and on the resilience needed to thrive in a changing world.
So, with great thanks to Jonathan, APS will be moving on into a new future. Ray will put the final touches to the governance review Jonathan began. This will make APS fit to face the future – and to continue serving you now and in the years ahead.
Lesley McLeod is CEO of the Association for Project Safety.
