In the face of
Brexit and other challenges this year, leading trussed rafter manufacturers and
timber engineering firms learned to tackle fear like a Marine Commando, at a
high energy AGM and conference for the Trussed Rafter Association (TRA) on 2
May.

More than 70
directors and business leaders within the sector met in Warrington this month
to discuss some of the key issues creating uncertain times.

This included
presentations on changing legislation regarding wood dust, changing Building
Regulations and testing requirements on fire safety, and a continuing skills
crisis across construction.

Nick Boulton, TRA Chief Executive said:

“That was an
uplifting and thought-provoking conference. It has left trussed rafter and
metal web joist manufacturers and installers much better informed of the big
issues affecting our industry this year and next.”

“Prepare now to
demonstrate professional competence in everything you do,” warned Barry Turner,
director of technical policy at LABC. This was the main issue that all firms,
big and small, should take seriously in the post-Grenfell era, he explained,
while also making clear his concerns regarding the new ‘clarified’ Approved
Document B on fire safety which is due for publication this month.

Similar
warnings to prepare for new legislation came from occupational health expert
Alan Ballard from ELAS. He broke the news of reduced softwood dust workplace
exposure limits by the HSE coming into effect in 2023 – a health and safety
change which is going to demand innovative solutions from the industry and its
cutting machinery suppliers.

Mental health
is continuing to be an issue within construction. “Construction has the highest
suicide rate of any industry in the UK, America and Australia. This is a
statistic that needs to change,” said Bill Hill, chief executive of the
Lighthouse Construction Industry charity.

In light of
this shocking statistic, The Building Mental Health campaign has been launched
to support construction workers at all levels, with a free Employee Assistance
Programme (EAP). Other support tools are also available via their
website. 

How do you
market your company and its career opportunities to Generation Z? That was the
question posed by Liz Male, managing director of LMC, the TRA’s PR and
marketing agency.

As the skills
crisis escalates, attracting and retaining talent is becoming an increasingly
urgent issue. Liz’s description of Generation Z and what engages them really
resonated with the TRA members and highlighted the need for much more
face-to-face communications and involvement with local schools and colleges in
the battle for talent.

A big technical
innovation also had its debut at the TRA’s conference. The Cullen Gable
Restraint Bracket allows for a complete system to connect timber gables and
masonry walls to the roof structure in order to resist wind loadings.

Scott McAndrew,
R&D manager at ITW Construction Products explained how the system has now
been accepted by the NHBC as meeting its technical requirements and how it
delivers a robust structural fixing for timber gables. Site testing with
housebuilders had gone well, he said, and the new connector will be adopted by
the TRA in its forthcoming Gable Panel Guide.

Housebuilders
in Ireland can also have more confidence in the fire safety of the homes they
are building, thanks to a successful metal web joist fire testing programme
carried out by the TRA. This was off the back of Irish Government’s decision to
move to Eurocode test standards.

An update on
this fire safety project was presented by Julian Marcroft of MiTek. TRA Ireland
has already issued guidance to its members who produce metal web floor joists,
to assist them with designing and constructing products which are compliant
with fire safety in Part B of the Ireland building regulations.

Finally, back
to the Commando reference. A tour of Afghanistan taught former Marine Commando,
Ben Williams, a lot about fear and how to manage it. He brought this experience
to the AGM but with a business spin on it.

Fear can stifle
creativity within a company, he explained, before talking about how all
businesses – including those in this industry facing an uncertain future – can
build up resilience and overcome fear and anxiety to perform in the most
gruelling of circumstances.

Ben is now a
leadership coach and mentor working with premier league footballers as well as
business leaders in VW, Travis Perkins, Keyline and Oneserve. His wisdom was the perfect end to the
conference and left everyone feeling positive and reinvigorated for the year
ahead.

www.tra.org.uk