Newsletters
March 2026
March is now upon us and it is great to get to work and come home in the daylight! Coming to work at the moment has it’s own troubles, we have noticed that many of the councils are behind with their ‘pot hole and resurfacing’ works. There are many reasons for this, but on the whole it is a difficult task to cover the additional work that has come about due to our unusually wet (and freezing) weather. As we all know, this type of weather causes cracks and splits the road surface, then the amount of heavy traffic exacerbates the problem even further. Hopefully now the weather is starting to change for the better they can crack on with some of this crucial work as it makes driving along the roads more dangerous (and more costly should you get a puncture).
March brings many benefits to us all, the sunny climes and more temperate weather helps us renew our work ethic. With this in mind we'd like to remind everybody about PPE (personal protective equipment). Making sure you have the right kit for your workers is crucial to keeping them safe. It has to be appropriate for the job that they're doing and in a good state of repair. Along with this, March might be an ideal time to take the opportunity and have a look at your staff skill sets and see if there are any gaps in the knowledge or skill sets. If you need any help with training don't forget that Ai Solutions can support you in this. Not only do we have online courses, via our Elms system, we can also train your staff in CDM, Asbestos and the dangers of Lead Paint, for more information call us on 01525 850 080.
What’s happening at Ai Solutions?
We are currently working extremely hard to upgrade all our customers over to CDM ToolKit CS Cloud. This exciting new move encourages our customers to work smarter, NOT harder. Alongside this, we continue to update Cloud with brand new features. Some of these new features are bespoke development requirements. As always, we endeavour to provide top quality software to ensure CDM compliance.
Next on our radar is to incorporate the Building Safety Act to CDM ToolKit CS Cloud, watch this space!
We continue to support our customers at all times, and we offer training where needed; their problems are ours and we take support very seriously indeed. If you would like to know more about CDM ToolKit CS Cloud, then please give a member of the team a call on 01525 850343 to arrange your free demonstration with them.
Health and Safety News
Free Webinar from HSE
If you are very quick, you will be able to attend a free webinar from the HSE on the 5th of March 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM. It is all about work related stress and a proactive approach to risk management, plus, there will be an opportunity for you to ask questions if you need to. To attend visit HSE Webinar.
Construction Workforce Shrinkage
We read in Specification Online that the UK construction workforce (not seasonally adjusted) shrank by more than 300,000 workers between 2005 and 2025. This is based on new employment data from ONS. Is this the result of several economic and political shocks occurring in succession? This, coupled with a slow growth economy, inflated costs and prices and difficulties attracting and retaining future generations of workers sounds very ominous for the Construction industry.
Older Workers Can Provide Mentoring & Training
To counteract a reduction of skilled workforce within construction a new report, ‘Rebuilding the UK’s Construction Workforce’, is suggesting that we look to older skilled professionals to provide training and support for the younger generation. The paper, written by Kay Allen and Fiona Lennox, warns that construction is losing people faster than it can replace them. Since 2019, the sector has shrunk by over 12%, while nearly half of apprentices fail to complete training. At the same time, one in three construction workers are now over 50, with a major wave of the current workforce approaching state pension age. For more on this article visit The Construction Index.
Barclays Unveil £22bn to Aid Home Market Growth
An interesting article in Business Matters, states that UK firms are now backing home market for growth, as Barclays unveil a £22 billion lending fund. Despite ongoing challenges, 58% of business leaders said that the UK remains the best place to start, scale and grow a business.
Council Homes to be Flattened
We read in the Construction Enquirer that Ealing Council is set to bulldoze 150 part built affordable homes after concluding it is cheaper to start again than salvage schemes left stranded by Henry Construction’s collapse. If you'd like to read more about this article, please visit Construction Enquirer for further information. Henry Construction collapsed back in June 2023 owing over £43m to creditors with ongoing investigations into financial misconduct and claims against its directors and family members.
Free eBook: Mastering Efficiency
There is a free eBook that is available to read regarding capital programme projects. Highlighting scale versus risk; it provides you with information on how you can transform using centralised project controls and lessening risk on your projects. To gain access to this resource visit eBook access.
FSM Webinar: Video Flame Detection (VFD)
There is a webinar to explain how VFD technology works and its advantages over traditional smoke and heat detection. If this is of interest to you, please visit FSM and DVS to register. All attendees will all receive a CPD certificate.
Home Working Guidance
There is some guidance available from the HSE for employers regarding home working for their staff. All employers have the same safety responsibilities for people working at home as for any other worker. For more information please visit home working guidance.
HSE Press Releases
You can view the latest HSE news and prosecutions by visiting the HSE website. If you would like to know more visit HSE News for more information.
User Viewpoint
So that our customers, and potential customers, can hear ‘real life experiences’ about our products we have invited one of our users, of CDM ToolKit CS Cloud, to provide a comment about our latest CDM compliance product and their experience with it. We are delighted to say that today’s content is provided by Daniel Lowndes of Gravesham Borough Council.
Ai Solutions CDM Cloud Feedback
“CDM ToolKit CS Cloud helps us to achieve the above and so much more! This system makes our projects a breeze to manage and protects us from the hazards that come with construction, refurbishment, and demolition works. This system is so easy for myself and the project leaders to use, that training is barely required. The dashboard this system features also makes my life of managing this software a walk in the park. I can find out at a moment’s notice whether a crucial document has expired, or whether a certain project lacks it’s RAMS or CPP before it’s about to begin! The worries of CDM regulations are a thing of the past."
About Gravesham Borough Council
Here at Gravesham Borough Council, we pride ourselves on delivering a safe, clean, and attractive living environment. We strive to achieve an active, engaged, and culturally enriched population, built on the foundations of affordable and quality local homes. We believe we are a well-run innovative authority, defined by its skilled and valued workforce, committed to developing it's local social impact. We possess a roster of over 5,500 homes in all shapes and sizes, which require our constant attention to make sure we are compliant with all regulations currently in force.