The Construction Industry Coronavirus (CICV) Forum has welcomed two new member organisations to its ever-growing ranks as the unique collective continues to attract widespread interest in its work.
The Association for Project Safety (APS) and Single Ply Roofing Association (SPRA) are the latest bodies to become full members of the Forum, which has been at the vanguard of the battle to save the construction sector in Scotland during the enforced shutdown.
Their arrival means the Forum now has 24 full member bodies from across Scotland and beyond, including Government agencies, private companies, professional services and training bodies, plus 27 further organisations contributing advice to its seven sub-groups.
As the industry prepares for a potential return to domestic work under the Scottish Government’s latest restriction-easing phase, Forum Chair and SELECT Managing Director Alan Wilson, said: “We are delighted to welcome these new organisations and we greatly appreciate the contribution they will make to our ongoing efforts.
“The Forum, in its daily activities and in its comprehensive provision of practical information and advice, has performed an unprecedented service to every component part of our vital industry and each new member brings new strengths.”
APS is a leading professional institution in the field of construction health and safety risk management, while the SPRA is the primary trade association for the single ply roofing sector.
Lesley McLeod, Chief Executive of the APS, said: “Construction will play a vital part in getting the Scottish economy moving again after COVID-19. The Forum provides an invaluable opportunity for industry from across the country to discuss the issues we all face, no matter the size of business, and how the sector can safely get back to work.
“The Association for Project Safety strives continuously to improve and promote the professional practice of design and construction health and safety risk management and we are very pleased to join the group to make our contribution to this remarkable joint work.”
Dr Ronan Brunton, Technical Manager of the SPRA, said: “Since 1992, our organisation’s mission has been to achieve growth and sustainability among our members and this is exactly the challenge now facing the Forum.
“It has been particularly heartening to see so many organisations working together for the common good and we are determined that our part of the industry will do everything it possibly can to help.”
The CICV Forum has been at the forefront of information dissemination to the sector throughout the COVID-19 crisis, and has become for many enterprises the first port of call for clarity of advice.
Since its creation in March, it has been drawing on the collective expertise of its members to maintain a steady supply of information and practical advice to the sector as well as carrying out surveys, hosting webinars and making appeals to Government Ministers.
In the last two weeks alone it has released health and safety underpinning guidance, furloughing information for employers, a consultation about the future of the industry in Scotland and vital advice for apprentices and staff preparing to return to college.
The manner in which it has co-ordinated this guidance by encouraging a culture of working together for mutual benefit is being noted across the sector as a model for future collaboration.