Elliott - an Algeco Company

Elliott has been appointed to the LHC framework for the design, supply and installation of permanent and temporary modular buildings (MB2), which means LHC public sector clients nationwide can now access Elliott products and services more easily.

Schools, hospitals, universities and housing associations are all set to benefit.

The Modular Buildings (MB2) framework from LHC allows local authorities, social landlords and other public bodies to source preapproved specialist suppliers who can design, supply and install permanent, temporary, and refurbished modular buildings.

The framework is worth up to £250 million in England, £60 million in Scotland and £20 million in Wales. It primarily covers education, healthcare, emergency services, offices and community related amenities such as sport facilities and theatres, but it can also be used for residential projects that are part of a mixed-use development or for student accommodation.

We’re delighted to report that Elliott is now a supporter of Mates in Mind, the charity improving workplace mental health in Construction. We’re looking forward to working together to enhance our mental health strategy, because health isn’t always visible.

As part of our announcement, on The ILO World Day for Safety & Health at Work 2021, we held safety stand downs across the business and all our depots, to discuss how we can ensure that the physical and mental health of all our employees is protected. These were delivered in socially distanced groups, and via remote meetings for our staff currently working from home.

'Effective health and safety performance comes from the top’. We agree. That’s why despite Covid-19 and lockdown restrictions, we have increased our Leadership Walks by 300% since September. This is just one of a host of improvement measures we are working on.

The ILO World Day for Safety & Health at Work is an international campaign to promote safe, healthy and decent work around the globe. We’re working hard on ensuring health and safety top of mind for everyone in Elliott. We’re making good progress - on top of all our other improvements and efforts, In the past six months our hazards and observations have increased by 376%!

Whether you’re a seasoned professional in sourcing modular buildings or you’ve been given the responsibility for the first time, there is a lot to consider to ensure your project runs smoothly and your end client users are satisfied with their new environment. We’ve put together this guide to help ensure nothing fundamental gets overlooked and hopefully provide assurance that you’re on the right track to delivering a quality project and personal success.


SOLUTION DESIGN STAGE

What is the building to be used for?
How many people need to be accommodated? Health & Safety Executive (HSE) guidelines state that 11 cubic metres per person (including room height) is good practice for office environments.
What types of rooms and how many of each type are required? For example, HSE guidelines state that two toilets and two handbasins are needed for up to 25 people.
Specific industry standards adherence – e.g. Building Bulletins in the Education sector and Building Notes in Healthcare
Building Control approval requirements – including Building Regulations, particularly Part L (Conservation of Fuel & Power) Part B (Fire Safety) Part M (Access to and Use of Buildings) and Part F (Ventilation)
Generic calculations can be used for temporary buildings used for less than two years and under 1000m².
Buildings under 50m2 are also exempt from Part L under Regulation 21.
Note Part L requires project-specific calculations and an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) for buildings sized over 1000m2 and on site for longer than 2 years in order to gain Building Control approval.
The Client should be aware of its responsibilities under the current Construction Design & Management Regulations (2015)
Your modular building provider should be able to manage the Building Control approval process for you



PRE-CONSTRUCTION STAGE

Appoint the Principal Designer to lead the planning, managing and monitoring of Health & Safety during the pre-construction stage of the project. Elliott can do this for you.
Does the project require planning permission? Planning considers the impact on the local area and building aesthetics. All modular buildings need planning permission, unless they are on-site for less than 28 days. Construction site accommodation is classified as ancillary buildings, so are exempt from planning permission.
Has a planning permission application been submitted? Granting permission usually takes between 4-8 weeks. Your modular building provider should be able to manage the application for you
Site investigations desktop research– To mitigate risks, including Coal Mining, drainage and flood risk, radon gas monitoring and unexploded ordinance. This could indicate the need for further ground investigation, waste analysis, possible contamination and existing services survey reports.
Carry out a free site survey with your modular building provider to check points raised by investigations, identify power and water sources, site access, best building orientation etc.
Type of groundworks required – Specifications to accommodate the building’s size, weight, point loadings etc.
Is Trackway needed to protect surfaces underneath? – the weight of delivery vehicles can damage fragile top surfaces and low grade concrete
The site survey should also involve a crane representative to assess any access restrictions and health and safety considerations, including the size of crane needed to safely lift modules.
A survey checklist should be completed and shared with all parties after the site visit.
Check preparatory works and solution design changes needed identified from the site surveys



SOLUTION INSTALLATION STAGE

Building structure and exterior

Appoint the Principal Contractor to lead the planning, managing and monitoring of Health & Safety during the construction stage of the project. Elliott can do this for you.
Site must be prepared with the health and safety of workers, clients and visitors top priority
Fencing is required to close-off work in progress areas. Elliott offers fence hire as part of its site solutions
Signage is essential to highlight safety equipment requirements and potential hazard warnings
Generators may be needed to provide temporary power to site until services connections (electricity and water) are made.
Electricity and water service supplies – Arrangements must be made with your local water and electricity companies to ensure the site and building is supplied. This is usually straightforward if your modular building is an addition or extension to existing buildings, more complex if it is a new ‘greenfield’ site.
Site welfare facilities – larger projects will need on-site welfare facilities – toilets, washing and rest areas for building workers to use. Modular building providers normally offer these products as well. Self-powered

Eco Construction: 5 Ways to a Greener Construction Site

Construction sites have a negative reputation within the world of sustainability as they produce a quarter of the world’s air pollution. With 47% of consumers saying they have ditched services that aren’t protecting the environment, the need to be sustainable has never been so important.

These shocking figures prove that becoming an eco-friendly construction site will most likely put you on a pedestal above your competitors, allowing you to maintain your commitment to reducing your carbon footprint, whilst saving the planet at the same time.

So, how do you transform your construction site into a sustainable space?
Ensure proper disposal of materials

In the UK, construction sites produce more than 50% of the nation’s overall landfill and many of this wastage is either recyclable or reusable. Use an industrial crushing service to transform your spare parts into useful materials for a future project. Otherwise, take time to recycle your material properly to avoid wastage.
Use eco-friendly portable cabins

Having eco-friendly facilities on your construction site will not only help save energy, but also save money. Choose site offices and welfare-buildings that have been designed and built with energy-saving aspects in mind.

Elliott’s Eco-Friendly Portable Cabins have many forward-thinking features to help improve your site’s sustainability. From reducing heat-loss with PVCU-double glazing and fully insulated walls, to PIR sensors and timers to reduce heat wastage, as well as dual flush toilets and waterless urinals to save water, these cabins combine comfort and eco-friendliness.
Use locally sourced materials

The UK’s carbon footprint is currently a worrying 354 million tonnes. However, with an emphasis on locally sourced materials in green construction, this can be decreased. Avoid sourcing materials and products from another country as the transportation phase increases carbon emissions dramatically. Equally, by sourcing your materials locally, you’ll be helping your local economy and smaller businesses grow.

Go an extra step further and talk to your suppliers about how they source their materials. There are many competitive suppliers who acquire materials in a sustainable way.

The construction industry was once one of the most dangerous industries to work in. Now, it is one of the most regulated. Read more to discover how it evolved and how we can help you implement the current Health and Safety regulations.
A Potted History

This 19th century was a dangerous time to be a manual labourer. If you were building railways then you were particularly at risk, with three workers losing their lives for every mile of track that was laid in the UK.

The digging and construction of the Woodhead Tunnel, for example, between Manchester and Sheffield, took six years to build and killed 32 workers and seriously injured 140. Nearly thirty more people died from cholera due to the unsanitary living conditions.

Progress on health and safety in construction was very slow. It wasn’t until 1974 that the Health and Safety at Work Act was passed, but that year still saw 166 construction workers die, which was a quarter of all work-related deaths.

This act placed more emphasis on employer and employee responsibility and introduced a system that was more goal-based and less prescriptive than any that had gone before. It also consulted and engaged employers and employees in the process. The Health and Safety Executive was formed shortly after as well, to help enforce the law.

The 1990s saw innovation help construction sites become safer, especially for those working at height. High reach excavators and cherry pickers enabled workers to work in a safer way. PPE became more significant as the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations came into force in 1993.