CPA Bulletin

www.cpa.uk.net CPA Bulletin > February 2022 41 SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS: 4 Removal of Red Diesel Peter also talked about the removal of the red diesel rebate and the concerns that the sector has about the switch from red diesel before the 1st April 2022 deadline. “The CPA has led the industry response to the removal of red diesel, with CPA Chief Executive Kevin Minton engaging closely with the CIG and ensuring we have had a good voice to express and mitigate our key concerns. We had particular concerns that a lot of cranes can run on a tank of diesel for a significant period of time when on a construction site, creating a significant operational issue on 1st April when fuel is due to be switched. “So the CIG becomes a forum whereby we’re able to communicate our concerns to the Treasury and make sure that in the red diesel removal transition plan, practical considerations have been taken into account to allow crane operators to make the transition in a sensible manner. This avoids having to go to the expense of removing red diesel that operators have currently got in their cranes, and wash tanks out, and undertake activity that would interrupt operations and cost a significant amount of expense. We’re also considering the transition to net zero and we’re closely aligned to the CPA with that,” he said. So what are the latest projects and initiatives that the CIG is working on? Peter referred to the fact that the very latest cranes tend to have variable ballast, variable outriggers and variable wind loading factors. So whereas in the past where a lift is being planned on a site, a range of people would be able to plan a lift and easily identify the best crane to use based on the set lift capability. However, with the newest cranes, there are innumerable variations of a lift capability due to the three variable factors of ballast, outriggers and wind loading factors influencing the optimum selection of crane. This means that planning can be much more bespoke to optimise each individual job. Importance of Apprenticeships and Training Peter also cited the importance of apprenticeships and training. He told us: “As a business, Ainscough Crane Hire is focusing on apprenticeships, recognising the need to develop a future pipeline of operators, and we are working with the CPA to develop and champion best practice apprentice programmes. “With regards to training, we know that labour is becoming an issue and we have a unique position to be able to provide the experience and competency around specialist, and indeed general, lift training. Working with the CPA and the Lead AP Forum, we can consider formal standards of training such as what qualifications crane operators should have, best practice training or familiarisation training. The whole space of training and the development of competency and expertise is high on the agenda.” Peter talked about concerns relating to the reduced level of experienced labour supply, both within the mobile crane industry and the wider construction sector. “What we’re seeing at the moment across construction is a combination of an aged workforce, the COVID impact with some people retiring after furlough ended, and Brexit, where we lost much of our European labour. When you consider all these factors in a market where demand is growing, and where it’s expected to increase even further with the ‘Build Back Better’ Government investment plan, there’s an awful lot of labour pressure coming into our sector. “At Ainscough we’ve been involved in a number of major projects over the last year or so where the customer has come to us to ask for significant additional expertise in order to allow them to continue to carry on with their project. On major projects where there are hundreds of people involved, there may be a proportion of operatives who have the basic qualification, but they don’t have what is a good level of experience and competency to operate effectively and safely in a more complex lifting environment.” New Members Welcome All CPA members are welcome to get involved in CIG and Peter urged interested parties to either get in touch with himself at p.gibbs@ainscough.co.uk or the CPA’s Rob Squires at rob.squires@cpa.uk.net Peter added: “A crane is not a commodity and we operate a critical service across the construction sector. We provide a safe lifting service to our customers and having wider members of the CPA interested and involved in CIG matters, working with us and influencing our direction of travel, this can only be good for the whole construction industry. “There is not a single major construction project that I can think of in the UK that doesn’t require lift at some point. Whether it be a crawler crane, a mobile crane, a tower crane, or even a combination of all three. Having wider CPA engagement is very welcome within the CIG.”