Unite says that the termination of long-held agreements will lead to de-skilling of workers and pay cuts of up to 30 percent, along with poorer terms and conditions for key construction staff.

For more on this article see Construction workers to strike in UK.

Will this mean other Local Authorities will soon be doing the same?

For more on this story see Asbestos Inspections for Businesses in Huntingdonshire.

At Ai Solutions we believe there are a lot of 'mixed messages' going around at the moment. Some areas, like the larger scale projects, seem to be commercially active; the large number of cranes on the skyline is proof of this. However could this be due to the fact they take so long to procure and implement? On the other hand we have read that smaller projects, such as housing, seem to have slowed over the last few months. Either way, we still cant be sure which way things will go, we are still in a recession and the affects will be longer term.

For those in the 'Client Role' the issues are:-

• Watching what you spend; many budgets being cut, careful consideration as to 'how' you distribute your budget.
• Get the most out of your staff; many are being made redundant, will this impact the skill set of those left behind?
• Provide the service required to the given standard; it is still expected but it is the toughest to provide in the current climate.
• 'Optimise' your systems; much time is wasted on data duplication, why are you duplicating? What are you duplicating?

Ai Solutions can help you with all of these! With our ToolKit™ Compliance System we can save you money, optimise your data, and help you get the most out of your staff, while still allowing you to provide the service levels required.

Give a member of the team a call on 01525 850080 or email us at info@aisolutions.co.uk and let us show you how we can help your business.

It comes after more than 140 teachers died from the rare asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma in the past 10 years, with research in the US suggesting over 100 people will die every year in the UK because of exposure at school.

Ai Solutions can help you manage Asbestos across your portfolio of buildings, classrooms and communal areas (plus any other types of location you need to manage), to ensure that you are in compliance with the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006.

Asbestos ToolKit CS™ is rooted in the 2004 Duty to Manage imposed on Building & Facility Managers. It allows the audited production of asbestos registers, property and survey documentation, photographs and floor plans, management plans and reports, risk assessments, tasking and communications. Management information and statistics across properties and asbestos surveys are provided as standard.

For more information about how we can help you, and to arrange a free demonstration, please call us on 01525 850080 or see our Contact page for other ways to get in touch.

If you would like to read more on this story go to Asbestos in schools 'a national scandal' - MPs.

The figures, albeit not validated, show that 43 directors, senior managers and company secretaries were prosecuted under this key legislation in 2010/11 - the highest since 1999/2000.  The data also shows that 35 people were convicted, a substantial increase on the five convictions secured in 2005/06.

According to Ai Solutions' partner Altius, rigorous health and safety assessment has never been more important. "It's not enough to undertake a box ticking exercise when you are assessing contractors for health and safety competence," said Gary Plant, Managing Director of Altius. "Clients and main contractors must take a thorough evidence based approach to examining whether there suppliers are fit for purpose for specific projects. This will minimise risk and liability for all parties. In the event of an accident or incident, clients can demonstrate that they used "due diligence" in their contractor selection process and in managing the works, thereby showing that they took all reasonable steps to act responsibly."

He added: "Our entire health and safety assessment is evidence based and clients can select specific assessment criteria to match the level of risk of the specific task they wish contractors to perform."

The Altius Vendor Assessment system has recently won the British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM) Award for Innovation in Technology and Systems. The service is free to clients and main contractors seeking verified suppliers, and there's a small annual fee for vendors. Altius are accredited by Safety Schemes in Procurement (SSIP) providing its assured vendors with the widest possible recognition of their status under mutual recognition arrangements.

For further information contact Altius Vendor Assessment on 08445 616515, enquiries@altiusva.com, www.altiusva.com

If you are already a Waste Plan Solutions Ltd client, then you have nothing to worry about - simply forward any similar correspondence to WPS Ltd and they will liaise with the Environment Agency on your behalf and ensure that the relevant plan is brought up to date prior to sending the copy to them.

For your information the following is a summary of the SWMP regulations and your Duty Of Care responsibilities:

If you have a SWMP that you would like checked, then simply contact info@wasteplansolutions.co.uk requesting a Free SWMP Audit - their consultants will be happy to assist you.

If, having read the above Regulation information, you believe you should be implementing the use of Site Waste Management Plans, then please contact sales@wasteplansolutions.co.uk and they will advise you on your requirements and also talk to you about our most cost effective solution for your company and circumstances.

For further information please contact Waste Plan Solutions Ltd, 01604 859961 or via email on info@wasteplansolutions.co.uk

The stamp will be officially released on February 24 and will be one of 10 designs remembering famous historical figures. The Turing stamp is especially fitting as 2012 marks what would have been Alan Turing's 100th birthday year.

Turing is one of our more famous local heros, based at Blethcley Park, he designed the Bombe machine and the Enigma machine which both played a huge part in the British war effort.

For more on this story see Bletchley Park marks Alan Turing centenary with stamp issue.

From April 2012 the trigger point will increase from over three days to over seven days of incapacitation (not counting the day on which the accident happened). Incapacitation means that the worker is absent or is unable to do work that they would reasonably be expected to do as part of their normal work.

New guidance that explains the change has been available to download from the HSE website since 16 January 2012.

For more on this see the RIDDOR section on the HSE website.

The HSE were called anonymously to investigate a Welsh factory that makes knitwear for the Royal Family. The contractor, Paul Hart who is a specialist in the safe removal of asbestos, was called in to decontaminate the factory. He found "clumps and clumps" of the material - which can cause lung cancer and other serious health problems - lying around the premises of Corgi Hosiery Ltd at New Road, Ammanford.

It has taken eight men around two and a half months and cost more than £200,000 to decontaminate the building.

Read more on this story: Prince's sock supplier faces asbestos charges

Their key to success was that all the key components were prefabricated off-site. The builders took just 46 hours to finish the main structural components and another 90 hours to finish the building enclosure.

To view the time-lapse video see The Construction Enquirer.