The introduction of ‘common implementation dates’ by the previous Labour Government was a little-noticed, but sensible administrative reform. Rather than introducing regulatory changes as and when they were ready and agreed, the Government pledged to target two dates each year – 6 April and 1 October – as the dates when new regulations would come into effect. The advantage of this is obvious: business does not have to spend time and energy throughout the year adapting to regulatory changes. However, this year, we see the downside, as there seems to be a queue of new regulations which will have an impact on the joinery industry coming into force next Friday, 1 October. The most significant will be the changes to the Building Regulations. If you have been reading News Update and Join In over recent months, you should be aware that the energy efficiency requirements for buildings will be tightened by a further 25% over the 2006 standard, which in turn means more stringent requirements for windows and doors. There are several routes to show compliance, including declaring u-values or Window Energy Rating, but these relate to the whole window as manufactured. It appears from the many calls coming through to the BWF technical helpline that many smaller joinery companies have relied on their glass manufacturer’s declared centre pane U-value to satisfy building control. This route has been greatly limited by the new regulations, and some of these manufacturers find themselves grappling with the detail of U-values for the first time. The BWF Technical team has spent much of the past six weeks answering calls on the subject, and are keen to dispel the myths and uncertainties surrounding what exactly is required for compliance with Part L of the regulations. A five minute telephone call may be all a BWF member would need to put themselves at ease. You can log-in to find the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions here, and the BWF’s Total Support Services can help you with compliance, whether through obtaining Window Energy Ratings, carrying out U-value simulations, or using our Basic U-value Calculations service. On the employment front, the Equality Act 2010 comes into force, drawing together all the anti-discrimination legislation of the past 35 years. As well as consolidating existing law, the new provisions are intended to strengthen, clarify and extend protection. Employers will need to ensure that they are aware of how this might affect them, for example in asking health-related questions as part of the recruitment process, dealing with discrimination against people who associate with someone who is protected, or requiring employees to keep secret details of their pay. The BWF will be updating its Employment Handbook and Guidance to take account of the changes. There is also an increase in the National Minimum Wage, and the introduction of a minimum wage for apprentices. More information is given in a separate article. Finally, if your company is required to register for the Carbon Reduction Commitment, you should have done so by 30 September. As far as we are aware, this does not affect many BWF members: it only applies to businesses with half-hourly electricity meters. If you have not registered, or are not sure if you are obliged to, you can check here.
