A visit from the Mayor of Teesside

It was a delight to meet Ben Houchen, the Mayor of Teesside who we invited to visit our new regional office in Billingham last week.

Discussing all things construction related including the work pipeline, challenges to overcome, training, new technology, getting younger people into the industry and having a reliable supply chain in place. Very reassuring and insightful conversations were had.

It’s a fascinating industry and delivering what you say you’re going to deliver is absolute gold dust to people. There’s a lot of work going on here.

Ben Houchen, Mayor of Teesside.

When reflecting on the next 12 to 18 months in Teesside, we were happy to share our vision and goals moving forward.

I’d like to see growth, get established. We’ve signed up for 12 months in this office at Billingham. Our reputation in the industry is very good, we’re established and self-sufficient and part of the reason for putting our stamp in this area is that we aim to be here for the long-term.

Richard Mitchell, Operations Director.

It would be great to open a yard, have a bit of plant coming and going out of it, ultimately a mixed facility. As well as maintaining the long-term relationships we already have here. We want to continue to be good quality and value for money.

Steve Wilson, Contracts Manager.

 

When referring to upcoming challenges, we acknowledged what these were…

We’ve worked in Newcastle previously, the next challenge is getting the right skill sets and the right trades on board with us.

Richard Mitchell, Operations Director.

It’s a fast-changing world, the guys aren’t just pulling leavers anymore. These machines operate with GPS control systems and the driver has to be quite technically minded. New technologies and new ways of doing things happen all the time and we want to be at the forefront of this changing landscape.

Steve Wilson, Contracts Manager.

With a large mountain to climb, we’re keen to engage further and make the right connections and partnerships in the region.

Testing in progress

It’s essential that the reasons for conducting drugs and alcohol testing are clearly explained to the workforce and the correct testing equipment is used for this process. Drug and alcohol misuse is a serious societal problem and impacts the workplace significantly. Testing plays a vital role in order to ensure the safety of everyone at work.

Last year the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) were called to tackle on-site intoxication of plant operators.

Plant workers disclosed in a Considerate Constructors Scheme survey that:

• 59% had concerns over the effects of drugs and alcohol in construction
• 35% have noticed their colleagues under the influence
• 25% agreed that drugs and alcohol affected them at work through tiredness

Credit: https://constructionwave.co.uk/2023/04/19/drugs-and-alcohol-major-problem-on-site/

There is also a significant economic impact of substance misuse, with lost productivity due to alcohol in the UK costing around £7.3 billion per year in an impact assessment paper produced by the Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS).

Credit: https://www.britsafe.org/safety-management/2023/drug-and-alcohol-testing-at-work-getting-started

Addressing the Issue

We recently took proactive measures at one fo our sites in the North East region, to mitigate the impact of substance use. These steps covered the following:

1. Promoting a Safe Work Environment:
   Enforcing drug and alcohol policies helps maintain a safe workplace, reducing the risk of accidents, injuries, and potential legal liabilities.
2. Enhancing Productivity and Quality:
   By addressing substance use, employers can improve productivity, reduce errors, and maintain higher quality standards by ensuring that employees are working at their optimal level of performance.
3. Supporting Employee Well-being:
   Addressing substance use issues demonstrates a commitment to employee well-being, providing opportunities for intervention, treatment, and support programs that can help individuals overcome addiction.
4. Attracting and Retaining Skilled Labour:
   Creating a safe and supportive work environment sends a positive message to potential employees, making the company an attractive choice and increasing employee loyalty and retention rates.
5. Compliance with Regulations:
   Employers have a legal obligation to ensure a safe working environment and comply with regulations regarding drug and alcohol use. Failing to address substance use can lead to legal consequences and damage the organisation’s reputation.

By prioritising employee well-being, safety, and productivity, employers can take proactive steps to address substance use, create a supportive work environment, and foster a culture that promotes responsible behaviours. It is essential to recognise the long-term negative consequences of neglecting this issue.

Credit: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/substance-use-uk-construction-industry-impact-decision-adam-hillaby/

Meet our Apprentices

As part of National Apprenticeship Week we’d like to share with you some of our fantastic apprentices who haven’t been with the business for very long. It’s been an absolute delight to hear such positive feedback from every single one of them.

A big thanks to the site teams and mentors who continually invest their time and energy in training up and supporting the young blood. It’s very clear to see how much they appreciate it and feel accepted and valued already.

We feel it is important to nurture new talent in order to keep the construction industry going strong. For the past several years, we’ve focussed on offering a range of apprenticeship opportunities throughout the year. You can read more about these  apprenticeships here: https://www.moortowngroup.com/vacancies/apprenticeship-opportunities/trainee-engineer-apprenticeship/

Here’s a summary of some of the faces we caught up with:

 

New North East office is open for business

Starting the year strong, we’re delighted to announce the opening of a new Regional Office based in Billingham, located in the Tees Valley area. It’s an exciting time for us growing our operations further up North following a successful period of securing and delivering projects in the region.

To date, we have completed projects including the Boho X Building and the Lumen Building, both commercial office space in Middlesbrough and Newcastle. We’ve delivered works for Project Sofia in Redcar as part of an onshore and offshore wind farm development, as well as working on Cramlington Hospital in Northumberland. We see the region as a key area in our Company’s growth plan and are committed to providing employment opportunities and training as we expand our workforce.

     

Boho X Building                                                                  Project Sofia

Having spent the past couple of years working on various projects with our long-standing clients in the area, it made perfect sense to form a permanent residence in Teesside. At the helm will be Steve Wilson, who was recently promoted to Contracts Manager and will be overseeing current and future projects.

It is no secret that the Government has pledged to invest over £2bn as part of a regeneration scheme to tackle regional inequalities across its infrastructure. We are keen to be part of this initiative and believe our regional office base will not only benefit our existing connections there, but we’ll be able to facilitate a huge recruitment drive by employing numerous local labour teams as well as collaborating with more local supply chains.

Pictured: Steve Wilson, Contracts Manager

Our Operations Director, Richard Mitchell commented:

After completing several projects in the North-East over the last calendar year, the opening of a new Regional Office in the area will provide us with a permanent base from where we aim to further develop our reputation and put down long-term roots in the region. Steve Wilson will take up a leading role in the region where we aim to increase our presence working alongside our existing client base as well as exploring further opportunities with new clients.

Our current and future projects so far include:

• University Hospital of North Durham
• HMP Northumberland
• Sunderland Eye Hospital
• Catterick Integrated Care Campus
• Sunderland Magistrates Court

Since the business began in 1998, we have been committed to delivering projects of quality and value across multiple industries. Having our own Plant facilities has enabled the business to be self-sufficient and scale up quickly to meet demand.

With three strategic locations placed across the country in which to operate from, we consider it a privilege to have many repeat clients, and it is testament to the dedication and hard work of our expert workforce who are the foundation on which our leading reputation has been built upon.

We take pride in everything we do and believe in making a positive difference wherever we go. Our focus as we move forward, is to continue to be resilient against the ever-changing economic landscape, nurture close partnerships with our clients and supply chain, and support our fantastic team who work tirelessly throughout our business.

Plant Awareness Demo Day

    

Last week, we began hosting the first of many Plant Awareness demonstration days held at one of our MoJ projects with our client Kier Group. The set up involved utilising a large and clearly marked area of site to position one of our 20 tonne excavators in the middle of this safety zone. This task was accompanied by several Health & Safety signage with the ‘Thumbs up’ graphic placed in and around the area to communicate the objectives.

   

Members from various departments of the Kier workforce, attended the Plant Awareness workshop, which was facilitated by our HSQE Director, Jonathan Milnes and Operations Director, Richard Mitchell. The process began with a group induction, followed by a 360 walk around the excavator stopping at several points to flag any key points to note. This was then followed by offering each attendee the opportunity to sit inside the cab area and go through a step-by-step mirror and camera check to test and find where all the blind spots lurked.

     

     

The response from Kier’s workforce was very positive and allowed anybody to voice questions and concerns at any point during the demonstration. It was acknowledged how difficult it is to maintain full vision when machines are in operation, and how a person’s proximity is not always detectable with the onus being on the individual to communicate with the driver a simple ‘thumbs up’ approach to ensure it is safe to pass.

We look forward to conducting further Plant Awareness demonstrations across our sites and hearing further feedback from our clients. So far, we are delighted with the high level of engagement from all.

     

 

 

Apprentice Diaries – Donncha Byrne

Studying a 5 year course in Quantity Surveying and Commercial Management at the University of Westminster, Donncha Byrne is a CQST Apprentice that has been with Moortown Group since August this year. 

Read on to hear Donncha’s thoughts on his journey so far and why he chose a career in the construction industry.

Why did you choose this vocation?

My family have always been in construction which includes my Dad and brother and this has given me the confidence to go down this path myself. I also wanted an opportunity to learn on the job whilst earning a wage and having on the job training seemed a better way to gain knowledge as you are experiencing the job first hand.

What skills have you learnt? 

• Logging variation orders and instructions
• Learning the terminology frequently used around sites and offices
• Learning about Health and Safety

What are your future aspirations?

• Achieve the high grades and pass my course
• To become a fully qualified Quantity Surveyor
• To continue to learn and develop my knowledge and skill set.

What’s it like working at Moortown Group?

“I joined Moortown Group in August 2023, and have had the pleasure of working predominantly on the HMP Bullingdon project, whilst shadowing other sites such as Shoreham Airport and The LAMB project at the University of Oxford.

What main thing do you enjoy so far about your role?
“Learning new things about the different aspects of quantity surveying.”

What is the work culture like?
“The culture here is great. There’s a really supportive team down here and my coworkers have made me feel very welcome.”

We’re looking forward to supporting Donncha in his next chapter at Moortown Group.

Putting Safety First

Safety Stand Down – HMP Bullingdon

Last week, we delivered another leg of our Safety Stand Down tour at one of our MoJ projects with contractor Kier, followed by a safety inspection at the site with the full team. Safety is the cornerstone of our operations at Moortown, and we’re thrilled to share an update from our ongoing project with Kier Group in Bicester.

Our safety signage has been displayed clearly around site and has been greatly welcomed with the messages they echo. The morning commenced with a Tool Box Talk led by Site Manager (Serghei Caverzin) which was then expanded to a full Safety Stand Down led by our Jonathan Milnes, HSQE Director and Richard Mitchell, Operations Director. This offered higher engagement and opportunity for both teams to have in depth discussions and make any immediate actions.

“It was astonishing to hear from Guy Osborne, Kier’s Project Manager, the number of buried services located on the project to date which have incurred no damage, and not all of these were known. This is a huge credit to all our site team for following the plan, procedures and using the equipment available to prevent putting anyone at risk from the works we are undertaking”.

Jonathan Milnes, HSQE Director

From the project’s early stages, we recognised the significant risk of locating and identifying underground services. Our commitment to the safety of our hardworking team led us to invest in our new RSP Vacuum Excavator.

This strategy is essential in creating a safer environment for our operatives, providing them with the confidence and security they need to work safely around live services. While vacuum excavators are certainly not a new concept, their proven effectiveness in minimising service strike risks is a valuable asset on this project and for our future endeavours.

Regarding the ongoing and proposed works for the identification of existing services, a high level of knowledge and understanding from our management team has fed directly into the creation of thorough plans, and then communicated to the wider workforce.

Within the Prison, there was clear segregation, signage and work areas that were being well managed and demonstrated good knowledge of the ground risk and why it was sequenced in this way.

We have been delighted to hear the Safety Stand Down was very well received. Upholding a professional and strong presence is very important and these thoughts were reciprocated by Kier. A fantastic example to maintain and follow.

Creating a sensory garden for local Leeds School

Over the duration of the summer holidays, our generous team at Aire Park kindly dedicated a handful of their spare hours to help build and create a “Sensory Garden” at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in the Hunslet area of Leeds.

This space was transformed from an unused and empty courtyard into a green, lush, and stimulating play area. We are thrilled to hear it has proven very popular with the children returning to School earlier this month, commenting “It is so cool, I hope the birds come into the garden”.

Putting his carpentry skills to great use, our Gatesman, Richard Thompson made all the furniture from old wooden pallets and tables from cable drums that were no longer needed and repurposed them from our City Centre site, Aire Park. These were then up-cycled further and decorated with colours and patterns that the children customised themselves.

Other garden features included the geometric raised flower beds of different shapes and heights, bird houses and bug boxes attached to the fence, old tyre tubs for plants and shrubs, improved ground surface with wooden kerbs and freshly laid bark.

Several members of the team worked hard to add the final touches in the garden including the wonderful wavey mirrors hiding behind the flowerbeds and the mysterious metallic signs hanging from above.

“We are incredibly happy with the sensory garden. We wanted a space that would create a calm environment and offer a diverse opportunity for learning, and this has been achieved! It is now a wonderful space for all our children and staff to enjoy, explore and learn.  Thank you to all involved”.

Ciara Munnelly, Deputy Headteacher, St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School.

We’d like to thank the suppliers and contractors who assisted and helped us deliver this local school project.

• Palmer Landscapes / Adam Palmer – supplied of soil, bark mulch and plants (and assistance with the works)
• SP Smiths Painting Contractors Ltd – supplied the paint and brushes
• Beauparc / LSS – supplied the skip
• MTG Plant – supplied the excavator

It has been a delight to support the local community around us and we are keen to continue enhancing the lives of others in the places we work.

Awards Recognition at HMP Millsike

What a fantastic achievement! We’re delighted to share how proud we are of our winning team at Project HMP Millsike with Kier Group. We received the three following awards:

✅  Sustainable Contractor of Year
✅  Social value Contractor of Year
✅  Highly Commended (Runner up) Supervisor of Year Alan Whyte

The volume of work being undertaken by ALL subcontractors on this site is really impressive with so much action at any given time.

Great to see others on site progressing well too – shout out to PCE Limited, V. J. Donegan and Co. Ltd. and Trenchless Solutions Limited.

🎉 Great effort by the Moortown Team 🎉