TRADE LEADER APRIL - MAY 2020 ISSUE n Mental health in Smart living Handling timber Get your building the construction trends and weatherboards contracts details industry innovations right Controlling respirable silica dust READING TRADE LEADER can contribute towards your LBP Skills Maintenance requirements. In the frame BY MIKE GUY, CARTERS CHIEF EXECUTIVE As this issue of CARTERS Trade Leader goes to print, the world is trying to assess TRADE the global threat posed by COVID-19. Countries are closing their borders, both addressed the issue, and we have LEADER. major events have been postponed or valuable information from both groups. cancelled and financial markets are We also delve into the Construction CARTERS Trade Leader is produced jumpy; all of which leads to a feeling of Sector Transformation Plan, announced by TLP Media Ltd 6 times a year in uncertainty and insecurity. recently by the Government. The action association with CARTERS. As your building supplies partner, the plan is a joint initiative between industry MANAGING EDITOR and the Government and is expected to health and safety of you, your team and Scott Wilson our own people is always top of mind. put in place a number of the key points P: 021 725061 We have been monitoring the situation from April’s Construction Sector Accord. E: [email protected] closely to ensure we are taking all For more information, see the article on necessary precautions and identifying page 7. LAYOUT any risks or interruptions as early as CARTERS are proud to support the Kaz - Design. Brand. Web. possible. Registered Master Builders Apprentice PRINTER In terms of the ongoing supply of of the Year competition as it gears Blue Star products to your sites, at this time we up for another year. Entries for the 2020 competition are open now have not experienced any disruption ENQUIRIES and will close on the 29th April. This due to the outbreak. However, as TLP Media Ltd, PO Box 21081 things continue to evolve and remain competition highlights the upcoming Hamilton 3256 fluid, if we do receive any notification talent in our building industry and is E: [email protected] from our supply chain about upcoming a great opportunity for these young disruptions that might impact your professionals to kick-start their careers. business, we will communicate this with We know a lot of our builders have a you accordingly. Also if it’s necessary, great team behind them, so if you think we will be looking to provide alternative you’ve got an apprentice that has what products where possible to minimise the it takes, now is the time to get them effect on your projects and will ensure involved. you are made aware of any product As we navigate through the months substitutions ahead of time. ahead, it is important to stay informed We mentioned last month, that CARTERS and take care of yourselves and those have released our new Trade Portal for around you by taking all advice that the trade account holders, so in the instance government is providing. With the winter you have concerns around coming months coming up, now more than ever into store, you can now place orders is a great time to evaluate onsite health and manage your accounts online. and safety procedures around illness and If you would like to get set up with a hygiene at work and put processes in Trade Portal login, talk to your Account place around working in winter weather. Manager or local branch today. If you have any questions around supply With the uncertainty in the world, we of products to your business we will be have decided to delay our Advantage keeping you up to date with changes at experience to Russia until 2021. We we www.carters.co.nz/business-updates, or will be re-opening registrations for this you can call Vince Locke on 09 272 7348 sold out trip at a later stage. for more details. ISSN 2463-3550 (Print) In other industry news in this issue, we ISSN 2463-3569 (Online) look at steps being taken to address TLP Media Ltd reserves the right to accept or reject mental health throughout the building any editorial or advertising material. No part of CARTERS Trade Leader magazine may be published and construction industry, which has or reproduced without the express permission of the now become even more important. publisher. All rights reserved. Opinions expressed in CARTERS Trade Leader are not necessarily those Mental health is a topic that has – in the of CARTERS or the publisher. No responsibility is past – often been avoided, but is now accepted for the suggestions of the contributors or conclusions that may be drawn from them. Although more widely recognised as an issue that the publisher has made every effort to ensure needs awareness, conversation and accuracy, the reader remains responsible for the MIKE GUY correct selection of any tools, equipment, materials action. Site Safe NZ and a fairly new or systems followed, as well as the following of any initiative, Mates in Construction, have CARTERS Chief Executive laws or codes that may apply. 3 n 12 HEALTH & SAFETY RCS DUST EXTRACTION WorkSafe has recently updated guidelines on the issue of Respirable Crystalline ISSUE THIS Silica dust and the associated health risk to workers, in particular clarifying the level of control methods and dust extraction specifications expected for workers working with RCS dust. 18 BUSINESS FIXING TRADES BUSINESS MISTAKES If you feel you’re not getting ahead in your business, and your hard work isn’t being reflected money-wise, chances are there are some things which you can do to maximise your efforts. Daniel Fitzpatrick looks at the 11 biggest mistakes he finds tradies are making. ARTICLES INDUSTRY NEWS BEST PRACTICE 6 23 HANDLING TIMBER WEATHERBOARDS Apprenticeships hit record high, Apprentice of the Year entries open, Construction Sector If treated correctly and installed Transformation Plan, MATES in Construction. to manufacturers’ guidelines, timber weatherboards can provide weathertightness, style and longevity. 14 TECHNOLOGY SMART LIVING It’s important to stay up-to-date with technical LEGAL advances in our fast-moving industry. One of 26 BUILDING CONTRACTS the topics that will only get more and more Andrew Skinner says it’s becoming popular with your clients is smart living. increasingly important to make sure you select and accurately complete the right BUSINESS building contract for your project. This is 17 ACC LEVIES - Warren Devoy digs deeper. the primary document to refer to in order to understand obligations. Of all the invoices we receive, the ACC invoice may be the one we least like paying, perhaps because we do no perceive that we get a lot of value by paying it. ECONOMICS 26 COVID-19 CLOUDS ECONOMIC OUTLOOK HEALTH & SAFETY The outlook for residential building this 20 year is clouded by coronavirus. If it spreads MENTAL HEALTH INITIATIVES widely in New Zealand, it will have a A new pocket guide from Site Safe about how negative impact on building until it abates. to have conversations about mental health On the other hand, it may have little direct has great advice on looking after friends and impact and it could result in a moderate, colleagues. temporary fall in interest rates. 5 INDUSTRY NEWS Construction workforce, apprenticeships hit record highs Working with industry and committing to UNDER THIS GOVERNMENT THERE ARE: rebuild New Zealand’s infrastructure has produced a record high number of Kiwis 30% more working in the construction industry and Māori apprentices learning trades, says Minister for Building 40% more and Construction Jenny Salesa. Asian apprentices New figures released recently from “We’ve achieved this record the Ministry of Business, Innovation construction workforce by and Employment and the Tertiary working with industry through 47% more Education Commission show the the Construction Sector Accord, Pacific apprentices building and construction industry delivering the Construction Skills workforce is growing and it’s Action plan, and pulling every lever becoming more diverse. to encourage more Kiwis into the 56% more “Since the Coalition Government trades.” female apprentices came to power, there are an “Our Government has made trades extra 11,000 Kiwis working in the training fees-free for the first two construction sector helping to build years and over 3,900 Kiwis have recognise their passion for the trades the houses, schools, hospitals, roads taken up the opportunity to learn at prize givings last year.” and rail New Zealand needs.” a construction trade without fees “By making training more attractive She said that in the past two years: already. Many people don’t know that with fees-free and prioritising you can get two years fees-free to • about a thousand more Māori apprenticeships through our new study a trade now. What better way to New Zealanders have joined the Procurement Rules, our Government learn and earn without taking on debt construction industry; is already seeing a big rise in the than learning a trade?” number of apprentices. The number • over 2,700 women; “We’ve also raised the status of the of construction apprenticeships in • 2,800 more Asian New Zealanders; trades through the Prime Minister’s industry training is up 20 percent • and almost 600 more Pacific Vocational Excellence Awards where since 2017, with an additional 4,700 people on the tools, than there was we supported schools to award 345 apprentices being trained in the just two years ago.” high school students $2,000 each to construction trades at any one time.” Apprentice of the Year entries open ENTRIES FOR THE 2020 EDITION OF THE NEED A LITTLE MOTIVATION REGISTERED MASTER BUILDERS APPRENTICE OF TO ENTER? THE YEAR, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CARTERS, OPEN ALL COMPLETED ENTRIES will ON APRIL 1ST.