MEDITE SMARTPLY Technical Sales Manager, Gary Carpenter, takes a look into the Drylining sectors’ product solutions during these unprecedented times.
The construction industry has evolved significantly over the last 40 years and will undoubtedly continue to do so. With or without COVID-19 to consider, health and safety will always remain a number one priority, whilst continuing to set high standards in innovation, cost reduction, build quality and sustainability.
As site operating procedures evolve and government guidance for lockdown measures start to become easier, there are still guidelines that we need to ensure we follow. This currently still requires site workers to stay two metres apart, or one metre with risk mitigation, where two metres isn’t viable.
Enabling site workers to be as productive as possible amidst this uncertainty, responsibility lies with manufacturers to create building products to help installers solve these challenges, and adapt to the ‘new normal’ of working. As the UK construction industry certainly has some ground to cover after months of hiatus this year due to COVID-19, both productivity and the quality of installations will be big priorities.
It appears that there will be some significant changes ahead of people returning to work. Partitioning areas that were frequented by lots of people will now look to be completed in a quicker and safer fashion, whilst guaranteeing that fixtures and fittings have the facility to be properly secured. Also, moving forward, the installer needs to ensure they are working to the new guidelines which includes following the traffic light system, as explained in the Finishers and Interior Sector safety task at work guide.
SMARTPLY PATTRESS PLUS is the pre-rebated, pre-sized OSB board ideal for this type of pattress installation where contractors then need to secure heavy fixtures or fittings. SMARTPLY PATTRESS PLUS meets ‘severe duty’ rating and its sizing makes it a safe, one-person lift, allowing productivity following the new guidelines and beyond. This suitable alternative to plywood allows contractors to work with peace of mind, in line with the FIS Safety Task guidelines. Installers have also previously commented on how they were able to finish installations days in advance when using PATTRESS PLUS.
Finally, there is a massive reduction in the use of power tools, unnecessary dust and excessive noise generation on site when using this product, addressing the health and safety and environmental issues contractors face even without the new guidelines.
