Construction firms refusing to sign charter for sustainable British steel

Steel reinforcement mesh suppliers may well find that their businesses are affected by the refusal of some larger construction companies to sign the Charter for Sustainable British Steel, which is backed by both Tory and Labour MPs.

The Charter calls on companies to use British-made steel whenever they can, but six firms – Wates, Willmott Dixon, BAM Construction, Kier, Mace and Interserve – have yet to sign up, according to the Daily Mirror, which is also supporting the scheme.

A Save Our Steel campaign is also running at the moment, calling for cuts in energy bills and business rates for steel plants, as well as encouraging UK companies to buy British and blocking cheap exports from China.

When asked about the Charter, parent company of BAM Construction BAM Nuttall said the firm was “committed to a local supply chain wherever possible”, although it did add: “The way [the Charter] is currently worded, we wouldn’t be able to stick to it.”

And a spokesman from Mace said: “Mace promotes the use of high quality British steel and local procurement whenever possible. We always aim to use UK steel in the first instance, supply permitting.”

Earlier this month (January 18th), Tata Steel confirmed that it would be making huge job cuts across its numerous sites in the UK after European steel prices dropped because of cheap imports from countries like China.

It was revealed that 1,050 jobs would go at Port Talbot, Hartlepool, Corby and Trostre. The business will now be looking at how more support to local communities can be offered, while also stimulating job creation in the regions affected.

Brits Warned About ‘Falling Debris’ When Storm Callum Hits

Weather forecasters have warned Brits to be extra careful this week when another storm arrives, as it could cause ‘flying debris’.

Those working in construction and fixing corrugated roofing sheets should take additional precautions at the end of the week, as the Met Office has issued Yellow Warnings for some parts of the country.

Northern Ireland and several counties in Scotland are most likely to be affected by the low-pressure system coming from the Atlantic, and wind speeds of up to 80mph are predicted.

Met Office forecaster Greg Dewhurt told the Mirror Online: “We’re still going to see gusts of 70 to 80mph and perhaps even higher than that across the Western Isles on Friday afternoon and evening.”

He added that travel disruption is likely, as well as power cuts, and “we could see some trees down” in addition to these.

The Met Office has advised people to be careful on Friday and into the weekend, as flying debris is likely, while tiles are likely to blow off roofs, and roads could become damaged.

Coastal areas are most at risk, and those near the water have been warned that objects could be thrown onto beaches and seaside roads.

Other parts of the country have a very different weather outlook for the week, as temperatures are set to hit 25C in southern areas, which could beat the last hottest October day, recorded in 2011.

Last month, the picture was not so promising, and Britain was hit by two huge gales, Storm Ali and Storm Bronagh, with wind speeds of up to 102mph recorded on the Tay Road Bridge in Scotland.