A selection of readers’ comments about news and issues in the industry from across the CIOB community and social media.
What can we do about the shortage of quantity surveyors?
Ken Hubble MCIOB sent us a letter about an important challenge facing the industry and what he believes would fix it.
From my experience working in the construction industry, there is a skill deficit in quantity surveyors being able to take off and produce bills of quantities.
I make this statement from my own experience. At KS Associates Quantity Surveyors, which I founded in 1999 with my two sons and was incorporated in 2005, we prepare bills of quantities for many of the top players in construction.
Increased workloads meant that we had to look for more quantity surveyors with substantial experience. It was at this point that we identified a skills shortage in this area.
For example, we had qualified quantity surveyors who did not understand the need to look at both plan and elevation drawings for dimensions and openings. Surprisingly common, others didn’t understand site levels, calculations for reduced level excavations or the construction sequence of operations. I could go on.
My question is, what are we going to do to address this problem (as I can assure you it is a major problem)? The answer is staring us in the face: employ young people and teach them to take off quantities from limited information, understand construction methods and operation sequences, and, of course, bill of quantities production.
It worked when I taught my two sons back in the 1990s and many others since then.
Examples of ill-fitting PPE
Health and safety professional Lynette Whittle shared feedback with us on inadequate PPE she’s witnessed at work.
I once spoke with a painter and asked her about her hi-vis, which was far too big. She told me it was the company’s and was a standard size and fit for everyone. She said that eight out of 10 people in the team were women. She was also wearing men’s overalls because she didn’t have a clue that female overalls were an option.
I’ve also met several bricklayers who tied up their hi-vis. When I asked why, they all had the same answer: because it hangs loose when they bend over. And when I asked why they don’t wear a zipped-up hi-vis, they said because they are self-employed and they can’t afford to replace them.
Sometimes, I would see bricklayers in a hi-vis t-shirt with another underneath. When I enquired if they weren’t hot, I was told that the material of the hi-vis t-shirt makes them sweat and they needed the second cotton shirt to combat that.
Stolen £25k JCB loader listed on Facebook recovered
CM 02.04.25
The police were able to recover a JCB loader thanks to a dealer checking its details in The Equipment Register, a database of stolen plant and equipment.
An excellent system which is not widely advertised and should receive more coverage so owners of plant that has been stolen can benefit from the scheme.
Alan Vowler FCIOB
Tariffs to cause ‘dire’ affordability crisis in Canada and US, housebuilders warn
Global Construction Review 05.03.25
Why don’t we just make everything we need in the US? I am a contractor in the south-east US and we have enough trees and lumber mills in this country to supply all our needs as far as the lumber part goes. They have been upping capacity a lot over the last few years.
Alan Merritt
This is a great opportunity for Canada to start up industries which make them less reliant upon the US. Countries should now insulate from the need to import US goods and services. It might be hard, but it is better for the future.
David Alan Brightman
Share your views on the latest industry issues by posting comments online at www.constructionmanagement.co.uk or by emailing the editor at [email protected].
