Site teams ignorant about timber rules

Site specifiers are failing to take notice of government guides on timber procurement, Jewson environmental manager for timber products Andrew Venman told CJ.

He said contractors are still ignorant on guides to legal and sustainable timber, despite environmentalists targeting high profile schemes last year (CJ 15 September 2004).

Venman said contractors need to build systems into timber procurement to ensure the materials meet the specifier's demands.

He said: "The big problem with the system today is the lack of understanding within contractors' site management. The
specifier can put into the contract that he wants legal timber, but someone has to put that into site procurement."

Venman added: "The only way to do it, especially with bigger sites, where there are quality checklists, is that certification has to be part of that list. How do you manage it when a subbie goes off to buy a piece of wood to box off a bath?"

He said there is only weak demand from the construction industry for legal and sustainable timber, and 100 out of 450 Jewson branches are certified under the required chain of custody.