Don’t get caught out by new CIS late-filing penalties

Penalties for late or non-filing of monthly Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) returns by contractors are changing from November this year. Under CIS, contractors are obliged to file a monthly return and account for any sums deducted from subcontractors.

The new penalty regime comes out of the Finance Act 2009. The first return affected by the changes will be for the month ending on 5 November 2011.

From November 2011, the following penalties will apply to returns that are not filed, or are filed late:

• as soon as the return is late – a fixed penalty of £100;
• two months after the filing date – a second, fixed penalty of £200;
• six months after the filing date – a tax-geared penalty which is the greater of £300 or 5 per cent of the amount of deductions shown on the return;
• 12 months after the filing date – a second tax-geared penalty which is the greater of £300 or 5 per cent of the amount of deductions shown on the return.

If HMRC believes that information has been deliberately withheld, greater penalties may apply. In addition, HMRC charges interest on any penalty amount paid late.

For new contractors who are late in filing their first return or returns, a limit will apply to the amount of fixed penalties that can be charged so that the £100 and £200 penalties do not exceed a maximum of £3,000. During this initial period, before a new contractor sends their first return(s), no tax-geared penalty will be issued.  Once returns are received, however, penalties will be adjusted to include 5 per cent of the amount of any deductions shown on those returns.

When the new penalties begin, no more automatic penalties will be issued for outstanding returns up to and including the one for the month ending on 5 October 2011. Those penalties already charged still need to be paid unless they have been successfully appealed against. Payment of these should be made immediately.

To avoid penalties:

• file your return in good time (to reach HMRC by the 19th of the relevant month);
• tell HMRC immediately if you stop trading or do not pay subcontractors in a particular period.

Further information will be published at www.hmrc.gov.uk/cis/cis-whatsnew.htm as it becomes available.

Speedy’s New Generation from SDMO

SDMO Energy, the UK division of the French generator manufacturing giant SDMO Industries have confirmed further order for a fleet of their brand new Rental Compact range of generators from Speedy, the UK provider of equipment rental and support services.

Following on from Speedy’s initial order of thirty-two sets, this second order is for a total of fifty-three Rental Compact sets ranging from 20 to 90kVA each powered by a Tier 3/Stage III compliant John Deere or Mitsubishi diesel engine. The electricity is derived from the latest Leroy Somer alternator and the complete unit is governed by SDMO’s exclusive Nexys management system. The complete order is a mix of road trailer and skid mounted sets.

Andy Connor, supply chain director at Speedy, said: “We carefully evaluated the current line of generators available on the market and we were impressed with the features and the environmental qualities of the SDMO Rental Compact range. These will bring real benefits to our customers in terms of lower emissions and fuel conservation”.

The new SDMO Rental Compact range encompasses a power band between 16 and 500kVA and containerised rental solutions up to 2500kVA. The attractively designed canopies incorporate a high-level control panel, which is situated separately from the alternator, featuring all the necessary instrumentation for unrivalled control and management.

Each set is fitted with low level sockets, a hardwire facility with easy engine access through wide opening galvanised doors and thoughtfully added door retainer clips. Environmental issues, such a reduced noise pollution and diesel spillage has not been overlooked. These new rental generators have whisper-quiet sound levels and the long-run fuel tank is fully bunded, making these sets ideally suited for providing clean power for commercial use, during outside events and on construction sites, particularly in urban areas. Transportation and off-loading is made simple via the, nylon lined, fork access pockets inserted into the base.

The sets are currently in production and will be shipped to Speedy during March and April 2011, ready for distribution throughout by Speedy’s Power division in both the UK and overseas.

Alloa Hire Centre takes the first Volvo EC18C in Scotland

Moving into mini excavator hire with a Volvo EC15BXTV in March 2007 has proved to be a great success for Alloa Hire Centre. Four years on with a fleet of four machines, the company has upgraded to the latest Volvo model taking delivery of the first EC18C to be delivered north of the border.

Established twenty five years ago, the family run business had, up until 2007, concentrated its hire activities to just small tools and static equipment. Following the move to new premises on the outskirts of Alloa, the opportunity to expand into mobile plant however presented itself to John and Barry MacPherson resulting in the purchase of their first Volvo EC15BXTV. “Since then we’ve not had to look elsewhere for mini diggers,” commented John MacPherson. “Our customers have only had positive comments to make regarding their performance and as a result, here we are purchasing our fourth machine. Looking back, our initial consideration in choosing the Volvo brand was the fact there was a support centre close by at Stirling, but in hindsight we haven’t had to rely too much on that due to the good reliability of the product,” he continued.

The new Volvo EC18C is one of four machines ranging between 1.5 and 2.0 tonnes that became available on the GB market last autumn and is a direct replacement for the EC15B XTV model. Powered by a 12.3 Kw (16.8hp) engine, the machine features automatic two speed travel and extendable undercarriage as standard. One significant change on the new models is that hydraulic hoses for the digging equipment are now routed through the boom and cylinders are top mounted to minimize on site damage. The machine supplied to Alloa Hire Centre features a full cab – a canopy version is also available. The 1.8 tonne compact excavator also benefits from load-sensing hydraulic system for fast cycle times, even when carrying out multiple functions. Maximum dig depth is a generous 2.3 metres. A single piece engine hood provides unobstructed access to all the engine components whilst the instrument panel provides at-a-glance monitoring of all key functions. The cab’s easy to clean flat floor panel lifts for access to hydraulics and main control valve.

Alloa Hire Centre provides a comprehensive tool and machine hire service throughout the central belt of Scotland and has developed a highly successful online sales operation trading as AHC Tools, supplying tools and equipment worldwide.

Hydrex invests £2m in Bell loaders for Görrel

Görrel, one of the UK’s largest self-drive plant rental firms, is taking delivery of 12 wheeled loaders from Bell Equipment following a £2m investment from Görrel’s parent company Hydrex. The deal is a significant step for Bell in terms of gaining full industry recognition for its loaders, which were introduced to the UK only two years ago. The investment by Hydrex also represents a positive commitment by the company to provide its customers with the very best operational solutions available.   

Görrel has traditionally built its sizeable 180-strong wheeled loader fleet around Volvos. This move marks the firm’s first venture into the Bell product. Mike Haskell, general manager of Görrel, said the Bell machines had been “impressive” during a demonstration last year at a wood recycling plant in Manchester, which prompted the deal. 

“The extremely dusty environment was intentionally chosen to really put the Bell machines through their paces. Other loaders operating on that particular site have experienced severe overheating problems due to the airborne debris clogging up the system, leading to a lot of downtime for cleaning and maintenance. The Bell L1706E loader that was trialled performed impressively and was still spotlessly clean after the end of the demo.”     

Bell’s seven-strong wheeled loader range, manufactured by John Deere, comes with the highest standard specification in the industry. Although the machines boast a number of special features, it is the unique QuadCool cooling system, with wide-core radiators, that truly sets Bell apart from the rest, particularly in a dusty waste and recycling environment.

The 12 Bell loaders purchased by Hydrex cover much of the range, from the smaller utility machines to the larger production models. They include two L1204Es, three 1506Es, two L1706Es (one with high-lift arms), three L1806Es (one with high-lift arms) and two L2106Es. All of the loaders are fitted with a hydraulic quick-hitch to enable the speedy change of buckets from inside the cab, as well as third-line hydraulics and multi-lever controls.

Carl Woollaston, sales support manager for Bell Equipment, said: “We’re confident at Bell that the specification of our loaders, particularly with the QuadCool system, means we can challenge the very best in the industry. But it always takes time for a new product to gain the confidence of the market.

“The fact that a company the size and stature of Görrel has effectively endorsed our product so highly means an enormous amount to Bell. It’s a fantastic step forward, and one that we hope we can build on.”

While Bell has a strong reputation for after-sales service, Görrel’s own team of skilled engineers will carry out all scheduled and unscheduled maintenance of the Bell loaders for its customers.  Bell is nevertheless providing Görrel staff with the same training courses that it gives its own sales staff and field service engineers to boost product familiarity and allow user feedback.

Hydrex chief executive officer Carl D’Ammassa said: “Hydrex has enjoyed a very good relationship with Bell for a number of years in terms of their dump trucks. The loaders though are relatively new in the UK, so this investment for Görrel was not a decision that was taken lightly, particularly as Görrel is operating in such a competitive market. But from the evidence we’ve seen, the Bell wheeled loaders can easily hold their own, and in some areas outperform rival products. Bell remains a great company to do business with, always exceeding expectations when it comes to after-sales support.” 

D’Ammassa added: “Hydrex is fully committed to making the very best possible solutions available to our customers. This is especially important in terms of machine reliability and fuel economy in the current economic climate.”

A Kubota Tractor Gets Its Skates On For The Eden Project

Dancing on Ice has inspired everyone to don their skates and emulate their favourite celebrity, but at one ice rink it’s a Kubota tractor that proved to be the star of the show! Staff at the Eden Project in Bodelva, Cornwall, have been using a Kubota B2230 Compact Tractor to power an Olympia 250 ice machine used to clean and prepare the ice for skate sessions.

Since Eden’s popular seasonal ice rink first opened five years ago, the organisation had used a golf buggy to pull its ice machine. Unfortunately, both machines were written off during a major flood which caused the ice rink to close for one month from 17 November 2010. After consultations between the ice rink staff and John Ryan, the transport manager at the Eden Project it was decided that a faster, more powerful and efficient replacement was needed and the Olympia 250 was chosen. After seeing it being driven by a Kubota tractor on the manufacturer’s website, he approached local Kubota dealer Vincent Tractors to find the best machine for the job.  

The ice machine works by removing a fine layer of ice, collected as snow, whilst simultaneously cleaning and resurfacing the ice using warm water. It weighs 70lbs empty and can hold 50 gallons of water together with 21 cubic feet of snow. With this in mind, David Marks at Vincent Tractors suggested that a B30 series tractor, with Kubota’s ETVCS diesel engine and powerful hydraulic lifting system, would be best suited to power the ice machine when fully laden.
The B2230 was delivered on 10 December and was fitted with special tyres featuring special ice-studs as a precaution to ensure that it wouldn’t skid.  The 22hp machine features fully hydrostatic power steering, bi-speed turn and four wheel drive as standard, ensuring it can maintain good grip in even the slippiest of conditions.

It has since been used to help create an expert surface between every skate session – a feat that takes around 20 minutes on the 35m x 22m rink. As a result, Eden’s ice rink was able to cater for approximately 23 skate sessions every week.
Now that the season’s over, John explains that the B2230 has been a huge success: “The Kubota is extremely easy to operate and drive. It has excellent visibility and the only limitations have been caused by the manoeuvrability of the ice box, not the tractor. But once staff learnt how to back it into the corners, resurfacing the ice has been a doddle.  
In fact, it’s been such a hit that I have staff queuing up to be trained how to use it!"

But it’s not just the staff who were impressed by the Kubota’s 'skating skills', John explains that the visitors, particularly children, were absolutely amazed to see a tractor on the ice. He said: "People think a tractor would be far too heavy and would crack the ice, but it’s not. As a result, we’ve had crowds of people staying on after their skate sessions to watch the ice being cleaned and resurfaced – it’s been a great way to engage with visitors."

As well as being pleased with the tractor’s performance John says he’s been delighted with the service provided by both Vincent Tractors and Kubota. "We had an extremely tight timeline but they bent over backwards to ensure that we had the tractor a week before the ice rink reopened so that we had plenty of time to train our staff. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them.."
Asked what he’ll be using the B2230 for now that the skating season is over and John isn’t entirely sure, but one thing’s for certain, he won’t be getting it dirty!  

He said: "The Kubota’s powerful enough to pop a front loader on and use for any number of jobs around the Eden site, but like any hard working machine, it would quickly start to look tatty. I want to keep it pristine for next year’s 'ice display', so will be looking for a clean job for it – perhaps pulling one of the road train carriages that transport disabled visitors and their carers from the car park to main site.

Stately home owner ‘killed’ in roof fall

The British press and public have been traumatised by the ‘death’ of soap opera character Nigel Pargetter, owner of the Lower Loxley estate in the long-running BBC Radio series “The Archers”. Nigel Pargetter fell from the roof of Lower Loxley Hall, a historical home dating from 1702, when he climbed up there to take down a banner after the New Year’s party.

While the audience and the fictional characters cope with the tragic loss of Nigel Pargetter, the powered access industry must be asking: Why didn’t Nigel use a mobile elevating work platform (MEWP)? Why did he simply climb up the roof, apparently in dark and windy conditions, and with no fall protection? Did he not do a risk assessment before taking on this task?

This tragedy for one of Britain’s best-known soap opera families raises serious questions for safe work at height. People – electricians, industrial cleaners, steel fixers, aerial installers, tree surgeons, painters and many other trades – too often underestimate the real dangers of any work at height. Falls from height continue to be the biggest killer in the industry.

Nigel’s death and other similar accidents in the real world are tragic because they can be prevented through the use of the right equipment and with proper training. Powered access equipment, in the hands of a trained operator, offers a safe and effective way to work at height. Most areas in Britain are covered, with easy local access to a wide range of MEWPs, and these are increasingly being used by those who recognise the combined safety benefits and productivity gains.

Local platform rental companies can be found from the IPAF website www.ipaf.org, or by calling IPAF on 015395 66700.