The Industry's Association
The MPBA grew from a need for support and representation - almost 70 years after its foundation, the Association is still evolving
There is an old saying: 'from little acorns grow…' - and it could be said that this applies to the portable and modular building industry. Sixty-five years ago, companies in the modular building sector were mainly involved in the manufacture of buildings with floor, walls and roof sections, which were prefabricated from timber and suitable for easy erection on-site.
In the time since then the buildings have changed from all timber to a combination of timber and steel to totally steel shells with steel interior walls or frames clad with a variety of materials and finishes.
Membership
As the industry has grown, so too did a need for a professional body to represent those companies involved in this market - and in 1938 a small number of companies formed what became known as The Timber Building Manufacturers Association to address this issue.
This small alliance has evolved into The Modular & Portable Building Association (MPBA), which is now a very active contributor to the industry, working alongside government and controlling bodies that introduce regulations and legislation, helping with training schemes and promoting and marketing modular and portable buildings. The MPBA's membership has grown to include manufacturers, hire companies and suppliers to the industry.
Today in a market worth billions of pounds, the MPBA has members who specialise in all types of building applications. Many members now offer a variety of finance packages including hire, purchase and lease purchase. The Association's members are spread throughout the British Isles and there are also overseas associate members from other continents as well as the EU.
Expertise
The MPBA has in-house expertise, which works on projects that have serious implications for the industry as a whole. For example, with the skills and commitment of its in-house Technical Committee, the MPBA was able to assist the ODPM (now DCLG) to produce a document that dealt with the new Part L Building Regulations covering Modular & Portable Buildings built prior to April 2006. The document is available as free download from the MPBA web site. Without this, the new regulations would have had a devastating effect on a large number of companies with a number of modular buildings and cabins already in existence.
As in any industry, the MPBA has a duty of care under the Health & Safety at Work Act, and it's Health & Safety Committee serves to look after the interests of the industry. This year the Committee has been working on two major issues - Electrical Testing and the CSCS Card Scheme.
Electrical Testing - This has been a grey area for many years (when cabins are taken into a hire fleet) and there has been some difficulty complying with regulations that came into force. Working with the NICEIC, the MPBA will be announcing two levels of training schemes by the end of November, which have been designed to introduce bespoke electrical training for the Modular & Portable Building Industry. CSCS Scheme - Since the Major Contractor's Group (MCG) instigated the CSCS scheme it has been recognised that no scheme was in place that covered the competencies required by those employed in Modular & Portable Building installations as well as the dismantling aspects of their trade. In support of the MCG requirement for recognised competency on-site, the MPBA has been working with CITB to develop a bespoke scheme that has been tailored to suit the needs of the industry. The scheme is now in place that covers the industry and is available through CITB.
Article by Jackie Maginnis, Published in Construction Today
