Innovative wall solutions from design to completion - News

11/11/2020

A new addition

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A new addition

Our Founding Director, Ryan Steyn, his wife, Julia and daughter, Zara have welcomed a new addition to the family.

Ezekiel Roby Steyn was born at 2:46pm on the 4th of November 2020, weighing a healthy 4kgs!

Here are some pictures of the bouncing baby boy.

29/10/2020

Accessible Safety Training

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Accessible Safety Training

Regular training in safety and building techniques go hand in hand at Empower Construction.

In September we held a training day at our warehouse and product testing centre to verify the competency of employees and subcontractors as the Person in Charge of operating the Hebel Hoist.

Under the guidance of our own qualified riggers and dogmen, and in consultation with engineers from CSR Hebel we reviewed the process for safe assembly of the Hebel Hoist for party wall installation and the predetermined lift process including safe panel handling.

The development of diagrammatic daily checklists ensure that instructions are easily understood by everyone in the team no matter their level of English. We now have 20 trained and competent Persons In Charge to service the growing demand for Hebel inter-tenancy and zero boundary wall installation using the cost effective Hebel Hoist.

28/10/2020

Multi-Res Project Specialists

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Multi-Res Project Specialist

Empower's risk management strategy has always included a healthy balance of high-service need housing and multi-residential clients.

While our Area Supervisor model works well for our diverse housing client base we have recently changed things up to ensure superior service on our project work.

Each sizable project has either a dedicated Team Leader or Site Supervisor overseeing the quality and speed of the day to day work of our teams. Our Contracts Administrator, Sherwayn Donnelly is based onsite and in the office. Working closely with Ryan, our supervisors and client supervisors, he ensures that projects start smoothly and are delivered to quoted scope, schedule and budget. Sherwayn's degree in Construction Management, his excellent communication and computer skills and his 5+ years experience as a CA with Lendlease and Parkview are invaluable in this role.

Our current site supervisors and team leaders working in the multi - resi space include:

Grant James (Leading Hand Carpenter)
Oday Abbasi (Licenced Builder)
Vinicius Alves (Bricklayer and Rigger/ Dogman)
Jacob Latorre (Leading Hand Carpenter)
James Buttigieg (Leading Hand Carpenter)
Jordan Young (Stonemason)

Currently / recently working on new medium to large sized multi resi projects with our valued clients on:

3 x large projects comprising total of approx 300 townhouses in South West Sydney - 50mm Hebel party walls, 75mm external Hebel walls, render, paint, light weight FC cladding
2 x projects (50+ dwellings) in South East Sydney 75mm Hebel external walls, render, paint, 50mm party walls, FC, render and paint
3 x townhouse projects of (140+ dwellings) - 75mm Hebel external walls, FC, eaves, render, paint, 50mm party walls
3 x retirement living projects (400+ dwellings) from Newcastle to Port Macquarie including hebel, polystyrene, render, paint, FC, architectural moulds

Call 1300 268 041 or email sales@empowerconstruction.com.au to ask Brendan, Liam, Shiven or Sian to quote your next multi res project!

29/9/2020

WSABE 2020 Finalists

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Western Sydney awards for business excelLence - 2020 finalists!

Empower Construction is delighted to announce our shortlisting in the 2020 Western Sydney Awards for Business Excellence.

This year, Empower Construction, along with 7 other outstanding businesses, made the finalist cut for the Excellence in Business category.

The awards organisation writes:

In 2020, WSABE received more than 400 entry engagements across 16 award categories recognising business excellence across a broad spectrum of industries, fields, and professions.

WSABE are proud to announce 118 finalists, who have been deemed as leaders in their respective fields by an independent judging panel of industry leaders and professionals.

WSABE would like to extend a warm congratulations to all finalists, and thank them for the contributions they are making to the development of The Greater Western Sydney, it’s economy, and it’s ever expanding business community.

Winners will be announced at the annual WSABE Awards Gala on Friday the 20th November at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse. To learn more and secure your ticket today, please click here.

Click here to view a PDF version of the full 2020 WSABE finalist list!

10/8/2020

On Display!

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On Display!

Display homes are a costly investment with an expected return to builders of a minimum of 18 home sales per display.

As part of a negotiated period works agreement, Empower is committed to working with our valued materials suppliers to deliver great prices for supply and installation solutions of the full external facade on displays.

We think it speaks volumes about our quality, reliability and longevity in the business that we have now helped build 8 display homes in the new Homeworld Box Hill display village, located in North-Western Sydney, for a number of our builder clients.

For more information or if you would like us to prepare a quote for your upcoming display, contact our sales team at: sales@empowerconstruction.com.a

10/8/2020

Hi Tech Pandemic Tips

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Hi Tech Pandemic Tips

COVID19 has made us all think about what we need in the office to help people work productively out of the office.

After researching a number of cost effective solutions to make our remote meetings more inclusive, we went with a Jabra system.

The set up includes a bluetooth omni-directional microphone which is also an HD Voice speaker and a panoramic 180 degree 4K camera with smart technology enabling it to detect faces in the room and adjust the picture to the remote viewer accordingly. We are really happy with it.

Does anyone else have any tips?

10/8/2020

Team Expansion Defies COVID19

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Team Expansion Defies COVID19

Empower is expanding the team to ensure we can provide the best possible service to our builder clients. We have welcomed three additional staff members since the new financial year, providing valuable opportunities for secure employment in these uncertain times.

Contracts Administrator
Sherwayn Donnelly has joined the team in the position of Contracts Administrator. Sherwyn comes with a great deal of exposure to head contractor and subcontractor administration from the commercial and residential client side. He is degree qualified in Construction Management and has over 5 years experience as a CA.

His role at Empower involves working with the supervisors to ensure that our projects are handed over smoothly, delivered to quoted scope, schedule and budget.

Sherwyn can be contacted on delivery@empowerconstruction.com.au email and
+61 474 448 944.

Construction Cadets; Shiven & Sian
Shiven Chaturvedi is degree qualified with a B.Commerce from the University of Wollongong and he is keen to learn all aspects of Empower's business starting with Estimation. Shiven has quickly learnt our measure and take off process to assist with the large number of project quotations we are being asked to provide.

Shiven can be contacted on sales@empower
construction.com.au

Sian Muller is in the final year of a Bachelor of Construction Management degree at UTS. For the last 3 years she has worked at FDC Group in construction and fit out from estimating through to project management. Sian is keen to experience the subcontracting side of the industry and to learn about the construction of innovative external facades.

Sian can be contacted on sian.muller@empowerconstruction.com.au

10/8/2020

New Dad & New Sales Account Manager!

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New Dad & New Sales Account Manager!

Our newest dad, Liam Lawler, celebrated the birth of his first child, a son, Kyrie Zane only 4 weeks ago!

Continuing to work under the direction of Brendan Corbett, our National Sales Manager, Liam is back in his new role as Sales Account Manager and keener than ever to meet with current and prospective clients to assist them with all of their external facade needs. Liam is also our Mr Fixit in charge of new Maintenance work. If you have a maintenance job or an issue caused by others we will be happy to provide you with a quote to rectify and assist you with creative, compliant solutions.

Get in touch with Liam via one of the following:
liam.lawler@empowerconstruction.com.au or +61 423 525 502

28/3/2020

COVID-19 SOP

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STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE - COVID19 PANDEMIC
PURPOSE:
This document provides an outline for how Empower Construction will respond to the current COVID19 pandemic and how it will comply with government regulations and work with clients to ensure that the workplace remains as safe as possible and put in place stringent measures to halt the spread of the virus on worksite and within the wider community.

POLICY:
Empower Construction is committed to reducing the spread of the coronavirus COVID19 and will consult with workers and other duty holders to conduct a WHS risk management assessment to:

identify workers and work activities at greatest risk of spreading infectious diseases in the event of a pandemic
assess the likelihood and consequence of infection to workers and others in the workplace
identify suitable control measures to eliminate or minimise risks and work with clients to reduce the WHS risk on job sites
put measures in place to ensure that ill workers remain away from work when unwell
develop an implementation plan

MITIGATING THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS
Isolating the site:

Only essential visitors to the site/ office will be permitted
Workers, clients, visitors who has been diagnosed with COVID19 must not attend site until they have been provided with a medical clearance as per state government guidelines
Workers, clients and visitors who are unwell and present with symptoms including fever, dry cough, sore throat are not permitted on site or in the office
They are advised to stay at home if they are sick – even if the symptoms are mild
any unwell workers with compatible symptoms to those of COVID-19 be sent home immediately, and advised to call their General Practitioner, call healthdirect on 1800 022 222 or visit their local Emergency Department
Workers, clients, and visitors who have been overseas must not return to work or enter a site until the end of a full 14 day self isolation period
Workers, clients, and visitors who have been in close contact with a person who has been confirmed as having COVID19 must self isolate for a period of 14 days and not return to site unless they show no symptoms of the disease at the end of that period

Isolating Workers through Social Distancing:

Site workers will be kept in their work group and work 4m2 away from each other while working on site
Empower Construction will work with the head contractor on their site and allow workers to be inducted into COVID19 social distancing measures as guided by the head contractor
Where possible, office workers will work from home or if required at work, will work in a space at least 4m2 away from others
Empower Construction operates using cloud based job management software and is well placed to do this to avoid business interruption
In the office, workstations, hard surfaces and door handles will be wiped down regularly with disinfectant
Face to face meetings among workers, clients, suppliers are to be avoided and instead Empower will use the Zoom Meeting platform to continue to conduct business meetings
Suppliers will leave goods at the door or they will be handled using the forklift and avoid contact with other individuals keeping a 1.5-2m distance between people at all times

INFECTION PREVENTION THROUGH HYGIENE MEASURES:
Everyone should:

frequently wash hands their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or use an alcohol-based hand rub;

Empower Construction will:

make alcohol-based hand sanitising dispensers as much as practicable are available in prominent places around the office workplace and on utes and ensure they are regularly refilled
make sure that staff, contractors and customers have access to facilities where they can wash their hands with soap and water this includes providing a mobile hand washing station on all utes
actively promote good hand hygiene in bathroom and kitchen amenities using resources in relation to COVID-19 available from NSW Health and WHO.

Empower Construction recognises that hand sanitisers should not be provided as the only hand hygiene option as there are times when soap and water should be used instead, eg: when hands are visibly dirty or after going to the toilet
Workers must:
Co-operate with their employer in implementing risk control measures and must take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure they don’t do anything that creates or increases a risk to the health and safety of themselves or others.
Everyone should:

cover their cough their nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing with tissue or a flexed elbow
dispose of tissues immediately, and use alcohol-based hand sanitiser after disposing or thoroughly wash hands with soap for 20 seconds
avoid contact with others (no shaking hands, touching faces, hugging, and other intimate contact).

Empower Construction will:

ensure an adequate supply of paper tissues is available throughout the workplace including on all utes
provide closed bins for hygienic disposal of used tissues in the office and ensure client sites have this facility
actively promote good respiratory hygiene in prominent places where close customer or worker contact occurs, resources in relation to COVID-19 are available from NSW Health
continue to provide PPE including P2 face masks for all workers, protective eye glasses, protective gloves and ear plugs

Empower Construction will seek expert advice that may be required for high risk work environments or tasks and in particular take the lead from the head contractor
Empower Construction will regularly review the control measures being used and update these as required pending government advice.

ENSURING GOOD COMMUNICATION RE WORKPLACE CONTROLS
Empower Construction will provide information and instruction to workers, subcontractors, clients and others:

to stay at home if they are sick – even if the symptoms are mild, and
that any unwell workers with compatible symptoms to those of COVID-19 be sent home immediately, and advised to call their General Practitioner, call healthdirect on 1800 022 222 or visit their local Emergency Department
to reinforce and support good personal hygiene, including good hand and respiratory hygiene. Display posters promoting regular hand washing, good respiratory hygiene, symptoms to look out for and when to stay home (available from NSW Health or the World Health Organization (WHO)), and combine this with other communication measures used in the workplace (e.g. regular briefings;information on the intranet; phone and email contacts for further information etc)
to advise of any changes to work arrangements to workers and other businesses our workers are in close contact with
Regular briefings will be conducted via email, telephone and Zoom meetings

Workers must co-operate with their employer in implementing risk control measures and must take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure they don’t do anything that creates or increases a risk to the health and safety of themselves or others.

MANAGING ILL WORKERS
What to do if someone

is a suspected case of COVID-19 awaiting results
has been in close contact with a suspected and/or confirmed case of COVID-19
becomes ill with COVID-19 symptoms at the workplace (confirmed case)

If someone becomes ill at work:

preferably only one person and ideally a person with first aid training should have limited contact with the sick person
the ill worker will be provided with a disposable P2 face mask (kept on all utes and in the office) to wear to reduce the risk of disease transmission (all workers will be wearing these masks as part of their PPE)
They will be advised to go home and immediately call their doctor. (It is essential the mask is worn correctly and disposed of as soon as it becomes moist or after coughing or sneezing. Resources on the correct application, use, removal and disposal of face masks are available from World Health Organization (WHO)
Their emergency contact will be called and if they are not well enough to drive themselves will be asked to arrange private transport within their own close contact familial circle or a team member will drive them home before isolating themselves while waiting for the unwell workers test results
Any ill workers will be recorded on Employment Hero and the head contractor of any worksite that the employee has been working on for the last 14 days will be notified

Managing a suspected case of COVID-19 awaiting results

Empower Construction will advising them to remain self-isolated at home and strictly follow their doctor’s advice
if NSW Health confirms that the person has COVID-19, the local Public Health Unit will be in contact with close contacts from the workplace, if any, to advise them on what action to take. If the person was infectious while at work the employer must notify SafeWork NSW.
Close contacts/ persons who may be at risk will be supported and as much as practicable their privacy will be maintained and identified cases will not be stigmatised and discrimination in the workplace.
After the person has left the workplace, the person’s workstation, work area and any communal areas they have been in must be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.

Workers must co-operate with their employer in implementing risk control measures. They must take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure they don’t do anything that creates or increases a risk to the health and safety of themselves or others.

EMPOWER CONSTRUCTION WILL REVIEW ITS PANDEMIC PLAN, IN CONSULTATION WITH WORKERS, AS GOVERNMENT ADVICE CHANGES.
AT THE TIME OF WRITING, NSW IS AT LEVEL 2 RESTRICTIONS

Recovery Phase:
In order to return to a normalised post pandemic environment, Empower Construction will:

progressively suspend local risk control measures as the pandemic subsides, to be on a schedule that is compatible with advice from NSW Health.
consider the need for training for workers re-tasked to priority areas while business activities are transitioning back to normal:
ensure workers are consulted about skills, training needs and workloads before they are moved to new work
ensure effective communication and consultation with workers both in the workplace and those at home waiting to recommence normal work arrangements
ensure access to work-based counselling and support services continue. Workers who are affected by the death of colleagues, friends or family may need extra support.

Empower Construction - COVID19 Standard Operating Procedure_230320

4/3/2020

meeting standards without compromising on style: A CASE STUDY - AEROSTONE MOULDS

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MEETING STANDARDS WITHOUT COMPRoMISING ON STYLE: A CASE STUDY - AEROSTONE MOULDS

The new National Construction Code Vol 2 fire safety performance requirements came into effect after a 12 months transition period on the 1st May 2020.
This made Aerostone the perfect choice in architectural mouldings for this builder when they were planning their new townhouse development at Truganina in Melbourne’s west.

Due to the proximity of the decorative (and practical) hoods to the boundary line, these lightweight concrete mouldings comply where combustible materials are not permitted. Refer to NCC Vol 2 Part 3.7.1 and 3.7.2 for individual circumstances on Class 1 and 2 buildings for external walls.
Painted with Dulux Acrasand, these features give a warm, natural stone finish that enhance the look of any brick or rendered home.
Empower Construction exclusively supplies and installs Aerostone on the east coast of Australia and our teams have been trained by the Perth based manufacturer to instal their products made from CSR Hebel blocks.
The easy to manipulate 600mm lengths are either cemented to the wall with a proprietary adhesive or they are mounted on steel backing rods (as these hoods have been). The product can be shaved down or built up as required. While the bandings and hood styles in this project are elegantly simple there is a full decorative range so individual builders can create their own moulding signature on their unique range of homes. 
Get in touch and see how you can benefit from partnering with Empower on your projects. Call us on 1300 268 041 or send us an email via sales@empowerconstruction.com.au

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